A healthy sales culture provides the oxygen growing banks need

Adobe Stock

I'm always a little curious when I start getting similar questions or requests from bank leaders in a short period of time. Lately, that hot topic has been how to get branch managers and frontline teams more engaged in business growth.

And while growing our businesses has always been important, it feels like the spotlight on it has gotten a little brighter recently.

One of my longest-running mantras, and something I've touched on in presentations for years, is "Sales is oxygen." I began emphasizing that point in the immediate aftermath of the unauthorized account openings scandal nearly a decade ago.

To be honest, audiences back then often looked uneasy when that three-word slide appeared. At the time, many bank leaders seemed almost afraid to even bring up sales.

Over the next couple of years, I was surprised by how many bankers told me they had removed any mention of sales from their onboarding and training materials.

And I could empathize with the position they were in. No one wanted to risk being the next institution accused of immoral or illegal practices. The fear of reputational damage felt far greater than the fear of business stagnation.

While ethical behavior and reputation protection remain as central to banking leaders as ever, I'm sensing a growing recognition that, when grounded in ethical principles, healthy sales cultures can actually enhance a bank's brand and reputation.

Now, I will be the first to admit that suggesting a healthy sales culture can actually strengthen a bank's brand might sound like the kind of line you'd expect from … well … a salesperson.

Folks of my generation can probably picture a plaid-jacketed Herb Tarlek from WKRP in Cincinnati making that pitch. Or maybe you imagine Michael Scott from "The Office" cluelessly tossing out the idea without understanding what it really means.                        

I've often said that one of the biggest challenges in helping teams get comfortable with sales cultures is the picture most people carry in their heads of a salesperson.

Newsflash: It's not a good one.

Society and entertainment have too often cast selling — and salespeople — as either ruthless, dishonest or just plain clueless. Those aren't exactly traits your good people want to be associated with.

And then there is the 800-pound gorilla in the sales room: rejection. The folks who actually ask for new or expanded business get told "no thanks" a whole lot more than their peers.

Second newsflash: Most people do not enjoy rejection, and even fewer would choose to face it more often than their peers unless they understand it is simply the price of winning business.

Political lines harden around FDIC workplace scandal

A House Financial Services Committee's hearing on workplace misconduct at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Wednesday offered Republicans an opportunity to call for FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg's immediate resignation, but Democrats pushed back against the implication that Gruenberg alone is to blame.

I often find myself reminding folks that we need to begin, or in some cases continue, reshaping what "sales" really means to our teams and how it impacts us both personally and professionally.

First and foremost, and with all due respect, our sales numbers are the truest objective gauge of competency in business. That may seem like a harsh assessment to some. And when I make that point, I'm not suggesting operations with poor sales are bad at providing quality products and services.

Many highly talented and capable teams, people who are truly good at what they do, never reach the level of success their abilities deserve. They seem to be waiting for the world to find them. Alas, the world is pretty busy … and not even looking.

Business success comes from finding, growing and deepening customer relationships. And while every form of marketing and promotion we use is beneficial, most of it can be copied by strong competitors.

What is far more difficult to copy are cultures with engaged team members who want to speak with customers, learn from them and earn their business.

I often remind leaders that the competition does not fear your new buildings, your products or even your pricing. They fear engaged bankers in the market, building relationships and earning business.

Some might even call that a productive sales culture.       

At the end of the day, sales is not a dirty word. It is the oxygen that keeps our businesses alive and growing.

Banks that embrace, promote, and support a principled sales culture discover that it not only fuels growth but also strengthens their brand and deepens customer trust.

Competitors can easily match products, copy promotions, and even outspend you on technology and buildings.

What they cannot easily copy is a team of engaged bankers who consistently step into their markets, talk with people, learn their needs and earn their business through action.

And, yes, brands are enhanced when their people are fully engaged in earning new business. In the end, sales aren't "made." They're earned.

And a healthy sales culture is a true competitive advantage.