Don't Copy and Paste Your Marketing

Back in the day. Before I was a dancer and before I was a brand builder, I was a banker. Well, a Credit Union teller to be exact.

I was a young ambitious person who loved dishing out great customer service. So I excelled at this role.

Even way back then I had my aims at the Marketing Department so like a good student, I would study our financial products and then think hard about how I could match them up with what my customers needed.

Listen and Notice

If I saw that they had low funds and sensed they were just starting out, I would offer them the credit builder loan that helped build credit by using a savings account with no credit check required.

And if someone had tons of money in a regular old savings account sitting around for more than 6 months I would have a rate sheet with a highlighted money market saving account ready to show them how they could double their dividends with no additional risks.

No pressure just assurance

I would say, "No rush, just check it out and let me know" Knowing with a clear heart and mind that it was the BEST and most serving thing for them. I became one of the top reps among all of the branches.

Because of this, my manager wanted me to teach my zen-like ways to all of the tellers.

Let the training begin

Early one Saturday morning, before we opened, I had a training session with the whole teller line.

I showed them how I sorted and prepared the highlighted rate sheets. I taught them how I looked for the small signals to help me offer the right product to the right people.

I even gave them the no-pressure verbiage I used to help convince even my most stubborn members that I truly had their best interests at heart.

I was gleaming with pride.

It felt good to know that little 'ole me was doing leadership training for the whole branch. Woop. 🙌🏾

Something went wrong

Fast forward a few weeks later something strange started happening. I continued to serve my members as I always did. Only now, so was everyone else.

At first, members were hearing my care and conviction speech from only me. But now they were hearing it from EVERY SINGLE teller they visited.

After a while, our care became a burden.

Some of my favorite members would walk up to my window and before I could say a word, they would moan.

"I know, I know the Money Market account. 🙄 Let me save you the trouble...I don't want it. And pleeeease not ANOTHER rate sheet."

It was a failure

The plan to teach my techniques failed miserably. I think the issue was we tried to replicate my success by copying and pasting, instead of digging down to the root of what made it all work.

It wasn't about the technique. It was about the heart and the effort I took to learn my people and then match their specific needs with a specific value.

A Lesson Learned

Still to this day. I remember this as a lesson. Yes, be inspired, but don't stop there. Get to the heart of the matter. Don't simply copy and paste hoping for the same results.

Your turn...

• Where are your people at?... What do they need? What do they want?
• What specific value can you offer them that matches where they are and what they need?