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Cheshire Building Society
The Challenge
The Cheshire Building Society is a medium-sized regional mutual. It found itself in a situation where, while its delivery of service to customers was very good, the fundamental sales focus within the branch teams was, to all intents and purposes, non-existent. A valuable competitive advantage was being lost, at the expense of maximising business value.
A number of key Executive team members were not philosophically or attitudinally aligned behind the new vision. Little cohesion existed around the “profitable growth built from service” strategy as defined by the Chief Executive.
It was identified that whilst a sales process was in place, it was not widely understood and therefore branch staff did not know what to do, or say, at the operating level to grow sales deliberately and still amaze customers in the process.
The team did not believe in selling financial products and services they just wanted to respond to any requests.
The “selling to need” strategy had turned into “pushing product” practice. Branch staff and managers were becoming demoralised.
The shift in mindset, culture and the new and winning behaviours required to drive up sales had not materialised.
Sewells Action
We began Diagnostic interviews with key members of the sales team from Customer Service Assistants to Personal Assistants, Financial Consultants, Branch Managers and Area Sales Managers.
It revealed that the strategy was well known – but the implementation was poor – because almost no one believed in it!
The ability to sell existed within the Branch teams … it has not been captured, channelled and directed.
The solution was simple … BUT NOT easy!
A root and branch solution was agreed and began with a pilot two-day relationship selling skills workshop for 12 branches to include the Customer Service Assistants, Personal Assistants, Financial Consultants, Branch Managers and Area Sales Managers.
It was critical to change what the Branch team thought, felt and believed in re: the sales strategy before “hard wiring” what effective “selling to need” looked like and sounded like in practice and how it was to be transferred into dynamic and positive behaviours in the workplace.
The big issue regarding the sales process was to establish, once and for all, the importance of “creating the need” and “selling to need”, instilling belief and building confidence in front-line member-facing staff that not only CAN they do it – but also that they WANT to do it! The fundamental culture change Sewells brought about was that a financial service product “sold to need” was a good thing for members … finally, staff BELIEVED in what they were being asked to do.
It was essential that Senior Managers and Executives attended these workshops. This was to ensure they understood how to maintain, coach and performance manage the required attitudes and behaviours their people were being asked to adopt in order to drive up sales consistently.
Role-play exercises were introduced into the workshops and were willingly embraced by delegates to hone their skills.
The transformation of the Cheshire Building Society had started! … The momentum was unstoppable!
What Sewells Achieved for Cheshire Building Society
An increase in sales of 126% was witnessed in the last quarter of 2007, compared to the equivalent a year earlier. A few weeks later, The Cheshire had put itself ahead of a stretching sales plan. The increase in sales was happening in the worst climate for financial services for 50 years and the society, as a brand of Nationwide, is continuing with this philosophy.
The in-branch sales teams bubbled with energy, despite a recruitment freeze, and team-working brilliance was created. Rather than there being a resistance to make outbound calls to members, a new ‘problem’ now existed, in that the supply of contact data could not keep up with the teams’ enthusiasm to make the calls! The teams were motivated to understand the value they could bring to their members lives.
The positioning of sales in the overall customer service culture has been permanently shifted: Staff have stopped being fearful of, or apologetic about selling. A new, recent drive towards up-selling of home and car insurance, rather than being met with reluctance, has been embraced enthusiastically and targets were smashed.
“The transition and merger with the Nationwide is smoother because of Sewells’ programme. People are focused on the customer and making a difference and we have a common language, openness and teamwork”
Karen McCormick
Former CEO for Cheshire Building Society
Our tried and tested techniques and tools for creating and sustaining outstanding teams, once mastered, deliver breathtaking performance improvements. 
When exceeding sales, profitability and customer loyalty targets is a top priority, you need a development partner that has consistently delivered industry leading sales improvements for organisations like yours.