If you’ve ever tried to build a strong sales culture in your credit union, you know it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. Sales in a credit union isn’t about pushing products—it’s about helping members improve their financial well-being. But even with the best intentions, many credit unions find their efforts to create a culture where sales and service work together seamlessly have not gained the traction needed to deliver consistent results.
Credit unions are facing increased competition from fintechs, banks, and other financial service providers. If they want to earn and retain their members’ primary financial relationship, they must ensure they’re offering them the best solutions for their needs. That means embracing a proactive approach to sales—one that feels natural, ethical, and aligned with the credit union’s mission.
There are a handful of missteps we at SalesCU have seen credit unions make when trying to integrate sales into their culture. Here are just a few, with insights on how to address them effectively.
- The fear of “sales”: Many credit unions avoid the word "sales" out of concern that it will send the wrong message to team members and conflict with their member-centric service approach. An effective way to address this is to explain how to reframe sales as an essential part of member service. Also, show team members that selling is something they are already doing, possibly unknowingly; they just may not be selling consistently or effectively.
- Leadership gaps: Without clear buy-in from senior leaders, sales initiatives often fall flat. To be effective, senior leaders must lead cultural change from the top down with clear expectations and direction.
- Lack of training & reinforcement: Credit unions often offer a one-time sales training program for their team members, believing that poor sales performance is simply due to a lack of sales skills and processes. To be effective, credit unions must deliver a program that continues learning far beyond the initial training workshops and reinforces application through coaching and accountability.
- Focusing on the wrong metrics: Measuring sales the wrong way can lead sales leaders to believe their team’s sales efforts are good enough. To be effective, credit unions need to highlight those key performance indicators (KPIs) that deliver insights into the effectiveness and scope of their credit union’s sales initiative and identify what is working and what needs additional focus.
- Resistance to change: Team members often push back against sales initiatives. To be effective, credit unions need to provide strategies to build team-member engagement and make sales a natural part of daily interactions.
- Forgetting the member’s perspective: Hard-sell tactics don’t work in a credit union environment and are often seen as the only way to get sales results. To be effective, credit unions need to create a consultative, needs-based sales approach that members appreciate, and that team members can see themselves applying.
Credit unions can often encounter additional challenges not on this list when integrating sales into their culture. These challenges may stem from long-standing service traditions, employee resistance to change, or a lack of clear sales processes and training. For example, frontline staff might struggle with confidence in sales conversations, or leadership may find it difficult to set realistic sales goals.
Identifying and addressing these challenges is crucial for creating a sales culture that feels natural, authentic, and member-focused. By recognizing potential roadblocks early on, credit union leaders can take proactive steps to refine their approach, provide better coaching, and implement strategies that align with their mission. To get started making sales a natural and valuable part of your credit union’s service model, take a deeper dive into more of the common credit union pitfalls, along with guidance on how to handle them successfully.
