Proven strategies to create fiercely loyal members

It’s a well-known fact that growing just a small percentage of your profitable members can make a tremendous impact on your bottom line. When approximately 20% of your members make up 80% of your profit it’s easy to see the impact of increasing loyal members. But which members are likely to generate the most profit, and how do we get them to become and remain loyal?

Loyalty means something different to every financial institution. What does loyalty mean to your organization? Here’s an example from one $600m credit union in the Northeast:

  • Checking Account with debit card
  • Direct Deposit
  • Minimum of 1 Loan
  • Aggregate balances of $10,000+

Whether you use number of products, aggregate balances, profitability, or lifetime value, if your focus is on member loyalty, you’re headed in the right direction.

“Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  -Damon Richards.

When members feel valued, and have a connection with your brand, they are more likely to consider you first when it comes to future financial decisions. Here are a few ways for your Credit Union to acquire and retain loyal members.

1. Establish an Emotional Connection

 

The first step in creating a fiercely loyal member is to build an emotional connection. When you are able to tap into a consumer’s emotions, you’re often able to influence their purchase decisions. A few ways to establish an emotional connection with members:

  • Build Credibility
  • Provide Value
  • Be Transparent
  • Live Your Brand

2. Be Committed

 

 

Commitment sounds like an obvious part of any business plan, however for many Credit Unions it’s not always so easy. If you want commitment from your members in the form of loyalty, you’ll have to give commitment in return. Here are a few commitments your credit union can make to aid in creating loyalty:

  • Commit to being the best at what you do
  • Commit to the member relationship
  • Commit to your Brand

3. Maintain a Relationship Mindset

 

Everything your organization does, internally and externally should revolve around building deeper relationships. From internal staff relationships, to member relationships, and relationships with other brands (i.e. community, vendors, etc.), by focusing on building individual relationships, and opening up ongoing communications, your credit union will be poised for organic growth.

4. Consider Your Members’ Perspective

 

Think about which brands you are most loyal to, and why. Apple, Amazon, and Southwest are some of the top brands that often come to mind. Most likely your “why” revolves around product quality, experience, and/or convenience factors. Now think about what it would take to make you become disloyal to your favorite brands. One way to keep a finger on the experience pulse is Member Experience Mapping. Member Experience Mapping is a great way to gather a 360° view of what your members are experiencing when they interact with your brand. Mapping your members’ experiences is a crucial step in showing the gaps between consumer expectations and perceptions of the actual experience along the way. Closing these gaps will help your credit union achieve peak member loyalty.

The best kind of member loyalty comes from an exchange of value between the member and the Credit Union, where conversations revolve around how you can better serve the member’s needs, and not so much focused on the business results. When the relationship is valued more than the sale, loyalty is sure to follow.

Hilary Reed

Hilary Reed

Hilary Reed, founder of EmpowerFi, is an innovative thought-leader who has been involved in various aspects of strategic sales and marketing for 15 years. Her career began in 2000 when ... Web: www.empowerfi.org Details