Take a walk on credit unions’ wild side

Credit union leaders, like Tiny Tim (millennials and younger, you can google this one), like to tiptoe through the tulips. We say fluffy things and regurgitate the generic credit union talking points, but we fail to talk to people like, well, humans. We must allow ourselves to get real with them.

Spewing a marketing message about the not-for-profit cooperative structure fails to empathize with our members’ problems – often very heavy problems that are affecting their financial situation or their financial situation may be leading to health issues or worse.

We never want to address the elephant in the room. We don’t recognize that financial service does not occur in a vacuum but as a piece of our members’ lives. Our warm and fuzzy, decades-old credit union talking points that we’re here for our members, while noble, don’t resonate with young consumers. You know, those unicorns called millennials you’ve heard existed but aren’t quite able to ever catch.

Many credit unions are not willing to cross that minefield of change. It’s too risky. Ya gotta play it safe. Where you are is comfortable. Therein lies the problem: Your metaphorical fetal position is not safe, because that won’t take your credit union where you want to go.

 

continue reading »