The Difference between Sales and Service Culture and Sales and Service Environment

Not a week goes by without receiving a call that takes the following path, “Mike, we already have a sales and service culture, but we wanted to talk with you about how you might be able to “ramp things up for us.” I then say, “Tell me about your sales and service culture.” The future client responds by saying, “Oh, sure. We’ll we’ve already done sales and service training and we have sales incentives. We have a monthly product promotion and lots of sales contests.” My question to the caller is, “So what would you like to see done better?” The response, “Well….they aren’t really doing it.” (The “it” being selling.) Sure the employees are doing more than the bank across the street that isn’t doing anything. But, the caller knows that the employees are doing the bare minimum they are asked and if the contest and promotions ended, so would the sales behavior.

The above is reflective of the difference between having a sales and service environment and what the caller is seeking – a culture, which facilitates and requires consistently high performance in the area of service to customers and selling. So, what is the difference in the working definitions of environment and culture?

Sales and Service Environment – Employees are trained to perform desired skills, and the organization encourages the use of these skills via promotion, reward and technology.

Sales and Service Culture – In addition to the elements of the sales and service environment, the following structures are present:

• Use of pre-employment testing, behavioral interviewing and skills testing to ensure that those hired have the ability to perform effectively in both sales and service.
• Employees are held accountable for their performance in the key areas of sales and service such that they impact promotions, pay and employment.
• Product knowledge is assured via regular and on-going certification.
• The organization tracks daily service performance delivered by individual frontline staff.
• Managers and supervisors are equipped and expected to take responsibility for employees’ on-going development, recognition and accountability for sales and service behaviors and results.

The question is what does your organization want? If your organization wants to simply be better than competitors who are performing poorly…then the environmental approach will suffice. For those organizations that want to differentiate themselves and drive profit via creating a culture of outstanding service and sales…the answer is to implement the necessary steps.

If your organization is serious about sales and service excellence, contact Michael Neill and Associates at 888-440-0552, or mike@banksaleschamps.com. to find out how you can join other organizations that have done so.

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