Posts Tagged ‘Sales’

I love Microsoft. Between their powerful technology and comprehensive support, I’m never left wanting for functionality or help. But with a legacy of great products as large as theirs—which includes upgrades, updates, and versions of most of their platforms and packages—it’s easy even for hardened Microsoft veterans to get lost in the verbiage and name […]

Let’s talk B2B marketing. And MarTech tools. And connecting Sales and Marketing. Are you running yet? For many businesses, these terms alone are enough to send everyone heading for the hills. Go ahead and complicate the matter future by sprinkling on some B2B rules, restrictions, and compliance standards. Still with me? While uncomfortable for some, […]

Adjusting to the new regulatory environment Recent problems with bank employees opening unauthorized accounts for consumers have focused the regulatory spotlight on sales practices in the industry. The fallout from sales practices problems has been spectacular and well-publicized: Hundreds of millions of dollars in fines and legal costs Destruction of shareholder value Brand and reputational […]

I was listening to Bloomberg on the radio today and heard a segment that I knew I had to share. I knew I had to share it because it was a topic that continues to be discussed and debated. In fact, I had similar conversations with two business owners in the last two weeks. Social […]

Disciplinary actions. Government fines. Victim restitution. There is no shortage of regulatory compliance issues hitting the headlines these days. In recent years, however, it is news of aggressive sales tactics that has had the general public and several regulatory bodies that oversee financial institutions very concerned. Most financial institutions have critical cross-selling initiatives that encourage […]

A regular risk control self-assessment, commonly referred to as RCSA, is a process of identifying and assessing operational risks to ensure the appropriate controls and oversight are in place so that business objectives can be met. It provides the ability to monitor the gaps and what is being done to close them. RCSAs can lead […]

Routine internal and independent audits can provide insight into sales trends and unusual activity, ensure that the right risk management checks are in place, and provide an opportunity for process improvement. Internal teams can be comprised of individuals from various committees in the company, such as regulatory and compliance, corporate responsibility, employee relations, human resources, […]

Properly trained employees can help keep companies regulatory-compliant, increase sales, and gain the trust of customers and prospects. Financial services companies should have established standard operating procedures and training materials for all levels of employees, with oversight by managers. These training materials should stress the importance of ethical practices and provide employees with clear details […]

Customer onboarding is one of the most important and scrutinized processes in financial services. Companies continuously refine their processes in an attempt to make customer acquisition more effective. How can they enroll customers fast enough to avoid application abandonment, while having enough safety measures in place to minimize potential risk? Enhanced new account opening processes […]

While modifying sales goals can be a good place to start, artificial intelligence and intelligent machines (along with a comprehensive process) can be leveraged to analyze data and identify patterns. Aside from knowing the real identity of customers, companies are obligated to ensure that their customers have willingly opted to do business with them through […]

Most successful cross-selling programs have incentives in place that reward employees for selling additional products and services to existing clients. While financial incentives are often indispensable in certain parts of the industry, and there is nothing wrong with such programs at their core, they do open the door to unethical behavior that can have unfortunate […]

Let’s talk about what cross-selling is, in the simplest of terms. It is well known in the financial services industry that customers who sign up for multiple products and services are typically more loyal and, therefore, can bring organizations more revenue in the long run. These deeper relationships are what make cross-selling financial products so […]