And what if you could have other personal banker specialists who focus only on your 100 most-profitable customers, getting an average 13 cross-sales on those accounts?

And what if you had personal bankers who could proactively call out to Top 100 and Top 1000 customers with an extreme amount of sophistication so the customers bring all their business and all their friends?

Let’s face it: The 1980s model of personal banking—the one where very nice people respond to what walks in the door—is over. Thank mobile banking for that.

If you’re not there, where do you start?

First, make sure to get every personal banker demonstrating that they have the competency for core conversations with basic needs. Testing is interesting. It has a benefit. Practicing also helps.

But the proof of the pudding is in the eating: Does he or she have a cross-sales ratio on new accounts of 6-7 or higher?

With that basic demonstration of mastery, now and only now are you ready to begin creating the specialty knowledge and competencies. It’s always a bad idea to build a bridge without a good foundation. Cars get wet, and people get cranky.

The same applies with taking people to an area of specialization where they don’t have complete mastery of the basics.

Sound impossible? It is—IF you don’t follow the right system.

Worse yet, if you don’t follow the right system and you don’t accomplish that level of success quickly, you will have a worse problem as it becomes yet another thing that’s tried and forgotten—more evidence that “this too shall pass” is the mantra.

With that mantra, your team will “slow walk” every time you do a sales initiative, knowing that they maintain complete control by showing you that they have no interest in doing things differently or being held accountable. It is a game they get very accustomed to winning.

What IS the magical system that gets these cross-sales transformations within 3 to 4 months?

It’s complicated—as are any things that create sustainable and profound results. But it’s also doable.

First, understand that repetition is the law of learning. We recommend having personal bankers watch all the interactive learning sessions on Thank God It’s Monday University (TGIM U™), and then the reporting begins with a low rope to jump over.

Immediate wins are critical.

Then, every week from now until her retirement, every personal banker should rewatch one of the interactive learning sessions.

That’s right—never, EVER stop.

Repeat after me…Repetition is the law of learning, repetition is the law of learning, repetition is the law of learning!

When the learner is ready, the teacher will appear. Every week, a new challenge will appear…and they will learn the material they’ve already “learned” at a whole new level, causing regular cross-sales of 10, 13 or even 16 on a regular basis.

Then, the measurement and accountability system happens. This is where it gets complicated. Although there is only one measurement/accountability/coaching tool to be filled out each week, which takes no more than 10 minutes per week, there is a plethora of interweaving coaching and celebratory systems that must be built and used to make it all work.

Sales managers are often confused about their job. They think they manage sales people. In fact, any that are good at what they do manage a sales process.

Only when these basics have been mastered and the cross-sales on new accounts for the entire personal banking team are over 6 or 7 are you ready for the career pathing that is critical for the next leg of the journey.

The good news: it’s a rewarding journey, and you can expect an immediate and profound impact on your efficiency ratio and profitability by implementing this very critical system.