KQ Article

As I stated in the most recent issue of The Deluxe Knowledge Quarterly, the broad availability of information of questionable quality, combined with diminished consumer confidence in our industry, has created a new responsibility for banking professionals: evidence-based training.

The evidence-based philosophy holds that we must always have credible resources to support our assertions, for two reasons:

1. it’s a good habit to adopt considering all of the bad information out there that is hard to tell apart from the good information; and
2. it’s a sound way to convince skeptical consumers that they should believe what we’re telling them.

This emphasis can be a powerful differentiator for any bank or credit union – and as often happens when a new trend impacts our industry, training professionals will be at the forefront of helping banks and credit unions take advantage of evidenced-based service. In addition to equipping employees with the ability to adopt an evidence-based service approach, trainers must also have evidence to support their own qualifications and the validity of the training methods they endorse.

In the training sphere, evidence-based learning should impact the design of the training content, how the trainer delivers material, and how the “students” – the front-line employees – impart knowledge to customers or members on a daily basis.

Below are some resources for better understanding and adopting evidence-based training at your bank or credit union.

Books
The following three publications provide excellent background on the potential benefits of evidence-based training:

• The Speed of Trust: The Only Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen M.R. Covey.
• Training Design and Delivery, by Geri McArdle.
•  Jeffrey Gitomer’s Little Teal Book of Trust: How to Earn It, Grow It, and Keep It to Become a Trusted Advisor in Sales, Business and Life, by Jeffrey Gitomer.

Resources to cite in your training
If you are looking to design training around new products or services or trends for your staff, the American Bankers Association (www.ABA.com) is always a good resource to quote and embed in your training. Warillow (www.warillow.com) will add credibility to training focusing on better serving or selling to small businesses.

Lastly, financial services professionals need ongoing sales training, and these online resources are highly reputable among sales professionals:

• Leadership Wired newsletter from GiANT Impact, an Atlanta-based company focused on providing events, training and resources to business thought leaders.
• www.EyeOnSales.com – a popular blog and networking hub for sales professionals around the world.
• Sales Rep Radio by the Professional Society for Sales and Marketing Training, self-described as a “Center for Sales Excellence.”
• Weekly Sales Caffeine e-zine at Gitomer.com - Free sales training, success stories and much more with renowned sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer.