Mitch Joel from Twist Image made a presentation recently speaking about customers and control. Businesses control the message, product and channels with consumers controlling the rest. This is the healthy balance that really needs to be apparent in our credit unions. Nothing is worse than being called ‘arrogant’. Then he moves into stating that trust economies have to be built.
I think trust is more than building. It is created, and it is created at the person to person level. I have always found the name Customer Relationship Management a bit of a farce. Quick question– how long have you been married? Is that how long you have managed that relationship? It is not management. It should be called Member Relationship Building. (We have members, not customers). This is the long term focus. This is a dynamic focus and one that is created, nurtured and kept careful watch over. It is the opposite of a sales culture. MRB will allow you organic growth and it will make you distinct and different.
And here is the key and pivotal point. You can talk about it, you can do whatever you want with building a trust economy, you can even market it. BUT you must live it, your actions must speak louder than the words you say. Talk is cheap but the “doing”, the action of creating trust, now that takes time and a lot of hard work. Everyone has to actively think to the point of honestly being a relationship builder.
I forget what course that was at university. Anyone remember?
Tinfoiling 