By Melissa Giddens, CTP, AAP NCP, SVP, Consulting Business Leader, WesPay Advisors

Most businesses have a need for financial services above and beyond a loan and basic deposit account. Whether the business’ need is online and mobile banking or extends to ACH or wire payment origination services, businesses of all sizes are placing greater importance on the ability to maximize payables and receivables, mitigate the risk of fraud, and leverage information to make cash flow decisions. Credit unions need to have the resources and skills required to help their business members thrive.

Offering payment solutions can help meet the needs of business members, but also generate non-interest income for a credit union. Businesses pay for value perceived, therefore charging a fair and competitive price for payment services can help a credit union serve its field of membership and cover the costs for providing the services. Meeting the needs of businesses from a payments perspective can contribute toward retaining existing relationships, winning new business and creating a ‘stickiness factor’ that lends itself toward long-term, satisfied business members. It’s a win-win situation for a credit union.

Below are a few tips to keep in mind when working with businesses:

  • Lead with a conversation. Make it your mission to learn as much as you can about a business prospect before discussing your product offering. Talk to them about their business and make the focus all about them. Ask them how their current account and service structure is working, what efficiencies would benefit them, if their clients are requesting new payment options, etc. Taking the time to understand what’s working and what needs to be improved upon with their current provider can provide invaluable insight into how your credit union could meet those needs before ever mentioning a single product.
  • Drill into their payments needs. Get the prospect talking. Ask a wealth of questions to understand how they are utilizing payments in their business. How are they managing payroll, vendor payments, employee reimbursements, etc.? Conversely, how are they being paid from their clients? And, keep drilling down. If they receive a healthy number of checks, how are they depositing those checks into their account? Are they going into a branch, using a courier, leveraging remote deposit, etc.? And, are they receiving the information they need to reconcile transactions, manage their cash flow, etc.? What type of reporting do they need? Are they concerned about fraud? The more you understand a business prospect’s payments needs, the better positioned you’ll be when delivering a tailored proposal and ultimately, servicing the relationship.
  • Become a trusted advisor. Relationships with businesses extend beyond the services a credit union provides. Continually look for ways to add value for your member. Share an article on fraud prevention that may be meaningful for them along with a personalized note, send industry updates that pertain to past conversations you’ve had with them, etc. Let them know you’re thinking of them and keeping them in mind as you come across new information or resources. Create an environment where they look to you as their financial resource.
  • Do your homework. Research your prospect to understand their line of business, key company leadership, new initiatives they’re tackling, recent awards they’ve won, etc. and comment on what you’ve learned during meetings. Congratulate them on a new product they’ve launched or an industry award they’ve earned. Demonstrate that you’re prepared and that you’ve done your research. Prospects can tell when a potential provider shows up unprepared, so don’t give them a reason to question whether or not your credit union is the right fit for them.
  • Master the little things. Follow up timely. Do what you say you’re going to do. Send thank you notes or emails. Write down important takeaways you hear during the discussion, such as birthdays, a dream vacation they’re about to take, etc., so you can send them an annual birthday card or ask them how their trip went during your next conversation. Servicing businesses starts with building a relationship with the people you’re interacting with, so going the extra mile to demonstrate you were listening goes a long way toward building trust.

Working with businesses is an exciting opportunity for a credit union, as a business’ needs are continually evolving. Businesses look for a true financial partner to guide them through the changing financial landscape and how new products coming to market, regulatory changes, economic considerations, etc. may impact their organizations. When it comes to payments, selling solutions to businesses provides another opportunity for credit unions to shine in servicing the needs of its communities.

Melissa Giddens is the SVP, Consulting Business Leader for WesPay Advisors, a consultancy helping organizations advance their development and deployment of electronic payments. Prior to joining WesPay Advisors, Melissa worked with businesses for over 21 years to help build optimal structures for managing payables and receivables, mitigating the risk of fraud and maximizing cash flow. In 2016, she won the Frank E. Zima Payments Advocacy Award and has won numerous sales awards throughout her career. Melissa earned her Master of Business Administration from Green Mountain College. She holds the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP), Accredited ACH Professional (AAP) and National Check Professional (NCP) designations.