Selling and Credit Skills
Length: 2 to 3 Days
Course Goals
This course combines formal credit and sales training. Participants learn to plan the call, communicate with customers and prospects, and explain the bank’s products and services in a manner that focuses on benefits to the customer not simply the features of the product.
They become more knowledgeable with both business financial statements and tax returns. This gives them greater confidence in discussions with their business clients. They are taught the elements that go into an underwriting decision but would not be trained to do the underwriting themselves. They are trained to effectively communicate the credit decision (including declines) and cross-sell other appropriate bank products and services.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course participants will be able to:
- Develop a pre-call plan
- Conduct a customer interview
- Demonstrate effective interviewing and listening skills
- Demonstrate their ability to focus on the benefits of a product/service.
- Handle customer objections
- Describe the difference between cash versus accrual financial statements
- Explain different corporate structures and tax returns including: C Corporations, S Corporations, Partnerships, and Sole Proprietorships
- Identify key items of importance on the tax returns
- Develop questions to ask about major accounts on the financial statements (ie. accounts receivable, inventory, payables, and fixed assets)
- Use the financial statements and tax returns to help identify customers small business credit needs
- Read and evaluate a personal financial statement
- Perform basic ratio analysis
- Describe the difference between operating, investing and financing cash flows
- Evaluate the risks associated with different types of commercial loans
- Identify primary and secondary sources of repayment
- Identify the information needed from the customer to support the loan application and explain why the items are requested
- Identify key concepts/ issues of importance to credit underwriters
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of a request
- Communicate the credit decision and effectively cross-sell other appropriate products and services
- Develop an action plan for effective follow-up
Format
The FTG approach is to customize all materials and case studies to reflect the lending environment actually experienced by the participant. Classroom lecture and discussion is supplemented by group exercise and role-play to keep the course both fast paced and interesting.
The class can be shortened to two days if participants have completed other sales training.
Who Should Attend?
This course is appropriate for anyone who works in a branch setting or in retail banking including: Branch Managers, Assistant Branch Managers, Small Business Lenders, Relationship Managers, and Portfolio Managers.
