It cannot be stressed enough how crucial client service skills and relationship management in banking both are, for businesses of all sizes.
A group of employees may possess the strongest technical and credit skills in the market, but without effective communication and personalised customer-service relationships will always inevitably break down.
Especially now, as a recession looms and consumers begin to change how they manage their finances, the need to build a strong rapport with an entire range of customers has never been higher.
Prioritising customer-centric banking would typically involve face-to-face meetings and consultations. However, with several lockdown measures still in place, communication remains limited to video calls, chatbots and other digital mediums.
While this will pose a number of challenges, it is entirely possible to continue building relationships with clients virtually, as well as ensuring that employees are able to communicate with impact.
Building client relationships in banking virtually
As the coronavirus pandemic has continued to cause problems for leading banks around the world, we have been discussing how virtual learning and communication can be utilised, especially when it comes to presenting with confidence and aiding early careers development.
Even if social distancing measures weren’t in place, banks have a responsibility to ensure that their employees possess relevant interpersonal skills as well as being able to put them into action.
As mentioned in Finance Digest, considering the three C’s - communication, convenience and context is key for banks to succeed in the digital age. This means that liaising with clients about their financial needs in a way that is clear, concise and contextual should not be sacrificed, despite the fact that less face-to-face interactions will inevitably take place.
As mentioned above, emerging technologies like chatbots, easy-to-use mobile apps and video conferencing will help to boost communication networks both during this pandemic and the wider digital age - but it must be facilitated with sufficient training.
MDA Training’s virtual approach to relationship management training
We believe that coronavirus shouldn’t limit training plans or indeed a bank’s ability to interact and engage with their clients.
That is why our fully digital training programmes, delivered via WebEx or Zoom, are designed to embed skills and behaviours around active listening, questioning and communication.
Delivered as part of an existing programme or available as a standalone training solution, your people will develop their skills in a number of areas related to:
- Effective listening and questioning
- Building rapport with clients
- Networking
- Rising to the challenge of client service
- Understanding client requirements.
Our facilitated sessions draw on virtual learning, e-learning, microlearning, digital workbooks and more to deliver a fun and engaging training event that will enable your employees to engage with clients with confidence, even if they cannot meet them in person.