It’s easy to think about marketing as something in print, online or over the airwaves. But if you stop and think about it, your most effective marketing may very well be accomplished by your front line staff and those who actually talk to your members, either in person, over the phone or through live chat on your web site.

We’ve worked with a number of credit unions who use staff involvement as one of the main strategies in their marketing campaigns and in our experience, it’s very effective in contributing to the success of a promotion.

So if you’re already involving your staff  – implementing incentive programs, giving them printed materials  to hand out, and teaching them cross-selling techniques, etc. – in each of your promotions, bravo! And if you’re not, well you should be.

Either way, here’s a quick list of things with which you should arm your front line staff  to keep your valued members happy, committed and spreading the good word about your CU:

• The best possible products — whether that means the best rate, the quickest approval, or the best online banking experience.
• The power to solve problems.
• Experienced, knowledgeable coworkers.
• A clear understanding of their responsibilities.
• A mandate to listen carefully and follow through.

Remember: you can produce the flashiest and most expensive marketing materials ever, but if you don’t have staff willing to back them up, they will be a wasted investment.