Have you ever wondered why some credit unions successfully build a thriving sales and service culture while others struggle to gain traction, even after investing in the same training?
Over the past decade, SalesCU has had the privilege of working with more than 150 credit unions across the country. One question I’m often asked is, “Do all of the credit unions you work with successfully implement a sales culture and achieve the results they were hoping for?”
The answer is no.
That naturally leads to the next question: “What separates the credit unions that get there from the ones that don’t?”
There are several factors that need to be in place for a credit union to successfully build a strong sales culture. Some of those factors include committed leadership, effective coaching, clear expectations, accountability, ongoing reinforcement, and of course, a credit union-specific sales training program.
One factor that many credit unions completely overlook, but that successful credit unions figure out early on. They hire ahead.
By that, I don’t mean they hire people before they have the positions to fill. What I mean is they hire people who fit the culture they want to become.
As positions become available, they intentionally look for individuals whose motivations, mindset, and natural abilities align with the proactive sales and service culture they are building. They aren’t waiting until the culture changes before hiring different people. They understand that hiring the right person is one of the ways the culture changes.
Stop Hiring for Attitude
For years, leaders have repeated the phrase, “Hire for attitude and train for skill.” While this is well intentioned, I believe this advice has unintentionally hurt hiring practices, especially for organizations trying to build a strong sales culture.
The problem is that it oversimplifies hiring. Instead of evaluating a candidate’s motivations, aptitude, natural abilities, and the skills required to succeed, managers often end up hiring the person they enjoy talking to, the candidate who seems enthusiastic, or someone who simply feels like a good fit.
Sales skills can be developed, but only when they are built on the right foundation. Training can improve techniques, but it is much more difficult to teach someone to genuinely enjoy sales conversations or be motivated to succeed in a sales role.
Perhaps the greatest danger is that hiring for “attitude” often perpetuates the very culture leaders are trying to change. Managers continue hiring people who think and perform like the employees they already have, producing the same coaching challenges and the same results. If you want to build a different sales culture, you must start hiring differently. Every hiring decision is a building block toward the culture, and the success, a credit union is working to create.
Hire for What Actually Predicts Success
If hiring for attitude isn’t enough, what should hiring managers focus on instead?
As credit unions work to strengthen their sales and service culture, I believe every hiring decision should begin with three simple questions. Technical knowledge and previous experience certainly matter, but these three predictors will have a much greater influence on whether someone becomes a trusted relationship builder who consistently creates value for members.
Question 1: are they genuinely motivated to do the work they are being hired to do?
This may seem like an obvious question, but it is often overlooked. Many people are attracted to the stability, benefits, and mission of working for a credit union. Those are all positive reasons to join an organization. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are motivated to build relationships, uncover needs, recommend solutions, and ask members to take the next step. Will they naturally be energized by the sales responsibilities of the role, or will they require constant coaching and motivation just to do what the position requires?
The best sales professionals don’t view these activities as uncomfortable obligations. They enjoy them. They find satisfaction in helping people solve problems and improve their financial well-being. Hiring someone who is naturally motivated to sell is far easier than trying to convince someone to embrace a role they never truly wanted.
Question 2: do they have the aptitude to succeed?
Sales is a learned profession, but some people naturally possess the qualities that make them more likely to succeed. They are curious. They ask thoughtful questions. They listen well, communicate clearly, build trust quickly, and enjoy solving problems. They are resilient when they hear “no” and are coachable enough to continuously improve.
These qualities cannot always be measured by a résumé. They are revealed through thoughtful interview questions, role-play exercises, and behavioral assessments. While product knowledge and sales techniques can be taught, these natural tendencies are much more difficult to develop from scratch.
Question 3: do they fit the culture you are trying to build, not just the one you have today?
The third predictor of success is cultural fit. Not for the culture you have today but the culture you are trying to create.
This is where many organizations unintentionally limit their own progress. Managers naturally gravitate toward candidates who remind them of the employees they already have. They feel familiar, seem like they’ll fit in, and require the least amount of risk. But if your goal is to build a more proactive sales culture over the next three years, hiring more of the same will only produce more of the same.
Instead, hire ahead. Look for people whose mindset, expectations, and behaviors already reflect the culture you want to become. They should be comfortable initiating conversations, collaborating with teammates, pursuing growth through coaching, owning the responsibility to help members improve their financial lives, and balancing healthy competitiveness with a commitment to the success of the entire team.
How Do You Get There?
A thoughtful interview process reveals more than a resume ever can. It’s where motivation, aptitude, and cultural fit come into focus.
Hiring ahead doesn’t happen by accident. It requires credit unions to intentionally rethink how they recruit, interview, and select talent.
To build the sales culture you want, focus on four key areas:
- Start with clarity. Leaders must first define the culture they are trying to build. You can’t hire for a destination that hasn’t been clearly defined.
- Rethink your recruiting strategy. Are you looking for candidates in places where relationship builders and sales professionals are likely to be found? Just as importantly, does your recruiting message attract the type of people you want?
- Evolve the interview process. Too many interviews focus almost exclusively on personality, process capability, and whether the person will get along with the team. If sales excellence is the expectation, then your interview questions should reveal a candidate’s potential to succeed in sales.
- Raise your hiring standards. One of the hardest decisions a hiring manager can make is choosing not to hire anyone. Waiting a little longer for the right candidate is almost always the better investment.
Every hiring decision sends a message about the culture you value. Make sure that message points toward the future you’re trying to create.
Conclusion
Building a thriving sales and service culture doesn’t happen through training alone. It happens one hiring decision at a time.
Every resignation, retirement, promotion, or new position is an opportunity to move your organization one step closer to the culture you want to become. While your existing team will continue to grow through training, coaching, and leadership, the people you choose to bring into the organization will shape its future for years to come.
Hire ahead. Your future culture depends on it.
