Supercharge Your Referrals with Salesforce and Slack
“Time kills all deals.”
As the old adage goes, “Time kills all deals.” Nowhere is this more relevant than in the sales cycle — even when that potential sale is referred by a business partner inside the same financial institution. We’d like to think that an existing customer will always get the best possible service and experience, especially if they’re interested in buying. Responding and reacting quickly to referred opportunities can become a significant revenue generator.
So why do many referrals get lost in the virtual abyss?
Retail banking referrals
Referrals are often made via e-mail or even text message. For example, a retail banker might be meeting with an individual client who expresses interest in commercial lending, treasury, or another bank product that the retail banker is unable to provide. They send an email to a commercial banker or have to take time figuring out who to send it to. Maybe they even use a CRM to manage referrals. But entering the referral into the system can be a burden, especially in a busy retail branch.
A day or two later, the retail banker is wondering if anyone called the client. Or maybe they forgot about the interaction altogether. This can often become a lost opportunity, and sometimes one that the bank doesn’t even realize they’ve lost.
Seize the opportunity
Imagine a world where a referral can be made instantly via Slack, either on the retail banker’s computer or smartphone. With Slack as your digital headquarters (HQ), customer interactions and workflow can be moved out of endless e-mail chains and into Slack channels.
Basic information like the name, business, and contact info can be entered quickly, and can automatically be converted into a referral record in Salesforce. The referral is assigned to the right commercial banker (or group of bankers) with the entire activity history recorded for all to see. Once the prospect or customer is contacted, a message can be sent back to the retail banker giving them a status update right inside the Slack channel.
No more accessing the CRM. No more remembering to create a referral record.
Improving the colleague and customer experience
We’ve only got one chance to make a great first impression — and that goes for both our colleagues and our customers.
Streamlining the referral process and moving it out of email and into Slack channels can reap huge rewards, helping us capture those referral opportunities that are often lost in a financial institution. A digital HQ in Slack with Salesforce integrations will transform how teams communicate, collaborate, and act on customer information from Salesforce. Designing your digital HQ with intention will also lead to higher employee experience scores for productivity, sense of belonging, and overall employee satisfaction.
While Slack is your digital HQ, Slalom will work with you to intentionally design your digital floorplan. Like a building floorplan, a digital HQ floorplan is carved up into rooms for digital work capabilities, with locations penciled in for the people, processes, and technology that jointly support flourishing knowledge work. Now is the time to consider where you are in your digital transformation with Slack and engage our team of Slack experts for a digital HQ assessment.
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Slalom is a global consulting firm that helps people and organizations dream bigger, move faster, and build better tomorrows for all. Learn more and reach out today.
