About the position: Your challenge and primary goal is to develop the branch's personal customer base by providing sound advice and creatively selling bank products and services to existing and potential customers. You'll manage a portfolio of assigned customers and use basic wealth management and debt management concepts to meet your customers' financial needs. You'll also develop new business opportunities through sales initiatives and participate in branch campaigns.
Where you've been: You have a university degree or community college diploma, hold mutual fund accreditation and are ready to complete a personal financial planning program. You also possess strong sales experience and great people skills. Where you're going: You'll be assigned a coach who will help lead you through an in-branch development program and in-house training.
8:30 a.m. I check my voice mail and e-mail and return a couple of messages. Still online, I review closed loan and mortgage rates. List possible solicitations based on loans and mortgages paid off. 9:30 a.m. I grab a tea before the first customer arrives. Investments aren't completed, so I put them aside to finish between appointments. I look up customer contacts in the system and make a note of investments coming due, follow customer instructions and call a customer who hasn't left instructions. I invest accordingly. 10:00 a.m. The customer's profile had been prepared the day before, which always helps. We discuss three needs: day-to-day banking, saving and investing, and borrowing. I also sell her overdraft protection and a line of credit I had pre-qualified her for the day before. She understands she can consolidate her debt into one easy payment and achieve greater flexibility in financial matters. 10:50 a.m. It was a good session. We say goodbye and I put her information into the customer contact system. Back to the investments I put aside. 12:30 p.m. Have a quick sandwich, then take a walk for some fresh air. 1:30 p.m. Return to find a customer wants help with his RSP. Go through the Sales and Information Web site to determine which investments are best suited to his future needs. Set him up with an RSP loan to maximize his RSP contribution and a pre-authorized purchase plan so he doesn't require a loan to make a contribution next year. He says he'll think of me when he's retired and living in Florida! 2:15 p.m. Make more calls from Marketing's lead list. Set up two appointments. I am currently at 80% of my sales target with 10 days left in the month. It's achievable! Return a telephone call from another customer. Follow up on a mortgage application I've been working on. 3:45 p.m. This is my third meeting with a customer who has $700,000 sitting in his chequing account. He's very wary of investments, but today I make a breakthrough. I get my message across that we have excellent products that can help him grow his money. He's convinced! He buys T-bills and wants to transfer $200,000 to TD Waterhouse Financial Planning. 4:30 p.m. I have booked a meeting with my Manager. We discuss developmental issues I should focus on before applying for a Manager, Financial Services position. Back at my desk I prepare for tomorrow's customers. There's one in particular who is, well, extremely demanding. So I need to be well prepared. 5:00 p.m. It's been another busy day. I head home and make some supper. Later, I'll study for my personal financial planning course. I'm feeling good about my career plans.