Magic of condolence message
Condolence messages are magical! Do not get me wrong, neither I am magician nor I can make dead alive. Nevertheless, when this message is used with empathy & sympathy to the grieving family it can work wonders and your words of sympathy can open doors for business, growth and strong bonding with customer.
It happened with me in 1998 when I joined IDBI Bank at Lucknow, cheekily known as ‘Babus’, or government officials posted at strategic posts which mint unaccounted money. Engineers are one such fraternity who are directly involved in creation of infrastructure in the state whether it be highway, bridges, airports, schools, government parks etc. As Branch Manager of new private sector bank my mandate was clear - get more business and establish credentials in the city as most preferred bank. ?
I knew that if I could get accounts of cash rich engineers I would be able to achieve my targets. I decided to offer lockers to these engineers, assuring them that their valuable assets would be safe from any unforeseen circumstances such as income tax or vigilance department raids. Bank was much safer place to keep such assets than home, A strategic move aimed to address their concerns and build a solid relationship.
I met one such engineer who had amassed lot of money but did not know the safe haven to keep these assets. He immediately opted for one big locker in the bank and everyday he used to come and either place in out some items.
However, as days passed, I noticed that my new Engineer had not visited the bank for quite some time. Concerned, I inquired about his absence and was informed of a tragic event – his beloved wife had passed away a week ago.
Next day I drafted a small condolence message expressing my sympathy and support in a thoughtful manner. Those few lines held an immense power. The next week, when he visited the bank, he was deeply touched by the sincere condolences and support expressed by me. He had accounts with various banks, but none of them had extended such empathy towards him. They had solely focused on business matters, neglecting his emotional needs.
Filled with gratitude and appreciation, he made a decision that would leave a lasting impact on me and the bank. He closed all his accounts with other banks, shifting his entire business to my branch. Not only that, he also became a fervent advocate of my bank, passionately recommending the bank to his friends and colleagues, specifically mentioning the unparalleled emotional support he had received.
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Word quickly spread among the engineering community about me, who cared genuinely, going beyond financial transactions to build authentic relationships with his clients. Engineers flocked to the branch, recognizing the value of my approach and the trust I had nurtured with my customers, commonly known as ‘fiduciary relationship’ between banker and customer.
The bank flourished surpassing its annual targets within six months. Our bond continued to grow, and our professional relationship turned into a friendship built on mutual respect and understanding. His unwavering loyalty became a testament to the magic that can happen when genuine connections are forged from the heart, it is long lasting. Now I can say with full confidence that he was the best marketing & sales conduit for me. Least I realized that relationship build with heart is more sustainable that build with money.
LawSikho Skill Arbitrage Ramanuj Mukherjee Abhishek Dubey Parag Dubey
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