5 Non-Sales Tactics for Teller-Driven Deposit Acquisition
Banking relationships don’t start with balance sheets—they start with people.
The teller who remembers a customer’s name or asks about the weekend they had, can influence loyalty far more than any marketing campaign. When those same tellers think like product specialists, they turn everyday service moments into lasting deposit-growth opportunities.
1. Invite Money Home: Spot Tiered Interest Opportunities
When a teller spots a balance hovering just below a higher interest tier, that’s an opportunity.
“Jamie, I noticed your money market balance is $24,000. If you were to add $1,000, your rate would increase from 0.10 percent to 0.25 percent. Do you have money at another bank that could be working harder for you here?”
That simple question reframes the teller’s role from transactional to consultative —more product specialist than cashier. The goal isn’t to change an account; it’s to invite more of the customer’s financial life into your bank.
When you make it about helping, not selling, customers move their money willingly.
2. Elevate the Relationship: Align Customers with Qualifying Accounts
Sometimes the best deposit growth comes from aligning a customer’s habits with the right product. Tellers can often see when clients are paying unnecessary fees for services they already qualify for. Advising them of those outlays isn’t selling — it’s serving. It reinforces what every customer wants to feel: This bank takes care of me.
If a client routinely buys cashier’s checks or rents a safe deposit box, don’t just waive a fee — elevate the relationship. Try:
“Reese, you actually qualify for our High-Roller Checking. It would eliminate your safe deposit box fees. And if you’d like, we can combine it with a higher-tier balance to earn more interest. Do you have funds at another bank we could bring in to help you get there?”
3. Simplify the Switch: Becoming the Customer’s Primary Bank
Many customers stay with a legacy institution simply because switching feels like a hassle. Those recurring bill payments, subscriptions, and auto-withdrawals feel “sticky.”
But switching doesn’t have to mean chaos. A teller might say:
“Colin, let’s make us your primary bank without changing everything. We’ll move your direct deposit here, then set up an automatic transfer to your old bank to cover any withdrawals. You’ll be banking with us in under 45 minutes. You’ll keep a small cushion there, but your real banking will happen here.”
That message removes friction and fear. It doesn’t ask customers to close anything — it redirects the inflow. And that’s what turns a casual customer into a primary one.
4. Recapture Funds: Implement a ‘Bank at Work’ Payroll Program
Every payday, business clients send funds out to employees banking elsewhere. That’s money leaving your ecosystem.
“Bank at Work” programs flip that dynamic. Encourage employers to help their teams open accounts at your bank. When payroll goes from a business account into employee accounts within the same institution, the dollars never leave.
It’s not just retention — it’s recapture. It’s keeping money home.
5. Build Loyalty: Make Goal-Based Savings Automatic
Tellers can help customers save for what matters most. It starts with listening.
If a customer mentions saving for a family vacation or backyard pool, help them set up an automatic internal transfer — money quietly moving from checking to savings each payday.
It’s a small act with big results: helping customers achieve dreams inside your bank instead of elsewhere.
Earning Trust and Customer Deposits
Every great teller conversation should end with one subtle but powerful reminder:
“If you’ve got money at another bank that’s not taking care of you like we do, move it to us. We’d love to see more of you here anyway.”
That line changes everything. It’s friendly, authentic, and grounded in service — not sales.
Because deposit growth doesn’t come only from new products or new customers. It comes from earning trust — and, in doing so, earning the right to bring more of your customers’ money home.
