You’re Not Actually Bad At Sales: 3 Ways To Gain More Confidence

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What’s missing from your strategy isn’t some learned technique. Sometimes, it’s not your abilities that let you down. It’s doubting yourself. “When I was first getting clients, it felt like I had to fight objections in near hand-to-hand combat with the prospect,” Joshua Centers, founder of Clicks on Command, told me once. “They’d eventually tap out, and I became disheartened. It wasn’t that I couldn’t sell; it was that I doubted whether I could pull it off. I was not confident, and it was affecting my sales.”

This experience is very common with entrepreneurs, and though sales isn’t everyone’s forte, it’s possible to get better at it. You may feel you’re bad at sales because of your lack of experience selling, and you’ll try to make up for it by taking courses, reading books and watching videos to close that gap.

However, the best way to improve your sales performance — and performance in other areas — is actually to improve your confidence first. Confidence has been shown to positively affect performance in many areas, from school to athletics to the workplace. Here are three ways to boost your confidence and sell more.

Related: Self-Confidence Is the Best Motivation for Chasing Your Goals

1. Learn more about your product

One of the reasons you may feel less confident in sales is not because you don’t know sales, but because you don’t know your product well enough. When you need notes or even a presentation to sell a product, you don’t know it well enough.

This doesn’t mean that visual or written aids can’t help you sell. But if you couldn’t talk about the product without using these aids, then there’s a problem. The more comfortable you are with the product, the more confident you are in your own ability to talk about it.

Take the time to learn about your product. What does it really do? How does it work? How has it helped your current clients? What do they like about it? Being able to handle the details of the product and speak about it more qualitatively will make a huge difference.

Even further, this familiarity comes across in your sales conversation, making you appear more relaxed, knowledgeable, and assertive — all of which help you sell.

2. Build an arsenal of what already converted

There’s a reason companies use case studies to sell: They work. People like reviews, unboxings, data and evidence that a product actually does what you say it does. However, beyond being more convincing, knowing what already worked can help your confidence.

Instead of making an empty promise to a customer in your sales pitch, bring up examples of when you used the product to successfully grow another client. In digital marketing, I can present a funnel that I know has already converted leads for my clients.

The more you believe in your own product, with actual examples and evidence to back you up, the more confident you’ll be in it — and in your ability to sell it.

Related: 4 Mistakes You’re Probably Making If You’re Struggling to Close a Sale

3. Use the DIP method

Centers, who I quoted at the beginning of this article, uses a method he calls the DIP Method to organize and close his sales conversations. DIP stands for Discover, Identify, Position.

The DIP Method focuses on finding your customer’s needs and targeting them. Instead of jumping into why your product is so great, you should find the reasons why your customer needs your product and how it can be the best solution for their problems.

  • Discover: Ask your customer some questions. How many leads do you have right now? What is your offer? What marketing efforts are you currently conducting? Don’t interrupt them or answer for them in this part. Let them talk to you about what they’re doing in their marketing and lead-capturing, without filters or expectations.
  • Identify: Based on their answers, you should know what problems they’re having. Do they have little to no leads? Do they have a problem converting leads? Are they not running any marketing at all? Identify the problems and relay them back to your customer so they can confirm them. Often, the customer may not recognize them for themselves, but since you’re basing it on the answers they gave, they can easily accept them to be true.
  • Position: Here’s where you shine. Position your product or service to solve the problems you and the customer identified. Tell them you and your product can help and explain how. This is where you make your sales pitch, getting into benefits, features and pricing. However, it should always be focused on solving the problems they’ve identified.

Following the DIP Method gives you confidence, not only in your process but also in knowing that your product can actually help your customer. If you’ve built confidence in your product, your process and yourself, you can more effectively sell and promote your product and business.

By

Source: You’re Not Actually Bad at Sales: 3 Ways to Gain More Confidence

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To Speed Up Your Productivity, Slow Down

Imagine this: you step into the elevator and instinctively reach for your smart phone, only to discover that you’ve mistakenly left it at your desk. A sense of panic sets in as you wonder what to do. What will you think about when you can’t have your “thoughts” fed to you?

We live in an age of information, when there is always a new browser window to open, pop-up to click, post to like, and headline to react to. According to Pew Research, 31% of adults are online nearly constantly. This has led to as many as 75% of adults feeling better informed about national news and 65% perceiving themselves more knowledgeable about health and fitness.

More people being more informed sounds like a positive development. With the benefit of receiving more input than ever, we might expect our output to be greater, too. A higher volume of information readily at our disposal should better equip us to make decisions, connect the dots, and share knowledge with one another.

Yet, the power of information comes with an asterisk. We are facing a moment in time when people are feeling more disconnected than ever. Mental health problems are more pervasive among young people who frequently use social media. Not only are Americans generally feeling more isolated, anxious and depressed; they are also becoming less creative. Torrance creativity scores have been steadily declining since the ’90s (University of William and Mary), which many scientists attribute to the increased time we spend staring at our screens, presumably consuming information.

As someone who credits my track record of launching unlikely social ventures like KIND (at least in part) to my penchant for daydreaming and “talking to myself,” I suspect that the gap between information and creativity lies in our distracted movement away from self-reflection. I have no doubt that those moments I spent whistling and singing on the walk to school; the countless times boredom forced me to use my imagination; and the brainstorms I still conduct unofficially in the shower, have helped me uncover what gives me meaning, and have led to some my most creative ideas.  

Self-reflection is the transformative process of converting information into something far more valuable: ideas. It is an exercise through which we make sense of inputs, critically evaluate them, and consider what we might have done wrong so that we can do better next time. It can help us sort fact from fiction. It can help us relate information to our own life experiences to inform our own purpose. By combining information in unexpected ways, we practice creativity. If material simply goes in, but doesn’t get analyzed, it’s not only worthless; it’s an impediment to productive thought.

One of the reasons children are considered more creative than adults is that they know less. They have less information about how the world works, which leaves more space for them to imagine what it could be. This does not mean that we should all go ahead and succumb to ignorance, but it does mean that we should be wary of information overload drowning out self-reflection.

Digesting thoughts requires more energy than does simply consuming information. It follows that self-reflection requires commitment from our part. Especially in the age of information, we are fighting against addictive properties of dopamine-triggering constant reward-systems. It is easy to get distracted. It is easy to be entertained. It is easy, but also damaging, to slowly let our own creativity slip away.

Anyone who has decided to be an entrepreneur is not looking for easy. Entrepreneurs depend on their creativity, and that creativity relies on spending concerted time and space away from your devices to let your mind wander, think critically, and create. The next time you are stepping out of the office, consider leaving your phone behind and see what happens.

By : Daniel Lubetzky

Source: To Speed Up Your Productivity, Slow Down | Inc.com

How Distractions and Delays affect Speed and Productivity

What is the impact of these distractions? Of course, it makes employees lose focus on their work, and also slows down their work speed and productivity. The Udemy survey also revealed that once an employee is distracted, it takes 23 minutes to refocus on a task. So powerful are these distractions that they sometimes side-track the regular project work.

The reality about distractions caused by social media or surfing the Internet is that they become ongoing tasks, one news item prompts the employee to browse through other related articles. It is like a bottomless pit – the employee gets sucked into it and loses track of time. In the beginning, employees are able to snap away from these distractions and refocus on their work, but once they get addicted to these distractions, their work speed and productivity go for a toss.

In addition to distractions, delays in business processes also affect the speed and productivity at work. The most common delays are approval delays. Delay in the approval of invoices or requisitions causes bottlenecks in the business process.

Here are few tips to bring back the focus and speed up your work:

1. Sharpen your focus:

Narrowing down your focus on work-related stuff helps in increasing productivity. Steering clear from distractions and focusing on your work helps get work done faster. This doesn’t mean you cannot take breaks; all you need to do is the time your breaks so that you don’t lose focus from your work.

2. Set deadlines:

Self-imposed deadlines motivate employees to speed up their work. You can set everyday deadlines or weekly targets to complete your work. Still better, you can reward yourself once the targets are achieved. You can treat yourself to a movie or a meal at your favorite restaurant, or as simple as a candy bar when you achieve targets.

3. Set work schedules:

being organized in your work is a great way of increasing your productivity. Sketch a work schedule that times your work, breaks, and meetings. If you set a schedule for a week, then you can review and make changes whenever required.

4. Leverage technology:

Adopting the latest technology like automation can speed up business processes. Redundancies are eliminated and business processes are streamlined by automating the repetitive, mundane steps in a process. Approval delays can be avoided by automated approvals.

By: cflowapps

Related contents:

Automation on the Docks Means Fewer Jobs — and Often No Improvement in Productivity Jacobin

Royal Mail chairman says firm is at ‘crossroads’ as it balances union action with productivity City AM

A fountain of creativity for Americans in Rome CBS News

18:26

 

Cultivating a Home Yoga Practice

Do your yoga students hunger to build a home practice but struggle to stick with one? Sustaining a regular home yoga practice can be challenging even for the most loyal yoga enthusiasts. But practicing independently—as a complement to learning from a skilled teacher—offers a variety of advantages that make it well worth the effort. Find out why a home practice can benefit your students, how you can encourage them to create the space for it, and what will help them get on the mat every day.

Benefits of a Home Practice

Self-discovery. Learning from a skilled teacher is essential for any yoga student, but classes can be full and are sometimes fast-paced. A self-initiated, self-led home practice is an opportunity to enhance body awareness and sensitivity, shedding light on misalignments that might go unnoticed in the studio.

Of course, a good instructor looks out for imbalances and limitations in practitioners, but students who work at their own pace often learn to recognize a physical limitation (such as a tight hip) or an inefficient movement pattern for themselves. One student might realize she puts too much weight on her wrists or slightly bends her right elbow in downward-facing dog. Another might discover that opening his shoulders is far easier for him than opening his hips.

These moments of awareness are important because they inform future yoga practice and enhance students’ knowledge of their bodies and themselves. By applying what they learn through self-discovery, practitioners can challenge their physical edge or correct a muscular weakness. Regular attendance at a studio will yield these same benefits, but they are enhanced during home practice.

A tailored approach. Independent practitioners decide which poses they’ll do and what they want emphasize. Let’s say a student with flexible hamstrings and tight quadriceps attends a weekly yoga class that often focuses on stretching the hamstrings. During her home practice, she can even out her program (and her body) by incorporating more poses that open the quadriceps.

Skill refinement. Home practice provides a terrific opportunity for students to reinforce setup or alignment cues they’ve learned in class. With diligent work, they will refine those skills and begin to store the information in their long-term memory.

Motivation Matters

When class participants ask you about starting a home practice, it is important to understand why that matters to them and what might be holding them back. Ask open-ended questions, such as, “What appeals to you about starting a home practice?” and “What gets in the way of rolling out your mat once you’re home?” When you have this information, you can talk through the situation and help your clients achieve the outcome they want.

Remember that for any person to adhere to any behavior, there needs to be a strong motivational factor for doing that behavior. If cultivating a home practice is something your clients think they should do, but not something they truly care about, they will not be motivated to start, and you may need to address that.

Explore this further by asking questions like “Where did your desire to start a home yoga practice begin?” and “How does starting a home practice relate to who you want to be?” This will help your clients talk about why they want to engage in the behavior versus why they should commit to it.

If motivation is not the issue, and the problem lies in the home environment, then practical solutions can help students overcome common barriers.

Home Practice Solutions

Set the space. A common barrier to home practice is the array of distractions that vie for clients’ attention. These might be objects in the environment (like TV, computers or dirty dishes) or even family members. To win the commitment struggle, it will be important for your clients to “set the space” where they plan to practice.

This could mean moving furniture to the side of a room, creating a permanent yoga space in their home, or using visual or auditory cues to make their environment more conducive to yoga. For example, clients could leverage music to set the mood, even creating a yoga playlist to provide a relaxing environment.

Encourage clients to remove any distracting objects from their line of vision: a laundry basket filled with clothes to be washed, or pieces of mail on the counter, for instance. Recommend setting the space in the morning before work, so clients are ready to go once they get home. And urge them to ask family members to respect the space so that practice can unfold without verbal or behavioral interruptions.

Create a schedule. Your clients will need to figure out a routine that will work for them, whether that means practicing when they first get home, when they get up in the morning or during a lunch break at work. Encourage them to use phone reminders or social support to keep them on schedule.

Avoiding conflict with mealtimes is best, but if clients have to postpone a meal, recommend they eat snacks throughout the day to eliminate large gaps between meals. They should negotiate with family members or housemates, asking them to play music more softly or take kids to another room until the session is over.

Modify or even discard time requirements. Another barrier is thinking the activity needs to last a certain length of time. Some clients might assume they must practice for 90 minutes (as they often do in their yoga class) for the session to matter. For many people, the idea of practicing for that long either before or after work can be daunting, so they may never start.

Help your clients set a realistic and manageable duration goal so that they can succeed. That said, remind them to watch what they’re telling themselves about the length of time they practice. For some, falling short of their goal might mean failure, which could sabotage their long-term adherence. If you notice this tendency in clients, recommend they shift their mindset and recognize value in any amount of practice. Even 10 minutes of yoga can produce an array of benefits.

Let go of expectations. The next barrier to adhering to a regular home yoga practice is pre-existing expectations about what the practice should look like: How many poses should it include? How challenging should they be? These should can get in the way, so help your clients let go of expectations and allow themselves to be present to what feels right in the moment.

Remind them that practicing only a handful of poses can be helpful and that they don’t need to do an advanced sequence for the practice to make a difference. A home yoga practice might be restorative poses one day and a more vigorous flow practice the next, and that’s okay. The practice can be different every time, since a regular yoga practice will ebb and flow based on energy levels, muscular tension, interpersonal stress, and nutritional and sleep habits.

Seek out helpful resources when choosing poses. Last but not least, your clients may find choosing poses difficult when they practice at home. Encourage them to start by practicing their favorite ones first and then add in different or more challenging options over time. Yoga books, online videos or yoga websites might prompt ideas. Suggest that clients keep these helpful resources near their mat while they practice so they can refer to them if they feel unsure about what to do next.

Home Yoga Matters

Regardless of the barriers your clients face, there are ways to help them achieve the benefits they want from a regular home yoga practice. Find out as much as you can about their motivation and help them dismantle environmental barriers. Working together, you can find the solution that will allow their home practice to thrive.

HELPFUL TIPS AND PROPS FOR HOME YOGA PRACTICE

These pointers may seem basic to you, but they can help students get a home practice up and running:

  • Always practice on a mat. It will help you avoid slipping, especially while holding downward-facing dog or warrior poses.
  • Place your yoga mat on a hard, even surface. Practicing on carpet is not recommended, as it affects weight distribution in the hands during weight-bearing poses, and this can lead to wrist pain. Practicing on carpet can also affect balance in standing poses.
  • Have a minimum of two thicker yoga blocks (either cork or foam) to support yourself in seated or standing poses.
  • Aim to have at least one yoga strap. If a strap is not available, use a resistance band instead.
  • If possible, use a woven yoga blanket for support when needed (e.g., to cushion the knee in lunges). A thicker home blanket that’s easily folded provides a good alternative.

By:

Source: Cultivating a Home Yoga Practice – IDEA Health & Fitness Association

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List Of Banks Offering Relief To Customers Affected By Coronavirus (COVID-19)

1

As both COVID-19 and the closings designed to slow its path continue having their effects across the country and across the U.S. economy, consumers are rightly concerned about the impact on their financial lives. Now, as states and municipalities begin to implement reopening strategies, much is still unknown.

Editor’s note: An alphabetical list of individual banks’ and credit unions’ relief programs appears after these introductory sections.

FDIC, NCUA Offer Guidance to Banks and Credit Unions

As early as March 9, the FDIC encouraged financial institutions to help meet the needs of those customers and members affected by the coronavirus. This assistance may include, for example, waiving fees on late or missed credit card or loan payments, waiving early withdrawal penalties for out-of-work savers who need access to money locked up in CDs, or offering affected borrowers the ability to defer or skip making loan payments for a finite period of time.

The FDIC has since added to its website consumers’ frequently asked questions about the impact of COVID-19 on their banking relationships. The website was last updated on April 28.

Similarly, the National Credit Union Administration, which protects all federal (and most state) credit union deposits, is encouraging credit unions to assist affected members by allowing them to defer or skip some payments, extending payment due dates and waiving late fees and out-of-network ATM fees. Credit unions also are encouraged “to use responsible small-dollar lending” to help individual and small business members during this crisis. The NCUA addresses credit union members’ frequently asked questions.

Banks and Credit Unions Respond to Consumers’ Needs

Over the past weeks, financial institutions including retail banks and credit unions have been putting their response plans in place and refining them as situations change. Here’s how some banks and credit unions are offering relief to customers affected by the coronavirus. Bookmark this post and come back for regular updates.

The policies of each institution will vary. Whenever an offer includes the option to defer or skip a payment, it’s important to understand how and when the missed payments will be made up after any forbearance period ends. For example, one lender may offer to add the missed payment(s) onto the end of the loan, while another lender may require the missed payment(s) to be made up as soon as payments resume.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also maintains a resource page—available in six languages—to help consumers protect their finances during the COVID-19 crisis.

(For current public health guidance specific to COVID-19, more commonly known as the coronavirus, follow the CDC COVID-19 home page.)

Read more: Your Money And Coronavirus: A Financial Protection Guide

Ally

On March 18, Ally shared measures it will implement to offer relief to those experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Here’s how the bank is offering assistance:

  • Ally is waiving all fees related to expedited checks and debit cards, overdrafts and excessive transactions on savings and money market accounts until July 18, 2020.
  • Auto loan payments can be deferred for up to 120 days. Referral requests for deferral of up to 120 days can be made online. No late fees will be charged, but finance charges will accrue. After payments resume, the contract will be extended by the number of months payment was deferred.
  • Home loan payments for existing customers can be deferred for up to 120 days. No late fees will be charged, but interest will accrue. For payment assistance, customers are encouraged to apply via their Ally account online, in order to avoid long call wait times at 866-401-4742.

Ally is strongly encouraging customers to utilize its online self-service access and the Ally mobile apps, to avoid longer call wait times. Customers can continue to transfer money and make payments online as usual. For depositing checks of $50,000 or less, it’s faster to deposit them online via the mobile app than to submit by mail.

With most Ally associates working from home during this “unprecedented situation,” Ally asks for customers’ understanding if customers hear an occasional child or pet in the background while on a call with the bank.

For more information and updates, visit Ally’s coronavirus help page.

Bank of America

On March 12, Bank of America emailed information to Forbes about potential measures it was ready to take in response to the coronavirus:

“We continue monitoring the developments of coronavirus and are always prepared to support our clients facing financial hardship or loss of income due to illness. All employees who work directly with our clients are trained to identify and assist impacted clients and provide the right support to address their unique personal needs. As part of our regular practice, we offer assistance to qualifying consumer and small business clients facing hardships, including forbearance with certain fees.”

Bank of America customers who need help making credit card, vehicle or home loan payments now can apply for a payment deferral online. A video has been added to the bank’s coronavirus help page (linked below) to explain the additional assistance the bank is offering to clients and small businesses, which now have their own coronavirus help resource. The small business page provides important updates to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

On March 19, Bank of America announced additional support that will be provided, working on a case-by-case basis, including:

  • For consumer and small business deposit accounts, clients can request refunds of overdraft, insufficient funds and monthly maintenance fees.
  • Clients can request to defer payments and refunds of late fees on their small business loans.
  • On auto loans, personal loans, mortgages and home equity loans, clients can request deferral of payment, with those payments added to the end of the loan. So long as clients are up to date, no negative credit bureau reporting will be made.

Clients facing financial hardships related to the coronavirus are encouraged to visit Bank of America’s coronavirus help page and contact the client services team.

BBVA USA

As stated at BBVA’s website, “Should you experience unfortunate hardship as a result of COVID-19, we want to help you.”

The bank has established an online portal to receive applications from customers requesting a deferral or extension of payment on a real estate loan, personal loan, auto loan, credit card or small business loan.

Available upon request, for consumers and small business customers are: waived ATM fees and refunds of ATM fees charged by other banks/networks; penalty-free CD withdrawals for CDs opened prior to March 1; and refunds of overdraft fees.

In addition, small business owners can request temporary waivers of the monthly deposit account service charge and of monthly maintenance fees for the desktop remote deposit capture service. BBVA has temporarily closed its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application portal while it assesses available funding.

Customers can call 844-BBVA-USA (844-228-2872) to ask questions or to speak with a telephone banking agent, with the caveat that call wait times will be longer. Transacting online or via mobile banking is likely more convenient, and customers can contact their individual bankers and branches directly.

For more information and updates, visit BBVA’s coronavirus help page.

BCU

Serving nearly 250,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Illinois-based BCU recommends that members continue to rely on online banking and the mobile app to access their accounts at any time, find the nearest ATM, deposit checks, transfer funds, pay bills or connect with a live representative, as desired.

Specific to checking, savings and certificate accounts, members whose finances have been affected by COVID-19 can increase the limit on remote check deposits and can reverse recent fees including ATM and NSF fees, Courtesy Pay service charges and early or excessive withdrawal penalties.

Emergency loan assistance payment relief includes Skip One Loan Payment or a loan extension for up to 90 days on existing BCU loans and credit cards. Income Disruption Loans of up to $2,500 are offered with no payments and no interest for the first 90 days.

To discuss relief on existing student loans, call 800-723-2210. For non-urgent mortgage assistance, there is an online form; members also may call 888-789-1512 (first mortgages) or 847-932-8182 (home equity loans or second mortgages).

For business account members, BCU is offering payment relief on existing BCU business loans and credit cards, including loan deferral/forbearance for up to 90 days. BCU is accepting Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications from small businesses that joined the credit union prior to April 3, 2020.

BCU also is holding one-on-one appointments with members, making well-check calls and hosting virtual workshops to help members through and beyond the current crisis. For more information and updates, visit BCU’s coronavirus help page.

Capital One

In an email to customers on March 12, Capital One encouraged them to access their accounts with the bank’s digital banking tools, including online and app access.

Customers facing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus are urged to contact the bank directly through one of its many customer support lines. At its website, Capital One encourages customers who may be impacted or need assistance to reach out so that the bank can help find a solution. (Capital One Cafés remain closed at this time.)

Capital One tells Forbes that all customers will be eligible for assistance, which will vary on the type of product they have and their individual needs. Examples of assistance include:

  • Minimum payment assistance
  • Deferred loan assistance
  • Fee suppression

On April 5, Capital One added resources to its website that address individual customer assistance, fraud prevention and travel cancellations. A new business customers’ page provides guidance specific to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

For more information and updates, visit Capital One’s coronavirus help page.

Chase

Chase says it will “continue to adapt” to the changing coronavirus situation. Effective March 19, Chase temporarily closed approximately 20% of its branches to help ensure the safety of customers and employees. In addition to its nearly 4,000 branches that remain open, Chase encourages customers to utilize the tools available on the Chase mobile app and at chase.com.

Individuals who are affected by COVID-19 and need help with their accounts are encouraged to call the number on the back of their credit or debit card, or on the back of their monthly statement.

As of March 23, Chase provided additional details. Specific to mortgages, as one example, the bank advises customers who are able to continue making their mortgage payments to do so. Customers who need help with their mortgage payments can call 800-848-9380 or sign in and send a secure message.

A separate page on the website provides small business owners with a variety of resources, including information on contingency planning, a business resilience checklist, and links to the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. As of May 3, Chase is not currently accepting new applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), but may consider doing so in the future, depending on the availability of funds.

For more information and updates, visit Chase’s coronavirus help page.

CIT

As was true before the COVID-19 crisis, CIT continues to give its customers the ability to manage their accounts and account information online, including scheduling and making transfers to and from internal and external accounts, viewing and downloading statements and account activity, and managing account alerts.

CIT customers can access their accounts online or through the mobile app 24/7 or send secure emails from the online banking portal for account assistance. Specific to the current crisis, CIT invites customers to contact CIT to discuss options such as waiving of fees for ATM use, for overdrafts and for early withdrawals from CDs.

Direct bank customers are invited to call 855-462-2652 (within U.S.) or 626-535-8964 (toll call, outside U.S.), Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–9 p.m. ET and Sat 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET.

For mortgage customers who have been impacted by COVID-19, CIT has suspended foreclosures and evictions and is offering forbearance plans, in accordance with guidance. Mortgage customers can call 800-781-7399, Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. ET.

For its existing business clients, CIT is processing applications already received for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP); new applications are not being accepted at this time.

For more information and updates, visit CIT’s coronavirus help page.

Citi

As Citi’s U.S. Consumer Bank CEO Anand Selva states, “We stand with our customers at this difficult time and will continue to do our part to support the individuals and communities impacted.”

On April 7, Citi announced enhancements to the assistance that had been effective March 9 for an initial 30 days and was then extended to May 8, 2020. The types of assistance available upon request include:

  • Waivers on safe deposit box fees, non-Citi ATM usage fees, monthly service fees and penalty fees for early certificate of deposit withdrawals.
  • For eligible credit cardholders, waivers on late fees and deferral of minimum payments for two months.
  • For small business customers, waivers on monthly service fees, remote deposit capture fees and penalty fees for early certificate of deposit withdrawals. Citi also participates in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Small business bankers are available after hours and on weekends.
  • Citi’s mortgage sub-servicer Cenlar FSB is offering 90-day forbearance for Citi’s mortgage loans. In addition, foreclosures and evictions have been paused for 60 days. For questions, customers should contact Cenlar directly at 1-855-839-6253 or visit the Cenlar website.

To receive instant account information, Citi customers are encouraged to use either the Citi website or the Citi mobile app to check balances, make payments, transfer funds, deposit checks or locate nearby ATMs.

For more information and updates, visit Citi’s coronavirus help page.

Consumers Credit Union

Consumers Credit Union states the situation clearly: “Over the past few weeks, the growing concern of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has all of our attention.” Consumers is monitoring the situation closely and has worked with its staff to help provide a safe environment for both members and staff members.

As of March 20, Consumers’ service center locations are operating for drive-through service only and are open Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. and Sat 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Both mobile and online banking services are available 24/7 as usual.

Members who seek additional support to arrange loan or credit card payments are invited to call 877.ASK.CCCU (877.275.2228). Members who are concerned about the recent volatile financial markets can speak with a Consumers Financial Group advisor either online or by phone until the Consumers services centers are reopened; see Consumers’ coronavirus help page (linked below) for a link to CFG information.

To help members address cash flow concerns specific to the coronavirus, Consumers’ Credit Union is offering members the opportunity to skip their next monthly qualified loan payment at no charge. For those who take advantage of this Skip-A-Pay option, the deferred payment will be added to the end of the current loan contract; specific terms are provided here.

For more information and updates, visit Consumers Credit Union’s coronavirus help page.

Discover

Discover’s coronavirus help page says there is “support in place” for qualified Discover customers who experience hardship as a result of the outbreak, and provides contact phone numbers for credit card, online banking, personal loan, home loan and student loan customers. Several of the provided FAQs address the government stimulus payments and issues specific to student loans.

Online banking customers can reach out to Discover’s 100% U.S.-based Customer Service team for help by calling 800-347-7000 (TTY/TDD 800-347-7454) at any time.

Discover encourages customers to use the Discover mobile app to view transactions, check balances, access funds, make payments and manage rewards.

For more information and updates, visit Discover’s coronavirus help page.

Fifth Third Bank

Fifth Third Bank has provided more information specific to its plan for helping customers during COVID-19. Customers are invited to bank anytime, anywhere via either the mobile app or online. Temporarily, branches are open by appointment only, with drive-through service available for simple transactions.

As now stated at the website: “Special policies are in place to help address COVID-19-related hardship related to auto loans, credit card balances and loans secured by real estate. You will need to contact us to participate in these relief efforts.” The hardship assistance request form can be accessed via Fifth Third’s online banking system. Representatives area available by phone at 877-366-5520, Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET; the anticipated high call demand may make wait times longer.

The available relief includes, for example, payment deferrals of up to 90 days with no late fees during the deferral period on vehicle payments and waiving of the monthly payment requirement on consumer credits cards for up to 90 days with no late fees. The mortgage and home equity program offers up to 180-day payment forbearance with no late fees. Repossession activity on vehicles and foreclosure activity on homes is suspended for the next 60 days. Select banking fees also are being waived.

For more information and updates, visit Fifth Third Bank’s coronavirus help page.

HSBC USA

To help protect the health and safety of both its customers and employees, HSBC Bank USA has closed a number of branch locations until further notice to follow the CDC’s guidelines to limit person-to-person contact.

Bank relationship managers are available to discuss available assistance programs. Customers who have been impacted by the coronavirus and need support are invited to chat online or to call HSBC at 866-949-2351.

A variety of assistance is being offered. For personal and business deposit accounts, this includes: waivers of ATM, overdraft or unavailable funds and monthly maintenance fees. CD early withdrawal penalties can be waived if the funds are needed due to COVID-19 hardship.

For personal loans, credit cards and lines of credit, it’s possible to defer or reduce payments during the hardship, and HSBC is waiving cash advance, insufficient funds, overdraft protection and late fees for 60 days. For business credit cards, lines of credit and term loans, payments can be deferred or reduced and late fees will be waived.

For mortgage and home equity loans, available hardship assistance includes deferrals, reductions and late fee waivers; HSBC also will prevent negative credit reporting.

For more information and updates, visit HSBC’s coronavirus help page.

Huntington

Huntington National Bank has announced immediate financial relief measures for customers—both individuals and small business owners—affected by the coronavirus.

Banking customers with a financial hardship related to family illness or workplace closures due to COVID-19 can contact the bank for more information about its Consumer Payment Deferral Program, which offers a payment deferral for up to 90 days with no credit bureau impact. Assistance is available for payments in the following categories: homeowner, personal credit line, auto loan, consumer loan, credit card and debit card. Contact phone numbers are provided on Huntington’s coronavirus help page (linked below).

Beginning in March 2020, Huntington is suspending charging late fees on consumer loan payments (through the end of May), will not initiate new repossession actions relating to Huntington-financed vehicles, RVs or marine craft (through the end of May) and will suspend foreclosure actions on residential properties (through the end of May). Possible extensions of these programs will be considered.

Huntington worked directly with the governor’s offices to facilitate the SBA disaster declaration that qualifies Ohio small businesses for Economic Injury Disaster loans. Small business owner customers who experience a financial hardship related to family illness or workplace closures due to COVID-19 should contact Huntington to receive up to 90 days of payment deferral on all small business loans or to discuss needs-based business credit card payment deferrals. Beginning in March 2020, Huntington is suspending charging late fees on business credit card payments and business loan payments through the end of May; these programs may be extended.

For more information and updates, visit Huntington’s coronavirus help page, which has been updated specific to business banking resources now available under the CARES Act.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs

On its website, Marcus by Goldman Sachs states: “Rest assured that your ability to transfer money in and out of Marcus, make and schedule loan payments, and access your funds and account details at any time, remains unchanged,” and that customers can save time, 24/7, by accessing their accounts at marcus.com or on the Marcus app.

For now, Marcus by Goldman Sachs is operating its contact centers virtually. The temporary hours of operation are Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–8 p.m. ET and Sat–Sun, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET. Customers can call 844-MARCUS-6 (844-627-2876) and may expect to experience unusually long hold times.

For those impacted financially by COVID-19, customers with personal loans through Marcus by Goldman Sachs can postpone payments on their loans for one month with no interest charged during the deferral, and their loan terms will be extended by one month. For customers who need access to funds currently held in certificates of deposit prior to maturity, Marcus is waiving CD early withdrawal penalties.

For more information and updates, visit Marcus by Goldman Sachs’ coronavirus help page.

Navy Federal Credit Union

Navy Federal Credit Union provides assistance to its members 24/7 via its mobile app and online banking tools. Members can request a credit card limit increase, apply for a Pandemic Relief Loan or request mortgage loan forbearance. Members are invited to call 800-336-3767 for deferments on credit cards, auto loans or personal loans and for loan extensions. Overdraft protection, fee-free transfers and penalty-free certificate withdrawals also are being offered.

The Student Loan Center is available Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET, at 877-304-9302.

For eligible members, Navy Federal can temporarily suspend mortgage payments for a set period of time. To request this forbearance, members are asked to send a secure message online to avoid increased call volumes and wait times; phone assistance is available at 800-258-5948.

Small business owner members are invited to contact Navy Federal Business Solutions at 877-418-1462 to discuss specific small business relief options.

To support the safety of its members and staff, some Navy Federal Credit Union branches are operating on reduced hours and some are temporarily closed.

For more information, visit Navy Federal’s coronavirus help page, including its pandemic relief FAQs.

PNC Bank

As of March 27, PNC Bank has greatly enhanced its information available online specific to the coronavirus, adding content and contact information that addresses consumer customers, small business clients, corporate and institutional clients, branch and ATM availability and bank from home services. The site also provides scam and fraud alerts and offers market and economy insights.

To receive the fastest response time, PNC encourages customers to contact the bank online to discuss hardship postponement of payments for a period of time, on auto loans, unsecured installment loans or lines of credit, credit cards, mortgages, home equity loans or lines of credit and student loans. PNC has an online form to make it easier to communicate with the bank, where customers can describe their hardship and have the form routed to the right PNC team member. The website also provides contact numbers for customers who prefer to phone in their requests.

Small business clients have access to a variety of programs that address loan, lines of credit, credit card and merchant services assistance. There is an online Loan Hardship Request Form. For deposit account assistance, call 877-BUS-BNKG (287-2654). PNC is not currently accepting new applications to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

Effective March 20, PNC has made temporary adjustments to its retail branch network that include operating primarily via drive-up only (except branches that do not have drive-up), and PNC estimates that three quarters of its branch network will remain open. Open branches are operating on reduced hours and offering designated days for “essential appointments,” such as safe deposit box access, loan closings or other in-person services.

For more information and updates, visit PNC’s coronavirus help page.

Santander

At its website, Santander Bank reminds its customers of the convenience of transacting via its mobile banking app, online banking, automated services via phone and extensive ATM network. As of March 23, some Santander branch services are limited or closed, while other branches are providing full service.

For consumer banking customers, available relief options include temporary payment suspension, refunding late payment and overdraft fees, suspending mortgage and home equity line of credit foreclosures, waiving CD early withdrawal penalties and outgoing wire fees, and offering credit card limit increases. Retail banking customers who experience financial hardship due to COVID-19 are invited to contact the bank at 844-728-0999.

For its existing small business clients, Santander is offering a number of relief options, including extensions and payment deferral accommodations. Business banking customers who need assistance are invited to contact the bank at 877-768-1145 or their Santander relationship manager.

For more information and updates, visit Santander’s coronavirus help page.

State Employees’ Credit Union

State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) branches are open, yet are serving drive-through customers only. SECU’s ATM network, website, mobile app, member services support center and voice response service all are available to members during these challenging times.

The online and digital resources will provide faster access. The 24/7 Member Services Support Center, available at 888-732-8562, is experiencing higher call volumes between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily. By using the ASK SECU Voice Response Service, at 919-839-5400, members can verify account balances, transfer funds between credit union accounts and verify any recent or pending transaction history.

Members who need in-person services, such as to access a safe deposit box, can call their branch to schedule an appointment.

Specific to loan assistance, SECU has programs for eligible members who may seek either a new loan or a payment extension on an existing SECU mortgage, auto, credit card or unsecured personal loan. Members are invited to contact the credit union sooner than later to learn what options may be available, by sending a secure message through member services, calling their local branch or calling 24/7 member services.

For more information and helpful links, visit SECU’s coronavirus help page.

TD Bank

In order to better accommodate older customers and those most at risk for COVID-19, TD Bank has designated the first hour of its full-service store operations and customer appointment bookings for serving those clients.

In addition to some store closures that were previously announced, stores that are remaining open are operating on reduced hours. Customers who need to visit a store are encouraged to use the drive-through or to schedule an appointment in advance; safe deposit access also is available by appointment.

TD Bank is offering various types of financial relief through the TD Cares program to customers who have been impacted by COVID-19. An online link to request financial relief is now available on the bank’s coronavirus help page (linked below).

For customers who have a TD personal loan, auto loan, mortgage, home equity loan or line of credit, TD Fit Loan or TD Bank, N.A. Visa credit card, the bank can help with deferment of payments and waiving certain late payment fees.

Small business customers are invited to contact their relationship manager or a store manager, or to submit an request online. Available relief options include: refunds on monthly maintenance fees for business deposit accounts, deferment of payments on small business loans and lines of credit, refunds on transaction fees such as overdraft and non-TD ATM fees, waivers of certain fees for Merchant Solutions Customers and early access to business certificates of deposit with no early withdrawal penalties.

Any customer affected financially by COVID-19 can call TD Bank at 888-751-9000.

For more information and updates, visit TD Bank’s coronavirus help page.

TIAA Bank

For consumer banking clients, through May 2020, TIAA Bank is waiving fees for ATM transactions, wire transfers, insufficient funds and late credit card payments. The bank also is increasing limits on debit and cash withdrawals, and allowing eligible credit card customers to skip a monthly payment without penalty.

TIAA Bank encourages clients to complete transactions online or via the mobile app, to avoid longer wait times to speak with call center staff (for example, banking clients can call 888-882-3837, seven days a week, 8 a.m.–11 p.m. ET).

For mortgage clients who experience financial hardship due to COVID-19—whether due to their own illness, a loss of work or caregiving responsibilities for an ill family member—temporary payment forbearance may be available. TIAA Bank would pause the monthly mortgage payment for a specific period of time, and payments would be made up at a later date. To apply, there is an online form.

For any client who has a home loan in process, there may be small delays in the loan process, during which the client will receive frequent updates. Also, rate locks on refinance loans will automatically be extended from 60 to 90 days.

Business banking and small business clients are invited to call 866-371-3831, opt. 5, Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. ET, to discuss assistance that may be available, including fee waivers for business deposit accounts and loan payment assistance. (TIAA Bank is offering Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to certain qualifying TIAA Bank small business and nonprofit banking clients.)

For more information and updates, visit TIAA Bank’s coronavirus help page.

Truist

Truist (formerly BB&T and SunTrust banks) says it’s closely monitoring the information available from the CDC and the World Health Organization specific to COVID-19, to ensure the bank is “acting on the latest information and guidance.”

Truist encourages both BB&T and SunTrust clients to bank from home using the available online, mobile and telephone banking options. Effective March 21, most branches will remain open with modified service, including ATMs, drive-through and safe deposit access in the branch by appointment only.

To save customers time, the Truist coronavirus help page (linked below) has been updated to include the option of applying online to defer payments on a credit card, personal loan, auto loan or home equity line of credit. The bank also is temporarily waiving ATM surcharge fees to help consumers and businesses access cash.

Detailed information is also available for its mortgage loan customers—both those with existing mortgages and those with loans in process.

Customers in need of assistance also can reach out to the following numbers, for which Truist warns that hold times are much longer than normal:

  • Heritage BB&T clients: 800-226-5228
  • Heritage SunTrust clients: 877-820-2103

For more information and updates, visit Truist’s coronavirus help page.

U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank is encouraging customers to utilize its digital banking features, including its mobile app, online banking or banking by phone. Effective March 19, U.S. Bank has temporarily reduced its hours of operation in all branches and is encouraging the use of drive-up services rather than lobby services.

Any U.S. Bank customer who has been financially impacted by COVID-19 and needs immediate help is invited to call the U.S. Bank assistance line at 888-287-7817.

At its website, U.S. Bank is adding details to the ways in which it may be able to assist its customers—both personal banking and small business.

Mobile check deposit limits have been raised for personal banking customers, to accommodate their increased need to bank from home. U.S. Bank is offering reduced pricing on certain smaller personal loans and a Visa card with a 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfer for 20 billing cycles.

A separate section of the website addresses mortgage help and repayment options.

U.S. Bank is currently processing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications that have already been submitted. To assist its small business customers, the bank has temporarily reduced rates on business loans and lines of credit and is temporarily waiving the fee for businesses to receive money digitally from their customers with Zelle.

For more information and updates, visit U.S. Bank’s coronavirus help page.

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo customers experiencing hardship from the coronavirus can call 800-219-9739 to speak with a trained specialist about their options. According to a March 20 release:

“Wells Fargo is suspending residential property foreclosure sales, evictions and involuntary automobile repossessions. The company also is offering fee waivers, payment deferrals and other expanded assistance for credit card, auto, mortgage, small business and personal lending customers who contact the company.”

CEO Charlie Sharf stated, “At Wells Fargo, we are committed to providing you the financial access, guidance and support you need so you can focus on your well-being and your loved ones.”

Wells Fargo has temporarily closed some branches and adjusted other branches’ operating hours. Customers are encouraged to utilize drive-up, rather than lobby, services when possible, and to use the available mobile and online banking tools.

The bank has now posted detailed FAQs specific to mortgages and home equity online. Small business owners also can find information online specific to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

For more information and updates, visit Wells Fargo’s coronavirus help page.

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus

I’m a Personal Finance Reporter for Forbes Advisor. Previously, I covered personal finance at other national web publications including Bankrate and The Penny Hoarder. I’ve been featured as a personal finance expert in outlets like CNBC, Yahoo! Finance, CBS News Radio and more. When I’m not digging up the best ways to manage your money, I’m out traveling the world. Follow me on Twitter at @keywordkelly.

I’m the Banking and Personal Finance Analyst for Forbes Advisor, with an overall goal of helping people make better financial choices. Before joining Forbes, I was an editor, writer, and strategist for clients that provide banking, credit card, insurance, legal, and professional services. When I’m not editing (or singing), you’ll find me here.

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