Rachel Scheuerman, director of engagement solutions for Harland Clarke, takes substantial pride in developing relationships as part of her everyday work.

In this CUNA News Podcast episode, sponsored by Harland Clarke, she discusses customer engagement as a competitive advantage. In the face of increased competition and commoditization driven by rock-bottom pricing, customer engagement is now table stakes for credit union success.

Customer engagement is the new branding, Scheuerman says. Consumers today want more than a one-off transaction.

Instead, they seek relationships that add value to the consumer experience. Frequently cited examples include Amazon and Zappos.

“Credit unions have a big story to tell,” Scheuerman says. But getting started on the consumer engagement journey can be overwhelming.

She advises credit unions to start with their own culture and then work on building relationships with members.

This requires living and breathing member engagement it in every aspect of your business, including employees, members, and the community at large, Scheuerman says. “It's about collectively agreeing on the definition of engagement and what it means to you. Don't over-complicate things.”

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.