Big Bad Wolves are not real—and there are no silver bullets
While Jack had magic beans, you don't.Branded swag, a fancy marquee and 20 locations do you no good whatsoever if you don’t have a proactive, well planned business development effort.
Here are 5 steps to get you on the right path:
Stop talking about a CRM and get one in place. You can use a system with bells and whistles like Salesforce, or you can create an in-house database that’s sharable. Don’t you dare hand out another set of measuring cups with your logo until you have a database in place.
Set measurable goals. Let everyone in your institution know what to shoot for and how they must help. Be the Pied Piper. Inspire and bring everyone along with you, and you’ll become an unstoppable force.
Make sure you’re not leaving money on the table. Are renewals of lines of credit or safe deposit boxes languishing because of your inattention? Fee income is hard to come by. Make sure you’re realizing the revenue from what you already have in place.
Institute a service culture. Do all your customers take advantage of products and services you offer—that they really need? If not, you should be having significant conversations with them. (In person.) Listen, then recommend.
Get out of the bank. Emailing prospects may make you feel like you’re accomplishing something, but those emails are buried as easily as a pea under a mattress. Work your database. Pick up the phone. Call. Set appointments, then go listen. Bankers who make house calls are rare, so it’s not that hard to set yourself apart.
Stop wasting time looking for the magic genie that makes business materialize. That’s just for kids. Dig deep inside yourself and find the guts to meet giant goals head-on—and slay them!
Martha Bartlett PilandMB Piland Advertising + Marketing
approach While most agencies focus primarily on a brand’s outward effects, we start with the inside. A brand that’s well understood and executed internally is exponentially more effective. It attracts and retains the best talent—and is more profitable. It’s head and shoulders above its competitors because everyone in the organization is living and breathing the brand. They’re “drinking the Kool-Aid,” not just putting on a name badge and going to work.
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thinkingNO SILOS. We firmly believe HR, marketing, operations and sales must be in step and working together. We look at processes, sales channels and the referral base. Who are the fans? The detractors? What do they need? We analyze all internal touch points of a brand—and make sure they’re aligned with the external. The result is a powerful, enviable internal culture because the brand essence permeates every touchpoint.
model We EXPERT SOURCE. Our team leaders strategically use open source, world-class creative talent: the best and the brightest for every client every time. We aren’t limited by a staff with a finite skill set. We’re nimble, flexible and scalable.
clients Our clients improve the health of individuals or communities. Many are rapidly growing companies. They’re entrepreneurial thinkers who have mission and purpose.
