Up Market

---

• Creative Services Stir up Banking Industry
• Direct Selling Tips
• Great Blogging Tips
• The Power of Small

Creative Services Stir up Banking Industry Posted: 03 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PST It might be considered a conservative industry, but banking is seeing the emergence of creative innovators, swimming against the tide. Long-standing concepts like teller lines and fees for equipment are going out the window, replaced by creative services – both low tech and high tech — that win over customers. When three-year-old Town & Country Bank in St. George, Utah opened its doors, it ushered in a new service strategy that jettisoned the old-fashioned cookie-cutter approach. The bank is making money and is the talk of the town, says bank CEO Bruce Jensen. Inside, it looks more like a living room than a bank, and on the outside it resembles an old inn.  But what really sets it apart is the way it serves customers, relying on a low-tech approach. No teller lines.  Town & Country Bank offers "concierge bankers" who sit down one-on-one with customers. "We wanted to take away the us-versus-them feel," Jensen says of the older teller windows. Employees with great people skills. Before opening the bank, Jensen asked customers about their ideal banking experience. They didn't like the frequent turnover of banking staff, so Jensen changed the way the bank hires. "We try to hire employees who have people skills," he says, adding that they foster an attitude that the bank is a great place to work. "We haven't had anyone leave for another banking job," Jensen says. Personal access. Bankers now give their cell phone numbers to customers. There have been no problems with stalkers and clients like the "security blanket" of being able to reach their banker, Jensen says. House calls. Town & Country is the only bank in town to provide deposit (non-currency) pick-ups for businesses. Jensen says they bought a Mini-Cooper to run the service, which has turned out to be cost-effective and has generated new business. Add to those a host of other services such as a proprietary ATM card that drives business to local merchants, a women's banking group, and a thriving popular lobby concert schedule featuring local talent.  All together, it has helped Town & Country carve itself a creative banking niche and a place in the town's heart. On the flip side, Broward Bank of Commerce has differentiated itself in a completely different fashion. It has no branches. In fact, its sole location is not even at street level – it's on the 21st floor of a building in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. "This is a different mode for a community bank," says CEO Keith Costello. Broward Bank made its name on being different from the get-go: While Costello and partners were raising money to open the bank in 2007/2008, the economy was tanking and other banks were closing. Truly swimming against the economic tide has yielded great results for the bank: It now has 21 employees and $130 million in assets. Not having a branch or street-level location demands creativity in servicing customers, even for a commercial bank, Costello says. So how does Broward do it? Give away remote deposit terminals.  Most banks offer this technology but we give away the terminals. "Once they use it, you've captured a customer," he says. Concierge-style service. Just like Town & Country Bank, Broward has done away with teller windows. Makes meeting rooms available. Broward customers can use the bank's office for business, community organization and charity meetings. Uses new technologies.  Costello says the bank is always looking to stay on top of the tech trend and be creative with new technologies they can use to grow their customer base of small and mid-sized businesses.  In fact, Broward will soon be rolling out online account opening software. Image from Town & Country Bank

Direct Selling Tips Posted: 03 Mar 2012 06:00 AM PST What makes direct sales such a popular choice, and what makes direct sales work? Find out here.

Great Blogging Tips Posted: 02 Mar 2012 03:00 PM PST Blogging is a great practice for anyone running their own website or business, and can reinforce everything you are trying to achieve.

The Power of Small Posted: 02 Mar 2012 12:00 PM PST Book recommendation: The Power of Small: Why Little Things Make All the Difference by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval  A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao-tzu We are taught to have big ideas, to think big, to tackle big projects. But if we want to succeed we need to think small. This may not be something we have a lot of practice at. Everywhere we look we are getting big messages, on billboards, in books, and on TV. In The Power of Small, Linda Thaler and Robin Koval show us how to find the small things and how valuable they can be to our work and our life. If you want a big idea to succeed break it down into smaller parts and complete each of those one after another. Common sense, right? Then why are so many of us unable to begin that big project? Why do we think we have no time? This book shows us how to create small manageable parts inside the big idea. Soon you'll be chipping away at the big project, one small piece at a time. Small is especially important when it comes to customer service. It is hard to do big impressive things for your customers and since big gestures happen so rarely those actions are not remembered in the day-to-day hustle. But the small gestures can be done every day, and because they are done often, they are remembered. Greeting customers sincerely as they enter, offering help, taking bags out to their car, and holding the door open for people. These actions seem insignificant, but to the customer they are invaluable. In The Power of Small you'll find lots of examples where small gestures led to big opportunities. If you feel that you are spinning your wheels, and nothing seems to be getting done, pick up this book and try thinking small. It might change your work and your life in big ways. If you want to learn more about Linda Thaler and Robin Koval check out their website www.thepowerofsmallbook.com.

You are subscribed to email updates from Upmarket To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610