Marketing is a funnel....

Greetings...

By the calendar and the start of school, fall has arrived. By a quick look at the thermometer (93 degrees this morning) summer is still going strong!

But the truest test of fall's arrival is the start of College football! To those of you that know me, you know that I am a die-hard Ohio State Buckeye fan (O-H...I-O) and follow the team diligently. In doing so, I also follow other major teams and track our progress, chances of another national title game, and upcoming competition.

Here is the connection to financial marketing...being prepared for what we know...and what we do not know! This past weekend, our Heisman-hopeful running back Chris "Beanie" Wells went down with an injury. I saw the season flash in front of me! To our bankers, their bank's "season" is flashing in front of them as the sub-prime loan crisis continues to wiggle through the industry and the economy. Factor in the oil prices and the hurricane-prone weather and we have lots of "stuff" that is outside our radar that impacts our bank.

The key is being prepared and ready for anything that comes our way. As Nick Vaglio and I were delivering the latest eCollege series on our book "Shift Happens", he shared a story about a friend of ours (Steve Stevenson) and his preparations for ALCO. At his bank, Steve was not on ALCO and he was making every effort to be allowed to join the committee. To little success. So instead of concentrating on what he knew (not being on the committee) he concentrated on what he did not know (the meeting outcomes). He went to work on campaigns, messaging, communications, etc. all built around the two primary realities of ALCO (1. we need money or we have money and 2. rates are rising or falling). He created ready-to-go support programs for each scenario and when ALCO met and then came to him after the meetings with the current reality, he was able to quickly deliver support for the need of the bank. Within a short period of time, with his support being so thorough, timely, and actionable, Steve was asked to join ALCO. A win for everyone!

Think about your institution...are there things that you do not know...that can severely impact you or your ability to create success? I am sure there are at least a few. Prepare for them! You may never know when they will arrive...the only thing sure is that they WILL arrive. If you are prepared, thoroughly ready, and have though through contingencies...you will deliver for your bank and perhaps equally as importantly, you will deliver for yourself and your career. With this simple but demanding step...you are Making Marketing Matter, positioning marketing as a philosophy and not simply a department...and moving your bank forward!

So, your homework? Identify 2-3 outside variables that you do not know when they may occur...but you know WILL occur. Prepare a plan and support for each. They may be a "merger", "loss of a large community employer", or some other potential obstacle. Get planning...and get yourself ahead!

Cheers!

Bruce