Happy Trails

Greetings...

I LOVE Spring....have I told you that before?  Spring is the perfect season...its fresh, everything is vibrant, people are excited and, of course, there is baseball!!

Spring also is synonymous with spring cleaning...and that's the point for today.

Happy Trails is the connecting point to spring cleaning.  The path, or trail, you are on may be littered with old plans, unintended obstacles, disengaged staff, new competitors or simply could be overgrown by previous success.

The key is to clear your path to happy trails!   Here are five cornerstones:

1. Re-evaluate your trajectory toward 12/31...are you on pace?
2. Reengage your staff by recommunicating the year-end goals and the current progress
3. Ask for assistance in identifying obstacles that can be seen and ones that can only be felt!
4. Have staff shop your competitors and report their findings
5. Re-double your efforts on streamlining and aligning communication, action, and results

Enjoy your spring...and Happy Trails toward a vibrant summer...the log jam from the past two years of economic turmoil is lifting....be ready!!

Cheers!
Bruce

Winners...and 2nd Place

March...

The beginning of spring, warmer weather, flowers and BASKETBALL!

As we noted with our March Madness blog, the college basketball phenomenon that is about to grip the country starts in t-minus 2 days...with the First Four being played in our hometown of Dayton!

This time of year reminds me of the Winners and 2nd place.  What is the difference?  Many times it is timing of good play, a lucky run, a hot shooter, or a coach that simply can elevate his team.

However, I recently read a Sports Illustrated article on predictions based on statistics.  In the Tourney run, the better the season strength of schedule, the more rebounds, the higher the turnover-generated margin, and the better the 3-point conversion rate...the better the proven chances of winning.  Each of these play an important role in the regular season, but collectively greatly impact the post season.

The lesson?

The regular routines are what will get you to the dance, but the focus on the little things are what will get you the "WIN!"

Routine service and strong operations get you to the dance....but the life stage focused solutions, extra service efforts, and value-added products are what get you the win.

Review your process today...score yourself:

• 1-point for having a service measurement program
• 1-point for measuring % of channel usage (branch, ATM, debit card, etc.)
• 2-points for having a marketing dashboard
• 2 points for having monthly "share and compare" meetings
• 3-points for having a Service Champion award
• 3-points for creating an internal "great idea" submission process
• 4-points for having a semi-annual product review process
• 10-points for monitoring 5 mission critical ratios that move your business

If you score 10 or more points, you are on your way to the Sweet 16!

Have fun with March...and let's look forward to a productive 2nd quarter!

Cheers!

Bruce

Welcome....to the future!

Greetings...

The future is here...are you ready for it?

Here is the test:

1. Do you wait to see if something "works" 1st, or do you dive in and test it?
2. Are your plans built with flexibility in mind...or do the plans crumble if things change?
3. Is your communication built on paper or is it alive from person to person?
4. Does your organization anticipate tomorrow or use yesterday as the starting point for today?
5. If you talked with 10 people from across the organization, do they at least have 2 similar ideas on where your organization is heading?

If you were able to answer YES to each of these five questions...congratulations, you are ready to capture the future as one nimble organization!  If you answered YES less than 5 times, you have work to do...but the future is still within your grasp.  The key is to GET MOVING TODAY!

It's Friday...the truest test is that will you make changes necessary to move you forward starting Monday?

Cheers!

Bruce

I have a dream...

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day...

I was born in the same year that Dr. King was assassinated.  I never saw or heard him outside of film clips and audio sound bites.  One thing that I do know is that he personified hope and determination delivered with a reverence and motivation that inspired people to act.

To borrow a quote from Dr. King...I have a dream...

I have a dream that...

• banking resolves its identity problem
• senior executives finally realize the power of marketing
• the customer experience becomes king
• banks and CUs focus their attention to the outside threats to the ENTIRE industry
• margins increase and LLRs decrease

Here's a tip of my hat to Dr. King and a wish for everyone to have a tremendous 2011!

Cheers!

Bruce

2011...

Greetings!

It's here...and quickly accelerating! 

2011.

We planned for it...we celebrated its beginning...and now we must maximize the opportunities.  For our bankers and credit unions marketers, the future is here now.  You have to turn on your energy, focus your team and realize the potential into real opportunity!

So where do you start??  Here are the top 4 ideas...

1. Bring the plan from the shelf to the front line- engage your staff in turning the plan into daily actionable goals, duties and accountabilities
2. Move forward- each day that you wait to launch your plans means one less day to make the results occur
3. Measure- everything! Pre-, Post- and during...to ensure your efforts are focused on the best source for success 
4. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate- the more you share, the more broadly it is shared, the more everyone will be on the same page and in unison forward

2011 means opportunity...are ready to seize your share??


Cheers!
Bruce

The 27th...and counting

Greetings!

Seems like yesterday when we started the countdown to 2010...right after Christmas last year!

Well...the countdown is now on for 2011!  Its the 27th...the calm that arrives after the Christmas rush will quickly dissipate and return to a chaos of the new year.

Enjoy the last few days of 2010, reflect on the year ending and look forward to the year beginning!

Cheers!

Bruce

Think Inside the Box #4

Well...it finally happened.  I am actually inside the box!!

Actually...this is a favorite shot of mine.  Helps me reflect on the importance of staying within our reach.  Don't get me wrong-- staying INSIDE the box does not mean NOT being CREATIVE or expanding ideas!  Quite to the contrary...it is ALL ABOUT being creative--and realizing that you have a lot of what you need close at hand.

However, let's list the top 4 items that you will need to add to what is at hand...for the most complete planning and analysis:

• Customer insights
• Staff insights
• Marketplace insights
• The competitive assessment

These items will help provide the information to fill the gaps of what you know and provide "voice" of the customer in your planning.

Cheers!

Bruce

The world is changing...

I get interviewed a lot... and I love offering my thoughts and comments on all things banking.  One interview I had on Friday was inquiring on Ohio banks and how the majority of them had not yet repaid the TARP money. 

My comment...no incentive to pay it back early, you have to be clearly profitable, and the emphasis on the TARP issue has largely been swept away.

However, in thinking about the larger question, in my mind at least, is what has and what must change in our industry to ensure longevity and success.

Here is my top 5 list...

1. Banker's must adapt to clearly seeing the world from the consumer's perspective and not the banker.  Is your bank ready to put on your "consumer glasses?
2. The customer will choose two options going forward...an online partner and an off-line partner. They could be the same...but they WILL have these...are you ready to be them both?
3. The industry will forever be different in terms of start-ups... denovo's will be a different breed and many will simply buy an institution and work to change it, vs. start new.
4. Regulators will swing back...but it will be a LONG and tiring process...be ready to invest in compliance and legal staff that can help you shorten that curve.
5. The business owner and retail consumer will merge closer than ever and we have to be ready...
   is your focus on meeting both needs?

 Think about each of these five (5) items...kick them around in your head, analyze the impact, think about your institution's readiness...

and then set a meeting within your bank/CU to discuss them.

I think they are game changers...and most certainly HOW we play-the-game-changers!

Cheers...

Bruce Clapp

What is Your Brand?

What is your brand?

Lets put aside for a minute what you SAY your brand is...

What do your customers say your brand is? How do you make business decisions? How does your staff act? How are your products different? How do people FEEL when they do business with you? What do people EXPECT from you?

If you had to say your were like someone, would it be:

: Superior product development and category domination




: Swaddling customers in 5-senses experience

: Consistency and "on every corner" access



: You get what you pay for
(isn't an Escalade really just a pimped out Suburban?!?!)




: Always low prices ... Always!!!

: Our service is so good, we'll even escort you to the bathroom



: Hip but affordable (Almost like going to Europe)



: First to market (real or perceived) - continually reinventing yourself

Your brand isn't just your logo or your tag line. It's not just your beautiful branches and well-mannered staff. Your brand is your total experience. As you prepare for 2011, look in the mirror ... talk to your customers and prospects ... soul search. Are you who you want to be next year?

Want a good hard, objective, look at your brand? Click here!!!

Take care,
Eric

10 and counting...

Greetings and HAPPY MONDAY!

The calendar is making noise this morning...it has started the count down to 2011.  Just like in school, we are in the next "grading period" and have a new chance to make our mark and decide to be great!  We have 10 weeks left in the year...

So, I thought I would share my TOP 10 To-Do's for the remaining 10 weeks...

10.   Finish your 2011 plan...with a unique addition of your Jump Start plan for the 1st 90 days of 2011
9.     Share you budget wrapped in an ROI evaluation for the entire year
8.     Make social media an important component of your 2011 plans...in ways that fit your organization
7.     Consider branch level marketing plans...that include a "budget" for local initiatives...that puts the planning and decision in the hands of the local manager and relieves you on saying no...they budget it!
6.     Make sure your sales support mirrors your marketing planning
5.     Strategically analyze one product line for the coming year
4.     Create one new internal communication process...there can never be too much communication!
3.     Create one new "thank you" process for staff
2.     Determine the best marketing investment you made this year...and consider doubling it next year!
1.     Get your shopping done early!!

Here's to a great 2011...

"Whether you think you can or you cannot...you are right!"

Cheers!

Bruce

Planning Session In A Box

Sometimes, the best thing you can do in a planning session is ask questions. Here are a few to help focus your next planning session:

Organizational Effectiveness

Strategic planning - in what direction are consumer trends driving your business? Where should you invest your marketing dollars? How can you leverage your results?

Targeting - what lifestyle characteristics define the consumer groups you want to/should target? What new groups are the best opportunities? Are you aware of your highest impact customers?

Marketing communications - what marketing messages resonate strongest with your target consumers? Is your marketing proven, fresh, and creative? How can you minimize disconnects?

Branding - is your brand an intersection of quality product and a quality experience in obtaining your product? Has your brand been consistently applied through logo, service philosophy, service delivery, and emphasis on meeting the customers’ needs?

Channels - what is the best way to communicate with your consumers? What channels work best?

Relationship Depth

New product/service development - what lifestyle need can your new product or service fulfill? What new products are opportunities? What does your market demand?

Product/service redesign - what changes in consumer lifestyles impact your product or service? How should you change your offerings?

Positioning - what lifestyle do you need to satisfy that competitors do not? How do you communicate your superiority? Does your marketing message present a clear, sustainable difference?

Revenue Generation

Sales – what is your sales process? How do customers respond? Are service and sales the true focus? Does your staff sell all the time, to each customer, at each branch? Are you coaching?

Pricing - what are consumers’ attitudes about price, value, quality? How do they feel about spending and saving their money? What price should you set?

Brand loyalty - how do consumers perceive the role of brand in the shopping process? How can you encourage strong brand loyalty? What programs work?

Leverage Market Position

Market share - what do consumer trends suggest about the future of your business? How can this help you create a sustainable competitive advantage over your competitors?

Community Involvement – is your institution known as a community leader? Are you positioned in the community to be a part of major opportunities?

Competition – are you, your marketing team, branch personnel, and operations aware of the competition’s products/services and their clear advantages? Can you identify the opportunities?

Need more help in your planning session or getting any of these questions answered? Call us ... 866-501-2233, ext. 106

Take care,

Eric

No New Year's Resolutions!

Yesterday I wrote about the importance of planning before your planning sessions. Today I'd like to share with you a huge concern based on what I've been hearing bank and credit union marketers tell me from all over the country.

"Yes, we need to grow. Yes, we need to be more active in our market places. Yes, we need help ... but ...

A) ...we want to wait until after our planning session," and/or

B) ...we simply don't have the budget this year. Call us in January."

The concern?

If you start today, you'll need to:

• Analyze the situation (see yesterday's blog)
• Set goals
• Review and prioritize recommendations
• Gain internal approvals
• Create segmentation strategies
• Implement sales processes & training
• Reprice
• Repackage
• Produce external communications
• Launch strategic programs

If all goes well, you're likely 60-120 days from today until launch - based on where you are in the list above. You can then plan on another 30-60 days from launch until you experience real results.

So, what's the concern again? You need to grow. You need to take advantage of a current consumer propensity to move money from "big banks" to community-sized financial institutions. If you wait, 2011 will be half gone before you see results.

Don't loose potential revenue ... seize the day!

What if you had a marketing partner that guaranteed a 100%+ ROI? What if they started helping you today and didn't invoice you until 2011? Would that help you to "Carpe Diem?"

Jumpstart 2011

OK...

So here we are in the 2nd week of August, half way through the 3rd quarter and you are looking at your budget. You have been focused, thrifty and bent on ensuring an ROI...but it is still...

G-O-N-E !!

Where did it go?  What do you do now? You still have the 4th quarter to go and you need to make sure you hit the ground running in 2011, as it will be the year for growth and coming out of this recession thing at full speed.

That's where you need a jump start.

MarketMatch is here for you...

We know that planning takes time and you need planning to ensure your ROI is the best possible, that your targeting is fool-proof and that your team is ready.

Give me a ring and find out about our 2011 jump start opportunity....it might be JUST what you were looking for and a way to "kill two birds with one stone!"

Cheers...

Bruce Clapp