Has your get up and go...gone?

Do you feel like your get-up-and-go, has got up and gone? Then a little lesson on positivity may come in handy.

Life in the fast lane can take its toll on anyone! People are turning to helpings of positivity to give them inspiration to face everyday.

Where do you draw positivity? Read a positive article, inspirational quote, or a spiritual passage. Visualize something that makes you happy, your smiling child, a deep belly laugh, or a funny story. As you notice one positive action you will begin to experience more positivity around you. As you become more positive you will be amazed at what starts to happen around you.

Have you ever watched a fish come to the surface on a still pond? It surfaces and sends ripple after ripple across the water. What if you were to do that? Do something positive, something good in your "still" day and watch the good of your deep ripple over and over. Your good deed, good attitude will become contagious. Contagious with something that someone will want to catch.

Positive actions matter!

Make it a great Friday. Enjoy your weekend and until we talk again.

Debbi

Make it personal...

I think its pretty cool when I get something in the mail that has a message specific to me. For example, a reminder oil change postcard; It has a picture of the kind of car I have, an image of a family that is similar to mine in demographics, a little map of the closest oil change facility to me, a personalized greeting using my name, and to top that off, a website I can visit to set up an appointment. But wait a minute… How do they know all of this information and how did they make this postcard speak specifically to me? Its easy… its called Variable Data Printing (VDP) or more broadly known as Variable Marketing.

Pretend you are just an average consumer with no marketing background, no idea how data works, no knowledge of print processes or mailings and never heard of variable marketing. When you receive this type of material in your mailbox you would think, “Man! - I feel kind of privileged…this postcard was printed specifically for me, has a detailed message specifically to me and it gives me an address to visit a webpage designed specifically for me. I must be their most important customer.”

That's what they want you to think…that is the beauty of variable marketing. It’s powerful stuff.

Variable marketing can vary from a postcard/letter, personalized URLs (PURLs), email campaigns, or even a text message. It all really depends on the campaign budget and the amount of information (data) you have for the target audience (which can literally be whittled down to what brand of dog food a household uses and where they bought it).

In this day and age with all of the cutthroat competition out there we want our members and customers to feel important. They need to feel like they mean something to us, and they do. It all plays a part in customer retention, making that relationship stronger, more trustworthy and building a confidence that no matter what happens in your life, we're here for you. A happy birthday mailing, a welcome to the neighborhood message, the possibilities, messages and creativity are endless.

For more information on using variable data, setting up any kind of mailing or just questions about how personal you can make it, give us a call.

What if...?

What Do You Like To Do?

Last weekend I presented at the Texas Credit Union League's Leadership Conference and met some great people.

On Friday night, I met and went out to dinner with two of the brightest young minds in the credit union movement (and one of the most connected League people you'll ever meet!) and had some of the best pizza I can remember having. While we were chatting it up and getting to know each other, Brent Dixon asked me a simple question,

"I know what you do, but what do you LIKE to do?"

I went blank!

I know that I CAN do anything that the marketing role demands ... strategy, branding, creative, analysis, sales process development, you name it. But what the heck to I like to do ... what am I BEST at?

It took a few days to soul search and it comes down to 2 simple words: What if...?

My gift in financial marketing is problem solving ... in finding the least traveled but most direct road to any solution and around any problem. And it all starts with asking What if...?

• What if we focus on the customer's lifestyle needs, rather than our product features?
• What if we made banking fun?
• What if we measured the customer's mood when they walk in and walk out of our branches ... and improved it?!?!

"What if...?" can be your key to differentiation. "What if..."" could be the two most important words you ask in your planning sessions this Fall.

What if ... you attended a free webinar on differentiation this Friday? Click here to learn more.

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Take care,

Eric

What’s the Internet Saying About You?

It’s no surprise that one of the first places consumers go to get information about your financial institution is an Internet search engine, but do you know what they are finding?

If you haven’t searched your financial institution in awhile, it's time. Searching your financial institution on Google, Yahoo, Bing and other popular search engines should be a regular step in managing your reputation. Also, it's important to search more than just the name of your financial institution. Keep in mind that when consumers are searching your financial institution, they’ll poke around for information on your services, locations, staff, and even complaints.

When searching your financial institution, it's the first page of results that's most important. Click each link on the first page to understand how your financial institution is being presented on the web. Results will vary:

• If you find only your website and great praise… congratulations and keep up the good work! 


• If you find only your company website… expand your presence by submitting press releases or getting your social media noticed.
• If you find negative comments… do something about it. 
If possible, take it down or move the negative content down the list by adding positive content. 

• If you don’t find your bank… look into Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which can get your financial institution to the top of the list.

You can also take it one step further and set up your search as an alert. A search engine alert will send you automatic updates and keep you informed of current search results about your financial institution.

Best,

Jamie

Monday, Monday...

Its Monday... normally, that word brings dreaded feelings to a lot of people. Work starts, the schedule resumes, early mornings arrive...

However, would our Friday's be as sweet without Mondays?  Would the weekends be as restful and relaxing with no Monday?  I think it helps to sometimes touch the four corners of our world (with Monday being one!) to really know how big and exciting our world really is!

Think about your customers/members, too, in this way.  Have they been with you a while and maybe have not had the excellent new account experience for a while, been wowed by the speed of your loan approval process, seen the care and attention of problem resolution? Sometimes, we have to remind our customers of "why" they selected us...and NEVER let it go stale!

Reach out, call out, invite them in...whatever it takes, but reintroduce the bank to them and remind each customer of "why" they chose you above every other option in the marketplace!

Its about ensuring that the normal days don't feel less than important...that the customer feels that important, connected feeling.

How?

A million ways....but the best starting point is with the customer in front of you or in front of your staff.  Of course, we can help develop a communication program and outreach that helps guide a concerted, connected, consistent program...but simply start somewhere...TODAY!

Cheers!

Bruce

"B" Successful Today and Tomorrow

Do you ever wonder what makes someone successful? Here are 5 qualities that I often see in successful people.

1. Be smart - know what you need to do and get it done. Put the time in to complete the project, meet the deadline and your work will show your effort.

2. Be responsible - be trustworthy. Keep your obligations, stand for what you believe in, know when to apologize. You will become a confidant for those around you.

3. Be positive - look on the bright side. Find the positive in every situation. Before you know it your attitude will begin to rub off on others.

4. Be pro-active - make things happen. Know the facts and be willing to take the first step. Others will start to look to you when decisions need to be made.

5. Be kind - to everyone. It doesn't matter if they are in the mailroom, the call center or the corner office. You will need their help at some point.

Find your purpose in life. Once you have found that purpose you can work towards fulfilling it. This is something that sets successful people apart.

Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it. - Author Unknown

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Turn back time!

Often as a “creative type” I am asked where I come up with ideas. Well that is an easy one to answer...Everywhere.

Inspiration comes from all over the place, the things we see, the things we hear, heck, even the things we smell. Inspiration may also come from deep within you. You may find it has been there the whole time. You just need to turn back time and think back to being a toddler. Ok I know if you are anything like me, you can’t think back 2 weeks ago, but try anyway. A toddler is oozing with imagination, all you need to do is watch them play and remember what its like for inspiration.

Its amazing to think that toddlers are unlimited in their thought process. Take an empty cardboard box for example, they’re not limited by what’s been done before with that box – they just look at the possibilities on how they can play with that box. Toddlers have the ability to turn that plain old cardboard box into a fort, an airplane, a mountain, a giant building, a ship, a dollhouse. They can kick it, climb on it, roll around inside of it. They don’t look at what its “actually” made for they look at it with a completely open mind. They ask themselves what could I do with this? What could this be used for? And they are not afraid to try it out and see if their ideas work.

Since we were all toddlers once, we’ve all got the potential to see all those possibilities and reignite that inspiration and imagination again. As always, if you need a hand turning that cardboard box into a spaceship give us a call.

Until next time,

Jeremy