Independent Banker - July 2021 - 22

PORTFOLIO INNOVATION STATION
party, I saw a customer walk into the
lobby, ask to see the head teller and
pull out a statement stuff er he had
received announcing the launch of the
bank's online banking platform. As I
recall, he asked the teller, " What's this
all about? Is this how I will have to do
business going forward? "
Embrace the
digital experience
By Charles Potts, ICBA
ommunity bankers have
recognized the evolution and
acceleration of digital transformation
in their industry, and it's one of the
reasons why ICBA developed its
ThinkTECH Accelerator program
and other innovation initiatives over
the past few years. This heightened
awareness was magnifi ed by the
pandemic and has forever altered
many people's visions of how business
will be done after the pandemic ends.
As community bankers transition
into the new normal, lessons learned
during the pandemic hold tremendous
value. Take, for example, digital
account origination. When opening
accounts online, customers can do a
lot on their own, but they also want to
know they can push the easy button,
if necessary, to put them in direct
contact with a banker or relationship
manager. A digital customer
experience that is frictionless and
C
easy to use is important, but it must
never disintermediate the community
banker from the relationship.
Building on the successes of the
past few years, community bankers
must continue the iterative process,
evaluating and measuring tools
and technologies for continuous
improvement as they consider digital
solutions and the digital customer
experience. Embracing the right
approaches, tools and technologies,
coupled with providing customers
with value in the relationship, are
foundational for success.
Another critical component is
employee engagement. Bringing
every employee into the innovation
conversation early on is essential.
Allow me to share a story to
illustrate this point. When internet
banking was in its infancy, I watched
a bank invest heavily in its online
banking experience. During its kickoff
The teller responded, " Don't worry.
Keep coming to me, and I'll take care
of your needs. "
Yes, it was essential to ensure that
the customer felt comfortable. But
what the teller also did, inadvertently,
was indicate to the customer that the
bank's signifi cant investment in its new
online platform wasn't necessary and
that the customer didn't need to use it.
This anecdote illustrates the
role that employee buy-in, along
with education and eff ective
communication, plays in the
successful rollout and adoption of
digital solutions. It's also why ICBA
places a high priority on providing
high-quality educational tools and
resources for its members.
ICBA recently rolled out its
ThinkTECH Innovation Series,
which focuses on topics related to
fi ntech innovation, including the
digital transformation journey. The
series (icba.org/thinktech) will
help community bankers better
understand where innovation is going,
how to work with fi ntechs and how to
embrace digital transformation.
Consider ICBA your partner and
advocate on the digital transformation
journey. That's why ThinkTECH exists
and why we continually innovate
to introduce new resources as the
industry evolves. 
Charles Potts (charles.potts@icba.
org) is ICBA's senior vice president
and chief innovation off icer
22 Q ICBA Independent Banker Q July 2021
http://www.icba.org/thinktech
Independent Banker - July 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Independent Banker - July 2021
