Independent Banker - March 2019 - 65

6 tips for better
customer connection
shifts, and most are doing something to keep up
with changing demands, to focus on a strategic
customer journey and address all necessary
touchpoints, " Dominguez says.
With this in mind, Nichols advises that
community banks need to have a vision of how they
want to position themselves with their customers.
This means trying to fi gure out what the next 10
years hold for branches, checks, debt and credit
cards, cash and the delivery of banking services, he
says. " Banks then need to invest in their mobile,
web, voice and wearable applications to the same
level as their branches, " Nichols adds.
Bolton echoes this sentiment. " Customers expect
to be able to handle everything at the touch of
the smartphone screen. We must constantly be
analyzing how the services we off er can be improved
to provide that wow service [they've] come to expect
from the Amazons and Zappos of the world. "
However, Bolton adds: " [It's] not always easy
and it can be a frustrating process when most of
the technology surrounding our off erings is not
designed solely for our institution, but is a vendor
service. You are often at the mercy of that vendor for
updates and improvements. "
He points out that it's essential for community
banks that depend on core banking and other
fi nancial technology vendors to clearly voice the
expectations of their customers.
" Change may take a little longer, but requesting
updates that make your customers' user experience
better is one way to provoke product improvement.
Or be willing to change vendors when necessary to
get the type of experience you want your customers
to have, " Bolton says.
" This can be an arduous task no one wants to
tackle, but it's sometimes necessary. Weighing out
the costs versus the needs of your customer and
executing change when it's right is key. "
Karen Epper Hoffman is a writer in Washington state.
Sam Kilmer, senior director of Cornerstone Advisors,
off ers this advice to community bankers who want
to better engage with their customers:
Reorganize around the entire customer buying
process by consolidating sales, marketing and
service, instead of organizing by departments and
product lines.
Rework management accounting and
resource allocations to reflect real production
value instead of traditional profits and losses,
which often treat marketing, contact centers and
information technology as cost centers.
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Deploy strategic delivery plans-aligning
with strategic or tech plans-that may start
with a journey-mapping exercise. When done right,
this can result in visual delivery roadmaps with
milestones, and internal champions and working
groups that bring needed attention to progress.
Switch out sales pitch-oriented collateral with
interactive and compelling information to drive
self-buying. This could be in the form of in-depth
staff training and certification, staff ing smarter
contact center representatives, smarter mobile apps
and websites, financial education, webinars about
cash management, videos or blogs.
Focus on digital marketing and social media,
supplemented with physical outreach to drive
digital, such as enhanced contact centers, bankat-work
programs, trade shows, art exhibits and
other outreach. According to Cornerstone Advisors
research, digital account opening is the leading
technology being replaced right now. About onethird
of community banks are planning to add or
replace this technology.
6
Consider fintech partnerships that off er digital
delivery. Smart banks are holding these new
talents, tool vendors and fintechs accountable to
specific revenue-driving projects instead of treating
them as cost centers.
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