With 6 weeks to go in the year, here are 10 things bankers can do to lay the groundwork for a fast start in 2017:
1. Don’t stop scheduling appointments. If you have clients and prospects who are too busy to meet before year end, get them on the calendar in January. It will be harder to fill your calendar if you wait until after New Year’s.
2. Be nice to your customers, particularly the 10% who probably represent 80% of your profit. Tell them how much you value their business. Schedule time to meet with them (see #1).
3. Show your (short) prospect lists to the VIPs in your network to get introductions and testimonial referrals, starting with some of the satisfied clients referenced in #2.
4. If you haven’t done it recently, review your customers’ accounts receivable and accounts payable lists. They could be great additions to your prospect list (and remember to ask for nice introductions from your customers too!)
5. Ask customers about their capital expenditure plans for the coming year. You might actually find a loan opportunity you didn’t know about.
6. Update relationship plans for your Key and High Potential clients—those could be your best opportunities in 2017. (Cross-selling starts with a plan, not a prayer.)
7. Know what your objectives are at each holiday networking event you attend—and it better include some combination of checking the pulse of current customers, planting seeds with COIs, and meeting new people (prospects, potential COIs, etc.)
8. Think about revising your personal marketing plan. Does your LinkedIn profile need a facelift? Do you need to get more testimonials from happy customers? How about joining a trade association or two to penetrate a niche that you’re targeting?
9. Figure out how to better leverage Senior Managers and product partners in the coming year. It could start with enlisting their support in crafting strategies for some of your key prospects.
10. Discuss with your boss what specific areas you need to focus on in 2017 to improve your selling skills and business acumen. Options could include: signing up for a course; reading business publications like INC. Magazine, Fortune and any others that help you better understand the day-to-day challenges of your customers and prospects; spending more time with product specialists in your bank (e.g. Wealth Management, Treasury Management, Capital Markets); and delving into one or more industries that hold particular promise.
Bonus tip: Remember the important personal stuff. Spend quality time with loved ones of all ages. Go to the gym, don’t talk about it. Reflect. Count your blessings.
Special Complimentary Webinar: The climate for banking has changed dramatically over the last decade. How do you differentiate yourself from other bankers when everyone is selling the same products? For insights into what the best Relationship Managers are doing to stand out from the competition check out Ned Miller’s recent webinar sponsored by VerticalIQ on the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Relationship Managers
