Department vs. Culture

As a passionate bank marketer, I believe that one of our primary career goals should be to shift the mindset of the bank from having a "marketing department" to having a "marketing philosophy."

Departments are great for WalMart, Target and even JC Penney. But is a department good enough for Nordstrom? When you ask for help in many department stores, you receive directions to the "department" that can help you. At Nordstrom, if you are in the shoe department and ask for help with a neck tie, not only do they walk you over to the tie department, they stay with you until a neck tie specialist is available to help you.

So how on earth does this relate to banking and marketing? You know your institution has embraced the marketing philosophy when you hear your teammates using works like "we," "us," and "our" as opposed to "they," "them" and "their." When staff members begin to think of the bank as one cohesive team and realize that the only objective is to serve the customer, great things will happen. There will be no more "that's not my department." And rarely will you hear "you have to see someone in that department to do what you are asking of me." Sales will be less of a job requirement and more of a natural instinct.

Your role as a marketer is to be an agent of change. With a constantly shifting economy and customer base, a marketer has to set the tone and lead the charge. So how do you do this? For some of you it will be a challenge, but for others, it will be second nature.

According to Nick Vaglio and Bruce Clapp, in their book, "Shift Happens: The New Age of Bank Marketing" there are four elements to becoming an agent of change:
1. Engaging
2. Listening
3. Empowering
4. Communicating

Our next several blogs will help you embrace these elements, be an agent of change, and witness your staff shift their mindset from the perception of having a marketing department to the reality of having a marketing philosophy.

And don't worry...several blogs does not necessarily translate into several weeks. Today is Wednesday, look for more on Friday!

Do something extraordinary today!
Jenna