Sick of being called a deceitful banker? Here’s how to fight back
As a generation Y corporate banker, I am acutely aware that we live in a world where banks and their bankers are largely perceived to be deceitful and untrustworthy. I can’t make it through a client conversation, let alone a family gathering, without a snide comment thrown in about the latest banking scandal or sky-high bank profits (which, by the way, the general employee doesn’t actually see much of, ever).
It’s a dilemma that I face daily and which directly affects my livelihood. So, in the spirit of celebrating words that start with C (think the five Cs of credit and the three Cs of the latest US presidential debate), I’d like to share the three that reflect my own personal effort to regain the trust of our valued customers.
1) Care
Recently, ad campaigns for banks have all focused on the concept of customer care and it seems to work: NAB has gone from zero to hero in the business banking ranks in Australia.
First of all, ask yourself if you really care about your clients, and if you do, show it. Caring means getting to know your customers on all sorts of levels, whether it is professionally or personally. Think creatively: perhaps skip the standard client outing to a sports event and suggest a trip to an art exhibition showing paintings of your client’s hometown. A concert with live performances by fellow colleagues actually worked wonders at my current company. Show your customers that you care about who they are, as well as what they do, and it might just earn you an extra business opportunity and a trusting relationship.
2) Collaboration
These days, the buzzword “collaboration” seems to have replaced its aged cousin “teamwork” in the workplace – and rightly so. Writer Howard Rheingold refers to collaboration as an “outgrowth of our natural human instincts to work as a group”. This theory should extend to how we engineer relationships with both our colleagues and our clients. Making the most of internal online communities and messaging systems, creating powerful social groups to discuss industry trends, and encouraging joint client meetings can all foster a much more positive and sustainable business, as well as keep your customers (and employees) happy.
3) Conscience
The happiest relationship bankers I have worked with are the ones who act honourably and who truly aim to do their best by their customers. I won’t deny that this can be a tough balancing act, especially if you’re constantly working to the drumbeat of performance targets in a particularly difficult market. But if you aim to follow these principles every day – at your desk, on the phone. or at your client’s office – your customers, career, and conscience will thank you for it.
The author is an Australian corporate banker. The views expressed are his own and not those of eFinancialCareers.
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