Pub 10 2021 Issue 2

24 Tri-State Marketing and HR Conference N early one hundred Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri bankers came together virtually on March 18 and 19 to enhance their marketing and management skills. The Tri-State Marketing and HR Conference, a partnership between the Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri Bankers Associations, featured a top-notch line-up of speakers that challenged participants to bring their best every day while making time to create a fun and collaborative workplace. Sean Payant, Chief Consulting Officer at Haberfeld, started the day with his message, “Getting in the Game.” As an industry, we spend vast amounts of money, not to mention time and internal resources, to promote our institutions — to get people to choose us. We brand and we market. The marketing professional’s role is to get consumers — the team captains — to pick our financial institution first. For this to be most effective, however, there must be alignment between marketing and execution. Building true alignment between marketing and execution depends on four factors: product knowledge, customer service, accountability and incentives. Next up was Rachel Harden, Public Relations Specialist at Bajillion Agency in Topeka, Kansas, who shared her vision for retaining and recruiting employees. She pointed out why marketing to current and future team members is just as important as marketing to new customers. Rachel showed the meaningfulness of working for your company and the ways people make an impact in their job. She explained how key messages, logos, values, visuals, and more are brand tools that help your employees feel connected and invested in their work. Neal Reynolds with banbkmarketingcenter.com took center stage next with his presentation, “Bananas, Baking Soda and Bank Marketing.” What do bananas and baking soda have to do with bank marketing? The days of growing banks and businesses by growing the number of branches are long past. These days, starting even before the pandemic, customers are putting banks in a challenging position; on the one hand, they want relationships that they can trust, and on the other, they want all of their banking services in the palm of their hand. Day one concluded with a presentation by Joe Micallef with Grow UP Sales. According to Joe, besides checking in on their clients, many bankers struggle to find ways to engage their clients and proactively assist them with their financial challenges. Now is not the time to sell to clients, but you can certainly save them from their financial anxieties. Joe provided Holly Hoffman, CBS Survivor Contestant Naomi Mercer, SVP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, ABA Terri Thomas, EVP- Legal Department Director, KBA Bobby Young, VP-Staff Attorney, KBA Joe Micallef, Sales Strategist & Coach, Grow UP Sales Neal Reynolds, Bankmarketing- center.com Rachel Harden, Public Relations Specialist, Bajillion Agency Sean Payant, Chief Consulting Officer, Haberfeld