In our experience conducting lead generation programs aimed at regional & community banks and credit unions, the fall months (September through November) is an opportune time to engage decision-makers, as they are in the midst of planning and budgeting for next year. However, timing isn’t everything. Here are a few additional things to keep in mind when marketing to this vertical industry:
Regional & Community Banks and Credit Unions,
- Face fierce competition and are under constant pressure to improve service and offer new services.
- Often do not have deep IT resources, yet are still required to meet the same security, compliance and regulatory standards as large financial institutions.
Keys to Success and Lead Quality
- Relevant Messaging for the C-level: In most banks and credit unions, major decisions are going to require C-level approval. In order to truly be heard by this level, the messaging needs to center around business goals. C-Levels pay keen attention to value. When constructing c-level messaging it is vital to position the value that your product or service will add to their company. It important to illustrate points that convey proof of ROI, increase productivity, cutting costs, improve competitive advantage, etc
- Targeting Influencers: Often C-Levels will defer to the VP and Director levels. At this point, it is a wise idea to treat the influencer as a decision maker in an effort to create a champion that will help move the sales process forward.
- Uncovering Valuable Data: Banks and credit unions use a number of vendors to facilitate essential functions (i.e. core processing, card processing, online banking, etc). Since integration requirements can be a key factor in the decision making process, it is often helpful to understand the current vendors in place (and when their contacts expire). Simultaneously, these organizations are always looking for new vendors to improve services and to become more competitive. From a telemarketing perspective, the key is using probing questions to uncover more detail on the initiatives they are the working on now.
For additional information on developing successful lead generation information, check out the following:
Four Must Have Elements to a Successful Lead Generation Telemarketing Campaign
Top 5 Program Considerations for Telemarketing Lead Generation Success