As some of you may know, I played college football in the rough-and-tumble Southeastern Conference. In my part of the world, there are three sports seasons – football season, spring practice and recruiting season.
If you don’t see a connection between college football and the world of banking, think again. Both are big-money concerns. And college football is such a part of the cultural footprint in America that the Super Tuesday presidential primaries are also known as the SEC primaries, not because of the Securities and Exchange Commission, but because Super Tuesday covers the states Southeastern Conference schools call home, like Texas and Alabama.
There are some marketing lessons community banks can learn from the recruiting game, a competition as competitive as the banking or tech sectors. Here are five that spring to mind:
- Be smart when choosing talent. Writing in American Banker, performance consultant executive L.T. “Tom” Hall wrote that successful, performance-driven banks and credit unions make personnel choices based on the right person with the right skill set for the right job, not personalities. Effective, successful college recruiting is not a legacy or good ol’ boy business. You win with solid talent. The same holds for community banking.
- Communicate a clear, consistent message. Sure, it’s marketing/PR 101, but it cannot be said often enough. The minds of teens can be turned at the drop of a hat. Coaches understand that. So it’s vital to keep your brand in front of prospects across the platforms that resonate with those prospects and their families.
- Know and personalize your strengths. And know how to connect with customers. At schools like Alabama and Notre Dame, tradition and recent success are played to the hilt. Paul “Bear” Bryant, Knute Rockne, national championships and Heisman winners are a big part of the appeal. At schools like Auburn and Clemson, tradition is combined with the game day experience. But beyond that, schools have to understand what messages resonate with prospects and their parents. And use the tools at your disposal to communicate your message.
There is a great recruiting story about the recruitment of the great Alabama running back Johnny Musso, who was being fiercely recruited by a number of schools. On a Sunday after Mass, Alabama’s Paul Bryant showed up at the Musso family’s front door.
“Mrs. Musso,” Bryant said, “I’m sorry to come uninvited, but I hear you make the best spaghetti in Birmingham.” A mama’s heart was won over by the legendary coach that Sunday over a steaming plate of pasta. If you win a teenager’s Mom, that’s half the battle. Bryant knew his strengths and knew what would tug the heartstrings of an individual recruit and his family. Bankers need to know their strengths and the needs of individual customers.
- Know the internal and external influences impacting the decision maker. For Johnny Musso, his mother was a huge influence. When marketing your bank or credit union’s products, know the influences that will impact the decision maker. And remember, it’s vital to know exactly who the decision maker is, or to borrow from former President George W. Bush, know the “Decider-In-Chief” and how to connect with that person.
- And last, develop talent. In my previous post, I talked about ways to train your sales team. Continue that training throughout your bank or credit union.
Major college football recruiters – the best ones anyway — understand that every player they bring into the fold on National Signing Day is All-State, or a high school All-America pick. When asked about the strength of his signing class one season, Bryant told the questioner to come back in two to three years. Only then when the boys were juniors or seniors, would he know how good a job his recruiters had done. The lesson? Hire good talent, develop and retain it. That will mean an effective bank or credit union that understands customer service. The effective message of strong recruiting and personnel growth will translate to a bigger market share and a healthy bottom line.
I would love to hear your “All-American” ideas!
