It Is Time to Talk About Personal Branding

And no, I am not talking about the type of tattoo I live in fear that my teenage son may come home sporting one day! I’m talking about your Personal Brand with customers.

Consumer trust in banks is at an all-time low. That fact, combined with the onslaught on banks by the media and social networks over the last year or so, has left front-line bankers feeling battered and bruised by upset and frustrated customers. That’s why I’m convinced it is now more important than ever for front-line bankers to develop their own Personal Brand.

While customers may be upset with the bank, they are not necessarily upset with the banker as an individual. This is where the banker’s Personal Brand comes into play. How do they handle the situation? What does the banker as an individual stand for in terms of helping customers? How do they demonstrate caring?

Bankers who have a Personal Brand and are able to deliver to sometimes angry and frustrated customers have a better chance at overcoming the cynicism and skepticism in today’s market. Remember, customers do not necessarily bank with the name over the door. They bank with the people inside the door.

Your thoughts?

James W. Bywater is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Consulting Solutions for Cohen Brown Management Group, Inc.

Cohen Brown Management Group is the internally recognized leader in sales-and-service cultural and behavioral change, specializing in consulting and training processes for management, front-line, support/customer service units and call centers. Performance Grapevine provides thought leadership insights on sales training, sales management, leadership training, time management, consultative selling, behavior change, organization change, and culture change.

1 Comment

  1. Good point you make here James. I’ve seen companies set up a “special” group of individuals for this very reason. It was created for those clients and/or customers that have had a bad experience or response to an issue they had. This will happen with every company no matter what. This group were selected especially for their kind and gentle vocal tone, understanding and demonstrative ability to communicate with the client and provide an ideal solution both for client and company. Ironically, they called this group the “salvage” dept..and they did just that — salvage an account and open impress their personal brand of attention to keep them…

Leave a reply