Articles

Here’s a collection of information-packed, research-based articles we invite you to read and share.

Digital Technology Trends in Banking 2020-2025

March 11, 2020 Banking magazines Banking NY (Jan/Feb 2020), Banking Mid-Atlantic States (Issue 1 2020), and Banking New England (3/11/20) have published Clarity President Nick Miller’s article, Digital Technology Trends in Banking 2020-2025. He points to three trends that will be prominent in the banking industry: Digital transformation, including digital marketing, payments, analytics, voice recognition, … Read more »

Strategies to Nurture Professional Relationships

Eight strategies for developing and retaining professional relationships. Make “relationships” a priority. If relationships are important, make them a priority.  We’re busy. We have plenty to do.  Typically, unless there is a major problem or conflict, relationships won’t logically show up as an urgent item on our to-do lists. If relationships really are important, invest … Read more »

Branches As Advice Centers – the long road ahead

October 7, 2019 The Financial Brand has republished an article co-authored by Nick Miller and David Kerstein, issues retail bankers should consider as they’re thinking about the role of their branches as centers of advice. Read more »

New Article – “How Banks and Credit Unions Can Adapt Their Branches As ‘Advice’ Centers”

Published on The Financial Brand http://bit.ly/2mebmoN . Co-authored with David Kerstein from Peak Consulting Group, we offer critical steps to focus, train, and support branch team members so that that they are better able to offer perspective and advice on the financial challenges their customers face. Read more »

Branch Transformation – The Road Map for Implementing Universal Banker Models

July 26, 2018    The transition to Universal Banker models involves more than cross-training branch staff on branch operations, bestowing new titles, and paying higher salaries in the hope of achieving greater branch sales success.   Clarity President, Nick Miller, joined Peak Performance Group President, David Kerstein, and Director, Ric Carey, on a Peak Performance Group … Read more »

Branch Manager Small Business Capabilities

January 4, 2018  An $11 billion regional bank has retained Clarity to provide small business training to its branch managers. The training will be conducted in several phases during the 2018 calendar year.  The bank will deploy Clarity’s “Talking Business with Small Business” program to provide foundational financial and conversation skills.  Clarity will then provide … Read more »

Loan Officer Development

December  10, 2017  Clarity is pleased to announce that the firm has been retained by a $12 billion regional bank to assess the company’s sales culture across multiple locations, to recommend strategies for further developing mid-career and senior lenders’ skills and capabilities, and to recommend an approach to transitioning senior credit analysts into junior lender … Read more »

Aligning Commercial Credit with the Line

September 25, 2017 – Clarity President, Nick Miller, spoke today at the Sageworks 2017 Risk Management Summit.  During his presentation, “Transforming ‘Lenders’ into ‘Bankers and Advisors’”, Miller spoke about challenges of aligning the credit policy and underwriting teams  with line bankers and provided a six-element framework for increasing the alignment and the value provided to … Read more »

Is Your Bank CFPB/OCC’s Next Sales Practices Target? Part 1: Stop “Selling”

[April 20, 2017] Waiting for the knock on your door? Our first check point in evaluating our clients’ consumer and small business sales practices is context: “What is the bank’s philosophy?” Read more »

Wells Fargo Timing: Symptom of Broader Failure

[April 18, 2017] The timing of the Wells Fargo case is symptomatic of a broader failure. The general theory about “why this happened” is that branch incentive programs were wrong (widget-based) and that sales managers were far too aggressive in pushing sales staff to sell more. All true, well documented. However: People tend to “go … Read more »

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