Book Description

Some bankers feel they do not have to read any book to do their marketing jobs well. They think that all they need to succeed in marketing are flair, ability to network, personal contacts, and entreaty. Doing so, they simply do things that tend to gratify expediency of the marketing situation in which they find themselves. Of course the foregoing views are erroneous. The factors on which the erroneous views hinge relate to, and could be useful in, only certain personal selling assignments. Otherwise, in executing complex marketing tasks, such factors would hardly be relevant. Of the twenty-two chapters of this book, for instance, such factors gained value in only one and a half chapters (see chapters five and twenty-two). This implies that bank marketing transcends the picture of it portrayed by those bankers. Unfortunately, while the erroneous views persist, there are skills gaps in customer service and managing banking relationships. The irony of this situation is that marketing provides structure for, and nourishes, these important functions. In fact, customer service and relationship management are the major building blocks of bank marketing. In writing this book, the author demonstrate the practical issues, lessons, and solutions with which bankers and customers must contend, with suggestions on how to meet their mutual expectations and needs. Enriched with market researches, empirical data, literature reviews, and theoretical analyses, the book underscores the interdependence of knowledge of theory and practice for the success of marketing in banking. Its target market includes practising bankers, business schools and students. The book is divided into five sections, and covers major aspects of bank marketing as follows: Section I: General principles, goals, and tasks Marketing of financial services - an overview Financial services marketing environment Market analysis, segmentation, and targeting Marketing planning - bases, tasks, and issues Calls, prospecting for accounts, and negotiating transactions Marketing and operations duel Section II: Customer service - orientation, Standard, and measures Customer definition, analysis, and service Enthroning ideals of customer service Service orientation and disposition of employees Operations risks, errors, and frauds Section III: Springboard for bank marketing Relationship management strategies, drives and practices Account management goals and responsibilities Liquidity - staving off treasury crisis Section IV: Markets structure, behaviour, and strategies Retail banking and small businesses Consumer banking sector, behaviour, and analysis Commercial banking sector and middle-tier market Corporate banking sector and strategies Government and public sector Section V: Marketing tools, mix, and strategies Product concepts, development and policy Pricing decisions, strategy, and policy Promotional strategies, practices, and influences Distribution and financial services delivery system "Drives and tasks in bank marketing" is certainly an invaluable text for practitioners and students alike."