by Greta Schulz

Created on: September 25, 2009

Follow the Banker, Not the Bank

My husband, Peter, is a great sport when it comes to making appearances with me at networking functions.

Being a business owner himself, he really does "get" the importance of networking to build a profitable business. Recently, he and I attended a dinner at our local chamber of commerce.

We entered the room and began to make our rounds, greeting all the people we knew and introducing ourselves to the people we didn't. While I was catching up with a former client, I happened to overhear Peter introducing himself to Sam, a business development officer from a local bank.

After the usual name, position, and company information was exchanged, Sam proceeded to ask the question every banker seems to ask: "So, Peter, who do you bank with?"

Peter, without hesitation, answered: "Patti Dent."

"No, no - your bank," he said, looking confused.

"Patti Dent," Peter said again.

"That's not a bank," Sam said, chuckling under his breath.

"I know," Peter replied, "But I bank with Patti Dent. She's who I deal with, she's who I trust and, regardless of what the sign on the building says, she's the person I have confidence in to make sure my finances are taken care of. Don't you think the person and not just the building they are in makes the difference?"

"Well . . . yes" Sam said coyly.

Peter's response makes perfect sense. We've all seen the banks out there, pushing their features and benefits, advertising 0.5 percent under prime, and giving away a free blender when you open a new checking account. Get serious. If a free blender is why you decided to move your millions from Bank A to Bank B, then you need to get your head examined.

Client relationships The same person who opened your account 10 years ago is still managing your account today. She's the one to greet you by name every time you walk through the bank doors, congratulate you on your marriage and help you get a loan to start your new business.

Regardless of how many times the sign on the building has changed, she has stayed the same. We're not married to the brick and mortar. We're married to the person or people we do business with.

How strong are your client relationships? Are your customers getting the impeccable customer service they deserve - or will they switch to your competitor if the price is right?

Best ways

Here are five tips to ensure your connections with your clients are top-notch:

Communicate

Communication isn't raving about your latest discounts, it's listening to what

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