Critical Thinking Series

All financial institutions want to capture organic growth opportunities. Strengthening existing relationships requires efficient communications and collaboration across the banking organization. The "Critical Thinking Series" is designed to enhance communications and collaboration between sales managers, relationship managers, product partners and other customer-contact staff members of your financial institution. This series creates a forum where participants can exchange information, brainstorm about opportunities to improve customer service and identify new products and services that will help the bank's customers be more financially successful. Proactively identifying solutions to customers' business needs requires critical thinking.

Sorry, downloads are available to authorized members of Barlow Research's Middle Market Banking Program only. Please contact John Barlow at 763-253-1812 for more information.

Critical Thinking for Managers Series:  (Download All Six)
Volume 1, No. 1 of 6 - Middle Market Trends
Volume 1, No. 2 of 6 - Middle Market Dynamics
Volume 1, No. 3 of 6 - Relationship Management
Volume 1, No. 4 of 6 - Error Management
Volume 1, No. 5 of 6 - Sales Management
Volume 1, No. 6 of 6 - Time Management

Critical Thinking for Sales Team Series:  (Download All Six)
Volume 1, No. 1 of 6 - Middle Market Trends
Volume 1, No. 2 of 6 - Middle Market Dynamics
Volume 1, No. 3 of 6 - Relationship Management
Volume 1, No. 4 of 6 - Error Management
Volume 1, No. 5 of 6 - Sales Management
Volume 1, No. 6 of 6 - Time Management

Relationship Management Staffing Model (SM)

Barlow Research’s Relationship Management Staffing Model is a tool that can be used by your bank to determine what resources are needed to meet the needs of your customers.  Using our proprietary database of over thirty-thousand syndicated business banking survey responses, from companies in the small business and middle markets, Barlow Research knows what a customer demands in terms of customer service in order to remain satisfied.  This includes the average number of annual visits and telephone calls they should receive from their relationship manager, and their expectations for resolution of errors they experience.  With this normative data, and customizable estimations of the time necessary to complete these tasks, the model will calculate an ideal account load for each banker, and even calculate the total number of bankers needed to service your customer base.

In addition to servicing current customers’ needs, the staffing model is also able to include time spent prospecting for new customers, making it a fully functional Hunter/Skinner model.  Users of this model have the ability to customize nearly every number that affects the calculations to tailor the model to their institution’s situation and needs.  Available through a Web interface or as a stand-alone run-time application in both Small Business and Middle Market versions.

This tool is only available to members of the Middle Market Banking Research Program or to institutions who have subscribed to the Strategy Dashboard.

"Banking in the Middle" Strategy Simulation

Thinking about your institution's strategy for the "Banking in the Middle" ($2.5MM to $25MM) segment? Barlow Research has built a strategy simulation tool to assist our clients with making these difficult decisions at the high-level view. The model is based on nine strategic criteria: objectives, measures of success, reward system, strategy, banker responsibility, lead product, information systems, Internet banking pricing, and segment identifier. Select the options that best describe the strategy your bank is currently using (or considering adopting), and the model will point out possible conflicts or congruencies in your approach so that you, your staff, and most importantly your customers are receiving solid and consistent information.

This tool is only available to members of the Middle Market Banking Research Program. Please contact John Barlow at 763-253-1812 for more information.