March 18 Sessions

Getting in the Game: Aligning Marketing and Execution
Sean Payant, Chief Consulting Officer, Haberfeld
8:20 to 9:20 a.m.
As an industry, we spend vast amounts of money, not to mention time and internal resources, to promote our institutions — to get people to choose us. We brand, and we market. The role of the marketing professional is to get consumers — the team captains — to pick our financial institution first. For this to be most effective, however, there must be alignment between marketing and execution. Building true alignment between marketing and execution depends on four factors: product knowledge, customer service, accountability and incentives. Join us as we figure out how to keep your financial institution from being left on the sideline.

Using Your Bank’s Brand To Retain and Recruit Employees
Rachel Harden, Public Relations Specialist, Bajillion Agency
9:25 to 10:25 a.m.
Find out why marketing to current and future team members is just as important as marketing to new customers. Retain and recruit employees by maximizing your bank’s brand. Find out how to show the meaningfulness of working for your company and the ways people make an impact in their job. Learn how key messages, logo, values, visuals and more are brand tools that help your employees feel connected and invested in their work. Discover how to maximize position descriptions and live out your core values.

Bananas, Baking Soda and Banking to Bank Marketing
Neal Reynolds, Bankmarketingcenter.com
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
What do bananas and baking soda have to do with bank marketing? I’m glad you asked. The days of growing your bank and your business by growing your number of branches is long past. These days, which started even before the pandemic by the way, customers are putting banks in a challenging position; on one hand, they want relationships that they can trust and on the other, they want all of their banking services in the palm of their hand. Join us in exploring some of the ways that you can build relationships and grow your brand through positioning and messaging. And we’ll do it by taking a trip through your local grocery store!

Engaging Your Clients During Difficult Times
Joe Micallef, Sales Strategist & Coach, Grow UP Sales
11:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
Besides checking in on their clients, many bankers are struggling to find ways to engage their clients and proactively assist them with their financial challenges. Now is not the time to sell to clients, but you can certainly SAVE them from their financial anxieties. Using marketing and sales teams advice, Joe shares how to engage your clients today more confidently and offer tremendous value.
March 19 Sessions

Communicate More Effectively with Your Boss, Staff and Your Customers
Terri Thomas, Executive Vice President – Legal Department Director, Kansas Bankers Association
8:20 to 9:20 a.m.
Today’s financial institutions understand that to compete, they must build and maintain successful team cultures. Unfortunately, pitfalls, if not understood and properly managed, cannot only hinder a financial institution from meeting its goals but can create a negative and even hostile, environment for management, employees, and customers alike. Learn how perception influences our day-to-day interactions with others, as well as how to identify and work with various social styles to establish successful relationships with your coworkers and customers.

HR Hot Topics: 2020
Bobby Young, Vice President-Staff Attorney, Kansas Bankers Association
9:25 to 10:25 a.m.
2020, what a wild and wacky ride! Last year brought interesting changes to human resource management and employment law. This presentation will explore the new and trending HR and employment topics for 2021 as well as explore some lingering concerns from 2020.

DE&I Landscape for Community Banks
Naomi Mercer, SVP, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, American Bankers Association
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and social change movements, a deliberate, effective approach to diversity, equity and inclusion is more of
a business imperative for banks than ever and an important reflection of community commitment. Naomi discusses the role DE&I issues have played in the crises and how banks can refocus on DEI moving forward. Bankers will develop a deeper understanding of DE&I, how to get started or move forward with initiatives in your bank and how to help build a more inclusive future for banking.

Write Yourself a Note
Holly Hoffman, CBS Survivor Contestant
11:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
At the end of the day, unless we make a conscious effort to bring ourselves back to center and refocus, we begin to lose ourselves. However, it is never too late to find your purpose. Holly Hoffman offers encouragement, optimism and a roadmap for self-discovery that inspires you to work toward a successful, fulfilling life for yourself. Discover a simple tool to refocus and reprioritize you. As you “write yourself a note,” you will begin to discover if you are where you want to be. You will encourage yourself to find purpose. No matter what stage of life you are in, we all need purpose. Define your fine. Be confident. Be great. Be you.
For More Information
Contact the MBA Education Department at 573-636-8151 or email.