Continuing education quiz.

Top 10 Smashing Success Strategies for 2009

by Mary Beth Sullivan and Nancy A. Maas

1. Where there is an economic downturn, this is the time when marketers should:

   [] Cut back on public relations in particular.

   [] Reduce both marketing and communications costs.

   [] Maintain or even increase marketing efforts

   [] Cut marketing, but increase public relations.

2. Effective marketing in 2009 will focus on:

   [] Free gifts.

   [] More appealing rates.

   [] Core brand messages.

   [] Better value for the consumer dollar.

   Tomorrow's 'Super' Institution

   by John Graham

3. Community banks can outperform large commercial banks when they:

   [] Advertise on television.

   [] Spend more than average on marketing.

   [] Are well managed.

   [] Have strong emphasis on customer service.

4. Border Trust's participation with 15 other community banks in a surcharge-free ATM network in Maine is an example of a community bank using what type of approach?

   [] Collaborative.

   [] Multimedia.

   [] Customer-centric.

   [] Sales culture.

   Clarify Your Values

   by Bruce Clapp, CFMP, and Nick Vaglio, CFMP

5. Internal Culture:

   [] Is separate from external culture.

   [] Can be established with a memo.

   [] Has no impact on high performers.

   [] Defines your external culture.

6. An experience audit: [] Can be done once.

   [] Is focused on staff behavior.

   [] Requires constant repetition.

   [] Is targeted at branch issues.

7. The following are all signs that a bank culture is aligned with a positive customer experience EXCEPT for:

   [] It takes four transfers of a customer phone call to receive an answer to a question.

   [] The staff accepts ownership of customer problems and shepherds them through the organization until resolution.

   [] Your communications are clearly tied to your brand promise and constantly reflect and reinforce your mission and goals.

   [] Processes are constantly reviewed for ease of use and customer focus.

   Who's Fighting for Your Brand?

   by Haden Edwards

8. One of the cornerstones of building a...