The right staff: hiring marketing and sales employees who are well matched to their jobs is critical to your bank's success. Here's how BB&T Corp., Winston-Salem, N.C., does it.

• Author: Dreessen, Debra
• Position: Feature

"Hi. I'd like free checking with overdraft protection, a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage at no more than 6 percent APR, a high-yield money market account with no minimum balance, a low-interest credit card with perks and free credit protection, instant term life insurance coverage, and information on your retirement plans. Oh, and normally I'd like to be able to stop in on my way home from work, around 6 p.m., but right now I'm on my lunch break, so can we take care of this pretty quickly?"

The era of simplicity and "bankers hours" is long gone. And the time for one-stop shopping and catering to customers' whims is upon us. In addition to the challenge of trying to balance customer satisfaction with making a profit and keeping your sanity, there also is the marketing need to promote what's special about your bank.

Getting your financial institution's individual message out is not always easy--especially if the people delivering it aren't clear about the message. Or, if they are the wrong individuals for the job.

Who has what it takes?

People who have the greatest potential for success in marketing activities are typically smart, creative and big-picture oriented. They enjoy brainstorming and have a good ability to differentiate their products and services from the competition. But these are just the bare necessities. Several other factors need to be considered before determining if someone has what it takes.

Who is your target audience? What is the culture of your bank? What kinds of products and services will you be offering? What's your goal? Different types of people will be more or less successful depending on these answers. The key is matching the attributes of the person to the responsibilities of the job. Marketing responsibilities vary widely among companies, and to treat "marketing" in a one-size-fits-all manner is a sure way to undermine your efforts. It is important to clarify the image you want to convey and to understand what types of products make the most sense for the kinds of customers you want to attract.

Money, psychologically, means many different things to different customers. As Chuck Gaskin, vice president of workforce development for BB&T, Winston-Salem, N.C., puts it, "It's very personal. We need to have a good solid feel for where people are in their lives. What are their dreams, their financial aspirations, fears, concerns, monetary worries?" The types of products and services you offer need to make sense to customers...