CEO at Texas bank writes a book of financial advice to business customers.

• Position: MARKETING NEWS - Chief executive officers

WHEN LOAN MONEY IS TIGHT, how can a bank best position itself as a trusted adviser to its customers?

One answer found by Greg Morse, founder and CEO of Worthington National Bank (assets $178 million), Arlington, Texas, is to write a book about the best way for a small-business to approach a bank and win loan approval.

The book, entitled "Getting to 'Yes' with Your Banker: A Practical Guide for Small Business Owners," was co-authored with Ron Sturgeon, a commercial property developer and entrepreneur.

The pair says that the sometimes humorous guide book is intended to give practical help for businesses about how to obtain bank financing.

Morse got the idea after noticing last year that businesses were struggling with money. He figured that it would be a good time to write a guide that would help businesses to get back on their feet and continue to grow, despite a down economy.

"I wanted to give pointers on how to approach a bank the right way, a way to get a banker to listen and not turn them away instantly." He says he also want to spell out "do's" and "don'ts" by giving examples from his experiences with businesses that came to him in the past.

"I've seen a lot of companies that had big dreams, which are great, but they didn't have any plans to back up that dream. It's great to have a dream, but not great if you don't have a plan on how to get there. A dream on paper is not a true dream," he notes. They need to also know why they need money, he adds (i.e., are they underfinanced, low receivables, etc.).

Morse says Sturgeon was the perfect co-author since he has had a...