In the past, a good economy covered up mistakes. It has since been revealed that maybe we weren’t as strong as we thought we were, and maybe customers were walking into our banks simply because it was easy to seek convenience.

“Because we’re here” probably won’t work very well as a strategy going forward even though “convenience” had, for many years, been the number one driving criteria of how someone chose their bank.

Instead, you have to better identify your next most-profitable new customers, and then figure out a process guaranteed to create an 85% to 90% close rate.

Then for the even-harder part—you have to make sure your people are executing it.

How to Get Ahead

You have a great opportunity to come out ahead during these disruptive times. Many bankers will go into their reptilian brain processes, whereby they’ll go into fear. They’ll shut down. They’ll cut expenses.

Alternatively, it is those banks that “lean in,” like in every industry during a recession, that come out ahead.

The good news is—you get to choose.