If you’re feeling trapped in rate competition, you’re in “Commodity Hell”… and it’s not a fun place.

When your customers and prospects view you as no different than the bank down the street, you create a situation where retaining customers and attracting new ones is beyond difficult.

The first reaction is to blame the customers. You’ve heard it at banking conventions before. Someone will complain, “Customers don’t care about relationships anymore. It’s all about rates and fees.”

That’s backward thinking.

Yes, it is all about rates and fees if you don’t give the customer any other good reason to use in making their decision.

Notice the change…

It’s up to you to provide them with a good reason to choose you.

I know you’re thinking, “But we do give them reasons to do business with us. When you come to our bank, we have a friendly, service-focused staff.”

That’s great, but it’s not any different than what every other bank is saying. If you want different pricing — premium pricing, you have to be delivering premium value far beyond what your competition does.

Never let the words, “We have good people” or “We have good service” be uttered by your people again as a reason for your premium pricing. You must be able to prove you are worth at least 150 basis points more on the loan side and at least 25 on the deposit side.

And that is the new game of banking.