Professional's Guide to Financial Services Marketing

The Professional's Guide to Financial Services Marketing is
directed to any financial services professional-from
individual representatives to executives of large financial
services companies-who is looking for better ways to create
the relevant marketplace differentiation and competitive advantage
needed to increase productivity and profitability. The purpose of
this book is not to provide a how-to manual, but rather to offer
practical information, examples, and thought-provoking tips that
provide ideas and insights that will enable financial services
professionals to improve their own marketing approaches and achieve
ambitious marketing goals. With examples drawn from basic marketing
approaches and successful consumer marketing, this book provides a
fresh perspective on a variety of marketing issues that can make a
significant difference to corporate success.

Auteur
JAY NAGDEMAN is President of Suasion Resources, Inc., a specialized organization that provides marketing consulting services exclusively to clients in the financial services industry. Mr. Nagdeman has held successive positions as director of investment research, director of investment management and director of marketing for major investment organizations. For many years, he was a contributing editor to Barron's. For more information, visit www.financialservicesmarketingbook.com

Résumé
The Professional's Guide to Financial Services Marketing is directed to any financial services professionalfrom individual representatives to executives of large financial services companieswho is looking for better ways to create the relevant marketplace differentiation and competitive advantage needed to increase productivity and profitability. The purpose of this book is not to provide a how-to manual, but rather to offer practical information, examples, and thought-provoking tips that provide ideas and insights that will enable financial services professionals to improve their own marketing approaches and achieve ambitious marketing goals. With examples drawn from basic marketing approaches and successful consumer marketing, this book provides a fresh perspective on a variety of marketing issues that can make a significant difference to corporate success.

Contenu

Preface xv

Foreword

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same xvii
by Ken Dolan

Introduction xxi
The Professional's Guide to Financial Services Marketing offers a different perspective on some basic marketing approaches and explores marketing concepts that are often overlooked by financial services practitioners.

I Creating an Extraordinarily Effective Marketing Organization 1

1 Getting Started 3
Marketing is integral to almost every activity that takes place both before and after the sale is made. Therefore, it is important to recognize the differences between sales and marketing, as well as those between marketing strategy and marketing tactics.

2 A Marketing Pop Quiz 7
To keep pace in today's highly competitive financial services environment, firms must abandon the status quo and transform their organizations.

3 A Marketing Compass 11
The most successful financial firms will be those who become early adopters of sophisticated marketing approaches.

4 Seeking the Outstanding Marketing Director 15
As a voice of opportunity and the champion of the unconventional, the marketing director's position has grown in corporate importance and stature.

II Strategic Planning 19

5 Strategic Strategy 21
Properly conceived and executed, marketing strategy can provide the framework that can help an organization focus its organizational capabilities, talent and energy on those initiatives that will create competitive advantage.

6 The Starting Point 25
A clear business definition facilitates the planning process by guiding corporate decisions concerning target markets, product offerings and appropriate marketing activities.

7 You Can Plan on It 29
The marketing planning process provides an organization with the opportunity to set goals and plot a course that will help it achieve a differentiated market leadership position.

8 The Best Laid Plans 33
A well-crafted marketing plan can serve as a roadmap for management's efforts to favorably position the organization and its product/service offerings.

9 A Mission Possible 37
''What businesses are we in?'' How management answers this question can have a significant impact on the company's ultimate success.

10 What's the Big Idea? 41
Every now and then a major marketing idea comes along that revolutionizes the way that marketers approach their craft. The most influential have a significant impact that lasts for decades.

11 New and Improved 45
Success, in the form of rapid growth and high margins, comes most often to those organizations that understand the value of innovation and look beyond current competitive practices.

12 In the Beginning 49
A knowledge and understanding of common product launch pitfalls can help marketers prevent financial product and service failures.

13 I Have an Idea 53
Financial services organizations are increasingly dependent on creative marketing ideas to achieve visibility and competitive differentiation in a cluttered marketplace.

14 Become a Marketing Hero 57
It's not difficult to be a marketing hero when offerings are well received in the marketplace. The real challenge for most marketers is to find a way to ''save the day'' when there is a difficult sales situation.

III Tactical Implementation 61

15 Brand Aid 63
A strong brand communicates a corporate value proposition that helps a company create relevant marketplace differentiation and competitive advantage. It can also help to significantly accelerate the sales process.

16 Branding: Step One 67
Naming is the important first step in the branding process. The right name can play an important role in creating a strong emotional connection with the target market.

17 Write Right 71
Hard-working copy should get attention, relate to the target market, intrigue the reader, focus on the product or services' superiority, create a desire and provide a call to action. **18 The Color of Marketing 75&lt...