Many organizations are looking to implement a best practice referred to as onboarding. Today’s topic will address the importance of implementing an effective onboarding strategy because when done right, organizations experience an increase in cross-selling and customer loyalty and retention.

For many years, financial institutions have believed that there is a “stickiness” that makes it difficult for business relationships with loans, a checking account and other products to switch to another institution. Today’s constricted credit environment and tougher credit standards have created a sense of uncertainty for even the best business borrowers, who now are more willing to consider other options. The imperative to build and maintain strong commercial relationships has never been greater. Financial institutions that are able to do so are taking quality relationships from weaker competitors. What is your institution doing about it?

With only 21 percent of prospects being converted into customers, according to recent research, it is more important than ever for salespeople to include key questions on their pre-call plans to make sure they involve Decision Makers in the sales process.

A new cottage industry is rising from the ashes of the credit crisis, exemplified by a company called “You Walk Away” that helps borrowers in foreclosure by finding flaws in their mortgage documents. These flaws make it difficult or even impossible for the lender to collect or liquidate the collateral; and the borrower walks away. Accurate and complete loan documentation has always been important, but in this environment it is critical to the lender’s ability to collect. How well do your loan documents protect your

bank’s interests? This podcast exposes the loopholes and provides advice you can use.

It’s no secret—with a downward economy come layoffs, cutbacks, and downsizing. While this provides critical relief to the bottom line in the short-term, research indicates that cutting back on your organization’s training function could impact your organization’s competitiveness in the long-term. How can you keep your global competitive edge despite these inevitable challenges? Listen to the podcast to learn more about current trends in training that have been prompted by the economic slump and ideas for how your L&D function can help your organization pull through it, and even become stronger.

This year we are finally seeing evidence that the global financial crisis has impacted commercial and industrial lending (C&I loans). Recent data points to a declining trend in the volume of new C&I loans originated. Aside from the obvious concern about credit quality in the C&I portfolio, commercial institutions are now challenged with saving and winning commercial relationships in a world where credit is no longer king.

As organizations look to increase wallet share and deepen customer relationships to ensure loyalty, employees and managers at all levels must identify customer needs quickly and accurately, and match them with appropriate solutions. The ability to recall product features and benefits in the context of customer needs is critical to achieving the business results organizations need. The challenge is reaching product mastery when time is limited and business initiatives are underway.

The smallest components of the global economy, individuals and small businesses, are crucial to the health of the financial system. As the current economic stresses and credit constraints impact larger numbers of small businesses, financial institutions must address opportunities to preserve quality relationships, grow (selectively), and proactively manage risk in this vital market segment.

How do banks address the skill and knowledge causes of the lending crisis to achieve business results? Look for effective elearning solutions to solve the problem.

Small businesses are among the groups being hardest hit by the current credit crunch—partly because so many small businesses depend on the owner’s home equity as their collateral for their loans, and partly because lenders aren’t yet prepared to change course and perform their analysis a different way. Instead of cutting off the flow of small business loans, it’s time for lender to rethink their risk assessment criteria. Small business lending is far from dead—instead, it could well be an effective newgrowth strategy to boost sales during a time of credit stress