It’s a new year…filled with opportunity for those who want to do things better than they did the previous year. Here are a few ideas used by the top-performing banks; these activities are ones that are seldom done (or done well) by the majority that trail the stars’ results. The best way to get better results is to implement better practices—ones that are proven to work.

1. Constantly upgrade your service strategy

Last year’s behaviors created last year’s results. Period. If you want better results, you MUST improve your behaviors.

A fluffy strategy that says, “We’ll talk about service quite a bit and do a little mystery shopping” will surely give competitors the chance to eat your lunch.

You must define every standard, have a system for upgrading standards, measure and reward compliance with those standards, and implement a system to radically improve those standards on an ongoing basis.

If you think you’re “too busy” to do this, sell the bank. You’ve lost all perspective and you’re on the path to losing all opportunities to grow and prosper. NOTHING matters more than your service strategy!

2. Product bundles

When done correctly, bundles can (at a minimum) double or triple the penetration you have with each client, drastically increase the chances of keeping that customer, and increase the profitability of that client. There should be a targeted bundle available for every client of your bank, and your employees should know how to present the bundles in a way that NEVER feels like sales.

3. Focus on the “Insignificant 95 Percent”

Tom Peters refers to the “culture” as the “Insignificant 95 Percent.” It’s the important part that leaders miss when they’re busy doing spreadsheets and things that don’t matter nearly as much.

Culture drives profit. If you want more profit, you must create a culture where people are passionate about their work, and bring their passion for being the best in the door with them daily. Those who are “true believers” bring 57 percent more discretionary effort to work each day. Hmmm. Think that impacts the bottom line?

4. Align all your strategies, people, and systems in the same direction

Do you have sales training with one firm, marketing with another, leadership development with another, mystery shopping with another? Do you send your people to attend seminars, only to return with conflicting information?

You’re not alone. Most banks have a lot of energy that goes out in many directions.  If you don’t want to push water up a hill, you must align all your people, systems, incentives, etc., in the same direction.

5. Systematic celebration

Life is hard and filled with opportunities for people to tell us how we did things wrong. Your employees are, no doubt, suffering no shortage of people telling them where they mess up (many have spouses and teenagers!).

To counteract “life,” build frequent rituals of celebration that make a big deal of the small milestones you achieve on the way to accomplishing bigger goals. Celebrating success builds confidence. Confident people keep growing. Organizations that grow are filled with people who are growing.

6. Create 90-day contact plan for new accounts

In 2005 banking publications provided powerful statistics showing that the profitability and stability of the relationship is defined by the quality and quantity of the contacts during the first 90 days. Perhaps now is the year to apply that information.

7. No rate quoting – no exceptions

If your people still think they’re in the rate game, know that you as a leader have failed. That’s a game that you can’t win—if you have the best rates, you will have an earnings challenge.

The only way to win this game is to elevate the consciousness and skills of your employees with regard to creating value. One bank CEO who began focusing on this area in 2005 said, “We don’t even know what to do with all the deposits this year!” That could be your problem next year.

8. EVERY manager understands marketing in their bones

Marketing is not a department. It’s a mind-set, and every person in your organization must “get it.” Advertising has little to do with marketing and is a sorry excuse for a marketing effort. Advertising is the lowest return on investment segment of marketing.

Every manager should understand what works and what doesn’t work in order to constantly upgrade the quality of clients and to eliminate price resistance.

9. Get the right people in the right seats on the bus

One bank in Texas that did a benchmark of emotional intelligence testing, shifted numerous people to different positions, and found that the institution grew substantially while working with 30 percent fewer people. (No layoffs were necessary; the bank just took advantage of attrition.) A good customer service person is often poor at sales (different profile), while a good salesperson makes a poor sales manager (different profile). And it’s no surprise that salespeople are weak at operational duties (because they have a different emotional intelligence profile).

So why not benchmark your staff to optimize each person and career path them into a slot where they can win?

10. Make sure you have a powerful sales process that doesn’t feel like sales

If it feels like sales, you’re doing something wrong. The “old school” approach of sales training is still the approach most banks are using. But ask a banker who spent a wad of cash last year on sales training if they had any return on their investment. Without exception, you can expect to hear, “It didn’t really work at all.” That’s because it can’t—and it won’t! Your sales approach must feel like and be about helping people in profound ways. The old school sales training that remains as the staple in banking often does more harm than good.