Banking on Relationships with Toni North

Toni North: [00:00:00] The big banks just kept pushing you and pushing you to sell, sell, sell, [00:00:05] and they looked at a customer as a number. SSB looks at a customer as [00:00:10] a friend, as a family member and there was no pushing of products [00:00:15] on the customer. Build a relationship, not a product[00:00:20] George Wright III: Welcome to the Authority Formula Podcast, the show that helps you [00:00:25] grow your business, attract new opportunities, and leave your competition behind. I'm George [00:00:30] Wright III, your host, partnering with Valiant CEO Magazine to bring you the world's top [00:00:35] entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and experts. Let's dive into the strategies they use to dominate [00:00:40] their markets and become the authority in their field.[00:00:45] Okay, guys, welcome back to the podcast. George Wright [00:00:50] III. I'm your host, and I'm joined today by a really special guest, [00:00:55] Toni North. Toni, how are you? Toni North: I'm good. How about you, George? George Wright III: I'm good thank you. I [00:01:00] really was looking forward to having you on because we're gonna be talking a little bit about banking about [00:01:05] relationships. We're gonna be talking about small business growth and community. And so [00:01:10] for those of you listening, do me a favor make sure you follow the show. We've got some really good episodes coming up. But also [00:01:15] I wanted to give you a quick introduction of Toni because there's a real strategic reason I have her on the [00:01:20] show today and I think if you have a small business or you're an entrepreneur or you're looking to grow your business you're gonna get a lot [00:01:25] out of this. But Toni North is a longtime banking professional. [00:01:30] She's actually the branch manager at SSB Bank in Pennsylvania. [00:01:35] And she's got an extensive experience and background in multiple financial institutions. Her approach to [00:01:40] banking is built around personal relationships trust and understanding the individual needs of [00:01:45] customers because she believes that banking should go way beyond transactions and serve more as a connector [00:01:50] between people and businesses. And her philosophy of teamwork makes the dream work really [00:01:55] reflects the emphasis that she has on collaboration. So Toni I really wanted to dig into this with [00:02:00] you because you have this extensive background in banking and so maybe you could take me back to [00:02:05] the beginning. How did you get into banking, and what has kept you passionate about banking and [00:02:10] relationships this long? Toni North: That's a great question. I started at the [00:02:15] time my fiancé his relative was in banking and [00:02:20] I was looking for a job. She asked me to come in and talk to her [00:02:25] manager. Went in, talked to him, and at that time, he's like, " You can [00:02:30] come a-aboard tomorrow." I'm like, "Tomorrow?" He's like, "Yeah, come aboard [00:02:35] tomorrow." So for the first four years that I worked as a teller, [00:02:40] liked it, and then I got pregnant with my first son, and I remember [00:02:45] telling a customer, "Oh, I'm gonna stay home and be a stay-at-home mom." [00:02:50] And he said, "No, you're not. You're coming back." I said, "What makes you say that?" He's like, [00:02:55] "I just know it." He was right. George Wright III: He was right. Toni North: After my maternity [00:03:00] leave, I came back, got pregnant a second time, and told him, "This is it. [00:03:05] I don't want to do banking." And he's like, "Mm-mm. You're coming back." Came [00:03:10] back and been in it ever since. And it's just the [00:03:15] interaction with the customer, meeting new people, making friends with them, that just keeps driving [00:03:20] me back and back. George Wright III: Yeah, so it is interesting, 'cause as we talked, I realized that, you know, [00:03:25] and this is the same with a lot of business, relationships are such a key, and you, you seem to [00:03:30] thrive on that, and that's kind of helped you, um, to stay consistent and also achieve quite a bit in the [00:03:35] banking industry. So you, you actually are now, uh, a branch manager at SSB Bank, [00:03:40] and I, I'm curious what brought you to SSB Bank and what attracted you to kind of this [00:03:45] community banking model? Toni North: The big banks just kept pushing you and pushing you [00:03:50] to sell, sell, sell, and they looked at a customer as a number. SSB [00:03:55] looks at a customer as a friend, as a family member. Um, [00:04:00] and there was no pushing of products on the customer. Build a relationship, [00:04:05] not a product. George Wright III: Yeah, I love that. And, and you kind of mentioned a c- a comment about big [00:04:10] banks, and I think, you know, a lot of customers, clients of the bank, or [00:04:15] even just business owners, you know, they, they love having the idea of security of a big bank, but they, [00:04:20] they, they really hate that they're just a number. What do you see as the big differences between, [00:04:25] um, big banks and what you try to do at, at your, at your bank [00:04:30] location? Toni North: Every customer coming through the door, George, I act like they are [00:04:35] related to me, and I put myself in their shoes as to [00:04:40] what would I like to have, uh, done for me if I was coming in the [00:04:45] bank as a customer. And, you know, just build on that relationship. George Wright III: Yeah, and [00:04:50] I think that you... I, I was curious because you really have built your reputation around [00:04:55] relationships, and so when you say, you know, like, relationship-based banking, what, what does that kinda mean to [00:05:00] you personally? Toni North: You know, greet every customer by their name. You know [00:05:05] if they have children or grandchildren if they're going on vacation [00:05:10] whatever it is a life-changing event in their life. You know be able to talk to them [00:05:15] about it, not just wait on them and get them out the door. George Wright III: Yeah, it seems like [00:05:20] no matter where you go in business, whether you're trying to, you know, because obviously the finances are important, [00:05:25] people do appreciate that. They know that you have their best interests at heart, and so I think that's probably what [00:05:30] separates really great bankers, banking relationships from average ones. How, what have you [00:05:35] done over the years to really earn trust with business owners or customers? And maybe you have [00:05:40] story or something you can share, but how do you earn trust with a... you know, outside just the [00:05:45] relationships, with business owners or customers of the bank? Toni North: So one is I would [00:05:50] never just tell them to do something if I wasn't passionate about it. [00:05:55] And if there was a question about a service or something that they're asking about and I really [00:06:00] didn't know, I'm not gonna just give them an answer on the spot. [00:06:05] I will tell them "Give me a day to research this. I'll get back to you." [00:06:10] And I always feel like telling the truth to the customer brings them back time and time [00:06:15] again. George Wright III: Yeah, they wanna know that you're really looking out for their best interests, but also that you're willing to maybe go to work and [00:06:20] do the research for them. So is important. I feel like- That trust is coming up more and [00:06:25] more in business nowadays as well as something that it has to be earned, and it has to be, [00:06:30] you know, you can't just come out with great products, 'cause everybody's got great products, and better deals, and better rates, [00:06:35] and all of that right now. What are you guys doing at your bank and as an individual banking [00:06:40] professional? What do you do to provide value for these local businesses [00:06:45] outside what the typical products are? Toni North: Give them individual [00:06:50] customer service when they come into the bank. If they need something that we don't [00:06:55] have, I will go and see if we can get that service for [00:07:00] them with upper management, so that we can service them fully. George Wright III: Yeah. [00:07:05] It seems like you have some pretty long-term relationships. You told me about a relationship you [00:07:10] have with one of your customers that's much older right now that you still continue to kind of [00:07:15] help. It almost feels like you kind of take it more than just a banking relationship [00:07:20] with your customers. You see them as almost family, right? Toni North: Right. Right, and that's what happened with [00:07:25] that customer. She started when I was a teller, and coming in with [00:07:30] her paycheck, and she's 92 today. And [00:07:35] she had no family in Pittsburgh, and I kind of took her under her wing, [00:07:40] took her under my wing as, like, a grandmother and aunt and [00:07:45] just is helping her along the way. George Wright III: With a bank, it's like anything else, whether it's [00:07:50] finance, accounting, everything like that. When your relationships understand your business [00:07:55] more, you're able to grow better because you know what resources are available to [00:08:00] you. So what are the... what are some of the ways that you actually stay in personal connection [00:08:05] with your clients and stuff there at the bank? Toni North: A lot of them have my cell phone number. [00:08:10] I continuously keep a relationship with them outside of the bank, besides the [00:08:15] bank George Wright III: Obviously when you see it differently than just a banking client, that makes a big difference. [00:08:20] So one of the other reasons I wanted to kinda have you on the show today is because we're [00:08:25] getting ready to do something a little different. It's a little bit different than your typical banking institution does. We're getting [00:08:30] ready to launch some, a media effort with a, a brand new magazine in your local [00:08:35] business area, as well as podcasts. And it started originally as an [00:08:40] idea to be able to help grow small businesses. So I wanted to talk to you a little bit about the community [00:08:45] and what you felt why you felt so tied into the local community and [00:08:50] why with the bank or outside the bank, you felt this desire to help grow [00:08:55] the local community and how that kinda ties in. Because everybody thinks of you as the branch [00:09:00] manager, so obviously the finances and everything are important, but you have this desire to also help the [00:09:05] community, right? Toni North: Right. I started my banking career in this community [00:09:10] and just stayed here the whole time. And get to know all the different [00:09:15] organizations in the area. We're in a predominantly, like, Jewish neighborhood, so [00:09:20] there's a lot of Jewish organizations around here. And a lot of them do [00:09:25] such good things for not only Jewish individuals, but [00:09:30] the everyday Joe. It's amazing. George Wright III: While we're talking about this, because as we're [00:09:35] growing local businesses, I think a lot of times people think of banks as simply [00:09:40] that, you know, just their financial institution. But you guys have a desire to really be more than that, [00:09:45] maybe a catalyst for business in the area. So what are some ways that you help [00:09:50] local businesses that big banks can't do? Toni North: For a small business [00:09:55] starting out, we have accounts that there's no fees involved in it. And sometimes [00:10:00] those fees can be a lot of money monthly for a small business that's just [00:10:05] starting out and don't have the resources for all that. So that's a big [00:10:10] thing. George Wright III: Yeah. And I think a lot of times when businesses are getting started or even [00:10:15] when they're struggling those are the things the little things do add up right? They make a big difference. Do you [00:10:20] have examples of any clients that you've worked with or examples with your bank [00:10:25] itself that you feel like sort of exemplify that client relationship that you [00:10:30] are, you're having locally? Any particular examples that come to mind? Toni North: I have [00:10:35] an older couple that has followed me from bank to bank, and [00:10:40] the husband is up in age, and he was getting really rattled because he had to [00:10:45] transfer all his direct deposits here. And his wife kept reassuring him [00:10:50] each time, because she still does a part-time consulting with a [00:10:55] local school here in the area. And- She keeps telling him each [00:11:00] time, "Don't you worry about it. Toni will be there to help you along the way. [00:11:05] We've trusted her this long, you know, trust her now." And [00:11:10] he's fine. We got everything transferred over, and he's fine now. [00:11:15] And he's like, "You know the reason why we're, I'm here is because of you," he said, "because [00:11:20] I can't walk in the other bank and get the individual attention that I need." George Wright III: Yeah [00:11:25] and we're in this world where relationships are being replaced by [00:11:30] technology and AI and the ability to just bank online and most of that individual [00:11:35] attention is obviously gone, right? And it, Toni North: it kind of- And that's one of the things that he actually [00:11:40] asked before we went ahead and changed everything, like, "Are you gonna push [00:11:45] me to the internet? I don't do anything on the internet, don't want to [00:11:50] do anything. I don't want a debit card." And, you know- George Wright III: Interesting ... Toni North: we, yeah. [00:11:55] George Wright III: All, it's, it's all kinds of individuals, right? And everybody has different needs. I'm curious 'cause [00:12:00] we talked about this before. There's a lot of people that are hesitant [00:12:05] to move banking relationships, and maybe it's just because they've always done something [00:12:10] a certain way. It's a real dichotomy because people want the security of big [00:12:15] banks, but they want that personal attention. What do you think are the biggest reasons that keep [00:12:20] people from moving their banking relationships? Toni North: I think that once they get [00:12:25] tied into a direct deposit going automatically into their account, or they have [00:12:30] bills that come out of their accounts, the thought of transferring all that stuff [00:12:35] over to another bank is just too much. They don't wanna take the time to do it. [00:12:40] But well, normally what happens is when they come here, George, I will [00:12:45] take And go step by step with them. If that means I have to call [00:12:50] the utility company to get that switchover, I'll do that. George Wright III: And so you [00:12:55] try to make it very seamless for them. Is that the main way that you're able to sort of like ease their [00:13:00] concerns? Toni North: Exactly. George Wright III: Yeah, 'cause it's like anything else. People are... They get comfortable doing what [00:13:05] they're doing, but then they don't realize all the benefits that they could be having. They're paying these extra fees. They're paying [00:13:10] all this other stuff and they don't have any, you know, support. There's nothing worse than calling and getting put [00:13:15] into a phone tree where you're trying to figure out how to get through to a live person. It's like the worst- Right, right ... [00:13:20] right? So, Toni North: um- That's another thing. We don't have a customer [00:13:25] service number that you call. You call the local branch, and you talk to a [00:13:30] person and give you individual attention. George Wright III: Yeah. It's, isn't it alm- it's almost [00:13:35] like every time I call one of those systems, it's like their whole goal is to try to get you not to [00:13:40] talk to somebody. Like, even when you say, "I wanna talk to a representative." "Well, what is it about? And then where do you [00:13:45] wanna go with it?" And you're like, "Geez, just give me somebody to talk to," right? Toni North: Exactly. [00:13:50] George Wright III: Oh, that's funny. You you had an interesting comment about the bank president and CFO. What [00:13:55] were you saying about that? This is a perfect example of large bank, small [00:14:00] hometown feel is that people can actually interact with them, right? Toni North: Yeah. The first [00:14:05] week that I started at SSB, um, the president was [00:14:10] down on the teller line, like being a teller and talking with customers, [00:14:15] and I'm like looking like, "Oh my God, I've never seen this done before," because I [00:14:20] came from big banks. The same with the CFO. They interact with customers every [00:14:25] day on the main floor. They're there. Customers see them. They're not in [00:14:30] some, um, big office hiding away. George Wright III: Yeah such a great example. I [00:14:35] thought that was interesting too, because you don't expect a bank as big as SSB is, right, to have that [00:14:40] happen. This has been great Toni. I really wanted to take this time, and we acknowledge your [00:14:45] experience and some of the things that you've had over the years and what you're bringing to the local community, so we're excited [00:14:50] about some of the things you have coming up. Is there any advice you would give to maybe a local business owner [00:14:55] or someone looking to change relationships or even just that are looking to create [00:15:00] success in the local community? Just anything top of mind for you that you would say to them? Toni North: At [00:15:05] least come, let me talk to you, let me show you what we have to offer here at [00:15:10] SSB. And I think once you come in the doors, you're gonna love it. George Wright III: I think at [00:15:15] the end of the day, relationships are becoming more and more important, especially in this age of [00:15:20] technology and AI. It's really that idea of having the high tech, high touch. You you wanna have the [00:15:25] security of knowing that you have a lot of options, but also that, that small town feel. So [00:15:30] this has really been great, Toni. I appreciate you taking some time. And guys, for those of you listening, make sure [00:15:35] you do us a favor. Share this episode. Let's get the word out for the bank there. But also let us know what we can do to [00:15:40] help you. Hit us up. Let us know what you're struggling with, what you're working on, what you're winning at. That's the whole purpose of the [00:15:45] podcast, is in order to help you guys really grow your businesses and increase your [00:15:50] overall success in life. So have an amazing day. We'll talk with you [00:15:55] [00:16:00] soon.