The Financial Marketing Solutions team spent some time thinking outside the office as part of a day dedicated to improving the way work within the agency flows. After a trolley tour around town, the team enjoyed lunch at Chapman’s II, a mobile food venue located along Main Street in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. We grabbed our made-from-scratch meals and took our seats at café-style tables situated on the sidewalk where we talked about everything from being a new parent to Angelina Jolie.

Then it was time to roll up our sleeves and talk about the future. Things already work well in our small, but efficient agency, but as Jack Welch famously said, “If you’re stagnant, you’re dead.” FMS is always looking to improve. And with our growth, it became apparent that we needed new ways of working for our clients and with each other.

Our Managing Director Sean Hockenbery and our Creative Director, Clark Hook unveiled the new process that was months in the making and included input from everyone affected by it. The results are an easy-to-follow, color-coded, “living” document that everyone’s on board with and enthusiastic about. It does many things, but most importantly, it aligns perfectly with the passion for what we do and the promise that we stay ahead of the financial service industry’s evolution so we can help our clients respond with the most effective marketing solutions possible.

It’s a promise we deliver on. And now we have a process to get there a little smoother, a little faster and with a little time to spare.

Our transportation for the day

Chatting on the trolley

Amber, Victoria and Curt enjoy lunch

On a mission for some ice cream

This cab ride turned out to be an outstanding customer experience. The energetic driver was so interested in Scott’s business he asked if he could record a quick interview with him. Finding this a bit odd, Scott asked why he would do this. It turns out; Terry had the equipment on hand to record details about his customers so at the end of his shift he could enter the information into a database. That way, when they call him for a ride next time, he could quickly call up detailed information about them, their business and their family.

When they arrived at the hotel, the driver jumped out of the car, ran to the back and retrieved Scott’s luggage and handed it to the bellman. He then surprised Scott by giving him his website address and told him to call him personally when he needs a ride back to the airport. Wait, a taxi cab driver with his own personal website? Scott smiles when he recalls this late night experience with the enthusiastic driver. Then he asks, “If I can get phenomenal service like this from a cab driver, don’t my customers deserve the same?”

Financial Marketing Solutions President and CEO Tim Pannell loves this story because it’s how he runs his business. “Our customers are busy people,” Pannell said. “They do not need delays. They need responsiveness. I had one client call the office at 5:00pm. I called him back at 5:01pm. He was so impressed he wanted to meet and we got the business. Another time, I received a potential client’s email at 6am. I called him immediately and he answered. We got that account too.” It doesn’t matter what day or what time of day, Tim’s like the crazy cab driver. Are you ready for the best branding advice of your life?

Banks have the opportunity to inspire and motivate people the same way Starbucks, Apple, or for that matter, Taxi Terry does. And there’s more. Our banks have a chance to change communities, grow their local economy, and completely affect another generation for good. “That’s why we do what we do,” said Partner and Brand Strategist, Laurie Campbell Pannell. “Our branding process is helping to change the way customers view their banks. We love everything related to brand, and that passion shows up in our ideas, in our work and in our responsiveness.”

Just like Taxi Terry.