Make the Most of Your Associate Membership
Relationships Are the Opportunity.
Community banking is a relationship business. Decisions are influenced by trust, reputation, experience, and the recommendations of people bankers know.
That's what makes Associate Membership valuable – and why its greatest benefits tend to develop over time.
BankIn Minnesota gives you opportunities to meet community bankers throughout the year, share your expertise, and become a familiar part of the community. Making the most of those opportunities takes more than attending an event or putting your logo on a sponsorship. It means showing up, participating, and giving relationships time to develop.
"Associate Membership is really about the relationships you develop. You can sit at a table and wait for someone to ask about your product, but I've found it's much more valuable to get out, talk to people, and take the time to genuinely get to know them.
I've been involved with BankIn for several years, and those relationships have led to business, but they've also led to real friendships. Community bankers are great people, and the more you show up and get involved, the more you become part of that community. You really do get out of your membership what you put into it."
Todd Mathison, President/CEO, Impact Retirement Advisors
Show Up – and Stay Involved
Consistency matters when you're getting to know people.
Attend conferences, BankIn Socials, Member Networks, and other opportunities that make sense for your organization. When you sponsor or exhibit at an event, don't spend the entire time behind your booth. Step away when you can, join conversations, attend sessions, and get to know the people around you.
And plan to stay. Packing up early or leaving as soon as your formal role is over can mean missing some of the best opportunities to connect. Often, it's the conversations between sessions, over a meal, or toward the end of an event that turn an introduction into a relationship.
Lead With What You Know
When you're invited to speak at a conference, Member Network, roundtable, or other BankIn program, you have an opportunity to demonstrate what makes your expertise valuable.
Use it to teach.
Focus on the challenges bankers are facing, share useful perspective, and give them information they can take back to their banks. A strong educational experience establishes credibility in a way a sales presentation can't.
Bankers will remember who helped them understand something, solve a problem, or think about an issue differently. Give them a reason to remember you for your expertise.
Get to Know the Bankers Who Are Growing With You
It's natural to want time with CEOs and senior decision-makers. But don't overlook the relationships you can develop with emerging leaders and other bank professionals along the way.
The lender, marketer, operations professional, or other emerging leader you meet today may have greater influence over purchasing decisions tomorrow — or eventually be leading the bank.
More importantly, strong professional relationships don't have to begin when someone reaches the C-suite. Get to know people throughout the industry, take an interest in what they do, and allow those connections to grow alongside their careers.
Think Beyond a Single Event
A conference can introduce you to someone. A sponsorship can put your name in front of them. A presentation can demonstrate your expertise.
But none of those needs to carry the full weight of developing a business relationship.
Think of each interaction as part of something larger. Say hello the next time you see someone. Remember what you talked about. Stay involved in the programs that matter to your audience. Look for opportunities to be helpful without expecting every conversation to lead immediately to business.
Over time, familiarity can become credibility, and credibility can become trust. When a banker eventually needs the product, service, or expertise your organization provides, that relationship matters.
Be Part of the Community
The Associate Members who get the most from BankIn Minnesota don't simply attend BankIn activities. They become part of the community around them.
Be present. Be curious. Share what you know. Get to know people beyond the organizations they represent. Support the industry you serve.
You may not be able to measure the value of every conversation when it happens. But in an industry where relationships matter, those conversations add up.