Bringing IDB to SMEs
Dare to be different
centralised business development and formula management.
By centralising these services, quality is guaranteed and cost
levels are lowest in market by far. No other bank has taken this
approach, but it has proven invaluable to the Rabobank for
mula. 'Our low cost operational excellence approach gives us a
true competitive advantage and allows us to offer our custom-
ers competitive pricing for our products,' Bouwman explains.
Once the basic operations are in place, IDB embarks on daring,
eye-catching marketing campaigns. Often, ad campaigns focus
on the messages that IDB most wants to convey: honesty,
straight talk, modern thinking and personal choice - the very
characteristics of an ideal IDB customer.
The next step is about homework. IDB is constantly research-
ing and refining its offerings based on the specifïc actions of
the customers they serve. 'Every click our customers make,
every question they ask is carefully recorded and monitored,
and plays a role in the decisions we make going forward in
developing our proposition, our website and our cross-sell of
products,' Bouwman says. 'And, by offering a limited number
of products, we control our overall business concept, and can
ensure best-in-class products for years to come.'
In February 2007, a new IDB initiative, Bizner, was launched
in the Netherlands. Bizner offers the convenience of
Direct Banking to a whole new target group: ambitious
entrepreneurs.
help you find an answer,' De Groot says. Bizner's ad campaigns
don't even mention banking products, but instead focus on
appealing to the entrepreneurial spirit.
Hermen de Groot, Head of Marketing and Communications
for International Direct Banking, explains:'Owners of small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) are busy,driven people, but first
of all they are normal people like you and me who look at life
a little differently.They don't believe in the 9 to 5 mentality.
They want freedom and flexibility.That's why Bizner is an ideal
offering for this group.'
Based on extensive research, Bizner provides the exact
services SMEs are looking for - all through the internet - from
debit and credit cards to loans and term deposits.'For SME
business owners, convenience, freedom and simplicity were
key conditions. Entrepreneurs don't want to be told what they
should or shouldn't do.They want the freedom to do things
the way they want to do them,' De Groot explains.
But it goes far beyond clever names and interesting ads. From
the moment an SME owner completes his application, he
receives his account number, which is activated the moment
the application process is complete. Requirements for loans and
credit rating information are also gathered in non-traditional
ways, speeding up the process and simplifying the entre
preneurs input.'Using trust as a starting point, we think that
an entrepreneur knows best what to do.Therefore, we don't
require a business plan for every 5000 loan,' De Groot states.
'Our customers appreciate the time and effort this saves them.'
'We've set up Bizner as a unique and forward-thinking enter-
prise.to show our customers that we are entrepreneurs, too.
In that way, we build an open, trusting relationship with them,
and we show them that we understand their needs,' he says.
That independent mentality goes into everything Bizner offers,
whether it is products, services, the website or Communications.
'Entrepreneurs look for creative and unique solutions to their
problems.That's why our telephone helpline is called "Q" like
the Q from James Bond movies. If you have a question, Qwill
Since its introduction in February, Bizner has signed more than
3000 customers to its services, and that number is growing
every day. Even more impressive is the overwhelmingly posi-
tive response Bizner received from its many satisfied custom
ers. Daily blogs and emails pour in, praising Bizner and its
services to SMEs.'We've even had fan mail,' De Groot laughs.
16 The Word
