Getting to the kitchen table gives us
the chance to bring this together
engagement, proaucts and knowledge
Berry Marttin:
Different approach
Funding deals
"One pitfall Rabobank will have to avoid at all costs," Marttin says,
"is the one-size-fits-all approach, both in terms of the products it of
fers and the approach it takes in each country. For instance, there
is no real benchmark for what works in Rural and Retail Banking,
as each country demands a different approach." Emotional
engagement means something very different in the US than in, say,
Australia or New Zealand. So while Rabobank Australia is possibly
the closest to achieving what Rabobank wants from its Rural and
Retail business, the Australian business is still better at getting to
the farmer's kitchen table than it is in community involvement.
The US operation, on the other hand, is very involved in local
communities, but has challenges at getting to the farmer's kitchen
table. And Brazil is the closest to integrating the entire chain from
Rural and Retail Banking through community involvement to
wholesale banking.
Berry Marttin: "In fact, the moment you think you have a one size
fits all solution in this kind of banking you're doomed to failure.
In every country we are focused on long-term engagement and
long-term commitment, but there is no one single approach.
However, there is always a kitchen table!"
And both Wholesale Banking and the Rural and Retail Banking
business have to make the best possible use of Rabobank's F&A
focus and its F&A research capabilities. Sipko Schat: "We are a very
strong counter party, we can compete on pricing and we offer
operational excellence. That gives us a major advantage, but per-
haps an even bigger advantage is the fact that we are the only
bank that really focuses on one sector, right through the chain,
from retail all the way to wholesale."
This, together with what has happened in the industry, has created
a big window of opportunity for Rabobank, but that window will
only be around for so long. Schat adds: "We need to develop a
sense of self-confidence and take advantage of the Rabo brand.
Possibly be a bit more aggressive in the market. We have a lot of
relationships with clients, but they're not always tier-one relation-
ships. That's what we need to change."
Of course the competition is fierce for top clients and this is where
Rabobank's in-depth knowledge of the F&A sector gives it a real
competitive edge with the bank's chosen clients. 'There are big
Berry Marttin
clients who preferto do business with us instead of with our
competitors, because of our reputation on a number of fronts, not
least our dedicated commitment to the F&A sector globally. And
very importantly, we can still put our money where our mouth is in
terms of funding deals, which is one way of establishing a relation-
ship with clients. We need to bring all of that together and translate
it into deeper relationships with our clients," Schat says.
A major objective for Rabobank is the sharing of experiences across
the bank, not just between the rural and retail business, but be-
tween rural, retail and wholesale. "We're still discussing the best way
to do this, but there's no doubt we have to do it, on a global basis.
Sharing our knowledge and experiences right across the bank will
be a major factor in achieving cliënt leadership," Marttin says.
ISSUE 24
RI WORLD
