My greatest pet peeve when I managed a branch: sticky notes. I thought they made our office/workstation cluttered and disorganized. It never failed that I'd see them on the corners of a tellers' monitor or scattered around a bankers' desk. As much as I disliked them I was always reminded about how they served as one of the few ways to assist the banker.

Sticky notes reminds tellers of an action item or something to discuss with a customer when they saw them again. Often times those reminders consisted of calling another office to schedule an appointment for a subject matter expert to come to our office to meet our client.

Imagine having the ability to connect clients right away with experts they need, regardless of what branch they walked into. Imagine branch associates armed with data, creating an area free of those dreaded sticky notes and truly transforming the customer experience. Well imagine no more...

More and more customers are shifting from branches to online and mobile touchpoints. Banks have had to respond by reducing costs and adjusting staffing models. Banks must evolve into sales and advice hubs, leveraging technology to connect customers to the experts they need anywhere anytime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Ep-7bLO-g&list=PLE4063C62F022E881&index=4

Quoting Mark Schwanhausser, Director of Omnichannel Financial Services, Javelin Strategy and Research, 'technology won't replace the need for customer service and customer interaction'.

Branch associates must be armed with data that creates a new dimension to the customer experience. Many institutions have started this digital evolution, but true success may come from those who can integrate digital capabilities including analytics, video, and anytime-anywhere advice in a secure and reliable way.

Sticky notes no more! I'm so excited to be attending my first Cisco Live Las Vegas 2016 next week from July 10^th-July 14^th. Come join me in the World of Solutions where our industry experts will be showcasing how banks are using technology to engage customers, optimize branches and protect the enterprise from bad actors (aka hackers).

There's never been a better time to unlock new opportunities, create differentiation, and grow your business. See you there!