Southern States - Kerala   

Need for personal touch in banking stressed

By Our Special Correspondent

KOCHI Sept. 13. The regional director of the Reserve Bank of India, G. Gopalakrishna, has said that the financial sector reforms have thrown open new challenges in the banking sector in customer-orientation and improvement in quality of banking services.

Inaugurating a two-day training programme on `Redefining business paradigm in the era of globalisation--how to become a successful banker?--Honing marketing, communication, objection handling and negotiation skills--customised for banks and financial institutions', organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here today, he said that the four main challenges faced by the banking sector are the emergence of the buyers market, integration of technology, increased competition and high growth in customer expectation. These challenges have necessitated the training and re-training of banking personnel in honing skills in attitudinal traits of agility and creating positive attitude in improving quality of customer service. He further said that the new opportunities have created new pressures in the banking sector and banks are now focusing on recruitments of specialised personnel for effective product marketing for sustainable growth.

He said that the CII customised training programme in the vital areas of honing, marketing, communication, objection handling and negotiation would enable one to edge out competition. The banking personnel should be harbingers of change in transforming the traditional function of ``lending money'' to that of "selling money''.

T.R. Ramakrishnan, international consultant and trainer, pointed out that bankers in India have been sitting on the chair of the arrogant giver all these years. But, times have changed and they are no more lenders but receivers of customers. He said that the key takeaways of the two-day training programme would be creating empathy towards customers and focus on attitudinal traits of banking personnel.

Pamela Anna Mathew, chairperson of the CII, Kerala, said that along with the paradigm shift, multi-skilling and effective communication is key to sustainable growth.

Rajeev Nair, member, CII Kerala State council, proposed a vote of thanks.

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