Posts by Kent Dicken
Why are you hiding your true talents?
You know you are pretty amazing at some things. But you also know you are not amazing at every thing. And when you try to do everything, not all of it matches the quality of the things you are amazing at. Rest assured that you aren’t the only one like that. We all have our…
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Work with me here.
A few years ago I got involved with a local non-profit, because they pulled together and did something positive and real for the community, instead of just talking about it. They bought land in midtown Indy and built a park – complete with a playground, picnic shelter, and baseball field. It’s not a huge park,…
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How to hire marketers that get-stuff-done
You aren’t the only one having problems finding people with the right skills to fill open positions. Especially when you are trying to hire a marketing person. Which makes it even more frustrating when, for every new hire you finally land, someone else decides to leave. It feels like a never-ending battle to get-positions-filled in…
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You deserve a promotion, not more work.
Marketers at credit unions have always been asked to handle a lot of different things at once. Sometimes they’ve been asked to do more than one job. It kind of comes with the territory. Especially at smaller CUs. But that doesn’t make it a good idea. To keep piling on responsibilities, regardless of someone’s strengths,…
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What good is a marketing budget that never changes?
It’s budget season once again. Time to dust off last year’s marketing budget, tweak the product promotions to match what lending wants to focus on this year, push the numbers as much as you think you can get away with, turn it in and hope that it doesn’t get trimmed too far back. Sound about…
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Is it time for Credit Unions to go Virtual?
The labor market has had 20 consecutive months of sustained job growth. The unemployment rate has been hovering around a 50-year low. It’s really no wonder that employers are having to boost hourly and salaried pay just to compete for workers. Credit unions are in the same boat. It’s harder-than-ever to find new, qualified personnel.…
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How credit unions can be much more than loan retailers
Lots of people make bad decisions about their money simply because they were never taught how to make good ones. Which often gets blamed on their parents, since 83% of US adults say that parents are the most responsible for teaching their kids about finances. Yet 40% of parents claim they talk to their kids…
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Legends don’t just happen, they’re built.
Despite its name, New College (part of Oxford University) isn’t exactly new, having been built in the late 1300s. And with that kind of history, it isn’t surprising that even some of its buildings have their own stories and legends. Take the New College dining hall, known for the enormous oak beams that span across…
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Monster Problem: How can I get more out of my Marketing Department?
Regardless of the credit union’s size, someone always seems to be asking this question. This is often because Marketing is too-often seen as an expense rather than an investment, and numbers people tend to worry about costs more than growth. But that doesn’t mean the question isn’t worth asking. So how do you get more…
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Why you should offer Loans for Oddballs
Loan season is right around the corner, i.e., your credit union’s bread and butter. So if you haven’t already started working on your spring and summer auto, boat, home equity and mortgage loan campaigns, then you better get in gear. If you can get excited about one more loan campaign, that is.* I mean, I…
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