This is the sixth and final post in our blog series on “How Vertical IQ Supports the Sales Process,” featuring simple, concrete ways to incorporate economic and Industry Intelligence during each stage of the sales cycle.
Step 1: Determining which industries to call on | Step 2: Meeting the right people & networking | Step 3: Call Preparation | Step 4: Assess the Opportunity | Step 5: Stay Top of Mind
Business banking isn’t a straight line; it’s a relationship cycle, and the bankers who win are the ones who continuously nurture that cycle with relevant, timely insight. That’s why every banker needs to master the skill of adding ongoing value for both existing clients and new prospects.
And while continually adding value does have to become a habit, it does not have to be time-consuming or complicated. In fact, it can be as simple as tying your outreach to naturally occurring business events, showing up as a resource, and making connections that matter. Vertical IQ gives bankers simple, repeatable ways to keep these touchpoints and conversations meaningful and strengthen referral relationships along the way.
Value comes from timing and insight
Most bankers don’t struggle with reaching out; they struggle with what to reach out about. That’s why timing matters. When you connect with a business owner around something that’s already happening in their world, you become relevant, not random.
And here’s a bonus: Outreach that feels natural AND incorporates the business’s accountant, attorney, CPA, broker, or wealth advisor also strengthens referral channels and positions you as an integral part of the business owner’s advisory circle. When you show up during the moments that already involve decisions, planning, or paperwork, you stop being a “vendor” and start becoming a partner.
Below are three pivotal moments that happen nearly every year in most businesses, along with Vertical IQ tools that help you deliver real value during each.
1. Adding value during 4th quarter planning and budgeting
From October through December, many business owners are forecasting, evaluating expenses, planning headcount, or setting growth targets for the next year. This is where Vertical IQ’s forward-looking Industry Intelligence makes you indispensable.
Use growth forecasts as future-focused conversation fuel
Found in the Industry Profile, Vertical IQ’s Industry Forecasts are updated twice per year. Share them during budgeting conversations to help clients think strategically, not just historically. This type of data helps you ask smart questions like:
- “Your industry is projected to grow X% next year; are you planning for capacity or staffing changes?”
- “Local wage data shows average hourly pay increasing in your industry; how is that affecting your labor budget?”
- “Are supply chain pressures easing in your sector, or should we build flexibility into financing options to account for growth?”
Add local economic and wage data
Most business owners are so focused on their own company that they don’t know what’s happening economically in their own backyard. Vertical IQ makes you the person who does.
Vertical IQ’s Local Economies lets you share information with them on key drivers like competitive wages, housing affordability, employment trends, and population growth signals. For a business owner, those insights influence real-world decisions, like:
- Where to expand
- Whether to hire
- How to price services
- Whether to seek working capital
… and this is the kind of information that gets you invited to the planning table!
2. Adding value during tax season
When tax season hits, most bankers disappear. They wait until the dust settles before reaching out. Smart bankers do the opposite: They lean in at tax time.
Use Financial Benchmarks as a conversation starter
Vertical IQ’s Financial Benchmarks are one of the highest-impact tools for tax season. They let you compare a client’s performance to industry peers in areas like margins, debt levels, inventory turnover, or working capital.
This makes benchmark data an ideal talking point. Instead of asking, “How did tax season go?” (which is a dead-end question), you can say, “Now that your taxes are wrapped up, let’s look at how your company is doing compared to your peers. We can identify strengths, opportunities, and where I might be able to help!” That statement opens doors to meaningful advisory conversations, not just pitching banking products.
Loop in the CPA
Another simple but game-changing tactic: Invite the business owner’s CPA to join this conversation. This easy tactic does three things at once:
- Makes you look proactive and informed
- Strengthens your relationship with the CPA
- Positions you as a key part of the financial planning conversation
Bankers spend years trying to build genuine centers of influence (COIs). This strategy does it naturally.
3. Adding value when succession conversations begin
Every business eventually faces an ownership ultimatum; it’s not “if,” it’s “when.” Industry Profiles on Vertical IQ include business valuation data, industry multiples, and insight into typical sale conditions. As a banker, that kind of information is pure gold!
- It creates opportunities with both buyers and sellers.
- It gives you reasons to engage attorneys, wealth managers, and estate planners.
- It positions you upstream in the deal, before competing banks even know a sale is coming.
So, instead of asking a business owner, “Are you thinking about retiring someday?” you can say, “Businesses in your industry typically sell for [X] EBITDA multiples. If you’re considering next steps, I’d be glad to walk through valuation drivers and introduce you to planning partners.”
Now you aren’t just recommending financial products; you’re facilitating strategy. With Vertical IQ, you can speak the language of M&A, which instantly elevates your relevance with business owners as well as their advisors.
The big lesson: Events create entry points
Do you notice a pattern with these tips? You’re not calling just to “check in.” You’re calling because something is happening. Whether it’s taxes, budgeting, industry changes, local economic shifts, or succession planning, these moments happen regularly (or even yearly!). They are predictable, and they come with built-in urgency that you can capitalize on. Vertical IQ helps you attach meaningful insight to those moments, and that is what transforms routine outreach into a real business advisory service.
After all, adding ongoing value is not about contacting clients more often; it’s about contacting them more meaningfully. Vertical IQ gives bankers access to credible, industry-specific information that:
- Starts better conversations
- Builds referral partnerships
- Demonstrates proactive support
- Keeps you top of mind year-round
If you make Vertical IQ part of your weekly outreach routine, you’ll stop feeling like you’re “checking a box” and start feeling like a true advisor. Remember: These business events are already happening. You just need to show up for them with value-added insight in hand!
Want to integrate Vertical IQ’s insights into your client/prospect contact strategy?
Contact us to learn more!
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