This is the third post in our six-part 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
Today’s banking environment is more competitive than ever. Business owners expect a banker to provide knowledgeable advice, tailored to them and their business’s unique needs. Therefore, walking into a client meeting or prospect call without preparation is a major red flag.
And make no mistake: Business owners can sense when someone is “winging it.” They know when they’re being asked the same tell-tale generic questions they’ve heard a hundred times before (Think: “How’s business?”).
Call preparation isn’t optional anymore; it’s a key differentiator. A well-prepared banker projects confidence and credibility in their conversations with clients and prospects, which builds rapport almost instantly. And that rapport is what transforms a transactional conversation into a lasting relationship built on insight, value, and trust.
Call preparation matters more than ever
Having been a banker myself for over 40 years, I’d argue that call preparation may be the single most important step in building lasting client relationships. To a business owner, products and pricing often look the same from one bank to another, so it’s your preparation that sets you apart from competitors. Walking into a meeting unprepared risks damaging your credibility before you even start talking.
When you’ve taken the time to do your homework prior to a meeting — when you can reference current industry trends, challenges, or opportunities specific to a business owner’s world — you demonstrate genuine understanding of their world. It’s these types of valuable insights that move from being just another banker to becoming a trusted advisor. The opposite is also true, too: Lack of preparation signals indifference or inexperience, and in a business owner’s eyes, that’s usually a deal-breaker.
Don’t be “DUMB”
There’s an acronym for just about everything these days, but one I like to use is DUMB: doesn’t understand my business.
This is also the label business owners may assign, silently or otherwise, to bankers who walk in the door asking basic, uninformed questions like, “So, tell me about your business.” That might sound like a harmless conversation starter, but it immediately signals that you haven’t taken the time to learn even the basics about the business owner’s industry or challenges.
Instead, show up ready to share something of value. Start the conversation with, “I’ve been reading about some recent trends in your industry, and I’d love your perspective.” That one sentence changes the entire tone. It shows curiosity, respect, and initiative, and it’s exactly the kind of conversation starter Industry Intelligence from Vertical IQ helps you create.
How to integrate Vertical IQ into your pre-call planning
Vertical IQ is purpose-built for sales call preparation. It gives bankers a clear, structured path for pre-call research and planning by organizing everything you need to know about a client’s or prospect’s industry in one place. Whether you’re meeting in person or joining a video call, you can quickly gain a working knowledge of the business owner’s world before you even say “Hello.”
Each Vertical IQ Industry Profile delivers a full picture of a niche — from key trends and performance metrics to risks, opportunities, and financial benchmarks — so you can enter every conversation informed and confident. Plus, Vertical IQ doesn’t just help you learn; it helps you prepare strategically, aligning your talking points with what actually matters to the business owner. Here’s how:
1. Start with the Prep Sheet
One of the most time-saving, practical tools in Vertical IQ is the Prep Sheet, which is a concise executive summary that distills the most relevant insights about an industry into an easy-to-digest format.
Even if you have just five minutes before a call, review the Prep Sheet for your client’s or prospect’s industry. You’ll quickly grasp the industry’s top trends, the biggest challenges business owners face, and the risks that may emerge for them.
2. Turn insights into conversations
Strong preparation doesn’t just fill your notebook with facts; it fuels meaningful conversations. When you prepare with Vertical IQ, you’ll discover multiple ways to identify natural conversation starters.
Industry Profile chapters such as Current Conditions, Industry News, and Quarterly Insights are excellent places to begin. These sections provide timely updates and perspectives that can easily be turned into opening questions. For example:
- “I noticed that labor costs have risen sharply in your industry. How has that been affecting your operations?”
OR - “It looks like new technology is changing production efficiency in your sector. Are you seeing that locally?”
These kinds of insightful questions spur valuable conversations, valuable conversations make you relevant, and relevance is what earns you a seat at the business owner’s decision-making table.
3. Speak their language
Call preparation also means learning industry lingo so you can communicate in the language of the business owner. Each Vertical IQ Industry Profile includes an Industry Terms chapter that defines the key words and phrases common to that field.
Understanding and using this terminology correctly instantly elevates your credibility with that business owner.
4. Guide the conversation with curiosity
Once you’re familiar with the nuances of the industry, it’s time to plan your questions. A well-prepared banker doesn’t walk in with a script but with two or three curiosity-based questions that will guide the discussion naturally.
Found in every Industry Profile, Vertical IQ’s Call Prep Questions are designed to do exactly that. These questions encourage open dialogue, help uncover current and future needs, and demonstrate genuine interest.
For example, instead of asking, “Are you happy with your current banking relationship?” try, “With the new auto tariffs in place, what are some of the biggest financial challenges you anticipate this year?” or “How are rising food costs affecting your working capital needs?” Those questions show that you’ve done your homework and are thinking about their business … not just your sales goals.
Preparation builds trust; trust builds relationships
When you thoroughly and consistently prepare for sales calls, you show clients and prospects that you respect their time and understand their unique situation. For a business owner, that’s the foundation of trust, and in banking, trust is what wins and retains relationships.
Relationship-building is at the heart of Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence. It’s much more than a research tool; it’s your framework for time-saving, reliable call preparation. Vertical IQ gives you the knowledge to ask smarter questions, the confidence to lead insightful discussions, and the credibility to build relationships that make you a business owner’s go-to advisor. Every banker claims to care about their clients, but thorough preparation with Industry Intelligence is how you prove it to them.
Ready to get started? Contact us to learn more!
Image: Marcus Aurelius, Pexels