Them: Whatever you do, do not picture a pink elephant.
You:

If you live anywhere but under a rock in the United States, you know there is another Financial Situation and there was a run on a couple of banks late last week, including Silicon Valley Bank. (And actually, if you’re in Europe, you’re probably familiar with the Credit Suisse of it all, too.)

Cue the flood of emails from regional banks everywhere.

🏦 Definitely don’t panic, they say. 
🏦 We definitely value your business.
🏦 Definitely trust us because We’re Not Like Those Other Guys.
🏦 Definitely don’t pull all your money out of our institution and stash it under your mattress.

Mm, doth the lady protest too much?

The bank my homeowner’s association uses sent out “Information Supporting Wintrust’s Financial Strength and Discipline.” Attached were FOUR PAGES of bar and line graphs with axes named in financialese, which might as well be Sanskrit to a lot of everyday people.

My best friend received an email “from” her bank’s CEO, “Logix is Exceptionally Strong and Well-Capitalized.” An excerpt:

We’ve experienced an increase in calls from individuals who are moving funds to Logix over concerns with their bank’s safety. Besides competitive rates and trustworthy service, it would be hard to find a more secure home for your deposits — particularly those exceeding $250,000.

📊😵‍💫 bar graphs intensify 😵‍💫📊

Some really bizarre flexes from a lot of institutions who would do well to show a little heart to customers who are justifiably freaked out right now. 

Not the time for peacocking 🦚
(Unless…bar graphs are actually soothing and I’m just a wet blanket?)

So let me tell you about Brad Tidwell, president and CEO of VeraBank, the 316th-largest bank in the United States.

I haven’t seen the email he sent to his account holders, but I know this: The man shared his cell phone number with All. 70. Thousand. Of them. 📞

His texts chimed all day, and his phone lit up with calls from concerned customers. He fielded them all, an Actual Human™ just answering questions and personally reassuring them that their money would be safe.

None of these regional banks cribbing notes from one another, spewing the same empty corporate bullshit, have made the news. Brad’s in The New York Times.

Those other banks — who also probably haven’t seen a zit’s bump in their customers’ trust either. And I’m willing to bet that ol’ Brad’s customers are feeling at least a little better.

Similar message, different energy. Feel me?

Every time we communicate with those who have placed their trust in us, our words matter. Empathy matters. Humanity matters. 

If we’re going to plant ideas in people’s heads, can we lean into the “let’s talk it through” and away from the “don’t freak out, dude, we rule and don’t you forget it”?

Every one of us is surrounded by a dark cloud of deafening noise, osmotically absorbing a lot of crap messaging.

The real stuff is what gets through, the ray of sunshine breaking through that loud cloud.

Be the Brad. (But also, you don’t have to give your cell phone number out to be empathetic.)

P.S. Don’t worry, the banks are going to be fine. 🙃 

The banks are always fine. 🫠