The basis of a healthy, long-term SME-Bank relationship is mutual added value. The most important point is that both parties serve with ethical values and their relationship is based on trust.
As an SME, how should you follow a path to ensure the continuity of the relationship in the bank management process, what should you pay attention to?
1- Be honest; Do not try to make yourself or your company look different than it is. If the collateral of your credit limit in X bank is a mortgage and/or a check; do not say our collateral is a surety to the bank with which you will enter into a working relationship for the first time. During the credit study, the intelligence units of all banks will obtain information about your company from the relevant bank and you will create distrust when the facts are revealed.
2- Don't go, let them come to you; Visiting the customer on site is a situation that both banks want and the customer can express himself more easily and show his activities more comfortably. If you, as the owner of the company, or a person who has a power of attorney on your behalf, makes a request for the first meeting with a bank with which they will establish a new relationship, it will not be taken very seriously. Therefore, wait for them to reach out to you.
3-Fulfill your commitments; If you want to have a long-term SME-Bank relationship, stick to your promises. If you receive a letter of guarantee from the bank, send the progress payment to the bank from which you received the letter, if you use foreign currency-indexed or foreign currency loans for imports, make the imports from the bank from which you use the loan, send the export costs to the bank from which you use exim loans. If you do not do these, you cannot have a sustainable relationship.
4-Avoid unnecessary promises; The main purpose of the meeting with the bank is that you need the bank and the bank needs you. Even if you think that you make promises such as if you solve this business during the meeting, I will shift all my cash flow to you, I will use all loans from you, I will leave money in demand, I will make salary payments from you, the reaction of the banker is this: Why is he doing this? There must be something. Let's see what comes out.
5-Speak in numbers; During the meeting with the bank, you, as the company owner, should be ready with the answers to your turnover, profitability, bank and market debts, market receivables, and how you will provide financing for the ongoing and follow-up projects. In general, the banker will ask for turnover information in order to get to know your company and learn about its volume. In the face of this question, do not say something like “Can you look at our turnover for 2023?” by calling your accountant. Know your numbers, show that you are a boss who owns your business.
Unutulmamalıdır ki, bankaların etkin ve karlı çalışabileceği daha çok müşteriye, firmalarında hedeflerine ulaşabilmesi için finansal güce ihtiyacı vardır.
The basis of a healthy, long-term SME-Bank relationship is mutual added value.