Despite the complexity in execution, banks really only have two ways in which they create value (and therefore make money). One: build relationships with providers and users of capital, ensuring that they act as the facilitator in as many transactions as possible. Two: recognize and quantify risk, so they receive adequate returns for their exposure.
Pricing is fundamental to both functions, and yet many banks still price by sticking their head out the window to see what the guy down the street is doing. Why is this? Why is pricing, which is the essence of the banking business, such a struggle for so many?
To answer that big question, let’s start with the research of Stephan Liozu, author of “The Pricing Journey.” Liozu describes two dimensions of pricing capability, “Price Setting” and “Price Getting,” and shows that in order to excel at pricing, companies must master both dimensions.
Why Many Bankers Prefer Price Setting
Typically, Price Setting gets all the attention in the banking business. Why? Because it’s math. Funding costs, overhead costs, capital allocations … it’s meat and potatoes for most bankers, who pride themselves on analytics and on being able to quantify a deal in a neat and tidy box. But even though Price Setting is the dimension that gets the most attention, that doesn’t necessarily mean all banks are good at it. There’s plenty of evidence to the contrary in the marketplace. Still, given the comfort level with the concepts and the fact that progress should be quantifiable, bankers almost universally choose fixing this dimension as the way to correct their pricing woes.
The problem is that without mastering the second dimension (Price Getting), all of that Price Setting work is for naught.
So, What IS Price Getting, Anyways?
Price Getting covers people and process issues, but it essentially boils down to one question. How good are we at actually booking that price after we set it? Many banks are figuring out that they can’t just “out-math” the competition. It does no good to be really great at setting prices if they end up having to discount to get deals on the books or losing deals because they couldn’t find a creative way to make it meet their targets.
While determining the exact cause of the failures in pricing can be difficult, the outcomes are pretty straightforward. Are you wondering which aspect of your Price Getting approach needs work? An honest appraisal of where you fall on the diagram below should point you in the right direction.
The Reckless Gunslingers
These banks are a dwindling breed (since they keep failing), but we still run across more than you might expect. They are the banks that are terrible at setting the right price for their credit and interest rate risk and are willing to discount from there when necessary. These banks are dangerous, not just to themselves, but to everyone else in their market. The good news is that if you have any borrowers that you are worried about, this is exactly where you should point them.
The Stubborn Old Mules
These banks struggle with Price Setting but stick to their guns once they come to a decision. The problem is that the prices they are defending don’t always make sense. Sometimes they are stubbornly staying with above market rates in search of margin and are sacrificing top line growth to get it (look for the giant bond portfolios). Other times they have set prices for certain structures too low and stick to them even when the outsized production should tell them they got it wrong (look for the concentrations in risky loan types or long-term fixed rates). These banks have the shortest path to improvement, but in our experience, are also the least likely to actually take it. (Because they already have it figured out, thank you very much.)
The Pushovers
This quadrant represents most of the larger banks. They have sophisticated tools and entire teams dedicated to calculating the right price … usually out to four decimal places. The trouble is that the relationship managers trying to book deals at those rates find it impossible, because they don’t have access to those same tools, they haven’t been properly trained, or they know they can simply ignore the nerds with the calculators. These banks are the hardest fix, as massive organizational change is far more daunting than simply improving the math. The good news (or bad if they are a competitor) is that a growing number are willing to try, as the results are impossible to ignore.
The Champs
Finally we have the rarest of all - the banks in the top right corner that excel at both Price Setting and Price Getting. You can spot these banks from a distance, because they are the ones that are growing like crazy, while still generating top decile earnings. When asked about performance, their leaders never talk about pricing methodology. Instead, they talk about relationships and their strong teams. What they are really saying is that they’ve mastered the Price Getting component that eludes most of their peers.
So, which category best describes your bank? The right fix depends on a proper diagnosis, and in most cases, better math alone won’t fix your performance.
Curious how your bank’s pricing stacks up with the rest of the industry? You’ll definitely want to attend our State of Commercial Banking webinar in January – in which we analyze trends from 2019 and offer thoughts on where the market is headed in 2020.
