Here is the Ideal Customer Profile document for Mutual Savings Association.

Research Phase Summary

Mutual Savings Association - Ideal Customer Profile

1. Prospect Demographic Profile

Age: 35-55 (established business owners, growth-oriented)
Gender: Primarily male (60-70%) with family involvement
Location: Northeast Kansas, Northwest Missouri, Kansas City metro bedroom communities
Marital Status: Married (70-80%), family-oriented decision makers
Income: $150K-$250K personal income, $500K-$10M business revenue
Education: Some college to Bachelor's (60%), practical business experience valued
Political: Fiscally conservative, anti-bureaucracy, values local control

2. Ideal Client Exercise

Detailed success story of "Chris Collins," including:

What results they achieved (business acquisition during COVID, rapid loan approval, two locations)
Positive changes beyond banking (complete trust, time savings, strategic partnership, stopped rate shopping)
What makes them ideal (moved ALL accounts immediately, added wealth management, refers constantly, consults bank before decisions)
The transformation: Frustrated SBA reject → Trusted partner → "This is MY bank"

3. Behavior Profile

Prior Purchases: Business loans at other banks, accounting software (QuickBooks), legal services, multiple bank accounts (split relationships), Fidelity/Schwab investments
Experts They Follow: Mike Michalowicz, Simon Sinek, local CPAs, industry associations, Dave Ramsey, small business podcasters, successful peers
Favorite Content: Rocky series, Shark Tank, The Profit, Yellowstone, underdog stories, business documentaries
Reading: Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, local business journals, Traction, Good to Great, The E-Myth, industry trade publications

4. Wants/Emotions/Beliefs Profile

Wants: Rapid capital access, direct access to decision makers, simplified banking (one relationship), trusted advisor, time back in their day
Emotions: Currently frustrated (months of waiting), anxious (opportunities passing), overwhelmed (multiple banks); Want to feel confident, respected, empowered, efficient
Beliefs: "Big banks don't care about small business," "Time is money," "Direct access matters," "I'm self-reliant," "I'm a business owner" (core identity), "Banking should be simple"

5. Prospect Wants (To Gain/Be/Do/Save/Avoid)

To Gain: Time, rapid capital access, peace of mind, trusted advisor, competitive advantage, simplicity, respect
To Be: Successful business owner, smart decision-maker, owner (literal bank ownership), independent, confident leader
To Do: Expand business, act on opportunities quickly, simplify banking, make confident decisions, focus on running business (not banking hassles)
To Save: Time (most important), opportunity costs, mental energy, money on bad decisions, complexity
To Avoid: Waiting months for decisions, losing opportunities, bureaucratic nightmares, being treated like a number, big bank frustration, bait-and-switch experience

6. Empathy Map

Comprehensive breakdown of what they're:

Seeing: Multiple bank logins, competitors moving faster, opportunities with closing windows, different treatment (deposits vs. loans)
Hearing: "We'll send to loan committee," "Few more weeks," "Need more documentation," referrals ("Chris Collins says try Mutual Savings")
Saying: "How much longer?" "There has to be a better way," "This shouldn't be this hard," → Eventually: "This is MY bank"
Thinking: "Why is this so complicated?" "Can I trust this bank?" "Should I shop around?" "Other businesses must have better banking"
Feeling: Frustrated, impatient, anxious, overwhelmed, distrustful → Transform to: confident, relieved, empowered, respected
Doing: Logging into multiple banks daily, researching alternatives, calling for updates (getting nowhere), asking peers for recommendations

7. The Bullseye Customer Summary

"Frustrated Small Business Frank" - 45-year-old owner of a 15-employee business in a Kansas City bedroom community who's been waiting three months for a loan decision from his big bank while a business acquisition opportunity slips away. He's tired of explaining his business to people who can't make decisions, juggling accounts at three different banks, and feeling like just a number. He values his time more than marginal rate differences, wants a banking partner who knows his name and actually cares about his success, and is ready to consolidate everything with a bank that can give him rapid answers and direct access to decision makers. Once he finds Mutual Savings and experiences their flat structure and mutual ownership model, he moves all his accounts, adds wealth management, stops shopping around, and becomes an active referral source—saying "This is MY bank" with genuine pride.

Key Insights Captured:

✅ Speed is the #1 differentiator - "Days not months" resonates powerfully
✅ Direct access to decision makers is revolutionary (not just better service)
✅ Time-starved mindset drives all decisions - efficiency trumps price
✅ Big bank refugees = massive frustrated market ready to switch
✅ Lending is the entry point but deposits are the strategic goal
✅ "This is MY bank" phrase = emotional ownership, ultimate loyalty indicator
✅ Mutual ownership structure differentiates but needs education (not widely understood)
✅ Chris Collins archetype is replicable - frustrated borrower → complete relationship → referral engine
✅ "Good FOR you, not just good TO you" captures service philosophy vs. generic "great service" claims
✅ Flat structure = competitive advantage even vs. other community banks
✅ Award recognition (Extraordinary Bank of Year) = third-party proof that removes skepticism
✅ 4-6 product opportunity massive - loan-only customers are low-hanging fruit for checking conversion
✅ High referral potential once trust established - business owners refer other business owners
✅ Bureaucracy-averse identity = anti-big-bank positioning works powerfully
✅ "Rapid decisions + Direct access" messaging duo is the killer combination

Research Phase

What's Included:

Research Phase Summary

Mutual Savings Association - Ideal Customer Profile

1. Prospect Demographic Profile

2. Ideal Client Exercise

3. Behavior Profile

4. Wants/Emotions/Beliefs Profile

5. Prospect Wants (To Gain/Be/Do/Save/Avoid)

6. Empathy Map

7. The Bullseye Customer Summary

Key Insights Captured:

Critical Marketing Implications:

Lead With Speed & Access

Target the Frustrated

Loan-to-Deposit Journey

Proof Over Promises

Local + Owner Positioning

Time Respect in Everything

The "Split Relationship" Opportunity

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