Strong technical skills are an entry-level qualification for any successful consulting partnership. Yet beyond that qualification, how do companies choose the right partner for them? Companies are as unique in their aspirations, business goals, and cultures as the people who run them.

When executives are choosing a consulting firm, they typically look for a partner with credibility, as well as a complimentary culture that can achieve success for their initiatives. Executives also want experts that they can trust, particularly leaders who can help guide their companies through change.

A company that Bluewolf works with is Enterprise Bank and Trust, a commercial bank that serves the lifetime financial needs of privately-held businesses and their owning families. I sat down with Debbie Barstow, SVP of Risk Management, to get her insights into what it really means to embark on a business transformation journey, and why she chose to work with Bluewolf.

BW: At Bluewolf, we believe that it’s the people that make up the DNA of an organization. What is the culture like at Enterprise Bank and Trust?

DB: We serve entrepreneurs, so a lot of the people we hire are very entrepreneurial in nature. While this makes us extremely dynamic and innovative, it can also be challenging, because people want to do things their own way. As we continue to grow, we need to be more disciplined in our processes, and change the mindset from a “me” culture to a “we” culture.

BW: At what point did you realize you wanted to bring on a consulting partner? 

DB: We’ve recently experienced very rapid growth due to an acquisition of a consumer bank. We quickly realized that we needed to sell more deeply into our client base, so we hired Bluewolf to come in and help us better engage our current customers to increase cross-sales within our organization.

BW: What characteristics were you looking for in a partner?

DB: We knew we needed a partner who understood more than just CRM. We needed a firm who knew financial services, who could help with sales management best practices, customer engagement and employee engagement. 

BW: So what ultimately made you choose Bluewolf?

DB: Really, we just “meshed.” Bluewolf gets banking, and they understand our unique business. In the first fifteen minutes of the first meeting, Julie Hamilton (Bluewolf’s lead consultant), got up and drew a picture that exactly illustrated our problem. We were shocked that Bluewolf understood our challenges and future vision so immediately.

BW: Now that Salesforce is live, integrated with your other systems, and has been rolled out to your organization, have you seen any improvements?

DB: Yes, and we are thrilled with the initial results! After just six months, we had 1,200 referrals across our eight distribution channels. A lot of people didn’t think we could do this — but we did it very quickly. Bluewolf really helped to get our whole company rallied around this new system and process.

BW: What would you say is the most critical factor in a good partnership?

DB: Trust. An initiative like this is such a major commitment of time, money, and resources. This is our future, and we have to get it right. Bluewolf truly cares about our business and we trust them with our future roadmap.

BW: What advice do you have for other companies that are going to embark on a similar journey?

DB: It’s going to be harder than you think, and it’s OK to ask for help. You need to leverage experts like Bluewolf wherever and whenever you can. Don’t let people tell you that you can’t do it — because we’re proof that you can.

Success is personal, and every partnership should be too. Learn how Bluewolf helps companies create unique customer moments to accelerate success. Contact us to connect with one of our financial services experts.