Tap an Opportunity to Boost Profits and Efficiency

Business Solutions^TM keeps business check orders where they belong:
with you

The solution to boosting your business check revenue may be sitting on your desk, tucked inside a rectangular blue and green box that says “Harland Clarke Business Solutions” in bold blue letters. This box was part of a series of communications and branch mailings sent to your institution this spring that included information regarding Harland Clarke’s newly enhanced Business Solutions program. The program offers an efficient and highly secure way for your small business account holders to order the checks, forms and related products they need, through you, instead of with a nonbank vendor.

A majority of small-business owners order checks with local printers or retailers, rather than their financial institution, according to Rick Osewalt, vice president of marketing with the Business Solutions group of Harland Clarke. “Only about one in three place their check order through their bank or credit union,” he says. “So this is untapped potential for financial institutions.” The numbers speak for themselves. On average, an order placed through the Business Solutions program results in: • 34 percent higher order value* • 50 percent reduction in errors, compared with outside vendors* • 50 percent reduction in waives*

Caveat Emptor: Let the Buyer Beware

Some account holders may be comparison shoppers who often look for better prices. But Business Solutions offers competitive market pricing, so there's no need to shop around. Plus, account holders should be aware of certain benefits that come with purchasing checks directly from their bank or credit union. One benefit is that financial institutions can take steps to ensure that printed checks will be compatible with a company’s accounting software. “Bank personnel should ask what sort of software the small-business account holder uses,” says Osewalt. “Is it Quicken®, Microsoft®, Peachtree®, ACCPAC®, MAS®, Simply Accounting®? Our checks are 100 percent compatible with more than 1,700 software programs. Not every check supplier offers a full range of computer checks.” Fraud and security are concerns to both you and your account holders, and poor-quality checks can result in higher rates of MICR reject fees. Account holders might be unaware of the exposure their orders have when handled by someone other than your institution’s personnel or a Harland Clarke business product expert. “You don’t want a print shop salesperson writing down confidential financial data and then possibly leaving the order forms where others can find it,” Osewalt cautions.

More Efficient and More Profitable

Another key benefit of the enhanced Business Solutions program is its ability to make the business ordering process less stressful for branch representatives. Business check orders can be complicated. Account holders may have many technical questions, and branch personnel may not have the detailed knowledge or time to properly assist them.

In addition, processing check orders may not be a high priority for busy branch officers, according to Osewalt. “With this program, branch personnel simply put the account holder on the phone with our smallbusiness specialists, who can answer questions, handle complex details and take the check order on behalf of the financial institution.” Or, if the account holder is not ready to place an order at account opening, the branch representative can send an e-referral to Harland Clarke and a business product specialist will contact the account holder to take the order.†

Waiving the cost of business checks on first-time orders may be appropriate, depending on your institution’s policy. This common practice, which is sometimes left to the discretion of branch personnel, can become difficult to control and may have a high cost associated with it. But Osewalt points out that, unlike personal checks, business checks can be a high-ticket item, so waiving the cost of these checks on a regular basis is a lost revenue opportunity and can become a considerable profit drain on an institution.

In addition to newly re-designed sales materials, the Harland Clarke Business Solutions welcome package includes several new pieces (see back cover). One of these is a branch sales flier with a list of program features and benefits. “We want bank and credit union managers to encourage their branch personnel to use the new kit to make the check-ordering process more efficient and profitable for their organization,” says Osewalt.

Harland Clarke Business Solutions is also developing a series of free online training classes designed to help branch personnel use the new materials to increase revenue and account holder satisfaction. Visit harlandclarke.com/business for more information on this training resource and the Harland Clarke Business Solutions program.

Banks and credit unions are in a good position to advise small-business owners on a host of financial matters. “This includes recommending the type of checks they need and the safest way to purchase them,” says Osewalt. “Don’t miss this great opportunity.”

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS™ Program Benefits

Use this feature-rich tool to ramp up your business check revenue. Check out these features and benefits:

Feature	Benefits for Your Account Holders	Benefits for Your Financial Institution
Convenient Ordering Options	One toll-free number does it all Check order status or place re-orders 24x7 by phone	More time to sell products and services Order capture rates may increase while bank expenses decrease Privacy and Security
Privacy and Security	Private data is protected Security features embedded in business checks help protect against fraud	Peace of mind A safe, secure environment, from order processing through production
Product Choices	Wide variety of business products Business checks are software compatible	A larger selection may mean greater purchase volume A 34 percent higher average order value*
Satisfaction	Knowledgeable experts remove the guesswork from orders Assistance in selecting the right products the first time	Check order errors reduced by 50 percent* on average, increasing account holder satisfaction High-quality checks reduce scanning problems that can result in MICR check reject fees
Pricing	Competitive pricing ValuePacks® increase convenience	Waived fees reduced by 50 percent* Potential for increased check program revenue

For more information on the Harland Clarke Business Solutions program, contact your Harland Clarke account executive or visit harlandclarke.com/business.

* Program results reflect estimates based on Harland Clarke’s calculation of past program performance. They also include assumptions with regard to channel shift and order retention. Past results are not a guarantee of future performance.

†E-referral is for select programs only.

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