Brews and Building Trust with Justin Butler

Justin Butler is the senior vice president of commercial banking at UMB Bank, where he works to grow the bank and grow relationships. He sat down over drinks at Tie & Timber Beer Co. to offer his advice on building trust with clients.

“What you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it. Put in the time and effort and energy to develop relationships.”

“You’ve just got to stay top of mind and stay after it.”

“My own recipe for that is that I’m always responsive. My phone is always with me, probably way too much, but it’s also part of my job.”

“It’s important that the work you put in upfront [includes] treating your newest customer like the first customer you brought in, and not losing sight of that.”

“Always be upfront and honest.”

“Integrity and being transparent—you have to always give that off from the top.”

“I can be hired, but I can also be fired, so I have incentive to always work hard for [my clients].”

“Half the battle is just showing up every day [and] being present. I don’t let much get by me in terms of being responsive, and I think you have to show that day in and day out.”

“Get [it] out on the table that you’re real, honest and genuine. I think that you can truly read that on someone when you’re getting to know someone. I don’t stray away from that because I like to think that’s my character.”

“It’s not always easy to give feedback that’s constructive and negative. It’s important to do that and be honest and be quick about it.”

“Grab the most successful person in the room and see how they conduct their business. Take them on every single call you go on. I’ve been able to piece my style together from other influences, not just banking, over time.”