FROM PITCHING PRODUCTS TO BANKING TRUST
In business, trust is everything. But trust isn’t built by products or services. It is built by how people show up, what they care about, and how they make us feel.
Customers increasingly value experiences over features. And yet, many teams are still selling products, rather than investing in trust-based relationships.
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This was the challenge facing Absa Private Wealth: getting bankers to move away from talking about features, to embracing choreographed client experiences that made trust tangible in the moments that matter most.
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To kickstart this journey, we took private wealth bankers on a journey of discovery, to some of the world’s most iconic and enduring experience brands.​
WHAT DO STARBUCKS, THE RITZ-CARLTON AND STEVE JOBS HAVE IN COMMON?
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They built brands on more than service – they built them on experience and the power of human connection. By nurturing trust that is earned, not assumed, these brands create moments that feel both personal and profoundly human.
This was the starting point for TPA’s Innovation Accelerator Programme for Absa Private Wealth.
The goal was clear: Help Absa Private Wealth Bankers shift from routine delivery to distinctive value; from selling services to curating experiences; and from capable bankers to trusted, human partners in their clients’ financial lives.
Our Innovation Accelerator Programme was designed and delivered as three immersive experience cafes, each aligned to one of the strategic pillars of Absa Private Wealth’s Professionalise for Pride (P4P) transformation:
EXPERIENCE. VALUE. TRUST.
Each café invited delegates into a curated learning space, anchored by a case study that provoked new thinking about why some inspire fierce loyalty, while others simply ... transact.
CAFÉ 1
In Café One, we explored the Starbucks and Capital One stories – brands that turned ordinary moments into memorable experiences through personalisation, atmosphere, and emotional connection.
CAFÉ 2
Café Two brought in the gold standard of luxury service: The Ritz-Carlton. Here, delegates unpacked how small, consistent actions – delivered with care and ownership – builds enduring value.
CAFÉ 3
In Café Three, we studied Apple – a masterclass in trust. From radical simplicity to obsessive customer focus, Apple showed how clarity and consistency can turn users into loyal advocates.
Each café closed by translating these brand insights into the world of Private Wealth. What does it mean to create a multisensory experience in a digital-first bank? How do you personalise at
scale – without losing the human touch? And what does trust look like when it’s not assumed,
but earned?
The insights we provoked were not theoretical. They were practical, personal, an transformative: Private wealth bankers were empowered to rethink and reframe their roles – not as product experts, but as experience designers.
This allowed them to begin to take fuller ownership of client moments, to show up with greater intention, and to lead with the kind of presence that builds deep trust.
Bankers moved from product delivery to personal connection – learning to anticipate needs, elevate everyday moments, and take radical ownership of the full client experience.
They started speaking differently. Acting differently. And thinking differently. Leaders became coaches. Client conversations deepened. And key pockets of performance started to unlock across the business – supported by Journey Managers, embedded rituals, and the voices of P4PFluencers who modelled the change from within.
WHAT SHIFTED?
As Steve Jobs famously said:
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"THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CRAZY ENOUGH TO THINK THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD, ARE THE ONES WHO DO."
At Absa, a committed team of Private Wealth Bankers
are stepping forward to accept the assignment.
THE SENSEMAKERS WHO ELEVATED FEELINGS OVER FEATURES.
Let's talk experiences.
Contact us to find out how we can help your frontline teams shift from selling services
to curating experiences that build trust and unlock growth.
Drop any of us a note and we'll make sure to get back to you within 24 hours.