Commercial Pressure in Banking: The Two Victims
- drfabiogiacometti
- Nov 17, 2025
- 2 min read
A Growing Problem: Commercial Pressure in Banking
A single word can sometimes feel like a closing argument, pointing straight at an issue that Hungary, too, has been quietly struggling with behind closed doors: commercial pressure in banking.
For months, I’ve argued that these aren’t isolated episodes or “bad apples." They’re the result of a structural problem, a model problem.
And it’s not because “Bank X” is worse than “Bank Y.” The issue isn’t the logo. The issue is an operating model that disguises sales as advice.
When sales targets become the gravitational centre of everything, real advisory disappears. And the consequences are easy to predict.
What the Evidence Shows
In Italy, in the banking system, trade unions uncovered:
explosive budget expectations
pressure to sell bundled insurance
targets detached from local realities
employees are afraid to report abuses
Hungary shows similar signs: unrealistic KPIs, relentless product-push logic and an environment where the line between guidance and quota-chasing becomes dangerously thin. And the irony is that there are always two victims:
Employees are forced to pursue unattainable numbers
Clients who receive products chosen for quarterly targets, not personal goals
Why This Matters
MiFID Protocols, commitments, declarations? Both Italy and Hungary have plenty of them.
But when commercial performance becomes the only measure of value, listening to clients becomes a problem instead of a priority. And the core currency of advisory, trust, erodes one day at a time.
I keep repeating something simple but uncomfortable: Advisory is not sales.
It doesn’t have a budget. It isn’t measured in monthly quotas. It does not rely on pressure tactics or retail logic dressed up as “client care.”
Real advisory is a responsibility. It’s oversight. It’s a relationship built around the client’s interests, not institutional targets.
Can the System Change?
Yes. But only if the intention is genuine, and the clients are more conscious about their needs and plans.
The first step is acknowledging that a system built on unrealistic objectives cannot produce trust, healthy workplaces or sustainable long-term results.
Hungary needs fewer numbers and more listening. Less pressure and more ethics. Fewer product pushes and more real advisory. The authentic kind.
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