Community Banks Doing It Right – What the Top 5% Know and Do
Roxanne Emmerich reveals how top 5% banks grow $100M+ in core deposits and triple cross-sales—without matching rates or chasing gimmicks.
Welcome to the Top 5 Percenter™ Blog
The Antidote to Commodity Hell
If you’re feeling trapped in rate competition, you’re in “Commodity Hell”… and it’s not a fun place.
When your customers and prospects view you as no different than the bank down the street, you create a situation where retaining customers and attracting new ones is beyond difficult.
The first reaction is to blame the customers. You’ve heard it at banking conventions before. Someone will complain, “Customers don’t care about relationships anymore. It’s all about rates and fees.”
That’s backward thinking.
Yes, it is all about rates and fees if you don’t give the customer any other good reason to use in making their decision.
Notice the change…
It’s up to you to provide them with a good reason to choose you.
I know you’re thinking, “But we do give them reasons to do business with us. When you come to our bank, we have a friendly, service-focused staff.”
That’s great, but it’s not any different than what every other bank is saying. If you want different pricing — premium pricing, you have to be delivering premium value far beyond what your competition does.
Never let the words, “We have good people” or “We have good service” be uttered by your people again as a reason for your premium pricing. You must be able to prove you are worth at least 150 basis points more on the loan side and at least 25 on the deposit side.
And that is the new game of banking.
More From The Blog
Why Most Banks Fail at Cross-Selling—And How the Best Banks Are Tripling Results
Cross-selling isn’t a script—it’s a system. Discover how top-performing banks engineer daily discipline that triples products per customer and locks in loyalty.
Your “Nice” Culture Is a Lie. And It’s Costing You Millions.
One bank ditched fake smiles and vague reviews—and doubled profits in 12 months. Here’s how they built a culture that actually works.
Straight Talk from the C-Suite: What High-Performing Bank Execs Are Doing Differently
Top execs are done with old sales playbooks. Discover what’s replacing them—and why one COO hasn’t missed a quarter in six years.
How Elite CEOs Run Game-Changing Board Meetings
Most board meetings are packed with data—but starved of strategic clarity. Discover how the top 5% of banks engineer boardrooms that drive performance, challenge respectfully, and align with breakthrough plans. This week’s episode reveals what high-performing CEOs do differently—and how you can bring that same power to your board.
What the Best Banks Know—and the Rest Still Don’t Get
Top banks play to win. Discover what they do differently—and why it starts with culture and strategy.
What the Best Banks Measure (and the Rest Miss): The Hidden Levers of Top Gun Leaders
Most banks track performance after it’s too late. In this week’s video, Roxanne reveals the exact metrics Top Gun CEOs use to fix results before they lag.
Halfway Is No Excuse
Midyear banking strategy not working? Elite banks accelerate, not apologize. Here’s how to finish strong—with accountability, margin, and momentum.
Top Bank Doubled Revenue with 1/3 Fewer Staff—Here’s How
Toxic conflict is quietly draining your profits.
Most banks reach for generic culture fixes and miss the root cause—low emotional intelligence and zero accountability. Discover how the best banks use healthy dissension to crush drama, boost performance, and lead the industry in profitability.
Bank Drama is Draining Your Profits—Here’s the Proven Fix
Toxic conflict is quietly draining your profits.
Most banks reach for generic culture fixes and miss the root cause—low emotional intelligence and zero accountability. Discover how the best banks use healthy dissension to crush drama, boost performance, and lead the industry in profitability.