Welcome to The Top 5 Percenter™ Blog
Dive in for concise, powerful insights on elevating community banking. Discover strategies and success stories for superior performance, from boosting financial margins to cultivating a dynamic culture. These posts literally contain the secrets of the Top 5 Percenters™. Sign up to the newsletter so that you don’t miss a single post.
Who Made Up THAT Rule? [VIDEO]
Everyone has patterns of disbelief. Some people believe that in politics, there is one side or the other, and they're unwilling to look at the alternative. Still others believe that the moon is made of cheese. You may have a belief system that's true. You may have a belief system that's not true. And the question that we have to look at as an executive is, "what has to be true for us to...
The “New Math” to Measure the Right Things [VIDEO]
How much do you invest in your marketing budget every year? Now divide that amount by the number of calls or inquiries it generates. For most banks, the marketing budget is driven by shiny new ideas from conferences that marketing people attend or based on what was done the year before. From the newly attended conference “pitches,” they go shopping for new software, new branding, new social...
How to tie everyone to PROFIT [VIDEO]
Does every team member on your team know how they tie to profit? I mean really know? When a study published in Businessweek revealed they had asked 6,000 employees, "Do you perform in the top 10 percent?" more than 90 percent said they performed in the top 10 percent! Whoa. So yes, you likely have a problem. And no, your people don't really understand how they tie to profit—but they certainly...
How to “Turn Off the Noise” and Finally Get Marketing That Works [VIDEO]
I believe accountable people make the world go around. In this session, I’ll show you how to get everyone in your bank thinking about how to go get the next best customers at premium pricing. If you’re the kind of leader who has the traditional marketing department and they do “their thing” and nobody quite understands the why or the how except those in the department, that’s very typical....
3 Marketing Mistakes That Cost Banks Millions [VIDEO]
I believe there are hundreds and thousands of ways to do any one thing—but there’s only ONE best way. In this episode, I’ll show you how banks destroy their potential by violating little known yet powerful marketing principles. If you’re the kind of leader who is thinking, I don’t even know any marketing principles to violate—I leave that to “other people”—you’re going to love this...
How to Consistently Deliver WOW Customer Service [VIDEO]
I believe people love to have positive attention lavished on them. EVERY bank is facing these challenges. bank is facing these challenges. bank is facing these challenges. this episode, I’m going to show you how to take your already good customer experience and turn it into an experience your customers can’t help but talk about. If you’re the kind of leader who is frustrated by the lack...
The Unlikely 4-Step Formula to Double the ROI Of Your Marketing [VIDEO]
I believe most everything in life should carry its own weight. In this session, I’ll show you how to create massive ROI from every marketing dollar AND know how to prove it! If you’re the kind of leader who is rubber stamping a marketing budget that has a few tweaks from the year before and you’re are wondering if any of your marketing is actually getting a result, you’ll love this session...
How to Cut Your Marketing Budget By 80% and Double Profit at the Same Time [VIDEO]
I believe that people want to work with people who “get them” and are all about their success. In this series, I’m going to show you how you can transform the marketing ROI so that every dollar you invest gives you $5 to $20 back (or more) to your bottom line. If you’re the kind of banker that feels like your marketing department is already targeting the very best, low risk, high-profit...
The Dangers of False-Attempt Sales Training [VIDEO]
I believe people don’t like hassles. Who does? Whether it’s at work, at home, or out shopping. But it’s a dangerous attitude among your people because it causes them to not put 100% into their sales conversations. In this video, I’m going to show you how your people (like many bankers before them who couldn’t, but now do) can get 6–7 cross-sales and all the deposits in a way that never feels...
Bank Sales Training Basics—with an Important Twist [VIDEO]
I believe that we humans can make easy tasks MUCH harder than they need to be. We all do it. The people at your bank struggling with sales effectiveness do it, too. In this video, I’m going to show you how you can take a trouble spot, like getting enough deposits, and turn it into a big win quickly. Quick hint: It’s about moving away from “training” but instead “educating” your team the...
How to Move Beyond “Trusted Advisor” Lip Service to Get ALL of their Deposit Business [VIDEO]
I believe people want to work with “the best.” When people truly trust you and you bring value that exceeds your additional pricing, people are willing to bring all their business to you and your bank. At that point, price has little relevance. They know that what you provide is worth the cost. That’s a prime position for you to be in—now here’s how you’re going to get there. If you're the kind...
Where the Low-Risk, High-Profit Clients Are Hiding [VIDEO]
I believe that sometimes one tweak can make a huge impact. In this video, we’ll tackle proven techniques you can use immediately to find your next top 100 most profitable, low-risk clients. Those are exactly the customers you want on your roster—and it’s worth the work to bring them in. In fact, using this system I’m about to reveal has brought my clients a closing rate near 100%. I think that’s...