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.
STOP! Motivating Bank Employees is a Waste of Time
You’re in luck… At conference, after conference, after conference, when I speak to audiences of bank executives the talk lately has been “culture, culture, culture.” Much ado about culture…why? There’s good reason. Culture is proven to be the leading predictor of YOUR future growth and profitability. Read that again… CULTURE is PROVEN to be the LEADING PREDICTOR of future growth and...
Cross-Sales…Its Sad State of Affairs
Truly depressing really… Imagine if you came to work for two decades…busted your hump and looked back over your 20-year career, only to discover you’d made absolutely no progress. What a waste… That’s exactly what our beloved industry can do right now. Turn around and reflect on the last two decades…and realize that as a group, no progress has been made in cross-sales success. Not a lick! For...
Winning Business in a Mobile Banking World
So, I’m curious… How much is your branch lobby traffic down in the last 5 years? Second question: Are your personal bankers getting out of the branch, into the community where the customers are? Or, are they waiting for them to walk in the door? (It’ll be a long wait.) The behaviors and skills that made your best personal bankers successful for the last 30-years won’t help them going forward....
Marketing Makeover–How to KNOW You Are Getting ROI from Every Marketing Dollar
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–$20 back (or more) to your bottom line. If you’re the kind of banker who feels like your marketing department is already targeting the very best, low-risk, high-profit...
How to Get REAL Results by Optimizing Your Sales Management Process
I believe the job of a sales manager is one of the most difficult there is. In this episode, I’m going to share how a sales manager can create more and better results with fewer headaches. If you’re the kind of sales manager or leader of sales managers: Who has it all buttoned-down and you feel your sales management is optimized, you’ll love discovering how you can use that powerful...
How to Build Iron-Clad Accountability around Loan Growth
I believe most people really want to do a good job. In this session, I’m going to show you how to take your “ok” performers and help them focus on what matters so they can create far better sales results than they ever dreamed possible. If you’re the kind of leader: Who has great accountability already, you’ll love this because I’ll show you how to get lenders to up the ante on their...
Close 50% of Your Top 100 Best Customers Each Year
I believe teams can create a result that far exceeds the sum of its individuals. In this video, I’m going to share how you can dramatically increase the chance of getting larger deals at premium pricing by utilizing team selling instead of the “individual contributor” model of sales. If you’re the kind of leader who: Has already begun selling via teams and you’re getting...
More Loans from the Best Customers at Better Pricing
I believe it’s FUN to win. In this session, I’m going to share with you a way to help your lenders win more and better deals. If you’re the kind of leader: Whose team is already bringing in nice deals and you’re fairly happy, you’re going to love this because I’m going to show you that there is a lot more where that came from. They can, with that base, bring in so much more AND at better...
Avoid the 4 Issues Sabotaging Your Lending Team
I believe quality loan growth is one of the top three drivers of sustainable profitability for banks. In this session, I’m going to show you how, by restructuring your lending department, you can increase the productivity per lender by 30–40% or more within 12 months. If you’re the kind of leader: Who thinks your team is kicking butt and taking names in securing quality loans at premium...
What if You Could Transform to Next-Level Culture in 1 Day?
I believe everyone wants to work in a place where they get energized and surround themselves with competency. In this episode, I’ll show you how you move the culture score needle—the leading predictor of future growth and profitability. If you’re the kind of leader: Who feels like you have great people and you have this wired, you’re going to enjoy hearing how banks just like yours are...
4 No-Fail Strategies to Up Your Customer Service Game from Good to “WOW”
I believe everyone loves to be well-taken care of. In this episode, I’ll show you how to take a good service culture over the moon—to have a service culture that is so remarkable that everyone is talking about you and sending their friends. If you’re the kind of leader: Who feels you already nail this customer service aspect, you’ll love this because I’ll show you how banks who have...
How to Build the Iron-Clad System for Improving Your Culture Score
I believe a great culture makes running an organization delightful. In this episode, I’ll share with you a system we use with our clients who, almost without exception, have improved their culture scores every year compared to the year before—often for over a decade. If you’re the kind of leader who: Thinks your culture is spot on—couldn’t be better and the accolades keep...