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.
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...
Stop Crazy-Making, Culture Destroying Behaviors for Good
I believe that sometimes, sadly, a workplace can feel a bit like an adult daycare. In this episode, I’ll show you how you can stop culture destroying behaviors that negate your ability to safely lead at your bank, and keep you awake at night. If you’re the kind of leader: Who feels you have a good culture, but there are just a few people who “stir the pot” and bring in their...
How to Get Newly Acquired Team Members Aligned & Profitable—FAST
I believe everyone wants to be good at what they do. In this episode, I’ll show you how to avoid the two years of “we-they” game playing that happens after an acquisition that robs the deal of any potential of a positive ROI. If you’re the kind of leader: Who has already made a few acquisitions that went fairly well, stay tuned. I’ll show you how to drastically decrease the risk of a...
How to Avert the After-Acquisition Customer Drain
I believe you deserve to hang on to the customers you just paid for in an acquisition. In this episode, I’ll show you how you can avoid the customer runoff that is “accepted” as the “way it is” and instead hang on to those customers AND make them profitable. If you’re the kind of leader: Who has already had an acquisition and lost over 20% of the customers you paid for, you’ll be thrilled...
4 No-Fail Steps to Prepare Your Team and Organization for an Acquisition
I believe a good acquisition should be “normalized” in within a quarter—and quickly profitable. In this episode, I’ll share with you a few elements of a system we use with our clients that have allowed for them to normalize the culture and get everyone playing nice in the sandbox together within a week and assure the acquisition hits its financial expectations that first year. If you’re...
3 MUST-Do Steps to NEVER Miss Prior to an Acquisition.
I believe everyone goes into an acquisition hopeful. Unfortunately, for too many banks, the acquisition becomes a profit-sucking, culture destroying, two-year battle of “we versus they.” In this episode, I’ll show you how to protect yourself from what could be an acquisition nightmare or one that isn’t profitable for years. If you’re the kind of leader who: Has had...
How to Get Everyone in Your Bank Thinking Like a Marketer
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 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....