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.
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...
Better Decisions Faster—How to Help Your Executive Team Master the Decision-Making Process
I believe good business is just a series of good choices strategically and effectively implemented. In this episode, I’ll show you how to help your executive team make better decisions faster. If you’re the kind of leader who is frustrated because your people come to you with half-baked recommendations, and the person with the idea has essentially “delegated up” the work curating...
How to Get Your Executive Team to Grow into Even More Effective Leaders
I believe that being a great executive requires each of us to grow as people. In this session, I’m going to share with you how to get your executives to grow in how they communicate with each other. If you’re the kind of leader who feels like your executives get along well, but they don’t always go into the eye of the needle to address tough subjects as effectively as you’d like,...
How to Drive Performance by Aligning Your Executive Team
I believe that you can’t coach height—there are certain things that don’t change much. In this session, I’ll show you how you can dramatically improve the results of your executive team. If you’re the kind of leader who seems to be coaching the same people on the same things to no avail, the proverbial, “Every day at the landscaping firm, the green side goes up, and the brown side...
Extreme Accountability—How to Get Executives to “Own It”
I believe most people have a little bit of a fear that they won’t be successful. In this episode, I’m going to show you a powerful way for you to get your executives to understand that they own all the results for the entire organization—not just their silo—and what to do with that knowledge. If you’re the kind of leader who: Feels like you’re still the one who...
How to Get Your Executives-to-Be Ready to Run a Bigger, More Challenging Bank
I believe the culture of your organization is your golden goose. In this episode, I’m going to share with you how to protect your bank from the carnage that happens by bringing in executives from the outside who don’t get your culture. If you’re the kind of leader who feels like your executive team is ready to run a bank twice its current size and the next-in-line are ready to do...
How to Deal with Your Team Members Who Believe They Need to Match Rates
I believe you have people on your team right now who are capable of so much more. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to eliminate the limiting beliefs that keep your team matching rates instead of going after substantial premium pricing on better quality clients. They’ll start getting bigger and better-quality customers within weeks. If you’re the kind of leader… Who feels...
Get Your Price Sales System
I believe that most of your salespeople have only begun to tap into their true potential. They just don’t have the confidence to go after large deals that are happy with their current bank and ask for premium pricing. In this episode, I’m going to show with you how the right sales system can help your people get excited about and effective at pulling in the very best customers…without PRICE even...
How to Use USPs to Get Paid More
I believe you can and should be paid more for what you do. In this episode, I’m going to show you a few ways to highlight your USPs—“differentiating value”—the right way in your sales process. Customers will sit up and pay attention…and you won’t lock yourself into a rate match. If you’re the kind of leader… Who has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on “branding,” yet found...
The 4 Levels of USPs
I believe community banks deserve to get paid for what they are worth—and never have to match rates. In this episode, you’ll discover how to use extreme differentiation to get 150 basis points more on the loan side and improve your deposit pricing as well. If you’re the kind of leader… Who feels strongly that you can’t follow the herd that believes NIM compression is...
The “No-Sales Approach” to Grow Sales
I believe people want to trust their banker and count on them to guide them to good financial decisions. It’s been harder these days to get that trust thanks to a mega bank that was called out on sales practices that caused improper cross-sales. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to not only recover from the damage that was done to the industry, but also deal with the...
How to Double Cross-Sales at Your Bank in 5 Months
I believe that truly great organizations have mastered two things—great people and great systems. In this session, I’m going to share with you a system that has consistently and predictably doubled cross-sales in 4–5 months. If you’re the kind of leader: Who has had a few false attempts at fixing the “order taking” pain point at your bank, you’ll love what I’m going to share. You...