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.
The Three Most Regularly Violated Marketing Principles that Cost Banks Millions
I believe there are many ways to do anything—but there’s only one best way. In this episode, I’ll show you how banks utterly destroy their potential by violating little-known and often-broken marketing principles. If you’re thinking, “I don’t even know any marketing principles to violate—I leave that to other people”—you need this episode, because you must understand that ultimately you...
Get More Accounts From Top 100 Customers in Three Simple Steps
I believe accountable people make the world go ‘round. In this session, I’ll show you how to get everyone in your bank thinking about how to bring in the next best customers at premium pricing—in other words, getting everybody thinking like a marketer. If you have the traditional marketing department where they do “their thing” and nobody quite understands the why or the how except...
Targeting Your Top 100 Customers – and Closing Deals
I believe there are many ways to do anything—but there’s only one best way. In this episode, I’ll show you how banks utterly destroy their potential by violating little-known and often-broken marketing principles. If you’re thinking, “I don’t even know any marketing principles to violate—I leave that to other people”—you need this episode, because you must understand that...
The Curse of “Good” Customer Service
I believe people love to have positive attention lavished on them. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to take your already really good customer experience over the moon. If you’re frustrated by a lack of consistently over-the-top customer service, most of your encounters are fairly good but not all of them, and you’re not hearing “wows” pouring in daily, you’re going to...
Boost Your Marketing ROI by 5x to 20x
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 ROI from your marketing dollars so that every dollar you put in gives you far more than 5 to 20 back to your bottom line. If you feel like your marketing department is already targeting the very best low-risk, high-profit...
What Your Marketers Aren’t Doing Is Costing You Money
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 how to prove it! If you find yourself rubber-stamping a marketing budget that has a few tweaks from the year before and are wondering what, if anything, actually gets ROI from that budget, you’ll love this session, because I’ll show...
How to Get Real Results by Optimizing Your Sales Management Process
I believe that sales managers have one of the most difficult jobs. In this episode, I’m going to share how a sales manager can get more results with fewer headaches. If you’re a sales manager or leader of sales managers and have everything all buttoned-down, and you feel your sales management is optimized, you’ll love discovering in this episode how you can use that powerful platform to...
Turn “Okay” Sales People into Superstars
I believe that most people really want to do a good job. In this session, I’ll show you how to help your “okay” performers focus on what matters so they can create far better sales results than they ever dreamed possible. If you’ve got great accountability already, you’ll love this episode because I’ll show you how to get lenders to quickly up the ante on their performance. If you feel like you...
The Power of Team Selling
I believe a team can create results that far exceed the sum of those achievable by its members. In this session, I’m going to share with you how you can dramatically increase the chances of getting larger deals at premium prices by utilizing team selling instead of the “individual contributor” model of sales. If you’ve already begun selling via teams and you’re getting good results, you’ll be...
Loan Growth Multiplier Strategies: How to Normalize Big Wins Fast
I believe that 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 already bringing in nice deals and you’re fairly happy, you’re going to love this episode. I’m going to show you that, with that base, your lenders can bring in so much more and at better pricing. On the other hand, if you are frustrated that you have a few...
How to Get The Right Players in the Right Seats
I believe that 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 you can increase your productivity per lender by 30-40% or more within 12 months by restructuring your lending department. If you think your team is kicking butt and taking names in securing quality loans at premium pricing. You’re sure it’s...
Solving the Middle Management Breakdown
I believe that when middle managers are able to master management, result breakthroughs are profound and sustainable. In this episode, I’m going to share with you how to break through what I call the “middle management breakdown”—the block that keeps executives' dreams from becoming the reality of the front line’s execution. If you worry that your managers act more like “individual contributors”...