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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.
Three Steps to Increasing Sales Results, Part III
Click HERE for your free coaching session on sales Last time we talked about research that was shared by Professional Selling Power magazine that declared that: Number 1) Having a selling system that works can increase sales effectiveness and net results by as much as 30 percent. 2) Following a selling program or procedure can increase selling effectiveness and net results by as much as 20...
Three Steps to Increasing Sales Results, Part II
Last time we talked about research that was shared by Professional Selling Power magazine that declared that: Number 1) Having a selling system that works can increase sales effectiveness and net results by as much as 30 percent. 2) Following a selling program or procedure can increase selling effectiveness and net results by as much as 20 percent. And 3) Maintaining a positive mindset or...
Three Steps to Increasing Sales Results, Part I
Do you want to increase your sales proficiency of your people by 100 percent? Professional Selling Power magazine reports this formula: Number 1) Having a selling system that works can increase sales effectiveness and net results by as much as 30 percent. Number 2) Following a selling program or procedure can increase selling effectiveness and net results by as much as 20 percent. And number 3)...
Recruiting Your Next Superstar
If you want great employees, you must become a great recruiter. Most ads are written for people who are looking for jobs. The best candidates, however, already have good jobs. People don't move for a job that feels the same. So, follow these five rules to attract extraordinary performers. 1) Spell out EXPECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS At least half of your ad copy should be geared toward what you want...
Are Your People Being Lied To?
So, you’re at the start of the sales funnel. And a prospect has been prequalified, and it's time to make the first call. Most bank sales people take one large gulp of air and then smother the prospect until the end of the call with how good, fast, easy, reliable, inexpensive, and reputable their bank's services are. Although you’ve alluded to value throughout your monologue, it has yet to be...
What Will Top 5% Banks Do in 2016?
Is having a good year in 2015 going to impede your chance of having a spectacular 2016? What if this next year HAD to be twice as good as last year? And what if instead, you changed your framework from “have to” to “get to” to make this the best year ever? Jim Collins, the author of the perennial business bestseller, Good to Great, taught us that attachment to “good” impedes the possibility of...
The 3 Biggest Lies Told to Community Bankers
I’ve been eavesdropping in on conversations at banking conventions for the last 18 months, and I have to tell you…I’m a little shocked. Because again and again, I’ve heard very smart bankers repeat three…lies to one another. Now, I don’t think they’re “liars.” I’m sure they’re not. But I do think that they’ve lost their grip on the truth. So, today, right here, I’m going to debunk many of these...
Ask This Question BEFORE Starting Your Succession Plan
Imagine for a second that some of your top executives would be departing from your organization. Through retirement, or illness, or some other unforeseen circumstance. What kind of ripple effect would that have on your organization?... And imagine if that wasn't addressed. Even worse, imagine if that next level behind those executives doesn't have succession planning in place as...
The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Community Bank Managers
It’s crazy-making… You create a strategic plan, promise the board that you will deliver, and then communicate it to your team. You think you’ve covered all of the bases, but the first month in, the sickening reality hits—you’re already off base. Sure, the economy is tough. And yes, the competition is doing crazy things. But your board does not want to hear it, and you know that your days...
What to Do if You’ve Tried Sales Training and Still Don’t See Results
What if you’ve put together a great incentive program…and it’s not working? What if you’ve had phenomenal sales training…and that’s not working? Perhaps you’re solving the wrong problem. If fact, research shows that emotional intelligence has more to do with sales results than anything else. And, knowing what it is that most matters about emotional intelligence can create a transformation...
7 Startling Signs You’re Losing the NIM Battle
Is net interest margin compression a given? It is for most banks…but it’s not for all banks. In fact, many banks are bringing up their net interest margin by 40, 50, 60, 100 basis points in a half a year to a year. And if they can do it, perhaps you can. So what are the seven telltale signs that you will have continued NIM compression? Number one: You have people who believe that they have to...
The Fast-Track to Consistent Profitable Growth
You’ve got a problem… Your sales staff was lulled to sleep during the good times and those that are left, now years later, well, they don’t have the skills or the confidence to go snap up quality accounts and get them at a rate you can be proud of. They sit in the office trapped, as if in a box of their own making, believing that it’s not possible to rapidly grow their portfolio with quality...