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 Top 24 Words That Sell
In order, these are the most compelling words that cause people to buy. Make sure your sales letters and presentations are filled with them. PRINT THIS AND KEEP IT HANDY TO REVIEW EVERY LETTER YOU SEND. You How New How to Amazing Announcing Breakthrough Just Discover Free New At Last Sale Protect Now Astonishing Introducing Secrets of Which Only Yes Here Why...
What’s the One Best Predictor of Organic Growth?
Fred Reichheld, author of the 1996 bestseller, The Loyalty Effect, revealed that a “5% improvement in retention can boost profits by up to 100%.” These numbers confirm what many of us already know—it’s phenomenally important to keep your customers coming back. Now Reichheld is back with a new book that reveals that, of all the metrics of business, the best predictor of organic growth can be...
Two MAGICAL Questions You MUST Ask Yourself Before You Start 2012 Planning… or 2012 Could be Rough
Who are my ideal clients? What individuals and businesses? Be specific. “Small business” is NOT a target market. “Entrepreneurial-minded medical industry practices” is a target. What problem does each ideal client have that you can solve both effectively and profitably? Your entire strategic plan should start and end there. Everything in-between needs to focus there.
Research Your Competition
Determine what advantages you have over each of your main competitors. Then ask questions to encourage prospects to actually tell you your competitors' weaknesses: "How long does it take for your lender to get back to you when you leave a message?" “How long does it take to get money at your current bank when you want to invest in a new opportunity?” Not only does it help you understand more...
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Three Challenges Facing Community Bankers and How Top Performers are Fixing Them [Video]
Roxanne Emmerich share’s three of the biggest challenges she sees banks dealing with today and the processes top-performing banks are using to fix them. Let us know what you think!
Calling it Tight: Running a Tight Ship
Someone’s late for a meeting. Nobody calls the person on it. Next week, three people are late. That’s no coincidence. Eventually, there won’t be a meeting in the entire organization that starts within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. Sales reports aren’t done accurately or aren’t timely. Well, it’s your top producer so…what can you say? Then, the top achiever stops doing the reports all...
Banks Miss Mortgage Opportunities More Often than Anthills Have Ants
It happens every day, all day in almost every bank. The phone rings. A well-meaning staff person answers politely. The inquirer asks, "What are your mortgage rates?" to which the well meaning staff person begins to list the rates, thanks the caller for calling, and sends the shopper on to the next bank or mortgage company to get their mortgage. They make no attempt to help! Our research shows...
Creating a Movement in Your Organization [Video]
Here is a short three-minute video that presents an example of creating a movement. It's not about the leader, it's about the first follower. The first follower enrolls the second which in turn begins a movement or momentum. While the video is taken by an amateur, I think you'll get the concept and how it would apply to your organization.
Are Your Marketing People Respected?
In a survey conducted by Chief Marketing Officer Council, only 10 percent of respondents said they thought their marketing people are "highly influential and strategic." Less than half said their teams are "well regarded and respected." Seventy-three percent said their organizations have no formal scorecard for measuring marketing performance. Hmmm... something to think about. How is your bank...
Who Motivates the Motivator?
Passion is the driving force behind motivation. Your job as a leader is to exude that passion for your team. Stay in the spirit of celebration. Be as if. To inspire and lead, you must keep yourself in the zone. How? Take time to reflect. Take time to reflect on what is happening in your life. Know what you want to do and be. The Energizer Bunny doesn’t win the awards—the focused person who is...
You Said WHAT?
"Did you hear what Joe said?" And so it circles around the office. Substitute "Joe," and this phrase is uttered every day in workplaces across the country. Joe said, or did something unimaginable, right? And so did Sue yesterday, and John the day before. Often, the gossip about what was "said" sparks because of communication styles. One person's style is opposite to another's, which causes a...
Understand Your Unique Selling Position
Why would you buy a Volvo? Safety. Why would you drive a Mercedes? The prestige. Why would you buy a BMW? The driving experience. Last question. Why would you drive a Yugo? Price. Now for the reality. Volvo is not the safest car. For many years, Saab actually had a better safety record. Mercedes is only considered a prestige car in the United States. In other countries, it is just a car. It has...