Why Premium Pricing Is a Leadership Decision—Not a Market Condition [VIDEO]
Most banks believe their market determines pricing. Discover why that belief destroys profitability—and how elite community banks command premium pricing instead.
Welcome to the Top 5 Percenter™ Blog
Post-COVID Strategic Planning [VIDEO]
Don’t look now, but strategic planning season is right around the corner, and what do you do in a time with all of this unrest? Just when you’ve had a great PPP season and a record-setting season for mortgages, we know those games are over and now come the weak loans as a result of what we’ve just been through.
Video: Post-COVID Strategic Planning
So what kind of strategies do you need to have this year? Because there’ll be huge opportunities, as a lot of banks will be going under and giving up for those who pay attention to really pull ahead in a big way.
This is the time to get your executive team thinking strategically about opportunities. The old games aren’t going to be the ones that work. For example, I’ve been reading strategic plans for banks for the last 30 years, and so many of the strategic plans are filled with ideas that are not in fact strategies, like “Hire more commercial lenders.” Does that work to solve the commercial loan growth issue based upon the fact that we’ve seen thousands of banks try it over the years and never with any success?
So, we can’t keep throwing the same old solutions at the problems, especially since the problems are new. We’re coming into an election, and we don’t know the results. We don’t know what will happen with, interest rates. We don’t know what will happen with COVID, so now is the time that the executive team needs to understand strategy and what that means—how to think strategically, react quickly and change things as necessary to adjust—because those banks that stay fluid and strategic in their thinking will have a world of opportunity ahead of them.
– Roxanne Emmerich
Please watch the video above and share it with your exec team and board.
More From The Blog
The Real Reason Bank Mergers Fail (It Isn’t Your Strategic Plan)
Most merger failures aren’t caused by poor due diligence—they’re caused by poor execution. Discover what separates successful bank mergers from costly disappointments.
AI Won’t Replace Your Bank. Transactional Thinking Will.
AI isn’t coming—it’s already here. Discover why most bank roles are now obsolete, and what your team must become to survive.
The Power of Cross-Sales: How to Grow Relationships Without Being “Salesy”
Cross-sales aren’t about selling products. They’re about becoming a trusted advisor customers rely on for guidance, value, and long-term financial success.
Why Top-Performing Banks Never Delegate Culture
Many banks assign culture to committees and wonder why nothing changes. Discover why executive ownership is the key to sustainable culture transformation and top-tier performance.
Nice Doesn’t Pay the Bills: Why Culture Determines Profitability
Most banks focus on strategy. Elite banks focus on culture systems that produce profitable behavior. Discover why culture may be your biggest growth lever.
Halfway Is No Excuse: The Midyear Execution Test Every Bank Must Pass
Midyear is not the time for excuses. It is the diagnostic checkpoint where elite community banks assess what’s working, fix what’s not, and accelerate execution before year-end.
Stop Letting Pedestrian Thinking Run Your Bank’s Future [VIDEO]
Most banks are not suffering from a technology problem. They are suffering from a thinking problem. Roxanne Emmerich explains why second-order thinking is now essential for community bank executives preparing their teams for AI, change, and the next wave of performance pressure.
Turn Your Banky Award Into a Year-Round Growth Weapon
A Banky Award is more than recognition. Used correctly, it becomes third-party proof that helps your bank stand out, build trust, and become the obvious choice in your market.
Your Bank’s USP Is Either Indisputable—or Invisible
Most banks don’t need another branding exercise. They need a USP that prospects believe. Roxanne Emmerich explains how credibility, systems, awards, and proof points turn differentiation into a revenue-driving advantage.