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
Everyone is In Marketing [VIDEO]
Whenever I do the Breakthrough Banking Blueprint Conference, I ask the question “Who here is in marketing”, and one or two hands go up.
I ask again, “Who here is in marketing” and a few more hands will go up. And then finally, everybody catches on and all hands go up. And they understand everybody in banking is in marketing. Why? Because marketing isn’t about pretty things, billboards, and logos. Marketing is about knowing who your next best customer is, and unearthing the relationship that they have with their current bank and pulling them over to your bank. Everyone must understand the mechanics of that or they will mess it up along the way.
Imagine for a second that you get a lead. It’s a happy day, especially if it’s a top 100 lead and they give you a hand raise. But, you have somebody who answers the phone, and they don’t get a 10 on their mystery shops, therefore, they lose the deal right there, and you didn’t even know that you had identified the right person and that they’re now interested in working with you. They don’t understand the role to know who the top 100 is, bring them in, make sure the appointment happens, and have it be a wild experience from “Hello”.
Yeah, everybody’s in marketing.
If somebody is in the operations department and they see a big check come through, and they’re not your customer, and they’re looking at that thing, going $2 million, who’s got $2 million to have a check, they must be up to something. If they process the check, they’re acting like a banker. If they’re acting like a marketer, they’re thinking “a $2 million check, they’re not even our customer. I’m going to talk to the head of retail, because I think there’s something here. I’m going to get those accredited banking professionals out there calling on them, making sure that we get them to be customers.
That’s what being a marketer is. It’s about knowing what to do. And it’s about the passion to do it.
Those two combined makes everyone in banking, a marketer. Let’s face it, in order to be a top 5% performing bank, you better make sure that everyone in your organization doesn’t give lip service to the words, I am a marketer.
To your continued success,
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.