Welcome to the Top 5 Percenter™ Blog

Understand Your Unique Selling Position

by | High Performance, USP

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 been marketed here differently. And the BMW, well, I’ve driven one of those—it IS the ultimate driving experience.

In the first three examples, people are driven by the brand. They come looking for that brand, and even though Volvo does not necessarily always have the safest cars, it doesn’t matter. The consumer believes the Volvo is safest. Volvo is the position that is taken in the consumer’s mind when they think of safety. If they know they want Volvo, then they’ll pay two to three times what they would pay for a Yugo for that unique selling position.

After asking thousands of bankers what their unique selling position or brand would be, I’ve only heard one answer—customer service. Herein lies two major problems. First, customer service is NEVER a brand. It’s an expectation. Second, research shows that consumers feel that banks across the board have atrocious customer service.

Since most banks don’t have a brand, they compete on price only. It’s a game most can’t win. So ask yourself these questions: How are you superior to your competitors? How would you like to be superior to your competitors? Is it speed, is it personal financial counseling, is it the seminars you offer to help them make financial decisions? You can differentiate by your clientele. Are you the bank for the elderly? For small businesses? For large money accounts? For the middle class? For a minority?

There are many ways you can brand from how you do business to the clients you serve. If you do not consciously select and promote your brand, you will be playing the commodity pricing game. Take the time to choose wisely based on the trends that you can best serve.

More From The Blog

How Elite CEOs Run Game-Changing Board Meetings

Most board meetings are packed with data—but starved of strategic clarity. Discover how the top 5% of banks engineer boardrooms that drive performance, challenge respectfully, and align with breakthrough plans. This week’s episode reveals what high-performing CEOs do differently—and how you can bring that same power to your board.

Halfway Is No Excuse

Midyear banking strategy not working? Elite banks accelerate, not apologize. Here’s how to finish strong—with accountability, margin, and momentum.

Top Bank Doubled Revenue with 1/3 Fewer Staff—Here’s How

Toxic conflict is quietly draining your profits.
Most banks reach for generic culture fixes and miss the root cause—low emotional intelligence and zero accountability. Discover how the best banks use healthy dissension to crush drama, boost performance, and lead the industry in profitability.

Bank Drama is Draining Your Profits—Here’s the Proven Fix

Toxic conflict is quietly draining your profits.
Most banks reach for generic culture fixes and miss the root cause—low emotional intelligence and zero accountability. Discover how the best banks use healthy dissension to crush drama, boost performance, and lead the industry in profitability.

Your Bank’s Culture Is Quietly Costing You Millions—Here’s How to Fix It.

Most banks try to fix productivity issues by hiring more staff—but that only inflates expenses. This eye-opening video reveals why your culture may be quietly draining millions from your bottom line and how one Top Gun CEO doubled his bank’s size with fewer employees by engineering a culture of clarity, accountability, and high performance.

Your Marketing Isn’t Broken. Your Positioning Is.

Most banks never see it coming—the hidden sales leak that quietly kills momentum and stalls growth. Discover how top-performing banks fix it fast, triple cross-sales, and build teams that drive results without pushing harder.