BizTalk Radio's Podcast

Wayne Breitbarth was a 53-year old business owner who faced one of the worst economic downturns, the recession of 2008. A friend convinced him to use LinkedIn. Knowing nothing about social media, Wayne learned how to use LinkedIn to grow his business and today, he has become one of the leading LinkedIn consultants. He has taught over 80,000 business people how to leverage LinkedIn for their businesses and careers.

The single greatest opportunity that an organization has to improve both performance and culture in one stroke lies in the hiring of a new executive—the right executive. The fresh thinking of a skilled leader has the potential to unleash innovation, empower employees, and generate wealth for the company. Similarly, a bad hire may mortally wound the organization. Jim Lobaito interviews the co-authors of Hiring Greatness, David Perry and Mark Haluska. They reveal valuable insider strategies and tactics—previously only known to a handful of elite head-hunters—to attract, recruit, and retain star executives.

Dan Erling is the author of “Match: A Systematic, Sane Process for Hiring the Right Person Every Time.” He is also President and CEO of Accountants One, a full recruiting firm recognized as one of Atlanta's Best Places to Work. If you are going to write a book about recruiting, you better have one of the best places to work. Dan talks about the trends in today’s talent war and what you can do to attract and retain top talent.

Any company leader will tell you that their employees are their most valuable asset. Yet, in the process of onboarding new employees, we often treat this valuable asset as lumps of coal. George Bradt shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito the proven process for accommodating, assimilating, and accelerating new employees up to speed in half the time.

An estimated one-million U.S. sales jobs will be eliminated in the next five years. The internet has allowed buyers to do most of the purchasing process on their own. This is causing companies to rethink the role the salesperson plays in customer acquisition. Tom Searcy, nationally recognized author, speaker, and foremost expert on large account salesshares, his insights on how this shift is redefining the roles of sales managers and salespeople and how to leverage new techniques to survive the shift.

Selecting whom to hire is one of the biggest responsibilities a manager has and one that has the most impact on overall company performance. At the same time, few managers are ever trained on how to effectively interview. Paul Falcone shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito his insights on how to make the selection process easier for you and how to get your candidates to reveal whether they are a proper fit.

Corliss McGinty, Human Resources expert and author of the book “The Good Bus: Getting the Right People on Board is Just the Beginning” discusses with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito practical leadership advice that begins with hiring smart, but also includes aligning individual goals with the organization’s purpose.

Are your hires a misfire or an “A” hire? Geoff Smart, co-author of the New York Times bestselling book “Who: The A Method for Hiring” shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito a simple, practical, and effective solution to what “The Economist” magazine calls “the single biggest problem in business today” – unsuccessful hiring. In the interview, Geoff covers the 4 “S’s” in hiring: Scorecard, Source, Select and Sell.

How can we move faster and remain competitive? That is one of the key questions most CEO’s are asking themselves today. In his book “The High-Speed Company,” Jason Jennings shares with you the driving forces that can create urgency and growth in your company. Drawing on years of research and based on over 11,000 interviews, Jason shares example after example of how this can be achieved.

The connection between hiring a new employee and having them be productive is your onboarding program. Do it right and they are more productive sooner. Do it wrong, you not only lose the productivity you may lose the new employee. In this podcast, John Russo shares with you 13 strategies on bridging the hiring to productive gap effectively.

Does texting, emails, meetings, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter have you a slave to the immediate and the now instead of the important? Ted Gulas from the Gulas Group talks with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito on how to increase your productivity and your team’s. Ted explains how most software you work with is forcing you to be reactive instead of proactive and how to turn that around and reach your objectives sooner.

Finding and screening for top performing employees seems to be an ongoing struggle for most managers. Martin Yate, author of "Knock’em Dead - Hiring the Best: Proven Tactics for Successful Employee Selection” discusses how to hire the best employees.

Harry S. Dent Jr. has been a frequent contributor to BizTalk and during this program, he explains why the cheap funding of oil fracking and emerging countries has created a bubble that is about to burst. As a business leader and personal investor, he shares his insights on how to weather the upcoming economic downturn.

Mike Schultz, President of Rain Group, a leading sales training and consulting firm, shares insights from new research published in his book “Insight Selling: Surprising Research on What Sales Winners do Differently.” He shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito the two types of insight selling, what the sales winners do and why they are so effective in today’s selling environment.

Dave Kurlan, founder of Objective Management Group talks about the challenges salespeople face selling today and how to select the ones that can execute against those challenges.

Linda Richardson started the “Consultative Selling” approach to sales. She now, takes us to the next level in selling with her book “Changing the Sales Conversation: Connect, Collaborate and Close.” For professional salespeople, whether new or a veteran, she reveals several sales-specific tools that help you engage and build value with today’s buyers.

Jim Lobaito, BizTalk Host, talks with Brent Adamson from CEB about his article in the Harvard Business Review, “Dismantling the Sales Machine.” In this program, Brent builds the business case on why leaders must dismantle the process-driven sales machine for one that is more flexible and driven by insight and judgment.

Hiring a salesperson is an investment in your company’s future revenue. How is your ROI on the salespeople you have hired? If your investment is not paying as well as you feel it should then maybe it’s time to change the way you go about investing. Lee Salz shares his insights on how to identify the right salespeople and how to protect your investments with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito.

Thanks to the internet and the wealth of information it provides, buyers are more informed and more comfortable evaluating purchasing options on their own. This has made them less dependent on traditional sources of information – including your salespeople. Keith Eades, Founder and CEO of Sales Performance International, best known for developing “Solution Selling” sales process, and Tim Sullivan, Director of Business Development at SPI, share with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito their latest research on the three competencies salespeople need in order to be effective working with today’s buyers.

Selling had become more competitive than ever. Pressures from buyers, your boss and the competitors keep you on your toes. Best-selling author Jill Konrath shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito insights from her new book “Agile Selling” on how salespeople can stay on top of their game.

John Spence has served as a trusted advisor and coach to senior executives. He travels the world working with clients from entrepreneurial start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. John shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito insights from his book “Letters to a CEO.” The book is a compilation of the actual letters that John has sent to his clients. He discusses such critical business topics as: - Dealing with poor performing employees​ - How to hire the right people - How to increase sales - Thoughts on strategic planning This program is fast-paced and packed with ideas.

Growing revenues is one of the key objectives of any business leader. At the same time, that growth often pales in comparison to the value you bring. If you want to break out from single digit revenue growth, Tom Searcy is the person you probably want to turn to for insights on how to do it. Tom’s knowledge comes from his own experiences as a CEO who drove meteoric growth for four companies before he was 40 years old. Tom shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito stories that illustrate how smaller companies and sales teams can compete and win large sales in highly-competitive markets.

Have you ever hired someone who performed better in the interview than they did on the job? If you have, then Lou Adler's interview with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito will provide you with insights on how to pierce the veil of superficiality and find out if your candidate has all the right stuff. Lou is the founder of The Adler Group, a recruiting and consulting firm that are the originators of Performance Based Hiring. The only validated methodology that integrates sourcing, screening, interviewing, and recruiting into a seamless approach based on how top people look for, compare, and accept one position over another.

Every sales manager has the expectation, every salesperson hates to do it, but calling on people you don’t know is a reality of being in sales. Sam Richter ended up in sales out of necessity. Not knowing how to prospect, he turned his marketing skills to the Internet and learned, with just five minutes of sales intelligence, what he needed to know about the person, company, industry, and competition to turn a cold call into a warm conversation. Sam shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito, his web search secrets from his best-selling book Take the Cold Out of Cold Calling.

Value is an interesting thing. Everyone talks about value but most of us don’t know what it is; we only know it in its absence. Terry Slattery, President of the Slattery Group shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito, that companies are fighting margin erosion and being seen as a commodity. He shares how to get your sales force focused on selling value and how to identify your value differentiation.

Too often, as managers, we are ill-prepared to deal with the issues that arise when managing people. Erika Andersen shares with BizTalk Radio Show Host, Jim Lobaito insights from her book, “Growing Great Employees: Turning Ordinary People Into Extraordinary Performers.” This show highlights how to handle some fundamental issues mangers face.

If you are a sales professional who has studied all of the sales techniques and are frustrated with your progress then this is the program for you. Dan Caramanico is a sales force development specialist and has his MBA from the Wharton School of Management. He has helped companies and thousands of salespeople make quantum leaps in their sales effectiveness. He discusses with BizTalk Host, Jim Lobaito, ground-breaking research from his book, The Optimal Salesperson, about how to discover what is holding you back and how to reach your potential as a professional salesperson. What you’ll learn about yourself as a salesperson will surprise you.

One of the challenges company presidents face is maintaining the balance of having an effective sales force that is also efficient. Having made it through the Great Recession, this issue is back on the table due to rising sales costs. Jim Lobaito, BizTalk Host, invites Jonathan Farrington, one of the leading sales strategists, back to share insights from his recent article in Top Sales World Magazine, “The Future of Professional Selling - There is No Way Back Now,” and to discuss Jonathan’s predictions for sales over the next 3 - 5 years.

What does it take for your sales team to generate as many highly-qualified new leads as you want, to create predictable revenue, and to meet your financial goals without your constant focus and attention? This is the age-old question that haunts CEOs, Presidents and VPs of Sales daily! Jim Lobaito, Host of BizTalk, sat down with Marylou Tyler, CEO of Predictable Revenue Inc. as she shared her insights on how to build a sales machine. Based on her book "Predictable Revenue – Turn Your Business into a Sales Machine,” she has a proven outbound sales system to grow revenue by 300% or more and make it predictable.

95% of all your emails to prospects get deleted without even being opened; your phone calls are not being returned; prospects blow you off if you do get through; and nobody seems to be interested in switching vendors. Sound familiar? If this hits too close to home with you then you'll want to hear how Jill Konrath outlines a set of strategies and tactics with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito that will enable you to speed up sales and win more business in today's crazy busy marketplace. After listening to Jill, you will see how her insights are spot-on and how her approach makes sense and will work. The world of sales has changed and along with the approach you need with prospects today to get their attention and be heard. Listen and learn from Jill Konrath, one of the leading sales strategists.

Jill Konrath shares with BizTalk Show Host Jim Lobaito what every VP of Sales should know about making their salespeople more effective in today's selling environment. She explains why sales is no longer a numbers game and what the game is truly about. She explains the four decisions buyers make when evaluating your salespeople. If you are crazy busy and trying to stay relevant, this is the podcast that will provide you with insights that will clarify which direction to take your sales force.

Willie Sutton was a prolific bank robber. When asked why he did it, he commented, “That’s where the money is.” The same can be said about why you should be selling into big companies… they have the money. But just like banks, corporations have their points of entry locked down. Jill Konrath has cracked the code and taken the mystery out of selling to corporate behemoths. She shares her insights from her bestselling book, “Selling to Big Companies” with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito.

Chances are you have never had formalized training on how to hire anyone… let alone a salesperson. And at the same time, hiring is one of the most critical functions performed by a manager. Barry Shamis has been teaching companies how to hire winners for over 35 years. He shares his key tactics and strategies on how to select, screen and hire the right people for your company with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito.

Why are we here? Why do people do the things they do? “Why?” is one of the fundamental questions we ask. In his book “Start With Why,” author Simon Sinek discusses with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito how leaders can inspire those around them by following the naturally-occurring pattern in the way people think, act and communicate. Listen to Simon and discover your why.

It’s frustrating when your team is coasting along and your not getting to the next level as fast as you feel you should. It doesn’t help that your efforts to get off this business plateau are not working. Accelerating performance without driving you or your staff crazy is the challenge of every leader. Cyndi Gave, Owner of The Metiss Group, shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito the 7 Leadership Practices that accelerate performance. Cyndi and her company are experts at helping business leaders, who are frustrated or disappointed with the performance of their employees, get the momentum moving in the right direction.

Creating a foundation for achieving business excellence seems to be out the grasp of most business leaders. John Spence, author of Awesomely Simple: Essential Business Strategies for Turning Ideas into Action, shares with BizTalk Host, Jim Lobaito, six key strategies that create a foundation for achieving business excellence. Based on his years of research and practical hands-on experience, John shares his strategies in a straight forward manner with plenty of examples that make achieving business excellence awesomely simple.

Feeling left behind on cashing in on using LinkedIn? You see the blogs about the great success people are having using LinkedIn to grow their revenue and business. Do you wonder what are they doing that you are not? Wayne Breitbarth, the LinkedIn guru, and best selling author of Power Formula for LinkedIn Success: Kick-Start Your Business, Brand, and Job Search shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito several things you can start doing today to jump start your business development utilizing LinkedIn.

As a business owner, it can feel like you are carrying the entire company on your back. Getting things done and done right appear to rest solely with you. Dave Crenshaw shares with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito techniques from his book “The Focused Business” on how to stay focused, maximize profits, and develop an action plan to overcome the seven Agents of Chaos that are killing your business.

Tired of making hiring misfires? Dr. Brad Smart, author and President and CEO of Topgrading, Inc. is frequently acknowledged as the world’s foremost expert on hiring. Dr. Smart shares three hiring techniques you can start using today. He also discusses with BizTalk Radio Show host Jim Lobaito his latest research from his bestselling book “Topgrading, 3rd Edition: The Proven Hiring and Promoting Method That Turbocharges Company Performance.” Included in their discussion are the common hiring issues that all managers struggle with and straight-forward techniques to work around them.

When it comes to building value in your company are you using accounting-based metrics or value-building metrics? G. Bennett Stewart III shares with BizTalk Radio Host Jim Lobaito how to hardwire success metrics into your business.

Having a referral is one of the most effective sales tools and yet, most of us struggle to get good referrals. Matt Anderson, author of “Fearless Referrals,” shares with BizTalk Radio Show Host Jim Lobaito several techniques on how to get referrals that will grow your business. Matt shares his secrets on how to ask for referrals without being too pushy; who to ask and when; and shares his system for asking for referrals. Being effective at asking for referrals is a key skill for the sales professional who wants to systematically grow their business.

This week on BizTalk, host Jim Lobaito speaks with Po Bronson, award-winning journalist and best-selling author. Po shares with Jim research from his latest book, “Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing,” which provides an in-depth look into the science of competition and the game-changing insights that can help you tap into your own inner “Top Dog.”

You are always going to be faced with challenges, disappointments and roadblocks. These serve as ingredients to getting better at what you do so you can get to where you want to go in your career and life. Best-selling author Jon Gordon shares his insights with BizTalk Show Host Jim Lobaito on what the best do better than everyone else when faced with those challenges.

The skills it takes to work with a buyer today are not the same skills it took 10 years ago. Selling has not changed – the way buyers buy has changed. Buyers use the Internet to research and comparison shop before they engage with a salesperson. This informed buyer is treating your product like a commodity. Based on the latest research, Matt Dixon has uncovered the skill sets needed today that enable a salesperson to effectively influence this new buying style. Matt shares his findings and the impact on businesses with BizTalk Host Jim Lobaito as they discuss the new type of salesperson – The Challenger Salesperson.

We are all looking for the superstar employee that will do great things, but what are the elements that enable someone to achieve greatness? Don Yaeger, New York Times best-selling author and long-time Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated shares with Jim Lobaito, BizTalk host, the 16 characteristics of greatness he learned from interviewing some of the world greatest athletes over the last 25 years. Don shares first-hand stories from sports greats he’s interviewed that you will find inspiring.

What was the driving force behind Barack Obama's reelection? Why is Congress in turmoil? How is this all related to when President Lincoln was in office? The answers can be found in trends that have been repeated for centuries according to new research by best-selling author Roy. H. Williams in his new book, “Pendulum: How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future." According to "Pendulum," politics, manners, humor, sexuality, wealth, and even our definitions of success are periodically renegotiated based on the new values society chooses to use as a lens to judge what is acceptable. Roy explains how business people, entrepreneurs and marketers can utilize these shifts to the fullest.

Happy and engaged employees will transform your business into what you have always envisioned it to be. Tom Klobucher, CEO of Thomas Interior Systems shares with BizTalk Radio host, Jim Lobaito, the principles he has learned about employee engagement that has enabled his company to outperform his competitors, transform client relationships, and become a three-time winner of the Top Twenty Best Places to Work in Illinois. Specifically, Tom shares his insights on the five generations of employees in the workplace today. This is based on his two books "The Great Workplace Revolution" and "The Great Workplace Transformation."

Cameron Herold, Founder of BackPocket COO, shares his real world experience as a leading force behind one of the most successful new business ventures of the last decade, 1-800-Got-Junk. Jim Lobaito, President of Performance Group and BizTalk Radio Show Host, talks with Cameron about how he recruits “A” players.

Growing revenue and profits are among many challenges facing business leaders but they are two most important challenges which need to be addressed. While there is a lot of advice available on how to do this, most are just concepts or theories. Cameron Herold, Founder of BackPocket COO, shares his real world experience as a leading force behind one of the most successful new business ventures of the last decade, 1-800-Got-Junk. Jim Lobaito, BizTalk Host, talks with Cameron about the growth strategies in his book, “Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less.”

The joke between the chicken and the pig about why restaurants, on their breakfast menu, always list the breakfast item as Ham & Eggs and not Eggs & Ham is because the chicken participated in but the pig was committed to the meal. To what level are your employees committed to their jobs? John Jantsch, author of "The Commitment Engine: Making Work Worth It," shares with host Jim Lobaito how implementing several simple things will help to create a company staffed with employees who are motivated and love what they do.

Warren Buffett’s success in the business world is legendary, but it takes more than instinct to close a great deal. Tom Searcy, CEO and Founder of Hunt Big Sales and author of “How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett: Lessons from the World’s Greatest Dealmaker,” shares with host Jim Lobaito how Buffett's unique ability to put himself into the buyer's shoes and see the deal from their point of view enables him to be one of the world's greatest salesmen.