Business ideas for SMEs and Start Ups

Following hot on the heals of the last podcast - can a great sales person become a great sales manager - I had some feedback from listeners who had shared some of their own experiences and so I thought I would record this episode to focus on some tangible stuff that can be implemented quickly or at least can influence your thinking as you begin to consider recruiting from within. I have always followed the Rx3 model - recruit, retain for revenue - and so the importance of getting this appointment right is so obvious and yet people will still go for speed over quality, the path of least resistance. A sales person is driven by closing and a sales manager by coaching. Individual player v a team enabler. It's worth taking time to consider all of the options rather than appease a sales person who thinks they deserve a promotion.

In life, some things can be both "good" and "bad" and in the middle of the drama to get things attended to we often only see them as simply 'bad' or 'good.' It's hard to find the time to work towards a balanced opinion and so we go for the position that seems the most logical at the time and with the evidence we have. Social media and smart phones are a decent example - they can be both a curse and at the same time extremely beneficial. (Try finding a dumb alternative your smart phone and see where big tech - and clearly customers - both sit in this discussion.) A constant theme in sales teams is the failed promotion from within - the high-performing sales person, promoted to sales manager because of exceptional sales performance, only to not cut it at management level. It happens a lot. Not a great result for the new sales manager, the existing sales team and it can have a serious impact on sales performance in the short term. In sport, great footballers don't make great managers within the same season - it's just not possible and yet the burden of expectation on sales person to make that transformation quickly can kill off any ambition or possibility of success. How can this transition be made easier for everyone concerned - how can you move a mindset from 'closer' to 'coach'??

It hits everyone at some point along the sales journey - overthinking or self sabotage. Sales is hard enough due to market forces, economic turbulence and the competition without the added pressure of the inner critic giving you a kicking at the same time. It can be a problem but it can also be tackled relatively easily and quickly - as long as you put some work into it. Again the driver for success is about being able to focus on the process rather than the outcome - have a read of the Chimp Paradox if you can (or give Chat GPT a rattle and see if it can condense the work of Dr Steve Peters better than I can...its a great book to help you deal with the inner critic and self sabotage.)

The previous episode (Nature of Man with Diarmuid Lyng) had generated more discussion and feedback than most other episodes. The feedback had been mixed in the sense that many people related to the content but as many were of the opinion that the retreat or the idea of a retreat 'wasn't for them.' The best way to continue the discussion is to literally do just that. This episode is with Michael Ryan, co-founder and facilitator of Nature of Man. A wellness and meditation expert, Michael gives his perspective on the condition of the Modern (Irish) Man and we discuss holistic benefits of the Nature of Man retreat and the value it can offer anyone and everyone. The next retreat takes place in Donegal from 6th-9th June. Details can be found at natureofman.ie We reference a number of writers / poets in this episode - David Whyte and John Moriarty. Two deadly men well able to put into words the thoughts of everyone of us (and indeed none of us)

In March, I found myself at a retreat in the Wicklow mountains, facilitated by Diarmuid Lyng and Michael Ryan. An entirely transformative experience and one that I felt the need to share through a discussion with Diarmuid - Wexford County Hurler, TG4 Commentator, retreat facilitator, husband, father and builder of a cultural facility in south Kilkenny. The podcast covers alot of ground but is centred around the Summer Nature of Man retreat in Donegal 6th to 9th June 2025 - and the myriad reasons why some of you should attend. www.diarmuidlyng.ie will offer more detailed information on the retreat and the other projects that Diarmuid is involved in. The poet mentioned (I know) is David Whyte, the poem Self Portrait. I hope you enjoy - and if you do please feel free to share with those who might benefit from the retreat. Thanks for reading.

In a number of conversations this last few weeks - on a personal and professional level - a common theme was the importance of taking time...time 'out', time to prepare, time to think and the benefits of not rushing. The control of our subconscious / unconscious in what we do and how we do things is evident but only when we stop to think. Take a breath, a moment too get some clarity and perspective. How often do you stop and think - about the unimportant stuff? about the important stuff? About the critical stuff?

A recent walk through Belfast city centre reminds me of a time when I lived in the city and encountered the homeless problem first hand. In 2013 there were a number of deaths on the streets in quick succession that should have sparked some deliberate action from local politicians and government. 9 years on and a new Rolex store will open up soon, directly opposite where Catherine Kenny died in March 2013. If there is room in our world for luxury watches then surely there is space too for the disenfranchised lost souls of this country

The shouts from the sidelines - and the media - at Ange Postecogolou over the last few months have been pretty clear. A coach sticking to his principles, lacking as many as 8 first team players is now deemed not good enough. Unless you've played or coached at that level, then it's hard to fully appreciate what is going on. A journalist only has a perception of what is going on, not the full picture. Never the full picture - and as a result criticism can be overly harsh, directed at the wrong person, or just wide of the mark. On a personal level, I've come to learn the difference between perception and perspective and the importance of loosing the ideal that 'perception is reality'

How quickly do you filter out the expert buyer from the amateur buyer?

The only thing that matters is making yourself understood. Good communication is critical to any aspect of our lives and despite the dominance of moving image, writing is an important aspect of good selling Take away exaggeration, superlatives, adverbs and adjectives you start to get close to the heart of good writing. Truth. Ernest Hemmingway said that it takes great discipline to write truthfully. And so to this podcast - memories of Sunday afternoon's Big Movie a few decades ago...the Iceberg Theory and the economy of good writing. And the importance of truth.

Two weekends spent at GAA matches - football and hurling - and guess which one didn't need the rule changes.

Something ive wanted to talk about for a long time - my love of music. Trying to make it relevant to the theme of the Shift Control Podcast isnt easy - so for this one time - I'd like to talk about Roru Gallagher, in a week where his immortalised Fender Strat was sold to a lucky buyer and gifted back to the State.

How many of you are actively and knowingly integrating AI into your business development process? I think at this point everyone has gotten over themselves - even copywriters - and begrudgingly admitted that generative AI can be a great thing for creating content both in the arena of sales and marketing. But beyond that, what else can it do...? A first discussion episode for me in quite some time with Rory Kelly - ex-Hubspot guru who has been recently shining a light on AI in his on line commentary. He is a genuine sales expert who has worked with organisations globally guiding them through the HubSpot platform. Find him on Linkedin, connect with him and enjoy his perspective on AI

The boys are back in town - the bad ones. As Ireland continues to punch above it's weight in global sport - like it does in the arts, music and film - 2 opposing belief systems are clashing in Belfast. Anti-immigrants v anti racists are rioting in Wellington Place - mirroring events in Sunderland, Stoke and Leeds. Bored, undervalued, ignored, badly represented adults are resurrecting an old evil, against a back drop of TEAM Genocide - USA and Israel - carpet bombing of Palestine. Worrying times.

No doubt things had changed significantly in the world of sales after COVID. Sales BC - is that a thing? Some of the outcomes and consequences have been beneficial for sure - but as a business have you moved forward strategically or have you been moved along by the tide of change and have kept moving. For me it is about taking control of that destiny and Im pretty sure that some of the habits and processes that have been crafted by COVID are definitely not business enhancing...what do you think?

Best Hurling Final Ever, Wise Up. by Shift Control

On holiday mode but still find myself thinking about work - what;'s needed to finish this year with a flourish and then what lies beyond 2024. in battle mode - doing the stuff you strategised about last year - you don't get much time to think about beyond the short term. Firefighters are only thinking abut this fire - the job in hand. When you get the right kind of down time you can think about these things - in my case, the comfort of my cottage (rented) in Donegal. The big things that I want too attend to - in no order - the use / integration of AI, being real with EQ, motivating a team through cultural transformation, using data properly, improving sales performance, making the messages more personalised (that's if you're into ABM...) What's on your radar?

A Dudley Moore movie that should speak to anyone in communications - sales, marketing etc...Crazy People. I now know that its Boxy, but good but I always remember it being boxy but safe. Anyway..Marcus Sheridan's book They Ask, You Answer, reminded me of the movie - as it did LIAR, LIAR with Jim Carey - the idea of telling the truth despite knowing the consequences might be just terrible, when in truth they won't be. But you'll never know until you start telling the whole truth about your business - your honesty over the exact value you offer, where your weakness might be and the costs...publishing a cost that you can stand over and not worry what exposure your competition gets. His book is excellent - I'd recommend it for anyone that seems to be spending more time getting the message right and needs to build up the confidence required to say what needs to be said...?

Follow up from the last episode where I talked about managing your energy - never said it was easy, no way. But it is doable. Stendhal Festival would be the perfect place to tune into nature and get into some great local music and art, unwind, chill out and relax. Changing of the guard in Derry GAA - rumour has it that the county plan to revert to their previous manager, the one accused of DV. Lets hope that isn't the case.

'Lively up yourself and don't be no drag' The first line of the Bob Marley song is a call to arms for everyone to raise your vibration - get your energy levels up. Bring your A game to everywhere, everything and everyone. And into work. Especially in sales, the energy we bring to our work impacts directly the success of our work and therefore the overall success of the business. I've avoided giving any content that might suggest this is a scientific podcast...quite the reverse. Much of it is common sense, aye?

How is your sales team set up? Motivated or disciplined? Neither or both? A trip to IFAT in Munch teaches me a lot about both and 2 trips to see Bruce Springsteen reminds me about the importance of thought

I'm sat here waiting for an engineer to arrive to install broadband. They'll be here soon, well some time but it might not be soon at all, in fact just like last Friday, they might not arrive at all...

Spending 2 days at an exhibition in Birmingham with plenty of time to think and a cancelled flight with the Irish national air carrier of real choice - not Ryan Air - gave me some food or thought on how some of the very basic sales techniques of the past can compete with the very best the digital world has to offer

Sales momentum is critical for any business - are you able to turn the heat up when you need to or does your team operate at inconsistent levels across the year? Would you trade of 3 hours of flow sales for a day of?

This podcast gives a brief insight into a project that I had the good fortune to work on over the last 3 years that culminated in a customer service charter. All the good work of a business that has a clear focus on driving value through a better working relationship with customers - something that ill clearly differentiate them from their competition and help them win out in marginal situations

For so long we only thought in terms of academic intelligence. Along came Daniel Goleman and Emotional intelligence in the mid 90s and yet before in 1938 - Howard Gardner had introduced Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences where he talks about multiple intelligences, 8 and how they can impact our world view and our engagement with other people. Valuable if you have an interest in sales.

Fergal Keane is a renowned journalist, war correspondent and author of 'Madness: A memoir of war, fear and PTSD.' Not a normal read for me but a brilliant biography and my first encounter with epigenetics and generational trauma. And a good reason to be reminded about the importance of screening your media intake

Too often the focus is on asking questions rather than analysing what you know. In this podcast I talk about the origins of critical thinking and how it can be applied to your sales process along with EQ, to help deliver greater success.

As luck would have it I ended up speaking to someone with the inside track on customer service at the Merrion

Found myself back at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin, last weekend...just 3 days after the deployment of the largest number of Garda in riot gear. (If this podcast was part of the BBCNI offering, Garda would be described as *the Irish Police....) Interesting times on all fronts - but no change at The Merrion where customer service was exemplar. Worth taking a dive into their world over the next 4 weeks - I'm sure they'll make it special for you. Can this level of customer service and attention to detail be applied everywhere? Or is it just the domain of those that can afford it?

My work recently with a client has put me on the other side of the buyer - seller relationship, as we build a new business development team. I have been amazed at the approach taken to my interest in their 'Sales SaaS' resulting with the feeling that outbound sales are deemed more precious than their inbound counterparts. In the podcast I go a little deeper in the experience and reference some good examples of BANT, MEDDIC, ANUM and GPCTBA/C&I (interesting methodology thats designed especially for inbound sales. Linkedin get a solid reference based on the fact that they are very good at what they do...very, very good... Let me know what you think.

An episode that I had threatened to record at least 3 times - about the GAA and their response to the alleged abuse by Rory Gallagher to his wife Nicola. The recent events in Spanish football and the threat of prosecution against Luis Rubiales has persuaded me to record this. I hope that the GAA can learn and learn quickly from what's going on in Spain.

What else would you be at on a bank holiday except recording a podcast on life as a start up against life as a mature business. My work with a few of these clients recently has prompted me to record this - also watching some of the 2014 Queens Sigerson team flourish in the start up world. Some clear differences in setting up a business in 2023 v 1998 but surely there must be plenty to learn from each other for both parties...? I posit yes - from sales, branding, customer and talent acquisition as well as raising money, scaling and everything else. There is less structure too this episode but I hope there is still enough worth thinking about. Thanks for listening and reading.

Selling is not a symmetrical process. It's far from it. Once a seller makes a connection with a business thats when the hard work starts but it's important that to understand that most of the hard work should be done before the selling even starts. This podcast covers a methodology to consider when you are looking at the other person's(the buyer) perspective. Edward De Bono was a physician, physiologist, writer and inventor and apparently a deadly man from the 45m too (in house GAA joke) Much of this methodology will make sense if you find yourself in the middle of a complex buying process.

For me the jury is out when it comes to NLP, DISC profiles and the rest...learned recently that I'm more of a skeptic than a cynic when it comes to this sort of thing but it made me wonder about other aspects of personality and the softer skills when it comes to selling. I also learned that there are as many as 12 learning styles - I had thought there were 4...audio, visual, kinaesthetic and digital...this podcast focuses on just the 7 but asks an important question - how are you making your digital platforms and your sales content work to cater for all 7 learning styles. more questions asked than answers in this one - would be keen to hear your thoughts.

Some thoughts on what might well be the most important part of the sales role - territory planning and forecasting. There is an obvious logic to planning in almost every aspect of our lives and yet when it comes to sales management and sales that's not often the case. This podcast is a quick run through some tips and ideas to help with planning a sales territory for. the next 12 months - helpful, I hope for both sales people and sales management and business owners. let me know what you think.

Around this time each year, I get asked to speak to a group of business owners from across Northern Ireland - the brief: "What's new in sales?" Everyone wants to hear what's new in sales - quite rightly. Any new methodologies? Technologies? Routes to market? What is everyone else doing? The truth is that pretty much everyone else is making some basic mistakes - across acquisition and retention. In this podcast I look at some the failings made by business owners, sales leaders and sales executives that when corrected could make a massive difference to your overall performance.

A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer. We all know that relationships are based on trust - are we doing enough? Do we have a plan? Have we rehearsed? Do we know what Trust is? Competence, Character, Confidence? Were are the weaknesses - and our strengths...and how can we improve?

A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer. It all depends on the sales cycle - 6 months to 18 months or more...or even a month. It is important not to rely on your initial engagement. Do you have a process - an effective one? What are your touch points? From sales and marketing? How do you feel about waiting? Think about detail, resilience, focus, commitment...

A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer. A classic here - many people ridicule this notion..."communicating value" but the truth is, if you cant communicate the value fo what you are selling, your customer won't be completed to buy or put in the hard work trying to understand. It's as much about NOT selling features and benefits but talking about the outcomes and giving them proof that there is value to be had.

A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer. This one is about all those times when we think we don't need to, or don't make time to thoroughly research up on our customers or our prospects. It's important to make the time to understand as much as possible - no shortage of information out there at the minute with search engines, media, machine learning tools etc...

A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer. This episode is where we find ourselves spending too much time talking about ourselves - as people - or as businesses, spending way too much time on our products and services. It's what we get paid to do? Not really - we get paid to sell - and presenting products and services is only one every small part of all of that.

A week has passed since I made the veneration at the altar of Bruce Springsteen whilst making my first stay at the Merrion hotel. It made me think about what good customer service looks like - how good brands not only read the room, they anticipate it. Again and again. Against a back drop of the music, whiskey and craic was the headline dominating domestic abuse claim levied at an inter county manager. An example of how easy it is to misread the room.

How do you decompress from a hard shift in the office or out in the field? "Climb a mountain or jump in a lake?"

A busy time of year for many businesses as they close off 2023 and gear up for 2024. By the end of March 2023, 5 of my customers will have activated significant campaigns to target new business across the North of Ireland - from completely different sectors. Great to see sales and marketing teams working together for that common goal - I have always been an advocate of collaboration but sometimes I get scared by the amount of data that drives all activity - surveys, traffic analytics, predictive behaviour, and, and, and... People. One of the 4 Ps from back in the day. Isn't that what it's all about? When should the Human touch come into play in your business development activities?

This podcast takes a few left turns on the way to talking about the 3 fundamental reasons why you should consider sales training for your business...there might even be a fourth. On the way I talk about the cost of creativity - thanks to ChatGPT, MidJourney, Fiverr etc...creativity can be funded from petty cash compared to 'back in the day.' Less than 20 years ago, let's say. Then onto one of the most influential music programmes of UK culture...The TUBE...and a segue into the portrayal of Paula Yates in the media.

This episode is nothing short of a signpost to another podcaster and a specific podcast - Lex Fridman and Chris Voss on the Lex Fridman Podcast. If you're interested in fine-tuning your negotiation skills this episode gives a brilliant insight into human behaviour, emotional intelligence and helps explain some of the common stumbling blocks that we all face. I have listened to the episode 2 or 3 times at this stage - there's way to much for one listen.

In the world of sales, closing deals and generating revenue are often seen as the most important metrics of success. However, what is often overlooked is the role that empathy plays in achieving those goals. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is a crucial skill that sales professionals need to possess in order to succeed. Everyone might have heard of Emotional intelligence but how many of us continually practice it and how many of us recognise the importance of empathy in sales? In this episode I discuss Daniel Goleman's 1995 best seller, Emotional Intelligence and how having a better understanding of our own emotions can help us become better sales people.

Root cause analysis is a method used to identify the underlying reasons or causes of a problem or issue. The goal of root cause analysis is to uncover the source of the problem and address it at its root, rather than simply treating its symptoms. This approach to problem-solving has been widely adopted across a range of industries, including business and sales. The origins of root cause analysis can be traced back to the field of industrial engineering and quality control. The method was first popularised in the 1950s as a tool for improving manufacturing processes and identifying the root causes of defects. Think Toyota, Lean manufacturing and 6 Sigma Since then, root cause analysis has been adapted for use in a variety of fields, including healthcare, safety, and finance, and has become an essential tool for organisations looking to improve their processes and operations. In the podcast I discuss how RCA and the 5 x why's can be used in sales.

The quality of the work at the very first stage of any sales process usually defines the success of the campaign – get it wrong at the start and the ending will be predictably bad. Get it right and it can be a game changer. For salespeople and sales management alike, the art of prospecting is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is the lifeblood of sales success – without a steady stream of qualified prospects, the sales pipeline will inevitably dry up, resulting in missed targets and lost revenue. On the other hand, prospecting can be a formidable challenge, requiring a unique set of skills, patience, and an indomitable spirit to persist in the face of rejection. In B2B sales, the importance of effective prospecting cannot be overstated. It is the foundation upon which sales success is built, the crucial first step in the sales process that sets the tone for the entire customer journey. Prospecting is about more than just finding leads and making a list of potential customers. It is about understanding the needs of the target market, tailoring the sales approach to meet those needs, and building meaningful relationships with prospects based on trust and understanding.

I reckon I'm qualified to post this podcast based as much on a legacy of failures in negotiation and the odd success. I have been holding back on recording a podcast on negotiation - it's a complex area, with hours of content but you have to start somewhere. Negotiation is the business end of sales - where you earn your commission or get sacked, as I once did. Sources I would recommend are the Negotiate like the pros, JP Dolan, Never split the difference, Chris Voss Harvard University to name but a few. Big question is - are you a townie or a culchie?