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Welcome to the inbound2grow podcast hosted by Todd Hockenberry and Dan Tyre. Our goal for is to share the latest ideas, strategies, and real-life stories that will help your business grow. We want to help you create an amazing company culture, develop effective business strategies, and deliver outst…

Todd Hockenberry and Dan Tyre: Authors of Inbound Organization


    • Dec 27, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 20m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Inbound2Grow

    Episode 130: Why is an Inbound Operating System Important?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2018 21:46


    An inbound operating system consists of all of the systems, programs, and tools your company uses every day. An inbound operating system keeps everyone in the organization on the same page and working toward the same mission. [4:50] Question: Why is an Inbound Operating System Important? An inbound operating system is important because it provides a framework for cohesion. When you think about your organization your mission is the why, the strategies you employ are the how, and the operating system enables the what. The operating system provides the tools, systems, and process you need to follow through on your mission and your MSPOT. “Transparency without context is chaos.” – JD Sherman Want to learn more about inbound operating systems? Check out Episode 11: What is an Inbound Operating System? [19:00] Todd’s Truth Inbound leaders hold teams accountable, but the teams come up with the plans and execute. The Inbound Operating system keeps them on track along with the MSPOT. [19:34] 3 Takeaways You can’t impose culture; you can only guide and influence culture Document culture Evaluate your operating system Links Industrial Executive (https://www.top-line-results.com/theindustrialexecutive) Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 131: 2018 Highlights

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2018 24:57


    This is it, the last episode of Inbound2Grow. It’s been a great year, and we want to thank everyone who has listened to, reviewed, read, or otherwise enjoyed the show. Inbound2Grow allowed us to explore the concepts we laid out in Inbound Organization, but we feel like we’ve covered the bases and it’s time for something new which brings us to the Industrial Executive. The Industrial Executive podcast will pick up where we left off in Inbound2Grow except we’ll be focused on talking to actual leaders and executives in the industrial manufacturing space. The goal of the new podcast is to focus on our primary persona, B2B executives, and their issues, which certainly include inbound and inbound organization concepts, but not exclusively. Industrial Executive will feature a new, interview format but we’ll also have an episode here and there with a format similar to Inbound2Grow, including the voice of Dan Tyre. We hope you choose to follow the new combined show at theindustrialexecutive.com. Links Industrial Executive New! Take the Inbound Organization Assessment Online (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.  

    Episode 129: What do Inbound and Technology Have to do with One Another?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2018 22:57


    Every company, regardless of what they sell, is impacted by technology. From the technology you use internally to track sales to the chatbot your clients use to talk to you, technology has the potential to create a superior, remarkable, and memorable customer experience. [1:29] Question: What do Inbound and Technology Have to do with One Another? Every piece of technology you use and your customers use to interact with you should be simple and accessible. Technology should be simple to use out of the box, easy to set up, and easy to figure out. The easier it is to use, the happier your customers are going to be. And the same goes internally. Giving good people bad systems is a recipe for employee churn. You should also be leveraging technology to automate redundant and low-value work. Things like follow up emails, lead intelligence, lead notifications, sending emails through the CRM, and meeting tools are all opportunities for your internal technology to support and enhance the customer experience by supporting your employees. You should be using technology to create a centralized view of your customer. Externally, tools like chatbots, knowledge bases, and conversations are opportunities to curate your customer experience. Technology should be enhancing the experience of your customers, clients, and leads. “Inbound thinking pervades everything for us from product development to customer service to technology. We built the product based on the specific feedback of our members and the problems they wanted to solve and the relationships we have, and how we make their lives easier, so we end up having a sticky connection with them and their struggles. It all goes back to the inbound idea. It’s all about people and relationships.” Liz Connett, Fattmerchant [20:43] Dan’s Rant This is the year. Now is the time. [21:00] Todd’s Truth A centralized view of the customer is a must.   [21:23] 3 Takeaways This doesn’t have to be hard. There is a lot of great software and tools out there There is a huge risk if you ignore the role of technology Shop yourself! Links Industrial Executive (https://www.top-line-results.com/theindustrialexecutive) Is there a marketing person leading the IT team? - https://seths.blog/2018/11/is-there-a-marketing-person-leading-the-it-team/ Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 128: What is an Inbound Back Office and Why Does it Matter?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2018 23:40


    Very few companies think about how their accounting, finance, or legal departments impact their customer's success. But if you’ve ever had a bad experience wading through a 20-page legal document or spent hours on hold trying to correct a bill, you know that those interactions impact how you feel about a company as a customer. A bad enough experience with a back office department can make a customer walk away, but conversely, a great experience can support and add to the customer success journey. And that is why an inbound back office is a critical part of building an inbound organization. [0:43] Question: What is an Inbound Back Office and Why Does it Matter? A department is part of the back office if it is a non-customer facing department. This covers departments like operations, legal, and accounting as well as support staff and IT. Back office departments aren’t traditionally customer facing, and so they tend to be less connected to the buyer, the buying journey, and the customer experience. An inbound back office pulls all of those departments into the work of curating the customer success journey. An inbound back office takes the position that it is essential that it is easy for customers to opt-in, buy, pay, leave, understand legal requirements, access account information, and get questions answered. An inbound back office makes these processes easy and is essential for creating a unified customer experience. In an inbound organization all of the systems in place enable your employees to help, they exist to support and solve for the customer. Often back office systems get put in place to support the company, not the customer, but every interaction builds a customer experience. Your products and customer-facing people are important, but the back office is also part of the experience and relationship. It is important that interactions with the back office are supporting the relationship and building an amazing customer experience.   “We see legal as being a supporter of the inbound culture by helping employees prepare for and manage the responsibilities of transparency. Transparency also imposes a burden on legal. We cannot only say no but must explain our decisions regarding the culture code and the business objectives. We must be transparent with our team, including partners and vendors because we know this process builds trust.” - John Kellenher [20:54] 3 Takeaways Audit each touchpoint in the customer journey that the back office influences Make sure all of your employees know your buyer persona and how they impact the buyer journey Build MSPOTs for each of your back office teams Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 127: What is an Inbound Ecosystem?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2018 24:59


    Ecosystems are easy to overlook. Most often the business of running a business, building and maintaining a thriving company culture, and building an inbound organization take center stage. But whether you know it or not, you’re already in an ecosystem. All of the people and companies you work with, everyone your business touches, form your ecosystem. The greatest choice you have is whether you nurture and actively build that ecosystem or simply exist in it passively. [0:45] Question: What is an Inbound Ecosystem? So, what is an inbound ecosystem? Your ecosystem consists of: Employees Customers Vendors Suppliers Partners Channels Industry groups Stakeholders Competitors Anyone and everyone you work with, collaborate with, or share the same space with is in your ecosystem. What makes an ecosystem inbound is actively engaging with and working toward making your ecosystem a source of value for everyone in it. The work of creating an inbound ecosystem begins with your employees and then moves to your customers. Employees are first because you can’t have happy customers without happy employees. We’ve spent a lot of timing talking about why employees are essential, so we won’t rehash it here but if you want to learn more check out this episode (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound2grow/episode-109-putting-people-first) or this episode (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound2grow/what-is-a-culture-code). Your customers are second because your customers are already connected digitally, you can either engage with and support those connections or ignore them. It is beneficial to you to acknowledge and engage with them. Bringing your customers into your inbound ecosystem as active participants allows you to create more value for them. Creating value is at the heart of the inbound ecosystem. When everyone involved works to create value, everyone benefits. There is value in the connections that are made, sharing experiences, and working together to solve problems Inbound ecosystems are strategic. Understanding them and nurturing them allows you to not only create the most value for yourself but also for everyone involved. [22:57] Todd’s Truth “It takes a network to defeat a network,” Stanley McChrystal Because everyone is interconnected, you need to create a network or ecosystem that is better than your competitors to succeed in your marketplace. [23:15] 3 Takeaways Identify the ecosystems you’re already in Find ways to share or co-create content Co-marketing with others in your industry Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 126: Sales Fails

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2018 22:07


    If you’ve ever connected with someone on LinkedIn or got a new follower on Twitter and then immediately got a direct message asking you to check out their product/service, set up a call, or any other pitch you’ve experienced a sales fail. [0:35] Todd’s Rant Too often modern salespeople utilize outdated tactics that fall flat in the age of inbound. Time wasting cold calls, unsolicited emails, and cold outreach of all kinds are holdovers from the 90s era of spam and like Smash Mouth’s All-Star, most people in 2018 would rather not. The worst part of pushy sales tactics is that they don’t just annoy people, they make your prospects loath you. Time wasting cold outreach where the salesperson has done zero research is less likely to land you in a spam folder and more likely to result in a prospect that will never work with you and is more than happy to tell anyone who will listen how awful you are. Cold calling is high-risk behavior. And your prospects can tell when you haven’t done your research beforehand and are doing your qualifying on the phone. If you don’t know who you’re talking to, what they do, what they need, and how to help them, then you’re not ready to pick up the phone. All of this isn’t to say that you can’t reach out to someone you don’t have a personal relationship with, but how you approach cold outreach and set the stage makes all the difference. If you know your prospect and can speak immediately to their problems may be, they’ll listen. For instance, don’t start talking about your product. No one cares! Everyone cares about their problems, and if you want to succeed you need to explain how you will address/help with their problems. If you know who they are, what they are doing, and you have connected with them in a personal way then it’s much more powerful and more likely they will be receptive to your outreach. The goal is to build trust. Doing your research, listening to your prospects, and respecting their time are key. If you can’t check off all three of those boxes, then you’re deploying an outdated tactic that is more likely than not going to fail. Your tactics should show that you respect your prospects, their time, and their needs. In short, your tactics need to be inbound.  [17:45] Dan’s Rant Dan’s top 3 sales fails: Talking not listening! Demoing, not discovering Calling everyone – The riches are in the niches. Don’t call everyone it’s a waste of time [20:29] Todd’s Truth Help early. Help often. Focus on your customers. “Inbound selling is a modern, buyer-centric form of sales where the seller prioritizes the buyer’s needs ahead of their own. Inbound salespeople focus on the buyer’s problem and context above all else. The inbound salesperson customizes their sales process and solution, should one exist. Smart leaders will take the time to learn about it, teach your sales reps how to become inbound sellers, and start using this method as a competitive advantage for your company in the age of the empowered buyer.” Brian Signorelli [21:15] 3 Takeaways It’s so important there is only one takeaway this week: Senior leaders need to shop themselves – experience your sales and marketing experience for the point of view of the customer Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 125: What is the Biggest Issue Facing Marketing and Sales People Today? with Jill Konrath

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2018 22:02


    This week we sit down with our friend Jill Konrath to talk about the biggest issue facing sales and marketing people today. Everyone Jill talks to is overwhelmed. Everyone is too busy and feels like they aren’t getting enough done. And in today's business world everyone is also expected to always be on, responding to emails, actively engaging in social media, and generally being instantly available. The result of all of this overwhelming work and always-on culture is that distractions are rampant, we’re getting less done, and it’s hurting our ability to make sales and meet our goals. And as the work piles up, we all get farther away from the things outside of work that are important.   Luckily Jill has some practical suggestions for how to minimize the distractions, manage your time effectively, and get more done with less. Our Guest! Jill Konrath’s career is defined by her relentless search for fresh strategies that actually work in today’s sales world. Jill Konrath is also a frequent speaker at sales conferences and kick-off meetings. Sharing her fresh sales strategies, she helps salespeople to speed up new customer acquisition and win bigger contracts. Her clients include IBM, GE, Microsoft, Wells Fargo, Staples and numerous mid-market firms. Jill is the author of three bestselling, award-winning books including Snap Selling and Agile Selling. You can find Jill on: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillkonrath/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/jillkonrath) Jillkonrath.com (https://www.jillkonrath.com/) Latest book:  More Sales Less Time (https://www.amazon.com/More-Sales-Less-Time-Surprisingly/dp/1591847265) Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 124: What is Unique about Inbound Customer Service and Success?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2018 19:02


    Inbound customer service is more than reactive platitudes. Customer service used to be customers calling in and spending hours on the phone waiting to tell every person they talked to the same information in the hopes that someone could fix the problem. Customers still have problems, of course, but inbound customer service and success means that the customer service people you talk to know who you are, your history with the company, and are empowered to actually solve the problem. Inbound customer service and success are built around helping customers in meaningful ways. [1:41] Question: What is Unique about Inbound Customer Service and Success? No matter how good your company is at what it does things will go wrong. They won’t always be your fault, but your customers are going to look to you to provide solutions either way. Applying an inbound approach to the process of customer service helps you to create happy, loyal customers. Typical customer service, on the other hand, often leaves people less loyal. And it’s not surprising. People don’t want a stress ball or empty, “I’m sorry to hear that.” People want solutions, and inbound customer service works diligently to provide them. Your customers don’t expect you to solve every problem immediately, but if you are empathetic and proactive in providing help customers are understanding. Airlines can’t control weather delays, but they can control the way they respond to and treat their customers who are impacted by those delays. No one needs swag; they need solutions. No one wants an airline t-shirt, but they wouldn’t say no to a free drink and a travel voucher. And getting your customer service and success right is critical. People trust reviews, ratings, and comments and if your customer service is dropping the ball, you’ll see it in what people are saying about you. “The goal is to align the promise of value, made during the earlier stages of the buyer journey, with the achievement of success by the buyer once the customer success journey begins. The promise of value must align with what the inbound service and success teams manage, so the buyer’s expectations are met.” Michael Redbord [16:30] Dan's Rant You need a customer success manager! Lean into customer service and make sure your customers are happy. Customers word of mouth is the best way to generate new business. [17:32] Todd's Truth The best way to grow in the age of buyer control is to create successful customers who become your best salespeople. [17:39] 3 Takeaways Align your service teams with your marketing and sales Map out the customer service/success journey steps Build a customer success mindset and team Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Inbound Organization Audiobook (https://www.audible.com/pd/Inbound-Organization-Audiobook/1469098903) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 123: What is a Code Funnel?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2018 20:25


    In the old days, we create qualified leads by offering up lots of content. Our prospects found our content, filled out a form, downloaded the content, and then we reached out to them. This strategy still works, but over the last few years, we realized that what people like more than free content is free stuff. And it turns out that giving away software, a product, or service is an even more effective way to qualify leads and move prospects through the buyer journey. [0:43] Question: What is a Code Funnel? The code funnel is an engagement strategy that allows people to have an experience with your product or software before you ask them for any commitment. This try before you buy (TBYB) strategy allows users to begin extracting value from your product quickly while creating product qualified leads (PQLs). If you’re not sold on giving away your product or service, don’t worry. It’s not uncommon for this strategy to run into some resistance at first. Embracing a code funnel or TBYB strategy has a lot of benefits. First of all, it allows you to help more people. Your product or service is solving problems and helping your customers, so the more people who are making use of it the more people you are helping. Hand in hand with this, TBYB means your product has a quicker time to value. Everyone wants solutions and help right now. The faster you can put your solutions into the hands that need them, them better.   And the more prospects use your software or product, the more qualified they become. Qualified prospects rise to the top because the people who are actually using the software are more qualified than those who aren’t. This means that when you do reach out to these PQL’s you’re less disruptive because they are already qualified and ready to talk to you and you know exactly what to offer them and when to offer it. [11:13] Dan's Rant You can make a code funnel out of anything! Don’t say X product/service can’t be given away so we can’t use the code funnel. There is some way to implement try before you buy for every product or service. [16:23] Todd's Truth “The best way to engage buyers is to anticipate what problems they want to solve, diagnose how they research solutions, and help them solve those problems is a fast, comprehensive, and personalized way.” Companies that make it easy will be the ones that win. [19:02] 3 Takeaways Review your engagement process and strategies now Ask buyers what they want to see before buying Think of three ways people can try before they buy Links Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Inbound Organization Audiobook (https://www.audible.com/pd/Inbound-Organization-Audiobook/1469098903) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 122: What Does Being Customer-Centric Mean?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2018 19:22


    Everyone says they are customer-centric, but, like most things, being customer-centric is more difficult than just saying it. Further, what passed for customer-centric five years ago doesn’t cut it today. Today’s modern buyers expect more from the companies they work with and buy from. For a company to be truly customer-centric, they need to be solving for the customer across all levels of their organization. In other words, to be customer-centric, you need to be an inbound organization. [0:37] Question: What Does Being Customer-Centric Mean? Being a customer-centric business means that your organization is built from the mission up with your customer's success in mind. Your mission shouldn’t be about you; it should be about your customer. The decisions you make should be based on your customers best interests. The content you host on your website should be tailored to every stage of the buyer journey (even customers), and it should be personalized. Being custom-centric is more than just having great service. Customer service is reactive, customer-centric means proactively ensuring your customers are solving their problems and succeeding. If you just pay lip service to your customers, you’re not customer-centric. [17:08] Todd's Truth Employee experiences lead to customer experiences. [17:48] 3 Takeaways Check your mission, is it up to date and customer-focused? Ask your employees what barriers are in their way Ask your customers if you’re delivering what they really want Links Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Inbound Organization Audiobook (https://www.audible.com/pd/Inbound-Organization-Audiobook/1469098903) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 121: Why Marketing is more important than Sales in 2018

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2018 19:11


    Back in the day, in the 90’s, selling used to be boots on the ground, go out, and educate clients and prospects face to face. You would take them lunch or snacks and hope they wanted to sit down with you. Marketing wasn’t involved with demand generation or awareness; their role was more about supporting sales people. And there were lots of sales people, typically men, and very few marketing people, typically women, because salespeople were seen as a way to drive revenue (more field salespeople = more sales) while marketing was an expense. Fast forward to today, and the landscape looks nothing like this. [0:45] Question: Why is Marketing More Important than Sales in 2018? Buyers have more control than ever before. With the internet at their fingertips, buyers self-educate and qualify companies long before they ever want to talk to a salesperson. And buyers have access to you and all of your competition with equal ease. Which is why in today’s market, you can add salespeople, take out an ad, etc. but the biggest impact on growth happens when you focus on the customer journey, and that’s where marketing lives. Marketing creates the content prospects find, the education material they are digesting long before they call you, and marketing shapes the buyer journey from the first touch onward. Marketing should be the part of your organization that understands the customer and the buyer journey better than anyone else. In the old days, leads came from sales prospecting. Now, cold calling and traditional prospecting is the least effective way to find leads. Marketing should be doing the initial qualification through the buyer journey so that salespeople are talking to prospects who have already done their research, know what they want, and what you can do to help them. Now, sales prospecting should look like networking, working connections with existing customers, and working within your ecosystem. Marketing aligns the company with what they buyer wants; they’re the voice of the customer. There isn’t anything more important than that! [10:05] Dan's Rant Sales spamming is terrible! If you reach out on LinkedIn and immediately pitch the person you’re connecting with, you are spam. Worse, you have now ruined all of your credibility, and the chances of that contact ever doing business with you just went into the garbage. This tactic is just plain stupid and counterproductive. [17:03] Todd's Truth “Customer experience is the new marketing.” Brian Solis Marketing needs to have a seat at the table. [17:18] 3 Takeaways Where is marketing in your hierarchy? Is marketing an investment or a cost? Ask senior leadership if marketing is driving your strategic direction Develop a plan to understand your buyer persona and journey Links Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Adele Revella - Buyer Personas (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118961501) Inbound Organization Audiobook (https://www.audible.com/pd/Inbound-Organization-Audiobook/1469098903) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 120: What do You do if Your Leadership Doesn’t Buy into Inbound?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2018 22:01


    For all of the companies out there dedicated to being inbound organizations and helping their customers succeed, there are ten more who aren’t. It is not uncommon for inbound to enter an organization through the marketing or sales department first. This means that often the first hurdle to becoming an inbound organization is getting leadership buy-in. [0:43] Question: What do You do if Your Leadership Doesn’t Buy into Inbound? Education is often the first step on the road to becoming an inbound organization. The sales or marketing department (or even just one of two people internally) are faced with the task of educating leadership and selling inbound internally. Understanding what inbound means and the changes that precipitated it are key steps to securing leadership buy-in. One of these changes includes increased competition, a fact that most leadership is keenly aware of. Most companies today have more competition than they did in years past, and buyers find that competition faster than ever before. With the internet at their fingertips, buyers are empowered to educate themselves and discover options like they never were in the past. This has fundamentally changed the buyers and the buying process itself, which is something many leaders don’t believe. Or, rather, they don’t believe it of their buyers, although they might admit it’s true of buyers in other industries. For older, larger companies it is not uncommon for leadership to persist in this belief that their buyers are the exception to this change. Often, they are still enjoying success and growth, so why should they believe that their buyers have changed? Unfortunately, the more time goes by the harder and harder it is to maintain previous levels of growth and success. So, how do you convince leadership that their buyers have changed, they face more competition, and the answer is to adapt and adopt inbound? The first step, as we said above, is education. Get your leadership team the resources they need to learn about inbound. There are plenty of books out there (you can find links to some of our favorite in the Links section of this post), but a quick google search for inbound + your industry should return any number of industry-specific articles and resources. Once you’ve secured some tentative buy-in, you can begin exploring other avenues like reaching out to an advisor or consultant. We also recommend taking the Inbound Organization Assessment on our website to see where your weaknesses are and where you can improve. Ultimately the goal is to get buy-in from all departments, not just leadership, and begin creating MSPOTs, Culture Codes, Inbound Operating Systems, and becoming an inbound organization. Leaderships support makes that much easier, however. [14:35] Dan's Rant Inbound is a pivot point. Yes, this is how your customers think, and yes, you do need to change. Every week you don’t become inbound your competition is, and they are getting farther ahead and reaping the rewards. [15:13] Todd's Truth “Inbound is about the size of your brain not the width of your wallet.” Brian Halligan in Inbound Organization It’s not necessarily about how much you spend; it’s about how strategic you are. [17:46] 3 Takeaways Here are three steps you can take to begin the process of convincing your leadership to buy into inbound. Tell a story – Show specific results and tell the story of where you are and where you could be. Bonus points if you can hold up a competitor as practicing inbound. Get sales buy-in – If you can get sales to buy in, it helps convince leadership of the potential of inbound. Run tests – Test a campaign or piece of content and use the results to prove the efficacy of inbound internally. Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Bonus chapter – IMPACT Branding Case Study (https://www.inboundorganization.com/impact-case-study) Inbound Marketing – Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah (https://www.amazon.com/Inbound-Marketing-Found-Google-Social/dp/0470499311) Inbound Selling – Brian Signorelli (https://www.amazon.com/Inbound-Selling-Change-Match-People/dp/1119473411/) Inbound PR – Iliyana Stareva (https://www.amazon.com/Inbound-PR-Agencys-Transforming-Business/dp/1119462215/) Inbound Content – Justin Champion ( https://www.amazon.com/Inbound-Content-Step-Step-Marketing/dp/1119488958/) We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan! Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review)  P.S. Are you enjoying the podcast? Did you read Inbound Organization? Taking a quick moment to rate and review Inbound2Grow and Inbound Organization on whatever service you use is the best way to let us know how we’re doing. Your ratings and reviews make a big difference, and we appreciate you taking the time to provide your feedback.   Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 119: What are the Potholes to Becoming an Inbound Organization?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2018 21:37


    At the beginning of every organization's journey to becoming an inbound organization, there are inevitable potholes in the road. The good news is that these potholes are completely normal and can be overcome. Potholes to becoming an inbound organization can look like strategy mistakes, content pitfalls, sales stumbles, or mission blunders. Whatever potholes your organization finds in its road, the most important thing to remember is that they represent opportunities to become a better inbound organization and there is no need to fear them. Show Notes [0:39] Question: What are the Potholes to Becoming an Inbound Organization? Every organization will inevitably run into some form of pothole. Not every organization will run into every single pothole, or even most of them, but over the years there have been some common potholes we’ve seen. One of the first potholes organizations can run into is skipping their mission. We’ve talked a lot about the importance of mission, but for some companies taking the time to create a mission can seem like a waste. Or, worse, they’re an older company, and they think that just because they wrote a mission fifty years ago, it’s still relevant today. A mission has to be focused on how you are going to serve your customers. Typically, a mission will serve you for three to five years, but a 100-year-old mission is unlikely to reflect modern buyers, their needs, or the best way to help them. Your mission needs to be more than a statement on the wall. Another pothole is neglecting strategy or valuing tactics over strategy. You should be using an inbound operating system to keep everyone on track and focused on your mission. Your MSPOT should be clearly communicating the plays you will be making to achieve your overall strategy, and your inbound culture should be creating an environment in which everyone in your organization is working toward the same goals. If any of these pieces is missing, there are going to be problems. If that’s the case, don’t worry. Take a step back, figure out which piece is missing or failing you, and work on it. You need to take the time to establish these building blocks of inbound before you rush out and act. Another major area for potholes is content. There are three types of content potholes we’ve seen: Content Strangulation – The inability to put out content. Often the content creation process is a bureaucracy-heavy process that creeps along at a crawl. This long, drawn-out process doesn’t add anything to the content. Content should be a part of your everyday life. Do make sure it is well written and polished, but don’t get so bogged down you never put anything out there. Content Asphyxiation – This happens when you have taken the fun out of content and are taking it too seriously. You don’t have to be the next great American novelist to create content. Your content should be useful and relevant to your prospects. The goal is to help, not win writing awards. Content Discombobulation – This is when your content is all over the map or focused too heavily on one kind of content, all top of the funnel for instance. Content should be matched to every stage of the buyer journey, and you should have plenty for each stage. Sales is another area of common potholes. It used to be that the goal of sales was to close deals, and we’re still seeing sales people pick up the phone and qualify. An inbound organization strives to start relationships, and you should know who you’re talking to before you pick up the phone. Not having your customers best interests in mind is another sales pothole. Not every prospect would make a good customer, and you should have their best interests in mind and let them go. Similarly, not letting the customer move at their own pace through the sales funnel is a common sales pothole. If your prospect is in the education phase of their journey, don’t try and close them. [19:30] Dan's Rant Don’t fear the potholes! Everyone experiences them, but they aren’t the end of the world. Take the assessment and submit your MSPOT and you’ll be able to progress through the pot holes. [20:07] Todd's Truth Start at the beginning, follow all the steps, and don’t skip any steps along the way. You can’t skip mission, culture, strategy, or anything else because everything builds on each other. Links We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review) Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 118: What is an Inbound Content Strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2018 20:19


    An inbound content strategy is so much more than just churning out feature or product-based copy and sticking it on your website. An inbound content strategy understands and accommodates your personas and every stage of the buyer journey. Great content speaks directly to your prospects, answering their questions and helping them make decisions. Show Notes [0:43] Question: What is an Inbound Content Strategy? B2B, B2C, doesn’t matter, everyone uses the internet to help them make decisions, find information, solve problems, and make purchases both big and small. Your content is often the first interaction a prospect has with your brand. In many ways, your content is your brand. The content that you create builds your brand, establishes your credibility, and creates awareness. Your inbound content strategy then is how you will create relevant, helpful content for every step of the buyer journey that answers your prospects questions, solves their problems, and helps them make decisions. There is no one kind of content that is best or right. The idea that content is a specific thing (an e-book for example) is a reliance on tactics rather than strategy. Part of your strategy is figuring out the types of content your prospects want and need. That could mean creating videos, FAQs, infographics, presentations, webinars, blog articles, or any format that fits and works for your prospects because your content is your expertise communicated in a way that your prospects want to consume. If you struggle with creating content, then you need to do a better job of understanding your persona. Who are you trying to talk to? What are their questions? What problems are they trying to solve? Great content ideas can come from your existing customers, your salespeople, and your customer service people. Do sales and customer service get the same ten questions? Take those questions and turn them into content. Your content strategy should be creating customer-centric content that is mapped to every stage of the buyer journey and formatted in whatever way works best for your persona. [18:50] Dan's Rant Lean into quality. Be smart and strategic in providing what your customers want and need. [19:03] Todd's Truth Leaders leave content to marketers at their own peril. Everyone has a stake in your organizations content and should contribute. Don't forget goals! Leaders should ensure that every piece of content has goals that can be measured. [19:21] 3 Takeaways Audit your content. Is it focused on your buyers or your products? Map your content to the buyer journey and set goals for each stage and asset. Ask your customers questions and create content around the answers. Links We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review) Justin Champion Inbound Content Donald Miller Building a StoryBrand Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Curious where Todd and Dan got their statistics for this show? Here are some of the stats and their sources. Links not working? View our blog post here https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound2grow/what-is-an-inbound-content-strategy. Mobile video usage has increased by nearly 10 million daily viewing minutes in the last two years – Kleiner Perkins Internet Trends Report 2018 70% of YouTube viewers watch videos for "help with a problem" they're having in their hobby, studies, or job – Why You Should Lean Into How-to-Content in 2018 2and2/Google, “The Values of YouTube” Study, Oct. 2017 (n of 1,006 consumers between the ages of 18-54, with 918 monthly YouTube users). 43% of B2C marketers say pre-produced video is the most successful type of content for marketing purposes – B2C Content Marketing 2018 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends – North America Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.y.

    Episode 117: Live From INBOUND 2018!

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2018 47:12


    This episode of Inbound2Grow was recorded last week at INBOUND 2018! Recorded live in-front of INBOUND 2018 attendees, we interviewed two leaders of the inbound revolution, Eric Keiles and Jill Konrath! These two leaders have been practicing inbound as a methodology and a mindset since before it had a name. During the show we picked their brains about the good old days of inbound, inbound certified back office staff, the clients they won’t take, and the future of the inbound revolution. Our Guests! Eric Keiles Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Square 2 Marketing ou can find Eric on: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickeiles/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/erickeiles?lang=en) Square2marketing.com (https://www.square2marketing.com/) Pre-Order Smash the Funnel (https://www.smashthefunnel.com/) Jill Konrath Keynote Speaker and Author of 4 Bestselling Sales Books You can find Jill on: LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillkonrath/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/jillkonrath) Jillkonrath.com (https://www.jillkonrath.com/) Latest book More Sales Less Time (https://www.amazon.com/More-Sales-Less-Time-Surprisingly/dp/1591847265) Links We’re extending the MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first-place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review) Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 116: Is Inbound Still a Good Investment?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2018 20:41


    Inspired by Mark Schaefer’s assertion that inbound costs increase over time, in this episode we unpack that idea and discuss the need for adaptation and adoption of inbound as a mindset rather than a methodology. Show Notes [1:50] Question: Is Inbound Still a Good Investment?  The idea behind Schaefer’s post is that in the beginning, as companies invest in content creation and other inbound tactics, the investment is relatively low and easy to reach leads will find you because your niche is unsaturated. Over time however, as more content is created and the niche becomes saturated companies have to invest more in content creation to keep up. Companies spend more to increase the volume of content, the number of emails, advertising, etc. so inbound becomes more and more expensive. On the one hand, yes to do inbound requires an investment. Inbound isn’t free, and it isn’t magic. But the reality is that traditional outbound marketing is less effective than it has ever been. Your prospects will not tolerate canned cold calls, one-size-fits-all sales tactics, or pushy advertising. Prospects want an individual, personalized experiences. They want to do their research before talking to a salesperson. They want the companies they work with to help them solve their problems, not just peddle a product. They want, in short, inbound. Of course, if you begin to create content in an unsaturated niche leads will be easy to find. Of course, as time goes on, there are fewer easy leads. Yes, inbound requires continuous investment in creating amazing, high-quality, helpful content. However, inbound is still more effective than traditional tactics, and it should be less overhead. As for spending more to create greater quantities of content, that idea really misses the heart of what inbound is. If your emails, blog, whatever tactic isn’t working well then, the answer isn’t to produce more mediocre content and hope that if two emails a week weren’t working four will. You should know your persona, their struggles, their goals, their preferences and that knowledge should inform the types of content you are creating. You should be creating content for your niche that they will love. You should be spending your money better! If your persona isn’t into long format blog posts, ditch them. If your persona wants a short format podcast (something we know a little something about), then you should be spending your money and time creating short format podcast episodes not 1000+ word blog posts. Inbound isn’t a bucket of tactics (emails, blogs, etc.) that you are bound to follow slavishly, throwing money hand over fist at the tactics and hoping they work. Inbound is a mindset that should permeate your entire organization. Inbound is about all levels of your company helping your prospects solve their problems. Helping requires an investment, sure, but being helpful is more effective and, ultimately, less costly than traditional marketing methods. If the inbound tactics you are using aren’t working and are eating up more and more of your budget, then it’s time to take a step back and figure out how your prospects want to be helped, where they want to be helped, and when they want to be helped and then go give it to them! [18:54] Todd's Truth Inbound is a mindset, not just tactics or a methodology. [19:22] 3 Takeaways Is your content strategically focused on the changing needs of your buyers or is it focused on your product? Review your results with inbound Do your inbound organization assessment Links Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review) Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Why Inbound Marketing Costs Increase Over Time – Mark Schaefer (https://www.businessesgrow.com/2018/07/30/inbound-marketing-costs/) Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 115: What is an Inbound Engagement Strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2018 21:24


    A large part of being inbound is creating and maintaining engagement with your prospects and customers. From first contact with a prospect all the way through the buyer journey, engagement is how you stay connected to your prospects and deliver the information and, most importantly, the help they need to reach their goals. To effectively engage with prospects and customers every step of their buyer journey, across all levels of your organization, requires a solid inbound engagement strategy. Show Notes [0:41] Question: What is an Inbound Engagement Strategy?  At its heart, engagement is about connecting people with the resources they need to achieve their goals. An inbound engagement strategy maps out how your organization will create engagement opportunities throughout the buyer journey and accomplish your goal of helping your prospects and customers. Content, and content creation are a large part of any inbound engagement strategy because content is going to be a primary driver of engagement. It is necessary to understand your buyer persona and your buyer journey so that you know what content your prospects need and when they need it. At the top of the funnel, for instance, the types of content that tend to be most useful are things like checklists and guides. Top of the funnel, or the awareness stage, content is about the problem your prospect is trying to solve, not about you. Middle of the funnel content, or the consideration stage, is where the prospect recognizes that they have a problem and begins to seek out solutions. At this point product demos, walkthroughs, and product comparisons (to name a few) give prospects more information about specific solutions and the specific ways you can help them solve their problem. At the bottom of the funnel prospects are ready to make a purchase and content that compares features or pricing is appropriate. Each stage needs to be considered and planned for in an inbound engagement strategy. An inbound engagement strategy also defines who you will help and how you will help them. It also details how each level of your organization will be involved in engagement. [18:31] Dan's Rant The code funnel, which is an extension of freemium, is something Dan feels strongly about. In fact, HubSpot offers a ton of free stuff that helps people help people. In a future episode, Dan and Todd will dive deep into the code funnel, the pit falls of giving things away, and more! [19:21] Todd's Truth Don’t get focused on any particular technology to reach prospects. Inbound organizations should remain human and personal. H2H is what people want! You build engagement through being human and personal, not through any specific technology. [19:46] 3 Takeaways Make sure your mission and your why are customer success and helping oriented Map how your team engages with prospects along the entire buyer journey Think about the code funnel (how you create freemium or try before you buy offers) Links There is still time to enter the MSPOT contest! From now until Monday, September 3, you can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and be entered into the contest. The first place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Download and Submit Your MSPOT (https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review) Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 114: What is an Inbound Persona Strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2018 18:19


    Personas are one of the fundamentals of inbound, shaping not only your marketing and sales efforts but all levels of your company. So, what is a persona? Personas are semi-fictional representations of your ideal customer based on actual data and some speculation about things like demographics, behavior patterns, and goals. Personas represent a person, not a company or market! Show Notes [0:40] Question: What is an Inbound Persona Strategy?  It is important to understand that personas are created through research and data. By interviewing current customers and prospects, reviewing user data, and speculating (based on your research and data) about behaviors and goals you create a complete view of your ideal customer. You might know some things about the type of organization they work for, but your persona work creates a picture of the actual person who is your customer, not their organization. Personas are a vital part of an inbound organization because they give focus and meaning to the work you are doing. Rather than marketing or selling a product to a particular type of company you know happens to buy that product, personas allow you to understand and help solve the problems of the specific person who has a problem. Put another way; personas allow you to think persona to person (H2H) and create content and speak directly to your buyer, not your buyer's company. Personas put your work into context and allow you to understand your buyer on an emotional level, grounding your company in market reality. It used to be that the focus was on what customers bought not why they bought. In today’s market, however, no one wants a generalist. If you want to stand out and have a competitive advantage, you need to know why people are buying and meet them where they are. You need to find your niche and personas are how you do that. [16:05] Dan's Rant Buyer personas are critically important. Dan wants you to go to HubSpot’s persona tool (Make My Persona) to learn more about personas and make your own. And, if you send us your persona, Dan and Todd will review it! [16:43] Todd's Truth Your buyer persona is a representation of the person that your organization helps the most! [17:38] 3 Takeaways Identify your target persona by interviewing customers and prospects Document your insights and share them with your team Audit your marketing and sales teams to ensure they are focused on your persona Links From now until the end of August we are holding an MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and from now until the end of August anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment Download and Submit Your MSPOT https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review Buyer Personas by Adele Revella (https://www.buyerpersona.com/buyer-personas-book) https://www.hubspot.com/make-my-persona)Make My Persona ) Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 113: What is an Inbound Strategy?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2018 19:05


    Strategies are high-level plans for achieving specific objectives. Strategies guide your efforts, and inbound strategies are no different from any other strategy in this regard. Where an inbound strategy differs from other strategies is that inbound strategies are more than just a guide, they are a mindset and an attitude, and they touch every level of an organization. Show Notes [0:42] Question: What is an Inbound Strategy and How is it Different from Any Other Strategy? Inbound strategies aim to create the best employee, partner, and buyer experience. Inbound strategies are based on helping, not just product strategy, or marketing strategy, or specific tactics. However, it is not uncommon for people to look at inbound tactics like blogging or email marketing and assume that implementing these tactics is synonymous with an inbound strategy. But an inbound strategy asks, and answers, some key questions like: Who are you helping? What problems are you solving? Where do they want to be helped? What form does that help take? How is everyone in the organization contributing to providing that help? You begin to arrive at an inbound strategy by answering these questions. Tactics are the tools you use to help your customer how they want to be helped and where they want to be helped. Inbound strategy is how you execute your mission and details how you will delight and help your customers across all levels of the organization and throughout the entirety of the buyer journey. You want strategies that blow your customers away. [16:39] Dan's Rant Selling is helping. You need a coordinated strategy so you know how your buyers are moving through the buyer journey. [17:11] Todd's Truth The opportunity to grow and succeed will come more and more from creating amazing customer experiences rather than innovating products or features. People increasingly expect that products will be performant, differentiation is created through inbound strategy.   [17:38] 3 Takeaways Document how you help customers Determine the obstacles between where you are now and becoming inbound. Begin the process of overcoming those obstacles Ask customers how helpful you actually are Links From now until the end of August we are holding an MSPOT contest! You can download the MSPOT template, submit it for review, and from now until the end of August anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into the contest. The first place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Download and Submit Your MSPOT https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Thanks to Rebecca Miller our podcast editor, social media coordinator, and blogger and to Zachary Jameson for producing the audio for the podcast. Check out Zachary on Upwork if you need podcast audio services.

    Episode 112: NPS - What is It and When to Use It

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2018 19:18


    Everyone thinks they have great customer service, but can you prove it? A ten-minute-long customer survey might suggest that the survey takers are satisfied, but who is most likely to actually give you ten minutes of their time to fill out a survey? If you’re only talking to and hearing from good fit customers, then your results are going to be skewed. And unreliable results mean you don’t have accurate, measurable, actionable data. Net Promotor Score (NPS) is the solution. Show Notes [0:44] Question: What is NPS and When Should You Use It? NPS is a proxy for overall customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. NPS measures the willingness of customers (or employees) to recommend your product/service/presentation to a friend or colleague. You can also use NPS to measure how effective an event or campaign was. NSP can also be applied internally to determine your ENPS (Employee Net Promotor Score). NPS is a scored on a scale of 1-10. Respondents are asked how likely they are to recommend on a scale of 1-10 with 0-6 being detractors, 7-8 is passive, and 9-10 are promotors. When calculating you determine the number of total respondents and the number of respondents in each category. You then determine the percentage of each category. Next, you subtract the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promotors. For example, you survey 10 people and 7 were promotors, and 3 were detractors. So, 70% were promotors, and 30% were detractors. NPS = 70% - 30% = 40 There is a lot of power in knowing your NPS. In our connected world, the experiences of other people have a huge amount of influence on where we shop, what we buy, and how we spend our money. With so many choices at our finger tips user reviews, recommendations, and word of mouth make a big impact on our decision-making process. NPS helps you understand how many of your customers are out in the real-world advocating for you. Your customers should be your best sales people. [16:11] Dan's Rant Measurable trust! NPS allows you to measure trust and prove that your customers trust you. “Meh” doesn’t work anymore! [19:20] 3 Takeaways Start using NPS with your customers Then use NPS internally for high-level management, leadership, strategy Move to using NPS to measure presentations, campaigns, and initiatives P.S. From now until the end of August we are holding an MSPOT contest! You can already download the MSPOT template and submit it for review, but from now until the end of August anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into our contest. The first place winner will win an hour to review their MSPOT with Todd and Dan!  Links Submit Your MSPOT https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment)

    nps meh respondents nsp mspot takeaways start
    Episode 111: What is an Inbound Operating System?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2018 21:09


    Being an inbound organization is more than just creating an inbound culture or an MSPOT or a mission. Day in and day out the operation of the organization requires everyone to be working toward common, inbound goals. An inbound operating system maintains accountability and keeps everyone on the same page, so that day to day operations stay inbound. Show Notes [0:43] Question: What is an Inbound Operating System? So, what exactly is an inbound operating system? Well, no two inbound operating systems will be exactly alike because an inbound operating system is the combination of systems, programs, and tools your organization uses every day. Not every tool or system will be ideal for every company, but the combination of tools and systems you use (whatever they may be) make up your inbound operating system. Regardless of the specific tools, programs, and systems, the goal of an inbound operating system is to enable your organization to follow through on your MSPOT. An MSPOT is a powerful tool for defining your goals, but it can’t just sit there and only be referred to once a quarter. Hitting your goals is a process with a lot of moving parts, and the meetings, wikis, software, and programs you use to track and organize those parts are your inbound operating system. Your MSPOT guides what you are doing as an organization, but your inbound operating system guides the how of implementation and defines how work actually gets done. To put it in context: Your mission is your why. Your culture is the environment in which you follow through on your why. Your MSPOT defines what you are specifically going to do. Your inbound operating system is how you do it.   [18:52] Todd’s Truth Inbound leaders need to hold teams accountable. An inbound operating system keeps everyone on track and allows leaders to hold teams accountable. [19:20] 3 Takeaways Create your culture code and document it Create a wiki (or other collaborative space/tools) Review your regular meetings and why you have them [20:09] Dan's Rant Don’t hold meetings just to hold them! Meetings should serve a purpose, and if they don’t, they are just a waste of time. P.S. From now until the end of August we are holding an MSPOT contest! You can already download the MSPOT template and submit it for review, but from now until the end of August anyone who submits an MSPOT will be entered into our contest. We’ll have more details next in Episode 12s show notes (including what you can win), so download and submit your MSPOT soon! Links HubSpot culture code https://www.slideshare.net/HubSpot/the-hubspot-culture-code-creating-a-company-we-love Take the Inbound Organization Assessment https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment Submit Your MSPOT https://www.inboundorganization.com/mspot-review

    Episode 110: Inbound Decision Making

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2018 18:46


      How do you make decisions in your organization? Inbound organizations make decisions with what is best for the entire organization in mind. Decision making within inbound organizations is also not confined to the upper echelons of leadership and management. Rather, an inbound organization leverages transparency and inbound methods to empower employees to make all but the most critical of decisions. So, what is an inbound decision? Show Notes [0:42] Question: What Constitutes an Inbound Decision? An inbound decision is focused on maximizing enterprise value (EV) and customer value. This puts the company’s decision before any other decision (individual or department) and, while this may seem opposed to inbound belief and typical methodology, it actually fits in perfectly with inbound. This is because an inbound organization has a company culture and mission with drives and focuses them on helping their customers succeed. With all aspects of the company focused on customer success it means that any decision which maximizes EV also, as a result, maximizes customer success as well. Put another way, the company’s success is intrinsically tied to the customer's success. Inbound decisions balance what is best for the customer, employees, and company. There are three parts of a good inbound decision: Using good judgment – not just going through the motions or parroting a policy manual. Consider the optionality tax- you don’t have to make a decision. In fact, there are many decisions that you shouldn’t make, things you should say no to, and those things should be part of the omissions section of your MSPOT. By including your omissions, you are demonstrating that the option was mindfully considered and that the decision not to pursue it was a choice and not an oversight. Don’t make uninspired compromises – don’t take the path of least resistance or refuse to make a decision because it will make someone unhappy. When businesses make decisions to avoid making people unhappy they invariably end up making the worst kinds of decisions. Someone has to make a decision, and not everyone is going to be happy, but if you make the best decision to solve for EV then it will be a good, inbound decision. [14:55] Dan’s Rant If you’re not familiar with the Norrington Decision-Making Matrix, then Dan thinks you should be. The decision matrix was created by Lorrie Norrington, lead director for the HubSpot Board of Directors. Be sure to visit inbound2grow.com for the Norrington Decision-Marking Matrix. [16:21] Todd’s Truth “Transparency without context is chaos.” JD Sherman Inbound companies are transparent which allows their employees to have the right and relevant information in context to make good decisions. Transparency informs your employees. Your mission guides your employees. Decision making based on EV and customer value focuses them on driving inbound results. [16:32] 3 Takeaways List your omissions! It is vital to understand the optionality tax Ask yourself if you trust your employees to make good decisions? Why or why not? Do you tolerate uninspired compromises? Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) We're still accepting MSPOTs for review! Download a copy of the template here: MSPOT Template (https://www.top-line-results.com/hubfs/MSPOT%20template.xlsx) www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles

    Episode 109: Putting People First

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2018 17:30


    Your employees, prospects, and customers are all people. Every person your company interacts with, regardless of the type of interaction, wants to be treated like a human being. Inbound organizations understand this and put people first. Show Notes [0:47] Question: Why Should Companies Put People First?  Putting people first begins, like so much of inbound, internally. Your employees are some of, if not the most, important people you need to consider. Your employees deliver and interact with your prospects and customers, and when employees aren’t engaged and committed that delivery and interaction suffers. So often we see a direct correlation between employee retention and happiness and success. Happy, engaged employees bring their all to the table, and they tend to stick around. Having high retention means that all of the organizational knowledge, relationships, and collaboration your employees gain over time stays in-house. And that is powerful! Happy, long-haul employees don’t just happen though. A company culture that supports employees and offers them a seat at the table is key. Employees need to feel valued, heard, and like they are a meaningful part of the overall organization. Putting people first touches everything from your website to your customer service to your sales teams, and it begins with how you treat your employees. Inbound companies aim to help, support, and put people first.    [15:22] Dan’s Rant You need someone to be the advocate for your employees. Don’t expect human resources to play this role! Your Chief People Officer should empower your employees and make them feel heard. [15:45] 3 Takeaways These are the three questions you should be asking your employees on a regular basis (once or twice a year): Do you know who your employee advocate is? Do you know what our mission is? Do you know your role in our mission and what you do to help us grow? [16:28] Todd’s Truth People want a sense of purpose and value, and they want to be apart of something that matters. Inbound organizations understand that, and they find ways to give their employees what they want. As a result, they see better outcomes. Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Additional Resources and Articles (https://www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles)

    Episode 108: Why Inbound Organizations Use Transparency to Build Trust

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2018 20:51


    In this episode, Dan and Todd talk about how transparency builds trust. From the steps leadership can take to be more transparent to tools organizations can leverage, this episode is all about building and keeping trust. Show Notes [3:35] Question: Why is Transparency so Important to Building Trust? Trust is rarely talked about as the foundation for an organization, but trust is essential within an organization. Employees need to trust in the decisions that are made throughout the organization, in the company’s mission, and in the organization as a whole. How trust is built is through transparency. Organizations build trust by being transparent. Transparency creates an understanding of the decisions that are being made and the context in which they are being made. In fact, for many younger people transparency in their workplace is an expectation. For younger employees, a lack of transparency creates immediate distrust. However, transparency is something that needs to be nurtured. Systems need to be put into place that encourage transparency. A large part of this is building systems and demanding the free flow of information. When everyone has access to information, they are able to make decisions and understand, because of the transparency provided by the information, the decisions and moves the organization as a whole is making. Transparency also needs to be a part of the company culture, something that is discussed with systems of feedback to measure how well the organization is doing with transparency and trust. Transparency needs, more than anything, to be spearheaded by the organization's leadership. Systems like an MSPOT are great for building trust and being transparent, but if leadership isn’t transparent then it sends the signal that transparency isn’t really a cornerstone of culture or a priority. [18:00] 3 Takeaways Create MSPOTs Leaders need to share financial info and key metrics Create tools to share information across your company (wiki, Slack, Google docs, etc.) Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Have an MSPOT? Visit https://www.inboundorganization.com and submit it for our feedback Don't have an MSPOT? Get it here: (https://www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles)

    Episode 107: What are the benefits of inbound recruiting and how do you do it?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2018 18:16


    Our buyers aren’t the only ones who have been fundamentally altered by the internet; employees have new expectations for their employers, and they are going about finding their next job in a drastically different way than they did 30 years ago. Inbound recruiting is a powerful tool for helping companies find and keep the ideal candidate. Show Notes [0:45] Question: What are the Benefits of Inbound Recruiting and How Do You Do It?  Inbound recruiting makes use of modern methods and tactics and applies them to finding and retaining the best employees. It used to be that when you needed a job, you picked up a newspaper and, as the job seeker, you found companies and tried to convince them you were the right person. Now, most peoples first step in a job search is to go online. Employees make use of sites like LinkedIn and Glassdoor to find companies that they want to work for, looking for companies with cultures that attract them. Modern employers can also make use of modern tools, growing their pool of candidates from a small local pool to a large national or global one. This larger pool means you can focus on finding the right candidates that will fit in with your company culture. The first step in inbound recruiting is creating an employee persona. Like a customer persona, an employee persona details the ideal candidate. More than just a list of skill and qualifications, an employee persona also outlines the characteristics that make an ideal employee. It is important to recognize that inbound recruiting can be a long-term investment. Your ideal candidate might not need a job right this moment, but inbound recruiting nurtures candidates so that when they are ready to look for a new job you are positioned to offer them a good fit. Also, don’t forget that every interview presents you with the opportunity to make either a positive or a negative impression on a candidate that will leave your office and go back out into the world, oftentimes sharing their experience. If you go into the recruiting process committed to being inbound and helping everyone, you can help that experience to be positive. [15:33] Dan’s Rant Dan wants you to know and understand that your employees are the lifeblood of your growth. Attracting and retaining the right people is essential for the long-term growth of your organization [16:02] Todd’s Truth While inbound recruiting can be rewarding, Todd wants you to know that it is also a lot of work. Recruiting is a significant time investment you must make when building an inbound culture.   [16:39] 3 Takeaways Create an employee persona Map out your candidate journey Create content that defines your culture. Interview against your culture code Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Glassdoor (https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/) Addtional Resources and Articles (https://www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles)

    Episode 106: What is a Culture Code?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2018 18:21


    Companies create culture either intentionally or unwittingly. Creating a culture code allows you to take an active role in purposefully and mindfully creating your culture. Your culture code signals, both internally and externally, the values and beliefs your company is committed to. So, what is a culture code?   Show Notes [0:42] Question: Question: What is a Culture Code? Directly from Inbound Organization, a culture code is, “an outline or slide deck that shows the key aspects of your beliefs, values, and aspirations and the type of environment you want to create. The culture code helps prospective applicants, employees, partners and vendors and even customers understand how you view your business and people.” A culture code serves a number of functions both internally and externally. From the standpoint of internal leadership, it forces your leadership to be clear and transparent about the kind of company they are trying to create. It also sets expectations for your employees. Your culture code also functions as a measure of what you say versus what you do and holds your organization accountable. Externally, your culture code signals your beliefs and values as a company. A culture code helps to differentiate you from all other companies. This can play an important part in attracting and retaining the kinds of employees you want to work with. Additionally, the process of documenting your culture code is important in and of itself. Having it shows people that the culture you are creating is something you value. [14:06] Dan’s Rant What is a wiki? A wiki is a website that allows everyone in the organization to collaborative edit the content and structure of the site. And Dan thinks that every company needs one! In this week’s rant, Dan tells the story of a HubSpot intern who posts a reply on the company wiki that drastically changes the course of a major change at the company.  [16:33] 3 Takeaways Document your culture code Start a wiki and start sharing information with everyone in your company Learn about and implement an employee net promoter score (ENPS) Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) The HubSpot Culture Code: Creating a Company We Love (https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34234/the-hubspot-culture-code-creating-a-company-we-love.aspx) The HubSpot Culture Code Slide Deck ( https://www.hubspot.com/jobs/culture ) IMPACT Branding and Design (https://www.impactbnd.com/) What is a Wiki? ( https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/wiki )

    Episode 105: The Critical Connection Between Company Culture & Marketing Execution

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2018 16:13


    In this episode, Dan and Todd explore how an authentic, inbound company culture fosters and allows employees to provide excellent customer experiences. While there are no shortcuts for creating a company culture, your company culture is an essential part of delivering the best customer experience. Show Notes [0:40] Question: What is the Connection Between Company Culture and Marketing Execution?  Inbound Organization begins with a case study about a payment processing company, Fattmerchant, who made their mark in a traditional industry by thinking outside the box and becoming an inbound organization. Fattmerchant built a company culture that helps their employees provide, “the best damn experience.” You can feel the difference an inbound culture makes when you go into companies like Fattmerchant and HubSpot because they’ve built a company culture that permeates the business. And that culture isn’t something you can fake. It must be authentic. Having an authentic company culture is a key part of how you deliver outstanding customer experience. By hiring for people who fit your culture and building your culture into every aspect of the business, you create an environment that fosters and allows your employees to provide the kind of customer experience you are aiming for. [13:53] Dan’s Rant Dan gets asked on a regular basis how they do it at HubSpot. The short answer is that people treat customers the way that they are treated, another reason why company culture is so important. [14:38] Todd’s Truth A modern buyer values a relationship with a company that shares her values without sacrificing any quality or utility. Buyers want to do business with companies that share their values and companies live out their values through their culture. [15:26] 3 Takeaways Check out Dan and Todd’s speaking schedule on inboundorganization.com. Buy the book, if you haven’t already. Here's the link: http://a.co/1UTyN96 Leave a review, we really appreciate it! Links Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) https://www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles https://fattmerchant.com/

    Episode 104: What is an MSPOT and Why It’s Important

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2018 17:16


    Let’s talk about the world of MSPOTs! What is an MSPOT, who needs one, why would you need one, and who creates it? In this episode, Dan and Todd break down the ins and the outs of MSPOTs and challenge you to start creating your own organizational MSPOT. Show Notes [1:06] Question: Why is an MSPOT so important? Mission Strategies Play Omissions Targets An MSPOT puts your missions and strategies and goals on one page and makes them easy to consume. Any company, especially those with 3 employees or more, can benefit from an MSPOT because it gives every employee the information they need to work toward the goals of the company. Just the act of creating an MSPOT can be a powerful and impactful experience. Even for an entrepreneur who has no employees, going through the process of creating an MSPOT and focusing on articulating your priorities is valuable. MSPOTs begin with a companies leadership defining the overall goals of the entire business. For larger operations, managers or even individuals often create their own MSPOTs that fit within the larger company goals. Every level of the organization should have an MSPOT. [8:43] What Does MSPOT Stand For? M is for mission, the statement that defines your organization. Your mission will set your direction and make sure everyone is working toward the same overarching goal. S is for strategies. Strategies are the outline of how you will deliver on your mission. P is for plays or projects. This is where you define the handful of initiatives that will support the overall mission and strategies. This could encompass products or marketing initiatives, things of that nature. O is for omissions. Omissions are strategies, plans, projects, or plays that are not a priority for the company. This is where you really focus and decide where you aren’t going to be spending your energy. T is for targets. Your targets should be the metrics that allow you to track toward your goals. [16:08] Dan’s Rant Get an MSPOT. Simple and sweet, an MSPOT will change the way your company sets, tracks, and meets goals. [16:21] Todd’s Truth MSPOTs reduce uncertainty, deliver clarity, and drive alignment for everyone in the organization. [16:32] 3 Takeaways Download the MSPOT template Complete it from the top down Start building out your divisional MSPOTs Links MSPOT Template (https://www.top-line-results.com/hubfs/MSPOT%20template.xlsx) www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment)

    Episode 103: Digging Deeper into the Inbound Organization Assessment

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2018 14:48


    In this episode, Dan and Todd talk about what makes a good mission statement. From the things to avoid to an example of what to strive for, this episode dives deep into why mission is critical for an inbound organization. Show Notes   [1:20] The Inbound Organization Assessment The Inbound Organization Assessment is a simple to use, handful of questions that help companies build the right foundation for becoming inbound. Taking the assessment will help you gauge how much work needs to be done, familiarize you with the concepts and terms of inbound, and give you actionable steps you can take to become an inbound organization. [4:26] The Question: Why are leaders and executives so important to building an inbound organization? Leaders and executives are vital to building an inbound organization because they define a companies mission. That mission is the foundation and guiding values and principles you want your people to follow and share. Your mission is so important in today’s world because people want to do business with people who share their values and principles. They want to work with businesses that mirror their beliefs, and the same holds true for employees. People want to work for a company that they can believe in. Caring about what you’re doing for work and whey you’re doing it is why people go the extra mile and invest their time and energy into their employers. [9:16] What is a Good Mission? “A mission is how your company uses your resources, people, products, and service capabilities to help a certain set of people in a specific target market solve a specific problem.” – Inbound Organization An inbound mission begins with the why and works backward to how you are going to help people. [12:35] Dan’s Rant Today’s rant is an example of an excellent mission statement which comes from Forge, a San Francisco based startup. “Forge is creating a new contract between employees and employers that offers workplace and schedule flexibility to those working in the service industry.” Stacey Ferreira   [13:22] Todd’s Truth A good test of your mission is to ask yourself if any other company could use the same mission statement to describe their organization. Also, no buzzwords! [13:43] 3 Takeaways Review your mission and test it Identify your organizations why Download the MSPOT template Links www.joinforge.com startwithwhy.com MSPOT Template (https://www.top-line-results.com/hubfs/MSPOT%20template.xlsx) www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment)

    Episode 102: Start with the Inbound Organization Assessment

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2018 15:24


    In episode 102 Dan and Todd talk about what inbound is, the assessment that can help you put a number on how inbound your business is, and what to keep out of your mission statement. Show Notes   [0:52] The Question: What is the first step to becoming an inbound organization? Dan and Todd hear this question from entrepreneurs, business leads, and senior managers all the time. Everyone wants a quick jumping off point into the tactics of inbound, but the problem is that no two businesses are the same, so no two businesses begin their inbound journey in the same place. To help address this question, and give everyone some metrics to measure, they developed the Inbound Organization Assessment. The assessment gives companies a way to compare themselves against a standard, gives them an objective measurement they can track, and guides leaders as they progress towards becoming an inbound organization. [5:17] What is Inbound? As they wrote the book, Dan and Todd asked everyone they talked to what inbound was. The only universal answer they got back was that helping others first was the core of inbound. Is your biggest goal to move people through a sales funnel, get them off the phone, get their details in your system? If the answer is yes, then it doesn’t matter if you’re employing inbound tactics you’re missing the heart of what it means to be inbound, and your prospects can tell. [7:17] Todd's Story If you’ve ever been to Florida, you know that all the sun and rain and beautiful weather leads to one thing…bugs! This is the story of how one bug guy earned himself a customer for life and countless referrals because he was helpful. [8:44] Dan's Mission Statement  Dan’s mission statement is doing the most good that he can for the universe. Helping people solve their problems is at the heart of what HubSpot does, so working for them makes Dan the luckiest guy in the universe. [9:39] Focus Beats Bandwidth The riches are in the niches. There’s so much competition out there that specializing in the smallest niche possible is how you’re going to stand out from the pack. [10:50] Data Drives the Best Decisions HubSpot is known for being data-driven. That’s a strategy that any business can implement to help make better-informed decisions. The Inbound Organization Assessment can be a first step to help businesses generate powerful, impactful data about where they are in the inbound organization journey. [12:35] Dan’s Rant If your mission statement is full of buzzwords, no one is going to like it. Focus. Innovation. Customer satisfaction. Buzzwords. Weed out meaningless buzzwords to craft a mission statement that actually means something. [14:16] Todd’s Truth Inbound is the ways your prospects and customers want you to treat them. It is up to you whether you give it to them or not. [14:39] 3 Takeaways Download the Inbound Organization Assessment Take the assessment to identify the areas where you are strong and where you are weak Buy the book! Links Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Addtional Resources and Articles (https://www.inboundorganization.com/resources-and-articles) Inbound Organization Website (www.inboundorganization.com)

    Episode 101: Inbound Organization Origin and Ideas

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2018 15:51


    Welcome to Inbound2Grow, the podcast for leaders who want to grow better and become inbound organizations. In our inaugural episode, Todd and Dan talk about who they are, why they wrote Inbound Organization, and why everyone wants to grow but no one wants to change. Show Notes [0:40] Todd and Dan introduce themselves From HubSpot to patents, Todd and Dan have a lot of experience in the world of marketing and sales. [6:58] The Inbound Organization origin story “What do you mean you don’t have a culture code?” and “How do you run a company in 2018 without an MSPOT?” Speaking together at a tool and die event in southern California, Todd and Dan saw that there was a lot of room in the world of business for a better understand and implementation of inbound principles to make a big impact on success.   As Todd sold inbound as a methodology to c-suite executives, Dan had been working the problem of sales acceptance of inbound as an insider at HubSpot. Together they saw the same disconnect between marketing utilizing inbound tactics and limited success because of a failure of the greater organization to make changes that reflected the modern buyer. So, the idea of writing the Inbound Organization was born. [13:34] Dan’s Rant Short and sweet, Dan thinks everyone should buy and read Inbound Organization. [14:02] Todd’s Truth Everyone wants to grow. No one wants to change. Everyone wants to grow their business, but modern buyers demand more from companies. Unfortunately, a desire for growth doesn’t always translate into a willingness to make real changes to your business, culture, or mindset. [15:04] Three Takeaways The three takeaways from this episode are: Check out inboundorganization.com to find free resources, upcoming events, our press kit, and HubSpot partner resources Take the Inbound Organization Assessment (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound-organization-assessment) Sign up to receive new episode updates either through our blog  (https://www.inboundorganization.com/inbound2grow) or through your favorite podcast service! Links www.inboundorganization.com www.top-line-results.com www.hubspot.com  Connect with Us Connect with Dan: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Google+ Connect with Todd: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Google+

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