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Link to this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/23MrFuVuMmgIn this episode, I give you an "over-the-shoulder" peek into using Google's NotebookLM to produce next week's podcast episode!That is perhaps the most surprising feature of this amazing free tool. Besides that, it's great at summarizing documents or web pages for easy consumption and can be a great resource for you to have in your digital back pocket!Chapters:00:00 - Intro07:21 - Using Google's NotebookLMShoutout to Marley Wagner and Bob London who did this LIVE at ChurnZero.This episode of the DCX Podcast is brought to you by Thinkific Plus, a Customer Education platform designed to accelerate customer onboarding, streamline the customer experience and avoid employee burnout. For more information and to watch a demo, visit https://www.thinkific.com/plus/ Support the show+++++++++++++++++Like/Subscribe/Review:If you are getting value from the show, please follow/subscribe so that you don't miss an episode and consider leaving us a review. Website:For more information about the show or to get in touch, visit DigitalCustomerSuccess.com. Buy Alex a Cup of Coffee:This show runs exclusively on caffeine - and lots of it. If you like what we're, consider supporting our habit by buying us a cup of coffee: https://bmc.link/dcspThank you for all of your support!The Digital Customer Success Podcast is hosted by Alex Turkovic
Bob London and I discuss the power of Radically Authentic Discovery in customer success, emphasizing deep listening and strategic questioning to uncover true customer insights and drive engagement. Bob shares practical tips and the psychological foundations behind his method, inspiring CS leaders to adopt a more human-centered approach in their conversations.Have you ever been blindsided by a customer churning?It's not that your health score needs adjusting (again) or that they were being dishonest.You just weren't asking the RIGHT QUESTIONSJoin us for the first guest episode of “Psychology of Customer Success” and learn Bob London's psychology-based method for getting the full story out of your customers, so you can understand their pain points, and highest priorities to provide the best guidance on how they can leverage your product to produce the outcomes their business needs - NOW.BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVERHow to stop talking AT your customers and start understanding THEM (and why that's harder than you might think!)Why you should “Go Deckless” at your next business review What kinds of questions to ask to unlock the full story of your customer retention and expansion opportunities - as well as unearth hidden risk factorsWhen you finish listening, I'd love to hear your biggest takeaway from today's episode. Share a post on LinkedIn and tag me (@Rachel Haynes Provan) and @Bob London!While you're there, make sure you follow me on LinkedIn so you can see behind the scenes of how I built and scaled World-Class CS departments for over 15 years, and how you can too.Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.boblondon.co/ - Bob London's Website https://www.linkedin.com/in/boblondon/ - Bob London's LinkedIn Profile https://www.oscartrimboli.com/podcasts/ - Oscar Trimboli's Podcasthttps://www.audible.com/pd/Youre-Not-Listening-Audiobook/1250263727 - Kate Murphy's You're Not Listening (AudioBook)CONNECT WITH RACHELFollow at: LinkedInInstagram WEBSITE https://provansuccess.comPODCAST WEBSITEhttps://psychologyofcustomersuccess.comWORK WITH RACHEL: CS Leadership Academy
Get all of the books and programs here https://tom-torero.dpdcart.com WEBSITE https://tom-torero.dpdcart.com
Are your customer meetings focusing on your product or your customer? If you are spending time talking about your product, you are leaving a lot of value on the table (and probably finding it difficult to get your customers to keep coming back for more). This week, Bob London and Jeff Breunsbach spend some time talking about how a shift from a product focus to a more strategic role that supports the high level goals and needs of your customer can increase the impact and alignment you have. Move into authentic conversations rather than presentations Show how other companies are using your product successfully Include both tactical and strategic components in your interactions Learn the industry needs by finding resources and conversations that allow you to understand where issues and interests are focused Connect with Bob here Free UBR Training ----- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.
Are your customer meetings focusing on your product or your customer? If you are spending time talking about your product, you are leaving a lot of value on the table (and probably finding it difficult to get your customers to keep coming back for more). This week, Bob London and Jeff Breunsbach spend some time talking about how a shift from a product focus to a more strategic role that supports the high level goals and needs of your customer can increase the impact and alignment you have. Move into authentic conversations rather than presentations Show how other companies are using your product successfully Include both tactical and strategic components in your interactions Learn the industry needs by finding resources and conversations that allow you to understand where issues and interests are focused Connect with Bob here Free UBR Training ----- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.
Jeff sits down with the legendary Bob London to discuss Strategic Conversations. Bob has over 2600 customer conversations analyzed among sales and CS, and has put together a framework for talking to customers called the Five Customer Love languages. Jeff and Bob dive deep into the 5 love languages and talk about how to use the framework to get your customers to open up about what's important to them. We discuss how these interact with customer calls, 45 minute zombie QBR's, and also how to overcome imposter syndrome. Additional topics include: working with Covid, schadenfreude as a Red Sox fan, getting fired and finding your own path. You can find more about Bob here - https://www.strategiccustomerconvos.com/
This week we are joined by Bob London, CEO and Founder of Chief Listening Officers and Strategic Customer Convos. Bob shares strategies that help make your customers want to come to the table to talk about goals and strategies by making things interesting by talking about them independent from what you sell. You can find more about Bob London here More about Monday.com here Strategic Customer Convos --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.
This week we are joined by Bob London, CEO and Founder of Chief Listening Officers and Strategic Customer Convos. Bob shares strategies that help make your customers want to come to the table to talk about goals and strategies by making things interesting by talking about them independent from what you sell. You can find more about Bob London here More about Monday.com here Strategic Customer Convos --- Gain Grow Retain exists to connect people, knowledge, and ideas to advance the state of customer success. We're on a mission to connect B2B SaaS customer success leaders so that we can learn from one another. Check out more at GainGrowRetain.com! Or follow our GGR LinkedIn page. GGR was co-founded by Jeff Breunsbach and Jay Nathan - be sure to follow for customer success content.
It's a fortnight of mixed emotions following Warrington's French Connections - but just how long under Joe Philbin's current metre averages would it take for him to reach the Eiffel Tower? Daniel has the answer. Sam reminisces about 1996 and his bad taste in music, Dennis takes us on a dietary plan fit for Lepidopteras, and Rob's 72-year-old uncle Bob London provides an alternative commentary. Plus, there's a Magnum PI quiz that leaves a podcaster's revision in tatters. And, it's all froth with no substance down at Beers Bar. Enjoy. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE - PATREON.COM/WHATBEVAN
Sales Game Changers | Tip-Filled Conversations with Sales Leaders About Their Successful Careers
Read the complete transcription on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. BOB'S TIP: "Here are three radically authentic discovery questions to ask. (1) What do you think is the biggest priority or challenge your board is discussing? (2) Who is your customer and what's the biggest challenge they need you to solve? (3) Out of your entire job description, what's the one thing your company is counting on you to get done?"
In this episode, we talk with Bob London from Chief Listening Officers to discuss your business pitch, how to make sure it's heard, whether pitching to potential customers or VCs.
Join Kristen Hayer in conversation with Bob London, Founder and CEO at Chief Listening Officers as we discuss ways to tear down the wall between customers and vendors by spurring thought-provoking conversations. Webinar Registration Link Here: https://bit.ly/3tBHhyl The Success League Leadership Program: https://www.thesuccessleague.io/customer-success-leadership
Bob London takes the long view when he is out in the market and is never selling when he is out at events.Join the Rainmakers Network on LinkedInGuest - Bob LondonHost - Carl GrantProducer - Seth Grant
London provides advice on how to develop a value proposition by falling in love with your customer’s problems, not your solution.PEOPLEGuest: Bob London, CEO & Founder, Chief Listening OfficersHost: Anil Hemrajani, Founder of Startup SidekickTAKEAWAYSDon’t do Customer Discovery to validate your idea; do it to learn about your target audience. Understand their 3Ps (problems, priorities and perceptions): Problems: What are the biggest things on the list? What are their top 2-3 must get done priorities? How do they perceive the world from their side?TIMELINE01:25 - Please give us an overview of your company and value proposition? I help technology B2B companies with a strategic narrative of how they want people to think of THEM, including positioning in marketing, value proposition, messaging, brand strategy, customer experience, etc.. I spend a lot of time interviewing my client’s current and former customers around the 3Ps: priority, problems and perceptions. You learn amazing insights when you talk about their business. 03:24 - What is a value proposition and why is it so important? Value proposition is an expression of the value your customers will receive from your product or service (e.g. we will increase customer acquisition, efficiency, etc. by X). It’s something that resonates with your target customer.05:20 - Can you describe what the Customer Discovery process is? There are some good books about it. It’s part of Lean Startup. You have to fall in love with your customer’s problems versus your own product. Speak with people in your target audience who might have problems you want to solve with your product. Customer Discovery isn’t about validating your own product, that’s called research/survey; it’s about getting to know the people that you think you might be selling your product to and getting into their minds to learn their 3Ps in their job (for B2B companies), so you can build a better product that resonates with them.07:00 - How would you describe the relationship between value proposition, customers and brand? Value proposition is your statement to the customer on how they’ll benefit. Brand is how they think of you and talk about you, when you’re not around -- it’s made of lots of touchpoints with your customer, everything from your website to backoffice (e.g. billing). Anyone dealing with your customers (employees or consultants), should know your value proposition. 11:00 - What does an organization do after figuring out the value proposition? That is a big challenge. The value proposition isn’t a sentence or two; it’s a description that fills the gap between what you’ve built and what the problem is out there. It’s not a product definition but why people would use it; it’s closely tied to the product. You can’t change external perceptions of your company, till you change the internal perceptions. Come up with a clear, concise message to the team, talk to them about what you have learned about the customer and why you came up with this value proposition. Then, present the new messaging, collateral, scripts...all of which reflect your value proposition in a relatable language...that’s a playbook. Each department should receive training (e.g. sales), so it could take a couple of months to fully rollout. While you’re doing that, you can be laying the groundwork with your customers (e.g. this is what we stand for, we are trying to increase efficiency). Let them know we’re listening to you...we’ve shaped our entire company around your priorities, not ours.14:48 - How would you advise startups without customers to do Customer Discovery? You can use a service such as &
Bob London comes back for Part 2! His first episode crushed it - go back and listen if you haven't already.... it is titled "Customer success managers can get more strategic w/ Bob London"Today he comes back with even more questions that we can be asking to break through the noise with our customers. --Check out more on Bob's website: http://www.chieflisteningofficers.com/--If you want to join the discussion with thousands of other customer success leaders, join Gain Grow Retain: http://gaingrowretain.com/This podcast is brought to you by Jay Nathan and Jeff Breunsbach...Jay Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynathan/Jeff Breunsbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybreunsbach
Bob London comes back for Part 2! His first episode crushed it - go back and listen if you haven't already.... it is titled "Customer success managers can get more strategic w/ Bob London" Today he comes back with even more questions that we can be asking to break through the noise with our customers. -- Check out more on Bob's website: http://www.chieflisteningofficers.com/ -- If you want to join the discussion with thousands of other customer success leaders, join Gain Grow Retain: http://gaingrowretain.com/ This podcast is brought to you by Jay Nathan and Jeff Breunsbach... Jay Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynathan/ Jeff Breunsbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybreunsbach
Bob London joins us today to talk about 'Listening In Customer Success.' He Is a career marketing executive and has turned his consulting business Into providing a unique perspective...from the customer's point of view. In our discussion we cover: Why listening matters to every business (and why we're not doing enough of It) Retention Is more important than any other time In history of SaaS We can't be forcing Interactions - It has to be valuable for both parties Agendaless Listening - getting Insights for brand strategy and positioning Most listening than talking - don't look to write down the answer on the clipboard Role-playing can be effective for teams Open-ended questions to ask: "What's on your whiteboard now that wasn't there 30 days ago?" "What did you talk about once I left the room?" "If your competitor contacted you tomorrow, from a scale of 1-5 - how likely are you to take that call?" "What's the first thing you'd ask a renowned expert In your field?" -- Check out more on Bob's website: http://www.chieflisteningofficers.com/ -- If you want to join the discussion with thousands of other customer success leaders, join Gain Grow Retain: http://gaingrowretain.com/ -- This podcast is brought to you by Jay Nathan and Jeff Breunsbach of Customer Imperative, where we help B2B SaaS organizations build growth & retention strategies. Learn more at https://customerimperative.com/ Jay Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynathan/ Jeff Breunsbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybreunsbach
Bob London joins us today to talk about 'Listening In Customer Success.' He Is a career marketing executive and has turned his consulting business Into providing a unique perspective...from the customer's point of view. In our discussion we cover: Why listening matters to every business (and why we're not doing enough of It)Retention Is more important than any other time In history of SaaSWe can't be forcing Interactions - It has to be valuable for both partiesAgendaless Listening - getting Insights for brand strategy and positioningMost listening than talking - don't look to write down the answer on the clipboardRole-playing can be effective for teamsOpen-ended questions to ask: "What's on your whiteboard now that wasn't there 30 days ago?""What did you talk about once I left the room?""If your competitor contacted you tomorrow, from a scale of 1-5 - how likely are you to take that call?""What's the first thing you'd ask a renowned expert In your field?"--Check out more on Bob's website: http://www.chieflisteningofficers.com/--If you want to join the discussion with thousands of other customer success leaders, join Gain Grow Retain: http://gaingrowretain.com/--This podcast is brought to you by Jay Nathan and Jeff Breunsbach of Customer Imperative, where we help B2B SaaS organizations build growth & retention strategies. Learn more at https://customerimperative.com/Jay Nathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaynathan/Jeff Breunsbach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybreunsbach
Learning how to run a freelancing business is no easy task. Most people learn from mistakes, the hard way. In this episode, Adam Torres and Bob London, Owner of Bob London Photography, review some of the basics that any freelancer or aspiring business owner should know. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule.Apply to be interviewed by Adam on our podcast:https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/
I'm joined once again by Bob London of Chief Listening Officers. In this episode, we talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of LinkedIn. Our goal is to help people understand what works and doesn't work on LinkedIn - and why. Plus we dive into specific principles and approaches you can adopt in networking and communication that could help your business. Listen and Discover > The biggest mistakes people make on LinkedIn and how to avoid doing the same thing. > How to connect with someone new on LinkedIn. > The benefit of spending more time listening on LinkedIn and how to do that. > What it means to establish yourself as a subject matter expert, not as someone who's just there to sell something. > And much more... Discover more about the Same Side Selling podcast at https://www.ianaltman.com/same-side-selling-podcast/
Bob London is the founder and CEO of Chief Listening Officers, a B2B insights and strategy firm. At Chief Listening Officers, Bob helps companies develop winning brand messaging strategies by uncovering deep, actionable market insights—what Bob sometimes refers to as the customers' Elevator Rant.Bob has served as a Chief Marketing Officer with both public and private technology companies and serves as an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Maryland's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. DisclosureThe information presented and opinions expressed are solely the views of the podcast host commentator and their guest speaker(s). AllianceBernstein L.P. or its affiliates makes no representations or warranties concerning the accuracy of any data. There is no guarantee that any projection, forecast or opinion in this material will be realized. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed here may change at any time after the date of this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. AllianceBernstein L.P. does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. It does not take an investor’s personal investment objectives or financial situation into account; investors should discuss their individual circumstances with appropriate professionals before making any decisions. This information should not be construed as sales or marketing material or an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, product or service sponsored by AllianceBernstein or its affiliates.© 2019 AllianceBernstein L.P.
We're joined this week by my good friend Bob London of Chief Listening Officers. Bob is a frequent guest on our podcast sharing amazing insights into how to uncover the truth about what your client is thinking, wishing for and even complaining about. On this episode, we focus our discussion on customer intimacy. Intimacy is having close proximity to deeply understanding your customers' perspective, priorities, and challenges. Bob shares techniques to help your organization dramatically improve your ability to listen and gain customer insights. Uncovering the truth within your customer base will a big impact on your success. You're going to learn a ton from Bob London. Listen and Discover > 5 steps to help you uncover the truth in what's really important to your customers.Benefits of a human to human listening approach. > How to dedicate yourself to ‘Agendaless Listening’. > What is an elevator rant and how can you use it? > Why you need a customer ombudsman. > And much more... Discover more at https://www.ianaltman.com/same-side-selling-podcast/
Could renting an Airbnb to traveling employees near the headquarters of your ideal customer be the secret to gaining intel about your potential customer? One of our podcast listeners thought it might work and wanted an opinion about this interesting approach. When it comes to uncovering what customers think, I turn to Bob London, founder and CEO of Chief Listening Officers, for insight and wisdom. Bob helps B2B companies develop marketing strategies that start with learning the customer’s true perspective. Join us on this fun episode as we explore the Airbnb idea and other 'less creepy' methods that can help you gain insight in your client's business needs. I think you're going to really enjoy this episode. Listen to this episode and discover: > What questions should you ask your clients to gain insights about what they really think about your product or services? > What types of information should you seek to gain from customers? > Mistakes you need to avoid when asking customers questions meant to gain insight about their perspective. > How do you get a sense of the urgency and value your potential customer has in solving a particular problem? > And so much more… More about the Same Side Selling Podcast: https://www.ianaltman.com/same-side-selling-podcast/
On this episode, Bob London returns to discuss some bad sales prospecting strategies. One of our listeners wanted to hear our thoughts about the idea they're considering to drive an Uber during a well-attended sales conference picking up attendees. In their opinion, this is a great way to build their network and meet potential clients. Obviously, Bob and I had a field day with this one. But, while we can't endorse this particular sales strategy, the question opened up an interesting discussion about bad sales techniques. I think that you're going to really enjoy this episode. Listen to this episode and discover: > Why cornering prospects in an Uber is a bad idea. > What you should do instead of holding your prospects hostage. > How to make people come to you instead of chasing them down. > And so much more…
On today's episode, returning guest Bob London joins me to discuss some potentially scary B2B marketing and prospecingz gimmicks. With everyone competing for attention, some folks are resorting to outrageous levels to find prospects. We start by answering a question from one "listener". They want to know if 23andMe could make a good prospecting tool. Think about it--they get their results, see who their cousins are, and reach out to all of their relatives who could have buying power. The question sparked an interesting discussion about good and bad prospecting techniques. Tune in to hear some marketing gimmicks you and your business should avoid. Listen to this episode and discover: > How marketing gimmicks can hurt your reputation > Why authenticity is the best approach to sales > The things you can do to form stronger connections with prospects > And so much more…
On this weeks' edition of the podcast, I speak with repeat guest, founder and CEO of Chief Listening Officers, Bob London. Bob and I discuss some of the marketing tactics, that somebody somewhere thought was a good idea, that actually don't build trust but instead repel your customers. Our hope is that you will listen to these "mistakes" and decide to go a different, more successful, direction in your marketing.
Bob London, CEO of marketing firm Chief Listening Officers, believes in a more effective way of influencing people.
Today we're talking about the (underutilized) power of listening. Our guest, Bob London, shares why listening is such a powerful tool in a world that won't stop talking, key questions you should ask when you get the opportunity to talk to customers, and why you should (metaphorically, at least) burn the white board. Bob is a pioneer in the marketing world – he created the outsourced Chief Marketing Officer concept more than a decade ago – and now he's out to change the world by evangelizing the incredibly valuable insights that come from something shockingly simple: listening to the customer. Bob serves as an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Maryland's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship and he is an international mentor at 1776, the global startup incubator. Resources: You can find Bob's listening process, questions, and more detailed in his FREE ebook at chieflisteningofficers.com/free Learn more at ChiefListeningOfficers.com Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com
How Can We Perfect Our Pitch In Business & Dating? Tune into this episode of The Dating Advisory Board to learn strategies from Bob London & Pamela Sorensen. Bob London, founder, and CEO of Chief Listening Officers, is a 20+ year marketing leader who helps companies develop marketing strategies that start with learning the customer's true perspective. Chief Listening Officers serves emerging to mid-size B2B technology and professional services firms across the software, SaaS, data, financial services and healthcare sectors. (www.chieflisteningofficers.com) Pamela Lynne Sorensen is the Director of BD & Community Relations at BetterWorld Telecom, a certified B Corporation. A known Influencer & former Blogger (Pamela's Punch which was founded in 2006) in the DC region, Pamela has 22 + years of sales and BD experience. She attended Penn State University where she was a Tri-Delta and earned a B.A. in Speech Communications ('94). After graduation, Pamela stayed in the NoVA area and began her career working in a variety of industries, including defense contracting, professional services, telecom, and executive networking, yet always for emerging companies. She played an integral role in the revenue stream growth and success of Net2000 Communications, Potomac Officers Club, and ExecutiveBiz, where she became a Partner.
What you think isn’t always what your customers are actually saying. Bob London, CEO of Chief Listening Officers, explains the key to hearing what your customers are really thinking. Whether you’re a business owner, CEO, marketer or sales person, understanding the customers’ “rants” will enable you to: - Gain insights into what is actually meaningful and important to your customer - Leverage those insights to differentiate your product, service or pitch - Market and sell to customers in their real-world language, not marketing-speak
Today's featured guest is Bob London, the founder and CEO of Chief Listening Officers, which helps mid-sized B2B tech and professional services firms in the software, SaaS, data, financial services, and healthcare sectors really listen to their customers and develop marketing strategies that speak to them. Bob is a 20-year marketing leader who pioneered the outsourced chief marketing officer concept in 2003 when he founded London, Ink., a B2B marketing consultancy. He's worked with, advised, and mentored dozens of small and mid-sized companies on their marketing strategy and execution, serving as an interim or part-time CMO. Bob wears a number of other hats as well, including serving as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Maryland's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship. He's mentors and advises numerous startup companies, he speaks at a ton of events, and he publishes the DriveTime Marketing video blog, as well as Bobservations, a blog series that looks at the often humorous intersection of business and life.
We all know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of bad marketing. We come across tasteless ads, intrusive pitches and condescending emails that make us wonder: Why do marketers think it's OK to treat customers like that? And here's one of the biggest challenges: because of marketing automation, people think it’s OK to send out stupid and bad marketing because, since it’s not taking up someone’s time, who cares right? My guest today is Bob London, former corporate marketing exec and founder of Chief Listening Officers, a B2B marketing firm that creates strategies that 'speak to the customer.' He's spent a lot of time wondering how it is that companies become so out of touch with their audiences. In the age of automation, 'stupid marketing' has gotten so out of control, it almost makes him wonder if the companies who produce terrible marketing campaigns ever listen to what their customers have to say. The short answer is 'no.' "You actually have to go and talk to customers" if you want to understand their needs and wants, Bob says. Today we’re going to talk specifically about how stupid marketing makes it hard for salespeople to do their jobs, why it's critical to get out of the office and talk to customers, and our biggest marketing pet peeves to date. "It’s like the Chinese Zodiac," Bob says. "Every year it’s something different." I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Bob London on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · What stupid marketing is and how it undermines a company's reputation and sales. · Specific examples of stupid marketing and what makes them stupid. · Why it behooves companies to talk to customers. · What not to do when it comes to email or network marketing. · And so much more… Episode Overview Before starting his own company, Bob London spent a big chunk of his career in corporate marketing. That meant he spent a lot of time in brainstorming sessions, sitting around conference tables with other marketing people just like him. “In marketing and sales, you develop something called a 'buyer persona' – hopefully, in conjunction with actual buyers, hopefully not in brainstorming with people who all look and sound like each other,” Bob says. "And there is zero chance that anyone in that room… can come up with the answer of what the customer really wants and needs unless you go out and talk to them." But so many marketers fail to do that. In fact, they know very little about their buyers because they don't listen to their customers. "There’s this big exposé about Hubspot from a guy who used to work there, and he makes the point that the people who are behind a lot of the emails are only using their own persona, which is: just graduated from college, maybe a journalism degree, probably played on a sports team, very high energy, very positive," Bob explains. "Too many exclamation points. That’s their persona." In this episode, we talk about: · What a 'buyer persona' is. · How to open up a conversation with potential clients so you don't become a victim to stupid marketing paradigms. · How not to make connections on LinkedIn. · The worst email Bob ever received and what he did. · Why companies need to pay more attention to how they market if they want to increase sales. “It’s the company’s responsibility to arm the sales people with stuff that matters to the customer," he says. And to do that, "You actually have to go and talk to customers.” Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Bob London. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/bob-london-marketing/
Mali Phonpadith interviews Bob London of Chief Listening Officers. Bob London, founder and CEO of Chief Listening Officers, helps companies develop marketing strategies that start with learning the customer’s true perspective. Chief Listening Officers serves emerging to mid-size B2B technology and professional services firms across the software, SaaS, data, financial services and healthcare sectors. Bob pioneered the Outsourced Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) concept in 2003 when he founded London, Ink, a B2B marketing consultancy. He has worked with, advised and mentored dozens of small- and mid-size companies on their marketing strategy and execution, serving as an interim or part-time CMO. Bob also: Is Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) at the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, providing guidance to student entrepreneurs and a regular speaker and contributor at Dingman’s entrepreneurship classes. Serves as a global mentor and advisor to early-stage tech companies at 1776, an internationally renowned startup incubator headquartered in Washington, DC. Is a member of advisory board for The Marketing Alliance, the leading education and networking group for B2B technology marketing executives in the DC area. Has keynoted or spoken at the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit (4 times) and Potomac Tech Wire’s “Future of Marketing” Conference. Has delivered keynote talks at the Private Access Network Annual Meeting and WashingtonExec’s Next Gen Event. Has been the featured speaker at Network Solutions’ GrowSmartBiz Conference, the National Association of Federal Credit Union’s Annual Conference (three times) and the nationwide Unintentional Entrepreneur series. Publishes the popular DriveTime Marketing video blog as well as Bobservations, a blog series that chronicles the often humorous intersection of business and life. Bob’s work and writing has been featured in or covered by the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Miami Herald, USA Today, Marketing News (the AMA’s flagship magazine), The Washington Business Journal and SmartCEO DC magazine. Bob is a 20+ year marketing veteran who has achieved rapid results with marketing budgets ranging from the $200 million network television launch of MCI Friends & Family to startups that have to make the most of their precious funding. Bob also served as VP of Marketing for Digex, Incorporated, a national Web hosting and management firm that grew 100% annually during his tenure and went through not one but two IPOs. In addition, Bob was director of product marketing for Verisign, the leading web identity and security firm and Chief Marketing Officer of SingleShop, a venture-backed online shopping startup that burst along with the 2000 dotcom bubble. Bob graduated from the University of Maryland College Park with a BS in Marketing and resides in Potomac, MD with his wife and two teenage sons. www.chieflisteningofficers.com Join our community: http://soarcommunitynetwork.com
In this episode of Bootstrapped, the Dingman Center's Entrepreneur-in-Residence and 1776 Startup Mentor Bob London discusses marketing. During a time when there is a constant 'war for customer’s attention,' London advocates for listening. If your start-up is not getting customers, try asking someone, "what would make you a customer for life?" Starting with a customer’s 'elevator rants' or complaints about a product or service makes for a solid foundation for a new enterprise.
All of us have had the unpleasant experience of receiving a phone call or an email from someone trying to sell us something. But what makes it so unpleasant? Typically it's because the person writing or speaking to us is focused on what they want to give us and what they have to offer, an approach that doesn't work. On today's show, Bob London joins us to explain why so much of marketing still uses this approach even though it fails, a few great examples from his life and how to show your customers that you really are different. Listen in to hear Bob's humorous insights that will shift your marketing perspective immediately, for the better. Listen to this episode and discover: · What technique helped Bob double his business without putting in more effort? · Why being on Inc. 500's Top 5,000 list is a double-edged sword. · Is the term "full service" useful or simply an empty, meaningless phrase? · Why does Jeff Bezos have an empty chair in every meeting? · Email automation gone terribly wrong: an example from Bob's life. · And so much more! Episode Overview If you've listened to the show before you've heard me mention the concept of "the elevator rant", and today's guest is the inventor of that phrase. His name is Bob London and he is the Founder and President of London, Ink, a firm that helps businesses understand and speak to their customers' greatest needs and wants. He has an incredible track record doing so, and he shares his wisdom today. Because he's a man with his finger on the pulse of the marketing world, I asked him for a few specific examples he has seen recently. He gave me several great illustrations, including one that highlights a highly common marketing mistake and one that shows how marketing can have an incredible impact when done right. We'll start with the marketing mistake. Recently one of his clients, a law firm, took out a $25,000 newspaper ad. The ad's headline read: A better law firm experience in D.C. The remainder of the ad was generic copy about what makes them different from other law firms. The copy focused solely on the firm itself, rather than the benefits of working with them. They missed the opportunity to actually show what makes them a better law firm experience. Bob had suggestions for them that you can apply to your business. He says if you really want to show your customers how you are different, start by marketing to them in their own words and solving their problems (the concept of "the elevator rant"). For example, this law firm could have said things like: our partners do 75% of the actual work, not everything is farmed out to a junior associate. We don't have new business quotas at our law firm. Our client-facing team averages 95% more experience than other law firms. Several of our partners actually have real-world experience working in X industries (fill in the blank). We don't bill you for every phone call. Those are actual pain points Bob discovered in his research. Those phrases are real words used by C level executives about their experiences working with law firms and are prime examples of how to market to someone effectively. *** Bob has several other great examples on the show today, including an email drip list he is on that will show you exactly what type of content marketing does NOT work! It's a funny story that will both entertain and illuminate, listen in for all of that and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue. For full show notes, visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/bob-london/
Bob London from London Marketing shared his insights on perfecting your pitch in business and in the dating world. Bob is a Contributing Blogger at The Washington Business Journal and Outsourced CMO for B2B Companies at Elevator Rant. Find The Dating Advisory Board here: Website: http://www.thedatingadvisoryboard.com YouTube: https://goo.gl/MC1jjt Instagram: http://instagram.com/thedatingadvisory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedatingadvisoryboard/ Snapchat: jenhecht1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenHecht1 Google+: The Dating Advisory Board