Podcasts about business help

Schemes and scams are a fast track to the business boneyard! Customer are way more intelligent than scammers give them credit for. Maybe it's time to do a full company-scrape for any unwanted schemes and scams being conducted by your personnel? If you are intentionally misleading customers, it's just a matter of time before it all caves in on you. Maybe today is a good time to start deploying honesty, integrity and truth-telling?Support the show

During my career I have witnessed dozens of executives avoid managing tough business situations. Why? I'm not totally certain, but most of the times it seems rooted in mistaken identity. In other words, they see their obligation to manage as an eventual path to confrontation. Not liking confrontation, the executive turns away, avoids managing altogether, and the problem festers and mushrooms. If this is your company, maybe it's time to redefine the expectations of leadership?Support the show

Proactivity is a wonderful business quality, but sometimes unique situations require reactions to solve an issue. Contingency plans can't always be planned out, but many times that can. Has your company ever examined the various contingencies that can be mapped out to help mitigate future calamities? Maybe today is a good time to start planning out contingencies? Turn the mission into a fun collaboration process. The curve balls are sure to come. Why not be ready for some of them?Support the show

“When you're wrong, admit quickly and emphatically.” Dale Carnegie's sagewisdom remains as powerful today, as when he uttered them 90 years ago.Humility is an endearing human trait that is dissolving away in modern business.How about going a little “old school” to show customers you own your mistakes?Your buyers will reward your honesty and humility. Why? Because you are notblame-shifting like other vendors!Support the show

Have you ever had someone say, “I'm definitely going to hire you... I just need help with one more thing first”? You help them. You offer your expertise. And then... silence. In this episode of The Sales Maven Show, Nikki Rausch breaks down how to spot the difference between a legitimate lead and a time-wasting distraction, and how to handle those people who always have just one more thing they want from you (for free). Nikki opens up about her own experiences with repeat freebie seekers, people who continually reach out under the guise of becoming paying clients, only to ghost after getting what they need. She explains why it's not only okay but necessary to protect your time and expertise, even when the ask seems small or comes from someone you know. These moments can feel manipulative, and Nikki reminds listeners that being kind doesn't mean being a doormat. This episode is full of practical advice and ready-to-use phrases for when someone says, “Can I just pick your brain real quick?” or “As soon as I get through this thing, I'll be ready to move forward. Can you help me in the meantime?” Instead of giving away your time in hopes of a future sale, Nikki encourages you to confidently respond with options like: ➡️ “I'd love to support you. Would you like to book a paid session?” ➡️ “That's exactly the kind of thing we cover in my strategy sessions. Would you like the link to book?” She also explores the internal tug-of-war many entrepreneurs face: the desire to be generous and helpful vs. the reality of running a business. Nikki makes it clear that when people pay for your services, they're not just investing in you. They're investing in themselves. And that shift in mindset is often what creates real transformation. Whether you've dealt with this once or a dozen times, this episode will give you permission to stop overgiving, honor your boundaries, and stay focused on serving your paying clients at the highest level. You'll walk away with the confidence to recognize when “just one more thing” is a red flag and how to respond without guilt or hesitation. Need help crafting language that sets firm but kind boundaries? Nikki offers one-on-one support to help you navigate these tricky conversations. Book a session and stop letting distractions derail your business. Nikki invites you to join the Sales Maven Society. Take advantage of this opportunity to work together with you and Nikki. Bring your questions, concerns, and sales situations; she provides answers and guidance. Join the Sales Maven Society here, click Join Today, and then checkout and use coupon code 47trial to get your first month for $47.00! For more actionable sales tips, download the FREE Closing The Sale Ebook. Find Nikki: Nikki Rausch nikki@yoursalesmaven.com Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Sales Maven Society https://calendly.com/salesmaven/work-with-nikki-discussion  

“If you can't measure it, you can't manage it.” Harold Geneen's simple, yetpowerful words can be a bright light in a dark room. Company performance, and customer perception has to be convertible into metrics that can paint a factual picture. Without them, it's like trying to navigate a path in a dark hallway!Support the show

Using acronyms can often sound like cryptic, mumbo-jumbo to the customer ear.Perhaps it is time to exchange unfamiliar acronyms with names, and descriptionsthat customers can actually understand, and relate to?Support the show

Imagine an Octopus with eight sucker-bearing arms, a soft body, and a strong beaklike jaw. Now transfer this image to what happens when a company lies to a customer. Each outright lie (body) ends up requiring many sub-lies (sucker-bearing arms) to support the false story (body). Here is the rub…customers detect lies more often than not. What can we do to stop this? Easy…find the crooked jaws within your company, weed them out, and then start to tell customers the truths they deserve to hear. The health of your business will get better as your company watches the Octopus swim off into the deep waters.Support the show

Features, features, features. What about the benefits? Many companies fail to explain the “WHY” when it comes to listing features. in the features. What if you were to pair every feature with a benefit. “The real benefit to you” is a phrase more customers need to hear. What's in it for the customer?Support the show

Customer transactions travel a road of various micro-experiences (transactional components) that shape buyer's opinions, perceptions, repeat and referral business. Collectively, these components are called Experience Events (EE). Are your identifying these events? Are you managing these events for customer-pleasing delivery? If not, you may unknowingly be waving goodbye to healthy repeat and referral business. Perhaps today can be the beginning of your Experience Event journey?Support the show

Customer complaints can set up course corrections for companies that are going off road! The keys to getting back on track are 1) listening to the customer (not just hearing), 2) being humble enough to accept the criticism, 3) and being smart enough to fix the problems! In many cases, the complaints have a common thread that make the course correction that much easier to recognize.Support the show

Send us a messageSeven centuries before Jesus ascended the hill on which He preached the Sermon on the Mount, the Prophet Joel described a valley which he called the Valley of Decision. Multitudes were gathered to that call.Up until today, decisions are still being made every day – some of them minor – and some of them major. But of all the decisions of life we find ourselves making – none are more important than whether one will enter the Narrow Gate that leads to Eternal Life – or the Wide Gate that leads to eternal destruction.Lord Jesus revealed these two Gates with the understanding that only one willgrant entrance to Heaven's Kingdom of Eternal Life – and that is the “NarrowGate.” But He also added that only a few will enter by it.As the Return of Jesus draws so very near, the Holy Spirit is raising up His Watchmen on the Wall with the cry of “Choose you this day who you will follow.”Only two gates are open – one to Eternal Life – and the other to eternal death.May the power of God's Grace help you to – Choose wisely!Support the showVisit our website: https://agapelightministries.com/

The appetite for “DIY” products and services has never been higher. What does your company do to cater to this modern mindset? Assuming no salesperson will aid potential customers, what information are you providing to assist informed decisions? Do you deploy tools of Silent Selling?Support the show

Are you in need of some additional ‘WOW” factors in your business presentations to customers? One of the coolest ways to do this is to search your facts, features, and benefits vault for things you have never communicated to customers. Once discovered, tell and sell your customers in ways that create more compelling “AHA” moments.Support the show

Perception and facts often compete for the truth. Perhaps it is time to start examining the perceptions customer have of your business, and the services that are delivered. Often times companies lose customers just because their bad impressions became a reality that may be void of fact!Support the show

Some research suggests the need to create 12 positive experiences in order to negate the effects of one bad experience. 12-1 odds are a mighty hill to climb. Unreturned voice mails contribute to making that hill. Are you sure you want to let voice mails go unanswered?Support the show

Flexibility. Creativity. Willingness. Finding solutions that solve unique issues. Going the extra mile. Never saying never. Do these descriptions sound like your company? If not, imagine what kind of repeat and referral business you could attract by becoming these descriptions. CANDO companies win more friends and influence more people then CAN'T DO companies.Support the show

Mirrors fill a board room during an inter-company meeting. Edicts are laid down, and attendees are told to reflect what the C-level demands. Imagine what would happen if companies abandon that reflective mindset, and exchanged it with an outward-looking mindset? If customers pay the bills, then why don't more companies look through the windows that lead to discovering what customers need and want!Support the show

To some companies, servicing really kicks into high gear after the sale. Why then? Because those companies realize that the repeat and referral pot of gold awaits them, when their paying customers feel they are being cared for after the sale. We encourage you to inject this mindset into your business models.Support the show

We have all witnessed companies that aren't flexible. They defend their legacy procedures as a badge of honor, and claim they have been doing business the same way for decades. For some companies that is their hallmark. For others, it is going to allow the competition to zoom by them. Where do you stand? Do you have some stinkin thinkin that needs to get eradicated?Support the show

Imagine if you and your team went hunting for ways to become more streamlined with customers? After all, time is the currency of the experience economy, and saving customer time converts to money saved. Have fun on your hunts! Be bright. Be brief. Be done!Support the show

Does your management style look like this: “Your hired. Come in tomorrow at 4:00, and you can start waiting on those tables of hungry people.” Why do so many brands manage this way? Are you sure these employees know the mission, and all the mechanics that support the mission? Maybe it's time to reprioritize the order in which we teach, train and delegate.Support the show

What does it really take to live an aligned life—one where your personal and professional goals support each other instead of compete? In this episode of the Sales Maven Show, host Nikki Rausch is joined by bestselling author, book strategist, and coach Stacy Ennis to unpack what it means to live and work intentionally. Drawing from her global lifestyle and extensive publishing background, Stacy shares practical strategies for designing a choiceful life—one that aligns with your values, energy, and aspirations. Nikki and Stacy explore the power of intentional decision-making, boundary-setting, and wellness practices that fuel sustainable success. They dive into how to attract ideal clients, maintain momentum through rejection, and the value of celebrating wins both big and small. Stacy also reflects on her transformative TEDx experience and the freedom that comes from building a life rooted in purpose and clarity. This episode is full of actionable insights for entrepreneurs, leaders, and creatives looking to align their business with the life they truly want. Timestamps: 00:43 Introduction to the Sales Maven Show 01:19 Meet Stacy Ennis: Bestselling Author and Book Strategist 02:54 Discovering Common Ground: Idaho Connections 04:35 The Impact of Travel on Personal Growth 06:59 Challenges and Adventures of Living Abroad 09:27 Designing a Choiceful Life: Insights and Strategies 14:60 Balancing Personal and Professional Life 22:28 Embracing European Work-Life Balance 24:04 Attracting the Right Clients 26:58 Pursuing Dreams and Overcoming Rejections 28:09 Transformative TEDx Experience 32:59 The Importance of Personal Wellness 38:53 Celebrating Wins and Team Culture 41:25 Exciting Developments in Business 42:37 Connecting with Stacy Learn more about Stacy and her work at www.stacyennis.com Nikki invites you to join the Sales Maven Society. Take advantage of this opportunity to work together with you and Nikki. Bring your questions, concerns, and sales situations; she provides answers and guidance. Join the Sales Maven Society here, click Join Today, and then checkout and use coupon code 47trial to get your first month for $47.00! For more actionable sales tips, download the FREE Closing The Sale Ebook. Find Nikki: Nikki Rausch nikki@yoursalesmaven.com Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram Sales Maven Society https://calendly.com/salesmaven/work-with-nikki-discussion

Is failure always traceable to employee ineptitude or carelessness? Or, is failure the result of risk takers who stick their neck out to try something new? No company gets better unless they fail first. How will your corporate culture process future failures?Support the show

Review. Sort. Pile. Then, when you have time, manage the task later. Or, imagine managing each task as you encounter it? Imagine how much time you would save by steam lining task management?Support the show

This sounds like a funny question! However, the reality is sad. So many companies don't train their associates to be greeting initiators. When we bypass the chance to greet first, we are often starting the transactional experience as thought the customer is an intruder! Why would we do that? Why do so many of us do that? Imagine if your company deliberately started saying hello first?Support the show

Our surroundings are filled with observations and conversations that can reveal potential improvements for our businesses. All we have to do is look, listen, and think! Are you in? If not, you are possibly missing some cool, easy, and impactful change agents that are tucked inside everyday life!Support the show

One. Just one. Today. There is low-hanging improvement opportunity fruit all around us. We invite you to grab a pen, paper, find a quiet space, and we are confident you can find an easy, customer-pleasing improvement in 30 minutes of thought. One. Just one. Today.Support the show

Like it or not, consumers are gauging the purchasing process through the lens of experience. Every word, motion, action, or inaction, seems to be subject to an experience scorecard. If your company is not buying into this, you are most likely losing potential sales to the competition.Support the show

What's SHE Up To Now Day 2669? Financial Experts, Supersize Business, Help, And Be A Better You Challenge! Drop in to get the real scoop--the good, the bad, the ugly, the truth (well my truth anyway). https://facebook.com/beme2thrive #beabetteryouannualchallenge #supersizebusiness #finances #financialhelp #financialexpert #howtochoose #whentogethelp

Be the customer from time-to-time. Thank about how your products, and services affect the buyer. As you peer through the user lens, ask yourself what you would want to know. This periodic exercise can be fun, and beneficial to your bottom line! We encourage you to embrace this mindset. Think. Fix. Deliver. Create more repeat, and referral customers.Support the show

Do you give customers detailed information? How often? Is it vital information? Are you bypassing the release of pertinent information the customer is wanting to receive? What formats do you use to communicate information. Is this information written with internal company-speak, or is it presented with simplicity, and clarity that customers can understand?Support the show

Solving customer problems requires a rolling up of the sleeves, managing the details, and finding a workable solution. This can be hard work requiring patience, diligence, and research. Is this your company? If not, should it be?Support the show

CIT units are a valuable corporate component that can offer insight to necessary changes. As many athletic coaches have said, “if we are not striving to always get better, we are getting worse.” Why? Because competitors who use CIT units will surpass stagnant mindsets. Complacency breeds mediocrity.Support the show

Most customers like it when vendors display good listening skills. Vendors have heard plenty of customer feedback, and many times the feedback is very similar. As a result, the vendors start to finish the customer sentences in hopes of speeding things up. If this is you, maybe it's time to slow the train down, and let the customer finish?Support the show

Very few customers admire vendors that talk over them. Humans have two ears to listen, and only one mouth to speak. If over-talking is overtaking your customer interactions, then maybe it's time to let listening overtake talking?Support the show

Business writing skills are deteriorating quickly. As we drag societal norms into business, our letters and emails are filled with cryptic acronyms, incomplete sentences, and confusing messages. Where are you in this mix? Where is your team in this mix? Maybe it is time to revamp our writing skills?Support the show

Customers rely on vendor product knowledge like a car driver depends on headlights in the dark. As vendors, we are called on to share our knowledge in a professional manner. Are you being professional, or is the art of condescending auto-correction the tenor of your conversations with customers?Support the show

The true cost of creating unhappy customers is crippling. Let the next 60 seconds tickle your ears, and improve the ways you are servicing customers.Support the show

Scripted, and teleprompter utterances are overwhelmingly rejected by the most recent generations of buyers. Authenticity is the desirability of modern consumers. So, what are you doing to answer the call?Support the show

Often times, customers are much smarter than we give them credit for. In fact, customers usually know when we are shoveling them word-dung. What if you started telling customers what they deserve to hear?Support the show

Making outlandish claims is a huge shortfall in the business world. What if you could use seven, simple tools to covert your statements into provable claims. Tune in for 60 seconds and we will share the Magnificent Seven!Support the show

This “give and take” world needs more professionals who invest in the future of business. We spend our careers learning our crafts, and then earning the rewards. Yet, many of us stop right there. What if we were to add a RETURN chapter to our careers?Support the show

Simply put…do you teach CSR mechanics that emphasize getting to the customer, before they get to you? Imagine the depth of customer satisfaction if your company aimed at this target?Support the show

Red Zone Tugging (RZT) is one of the largest contributors to customer defections. Perhaps today is the right time to investigate if your business is infected with RZT?Support the show

Continuous Improvement can be fun and lucrative. All it takes is a mindset that hinges on asking, thinking, identifying, researching, listening, observing, trying, applying, or frying.Support the show

This mindset personifies a customer-centric culture that delivers excellent satisfaction. Buyers reward vendors who deliver customer-first service. Want more repeat and referral business? If so, then start reshaping your service model today!Support the show

Does your company culture contain a mindset that values vendor relationships. Today might be the perfect day to turn your purchasing team into a Vendor Relations Team!Support the show

Putting customers on a service merry-go-round sews seeds of discontent, and many times leads to permanent customer defections. Maybe it's time to stop the gamers in exchange for instant servicing?Support the show

Welcome back, Product Bosses! In this episode, I sit down with Elizabeth from Brighton House Decor as she navigates a major shift in her business—moving from event decor to watercolor illustrated products. Change can be exciting, but it also comes with challenges, especially when it comes to pricing, sales strategies, and growing wholesale accounts. We dive deep into what it takes to expand her wholesale business, adjust pricing for better profitability, and craft offers that actually convert.One of the biggest takeaways from this session? Sometimes, lowering prices can lead to more sales. It's all about striking the right balance between profit margins and demand. We also talk about why outreach to retailers is a non-negotiable when scaling wholesale and how tracking repeat customers can unlock new revenue opportunities. When done right, sales offers aren't just about clearing inventory—they're about solving customer problems in a way that feels effortless.If you've been feeling scattered in your business or unsure where to focus next, this episode will give you clarity. Remember, success isn't about doing everything—it's about doing the right things. And most importantly, believing in yourself and your business is what truly makes the difference. Tune in now for practical insights you can apply right away!Resources:Learn more about Brighton House Decor here!Follow Brighton House Decor on Instagram here!Consistent content is key to getting more people to see and buy your products. If you want to create great content but you don't know what to say, or you feel too busy, or you just don't want to be the face of your brand, no worries – because we've got you covered with a year's worth of consistent content that's sure to resonate with your audience! If you want to see how easy this can be, click here.Connect:Website: theproductboss.comInstagram: @theproductbossMentioned in this Episode:InstacartDiscover more about how Instacart can work for you!Click here to learn moreGlociUse Code JACQUELINESNYDER to get 15% OFF your order! Click here to shop now!