Podcasts about grow my revenue

Welcome back to another episode of the STJ Podcast! In today's episode, I'm going to break down EXACTLY how I grew my coaching revenue from $6k in February to $39k in June (a 550% increase)! From February to June, my revenue grew by +550% -- which is kind of insane. Here are my exact revenue numbers month by month: February: $6,240 March $12,938 April: $20,320 May: $28,108 June: $39,104 Now that the context is there, here's the strategy I used to grow so quickly. I created a robust -- yet simple to execute -- strategy to get leads. And this is EXACTLY what I teach inside of my digital coaching program, The Financial Advisor Academy Here are the strategies I used to get TONS of leads - book sales calls, and ultimately close a LOT of business. 1) I clearly identified my target market, got hyper specific on my ideal avatar, and doubled down on solving ONE problem. 2) I used LinkedIn to bring in new leads. 3) I created a hyper targeted email campaign 4) I started posting on social media (mostly LinkedIn) to brand myself as an expert 5) I reached out directly to offices to offer free speaking events 6) I hired a CRM manager And when I implemented these strategies? There have been CONSISTENT leads coming in the door. And now that the "leads" part of the equation has been cracked, I simply worked on improving my sales call process (conversion %). Next up? I'm working on how to scale my sales call process so I can start selling to more people without having to show up on a Zoom call. Want to DOUBLE Your Referrals? Grab my Free PDF with my 3-Step Strategy, here: https://scottietaylorjr.ck.page/referrals

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Joey Coleman.  Joey is an expert on customer experience as well as helping organizations keep their best customers through enhancing their experience.  He is also author of a new book, Never Lose A Customer Again. Joey and I talk about the greatest misconception when it comes to losing customers, different things you can do in social media and in person to create that lasting experience for customers, and the specific things you can do to earn referrals and drive repeat business.

On this week's edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Melissa Agnes.  Melissa is the author of Crisis Ready. Building an INVINCIBLE Brand in an Uncertain World, and she is an expert and leading authority when it comes to crisis preparedness, reputation management and brand protection.  We talk about the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to being prepared for a crisis, the timing and accuracy associated with healing a crisis, and the specific steps you can do to make sure your business is invincible.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Jim Cathcart who is not only the author of 18 books, he was also inducted into the Sales & Marketing Hall of Fame in London, England, as well as the Speaker Hall of Fame. Jim shares that "every business has a reason for existing, but it's never money." He further adds that "if our people understood clearly that the purpose of business is to make life better, then everything would be communicated in a different way and every employee, no matter what their position, would have more of an emotional investment into the meaning of what they do..."

People would come to me and say "can you build a community where we can interact with other people who are applying Same Side Selling to their business", and that’s what we have built with the Same Side Selling Academy.  On today's episode of the Grow My Revenue business cast I answer a few of the questions that have come up most frequently in the group.

On this week's edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Kelsey Ramsden. Kelsey understands that even the best and most successful leaders can stall and so we’re going to talk specifically about the biggest challenges that people face when they feel like they’ve stalled.  We also talk about the mindset that helps you get past that, some of the ways that people cope with that stalling and specific approaches you can take to keep you and your team energized going forward.

Networking is an important part of our business lives.  If we want to be successful and grow our organizations, it's wise to build a strong network of people with trust at the core of each relationship.  The problem is that, more often times than not, we don't go about it in the right way.  We seem to forget that "it all starts with a great conversation" as Scott Gerber, my guest this week on the Grow My Revenue podcast, reminds us.  Scott says, "we live in a world where people want to work with good people."  It's crucial to remember that it should be all about finding the right way in which to connect.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Yigal Adato.  Yigal is a leadership expert, speaker, executive coach, and business owner.  He's a long time entrepreneur with experience running very successful businesses, and now he dedicates himself to helping other business owners master self-leadership skills so that they can make more money, have less stress, and have more freedom to spend time with the people they love, doing what they love. Yigal and I talk about the biggest misconception when it comes to leadership.  We also discuss the need to get clarity around what's happening in your life, relationships, and business to get to your true potential - and doing it with truth.  "Leading with baggage is miss-leading," Yigal says.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with David Kerr CEO at Octiv.  David shares the biggest challenges in embracing a mobile workforce, change management and how we can help people embrace new technologies to get better at what they can actually do, and we'll talk about how you can use technology to allow you to be more responsive and to get better results with your clients. “I think if everybody's not tied into some specific measurable targets,” he says. “it then is sometimes difficult to manage the performance (of employees) on that.” Listen to this episode and discover: - How to manage a mobile workforce. - Why mobility is a top priority for companies and customers they serve. - How you can boost productivity for your employees. - Why it's so important to communicate about goals and objectives. - What possible snags may come with app fatigue - and what it actually is. And so much more…

On this week's edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Christopher Penn, one of the world's top experts on artificial intelligence.  Christopher is Vice President, Marketing Technology, at SHIFT Communications, which is a data driven PR and marketing agency.  He is co-founder of PodCamp with Chris Brogan and co-host of the Marketing Over Coffee, marketing podcast, with John Wall. Christopher shares his insights into artificial intelligence and machine learning, how they might impact our jobs and how you can apply them to your business.  "When we look at the profession, particularly of sales," Christopher says, "the idea that sales could be completely replaced by artificial intelligence is simply not going to happen."

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with former FBI hostage negotiator, author and negotiation and influence expert Chris Voss. Chris says that 90% of his job as a negotiator is disarming and he never wants to fool anybody, they need to believe in everything he says.  Much the same as it is in sales.  In fact, "hostage negotiators are the ultimate cold callers," he says.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Jeff Lesher, a principal for management consulting firm, SHIFT Consulting. Jeff believes that employees fail to carry out the tasks necessary to accomplish a company’s major initiatives, in part, because companies don’t clearly communicate with their employees what the path to success looks like.

For the fifth straight year, I'm making my predictions for the Top Ten Business Trends of the year. It's been hugely popular among readers. If you Google the term "business trends", it's more than likely the number one result that comes up organically is my article on Forbes. In fact, Google often features it as the snippet. On today’s episode of the Grow My Revenue business cast, I'm giving you a quick glimpse — a sneak peek if you will — under the covers into this year's annual trends article. I'll be discussing a few of the trends including the increased use of artificial intelligence; the popularity of real-life versus online interactions; the rise of social learning; how subject matter experts open doors for opportunity; and changes in content marketing.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with international speaker, best-selling author and certified handwriting analyst, Jamie Mason Cohen. Jamie says a person’s handwriting reveals a great deal about a person’s personality and leadership style. Analyzing someone’s handwriting, he says, can be a valuable tool in business to determine whether a job applicant, a colleague, or a professional partner is a good fit for the job.

On today’s episode of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Wayne Washington, an expert and veteran in the field of operation management. Wayne has been called “The Doctor of of Operations” because of his ability to diagnose ailing operations and figure out where their hidden costs are. Wayne and I talk about the blind spots companies have when looking to sustain growth; the value drains on their organization, and how his "business value formula" creates higher value, long term.

On this episode of the Grow My Revenue podcast, we discuss the do’s and don’ts of customer transition, that delicate point in a transaction between the completion of a sale and kick-off or implementation. We talk about the right way to handle transitions so that customers feel confident and secure that they made the right decision to purchase with you.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Alison Stratten, co-author of five business books on marketing & sales and co-owner of UnMarketing Inc. Alison and her husband, Scott Stratten, have written a new book, UnBranding: 100 Branding Lessons In The Age Of Disruption. In it, they profile 100 companies who have gotten braning right. Alison and I talk about the biggest mistakes companies make when it comes to branding; how companies can remain relevant and ready in the age of disruption; and why companies should encourage and empower their employees to be brand ambassadors.

On today’s edition of the Grow My Revenue podcast, I speak with Simcha Gluck, the co-founder of FreshBiz, a training and development company that uses game-based learning to improve the performance of organizations around the world. Simcha and I talk about the biggest mistakes companies make when it comes to employee engagement and development; how fun and games can be leveraged in business to create tangible results; and why companies should encourage their employees to think like entrepreneurs.

Have you ever spent time building and nurturing relationships with clients only to have them suddenly shut down on you? They don’t return your phone calls, respond to your emails or give you any reason for their disappearance. It’s a common complaint I hear from salespeople. What do you do when a hopeful prospect suddenly goes silent? On today’s episode of Grow My Revenue, I answer that question (and others) and give you some practical advice and strategies on how to handle situations that once seemed promising then suddenly turned cold.

We all know what it feels like to sit through a lackluster training listening to a disinterested speaker drone on and on about a topic he may know lots about, but just can’t seem to bring to life. On the other hand, we’ve also been witness to presenters who take the most dry, mundane material and make it feel fresh and exciting. What’s their secret? How do speakers turn average talks into great experiences that leave audiences feeling inspired and energized? It turns out, great presentation skills can be learned. My guest today is best-selling author and speaker Rob Jolles. Rob is a former corporate trainer who draws on his 30-plus years of training experience to "teach people how to change minds. His programs on influence and persuasion are in global demand, reaching organizations in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Far East. And in showing clients not just 'how to' but also 'why to,' he stirs individuals and companies to create real, lasting change.” Rob has developed a proven process that helps presenters lead workshops and seminars, as well as keynote presentations, that are informative, engaging, inspiring and memorable. Today we’re going to talk specifically about how to run seminars and workshops and the biggest mistakes companies make when it comes to corporate training and presenting. I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Rob Jolles on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why it’s critical that curriculum developers collaborate with presenters to create engaging and effective trainings. · Why decision makers need to attend the very trainings they sign-off on. · What speaker bureaus look for when hiring speakers and presenters. · Why 15-second sound bites no longer cut it. · And so much more… Episode Overview As a longtime trainer for the Xerox Corporation, Rob Jolles knows the importance of process for delivering workshops and keynotes that are engaging and leave audiences members wanting more. It doesn't matter whether you're presenting to a group of 4 or 40, the principles of great speaking are the same: deliver value that educates and entertains, while letting the audience know that you understand their issues. From the start, a speaker should let audience members know "What's in it for me?" (often referred to by its acronym ‘WIIFM’), Rob says. “We don’t know who’s in that little group of seven,” he says. “I always like to throw in a little ‘WIIFM’… and not just, ‘What’s in it for you?’ but maybe how what I’m going to talk about is going to help you on the job, and perhaps help the company you work for.” In other words, set the audience’s expectations. More importantly, by having a process you can follow to deliver key ideas and take-aways, a speakers and presenters can monitor what’s working and what’s not. “When you have a process, you have a way of measuring what you’re doing. When you can measure it, you can fix it. The process that we used was called the UPPOP,” Rob says. In this episode, we talk about: · What UPPOP stands for and why it works. · How to prime audience members for ‘the ask.’ · What all decision makers need to do when booking speakers or trainers. · Why blaming the audience for inattention is a bad idea. · Tools the best speakers use in their presentations. · The biggest mistake presenters make when preparing their presentations. “At the end of the day, it isn’t about all the information that you crammed in,” Rob says. “It’s people finishing that presentation and going: ‘You know, I like that CEO. I like that guy in accounting, and I love working here, and I want to do what they just asked me to do.’” Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Rob Jolles. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/rob-jolles/

We’ve all been on the receiving end of pushy, sleazy sales tactics that make us want to run for cover. It doesn’t feel good. Nobody wants to be around a salesperson whose sole focus is to convince a prospect that they need what the salesperson is selling. Instead, buyers appreciate salespeople who know the kinds of problems they solve, and show an interest in learning about their clients’ problems to see if what they have is an appropriate solution. Genuine interest in your prospects' needs – as well as understanding that your solution is not suited for every problem – not only creates trust, it’s the foundation for future referrals. And that’s what I talk about in today’s episode of Grow My Revenue: three core elements that will help you achieve greater business success when it comes to working with potential clients. Plus, I'll share with you my F.I.T. strategy, as well as the specific questions you should be asking prospects to determine whether the two of you are indeed a good fit for each other. Listen in for those topics and more on this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · What exactly F.I.T. is and how it can be used to ensure amazing results. · Why you should be focused on the types of problems you solve and not the products or service you sell. · Why everyone is not a good fit to work with you. · The right way to ask for referrals. · And so much more… Episode Overview In my many years in business, there’s one common mistake I see salespeople repeatedly make that prevents them from achieving the sales success they’re after. And that's this: rather than identifying and articulating the problems they’re good at solving, sales people spend all their time trying to convince prospects that their solutions are the best solutions. That’s a lousy strategy. Effective sales is not about persuasion or coercion, it’s about getting to the truth as quickly as possible. Today, I’ll show you a better approach to selling – the F.I.T. strategy – that “disarms” prospects and leads to better results. You'll learn: · Why ‘persuasion’ sales tactics backfire. · The types of questions you should be asking during sales conversations. · What you’re doing to turn away ideal clients (you may not even realize it!) and what to do instead. · The exact thing to say to referral sources or existing clients when asking for a referral. When you listen in, you'll hear the kinds of questions that disarm prospects who may be thinking you’re just there to sell them something. You'll also hear how the old methods of sales no longer work, and specific steps to take to have more productive, insightful sales conversations on this edition of Grow My Revenue. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ian-altman-fit-antidote-pushy-selling/

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/

Do networking events make you squeamish? Do they make you feel sleazy and slimy, like you just want to run home and shower after having participated in one? Or maybe it's not that bad for you. Maybe you just want to develop a professional, online relationship with someone you admire, but you have no idea where to start – or what to even say to that person. My guest today is going to explain how the same principles that apply to face-to-face, offline networking are true for online networking and, if done right, can be the greatest driving force in your business. Networking doesn’t have to feel icky or gross. In fact, it can be fun and profitable if people take the time to invest in nurturing the relationship, instead of simply trying to make a sale. In this episode, I talk to Dave Delaney, the founder of Networking For Nice People, an online community for sales professionals, business leaders, and people looking to build professional relationships that both feel good, and are mutually rewarding. He is the author of New Business Networking: How to Effectively Grow Your Business Using Online and Offline Methods, in which he shares proven strategies and tactics to grow your professional network. Dave shares the biggest mistakes he sees people make when networking, and how to avoid them. Today, we’re going to discuss the pitfalls people encounter when networking; the varying ways people should interact in different networking environments, and tips on how you can make your networking more effective both online and off. “You need to be establishing relationships first,” Dave says. “Let [people] get to know you, and understand who you are and what you’re all about first." I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Dave Delaney on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · What “casino-style networking” is and why it’s a big bust. · The winning formula to networking effectively. · The biggest networking mistakes people make on LinkedIn and Twitter. · Tips and tricks to following up online with people you met in real life. · And so much more… Episode Overview Dave Delaney started his business because he was fed up with going to networking events where people just threw business cards at him like a blackjack dealer at a Vegas casino. “There's no connection. It’s horrible and you just feel nasty after it happens,” he says. Dave knew there had to be a better way. So he started a community for like-minded people who wanted to master the art of networking in a way that felt genuine and, well, nice. But more than just feeling good, he wanted to help people make networking work for them, not against them – especially on social media where people have the tendency to think that it's OK to behave differently just because it's a digital medium. “I use the analogy of being at a cocktail party and you go over to a group of people and say, ‘Hey, you wanna buy these?’ Even the worst sales person wouldn’t go over and interrupt people. But that’s what [people] do on Twitter,” Dave says. Rather than interrupting or spamming people, Dave recommends getting to know someone. He created a simple, four-step system to engage with people after you meet them that is more friendly, approachable, and kind. In this episode, we talk about: · What to do when you meet someone at a networking event. · The right way to follow up with that person online and what to say. · The most important thing to do when wanting to connect with someone on LinkedIn or other social media sites. · How I (Ian) respond to spammers. “It’s the people who just solicit, solicit, solicit that don’t get anywhere," Dave says. "It’s about building relationships first and foremost.” Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Dave Delaney. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/dave-delaney/

Do ever feel like you’re putting in double the effort for less than half the results in your business? Or maybe you’re scared of turning down potential clients because you’re afraid your sales pipeline might dry up, so you wind up working with clients that drain your energy and resources? My guest today is going to explain why saying ‘yes’ to every client that walks through your door is the wrong approach to building and sustaining a successful business – one that feels invigorating rather than draining. He’s going to share with you his secrets to quadrupling his business in just 18 months while turning down 80 percent of the leads that inquire about his services. On today’s episode, I talk to Raman Sehgal, the founder and CEO of ramarketing, a digital marketing and PR agency, about how he was able to grow his business fourfold by weeding out less-than-ideal prospects. Raman shares his biggest mistakes, the lessons learned from his early days in business, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes. Today we’re going to talk specifically about Raman’s “red flag” system of client selection, and how his company stopped spending time on bad leads. They now focus on taking care of existing clients – which, in turn, has led to more business. Raman believes that if companies learned how to identify and pinpoint the types of clients they don’t want to work with – as opposed to the ones they do – they would see better results in their bottom line. “Restraint gets respect,” Raman says. “When you say no to someone, it makes them want you more. It’s like some kind of cruel dating game.” I know you’re going to love this discussion, and you’re going to learn a ton from Raman Sehgal on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · How a small B2B marketing and PR agency quadrupled its revenue in less than two years. · The biggest mistakes companies make when choosing to work with clients and how to avoid them. · Weeding out bad customers: why it’s important and how to do it. · The criteria Raman uses in his “red flag” system to identify worthy prospects. · And so much more… Episode Overview As a longtime professional in the pharmaceutical industry, Raman Sehgal started his business with an eye toward helping pharmaceutical companies with their marketing and PR. What started off as a very clear focus, though, became blurry over time. Like most new business owners, Raman started chasing every new potential client. Afraid he was passing up money and opportunity, he said ‘yes’ to every prospect – even the ones he knew were not a good fit. And that was a costly mistake, he says. “It can have a bad effect on morale and motivation, and it can distract you from other clients and suck all your energy,” Raman says. After losing a client that accounted for roughly 30 percent of his business, Raman started to get serious about prospecting. Rather than do what he’d been doing, he decided to get more discerning. He created a system to weed out less-than-ideal clients using specific demographic (and behavioral) criteria. In this episode, he talks about: · The kinds of clients he refuses to work with today. · How getting clear about who you work with can streamline your marketing efforts. · The kinds of client behaviors that are instant warning signs for Raman and his team. · And the one thing he wishes he would have done more of in his 30s. “You can always make more money, and there’s always other opportunities, but a bad client can absolutely drain your business,” he says. “Honestly, it’s really not worth it.” Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today’s Grow My Revenue with Raman Sehgal. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/raman-sehgal/

There's one thing that's constant, and that's change. But why is it that some organizations seem to manage change so effortlessly, while others appear to buck it? Turns out most companies approach change all wrong. They see change as a barrier that needs to be overcome rather than the by-product of something that’s happened. On today’s episode, I talk to Tamsen Webster – part idea whisperer, part message strategist and part presentation coach – about ways companies (and people) can navigate change and get buy-in for their ideas. She’s also the Executive Producer of TEDxCambridge, the largest and oldest, locally-organized TEDx events in the world. Today we’re going to talk specifically about change, how we can get people to embrace change and how to affect change in our organizations. Whether we’re trying to change the minds of our customers, our sales reps, the people on our teams, or people in our personal lives, we can all benefit from learning how to navigate this inevitable force to achieve the outcomes we desire. If companies want to handle change more effectively, Tamsen says, then they’d do best to change the way they look at change. “We look at change as the thing we’re trying to accomplish when, in fact, change is the result of something,” Tamsen says. “Change isn’t the means. It’s the end." I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Tamsen Webster on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · The key ingredient that so many companies overlook when it comes to communicating change. (It’s what Tamsen calls the ‘Trojan Horse’ of change.) · The (wrong) ways companies and managers try to change people’s minds. · How companies can make things make sense internally, so they can make things make sense externally, and therefore make the change happen. · The 5-step framework that companies can use to communicate and effectuate change. · And so much more… Episode Overview As a speaking and presentation coach, Tamsen Webster knows how to capture an audience's attention. More importantly, she knows how to communicate complex (and, at times, controversial) ideas clearly, so they can effectuate change. There’s a big difference, she says, between trying to convince people of something that makes no sense to them, and making your case so compelling that people willingly make the decision to change. “We need things to be meaningful in order to make a different decision from what we’re doing right now, and that’s critically important, because if they don’t make any sense to us, then we’re not going to move off of status quo,” Tamsen says. The meaning we ascribe to things and our decision to embrace change is the ‘red thread’ that ties the two together, Tamsen says. In this episode, she talks about: · How people make sense of things. · Examples of the ways most companies try to persuade people to change. · The five questions she asks all her clients who are trying to effectuate change. · The “Dark Side” of persuasion and selling. “This is not in any way about manipulating people to your point of view. It’s about making your reasoning for something as clear as possible, in language that’s going to be as clear as possible to (your audience) so that the meaning that you have transfers as frictionlessly as possible to them.” Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Tamsen Webster. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/tamsen-webster/

Have you ever wondered what top-performing sales professionals do to achieve extraordinary results? You may be tempted to think that top performers have special talents and abilities that their peers don't. And you wouldn't be entirely wrong in thinking that – high performers do take certain actions that allow them to achieve outstanding success. But where you might get it wrong is in thinking that those behaviors and actions can't be learned or practiced. They can. Today, I'm going to share with you the key concepts and mindset that will help you move the needle in your business to achieve the sales results you're after. We're going to discuss the thinking and attitude that top performers have that allow them to achieve extraordinary success, and that you could adopt, too. Plus, I'll be weighing in on specific strategies that you can use with prospects who shop around for new vendors after having worked with existing vendors for a long time, and what to do in competitive situations like that. Listen in for these topics and more on this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · The mindset top performers adopt that others don't to help them achieve amazing success. · Why being curious (or skeptical) is the best approach to new sales situations. · The types of questions you should be asking prospects who are looking to switch vendors. · And so much more… Episode Overview I lead workshops all over the country and have trained thousands of CEOs and sales executives on how to achieve better results in business. Recently, I held a workshop where I coached a sales team on sales strategies and tactics. And every time I lead a workshop, I inevitably get the person who says to me something like: "In the market we’re in, the whole industry is declining and it’s shrinking," or: "A lot of customers just see us as a commodity, so they don’t care about this." Basically, it's just a whole series of excuses. And it's a trap many sales people fall into – they believe that the reason they're not seeing result has nothing to do with anything they're doing or any of their behaviors. They believe poor sales performance is a result of external factors. Today, I’ll discuss the mindset and behaviors top performers adopt to achieve top results. You'll learn: · How to uncover the truth behind a prospect’s motivation to switch vendors after having a long-established relationship with an existing vendor. · What the #1 goal of a salesperson should be (it's not what you think). · What top-performing salespeople do that others don’t. When you listen in, you'll hear the types of questions to ask if you want to see better results, and what to ask instead in competitive sales situations. You'll also hear how to "turn the tables" on a prospect when they are looking to switch vendors after working with an existing vendor for a long time – all on this edition of Grow My Revenue. For full show notes and other resources, including information about upcoming full-day group workshops in Dallas (3/31), San Francisco (4/17), and Wilmington (5/9), please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ian-altman-top-performing-salespeople/

Constructive feedback and discussion is vital to the health of any organization. But what happens when that feedback triggers an adversarial response from someone that creates an impasse, rather than a bridge, to understanding? Today’s guest is CEO and executive performance coach Alison Whitmire. Alison is the President of Learning in Action Technologies, a company committed to her passion of making the non-conscious conscious. Alison has worked with hundreds of top performing executives to help them be more effective leaders and communicators. The lessons she shares regarding the role of empathy in communication in this episode may inspire you to look more closely at the way you communicate in your business and in your life. “One of the key challenges in any genuine, authentic communication can be a lack of empathy,” Alison says. “Until we have an empathetic point of view for an opposing point of view, we’re missing really valuable information and that’s true almost in every context, particularly in the business context.” Alison and I talk about the difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one; how to develop the self-awareness needed to respond more empathetically in high-stress situations; and how the current political climate underscores the lack of empathy in most discussions today. Listen in for these topics and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why being empathetic is good for business. · The difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one. · The misconceptions that exist about showing empathy, particularly if you don’t agree with another’s point of view. · What you can do to be more empathetic. · And so much more… Episode Overview As a performance coach, Alison Whitmire works with CEOs and senior-level executives who often find themselves in high-pressure, high-stress situations that require strong communication skills. If handled correctly, communication under difficult circumstances can lead to breakthroughs and collaborations that can propel a company forward, she says. If handled poorly, communication can create dysfunction and logjams. “Empathy under stress and empathy not under stress are very, very different things,” Alison says. “Most of us are much more empathetic if we’re not in conflict with someone. When we’re in conflict, relationship patterns from the past tend to override what would (otherwise) be a really empathetic response.” Alison lays out the five steps to manage your response in stressful situations so it becomes a win-win for everyone or, as Alison puts it, where “one plus one equal three.” Today you'll learn: · How stress greatly affects someone’s ability to demonstrate empathy. · Why some people may lack empathy. · Five steps to develop more empathetic responses. When you listen in, you'll hear what shapes our ability to be empathetic and why no two people ever respond the same way to any situation. You'll also hear on this edition of Grow My Revenue how an old Saturday Night Live skit resembles how most people communicate today. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Alison Whitmire. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/alison-whitmire-empathy/

If you’re a company with a great product or service, marketing is critical to your business growth – both online and off. In fact, creating great marketing can be the difference between booming sales and flailing sales. But great marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum or the confines of a boardroom. Great marketing is created when organizations takes risks. When they’re creative. When they’re obsessed with their customers. My guest on today’s episode of the Grow My Revenue Business Cast is marketing and branding expert Ann Handley. Ann is the Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs, an online education resource for modern marketers, and the author of the Wall Street Journal best-seller Everybody Writes. Today, we cover the common mistakes businesses make when coming up with their marketing strategies, why ‘going viral’ is not recommended, and how developing a 'pathological empathy' for your customers is the number one thing that will move the needle in your marketing. I know you're going to love this talk, and you're going to learn a ton on today's edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · The common mistakes companies make when developing marketing content. · Why innovation and creativity are the foundation of great marketing. · Why ‘going viral’ should never be a company’s aim. · How Ann defines great marketing. · Why developing ‘pathological empathy’ for your customer is vital. · What companies can do to create rich, meaningful marketing messages that resonate. · And so much more! Episode Overview As an expert and self-described marketing geek, Ann Handley understands the value of marketing in a way most business leaders don’t. While most follow cookie-cutter approaches to marketing, Ann champions an approach centered on innovation and creativity. “The willingness to take some risks in your marketing I think is also key,” Ann says. “And inherent in that is really knowing who your audience is, know who you’re selling to as opposed to selling to everybody.” That's why she encourages business owners and marketers to be “obsessed with their customers,” or what she calls ‘pathological empathy.’ “It’s next-level empathy,” she says. “All the companies I talk to that are actually using marketing to drive business are obsessed with their customers.” Today you'll learn: · What marketing really is. · How templates and cookie-cutter approaches fail · Why it’s vital to know your audience. · How to create marketing that resonates. · The company that wowed Ann with its genius marketing message. On this edition of Grow My Revenue, you'll hear Ann’s take on how, in many ways, marketing has changed over the years and how, in many ways, it’s remained the same. Also on today's show, Ann shares an embarrassing moment from MarketingProf’s 2016 B2B Marketing Forum in Boston, now in its 11th year. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Ann Handley. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ann-handley/

The most recent presidential election in the United States proved that predicting – or as my guest today calls it, ‘probability calculation’ – is a dangerous way of reading an audience. It essentially amounts to throwing darts at a board, he says. If companies want to create products and services that best meet the needs of their ideal customers, they need to have solid research to support their business objectives – otherwise they might wind up guessing at the wrong outcomes. On today's episode, I talk to Tom Webster, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing for Edison Research, the organization behind exit polling for national elections in the U.S. For more than two decades, Tom has conducted political polling for some of the most contentious elections in U.S. history, as well as market research for some of the top companies across the nation. What he’s learned about the role of research in business decisions may surprise you. “You need the input,” Tom says. “There’s no such thing as a perfect study. There’s no perfect piece of input. But it’s a lot better to fly with instruments you can correct, than to fly with no instruments at all.” Tom and I talk about President Trump’s surprising victory, the need for diverse points of view in boardrooms across corporate America, and what to do to really have your finger on the pulse of your audience. I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton on this edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · How you can gather and distill insights about your audiences. · The misconceptions people had about the most recent U.S. presidential election. · Why President Donald Trump is what pollsters call a 'black swan'. · How bias plays a role in different types of polling. · How to get the right type of qualitative and quantitative information to · really have a finger on the pulse of your audience. · And so much more! Episode Overview As a polling expert and survey researcher, Tom Webster is the man companies go to when they want a snapshot of what’s happening with their clients today, and the data trends that have happened over time. There’s a big difference, he says, between forecasting outcomes and predicting them. “Once you start getting into the business of, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen in the future,’ you get into a very different business,” Tom says. That's why he’s not a fan of ‘probability calculators’, and why he says business owners and executives should never make decisions in a vacuum. Today you'll learn: · What ‘bias’ is in polling, and why it exists in every survey conducted. · How a ‘social desirability’ bias among voters played a part in Trump’s surprising victory. · Why it’s dangerous to surround yourself only with people who think and act like you. · What the difference between qualitative and quantitative research is and why you need both. · Why companies need solid data to ensure they're meeting the needs of their customers. When you listen, you'll hear how pollsters in the most recent presidential election didn't get it wrong. Rather, it was the interpretation of the data that lead to all the confusion. On this edition of Grow My Revenue, you'll also hear how consumer behavior has radically changed over the years with advances in technology, yet the reasons why customers buy remain the same. Also on today's show, Tom and I talk about how content marketers need to take on the role of trusted advisor, rather than the more traditional salesman. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Tom Webster. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/tom-webster/

Have you ever wanted to peer inside a potential customer’s mind to understand how he or she makes a buying decision? Have you ever wondered what key questions a prospect asks himself when deciding whether or not to buy your product or service? Do you wish you could crack the code on how a customer thinks so you can shorten the sales cycle and achieve the business results you’re after? In today’s episode I discuss a few of the common misconceptions salespeople have with regard to their prospects’ buying and decision processes – and how to develop the skills necessary to uncover a buyer’s real motivations. Plus, I'll be weighing in on how businesses get it wrong when describing what the customer's buying cycle looks like, and how you should look at it instead. Listen in for those topics and more on this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · How to glean better insight into the sales process in order to achieve better results. · The types of questions you should be asking during sales conversations. · How to prepare for a sales encounter in order to accelerate the sales cycle and stop wasting time on bad opportunities. · And so much more… Episode Overview I lead workshops all over the world and have trained thousands of CEOs and sales execs on how to achieve better results in business. One of the questions I get asked all the time by salespeople is about how they can encourage and facilitate faster buying decisions from prospective customers. In other words, they want to know how to get to the sale faster. The trouble is, the way businesses think about the sales cycle is all wrong. In fact, in most cases, it’s a complete waste of time. Today, I’ll show you a better approach to the buying process that can actually shorten the sales cycle and lead to better revenues. You'll learn: · How to uncover the truth behind a prospect’s motivation to buy. · The three key questions you should be able to answer in every sales conversation (answering these questions is nearly guaranteed to shorten the sales cycle every time). · Why following a script can undermine a sale. · What top performing salespeople do that others don’t. When you listen in, you'll hear the types of questions not to ask if you want to see better results and what to ask instead. You'll also hear how the old methods of sales no longer work, and the specific steps to follow to have more productive, insightful sales conversations on this edition of Grow My Revenue. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ian-altman-asking-right-questions-shorten-sales-cycle/

If you’re a business with an online presence, content marketing is critical to growing your business and building relationships with customers, which can have a direct impact your bottom line. In fact, creating quality content that is both relevant and useful to your audience can be the difference between being seen as a trusted leader in your field and being ignored. Too many organizations make the mistake, however, of not creating a sound content strategy, which inevitably leads them to making costly mistakes that confuse – and lose – potential clients. My guest on today’s episode of the Grow My Revenue Business Cast is content creation expert Ahava Leibtag. Ahava helps businesses develop strong, coherent content strategies that allow businesses to showcase their expertise online and be seen as leaders in their industries. Today, we cover the common mistakes businesses make when developing their content strategies, why it’s important to have a designated person leading the charge, and the number one thing to consider when creating content for your organization. I know you're going to love this talk, and you're going to learn a ton on today's edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · What common mistakes companies make when creating content strategies. · Why having a content strategy – and someone to lead the effort – is so important. · What the number one thing to consider is when creating content. · The five questions companies should answer when creating content strategies. · When and where to draw the line between content creation and self promotion. · How asking (the right) probing questions will help companies understand their customers’ issues better, which leads to better content creation. · And so much more! Episode Overview Before we get into the five questions companies must answer to create effective content strategy plans, Ahava and I uncover the biggest mistakes businesses make regarding content marketing. Although Ahava says she sees a lot of missteps, we talk about three in particular.* After discussing the biggest mistakes in content marketing, we discuss the top five things that companies should ask themselves when creating content strategy. Before diving into strategy, Ahava always asks companies five questions.* “One of the clients we worked with had a 28 percent increase in social media traffic after we answered those questions, and they also had far less confusion among their content teams about how to write content,” Ahava said. Also on today's show, Ahava and I talk about how a company can effectively identify their audience, and the number one question an organization should be asking with regard to content creation. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Ahava Leibtag. *For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ahava-leibtag/

Have you ever wished you could add more hours to your day just so you could cross more tasks off your to-do list? Do you spend most of your days going from meeting to meeting only to feel like you haven’t accomplished what you need to accomplish? Do spend countless hours going through your email and still feel like you’ve barely made a dent in it? If so, you’re probably making the kinds of mistakes productivity expert Neen James says most people make when thinking about time. “We’ve got to look at time differently and think: Is this the best use of my time right now?” she says. In today’s podcast episode, Neen talks about the biggest mistakes people make when thinking about time and productivity, ways they can organize their day so they can get more done with less effort, and why it’s important. As the author of Folding Time: How to Achieve Twice As Much in Half the Time, Neen talks about how the notion of “time management” is no longer useful or effective, and how people should look at time if they want to accomplish more. She speaks with audiences and top executives around the world, sharing field-tested strategies that not only improve leaders’ productivity but increase their influence and effectiveness. “We all get the same 1,440 minutes in a day,” she says. “So when people think they can manage their time, that’s not true. What they can do is manage their attention.” Listen to this episode and discover: · The biggest mistakes people make when thinking about time, and what things to consider instead. · Why making a to-do list is actually a waste of time. · How to make business meetings shorter and more effective. · The single most important question you can ask yourself when tackling a task. · How to create an environment that is conducive to focus and productivity. · The “super-fancy” (Neen’s words) system she uses to make sure she accomplishes what she needs to each day. · And so much more! Episode Overview As an expert on time and productivity, Neen despises the term “time management.” It’s an old paradigm that keep people on a never-ending hamster wheel of to-dos. “The old way of managing time used to work before we had email, before we had the internet, and before we had social media. While it’s important to have a really good relationship with time and to understand how you work best, I think the new conversation is about attention.” Instead of using outdated and ineffective language to describe time – “I’m going to kill time” or “I don’t have time” – people should use more empowering words to describe their behavior around time. “We have to reframe it,” she says. “It’s really easy to say, ‘I don’t have time,’ but that’s not true. You do. A better choice of words is: ‘I didn’t choose to spend time on that.’” Considering time in this way allows people to step off the hamster wheel of needless activities. Because the truth is: people sabotage their productivity when they choose to spend time on small, seemingly important things that produce little to no results – things like unnecessary, in-person team meetings, or email. “What we have to be more disciplined at, as leaders with our time, is understanding what activities are going to give us the highest return on our time invested,” she says. In addition, Neen shared some tips on how people can organize their day to ensure they prioritize what’s important (the “not-negotiables,” as she calls them) and let go of what’s not. Using a “super-fancy” single Post-It note system, Neen shares her secret to getting more done in less time. Listen in for all of that and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue, and then let me know what your key takeaways were. I look forward to seeing how you’ve implemented Neen’s tips and strategies. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/neen-james/

We’ve all heard the clever, catchy truisms tossed about in corporate environments that sound like sage advice: "A penny saved is a penny earned." "You get what you pay for." "You can’t switch horses mid-stream." They sound good on the surface. Some of these witty aphorisms may even hold a kernel of truth. But dig a little deeper, and you begin to discover that these widely-held and unchallenged beliefs can cost companies lots of time, money, and opportunity. My guest on this week’s episode, best-selling author and negotiation expert Jack Quarles, calls these toxic statements ‘Expensive Sentences.’ Left unchecked and unexamined, these simple little proverbs or phrases have the power to drain valuable resources from companies, keeping them from reaching their full growth and potential. Jack co-authored "Same Side Selling: A Radical Approach to Break Through Sales Barriers" with me. In his latest book, "Expensive Sentences: Debunking the Common Myths that Derail Decisions and Sabotage Success," he looks at the destructive nature of commonly held beliefs and statements that have the power to shut down conversations within organizations, and lead to bad decisions and missed opportunities. “These ideas set in pretty deep in an organization,” Jack says. “They become company lore. They become things that people really believe, but they’re often not true.” Listen to this episode and discover: · How one simple statement cost a company millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses. · What are some of the most commonly-used ‘expensive sentences’ to watch out for in a buying-selling environment? · How not to a respond to an ‘expensive sentence’ situation (and what to do instead). · Three ways to tell if you’re in an ‘expensive sentence’ environment. · Three important questions to ask yourself and others that can turn an ‘expensive sentence’ situation around almost immediately (plus a bonus question from Ian). · And so much more! Episode Overview Back when Jack was the Director of Procurement for a multi-national company, he discovered that a million dollar buying decision was being made on a faulty assumption that was never questioned or challenged. “We’d spent probably millions of dollars more than we should have over of several years, and what was the reason? The reason was this distorted idea that had taken root,” he said. In other words, an expensive sentence had reared its ugly head. That discovery led Jack on a quest to find out why these assumptions were being made and, more importantly, what could be done to change them. He wanted to help buyers shift their perspectives to allow for more healthy, robust competition. “The tricky thing about these ‘expensive sentences’ is that there’s almost always some kernel of truth in them,” Jacks says. Sellers will know if they are in an ‘expensive sentence’ scenario if they have one (or all) of these three elements present: · Stuck · Scarcity · Special “Whenever you encounter a situation where you feel like you’re stuck, or you feel like the resources are scarce, or you feel like somebody’s special (where we’re dependent upon someone or they’re irreplaceable) those are warning signs,” Jack says. For more in-depth explanations of Jack’s three-step formula – Engage, Examine, Enlighten – for turning an expensive sentence scenario from a negative to a positive, make sure to listen to this episode. Jack and I also talk about the shift that’s happening in the procurement world toward better overall value (and away from cheapest prices), and the biggest fear a procurement agent faces (it’s not what you think!). Tune in for all of that and more on today’s Grow My Revenue with Jack Quarles. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/jack-quarles-expensive-sentences/

On this episode, I'll be answering these questions plus weighing in on the impact of social media in ways you may not have considered. Listen in for those topics and more on this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · Should you use a script in sales calls? · What active listening really means, and how to apply it to your sales team. · How do you learn the most about your potential client? · When are questions powerful, and when are they not? · And so much more… Episode Overview Have you ever received a phone call from someone selling something, and you could tell they were reading from a script? That is the number one reason I dislike the use of scripts. Although I'm a proponent of having a process, I discourage anyone from reading scripts verbatim. Instead, I suggest a particular formula and sequence you can follow to uncover the real information when dealing with a potential client. In fact, you can use a script, but be sure you understand why you are asking each question in that script. Here's what I suggest you do if you want to successfully utilize scripts: Before you write out the script, lay out exactly what you are hoping to learn with each question. So, if you are asking the client how long their problem has been going on, it's because you want to know if this has been an ongoing issue, a long-term problem, or none of the above. And if you ask what else they have tried, you are doing so because you want to know what alternatives they have pursued, and if this is important enough that they've invested in solutions in the past. When you ask what happens if they don't solve this problem, you are finding out if the problem is important enough to the person to warrant their investment. Then you'll know if you are dealing with the right person, and/or if the problem is something they are willing to spend money to fix. Now that you know your goal for these questions, you can outline the potential responses and the likely conclusions that you can draw based on their responses. Once you draw out those conclusions, you can then move on to the next step, which is creating a decision tree for these conversations. I explain exactly how to do so on today's show. Also on today's show, I cover the topic of social media and two points worth considering when you are interacting with others in that space. The first is: where has our civility gone? After the US presidential elections, I have been seeing a lot of people respond and make comments to their social media "friends" in caustic and nasty tones. They aren't having debates or discussions, but have resorted to name calling. And it is not from just one political party; it's both sides. Rather than indiscriminate name calling and venting our frustrations at others who disagree with us, it's our duty to respect other opinions. And if we want to be understood, we must take the time to understand them. The second point I discuss is to consider who your friends are online. It's easy for us to forget who we have invited as friends and who we have accepted on any of our social media platforms. A simple solution is to respond as if you were at a cocktail party with friends. Would you be rude and offensive there? If not, then don't be rude and offensive on social media. You'll also hear how to avoid alienating potential clients with social media, and what active listening really means on this edition of Grow My Revenue. For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ian-altman-sales-scripts-active-listening/

You know how important content marketing is to your success, but how do you actually use it as a tool to build trust? Joining us to answer that question and others is my great friend and two-time visitor to the show, Marcus Sheridan. Marcus is a best-selling author of several books, and is also the quintessential case study in successful content marketing. I'm bringing him back because he is the de facto expert on this topic. Today we cover the five ways to build trust with content marketing, the biggest mistakes most companies make regarding content marketing, and his latest book, "They Ask You Answer." I know you're going to love this talk, and you're going to learn a ton on today's edition of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · Who has to be involved in your content marketing if you are to be ultra-successful? · Why doing content marketing right means starting at the bottom of the sales funnel, not the top. · What you can learn from CarMax. · How to become a purple cow in your field, and why that's a good thing. · What is the concept of the anti-persona? · And so much more! Episode Overview Before we get into the five ways to build trust with your clients through content marketing, Marcus and I uncover the biggest mistakes businesses make regarding content marketing. Although Marcus says there are lot of missteps he sees, we talk about three in particular.* Marcus gives an example from when he used to run a pool company, a company he is still a silent partner in today. He saw a lot of pool companies put out fluff pieces like 5 Fun Games to Play in Your Swimming Pool. The reason pieces like this don't work is because you don't know if the reader actually wants to buy a pool! They could be throwing a kid party at another pool somewhere and may not even be in the market to buy a pool. But if you focus on swimming pool buyer-based questions, like "How much does a fiberglass pool cost?" and write a piece on that, you will get readers who are in the market to spend money on a pool. After discussing the biggest mistakes in content marketing, we discuss into the top five things that move the needle and build trust with content marketing. These are all covered in Marcus' book "They Ask You Answer," and we briefly cover them on this episode.* Also on today's show, Marcus and I talk about how to frame negatives in such a way that you can address them while keeping everyone in your company okay with that, specifics about what his latest book They Talk You Answer has to say about removing "elephants" in the room, and a simple strategy and activity that can revolutionize your relationship with customers. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Marcus Sheridan. *For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/marcus-sheridan/

When you hear the term "go-giver" what do you think of? Do you think of someone who gives and gets nothing in return? Or do you think of someone who gives value consistently and ultimately reaps financial rewards as a result? Our guest for today's episode, Bob Burg, defines it as the latter. Bob is the co-author of the best-selling book, The Go-Giver, a book that has sold over half a million copies around the globe. Bob is also an international speaker and the man behind The Go-Giver Sales Academy, a two-day event that helps entrepreneurs and business owners accelerate their growth. It's an absolute honor to have Bob on the show; listen in as we discuss the principle of The Go-Giver, its five laws, plus much more! Listen to this episode and discover: · What does it actually mean to "go-give"? · What is the only reason people buy from you? · Bob explains the difference between price and value. · In a free market exchange, what are the two profits? · What is a "phonus balonus" and how do you avoid being one? · And so much more! Episode Overview On this episode of Grow My Revenue, Bob and I cover a lot of ground, including people's biggest misunderstandings about the concept of being a go-giver, what holds most people back in sales conversations, and the five laws in The Go-Giver. Bob says the biggest misconception people have about being a go-giver is that it means you don't care about profits. That idea is patently untrue; being a go-giver simply means shifting your focus to one of giving to others first and providing consistent value to them. By doing so, you will increase your profits and revenue, because at its core, selling is about focusing on what the other person wants, needs and desires. And when you do that in a genuine way, people want to buy from you, and they want to refer business to you. According to Bob, this is the single greatest skill you can have: a highly developed and authentic interest in the other person. When you have that, the rest – including profits – will follow. To explain the principles of the go-giver on a deeper level, Bob shares a brief summary of each of the five laws covered in the book. Also on today's edition of the show, Bob and I discuss the skills that hold most people back during sales conversations, what to do if you discover that you and your client aren't a good fit, and his Go-Giver Sales Academy. Tune in for all of that and more on this episode of Grow My Revenue with Bob Burg! For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/bob-burg/

What exactly is social selling, and how do you know if you're doing it right (or wrong)? Our guest today, Jill Rowley, is the de facto expert on the subject. Jill is an international speaker, digital transformation expert and startup advisor who began her career as one of the first sales people with Salesforce. On this episode, Jill explains what social selling is, what the keys to social selling are, and a few things you should be doing to embrace the current digital age. We also discuss what not to do with social selling, and the misapplication of marketing automation today. You won't want to miss this episode with Jill Rowley! Listen to this episode and discover: · What is social selling? · Why your network isn't a group of potential buyers, and what a network actually is. · What was the original intent of marketing automation? · Why more is not "more better," and what that means. · How to become visible and valuable through content. · And so much more! Episode Overview Jill became a student of marketing starting back in 2002, because her buyers were marketers. She learned what was driving modernization and transformation at the time, how it was becoming more about data, automation, technology and personalization through multiple channels and through social media. Through that lens she saw these buyer changes sooner than most sales people, and why those changes would become so important to sales as a whole. Today she explains that social selling is about researching your buyers, and then becoming relevant to them and building really meaningful, deep relationships with them. These factors will ultimately drive revenue. To succeed you need to know your buyer, be where they are, and be visible and valuable to them. Buyers are increasingly spending more time on social platforms, so social selling is about finding and creating your digital presence, showing the world that you are someone who has business acumen and has solved problems for your customers – problems that your potential clients are dealing with. Jill explains you must develop your online network through LinkedIn, because if your network is your net worth and someone can't see that network on LinkedIn, then your network doesn't exist. It's also about becoming visible and valuable through content that is interesting and relevant to your customer, not you! Chances are good that your buyers are putting massive content out there through podcasts, YouTube videos, tweets, and sharing content on LinkedIn. Since they are out there on the digital web, you need to learn to be, too. When I asked Jill to share the biggest mistakes or misconceptions that she sees organizations have about social selling, she gave me three: 1. Companies are not addressing social selling at the organization level. 2. If a company is addressing social selling, they are doing so by buying LinkedIn Sales Navigator and calling it social selling. 3. Companies are saying more is "more better": do more mass emails, send more useless and impersonal invitations to connect on LinkedIn, share more impersonal content to the masses. It's a lot of irrelevant "more." Since Jill is a primary reason we have marketing automation today, I asked her to give the original intent behind it. She says originally marketing automation's intent was to be able to convert an inquiry into a customer more efficiently and faster. On this episode, Jill explains why those early days of marketing automation have now gone awry, and why it's more like a spam cannon today than a tool to turn an inquiry into a customer. She also gives a few things you should do right now to embrace today's digital age. Listen in for all of that and more from the energetic social selling guru Jill Rowley on today's edition of Grow My Revenue! For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/jill-rowley/

Do you think you know what your customers want? Have you sent them surveys? Most business owners either assume that they know what their customers want, or don't know the right questions to ask to get the most impactful answers. Today Ryan Levesque, creator of the Ask Method and national best-selling author of Ask, joins us to talk about why you shouldn't assume you know what your clients want, and how to formulate the questions to find out what they need so you can best serve them. He also explains why segmented opportunities will produce better results for your marketing efforts on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · What is the key to unlocking the full potential of your business? · What is the second biggest mistake people make when trying to find out what their customers want? · Where should you start when sending out a survey? · What does SMIQ stand for? · What are micro-commitments and how do you use them effectively? · And so much more! Episode Overview Ryan Levesque is a software entrepreneur and the creator of the Ask Method. His book Ask, which was written based on his method, was named the #1 marketing book of 2015 by Inc. magazine, and Entrepreneur magazine listed it as the #2 must-read for budding entrepreneurs. And those accolades are well-founded: he has used the Ask Method to help build multi-million dollar businesses in 23 different industries and generated over $100 million in sales in the process. When he joined me on the show, I asked him to talk about the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to surveys, and his response was simple: people assume and assume they know. He says whenever he brings up the idea of surveying customers to get to know them better and find out what they want, what they need, and what they'll buy, his suggestion is met with resistance by the business owner. Business owners inevitably tell him they know what their clients want. But the key to unlocking the potential in any business is to have a beginner's mind. Approach your business as though you know nothing about your customers. Pretend you are a scientist about to start an experiment, and go in with no bias or preconceived ideas. As you experiment, you let the data, the feedback, and your market tell you the truth. Once you do that and you are open to getting the data and the feedback, you must know the right types of questions to ask. This is the second place where people fall down, they ask the wrong questions. They send out surveys to their customers asking them what they want and what they need help with. Ryan says this doesn't work because people don't always know what they want. But people do know what they don't want; that is a question they can accurately answer. You can get those answers by using something Ryan calls the Single Most Important Question method (or SMIQ). You use SMIQ by thinking about how to frame your questions. You can say something like: "When it comes to X, what is the biggest challenge, frustration, obstacle, or hurdle you run into?" In this example, "X" stands for the thing you intend to help people with. Ask your clients to be as detailed as possible in their responses. On this episode, Ryan also explains the myth of the FAQ by sharing a story of his experience in the orchid care market. His company successfully entered the orchid care market using the Ask Method. He had no knowledge and no experience in that market, other than the fact that he and his wife bought a bunch of orchids and killed them! So they went into the market and asked questions like: "When it comes to caring for your orchid, what is the single biggest challenge/frustration/question you are running into right now?" Hear more about that lesson, and other gems from Ryan on this episode of Grow My Revenue! For full show notes, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ryan-levesque/

Every year, I give a rundown of the business trends I see in the upcoming year, and today I am sharing the top 2017 business trends with you on this episode of Grow My Revenue. Specifically, I'll be talking about the different roles in sales today and which role you should be focused on, how the sales process has changed for the buyer and how you can be a key component in that process, as well as crowdfunding to test your ideas, and why you must start segmenting your marketing lists. Listen to this episode and discover: · What are the three sales roles, and which should you be evolving into? · What is the single best sales tool you can have? · How to use crowdfunding to validate your ideas. · Why and how monthly recurring revenue changes the value of your business. · And so much more… Episode Overview Of the top trends I see coming in 2017, I chose a few to discuss here that are going to have the most impact on your bottom line. The first concept is the three roles in sales: the order taker, the salesperson, and the subject matter expert. The order taker is exactly what it sounds like: someone in this role simply takes orders and fulfills their customers' requests. Today I explain that this role is being replaced because of the convenience and quickness of online ordering sites like Amazon. If it's easier and it's faster to buy from Amazon, the client will go that route versus going to the order taker. Next up is the salesperson: this is someone who believes their job is to sell what their company offers to anyone who will buy it. And finally, there is the subject matter expert. In this role is the person who has enough expertise that the customer would be willing to pay to meet that person, if that's what it took to have a conversation with him or her. As you might guess, the customer will always want to deal with subject matter expert. That means you must offer this to them; if your competitors do and you don't, you will miss out. As you begin to evolve your sales roles, you should understand that subject matter experts have high credibility and high integrity, but they will not have skills with follow-through and the sales process. This is where you must pivot: have your subject matter experts supported by sales process and systems experts who will guide them through the sales steps. Going hand in hand with the subject matter expert trend is knowing and utilizing the buyers' new sales process. The sales cycle for the buyer is different than it is for the seller, and as the seller, you must know and understand this. To compare, here's how it works on the sales side: first there is the inquiry/initial contact, then a meeting occurs. During the meeting, the sales side determines if there is a good fit. If there is a good fit, a proposal is given to the potential client. From there, a negotiation may occur before an agreement is made and the work is begun. For your customer the sales process works differently; in between every step and interaction with your sales team, they are doing research on their own. They may have a meeting with you in person, but they may have been searching and gathering information about you for weeks or months before they reached out to you and met with you. After you meet, they may do additional searches and have questions about what the risks are if they implement what you offer, or they may research what the risks of purchasing from you are, and what kind of customer service you provide. I touch on several other business trends for 2017 today, including the use of crowdfunding and why it's better than focus groups when validating new business ideas, as well as why and how to segment your audience. I also cover why monthly recurring revenue is so much more beneficial to your bottom line, versus single-shot projects. Listen in for all of that and more on this episode of Grow My Revenue! For full show notes, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/2017-business-trends/

Is search engine optimization (SEO) simply an afterthought for your business, or is it something that is part of your marketing plan like your editorial calendar? It should be the former, but either way you'll learn a lot from today's show! On this episode, the one and only John Jantsch joins us to talk about why SEO is for growth and why it's not about likes, clicks, or shares any longer. We also explore his latest book, SEO for Growth, and how we can use SEO to become a part of our customers' journey as a trusted advisor before they're even looking for a solution. John is back for a second terrific interview, and you will definitely learn a lot about how useful SEO is for growing your business today on Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why he chose SEO for Growth as the title of his latest book. · What was Google's goal from day one of its existence? · How SEO has evolved beyond just clicks, shares, and likes. · Do links still matter to search engine rankings? · Why we put so much trust in Google's first page results. · And so much more! Episode Overview If for some reason you don't know John Jantsch, he's the best-selling author of multiple books including Duct Tape Marketing and Duct Tape Selling. His latest book, SEO for Growth, explains how to apply search engine optimization to your business for growth, and it is a must-read! The first topic we dive into is the misconceptions about and mistakes made around SEO. John explains that it's not about links, likes, or clicks anymore, but that's what most people think of when they think of SEO. Today, SEO is about growth: you should be building your company's web site with it in mind, along with your editorial calendars and all the other pieces of your marketing plan. It is that important to your overall business. The strategy to utilizing SEO has changed over the years. Initially, if you wanted to sell something, like alloy wheels, you could stuff a bunch of words on your web site about wheels, and you'd probably get to the top of the rankings. Google has weeded out all of that now. Today they know what your web pages are about, whether or not links are coming from relevant places, and they can figure out if a site is more authoritative than another site. Google has always been about getting the best results for the search terms used, and as a result, SEO today is really about optimizing content that is focused on a specific ideal client. With that in mind, John explains what to do if you want to properly utilize SEO for growth. For starters, you have to now design your web site with SEO in mind. That comes from having a strategic approach and asking questions like: What is the home page going to be about? What are the main navigation pages going to be about? You also need to know certain information to find and attract the ideal client to your web site. You need to know what the terms are that they use in their searches, and which terms they use most frequently. What questions are they asking before they have any idea what solutions are available? And what are the pain points they are going to the internet with? Also on this episode of Grow My Revenue, John explains why most people actually don't care how their problems get solved, only that they get solved! Additionally, he shares how to become a part of their journey as they are wrestling with a problem (before even seeking a solution), and why this is such a strong approach to gaining a client. Listen in for all of that and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue, and then let me know what you're doing differently with your web site after you read his book SEO for Growth. I look forward to seeing how you've implemented John's ideas. For full show notes, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/john-jantsch-seo/

Ian Altman, growth strategist and host of the weekly podcast show Grow My Revenue Business Cast, believes in the importance of building a community as the aim of any major corporate event. A seasoned keynote speaker, Ian reflects on what makes the difference between an event that booms or busts. Topics include: The biggest mistake organizations make when planning events […]

When you think of public relations (PR), what comes to mind? Swanky parties of schmoozing and martinis? Or someone who makes phone calls to their friends to land big publicity for a business? Neither of these are what PR and integrated communications are about at their core. Today our guest is Gini Dietrich, the author of international best-seller Spin Sucks, and the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated communications firm. She's also head of Spin Sucks Pro, and hosts the show Inside PR. I brought her on because she is a bona fide expert on all things marketing communications; she knows more about it then most people on the planet! Today she's giving us the truth about PR, communications and what both will and won't do for a business. Listen in to hear all of that and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · Why do most people think PR is about lying? · When should you include PR in your marketing? · What are the four components of an integrated communications model? · What's the best way to show how great you are? · What role does storytelling play a role in integrated communications? · And so much more! Episode Overview Gini is a wealth of communications information, and today she explains the biggest mistakes people make regarding PR and communication, when you should or shouldn't start a PR strategy, why integrated communications is different than communications, and the steps you should take to properly implement this type of integrated communications in your business. She said one of the biggest misconceptions about PR and communications that people hold to today is that PR people lie for a living! It's a myth perpetuated by stereotypes we all see in the media, from Samantha Jones on Sex and The City to movies about "spin doctors" in politics. And one of the biggest mistakes she sees is that people believe – and they must be learning this somewhere – is that PR solves all their problems. For some reason many business owners believe that if they could just be featured on the cover of The New York Times, all their problems would be solved! They think a feature like that will help them sell out of their products, and their businesses will flourish. When I asked her what makes communications integrated versus simply communications, she explained the four components of an integrated model. There is paid media (which is email marketing, social media advertising) and earned media (an example is being quoted in articles). The last two pieces are shared media (social media shares) and owned media. Owned media is the center of everything because without that, you don't have anything to email people or for people to share. When working with a communications firm, you want them to include all four components, and they must also have a way to measure sales as a result of those four components. Measurement is key, and must answer questions such as: is this driving qualified leads to your site? And: what are they doing once they get there? Before beginning to work with a firm like Gini's, there are certain indicators that show you have a need for an integrated communications strategy. With all of these you must be innovative, interesting, and offer a unique perspective; otherwise nobody cares, Gini says! Nobody wants to hear you talk about how great you are – but they will listen to your employees or customers share stories about how great you were for them. For full show notes, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/gini-dietrich/ On this episode of Grow My Revenue, you'll also hear Gini share the one piece of advice she'd give everyone, and why she gave up on becoming a prima ballerina. Tune in and get ready to enjoy this edition of Grow My Revenue with Gini Dietrich and I!

Have you ever noticed how marketing messages often pay no attention to what is on the mind of the customer they are trying to reach? Rather than find out what their audience is concerned with, most marketers prefer to expound on what's so great about their company, and why people should use their product or service. Doing so is one of the ways marketers have ruined communication today. On this episode, I'll be sharing some real-life examples of bad marketing, and why you must know what your customer is thinking about before you begin the marketing conversation. I'll also explain how to get the answers you need by asking the right questions. Today's edition of Grow My Revenue is entertaining and informative! Listen to this episode and discover: · What are brain pickers, and why are they on the rise? · Why trying to appeal to everyone makes you appeal to no one. · What is breakage, and what does it have to do with marketing? · What is one of the things people most misuse in marketing automation? · What you must do to be on people's minds. · And so much more… Episode Overview I kick off the show by reading an email I recently received, and explaining why it doesn't work as a marketing tool (which will be apparent when you hear it!). I wanted to give you a real-life example because they are so prevalent today; I keep a file specifically for bad marketing and I add to it daily! I also discuss why honesty really is the best policy when talking with your clients, rather than the "guarantees" so many companies make today. True marketing experts will tell you the truth about what they offer. The example I use on this episode is the promise of a viral video from a company. A good marketer will be straight with you, and will tell you certain things must happen for a video to have a chance of going viral. They'll tell you that you must tap into the right angst or need in the market, and the video must be executed in a way that is fun and entertaining – then it might go viral. They'll be sure you understand it takes a combination of things for the possibility of a viral video; there are no guarantees. To avoid falling into the bad marketing trap, we have to remember how we ourselves behave as consumers. When we hear something that sounds too good to be true, we assume that it is. Why would we try to make the same "too good to be true" promises to others in our own marketing pitches? It works in our favor to tell the truth, and to share the results we've gotten for our clients, but also explain that we cannot guarantee that same outcome. Saying so builds trust. Another key way to build trust is to find out what our people consider valuable: asking the right questions. There are three types of questions to ask: worldview, industry view, and how relevant you are to your customer's business. Understanding what your customer's world looks like means asking questions, such as: "At your next board meeting, what are the three things you have to update them on? What are the three big initiatives that are going on, and what are you going to tell them? What would you be fired for not doing at your job? Second, to understand their industry view, ask them to give an example of the worst experience they've had with a vendor in your space, even if it is with you. Ask them what they think of your industry and be willing to hear the answer because they will give you one! Third, you can find out how relevant you are by asking them to share what would happen if you would go out of business, how would they be impacted? Would they even notice? You can also ask for them to share their perspective on your sweet spot and what you do better than anyone else. And find out what would make them a customer for life by asking them that exact question. On today's show, you'll hear all of that and more. It's a fun and information-packed show designed to help you grow your revenue and your business right away.

If you've ever wondered how to streamline and integrate your physical marketing and your digital marketing, or how to best utilize the social media platforms available, you'll want to give today's show your full attention. On this episode, Shama Hyder joins us to talk about the current and ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. She is the founder and CEO of the award-winning agency The Marketing Zen Group and has been named one of the "Top 30 Under 30" entrepreneurs by Inc. Magazine in 2014, and was one of Forbes' "Top 30 Under 30" the following year. She is also the best-selling author of several books including her latest, Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in The Digital Age. She is a wealth of social media and digital marketing information, and she shares it generously today! Listen to this episode and discover: · Do you need to be on every social media platform? · How do your goals influence your digital marketing? · The story behind her book Momentum, and why she waited to write it. · Why you should not have sacred cows. · What is the primary reason people use social media? · And so much more! Episode Overview One of the first questions I asked Shama was: how frequently should we be posting on social media? She said it depends on your goals and your channels. You must know what you hope to accomplish with your digital marketing and you must also know your audience. But the bottom line is that consistent, quality content is vital. You also need to know what your audience expects from you as a brand, and where they hang out. You need to be where they are, and you need to be communicating with them through those channels. On this episode, Shama also gives us three of the key principles she teaches in her latest book, Momentum: agility through analytics, customer focus and integration. When it comes to agility through analytics, her advice is simple: don't have sacred cows. Don't have things you are tied to unless you have data to back up that tie. She recommends you not be subjective, but instead look at the data available to you, and make decisions based on that. You'll make smarter decisions if you do so. Which leads into the second topic of customer focus: customer focus today is not about the customer always being right or putting the customer first. Instead, it is about how you build your brand. And rather than the old way of branding by defining what the company stands for and what the brand values are, today it is about what you provide for your customers. Branding today means knowing the answer to a questions like: what does doing business with us allow our customers to say about their personal brand? When you understand what problems you solve for your customers, rather than what services you offer, then you have defined your personal brand in today's market. The third key Shama gives us today is integration: the combination of digital and physical. When customers engage with a brand they don't separate the digital from physical interactions, but companies still do. Companies will create a separate physical engagement approach, versus a digital approach. She says when customers engage with companies they want a seamless experience, regardless of whether it happens digitally or physically. That is why integration is key. Integration needs to combine the physical and digital more seamlessly, and create the same messaging and the same experience across both planes, while focusing more on the customer's journey. On this episode, Shama also shares the biggest mistakes she sees people making in the digital world today, and the greatest lesson she's learned that can help you. Get ready for all of this, and so much more, on this edition of Grow My Revenue! For full show notes, visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/shama-hyder/

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/

By nature, if you're like most people, you can't wait to hear a yes. But our guest on today's episode is an expert on why going for no is equally important in the business world. Andrea Waltz is the best-selling co-author of Go For No and she's a notable international speaker on the subject. Today we'll talk about why no is not a bad word, the biggest misconceptions she sees among sales people and how to strike a balance between going for no and being pushy. We will also dive into quantity versus quality, and how you must marry both to be effective in your sales conversations, and we wrap up with one suggestion she has for you to implement the go for no strategy right now. Andrea is a treasure trove of information, and she's also a lot of fun! Listen in for yourself on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · How to get permission to follow up after a no. · What is one of the hottest topics in selling, according to Andrea? · How to marry quantity and quality when making sales presentations. · Is it good to get a quick no? · Why setting "no goals" helps people get into action. · And so much more! Episode Overview Andrea Waltz is known around the world as an expert on the topic of no. She's trained and spoken with audiences in every corner of the globe on how to go for no, and why it's important to having successful sales conversations. But something not everyone knows about her is that she holds a degree in Criminal Justice. She wanted to be a crime scene investigator, way before CSI, NCIS, or any of those other crime scene shows became popular! We joke about that before diving into the biggest misconceptions she sees people have in the sales world today. She sees a lot of anxiety about picking up the phone, making calls, etc. But that's something she primarily sees with entrepreneurs, that fear of the sales call. With sales people, the biggest issue she sees is making assumptions about outcomes, and about the actions they are taking. Part of the go for no message is taking risks and not making classic assumptions like, "We're not big enough for that client so I won't even contact them." Or, "We haven't done enough to work with a client like them." Andrea encourages you to follow the go for no philosophy by getting clear on the clients you could go after versus the clients you think you deserve to be going after. She also encourages you to not just call the low-hanging fruit that will definitely say yes. Stop playing it safe and go for the big client. Wherever you are in the corporate sales ladder, don't let that stop you from calling on a CEO or the head of sales at your potential client – go for the big no. And you can do so easier with this two-prong approach. First, reframe how you perceive failure and success in your sales conversations. If you are seeing the word no as a failure, change that perspective and begin to see it as a jumping off point. Andrea explains how to do so during our conversation. Second, create a no awareness. If you are not hearing no ever, then you are just taking orders and getting the low-hanging fruit. You can be more than that! Going for no is about going out and trying to hear a no. Make it a goal for yourself, whether it is one a day or 10 a week, and then see what happens as you go after that goal. And when you are going for the no, she has advice on how to do so without being a pushy sales person. Listen in to today's show to hear what it is along with her strategy to combine quality and quantity in your sales conversations. You won't want to miss a bit of this episode, tune in now to catch it all!

When was the last time you received a request for a discount from a client or potential client? And how did you respond? On this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue, I'll be addressing this very topic. During my recent keynotes and workshop presentations, the audiences asked various questions about pricing pressure and discounts. Specifically, they wanted to know when it was okay to give a discount and how to respond appropriately when someone was asking for one. Today we'll be covering all of that plus how to carve out a niche and make yourself stand out as a service rather than a commodity. Listen in for some educational and applicable advice you can start using in your business right now! Listen to this episode and discover: · How to stop being an order taker, and start to be a salesperson. · What can you do when someone applies pricing pressure? · How do you measure impact for your clients? · The question to ask when someone says your pricing is too high. · Why education is key to setting your fees. · And so much more… Episode Overview Recently I was speaking in Newcastle, England when an audience member asked about giving a 2.5% discount to a current client. They wanted to know if I thought it was better to do the deal at 97.5%, rather than have no deal at all. Naturally, I told them it was better to get the 97.5% deal than no deal at all, but I also pointed out that they were assuming the client wouldn't buy from them without that discount, and that assumption simply is not the truth. I followed up by asking what their business margin is. They told me it runs at 15% net, which means for every $1,000 they bring in, they typically net about $150. Then I asked them how much of that 2.5% discount would be from their profits. The answer is ALL of it! I pointed out to them that when they discount their cost they aren't discounting their top line, their costs stay the same. And the same is true for you. During today's episode of Grow My Revenue, I continue by explaining how to have a discussion with your client (or potential client) when they are asking for a discount and/or applying pricing pressure. I also explain the importance of educating the marketplace on your value as more than just a commodity, a tactic that helps support you in receiving your set fees. You can educate the market and your clients/potential clients much the way the beef industry has educated consumers. If you are looking to buy beef, the cattle and beef market has helped us understand some cuts are more desirable than others. As a result, we are now accustomed to paying more for the desirable cuts; we understand those cuts are worth more and so we must pay more for them. Recently, my wife convinced our family we were going to buy all grass-fed, dry-aged beef. Now we've grown accustomed to paying more for it. Why? Because she educated us, and the people who feed their cattle only grass have educated her (their consumer). Those cattle farmers have done research on why it's important to do so and they have shared that with their customers. So they have informed their customers on why the higher cost is worth it regarding grass-fed beef. Those ranchers have created a lot of content that have made us willing to pay more for grass-fed beef. But at the end of the day, it's still beef! Consider the lesson here: what is your grass-fed equivalent in your space? How you can educate your consumers about why it's worth it to pay more for that grass-fed equivalent? Doing so is how you carve out a niche, and start selling based on value rather than price. On today's show I'll also explain how to have that conversation, what to say when someone says your price is too high, and much more! It's all here on this episode of Grow My Revenue.

If you work within a corporation or any other organization, do you still have a personal brand? Our guest for today's episode says yes, you do. Ryan Rhoten is a speaker, podcaster, and personal brand master. He works with business professionals on creating their personal brand strategies and then elevating them. On today's show, he joins us to explain his four-step process to personal branding, why it's relevant to everyone (even if you work for someone else), and the biggest mistakes he sees people making regarding personal branding. Ryan brings the goods on these topics and more on this instructive and highly relevant episode of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · Why does your personal brand matter, even if you work for someone else? · What is the single biggest mistake people make when establishing a personal brand? · Can we control our personal brand? · Why people may not like your personal brand, and why that's okay. · What is the right way to utilize social media to grow your personal brand? · And so much more! Episode Overview When I asked Ryan the biggest mistake he sees people making about personal branding, he said it's people not realizing they have a brand even if they work within a company. His work largely consists of helping people understand they do have a brand, and that it's compromised of two pieces.The first piece is who you are. This includes things like your core strengths, what you like and gravitate towards, and the persona you give off when you walk down a hallway. The second piece of personal branding is you being intentional about who you are, and how you add value to the world. People need to realize they have a brand and that others see that brand. All of us should realize our brands build trust and rapport with others; if others like our particular brand, then they will want to do business with us and the companies we work for. To create our personal brands, Ryan outlines his four-step process. He calls it DICE, which stands for: Define or Discover, Integrate, Create (Content), and Engage. In the "Define" or "Discover" stage, you learn to know and understand yourself better. You get clear on the type of work you like to do, and don't like to do, etc. Knowing yourself, having self-awareness, and asking for feedback from trusted advisors helps in this initial stage. You must understand how you are perceived in business and outside of it before moving to the other three stages of DICE. Next up is the "Integrate" stage. This is where you develop an intentional strategy to put yourself out there online. You make sure you can be found in online searches and that those search results will give the persona you want, and people will see what you are known for. The third step is to "Create" content. This can be anything, from audio to video, to blogs and online publications. Where you start depends on your comfort level, but the key here is that you are starting to put your thought process online. To establish your personal brand, you want to be known for something and you must establish your presence online for that to happen. Last, but definitely not least, is "Engage." This is where you start to build trust. You interact with people who have liked your content, and starting to follow you. This is what Seth Godin called your "tribe." You can engage with your audience in a number of ways: from phone calls, to liking their social media, commenting on their content, speaking at events, and emailing your list. Ryan also explains what we have control over regarding our personal brand (and what we don't), and he gives a personal example to illustrate what your personal brand is. We wrap up this episode of Grow My Revenue with Ryan sharing his personal mistakes and his most crucial advice – neither of which you'll want to miss! For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ryan-rhoten/

Being able to lead a team of people with a variety of skills is an invaluable ability, and a tool to help with that process is StrengthsFinder. Today I've brought on the expert on this topic, our two-time guest, Lisa Cummings. If you've been listening for a while, you heard her first episode; it's one of our most popular! And today's discussion is equally as good. We're touching on topics like the misconceptions around StrengthsFinder, how to adapt your communication style based on someone's assessment results, and what to do if there is a disconnect between a team member's strengths and their position. On today's show, Lisa really brings the goods on those topics, and a few more! So get ready for an informative, and insightful edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · What strengths are common in sales teams? · In the companies that use StrengthsFinder best, what does Lisa most often see? · What percentage of Americans were recognized for good work in 2015, according to Gallup? · What is the bamboozle sandwich? · What are yuks and yays, and how can you use them to improve your team? · And so much more! Episode Overview The first thing Lisa and I talk about is the misconceptions she hears most frequently about StrengthsFinder, and she gave me two. The first is that this evaluation tool is just Pollyanna. She hears people say things like: "…you must think everyone should just ignore their weaknesses. You must be a fool if you believe people should only focus on what they are good at." The second most common misconception is people think there are specific strengths that are good and bad. For example, if competition isn't one of someone's top strengths, then they aren't a good sales person. Neither of these are true, of course. In the case of the second misconception, Lisa points out that StrengthsFinder doesn't tell you what job you have or are good at. Instead, it tells you how you do the job you have. It shows you what comes naturally to you and how you can use those natural talents abilities to your benefit. We also talked about how to adapt your communication based on someone's strengths, once you've all done the StrengthsFinder evaluation. She gives me as an example, after I gave her permission to share my results. Because I have command and activator as strengths, Lisa said she would imagine I'd want to hear the short answer quickly and now. Even if she didn't know me personally, she would know to keep things short, simple and concise based on my strengths. But if she was talking with someone who had high empathy and high relater, she would speak differently. Someone with those strengths values one on one conversation. One additional topic we cover is the two ways to help someone move from an individual contributor to a management role. Too often someone is an amazing individual performer and gets moved into a management role, only to falter and fall flat in that position. Lisa suggests explaining two key areas to the person about to take on a management position: talent development and business outcomes. The latter, business outcomes, is fairly straightforward and includes things like business goals, aligning with corporate strategy, etc. But talent development is tougher for new managers to understand. She breaks it down into three key categories: acquisition of new employees, retention of existing employees, and career development. StrengthsFinder is an umbrella over all of those. Using the assessment tool and its findings will help any manager (existing or new) to lead based on people's strengths which in turn will drive engagement of staff. Also on this episode of Grow My Revenue, Lisa explains what to do if someone's strengths aren't aligned with their job title, and why regular communication about someone's performance at work is so critical to on-going success. Listen in for all of that and so much more on today's show with the brilliant and talented Lisa Cummings!

Comedy and business share a lot more parallels than you might think, at first glance. For example, the process that a comedian uses to evoke laughter is the same process you can use to engage someone's interest. Here to explain what that process is, as well as other surprising connections between comedy and business, is Ron Tite. Ron is the CEO of The Tite Group, a successful agency in Toronto. He's also a stand-up comedian who has trained with Toronto's Second City. He's also the author of Everyone Is An Artist (or At Least They Should Be). On today's show, Ron shares why we don't have to be funny to be effective (and why being effective is most important), how to know if you should use comedy when talking to clients and your team, as well as three traits artists have we can all use in our business practices. Ron is equally entertaining as he is informative so buckle up and listen in to this episode of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · The power and impact of insights, in business and in comedy. · Should you use comedy when speaking to your clients? · One great lesson you can learn from my time as an umpire! · Why we all have the basic ability to be artists. · People used to vote with their wallets, what do they vote with today? · And so much more! Episode Overview Ron Tite has always loved the pressure of stand up comedy: there are no excuses at the end of your performance, either they laughed or they didn't and that is it. You either did your job and they laughed, or you failed. Not everyone would thrive under that kind of pressure, but Ron did. And he used the lessons he learned in the comedic world to become successful in the business world. The first lesson we just touched on – no excuses – also ties into the ancillary lesson that being funny is about being effective. Being funny is about capturing someone's attention, you can take them anywhere after that. And you capture their attention by having an insight, and it is the same whether you are making them laugh, cry or simply think really hard about something. You start with an insight that is surprising and intriguing, and now they are thinking differently about the subject at hand. You have their attention. Remember, you don't have to be funny to do this. In fact, if funny isn't in your nature or isn't something people associate with your company and your brand, don't try to be funny. You'll come across as trying too hard and people will smell that a mile away, according to Ron. But, you can share a story or a message that is in line with your brand as a way to share an insight you have had. Doing so will capture their attention just as well as being funny will, it's all about the insight. On this episode of Grow My Revenue, we also discuss three traits artists have that all business people should adopt. The first is doing things simply to do them. Artists have an idea and they create it, they bring it into the world. They don't create a business plan and pitch the idea to VCs first, they create and explore and see what merit their ideas hold. The second thing artists do well is they deal with the naysayers and the hecklers. Most of us have no coping mechanism for these experiences, we put up walls and shelter ourselves when someone heckles us. Artists don't let these naysayers get the best of them, they have a way of dealing with them. Also on this episode of Grow My Revenue, Ron shares more about his book and why there really are no rules in today's business world. Tune into today's Grow My Revenue to hear that and more from comedian and successful businessman Ron Tite! For full show notes, visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ron-tite/

If you've ever been on the receiving end of a typical follow-up sales call, you know how ineffective they are, but is your sales team guilty of making these types of calls? Whether they are or not, there is a much more effective way to follow up. On this solo show, I will be talking about the importance of using valuable content as part of your follow-up system, why smart companies are now combining their marketing and sales departments, and how you can do the same. This is an information-packed episode of Grow My Revenue, get ready to take some notes and start implementing today! Listen to this episode and discover: • What are the two worst ways most people follow up? • Why you don't create content for the sole purpose of marketing. • What steps are included in the most effective sales process? • Why it's critical to be candid on your web site. • Should you create a sense of urgency in your follow-ups? • And so much more… Episode Overview Recently I attended Content Marketing World 2016, where I presented a workshop with Marcus Sheridan. I learned a ton about the importance of content, and was inspired to share what I learned with you on this episode. Here is how I recommend following up with a potential client: first, understand the idea of content marketing. Content marketing isn't a license to create content for the purpose of marketing, it means your content should be answering the critical and often controversial questions your clients are asking. Don't be afraid to put this type of content on your web site and to share it with your audience, and potential clients, even if it seems controversial. On my web site, I have a page that describes who my work is not for, who my services would not suit, and I also have my pricing listed. A lot of people would not list who they won't work with nor would they put their pricing on their web sites. They are afraid doing so will scare off new customers. Here's the truth: if they can't pay your prices and don't fit your criteria, you don't want to work with them! It's also a good idea to list the problems you solve. These are the areas that your potential customers will want to know about, these are the questions they will be asking themselves during the selection process. So if you address their concerns through your content, they'll start to see you as a solutions provider who has what they need. You can provide this content as articles, podcasts, videos, etc. The way you will know what concerns your potential customers have is by connecting your marketing and sales teams. Rather than keeping them separate in their own silos, have these two groups work hand in hand. Have a marketing person (at least one, preferably more) at every sales meeting. And have people from marketing participate in clients' discussions. Doing so will help everyone identify key issues, engage in spirited discussions about what is needed. When the two groups are doing that, then the sales staff can share what big questions are coming up from potential clients, and give marketing the answers. At that point, the marketing team can start creating content based on those questions and answers. Next the sales side of the company is telling the marketing side what they need, and marketing is creating content for them. That is when the magic happens, because your organization is now talking to your potential customers about what they need, not what you do. During today's episode of Grow My Revenue, I also share how to properly follow up using content you've created for your clients, and what your potential customers' sales process is really like and how you can fit into it. Listen in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue.

Have you ever wondered how Starbucks created and sustained their culture throughout their skyrocketing growth? Our guest for today's show is the man who knows, Mr. Howard Behar. Howard is the former President of both Starbucks North America and Starbucks International. He was at the helm when they went from 28 stores to 15,000! On today's show, Howard share lessons he has learned about why culture matters in every organization, what employees really care about and want to see from their leaders, and much more! This is an absolutely riveting conversation about the necessity of a healthy company culture. Listen to this episode and discover: · What is a company's culture reflective of? · Why you must be intentional about the culture you create and live by. · Why it's all P2P, and what that means. · What doesn't work in terms of an employee reward structure? · What happens when an organization says one thing, and does another. · And so much more! Episode Overview All companies and organizations today know culture is important. But if everyone knows this is true, why isn't every work environment thriving? Clearly, mistakes and misconceptions are still out there about what it takes to not only have a culture, but implement and sustain it. When I asked Howard what some of those mistakes and misconceptions are, he said one of the most common is companies hiring a consultant to "give" the company a culture. Consultants are there to help along the journey but they can't give culture. Culture exists in every organization, whether or not it is defined. Culture is living within every company, it just may be unintentional. The other misconception he touches on is the culture of conflict. This happens when a company says one thing, and does another. They say they uphold certain values and principles, but the behavior of the organization's leaders say they do not. If the leadership doesn't live the principles of the organization, neither does the rest of the organization. The opposite is obviously true as well: when the leadership lives up to its promises, so does everyone else. Leadership sets the standard for the rest of the team. This also applies to the rewards and compensation structures of any company. Howard shares the green apron book from Starbucks as a rewards example. It is a book that outlines the values and how those values come to life within the company. Based on that book, little cards were created and distributed to everyone. The cards had all of the values from the green apron book and they had blank lines on which a person could write something specific. People were encouraged to catch their fellow employees doing something that exemplified the values on those cards, to write a note on the blank lines about the person's actions and then give that card to the person as a token of appreciation. These cards were given out to anyone by anyone within the company, as long as it was for a specific reason. Those reasons could be anything from treating a customer like a friend to giving back to the community they work in to helping a struggling co-worker on a project. Howard says people would receive these cards and put them up around their offices and cubicles. You'd often see 10-15 cards spread out around the person's work space, and it was a reminder of the good things people were doing and the good that Starbucks represented in the employees' lives and the customers' lives. On this episode, Howard shares another personal story about building a team from scratch and how he knew the right person for the right role. He also gives one piece of advice for fostering a positive culture in your organization. You'll hear that and more on today's Grow My Revenue!

You've been told the majority of communication is non-verbal and to read someone's body language for the full picture. But have you ever tried to read someone's physicality, only to get it terribly wrong? Our guest for today's show will explain why, and how to make sure that doesn't happen again. Joining us is world-renowned body language expert, Mark Bowden. Mark is the founder of TRUTHPLANE®, where he and his team work with CEOs, politicians and other notable leaders. He's also written three books on body language, and was voted the #1 expert in the world on that topic! Today he'll share some of the major misconceptions about body language, as well as how to establish trust and how not to. This is another episode you'll learn a ton from so tune in and get ready! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why sales scripts don't work. · The importance of staying curious and why it wins trust. · Why our brain isn't a knowledge system, and instead, what it is. · What part of the body is the "truth plane"? · How to look at a broader context than just someone's body language. · And so much more! Episode Overview As one of the leading body language experts to ever grace his field, Mark Bowden has experienced a lot of misconceptions about the subject when working with his clients and speaking to the public. The biggest one he sees is people trying to read others' body language based on the books, videos and other data out there. He says you have a 50/50 shot at interpreting their body communication correctly, at best. Take, for example, someone standing with their arms crossed. Most advice you read would tell you this means the person is unapproachable, cut off and uncomfortable. But it truly can vary depending on the situation, so examine the context. Mark says crossed arms could mean anything from the person is cold to they are tired, but trying to stay engaged in the conversation. Arms crossed can mean engagement under pressure of any other variety as well. You have to examine the context as well as the role you are playing with that context. Get curious, ask questions and look at other cues. We also dissect the topic of trust and how body language plays a role in whether or not your prospect (or anyone else) trusts you. As you know, without trust sales aren't made. And without credibility, trust doesn't happen. To be credible with someone, Mark explains, means they trust you and believe what you tell them. Your prospects know you are credible based on your body language. Our reptilian brain, the part responsible for our survival, sizes up others almost immediately upon sight. It's about the space the other person takes up, how they speak, and the behavior before words are even spoken. A relevant example of this is the topic of disarming, something discussed often on this show. You and your sales team want to mimic the behaviors of someone buying - NOT someone selling. Your prospects will copy that behavior. But, if you act like a seller they will be turned off and try to push away. The physical example of this is what you do with your hands. If you raise them at your chest or above, and become animated, you'll come across as a pushy sales person. Your prospect will most likely be turned off. But if you lower your hand to your belly, and start using open palm gestures, you will come across as calm, assertive, credible and the leader in charge. Your prospects will look to you for your counsel, they will want to follow you and your suggestions. You can build on this by becoming curious, ask the question of whether this will work for them or not. They will ask the same questions. That's just a sampling of the insightful wisdom Mark brings to this episode of Grow My Revenue. Tune in to hear all of that and more - including the most surprising thing he's discovered about prime ministers, Fortune 500 CEOs and the other experts he works with!

If you use a CRM to measure your sales team's performance, you may be missing out on the whole picture. To know if you are getting an accurate view of what's working and what's not working for your sales reps, you should be looking at certain key performance indicators (KPIs). On today's show, Eric Esfahanian of Gryphon Networks joins us to talk about those KPIs, why CRMs are often the bane of sales departments and the biggest mistakes most sales managers overlook regarding sales performance. Because sales are so critical to the success of your business this is a can't-miss episode! Listen to this episode and discover: · When a CRM works and when it doesn't. · What should all managers be measuring from? · Why it all comes down to qualifying leads. · What is your most important job as the head of sales? · Why the #1 thing Eric teaches his reps is not closing. · And so much more! Episode Overview When I asked Eric what are the biggest hurdles he sees sales managers and executives struggle with regarding sales, he had a simple answer. He sees too many organizations focusing too heavily on volume. They spend too much time looking at the number of calls made and/or appointments held, versus what is actually happening during those calls and meetings. He believes there is much more opportunity when you look at other lesser known performance indicators. When you look at these they will tell you how effective a rep is. He recommends measuring other KPIs like how frequently does the rep reach out to the prospect? How long are their conversations or how short are they? By focusing on the conversational aspect of the communication you can get a clearer picture of what is working and what is not. This is where CRMs can actually hurt a business. Unless you make sure the metrics the CRM is recording are very comprehensive, you shouldn't be basing decisions off of it. Reps are inputting information by hand, and being optimistic in many cases. Then managers are rolling that optimistic information forward, and some companies are basing budgets off of those projections. And they are doing so without looking into how valid and accurate the information in the CRM actually is! Instead, Eric suggests sales people should not be writing up reports. They don't want to be data clerks, they want to be making sales! So your CRM should be able to capture the phone calls they are making without the rep having to do it. The CRM should be automatically gathering data like how many calls are being made, how many conversations are had and what happens in those conversations. With that information you can coach the reps how to handle objections, how to deal with customers, etc. You can identify what to improve in their performance, and what to showcase that is going well. A good CRM will also help you track patterns to gather quantitative data, this is how you find out what the most successful reps are doing and you can see what is working. For instance, you may find your best reps make 10-20 calls between 4pm and 6pm, 5 days a week. Now you know you should schedule all your reps to be making calls at that time every night. Also on this episode, Eric explains why recruiting, hiring and training are critical areas to getting the best out of your sales staff. We wrap up today's episode with an example of how to create peer to peer relationships between your sales reps and your prospects, and how doing so creates win-win solutions for everyone. Listen in for all of that and more on this insightful edition of of Grow My Revenue. Webinar Date/Time: October 12 at 1pm Eastern US Please visit www.IanAltman.com/podcast/eric-esfahanian for more information on this Webinar, including how to register.

Have you ever been talking to a potential client only for them to say they don't have any problems you can solve? On today's special solo show, I'll be sharing a specific example of how one listener can address this in his business. You'll hear how to apply it to your industry as well. Also on this episode of Grow My Revenue, I'll guide you through the conversation steps you can take to talk with a potential client who has an existing vendor. I'll explain what to say to open the conversation, let their guard down and tell you just how well that existing partnership is going. This is a show you don't want to miss so sit back and tune in to today's Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: • How to talk to a potential client, even if they think they have no need for your services. • What are the symptoms that your product or service treats? • How to effectively discuss their current provider with a potential client. • Why you should have good third-party stories to share. • And so much more… Episode Overview Recently I received an email from a listener in New York. He said he's in the photo booth business and his issue is his clients say they don't have a problem he can address. They don't have a photo booth problem, so how can he talk to them? And he's absolutely right: his client don't have a photo booth problem, no on has a photo booth problem. Instead he should be looking for what are the symptoms that his photo booth treats? You should look for what symptoms your product or service treats as well. For this particular business, his clients want to have a great event but they also want people to remember the experience. They want those memories to go beyond just what they ate, or drank, or danced to, etc. Without the listener's photo booth, there's no way for them to remember the experience. The photo booth gives them a lasting impression they can hold on to. To go a step further there are additional symptoms the photo booth treats. Some of the symptoms are it appeals to all ages from young to old, it is a good and wholesome experience that everyone can participate in. It creates memories that can be shared for weeks, months and years ahead. Whether or not you're in the photo booth industry, this same strategy applies to you. The key to communicating your business starts with thinking about symptoms you solve, rather than just what you offer as product or service. On this show, I dive into what a conversation with a potential client looks like when they have a vendor. It begins by disarming them and engaging them with a conversation about their current relationship, and doing so in a non-threatening way. From there, you steer them towards what is working in that partnership before asking what one or two things they would change if they could. I explain how to find out if the things they want to change are big issues, and what to do if they are and what to do if they are not. Each of these steps are critical to finding out what opportunity exists (if any). During today's episode of Grow My Revenue, I examine why effective selling is about getting to the truth of the matter as quickly as possible and how to make your potential client more receptive to talking with you about their problems. Listen in for all of that and more!

Being recognized as a thought leader is a critical component of being successful in your industry. But reaching that status doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen by accident. Here to share the intentional pieces needed to reach that goal is Elizabeth Marshall. She's known as the go-to expert on becoming an expert! She's worked with clients like Seth Godin, Michael Port and Carol Roth among many others. On today's show, Elizabeth spells out the most common mistakes she sees people make when trying to reach thought leader level, how to promote yourself with seeming to self-promote, and the three questions that when answered will help you define your stance and your audience. This is an episode you will surely want to take notes on so get ready and listen in! Listen to this episode and discover: • Why becoming a recognized leader is a mastery path. • Is your message ever "one and done"? • How your own unique combination of experience and knowledge will help you stand out. • What is the difference between curating and sharing content? • How to walk the line between self-promotion and serving your audience: • And so much more! Episode Overview It's not enough to call on companies and expect to get work with them simply because you want them as your client and what you offer is beneficial. Today it is about being seen and recognized as an expert in your field. Elizabeth has helped many people achieve that expert status and she says it boils down to developing your message and your audience, first. This is a mastery path and will never be complete; it will require your 10,000 hours and a commitment to evolve, grow and transform right along with your marketplace. If you're a keynote speaker it isn't enough to provide a great keynote speech from year to year. You must update it with new case studies, stories and insights that reflect the trends in your industry. You will always be developing and evolving your message, and adding to the conversation. That is true of keynote speakers and you if you want to stand out as the go-to authority in your niche. And there are three questions to ask yourself to help you define your message, why you are an expert, and why your audience would want to work with you. 1. Why now? The first question is why now? What is happening in the marketplace that has changed or shifted or transformed to make your message important today? Answer this and tie it into some uncertainty, complexity and pace of change then to make a case for why it's relevant now. 2. Why you? In addition to what is on your resume, including your credentials and work experience, is your personal life factors. The unique experiences that make you who you are are what also qualify you to speak about a particular topic or subject. Elizabeth points out that the experience side of life is really powerful and can create a deep emotional connection with your audience. 3. Why this concept? If you were writing a book you'd answer the question why this book? But the medium itself doesn't matter so much as why are you starting with this concept versus another one. It's important to answer this question so you know how it ties into your business model, as well as how it ties into your stage as a thought leader. Today she gives the great example of Michael Port and how he started with Book Yourself Solid before his Think Big Manifesto message. She explains why and how he did it so successfully. On this episode Elizabeth also explains the difference between self-promotion and sharing valuable content to serve your audience, plus her suggestions on establishing your expertise in your field. She shines valuable light on what to do and what not to do, tune into today's Grow My Revenue to hear it all.

Sometimes the difference between failure and success is whether or not the person has and uses certain tools and practices. Our guest for today has created an acronym of methods and resources to help along the bumpy road to fulfillment and achievement. Dr. Jay Greenstein has built six chiropractic practices with four divisions and is the leader in research and results-based chiropractic science. That success wasn't without failure and challenges, however. Today he joins us to talk about what he has overcome, how he has done it and why SWAGR has helped him through it all. Whether you've ever failed or simply failed to start something because the risk seemed too great, today's episode of Grow My Revenue with Dr. Jay Greenstein will be sure to help you overcome obstacles and challenges as you build and grow your business. Listen to this episode and discover: • Does six sigma apply outside of the manufacturing industry? • What's the difference between a sales person and a subject matter expert? • How can you create a growth mindset, literally? • Why your network is your net worth, but only if your network is authentic. • What role does passion play on the journey to success? • And so much more! Episode Overview Having faced the very real threat of bankruptcy twice in his career, Dr. Jay Greenstein developed a set of tools and practices to help him work his way out of any difficult situation and into a better one. SWAGR helps him to know he can always get to the other side of any challenge that comes up. The acronym grew out of two experiences in particular. In 2003, he had doubled the size of his office and expanded into second and third offices. Things were going great, even though he had no infrastructure built into the day to day activities of the practice. Not long after expansion, he decided to make his first acquisition and soon saw the necessity of policies and procedures! The acquisition made him money initially but when patients continued to come in but the money didn't, he was facing the possibility of declaring bankruptcy. But rather than fold, he looked at his situation and evaluated how he got there in the first place - and then what he could do to get out. While listening to Jack by Jack Welch, Dr. Jay learned about six sigma and the need for a concrete process based on 3 to 5 variables. Those variables provide a given result and remove as much room for error as possible. Dr. Jay understood that to apply to his practice: he needed a procedure based on 3-5 variables that would guarantee payment of patients' insurance claims, and keep the money coming in as well as the patients. To help remember and better implement the system, Dr. Jay created the acronym SWAGR. For a breakdown of each letter, visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/jay-greenstein/ On this episode Dr. Jay explains more about the important role relationships play in the health of our business and our overall happiness. He also shares what tools and practices go along with each of letter in SWAGR. Tune in for all of that and so much more on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

If you're like most entrepreneurs your goal is to build your business, and one day sell it for a handsome profit. Our guest on today's show has done just that, and he's here to talk about it! Matt Curry and his wife built Curry's Automotive into an auto repair shop empire before selling it for $16.5 million a few years ago. On today's edition of Grow My Revenue, Matt shares what it took to build that empire, what regrets he had after selling it and his one piece of advice if you want to sell your business for an eight-figure sum in the future. Listen to this episode and discover: * How long was Matt required to stick around after selling the business? * Who to talk to when you really want to know how your business is running. * What his Richmond shop taught him, and can teach you too. * How he and his spouse have successfully worked together for over 20 years. * Does he see his Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as an obstacle or a benefit? * And so much more! Episode Overview When Matt and his wife started their business he was 28 years old and had $103,000 worth of debt on 13 different cards. Their first shop was in a terrible industrial park.Their goal was to build 10 stores and have the best auto repair shop in the world. And that's exactly what they did! Over a period of 16 years they had 10 different locations which serviced 60,000 cars a year and turned $20 million in sales. They employed 152 people and their company was voted the best auto repair shop in North America by Motor Age Magazine and Inc. 5000 3 years in a row. On today's episode, Matt explains how they created their growth so successfully, as well as how his ADD is an asset and not an obstacle. The key to running and maintaining so many successful locations and generating ever-growing revenue was simple: policies and procedures for everything. Every aspect of the business was outlined, written out and followed by every single employee. From how a customer was greeted when they entered any of the 10 locations to the test drives done on every car, every aspect of the business had a policy and procedure in place that was followed by all employees. These rigorous policies allowed the business to run with or without Matt, which meant the business was scalable. On today's episode of Grow My Revenue, he shares more about his book and some of the success his coaching clients have had and why he's so passionate about helping others today. We dig into his perspective on his ADD diagnosis and how that has helped him as an entrepreneur, rather than hurt him. This is one powerful and insightful show you won't want to miss! Discover more at http://www.ianaltman.com/business-cast/

On this episode of Grow My Revenue, I share several personal experiences I've had recently around trust, how to listen (and how not to) and why honesty truly is the best policy. Listen in for all of that and more on today's show.

Are you using your current CRM for the best possible benefits to your business? Joining us to shed light on the world of CRMs is Zvi Band of Contactually, a CRM on the market today. Zvi is here to talk about the secrets of the CRM industry, the biggest mistakes people make when networking, and the false metrics so often used to measure performance. He gives the nitty-gritty details on all of and more on today's edition of Grow My Revenue.

If you've ever crafted a business plan you know how time consuming the process is. Have you presented your plan to someone for funding, only to discover they didn't read past the Executive Summary? That's what happened to our guest, Ebong Eka, He spent countless hours creating business plans in the late 90s while seeking funding for various ideas. And all of the VCs he presented to didn't read past the Executive Summary and only cared about four main areas. He outlines those areas on this episode and in his latest book called Start Me Up! The No Business Plan Business Plan. Today on this edition of Grow My Revenue, we'll talk about those four areas, the major mistakes businesses make when crafting business plans, as well as how to approach your pricing model. He also shares what his EKAnomics offerings are all about. You're going to learn a ton from Ebong Eka!

Today's episode with Tina Bean, the co-founder of VisiStat and KickFire. The origin of this conversation is a bit unusual: it started out as an interview for an article I was writing. As we talked I realized there was so much valuable information that I had to share it with you on the show. As you most likely know, VisiStat and KickFire are two valuable tools that provide in-depth information and predictive intelligence for companies around the world. Today we spoke about the different ways her companies see the world of predictive intelligence and which tools are most valuable for which companies. You'll learn so much from Tina on today's episode of Grow My Revenue!

When you think of networking what do you think of? Big events full of people who are really just there to get more leads for themselves? If you do, you're in good company. Most people dread networking events, mixers and the like. One man who is changing that is Derek Coburn, our guest for today's episode. He is the de facto expert on the topic of networking and how to build your own valuable network. He's also the best-selling author of Networking Is Not Working, and the founder of Cadre, the most respected networking group on the planet. On this show we'll talk about mistakes most people make when trying to build their network, how you can build valuable connections (without going to mixers) and how to create an amazing network for your clients that leads to more business for them and for you. When it comes to networking, Derek has seen it all and has the wisdom to prove it.You won't want to miss his actionable insights on this episode of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: - The two most common networking mistakes according to Derek. - Why handwritten notes to new contacts are a bad idea. - What are the differences of networking 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0? - Why Cadre is called an "un-networking group". - How to know when to be a good connector and when to be a good curator. - And so much more! Episode Overview When most of us think of networking we think of crowds of people stuffed into a ballroom or restaurant, all with the same intention: get more leads for their business. Some of these groups are better at bringing in people who actually care about other participants, but those are in the minority. Someone who has found a much better way of growing a network and creating lasting, valuable relationships is Derek Coburn. Derek's networking group in the Washington DC area, called Cadre, is a shining example of how networking can be used to foster partnerships, business relationships, expanded networks and even friendships. As someone who has had success in his chosen field, financial planning, Derek had been to many different networking events and groups. He had paid a lot of money for some, but even in those he didn't necessarily find that people were there for anything other than themselves. Discover More at http://www.ianaltman.com/business-cast/

Have you ever had a deal stall or fall through, but you weren't sure why? That's a frustrating yet very common experience for many C level executives. The good news is there are two simple questions that can eliminate most, if not all, of those scenarios. On today's solo show I'll be addressing what those two questions are. In my experience, these questions are not asked often enough but when they are they provide a pathway to dramatic growth in any business. On this episode of Grow My Revenue find out what the questions are, how to ask them and when to ask them. Listen to this episode and discover: What to say when price comes up in the conversation. How to seek the symptoms of why someone would switch, versus demographics. What to do if you know there are reasons people wouldn't do business with you. How my recent purchase of a Tesla relates to today's topic. And so much more… Episode Overview Recently I was talking to a client of mine about a deal that had stalled for them. They were trying to come up with a good strategy to pursue this account and wanted to review that strategy with me. I asked them a very simple question first: Why do you think the client would switch from what they are currently doing to you? We were on a conference call together and there was silence on the other end! And then the sales person in charge of this account gave a candid answer by saying he thought they would switch because of reasons X, X and X. He had good explanations for why they'd change. But from his response it was clear those were his thoughts on why they'd change, not actual reasons anyone had gathered from the client. So I told him we want to find out the client's actual reasons, and we want to know for sure why they'd change. The lesson there: if you don't know why your client would change from whatever they've been doing to you there's a good chance you aren't asking the right questions during the sales process. That is where you start: get a true understanding of why your clients would switch to you. And you do this as early as possible in the sales conversation. You also want to know why they wouldn't switch to you - the second key question to answer. For example one of my clients does amazing work and they are involved with a client who has huge project on the horizon. On this episode of Grow My Revenue I explain why it's important to address these topics early on, how to deal with the issue of price and why you shouldn't be the first person to bring up the topic of price. Also find out why it's important not make assumptions, but to find your client's answers on today's show.

Knowing when to talk to the right person, how to talk to them and why are all key components of securing a new client, and maintaining that relationship. Our guest for today has used predictive sales intelligence to gather all of those components for his business, and for his clients. As a result he took his $4 million design firm and transformed it into a $25 million advertising agency in two years - yes two! Dave Currie joins this edition of Grow My Revenue to talk about how predictive sales intelligence has helped him do that, how you can use it as well as the most common mistakes people make when pursuing sales opportunities. This is an episode worth your time and attention so listen, take notes and take action! Listen to this episode and discover: - How to know when it's the right deal at the right time, and why timing matters. - Proactive vs reactive business development: what are the differences? - What does Dave mean by "market of one"? - What is the easiest way to grow your business? - How often does his company update the prospects they are tracking? And so much more! Episode Overview Dave Currie's agency, The List, is now a privately-held company with 80 employees. With a headquarters in Atlanta and another office in New York, they serve both the United States and the United Kingdom. For those two markets they offer actionable sales intelligence, for anyone who sells to national advertisers or their agencies. Actionable sales intelligence is predictive sales intelligence that businesses utilize to know when to approach their key prospective clients, how to approach them, who to approach and why to approach them. The how and the why are often overlooked, but are necessary to ongoing organic growth. The List itself uses this approach and is a shining example of its efficacy. They've produced 25% growth year over year - and that is true organic growth, not from acquisitions. Dave explains this growth has been a result of a quest they began four years ago. They tapped into and fully utilized the power of building the right ecosystem to provide predictability and consistency in lead generation, which ultimately led to growth in sales. When they had fine-tuned that model within their own agency they took it to their clients. Today that's what they educate and provide in the marketplace. Dave explains the process in greater detail on this episode. He also explains why it's more important to get the right deals at the right time than to simply get more deals. According to Dave when conditions are right there are triggers in any industry that cause a change in need. If you can track what is happening in prospective customers' businesses you'll see indications that they are more ready to buy than the rest of the market. Finally we wrap up with a discussion on the greatest lesson he has learned in his time in business, and why the days of the "one to many" marketing and sales approach is long over. There's all of that and so much more on today's Grow My Revenue with Dave Currie. Discover more: http://www.GrowMyRevenue.com/business-cast/

If someone had spent thousands of hours in the start-up world, particularly in the world of raising capital, would you be interested in what they had discovered? Our guest for today, Mark Modica, is just such a person. Mark is here to talk about the fundraising patterns he has recognized, what the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs are making when seeking funding, and how to know which type of investor to seek out at which stage of your business. With Mark's catalogue of knowledge on investing and capital raising this is one episode of Grow My Revenue you won't want to miss! Listen to this episode and discover: Is all revenue created equally? How he got an evaluation of $80 million on less than $1 million in revenue. Do you have to have more customers to get a higher evaluation? Why raising too little capital is a common mistake. When should you sell a company? And so much more! Episode Overview The first misconception Mark lays to rest is the idea that all revenue is created equal, something I have said and continue to say to my clients. He explains that it's not so much the amount of revenue or growth as it is your customer base. For example when he was CEO of Pivot 3, a company in the surveillance market, they grew their revenue in casino market. They could have gone very deep into that market but decided to branch out into other markets so they would have a bigger customer base. They went after clients in industries like airports, transportation, etc. Instead of trying to grow their revenue faster, they grew wider at a slower pace knowing that winning in numerous markets would increase their evaluation. Some of the other myths Mark busts on today's show are allowing the market to dictate your company's worth, and allowing profitability to be the primary form of evaluation. Rather than allowing the market to dictate your evaluation you have to be able to tell a better story about your company and show the long-term value in what you are offering. Doing so will increase your value in your investors' eyes and allow you to ask and receive more money. When it comes to evaluations, profitability is the lowest form according to Mark. The bigger a company is the harder it is to show tremendous growth. He breaks it down like this: in the first stage of your company you are creating your brand. In the second stage you are growing your brand, and this leads to the fastest growth. In the third stage you're profitable because you are leveraging your brand. Discover more at http://www.ianaltman.com/business-cast/

Have you heard other business owners say they can't grow because of the economy? Often people will blame the current state of the economy for their lack of ability to expand, or even for their loss of business revenue. On today’s episode we'll hear from one woman who never had any economic downturn impact her revenue growth: Kristina Bouweiri of Reston Limousine is here to talk about how her company has become a juggernaut in her industry, how she's expanded their business even during several economic downturns and the importance of treating everyone like family, from employees to clients. Kristina has some undeniably valuable lessons to share, including how they became the #1 wine tour operator in Virginia in 2015. You're going to want to hear that and more on this episode of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: How do they market to their limousine clients and why is it applicable to you? Why have they offered Wi-Fi in their cars for 8 years? What is the one idea that grew her business by 27%? Why she has gotten rid of her daily tasks. Why has focusing on the community been so beneficial for her business? And so much more! Episode Overview Krisina Bouweiri's original plan after college didn't include anything remotely resembling the limo business! After earning a degree in international affairs from George Washington University, she planned to go into the foreign service. During her senior year she interned with a non-profit focused on helping to raise the status of women in Africa. When they offered her a job she accepted and spent a few years in that role. Eventually she decided to come back to the US where the only job she could find was a straight sales commission role. On one particular sales call she met her future husband, William Bouweiri. William is the founder of Reston Limousine. When Kristina first started with Reston they had 5 cars and 100% of their business was corporate. They didn't do weddings, wine tours, proms, etc. So the first market she expanded the into was weddings: She felt she could handle it and was happy to work with brides, unlike her husband who hadn't wanted to deal with them previously! Her second expansion was into government contracts. One day a man knocked on their door and asked if they would make a bid for a government contract. His offer was that if they won they'd hire him as a driver. They went for it and won that contract, naturally hiring him also. The light bulb went off for Kristina: she thought there must be more contracts like this one. She soon found out every government agency in the city had its own private shuttle service to shuttle employees between buildings and to work from the Metro. For the next 10 years she went after that market, and won 90% of bids that went out from their company. Doing so is how they went from 5 cars to 100 cars. But in the process they no longer qualified as a small business; in the shuttle bus industry you have to be a small business to win government contracts. So she diversified the company again and moved into hospitals, universities, tourism, corporate shuttles, and residential shuttles, She went looking for business wherever could it could be found. On today's episode Kristina explains more about her diversification efforts, including why she initially resisted getting into the wine tour business! She also gives a detailed account of how one particular strategy of inviting current clients to lunch grew Reston Limousine by 27% during a time when other companies were losing business. That is a story you don't want to miss out on! Tune in for that plus other applicable insights you can use in your business on this episode of Grow My Revenue. Discover more at http://www.growmyrevenue.com/business-cast/

Does it seem counterintuitive to you that by leaving money on the proverbial sales table you could actually increase your bottom line? While it may seem that way at first glance, today's guest shares how that is what has been happening in his business. On this episode of Grow My Revenue I'm joined by Sean Farrell of Quality Data Systems (QDS), and he explains how they've used integrity-based sales to exponentially grow their company. For a few years now QDS has focused more on their clients and the solutions those clients need, that has tripled QDS' bottom line. Listen in for real-life examples and how using an integrity-based approach to selling has created so much growth for QDS, and can for you too. Listen to this episode and discover: - Why doing the right thing now can lead to bigger deals in the future. - What is integrative sales really about? - How focusing on results generates better outcomes for them and their clients. - Will more questions equal a longer sales cycle? - How QDS tripled their bottom line without pursuing triple the amount of opportunities. - And so much more… Episode Overview Sean Farrell has been the CEO of Quality Data Systems for a few years now even though he never intended to go into the family business. QDS was a company his dad started in 1983, but it was his dad's work and not of interest to Sean. Sean had other ideas: he played collegiate baseball at the University North Carolina and was later drafted by the Oakland Athletics. When he tore up his shoulder diving for a ball in the outfield Sean went through several surgeries, none ever fixing it properly. Between the injury and the incredibly low pay of the minor leagues he opted to make some cash by going into sales. Soon he found his competitive nature taking over and discovered his love of sales. Landing a deal was just as sweet to him as hitting a home run! Thirteen years later he is still at QDS and loving the work he does there. When Sean's dad started the company and still today QDS sells and services money-handling equipment for banks, credit unions, and retail. Anyone who handles cash, coin or check can be served by a product or offering QDS has available. Over the years that has evolved from desktop products to integrative systems and solutions, that integration at Sean's behest. On this episode of Grow My Revenue, Sean and I take a snapshot look at what QDS was doing prior to the implementation of integrity-based sales, and what they've been doing since implementing this new way of doing business. Plus Sean gives a real-life example of integrity based sales and how he served his clients' needs with a much smaller monetary investment (even when he knew the client had a sizable budget for the solution). Sean explains that by focusing on how QDS solved similar problems for previous clients the company presents itself in a way that opens doors with potential new clients. QDS' approach now is simply they are there to solve the problems clients have and deliver the results the clients need. Price is rarely a key driver in those conversations today because it's all about the value and results QDS provides, and as a result it's actually helped QDS become more profitable. Another surprising share on this episode is Sean's real-life example of providing a very inexpensive solution to a client with a large budget - and how that won QDS a role as a trusted advisor to the client and led to more sales in the future. This is an episode you don't want to miss, especially if you've been considering implementing an integrity-based sales approach for your team. There's all of that and so much more on today's episode of Grow My Revenue! Discover more at http://www.ianaltman.com/business-cast/

One of the fundamental tenets of sales I emphasize on this show is selling with integrity. So why would I suggest you learn what con artists already know? Because it's the exact same technique everyone uses to grow their influence, whether they are a con artist, a trial attorney, a CIA operative or anyone else. On this episode of Grow My Revenue influence coach and author Shari Alexander joins us to look at the fascinating topic of influence. She's explored the what influence actually is, why influence isn't inherently good or bad, and how to use the 3 step process she's uncovered used by the most influential people in the world. Listen to this episode and discover: - Why do so many people shy away from building their influence? - What is the hourglass theory of conversation? - The role curiosity plays in establishing rapport and connection. - Elicitation vs interrogation: what is the difference? Shari gives an example. - Is there such a thing as too many questions? Episode Overview When Shari began studying influence and communication she was fascinated to find that no matter who was wielding the influence, con artist or CIA operative or trial attorney, they were using the same patterns and strategy. She was even more astounded to realize how little leaders knew about this strategy, especially as compared to con artists. The strategy she observed is a three step process she calls observe, connect and influence. Most of us, especially sales people, want to jump to the third step (influence) and learn all about it. You've probably heard someone say "I want to grow my influence". And while that's a healthy approach it falls short of the first two steps, and often leads to increased risk on the part of the influencer and the influencee. On today's episode Shari explains what each of these steps are and why they are necessary to the step after it, what we can learn from the long con game played by con artists, as well as the pivotal part curiosity plays in creating rapport, connection and, ultimately, influence. Observation. The first step in influence is observation. You're looking for certain things in the person you are wanting to influence, you observe certain ways you can connect with them and certain things you can talk about so you can move on to the next step: rapport. Rapport. The second step, rapport, is simply about building likability with the person you are influencing. You are finding ways for them to like you, and for you to like them. This is how and when you build trust: both of which are critical pieces that need to be present before you move into step three, influence. Influence. The final step is influence. This step is where you actually make the ask. If you've done the other two steps effectively you often don't need to know much about this step, but having a few techniques here will help. The reality is all of us want to be seen, heard and appreciated, but very few of us are giving it. So when a con artist provides this to a mark it becomes addictive to the mark, and they'll give anything to get another "hit". There's so much valuable and insightful information shared on today's episode of Grow My Revenue! Be sure to listen in to hear it all.

Some of the latest developments in business tech you might not have heard of are competitive intelligence and predictive campaigning. Competitive intelligence keeps tabs on what the industry is saying about your company, what your competition is doing as well as your prospective and existing customers. Predictive campaigns are the latest evolution in marketing: they provide key information about customers based on thousands of data points, and show you why certain customers work with you and uncover others like them already in your database! On this episode of Grow My Revenue I have two key leaders in this area join me to talk about both of these topics and how they are shaping the future of sales and marketing. Listen to this episode and discover: - What is crowdsourcing, according to Jim? - How do you know if you are paying enough attention to your competitors? - What you should be looking for in competitive intellingence, and probably aren't. - 97% of all so-called leads never result in a sale: true or false? - What does predictive analytics actually do? - And so much more… Episode Overview On this episode Jim shares how Owler helps people spend less time gathering information on their competition and their own company's place in the market, and how Owler has turned competitive intelligence into a democracy for everyone. In the past only large companies could afford competitive analysis but with the advent of Owler and similar companies everyone can receive competitive intelligence data. Also on this episode is John Bara, a 25-year veteran of Silicon Valley who works with some of the fastest growth companies there. He is the President and Chief Founder of Mintigo. Today he explains what predictive campaigns are, and how they are at the forefront of the latest in the evolution of marketing. Predictive campaigns are the latest way for marketers to gather customer and prospect data. They are based on predictive analytics, predictive fit and intent data. Predictive analytics creates a broader profile of a person, Mintigo calls this the customer DNA. An example of this is let's say you're a tech company and you're selling software. What you know about your customers is fairly light: you know their name, title, email and and what they've bought from you, how much they paid and how long ago they bought. That's not a lot of data and it doesn't go very deep into the person. Predictive analytics would gather thousands of data points about that person and add to their profile, to help give you get a pattern of who they really are. Some examples would be: the job title of who they are hiring, what types of tech are they using, what certifications do they have (legal, regulatory, tech). You'd also find out how much they are spending on Google ads and other PPC ads, and what are their geographic trends. You have a broader, richer look at your customer. Predictive fit helps you understand those thousands of data points to find out why you are doing well with certain types of customers, and who else in your database fits that mold. It also helps you understand how to have a sales conversation with that prospect. John goes on to explain what intent data is, how it's useful as well as hi best piece of advice for marketers on this episode of Grow My Revenue. On this episode both John and Jim provide valuable revelations about the latest technology in sales and marketing, and how it can help you grow your revenue. Discover more at http://www.growmyrevenue.com/podcast/competition/

If you've ever tried to reach an executive but been stymied by their gatekeeper today's episode will strike a chord with you! One of the most common challenges sales people have is reaching their potential client when that potential client has a gatekeeper. Is there a way to work with that gatekeeper or do you have to resort to tricks like dropping by without an appointment? On this special solo show I'll answer those questions. I'll explore how you can work with the gatekeeper to create a valued relationship, and how to make sure you're getting the right people involved in the decision-making process. It's all here on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: Why you need to know your potential clients' elevator rants. What is the same-side quadrant and how do you use it? What is the difference between impact and importance? What is BANT and why doesn't it apply today? What is the hidden question executives ask themselves? And so much more… Episode Overview Whether you've been in sales for a few months or a few decades you have most likely come across a gatekeeper: the assistant or secretary to a potential client you are trying to meet. Maybe you've tried the less-than-honest approach of pretending to be that potential client's friend or you've dropped by unannounced. And if you did you discovered neither tactic is effective. Today I share what does work when you approaching gatekeepers as well as how to earn the attention of senior executives - two topics that go hand in hand. And finally I'll also give you specific questions to ask to ensure you have all the necessary people involved in the sales process. When you first attempt to get around a gatekeeper ask yourself why you are trying to go around this person? Why aren't you enrolling them to be your ally? This person is someone to build a valuable relationship with for two reasons: first they control the calendar of your potential client and second they are in that role because they want to help people. So if you truly are genuine in asking for their assistance they will give it to you. But if you try to steamroll past them to get to their boss, you'll be kicked to the curb (as you should be). The gatekeeper is someone who has been hired because they are sharp, they are responsible, they are knowledgeable and have authority. Treat them as such, they are not a means to your end. Listen to this episode to hear a real-life example of how I created a lasting friendship with a gatekeeper named Mary, and take note of how you can use my approach for the gatekeepers you encounter. If you are working with your gatekeeper you're going to need to know how to gain the attention of their boss, the senior executive you want to speak to. The best way to do this is to think of what is important to that executive? You can do this by answering the three most common questions executives ask themselves: What problem does this solve? Why do I need it? And what is the likely outcome or result if I move forward with this? Speak to those questions and share what problem you solve, why it's important to the client and the possible end result. By approaching the gatekeeper with that information you've made it known you value the client's time and you genuinely care about your client's needs. Clearly this will take some advanced research on your part but that is your job as a sales person: know your client and their needs. Finally we wrap up this episode by talking about BANT and why it no longer works, and the hidden question executives ask themselves. Both of which you'll want to hear about so listen in to this edition of Grow My Revenue. Discover more at http://www.growmyrevenue.com/business-cast/

If I told you having a business that does good in the community can actually grow your bottom line would you believe me? It's the truth and the man here to back that up is ultra-successful digital marketer and repeat best-selling Yanik Silver. On this episode of Grow My Revenue Yanik shares what he means by the term evolved enterprise, why he wrote a book on that subject and why it is the business model of the future. This is an eye-opening, thought-provoking episode you won't want to miss, it'll change how you look at your business going forward. Listen to this episode and discover: - What does corporate social responsibility mean? - What motivated Yanik to write the Evolved Enterprise book? - Is there a link between boostrapping a business and your creativity? Yanik explains. - Do companies with culture outperform the S&P 500? - Why we are hardwired to support businesses with real purpose. - And so much more… Episode Overview If you've never heard of Yanik Silver you've missed out on an incredible businessman's journey. He got started online in 2000, the early days of the Internet and he quickly found remarkable success. Eight years into that journey he had earned in the millions and had published several books, all the while helping thousands of people. But one day he asked himself a simple question: "Am I really happy?" The brutally true answer was no, he was not. He felt there could be more; he could be giving more meaningful work to the world. So he spent time journaling and sorting through what to do next. From there Maverick 1000 was born. He created a company that combined fun things he liked to do as a kid, with ways to grow businesses and also serve his community by contributing to charities. He invited his friends and business partners to participate, that was part of the fun. They went off on an adventure, spent time talking business growth strategies and then made sure to give to a charity through their participation fee. Over time he changed up the business model a bit and tweaked things to become what is the present day Maverick 1000. His book, Evolved Enterprise, also came from that experience. He believes the premise of the book, aligning the soul of your business with more impact, more meaning and more happiness will invariably produce more profits, is the business model of the future. On today's episode we discuss why businesses should embrace this concept now or they'll be left in the dust within 4-7 years. He also highlights some of the biggest mistakes businesses make when trying to do good in their business and their community, and plus the first steps to take to turn your business into an evolved enterprise. A few of the mistakes Yanik sees businesses making when trying to do good internally and within their community is the language they use. Look at the most common description used today: corporate social responsibility. Does that sound like fun? Does it sound like something people get to do, or is it something they have to do? It sounds like an obligation, something they have to do. And that isn't going to inspire hearts and minds to embrace the experience! Yanik gives some great examples of companies already doing this as well as a company that didn't do this well: Kentucky Fried Chicken and its pink buckets for breast cancer. He shares why this didn't work for KFC and how to avoid falling into the same trap with your business. He also gives three steps to start with when becoming an evolved enterprise plus the greatest lesson he has to evolve your enterprise, and how this business model ties into the millennial community so strongly. There's all of that and so much more in this episode of Grow My Revenue with Yanik Silver. Tune in, it's well worth your time and attention. Discover more at http://www.growmyrevenue.com/business-cast/

You've heard the phrase "content is king" but that's not true for all content. How do you know if you are creating valuable, quality content that is actually reaching your audience and growing your business? You're about to find out on this episode of Grow My Revenue. Today we are joined by none other than the godfather of content himself, Mr. Joe Pulizzi. Joe is the founder and creator of the Content Marketing Institute, he won the John Caldwell Lifetime Achievement award in 2014 and has authored several best-sellers including his latest, Content Inc. We'll talk about all of that and more on this episode. Listen to this episode and discover: - What is Joe's definition of content? - Why you must tell a different story with your content. - What can the El Gaucho restaurant chain teach you about content marketing? - Why you should give away your secret sauce. - How do you create content that isn't biased? And so much more… Episode Overview If there's one thing Joe Pulizzi knows about it's content. In addition to starting the Content Marketing Institute and hosting the annual Content Marketing World event, Joe has published several books on the topic and also released the first documentary on content. But he will be the first to tell you he doesn't know everything there is to know about content, and in fact he continues to learn every day. And he shares what he has learned on this episode. He lets us in on the biggest mistakes companies make with the content they produce, along with a valuable and insightful lesson from John Deere on how to educate, engage and create an intensely loyal following. Joe says there are three missteps companies most commonly make and they are talking about your products and services, not telling a unique story and providing inconsistent content. Most organizations provide content that is primarily about what they offer: their latest bells and whistles, why their features are so great and what benefits they offer to their customers. But the truth is most people don't care! They care about their problems and finding solutions. So stop focusing on your needs and start addressing what your audience needs and wants in your content. The second common mistake is telling the same old story everyone else is. If you aren't unique you aren't going to stand out. If you don't stand out how will anyone find you? If they can't find you they can't become part of your audience, and they'll never become a loyal customer. Find a unique way to tell your story. Third is providing content but doing so inconsistently. Think about it like this: you know when your paper is going to be delivered right? You know exactly when to turn on the TV for the news or for SportsCenter. Your content has to be the same way: exact same day of the week at the exact same time, every single week. Do that and you're on the right track. Another mistake Joe sees is to make a pitch in the content. Don't do it! If you are providing valuable content to someone they are already know you are a resource so you don't have to say it. If you tell them to contact you at the end of your content they're not going to trust you anymore. John Deere is a great example of how to provide content, no strings attached. Since 1885 they've been sending out The Furrow, a magazine for farmers. The magazine addresses farmers' biggest pain points and helps them solve those pain points. Today that magazine is the largest media property in the farming industry: it has 1.5 million subscribers in over 40 different countries and is produced in 14 different languages. In their 120 year history they've pitched their own products or services 12-15 times total. And that's why they are John Deere, the top company in their industry with a fervent following. Discover more at http://www.growmyrevenue.com/business-cast/

If you'd like to grow your business by attracting your ideal clients there's a simple way to do so: integrity. There are a few key ways to have integrity when engaging with potential clients, and I'll explain exactly what those are and how to use them in this episode. On this special solo show I'll share the importance of disarming customers in a conversation, why the same-side pitch is a new (and better) variation of the elevator pitch and the proper format to use for an effective case study on your web site. It's just and you me talking about business and integrity on today's episode of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: - Why we usually say "no thanks" when a sales person offers to help us. - The three questions executives answer when making a decision. - What is the same-side pitch? - What is an elevator rant and why is it valuable? - And so much more… Episode Overview When you walk into a store and a clerk approaches you to see if you need any help do you automatically say no? Most people do. Why? Because we don't yet trust them. We automatically assume they are simply asking so they can sell us something, and no one wants to be sold to even if they are in a store with the intent to buy! The same goes for your clients and the conversations you have with them. If going into a conversation you already know they are assuming you are selling to them you can disarm them using authenticity and integrity. To understand what it means to disarm you first have to understand how executives make decisions. They first look at what problem you solve, or why they may need you. Next they evaluate the likely results or outcome they'll receive from working with you. And finally they evaluate alternatives they have vs. reasons they would choose you. Tune in to hear all of that and so much more on this episode of Grow My Revenue. To discover other episodes of this podcast go to http://www.growmyrevenue.com/business-cast/

Often when we talk about the success of a company we say "it's their culture". But what does that mean? What exactly is culture in a company and why is it so closely linked to the success (or failure) of an organization? Widely regarded as an expert on the topic of culture is Robert Richman, our guest on this show. He was the chief culture strategist at Zappo's under Tony Hsieh and founded Zappo's Insights which went on to be a multi-million dollar business on its own. He is also the author of Culture Blueprint and is here to answer those questions. Listen to this episode and discover: - What is the power of a strong culture? - What did Steve Jobs say was his greatest invention? - Why a quiet culture can be a bad sign, and what to do about it. - Why explicit permission is so vital to your company's culture. - What are the two conversations around culture? And so much more… Episode Overview When asked to explain what he thinks culture is Robert says the very act of defining culture is valuable to organizations. He has asked numerous audiences during his speaking career and has gotten various answers - all of which are correct. The important takeaway he emphasizes to his audience and on today's show is to start talking about culture. It's how you'll define yours and how you'll start to shift it. He also explains culture is something we can all pick up on within just a few minutes of being in a company's offices. Even though you may not be able to put words to it you'll know what a company is like just by being around the environment and the people for a short length of time. Because of that we are all experts on culture, we all understand culture is important to the success of an organization. Much like watching a good basketball team that is well-coached, has played together for awhile and knows each other, connections in a company are formed among the individuals and trust is created through those connections. That's when a culture is strong, but what happens when it's not and it's time to work on strengthening or repairing the culture? Robert has seen more than his share of mistakes made in this area, the biggest of which is telling people what to do. Giving people directives, even to do things they want to do, only backfires. You have to let people opt in, participate and choose for themselves otherwise whatever you tell them to do won't work. Some of the companies he's consulted with have had leaders who wanted a certain performance or objective to be reached. And rather than allowing their people to give ideas and feedback the leader simply mandates the actions needed to be taken by the staff to achieve that end result. The best way to work with your team to create a strong culture and implement objectives is to present the idea, ask for feedback, ask for your staff's input and ideas on how to make that happen. And always be open along the way: your team may have better ideas than the ones you have thought of so be open to hearing them and changing direction accordingly. Also on today’s episode Robert shares the symptoms indicative of a culture issue, the first and most important step to take to address the culture issue and the top excuses he hears from executives on why they can't make changes to their culture. Because culture is such an important factor in the success and growth of a company be sure to listen in and get ready to implement what you learn on this episode of Grow My Revenue with Robert Richman.

On this episode I delve into the three questions everyone keeps asking: (1) What do you do if you're competing against an existing vendor? (2) How do you create a sense of urgency on the part of your client? (3) What about the issue of qualifying - how do you know if you're addressing what your clients need versus your own? Those are the three hottest questions I've been asked of late, and because they've been coming up so often I wanted to spend this time answering them for you on today's show. Listen to this episode and discover: - How do you tap into what's really important to your client? - What is the key to qualification and urgency? - How to remove the risk of working with you over your competitors. - Can urgency ever be created by you for your clients? - And so much more… Episode Overview Of the three questions I've been asked so often lately the first one to start with is qualification. On this topic the one thing you have to remember when qualifying any deal or potential client is this: it doesn't matter what you think is important, all that matters is what the client thinks is important. When you understand that and work with that knowledge, then you have the chance to create a long-lasting partnership. And that moves us to the second question around urgency. Can you actually create urgency on behalf of your client? Can you make them feel the urgency of doing a deal? And the short answer is no. The longer answer is you can ask questions that will help create an awareness of certain conditions that could create urgency for them. This is often a risk/reward situation so if you approach it factually you can better assess whether or not there is the potential for urgency down the road. The third question I've been asked so often lately is what to do in competitive scenarios. How can you tell where you stand among your competitors in a given situation? The first rule here is to never talk trash about anyone else in your industry, not ever. Even if you're telling the truth it will still sound like sour grapes to other people, and that's not a reputation you want to have. But what you can do is spell out what you understand the potential client's needs are, and then provide the questions you think would be beneficial for them to ask of anyone they work with. Then finish with an offer to begin a working relationship with them on a shorter contract. For example if the usual contract is three years offer to work with them for the first six months to make sure they have what they need, and then if you're both happy you'll sign the usual three year contract. You can tell them you are so confident they will be happy with your services you are willing to prove it before getting a long-term agreement. By doing so you are removing their risk, you showed them you are more interested in their outcome and their results than you are in just making the sale and closing the deal. And even if they don't choose to work with you you've provided questions they can ask of anyone to be certain they get what they need. You've set yourself apart from everyone else in your industry and every potential competitor by putting their needs ahead of your own. Also on this special solo episode I'll talk you through the exact sequence of questions to ask when you're approaching a potential client who is already working with another vendor in your industry. I'll tell you exactly what to say to get an honest assessment of their needs and any potential areas you can fix. Tune in to hear exactly how on this episode of Grow My Revenue.

If companies like Zappos and Google are committed to exceptional customer experience shouldn't you be too? There's one man they go to, a man who has his finger on the pulse and his name is Joey Coleman. And he joins us on this episode of Grow My Revenue. Joey is the head of Design Symphony and is a branding, design and customer service enthusiast. During our chat we talk about those topics, specifically why your business should spend money on customer experience, the six key ways to be memorable in your customer's eye, and why being different today is one of the most interesting things you can do in the marketplace. Listen to this episode and discover: - What's the fastest way to increase your bottom line? - What comes first: a happy customer or a happy employee? - Joey's favorite airlines and what it will teach you about customer service. - Who are coupons really presents for? - Why "spraying and praying" doesn't work. - And so much more… Episode Overview Joey has a love of customer experience, branding and design that fuels his days now. But his background is vast: he's been a criminal defense attorney and has worked for the Secret Service and the CIA. Today he comes to us from his home on a mountaintop in the middle of nowhere in Colorado. We talk about the top three reasons he believes companies should be investing in customer experience, the six keys to creating a truly memorable experience for all of your customers, and the greatest lessons he's learned about business throughout his career and his life. When it comes to investing in customer service, customer relations and customer experience Joey sees time and time again with his clients that this is how you stand out in the marketplace now. Over the years various companies have embraced other ways to make themselves top leaders, but today more than anything the experience your customer has is going to be a determining factor in how well you do. And because so much is riding on it it is his first reason to invest money in that area. His second is it's the fastest way to see growth in your bottom line. When your customers have a great experience with you they tell everyone about you, they become your outsourced sales team and increase revenue and profits! The third reason Joey gives to invest in your customer experience is you'll enjoy your work more. When you know you are creating something positive and memorable for others your love for what you do will only grow, and the same goes for your employees. Joey goes on to explain what comes first: the happy customer or the happy employee? He gives an answer that you'll have to tune in to hear. But he does give us some key ways to create an experience with your customers, including the three ways most companies are doing this and three ways very few companies are. The obvious ways and the ways most companies connect today are email, phone and in person. But we spend far more time talking about the two less obvious ways to connect: physical mail, and video. When's the last time you sent a customer something in the mail? Or what about creating a short video just to say hi and check in with your customer? If you're like most companies you haven't done either of those lately, or perhaps not at all. On today's show Joey goes on to explain why "selfie" videos are far more effective than a glossy studio production, why snail mail is such a surprise today, as well as what his 30 day challenge is and why it's worth doing. Strap on your seat belts and listen in while Joey takes you on an incredible journey through the world of exceptional customer service to help you grow your revenue.

In this episode of the Grow My Revenue Business Cast, I introduce my brand new program meant to help professionals that offer business services and products. In this introductory episode you’ll discover: • Why I started this business cast? • How you can avoid bad business habits not based on integrity • What will you gain by listening to the Grow My Business Cast • What topics I will cover on the program • The type of guests you’ll hear on the program • And so much more…

Conduct your business with integrity and people will know you as a problem solver instead of just another charlatan trying to sell them stuff. "Trust is more important than like." -Ian Altman The Cheat Sheet: Nobody likes being sold to -- in business or in life. It's all about finding a fit. Are you working, or doing your life's work? Use your unique talents to deliver extraordinary results. Define a niche and value that has endless rewards. When you ask for advice, are you seeking validation or real input? How to ask great questions when hiring salespeople... or when applying for a job. What two questions can you ask to uncover the truth in competitive business situations or relationships? And so much more... Show notes at http://theartofcharm.com/podcast-episodes/ian-altman-grow-my-revenue-episode-427/ HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! If you dig the show, please subscribe in iTunes and write us a review! This is what helps us stand out from the crowd and help people find the credible advice they need. Stay Charming!

How can we make it easy for clients to approach us in our business? What do we have to do so we’re not chasing down clients and instead, they come to us? Ian Altman, CEO for Grow My Revenue, a Forbes contributor and a Bestselling Author is going to teach us this amazing lesson for […] The post MBA261 Guest Teacher: Ian Altman- How to Get Your Clients to Find You appeared first on The $100 MBA.

How can we make it easy for clients to approach us in our business? What do we have to do so we’re not chasing down clients and instead, they come to us? Ian Altman, CEO for Grow My Revenue, a Forbes contributor and a Bestselling Author is going to teach us this amazing lesson for […] The post MBA261 Guest Teacher: Ian Altman- How to Get Your Clients to Find You appeared first on The $100 MBA.

On‌ ‌the‌ ‌show‌ ‌with‌ ‌me‌ ‌today‌ is‌ Ian Altman is the CEO of Grow My Revenue, LLC. CEOs and executives call on Ian as a trusted advisor and speaker on sales and business development. Ian’s methods have helped businesses double their revenue growth rate without adding salespeople.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Ian is the author of Upside Down Selling, an Amazon #1 Best Seller. He coauthored his upcoming book, Same Side Selling, with Jack Quarles of Buying Excellence.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Thank‌ ‌you‌ ‌so‌ ‌much‌ ‌for‌ ‌listening!‌ ‌Please‌ ‌subscribe‌ ‌rate‌ ‌and‌ ‌review‌ ‌on‌ ‌your‌ ‌favorite‌ ‌podcast‌ ‌ listening‌ ‌app.‌ ‌To‌ ‌get‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌show‌ ‌notes‌ ‌for‌ ‌today's‌ ‌episode,‌ ‌go‌ ‌to‌ ‌https://brightideas.co/xxx...and‌ ‌ if‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌any‌ ‌questions‌ ‌for‌ ‌me,‌ ‌you‌ ‌can‌ ‌leave‌ ‌me‌ ‌a‌ ‌voicemail‌ ‌at‌ ‌brightideas.co/asktrent‌

On‌ ‌the‌ ‌show‌ ‌with‌ ‌me‌ ‌today‌ is‌ Ian Altman is the CEO of Grow My Revenue, LLC. CEOs and executives call on Ian as a trusted advisor and speaker on sales and business development. Ian’s methods have helped businesses double their revenue growth rate without adding salespeople.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Ian is the author of Upside Down Selling, an Amazon #1 Best Seller. He coauthored his upcoming book, Same Side Selling, with Jack Quarles of Buying Excellence.‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Thank‌ ‌you‌ ‌so‌ ‌much‌ ‌for‌ ‌listening!‌ ‌Please‌ ‌subscribe‌ ‌rate‌ ‌and‌ ‌review‌ ‌on‌ ‌your‌ ‌favorite‌ ‌podcast‌ ‌ listening‌ ‌app.‌ ‌To‌ ‌get‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌show‌ ‌notes‌ ‌for‌ ‌today's‌ ‌episode,‌ ‌go‌ ‌to‌ ‌https://brightideas.co/xxx...and‌ ‌ if‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌any‌ ‌questions‌ ‌for‌ ‌me,‌ ‌you‌ ‌can‌ ‌leave‌ ‌me‌ ‌a‌ ‌voicemail‌ ‌at‌ ‌brightideas.co/asktrent‌