Podcasts about predictive roi

Welcome to the Sell With Authority podcast. I'm Erik Jensen, co-owner and Chief Strategy Officer here at Predictive ROI. If you've been a longtime listener, you might be wondering, where's Stephen's voice? Don't worry, there hasn't been a coup. This isn't a mutiny. Stephen's daughter is graduating, and we lovingly kicked him off the mic for the next few weeks so he can fully enjoy that special time with his family. We miss him — but we've got you covered. We built this podcast specifically for you — the agency owner looking to sell more of what you do, in a way that builds a more scalable, more sustainable business — regardless of whatever challenges might be around the next corner. Today's episode is the final installment in our four-part series on the four reasons agencies struggle with sales — and more importantly — how to fix them. I'm excited to sit down again with Hannah Roth, our Director of Strategy and resident mad scientist. Hannah and I are in the trenches every single day, working with agency owners to tackle the issues that keep them stuck. Sales is almost always one of those issues. In this episode, we dive into what we call the practice problem. Why does every sales call feel like the first time? Why do we expect to nail the pitch, but never actually practice it? In any other part of business, that would be nuts. But in sales, it happens all the time. So today, we're going to break that pattern. We unpack how to build a sales process you can actually improve, how to create a system for feedback and iteration, and how to show up to your sales calls ready — not rusty. What you will learn in this episode: The #1 reason agency sales calls always feel new — and how to fix that with one rock solid framework Why practicing your sales process matters as much as practicing any craft The 3.5-step process to running a winning sales call — and where most agencies get it wrong The “Help Me Understand” question framework that turns every discovery call into a trust-building, opportunity-finding powerhouse How to use flashcards, role-play, and real-world feedback to refine your sales message and increase your close rate Why practicing out loud is the best way to show up confidently Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Erik's LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-jensen-b9946068/ Hannah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Welcome to Sell With Authority. I'm Erik Jensen, Co-Owner and Chief Strategy Officer here at Predictive ROI — and yes, you are in the right place. If you've been a long-time listener, you're probably thinking, wait a second, where is Stephen's smooth, signature intro? I'm stepping in because Stephen is celebrating his daughter's graduation. We lovingly kicked him off the mic for a few weeks so he can soak up that family time. Today, I'm joined by my strategic co-pilot and our Director of Strategy, Hannah Roth. She's our in-house mad scientist when it comes to helping agency owners get unstuck. In this special series, we've been diving into key reasons agencies struggle with sales, and more importantly, how to fix them. In today's episode, we tackle what we call “the consistency gap” — that lack of a repeatable, dependable sales process. If you've found yourself uttering words like “It depends”, or “I meant to follow up”, this episode is for you. What you will learn in this episode: Why a lack of consistency in your sales process will keep you stuck The secret ingredient to a 28% bump in close rates How to align sales and operations so you sell what you promise The real reason your custom proposals are killing your profitability How to fix the anxiety of “playing defense” in sales calls by tightening your value ladder Why rinsing and repeating your best offers is the best move to stand out and sell more of what you do Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Erik's LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-jensen-b9946068/ Hannah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Are you doing great work but still feel like your agency's stuck in neutral? The truth is, talent alone doesn't scale a business. In this episode our guest, Stephen Woessner—author, agency growth strategist, and founder of Predictive ROI—reveals why most agencies hit a ceiling... and how to break through with a smarter, more strategic approach. From developing a true methodology to showing up with content that teaches, we dive into what's working now (and what's not) when it comes to agency growth, client expectations, and scaling with intention. If you've ever relied a little too heavily on referrals, be unsure of your niche, or found yourself winging it without a real system—this one's for you. Tune in to learn how to enhance your agency's approach to attracting clients and scaling your business! Stephen Woessner is the founder of Predictive ROI, an agency that helps clients build predictable and repeatable ROI so they can focus on doing the work they love alongside clients they choose. With over 30 years of experience, including a six-year stint in academia, Stephen discusses what's working right now to get more leads, why getting specific is vital for agencies, and why the journey to scaling your journey requires patience, as well as methodology. Stephen also hosts the "Onward Nation" and "Sell with Authority" podcasts and is the bestselling author of five books, including his latest, “Sell With Authority". In this episode, we'll discuss: Why you should be ridiculously specific. Developing a true methodology to showcase your process. How a softer approach can lead to bigger wins. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources E2M Solutions: Today's episode of the Smart Agency Masterclass is sponsored by E2M Solutions, a web design, and development agency that has provided white-label services for the past 10 years to agencies all over the world. Check out e2msolutions.com/smartagency and get 10% off for the first three months of service. The Power of Specificity (and Content That Teaches) Stephen has had a long career in the agency world, starting thirty years ago, before ROI was a thing, and working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve. He worked six-years in academia while also sharing his knowledge in his first books on Viral Social Networking and SEO. The expertise shared in these books got him requests to work as a consultant for different businesses, which led to him starting his own agency in 2009. At his agency, Stephen commonly works with agencies and consultants that are going about sales and new business development in the least effective, most painful way possible. In fifteen years, he's seen a lot in the business and now brings his own perspective on what's currently working in the agency space. According to him, success comes from being ridiculously specific—about who you serve, what you offer, and how you market it. It's not about flashy gimmicks or one-size-fits-all strategies. Agencies that clearly communicate their expertise and share their knowledge generously (even for free!) are the ones building long-term trust. With the many AI tools available for marketers nowadays, there just isn't a valid excuse for not putting your own content out there to attract clients with valuable tips that show your expertise. These should be small, actionable pieces that solve real problems. That kind of generosity leads to high-quality leads who already trust you by the time they reach out. While the tools might not be polished yet, they show just how easy it is now to create content and show up consistently. The key is that agencies need to be intentional, have a point of view, know their clients' real pain points and speak to them clearly. Raise the Bar or Get Left Behind Today's clients are smart. They're looking for specialized, strategic partners—not generalists who throw spaghetti at the wall. Agencies that develop a true methodology, a real system for delivering results, stand out. It's not just about the work—it's about the process behind it. Simply put, a solid methodology builds trust. It shows prospects that you know what you're doing and that you've done it before. And yes, it's a big part of what makes an agency sellable down the road. If you're familiar with games like “Age of Empires,” the process of building your methodology will be a lot like starting scrappy in the stone age—just you, maybe a freelancer or two. But as you gather resources (aka leads, a team, and tools) and build systems (onboarding, sales, and delivery processes), you level up. The methodology evolves as you grow—and mastering each stage is what gets you to the next one. The path to growth requires structure, clarity, and an intentional approach. If you're still winging it with no repeatable system in place it might be time to rethink the game plan. How a Softer Approach Can Lead to Bigger Wins Other than a methodology, the journey to the top will also require patience. Scaling an agency is rarely instantaneous and each stage of development comes with its own challenges and learning experiences. Agencies at various levels of growth face unique challenges, and the aspiration to leap from a level two to level thirty-seven—is just unrealistic. You need to experience the wins and losses that truly gives you the expertise to sustain growth and learn to appreciate that they've prepared you for the next challenges and goals. Jason was actually confronted with this lesson while preparing for his latest event, which although did eventually sell out, but did so much more slowly than he would've liked. In the end, the team made the decision to stop being pushy about promoting the event and instead try to be more inviting. A pushy attitude will likely be met with resistance. Instead, a gentle nudge or an invitation to explore creates a sense of curiosity and openness. By reframing the conversation from one of pressure to one of invitation, he was able to build trust and rapport. People are more likely to engage when they feel they have the autonomy to make choices without feeling coerced. This is the same principle that drives successful business generation. Instead of being pushy, make sure you're sharing case studies, insights, or even hosting webinars that allow prospects to learn and engage with the agency's expertise. Trust that you're offering great value that resonates with the target audience, encouraging your audience to lean in and explore further, rather than overwhelming them with hard sells. Creating Content That Draws the Right Clients In So what is the type of content agencies should be creating to get prospects to lean in? The first thing that may make you feel like you're screaming into the void is trying to attract just any client who can sign a check. Successful companies have shown that focusing on a select group of high-performing clients can lead to tremendous success. This does not mean that if you start to work with plumbers you'll have to work with that niche in perpetuity. A niche can also be a specific problem you solve or an area you serve, not just an industry. When you focus on "right fit" clients, you'll attract people you genuinely enjoy working with who choose to stay with your business long-term. When agency owners narrow their focus, they can tailor their offerings to meet the unique needs of their chosen niche. This not only enhances the quality of service but also simplifies the content creation process. Once the target audience is identified, agencies can generate relevant and engaging content that addresses the specific problems and pain points of their clients. At this point, you can focus on sharing content that makes a lasting impression. By providing valuable information upfront, you'll no doubt capture the attention of potential clients and build credibility. Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.

Welcome to the Sell With Authority podcast. If you've been with us for a while, you're probably expecting to hear Stephen's voice kicking things off. But we've temporarily booted him off the mic — for a very good reason. His daughter is about to graduate, and we wanted to make sure he could soak up every moment with his family. I'm Hannah Roth, Director of Strategy and mad scientist here at Predictive ROI and I'm stepping in as your host for the next few weeks. For this special four-part series, I'm sitting down with Erik Jensen — co-owner, Chief Strategy Officer, and my strategic co-pilot here at Predictive. Erik and I are in the trenches every day, helping agency owners like you solve the messy, complex challenges that keep your business stuck in place. And one of those major sticking points? Sales. Today's episode is part two, and we're diving into what we call the Focus Fog. Erik unpacks the risks of being the “everything agency” — and how your good intentions to do more might actually be clouding your sales process, confusing your prospects, and holding your agency back. What you will learn in this episode: Why the “focus fog” is quietly sabotaging agency growth and how to recognize it before it's too late The psychological drivers that keep agencies stuck as generalists What happens when sales and ops don't see eye to eye How stacking 3-5 “lenses” helps your agency niche down without killing off creativity Real research and stats proving highly specialized agencies land more right-fit clients The hidden cost of one-and-done projects versus repeatable, scalable work How clarity in your focus transforms sales, onboarding, marketing, AND lets you eventually escape founder-led sales Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Erik's LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-jensen-b9946068/ Hannah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Welcome to Sell With Authority! I'm Hannah Roth, Director of Strategy and resident mad scientist here at Predictive ROI. And before you double-check your podcast app — yes, you are in the right place. If you've been a longtime listener, you're probably used to hearing Stephen kick things off. But today, I've hijacked the mic for a good reason. Stephen's daughter is about to graduate; CONGRATS to the whole Woessner crew! We've gently nudged him off the show for the next few weeks so he can enjoy that special time with his family. In the meantime, I'll be your host for the next four episodes, and I'm really excited about what we have planned. Each week, I'll be joined by Erik Jensen, my strategic co-pilot, co-owner, and our Chief Strategy Officer here at Predictive. We are in the trenches every day working with agency owners, helping them navigate the big challenges that hold them back from scaling with confidence. Erik and I are kicking off a four-part series about why agencies struggle with sales — and more importantly — what to do about it. In today's episode we focus on what we call “The Referral Trap.” Referrals are great… until they're not. Too many agencies rely on them as their primary source of new business — but that's risky. We discuss why the illusion of “plenty of referrals” is so dangerous, and what to do before they dry up without warning. What you will learn in this episode: Why so many agency owners fall into the “referral trap” The not-so-obvious risks of relying on referrals How passivity with prospects infects your sales culture — and leads to missed revenue from both new prospects AND existing clients The candid truth about “not having time” for sales A rock solid step-by-step way to take control of your biz dev Why your list is one of the most important assets that your agency can have How to assess if your list is actually filled with viable prospects Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Erik's LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/erik-jensen-b9946068/ Hannah's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

As an agency owner, navigating the challenges of growth in a competitive landscape can feel overwhelming. Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI, joins us today to share his expert insights on adapting to industry changes and building a foundation for long-term success. This week, episode 245 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about transforming content creation, embracing specialization, and leveraging AI to strengthen agency-client relationships.Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency's Future Revenue. In this training, you'll learn how to secure qualified appointments consistently with highly targeted and tasteful email outreach.In this episode, Stephen Woessner discusses the importance of treating your agency like your best client, creating cornerstone content, and fostering trust through effective team structures and metrics-driven strategies.Stephen Woessner is the CEO of Predictive ROI, a consultancy focused on helping agencies build authority and generate consistent revenue through content-driven strategies. With a deep understanding of agency operations and the evolving market, Stephen provides actionable advice for scaling your business.In this episode, Dan and Stephen cover:The benefits of building a dedicated internal team to handle your agency's content.Why specialization is key to standing out in a crowded market.How AI is reshaping agency operations and client expectations.The journey from being a vendor to a trusted strategic partner.Practical steps to measure ROI and ensure your content efforts generate revenue.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the podcast share your key takeaways with us!Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge CONNECT WITH STEPHEN  WOESSNER: LinkedInPREDICTIVE ROISell with Authority PodcastCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales SchemaStop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now. Stop relying on unpredictable referrals and take control of your agency's future growth. Go to salesschema.com/takecharge to access the free training now.

I am super excited about this very special episode of Sell with Authority — because we've got something extra special for you. We invited Susan Baier — the Founder and CEO of Audience Audit and our brilliant research partner here at Predictive ROI — back for a rock-solid encore interview. When we go into the field to uncover the golden nuggets of insight that we turn around and share with you, it's Susan and her incredible team — alongside our very own Hannah Roth, Predictive's Director of Strategy and resident Mad Scientist — who are doing all of the digging and heavy lifting to make that happen. Susan joins Hannah and I today to peel back the layers on a timely topic — the growing demand for agencies to provide specific metrics and results to their clients. At Predictive, we firmly believe — just like Susan does — that everything is measurable. But — sometimes, you and your team need to think outside the box to uncover the story behind the data. And that's exactly what we explore in today's conversation. Susan shares recommendations for some unique and creative ways agencies can measure the metrics that matter. A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30 days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. What you will learn in this episode: How the increasing client demand for visible data over the last decade has affected agencies The challenges in providing the metrics that matter and how to overcome them Why strategic partners can offer the guidance you need in measuring the most meaningful data points Why asking the right questions is the Golden Ticket How to leverage AI in making data analysis more efficient and cost-effective Resources: Website: https://audienceaudit.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbaieraz/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/audience-audit-inc./ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AudienceAudit/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanbaier

For over 30 years, I've worked in the trenches of agency new business strategy, working alongside and consulting with hundreds of agencies, business coaches, and consultants — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. I founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remain its CEO and co-owner, working alongside my business partner, Erik Jensen. I host the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. My agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and I'm the bestselling author of five books, including my latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” Here's my hope for this solocast – to share an overall framework and principles for how you can architect your conversations with prospective clients so the discussions are super helpful to your prospects — and so the sessions feel like teaching. But — what you're actually doing is demonstrating your methodology in action. And when you do that with excellence — there will be a moment in your discussion where your prospect says something like, “Wait a minute…I see what you're doing here…and it's awesome!” It is absolutely possible to teach and sell simultaneously — and I'll show you how in this episode. A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30 days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. During this Episode — you will learn how to: How the “10 Truths of what makes someone an authority” play a vital role in this process Why beginning with the end in mind is a must if you're going to architect the right conversation with a prospect Why teaching and selling simultaneously must begin with you “Eating your own dog food” How to demonstrate your methodology in action during the sales process How to “break the 4th wall” with your prospect in order to bring it all together Free Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

One of the biggest challenges agency owners and their teams face when it comes to business development is how to open doors efficiently, build meaningful relationships, and fill your sales pipeline without getting bogged down by a slow, one-by-one approach. Dan recently had the opportunity to guest on the Sell with Authority podcast hosted by Stephen Woessner to talk about Sales Schema's strategies to find commonalities between you and your potential clients, our approach to effective testing with smaller B2B sample sizes, and more. We're happy to present that episode for you today. This week, episode 236 of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast is about how to balance personalization and scale.Watch our latest video training, How to Take Charge of Your Agency's Future Revenue. During this training, you'll learn how we get qualified appointments every week using tasteful and highly targeted email outreach.In this episode of The Digital Agency Growth Podcast, Dan Englander and Stephen Woessner share the importance of building trust with potential clients through relationship-building and actionable steps you can take right now to identify commonalities you share with your potential clients. Stephen Woessner is the CEO and President of Predictive ROI, a company that offers community, coaching, and turnkey services to help you lead and grow your business strategically. Stephen is also the co-author of Sell With Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency's Authority Position. For over 25 years, Stephen has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. In this episode, Dan and Stephen discuss the following:How outbound marketing can fine-tune your overall marketing efforts.Why agency owners should offload tasks to build an effective outreach system.The ideal team setup for outbound marketing.The role of testing in outbound marketing and the importance of running campaigns over a period of time.Don't forget to get your hand on a copy of Stephen's book, Sell With Authority: Own and Monetize Your Agency's Authority Position today!Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to follow, rate and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about The Digitial Agency Growth Podcast at https://www.salesschema.com/podcast/ and our Video training at http://salesschema.com/takecharge CONNECT WITH STEPHEN WOESSNER:LinkedInFacebookPredictive ROISell with Authority podcastCONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:LinkedInSales Schema

Stephen Woessner Shares How to Sell More, Charge Higher Fees, and Fill Your Pipeline with Right-Fit ClientsIn this episode, Chris Gunkle talks with Stephen Woessner, the CEO and co-owner of Predictive ROI. Stephen has been in the marketing and agency trenches for over 30 years, and he's now on a mission to help agency owners and their teams sell more of what they do for higher fees by building a position of authority.Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009, and he's helped agencies across the globe fill their sales pipelines with a steady stream of right-fit clients. He's also the host of two popular podcasts - "Onward Nation" and "Sell with Authority" - with over 1,100 episodes downloaded in 140+ countries. Stephen is the bestselling author of five books, including his latest, "Sell with Authority," which provides a proven framework for becoming an authority in your industry.During the conversation, Stephen breaks down the three essential elements of building an authority position: niche, cornerstone content, and point of view. He explains how these three ingredients can help you shorten the path to monetization and attract a steady stream of right-fit clients. Stephen also shares insights on pricing strategy, the benefits of authority positioning, and how to avoid the "generalist" trap that so many small business owners and consultants fall into.If you're an agency owner, consultant, or small business professional who's looking to sell more, charge higher fees, and work with your ideal clients, this episode is a must-listen. Stephen provides a clear, actionable roadmap for establishing your authority, differentiating yourself from the competition, and creating a sales process that practically eliminates objections.Connect with Stephen:Website:  PredictiveROI.comResources: PredictiveROI.com/resources"WHO" Framework: PredictiveROI.com/who

Welcome to the Sell with Authority Podcast – I'm Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If we happen to be meeting for the first time — Predictive ROI helps agency owners and their teams sell more of what they do…typically for a higher fee. We do that by helping our clients build an authority position in the niche they've decided to serve — and then — monetize that position by creating a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into their sales pipeline. If learning proven strategies, tactics, and best practices to help you sell more of what you do aligns with where you want to take your agency — you're in the right place. Today's episode is going to be a solocast. If you've been listening to the show for a while now – you know that about every 4-6 weeks, I record an episode where it's just you and me — so we can explore a topic with some real depth. But you may have noticed that within the last couple of months — I've recorded more solocasts than my normal cadence. I've done that for a couple of reasons. First — there have been a lot of biz dev situations, questions, etc., that we've helped agency owners in our community work through — and some are helpful examples that turn into specific teachable moments to share. Second — my Predictive team and I have been running at a breakneck pace with new experiments that we're putting through our Lab and then sharing the results during our Intensives. If you joined us for our July Intensive — you saw the results of an experiment that included 121,000 repetitions in the data set. Wowza. We're kicking off a brand new experiment in the Lab tomorrow that will include at least 50,000 repetitions, and we'll share the data set in full transparency during our next Intensive on November 6th & 7th. And Praise God — we've had the blessing of onboarding some new clients into the fold here at Predictive. All of that is to say — my schedule for interviewing guests has been challenging. But thankfully — that is changing. In fact — during our quarterly leadership team meeting — my fellow leaders…Erik, Megan, and Hannah — said, “Okay, Stephen — what needs to come off your plate so you can stay in the biz dev lane.” Staying in my lane will give me the time and space I need to interview the long list of guests that I have been wanting to invite to the podcast…so stay tuned. But for today — I'm going to start us off by looping back to the new experiment and the 50,000 repetitions that I mentioned a minute ago. For years — we've taught a nurture and lead gen cadence that we've called “The 6:1 Ratio.” It was published back in my second book and focused primarily on social media and how many personal or professional posts ought to be made — 6 — to every 1 “ask” post to create the optimal opportunity for conversion. One of our core values here at Predictive is “Life is not static,” and we're always testing, adjusting, testing, adjusting, and testing some more. So on Thursday — we're launching a brand new, 4-part nurture email campaign and sharing it with all 50,000 agency owners and their teams inside our community. If you're on our email list — you'll receive a new email every Thursday for the next four weeks. We're doing this for three reasons: One — 50,000 repetitions for the November Intensive — the full data set. Two — nurture matters — it removes friction from the sales process. Three — to break down and illustrate our “4-part Nurture Methodology.” A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30 days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. What you will learn in this episode is: How to use the Transformational Triangle to create the foundation of your content strategy (Episode 124, “No Friction Lead Generation,” breaks down the Triangle in specific detail) How to write effective emails to give your audience the impression that you have an inexhaustible stream of helpful content (Episode 116, “Email Writing Workshop,” breaks down our email writing framework and process in specific detail) How to design and build your own strategic frameworks. Hannah Roth, our mad scientist and strategist here at Predictive, just authored a new ebook coming on strategic framework design. If you're part of our community — you'll receive a copy in your Inbox in mid-to late-September. And lastly — why creating a series of Transitional Moments that all work in unison will help nurture your prospects and move them up and down the sales funnel without them ever being made to feel like they're one of your prospects. You can go here for a specific video training on Transitional Moments. Download our Free Frameworks to Help You Sell More of What You Do: Go here to download our WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients. Go here to download our WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee. Go here to download our HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals. Go here to download our How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients. Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority  

Struggling with keeping your brand relevant in a fast-paced market? Elevate your strategy with high-impact personalization and cutting-edge AI techniques. In this episode, you'll learn how to stand out with targeted content, engage your audience, and remove sales friction seamlessly. You'll also hear inspiring success stories and practical tips for bold, risk-taking moves in marketing.And don't forget! You can crush your marketing strategy with just a few minutes a week by signing up for the StrategyCast Newsletter. You'll receive weekly bursts of marketing tips, clips, resources, and a whole lot more. Visit https://strategycast.com/ for more details.==Let's Break It Down==05:41 Innovators disrupting markets with visionary products.07:56 Marketers must lean in to embrace AI.10:05 Building services or products to meet needs.17:35 Friendship leading to lasting working relationships and respect.20:49 Combining friendship and business relationships is beautiful.23:13 Addressing the audience directly, emphasizing genuine passion.29:33 Utilizing data tools to gain consumer insights.33:18 Maintaining brand visibility, speeding up buying cycle.34:35 Diving into challenging context during current environment.38:35 Leaders focus on removing friction for clients.41:03 Brand success requires team alignment and personalization.46:09 Discussing strategy and lessons across disciplines.==Where You Can Find Us==Website: https://strategycast.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strategy_cast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategycast==Leave a Review==Hey there, StrategyCast fans!If you've found our tips and tricks on marketing strategies helpful in growing your business, we'd be thrilled if you could take a moment to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover how they can elevate their business game!

This episode is going to be one of those episodes where you ask yourself… “What in the world was that!?! – because that was ridiculously fun and super helpful!” My guest expert today is Erik Jensen. In case you're meeting Erik for the first time — he's my business partner here at Predictive ROI, and we've worked alongside each other for well over a decade. Erik has a depth of expertise in helping agency owners go deep into their niche to build their authority position — and then — monetize that position in the form of a steady stream of right-fit clients flowing into their sales pipelines so they can sell more of what they do. If you're a Predictive client — or if you've been a member of our community for a while now — you may also know that one of Erik's superpowers is system design — and in particular — CRMs — so think all things email marketing, content, process automation, workflows, and e-commerce. When Erik and I were thinking about him coming back to the podcast for another conversation — we explored the idea of focusing our time together around CRMs — and, in particular — how putting the right strategy and tech into practice inside your shop could help you streamline biz dev and ops — and in the process — help you sell more of what you do. If you've ever considered or questioned how the right CRM — combined with the right automation — might help you and your team grow your audience, nurture leads, and increase sales — while streamlining processes and workflows — then this conversation with Erik is for you. I promise you — if you take and apply the insights, wisdom, and expertise Erik shares during this episode — you and your team will find new ways to streamline biz dev and ops inside your shop so that you have the capacity to sell more of what you do. A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30 days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. What you will learn in this episode: What is the difference between CRMs and email marketing automation platforms? What are the top 3 questions Erik is asked when it comes to CRMs or email/marketing automation? How could an agency owner and their team tell if or when they should consider moving from a MailChimp or Constant Contact to a CRM like Keap, Hubspot, GoHighLevel? When Erik was evaluating all of the CRMs when choosing one for Predictive — what features and criteria were important to consider? Why is Erik a fan of Keap's automation builder? If you're considering onboarding a CRM — what would Erik recommend as your initial three action steps to start down that path? Download our Free Frameworks to Help You Sell More of What You Do: Get the WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients. Get the WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee. Get the HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals. Get the How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients. Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Welcome to the Sell with Authority Podcast – I'm Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If we happen to be meeting for the first time — Predictive ROI helps agency owners and their teams sell more of what they do…typically for a higher fee. We do that by helping our clients build an authority position in the niche they've decided to serve — and then — monetize that position by creating a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into their sales pipeline. If learning proven strategies, tactics, and best practices to help you sell more of what you do aligns with where you want to take your agency — you're in the right place. Today's episode is a solocast — just you and me. I'll take you behind the curtain into the content we created for an email writing workshop we delivered for Predictive ROI clients and then recently transformed into a new guide entitled “How to Write Effective Emails and Improve Your Open Rates.” The guide is so new that it hasn't been added to our Resource Library yet. But — if you'd like a copy — just email me at stephen@predictiveroi.com and I'll be sure to send it your way. During this episode — I'm going to share with you in full transparency our “Where to Begin” process for writing effective emails on behalf of our clients and as part of our own content strategy. How the content we create leans into the common questions we know our audience cares about. How our emails address the pain points we know our audience is feeling and how each message is designed to be helpful by sharing a relevant story. Honest — writing effective email content can be that simple. I look forward to your thoughts. A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30-days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. What you will learn in this episode is: How Box 1: What are the common questions you know your audience, clients, and prospects typically ask you when you're spending time together? How Box 2: What are the pain points, business issues, roadblocks, and challenges you know your prospects are trying to overcome? How Box 3: What are the outcomes they desire the most — so that when they look back on the last year — they will feel like they made measurable progress? How Box 4: What are the strategies, tactics, and solutions you know will help make a difference in their business — if they only took the time to apply what they learned from you? How Box 5: And lastly — what is a relevant story you can share that packages all of that into an easily digestible piece of content…an email? Download our Free Frameworks to Help You Sell More of What You Do: Get the WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients. Get the WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee. Get the HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals. Get the How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients. Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority Build a Better Agency Summit 2024: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/  

Welcome to the Sell with Authority Podcast – I'm Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If we happen to be meeting for the first time — Predictive ROI helps agency owners and their teams sell more of what they do…typically for a higher fee. We do that by helping our clients build an authority position in the niche they've decided to serve — and then — monetize that position by creating a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into their sales pipeline. If learning proven strategies, tactics, and best practices to help you sell more of what you do aligns with where you want to take your agency — you're in the right place. Today's episode is a solocast — just you and me. I'll take you behind the curtain into what we call the “Help Me Understand” framework here at Predictive — and how we use it every single time we have a conversation with a prospective client. We use it every single time because the framework keeps us on track and focused on the most important thing during those meetings…the person we're meeting with. This type of meeting is never about selling — and the last thing we ever want to do is look like we're trying to close a sale. You don't like when someone tries to close you so we would never suggest you try to “close” one of your prospects. Instead — the Help Me Understand framework sets the stage for a great business conversation where you ask helpful questions. Then — there's some leaning in, peeling back the layers, asking more questions…and if you've applied the framework in full…your prospective client will ask you, “So — I've done all the talking. How do you think you can help us?” Honest — it can be that simple. I look forward to your thoughts. A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30-days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here. What you will learn in this episode is: How Box 1: “Who you help” sets you and your prospective client for success because you'll find out how focused they are or if they're generalist. How Box 2: “What problems do you solve” will give you a glimpse into the strategies and tactics they consistently deploy to help their clients. How Box 3: “How does it work” will quickly show you if your prospective client has a methodology in place. Or — are they throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks? How Box 4: “Top 3 Most Vital Priorities…” gives you permission to ask about their goals — the data points agencies always want to know, but few are bold enough to ask. How Box 5: “Roadblock in your way…” will peel back the curtain and show you the “back of stage” problems and constraints — and if you can solve them — holy bananas — you may have just won your agency a brand new client. Download our Free Frameworks to Help You Sell More of What You Do: Get the WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients. Get the WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee. Get the HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals. Get the How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients. Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority Build a Better Agency Summit 2024: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/babasummit/  

Welcome to the Sell with Authority Podcast – I'm Stephen Woessner, CEO of Predictive ROI. If we happen to be meeting for the first time — Predictive ROI helps agency owners and their teams sell more of what they do…typically for a higher fee. We do that by helping our clients build an authority position in the niche they've decided to serve — and then — monetize that position by creating a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into their sales pipeline. If learning proven strategies, tactics, and best practices to help you sell more of what you do aligns with where you want to take your agency — you're in the right place. Today's episode is going to be a solocast—just you and me. We'll explore a topic at both a high level and an eye level so you and your team can take it and apply it. The goal is to answer the question, “How do you get it all done?” Back when Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute, and I decided to write our Sell with Authority book — we knew we needed to include some very practical and tactical recipes and guides on how to get all the work done. And I will tell you — when he and I teach our “Build and Nurture Your Sales Funnel” workshop — we spend a chunk of time on Day 2 helping attendees calendar and map out who in the shop is going to do all of the work so their plan doesn't fall apart when they get back home. For today's solocast, I'm going to take you behind the curtain into Appendices A and B in the back of our Sell with Authority book and share more about how we get it all done here at Predictive so you can take the same recipes and apply them to your shop. What you will learn in this episode is: How and why the WHO Framework and Transformational Triangle should serve as the foundation of your content strategy How to decide which form of cornerstone content is right for your gifts and talents How to leverage the cornerstone content to best grow your email list How do you decide on your cobblestones (they always come off the cornerstone, and the recipes in Appendix A will help) and the right cadence How to apply advanced strategies like knitting together your cobblestones to create a new and different cornerstone  

For over 25 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, along with his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” In this episode of the Progressive Agency Podcast, I interview Stephen about the importance of proactive tax planning for agency owners to maximize deductions and savings. Stephen emphasizes how proper tax planning and financial literacy force agency owners to think differently about money and the business. We discuss some confusing aspects of running an agency, especially around financial operations like cash flow, overhead costs, AP, and AR. Stephen shares how it took his agency years to implement an effective system for managing invoices and finances. Now they utilize solutions like Bill.com and consistently check in with their systems and processes. Stephen later shares his "Big 3" framework for saving time — identifying the 3 priority activities that drive both personal joy and business growth. Everything else gets deprioritized or delegated elsewhere.    What you will learn in this episode:  Reframing thinking around money and taxes Assumptions about tax deductions that cost agency owners tens of thousands of dollars Growing operations is a huge part of growing a business Financial education is critical for agency owners Time-saving tactics for agency owners Finding experts who care about the work they do for the benefit of others   Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority  

I am super excited to welcome our guest expert, Hannah Roth, to this episode of Sell With Authority. It is always a pleasure to have her on the podcast – so much so that this is her sixth time with us! Hannah is Predictive ROI's mad scientist and strategist (that is her actual title, by the way) and works with clients to define and achieve their business goals, overcome challenges, and find new growth opportunities. On this episode, we uncover the biggest A-HAs that she's identified from her time working alongside agency owners in the trenches. In our conversation, we highlight pitfalls for agency owners — and the best ways to overcome them. Hannah sheds light on how each of these observations are tied to one another, and that solving one allows agency owners to solve the others. What you will learn in this episode:  The biggest A-HAs that she's identified from her time working alongside agency owners in the trenches Unraveling the lack of confidence in selling How to sell outcomes instead of deliverables What NOT to do on sales calls Understanding conceptual agreements and how they inject confidence and respect into the conversation How to align prices to business goals to sell with purpose and not fear Ways to contact Hannah: Email: Hannah.Roth@predictiveroi.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Join us in our free “How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline” Facebook Group

Who do you spend the majority of your time with? Do their values, align with yours? Are they heading in the same direction that you want to be going? Have they accomplished things that you would like to do someday? Today's guest Stephen Woessner opens up about just how important this is. How the people and things that surround your life, truly make a difference in the trajectory of your goals.    In this episode, you'll discover…  What is the key trait to winning at work and at home? (1:12) When do you know to be patient? (5:50) How Stephen grounds himself (12:05) Your greater story. (17:49) Who you spend time with, matters. (31:31)   Stephen's Bio: For nearly two decades, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches consulting with hundreds of clients and teaching them how to leverage Web 2.0 tactics like search engine optimization (SEO) and social media to expand into new markets, introduce new products, decrease costs, and increase revenues. Woessner is a leading Web 2.0 authority, bestselling author, and instructor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Small Business Development Center. Woessner is also a business owner and has made costly mistakes along the way. He built one of his previous companies up to a valuation of $10 million and was planning an initial public offering. However, he lost millions when the dot com bubble imploded. This expensive lesson taught Woessner the valuable principle of always measuring the return on investment (ROI) before any action is taken. These lessons formed the foundation of his latest company, Predictive ROI. The company is based on a trademarked Web 2.0 method developed by Woessner. Instead of focusing on increasing traffic to a company's website, Predictive ROI increases the right traffic...the traffic that provides the lowest bounce rate, the traffic that increases conversions...and Predictive ROI measures the increases in traffic and conversions before a single optimized content page is ever created. For example, the social networking aspect of Predictive ROI can increase website traffic by 23 percent and conversion rates by 780 percent. Woessner's practical and tactical training sessions and keynote presentations are exactly aligned with this ROI principle. Attendees have commented that the most valuable benefit is that his processes empower executives, business owners, and managers so they can implement the steps and action plan themselves without needing technical skills. Woessner has been quoted in Inc. Magazine, E-commerce Times, B-to-B Online Magazine, Counselor Magazine, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Wisconsin Public Radio, and other media for his Web 2.0 insights. He frequently teaches training sessions throughout the University of Wisconsin system including the prestigious UW-Madison School of Business. Woessner is a bestselling author. His first book is entitled The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization. The book has been ranked as high as #3 on Amazon.com United States, #1 on Amazon.com United Kingdom, and #16 on Amazon.com France for its category. His second book is entitled Increase Online Sales through Viral Social Networking and was released in March. He is currently writing his third book. Woessner earned his MBA and Bachelor of Science in marketing from UW-La Crosse. Woessner is also a graduate of Black Hills State University and the Community College of the Air Force. He lives in La Crosse, Wisconsin with his wife and daughter. Learn more at www.predictiveroi.com   What's Next?  Are you struggling to win at both home and work? Maybe you're crushing it at work, but home life is tough. Or maybe home life is great, but work is challenging.  I want to give you 10 tips that I share with clients. Go to my website at www.corymcarlson.com/subscribe and download your free copy of “10 Ways To Win At Home and at Work.”   Have you read ‘Rise and Go'? All leaders get knocked down from time to time, so this is a resource to help you get back up quicker.  Check it out on Amazon. Also, if you have not checked out my first book, please do! It is called Win At Home First and you can purchase it on Amazon Here. Forbes Magazine rated it one of 7 books everyone on your team should read.

How do you sell agency services with authority? Now that's a million-dollar question. Luckily, today's guest has the answers. Let's welcome to the show Stephen Woessner, Founder and CEO of Predictive ROI and a bestselling author, to discuss content marketing, agency sales, and so much more. Back to the question; Stephen explains on the show that building niche authority takes a recipe of getting really clear on your vertical, honing in on your point of view, and delivering all of that consistently through content marketing. In this episode, Corey and Stephen discuss content programs, how agencies should divide their output between cornerstone content and cobblestone content to maximize distribution and reach, and why so many agencies dive head-first into content programs that quickly fizzle out. Stephen believes that most agencies go about business development in the least effective, most painful way. His methodology, Selling with Authority, offers agency leaders a better way to approach and organize their sales efforts. Listen to the full show to learn just how. Corey and Jonathan discuss: How content builds authority. What the recipe for successful content marketing looks like. Notes on defining a niche. Build a unique POV showing you care about your industry beyond selling services. Here are some actionable key takeaways for agency founders: Building authority in a niche takes years to accrue. You sell more of your smarts as opposed to deliverables. Repurpose your cornerstone content into social media posts, checklists, emails, and so on. Master one content channel before moving on to the next. This episode covers topics like agency content marketing, defining your niche, and driving sales at an agency. The resources mentioned in this episode are: - Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn Here - Learn About Predictive ROI Here - Listen to Sell With Authority Here Join us for a goldmine of lessons in verticalized agency revenue growth.

If you want to see what relationship-first marketing looks like, spend a few weeks inside Stephen Woessner's How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline facebook group. It's free, and he legitimately gives away every ounce of what he's got. He never holds back, and he never stops giving more. It's humbling, really, to watch from the outside. He's the embodiment of generosity and the living example of what happens when you lead with your values. For over 25 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy, consulting with hundreds of agencies, business coaches, and consultants — and teaching them how to plant their flag of authority, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipelines with a steady stream of right-fit clients. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, working alongside his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the "Onward Nation" and "Sell with Authority" podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His marketing insights have been featured in major media and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority." Links + Resources from this episodeReach Stephen at stephen@predictiveroi.comFind Stephen at predictiveroi.comConnect with Storyhouse FifteenFind Lindsay on LinkedIn STORYHOUSE is a production of Storyhouse Fifteen, a strategic coaching and branding studio that helps small business owners and do-good organizations find the clarity, the story, and the strategy to reach more people and grow their impact. Find Lindsay at storyhousefifteen.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

I am thrilled to welcome our special guest expert to this episode of Sell With Authority, Mark Levy. Mark is the Founder of Levy Innovation and has an impressive track record of helping clients break free from the sea of sameness. He's done it over 25,000 times for prominent figures like Simon Sinek, heads of divisions within two different White House administrations, the Strategy unit of the Harvard Business School, the CEO of Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen, and even individuals associated with Major League Baseball who have spoken at the United Nations. I invited Mark to join us today because he's a true expert in solving a chronic problem that many agencies and consulting firms face — the challenge of standing out in a crowded market. Mark understands that even though you and your team might be branding, demand generation, or PR experts, when it comes to showcasing your own uniqueness, it can feel like you're the cobbler's kids. Candidly, one of the most effective ways to attract a steady stream of right-fit clients into your sales pipeline is to stake your claim, own the ground you're standing on, and, most importantly, stop sounding like everyone else. Mark and I focus on how to pick the right story to tell — because by telling it — you step away from the sea of sameness in a real and differentiated way. What you will learn in this episode: Why agencies and consulting firms excel at helping clients but struggle to differentiate themselves The common challenges that agencies face when being stuck in the sea of sameness Why the key to attracting right-fit clients is differentiation How agencies can distinguish themselves authentically How to artistically select the perfect narrative to set your agency apart Resources: Website: https://www.levyinnovation.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levyinnovation/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LevyInnovation November Intensive We're getting our Predictive ROI clients together for our next 2-day Intensive on Wednesday & Thursday, November 15th & 16th, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon Central on Zoom. It's a private client-only event designed to help everyone in the room move their businesses further faster. Would you like to join us? Just email Stephen (Stephen at Predictiveroi.com) with the word “ONWARD,” and we'll be in touch with the full details, calendar invites, and Zoom links. Additional Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group

For over 30 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside and consulting with hundreds of agencies, business coaches, and consultants — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, working alongside his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” In this solocast episode of the podcast, Stephen shares his insights and strategies around how to architect your next sales call so you help your prospect move closer to becoming your next new client — without feeling like you are trying to “close” the sale. This solocast also serves as a preview of Day 2 of our upcoming 2-day Intensive on November 15th & 16th, 2023. More details below. During this Episode — you will learn how to: Create your own version of our “Help Me Understand…” worksheet Link the “Vital Priorities” and “Issues” from the worksheet into the proposals you write Structure your proposals using five ingredients that will make it easy for a prospective client to say “YES!” Apply our “seeding and opening loops” sales closing technique Share your value ladder / service levels / offers with your prospective clients in full transparency you are selling without selling November Intensive We're getting our Predictive ROI clients together for our next 2-day Intensive on Wednesday & Thursday, November 15th & 16th, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon Central on Zoom. It's a private client-only event designed to help everyone in the room move their businesses further faster. We have 30 guest seats available. Would you like to join us? Just email Stephen (Stephen@predictiveroi.com) with the word “ONWARD,” and we'll be in touch with the full details, calendar invites, and Zoom links. Free Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Meet Henry DeVriesHenry DeVries, MBA, is the CEO of Indie Books International, a company he cofounded in 2014 to work with agency owners and strategic consultants who want to attract right-fit clients by marketing with a book and speech (www.indiebooksintl.com). He is the author of 17 books including Marketing With A Book For Agency Owners. Since 2010, he has ghostwritten, coauthored, and published more than 300 business books, including his McGraw Hill bestseller How to Close a Deal like Warren Buffett. Henry's articles have appeared in forbes.com, the Associated Press, and various magazines. He can be reached at henry@indiebooksintl.com. Learn more about Henry by visiting the website for Indie Books International: http://www.indiebooksintl.com.Henry, how does a book help with your authority marketing efforts? Well, as our friends at Predictive ROI and Agency Management Institute say, a book can be the cornerstone for your authority marketing. And then the real leverage is talking about doing what I'm doing here on a podcast with you. Or I'm going to be giving a speech tomorrow at the University of California at Irvine at their innovation center. A lot of these [opportunities] come from the writing that I do and being an author; that makes sense to be on a stage. So, you use the book as the authority marketing tool. Your sales strategy is talking about the book. And that's what gets you the right fit prospects into your sales pipeline.Why do you say publishing the book is the starting line and not the finish line?There are so many people out there who're all about the book, about coaching you to write the book, and/or writing the book for you or their publishing service. And you get your book out. But let me give your audience a hard truth… Nobody gets discovered because they write a book. It's like nobody gets discovered because they put a website up on the internet. Books don't promote authors, authors promote books. And in the promotion of the book with the spotlight being on the book, it reflects on you and attracts people who want to have conversations with you about what you do and how you solve problems for people like them. So, we say publishing the book is the starting line. And it's a marathon, not a sprint. This is a long race you're going to be going on, and I have some minimum monthly requirements for my authors. Here they are. One: Do Two Showcase Speeches a Month. Either podcast or something you host like a Q&A session, or on somebody else's stage where you're a virtual or live presenter. Two of those a month and then send 20 books out a month. Two: People Who Could Book You as a Speaker Could Hire You for Your Service. If you do that on a consistent basis, you're gonna sell enough books to pay for the whole effort. And then we measured a return on investment of 4x to 220x. In other words, if people put in, let's say, $25,000 into this effort, they should get $100 to $250,000 to a half million back in extra revenue. And we have a study that shows that. People are on record with the amount of money that the book has made them. And we're out there with measurable results and testimonials to prove it.Connect with Henry!Connect on LinkedInIndie Books InternationalEmail Henry (henry@indiebooksintl.com) to get a free digital PDF copy of his book “Marketing with a Book” or “Persuade with a Story!”

For over 25 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, along with his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” Free Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Join our next QA Session: https://predictiveroi.com/qa/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority Share this episode on:

For over 25 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, along with his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” Free Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

For over 25 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside agencies and consultants — teaching them how to build their authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business.   Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, along with his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” At Predictive ROI — we believe most agencies and consultants go about sales and new business development in the least effective, most painful way possible — and that there's a better way. We call it the Sell with Authority Methodology. Here's the reality — we're entering the era of the authority. And while you may already be sick of the phrase “thought leader,” — the truth is — there aren't that many of them in our industry. Thought leaders don't write content anyone could claim. Thought leaders don't write about anything and everything. And thought leaders never compete on price. Thought leaders are afforded the highest level of confidence and trust because they have a depth of knowledge and a point of view that can't be denied or easily replicated. Thoughts leaders are also very clear on how and where they can help their clients. And their time is now. Building your authority position will help you grow a thriving, profitable business that can weather the constant change that seems to be our world's reality. How do you future-proof your shop? How do you attract your right-fit clients so they're proactively asking you how you can help them? How do you step away from the sea of other agencies and stand out? Building a defensible authority position is the solution for all that. And having a razor-sharp understanding of who you help (niche) and the business issues and challenges you help them solve (how you help) gets you down the path further faster. Today's episode is another installment in our desire to help you and your team help you accomplish the goal of further faster. Free Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Staying Ahead of the Curve: Growing a Resilient Business in a Changing World w/ Stephen Woessner Stephen Woessner is the CEO of Predictive ROI, bestselling author, and host of the Sell with Authority - a podcast for agency owners, business coaches, and strategic consultants who are looking to grow a thriving, profitable business that can weather the constant change that seems to be our world's reality. Stephen is the author of numerous books, including the #1 best-selling Profitable Podcasting. What you'll learn in the episode: What is planting the flag of authority and why is it important? How can a podcast episode or a book could be sliced and diced into a certain number of pieces of content? What are the substantial and valuable pieces of contents that we can utilize as a foundation to convey our message effectively? How to assist clients to get into the zone of clarity? Connect with Stephen: Website: https://predictiveroi.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stephenwoessner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PredictiveROI Book a Free-30 Minute Coaching Session with Brian O'Neill MORE FROM BRIAN: Download the FREE 5 Step Guide to learn Brian's 5 steps to jumpstart your W2 Prison Break! Connect with Brian on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook Subscribe to W2 Prison Break on YouTube LINKS TO OUR PARTNERS: Grab Brian's Recommended Mic on Amazon Learn How to Get all the Money You Need to Fund Your Business with Fund & Grow Learn What Brian's Favorite Book is on Amazon

I am thrilled to welcome back to this episode of Sell With Authority the brilliant Hannah Roth. Hannah is our very own mad scientist and strategist here at Predictive ROI. She is no stranger to our community of rock-solid awesome agency owners and strategic consultants, as she consistently shares her expertise through various platforms like open-mic Q&As, 2-day Intensives, Teach & Do sessions, and our Facebook group. This marks Hannah's fourth appearance on the Sell with Authority podcast, with her previous insightful contributions in Episodes 35, 48, and 54 — all of which I highly recommend adding to your must-listen list. What truly sets Hannah apart is her unwavering dedication to being relentlessly helpful in all her interactions with our audience, whether in-person or virtually. Every time she takes the stage, her curriculum is meticulously prepared with one overarching goal: to provide immense value to our community and right-fit clients. Let me set the stage for what we explore. I can assure you that the issue and challenge Hannah helps us tackle today has likely hindered your results, or left you feeling like you're trying to grow your business with one hand tied behind your back. We delve into the critical topic of building an email list — more specifically, how to accomplish this from scratch without relying on paid ads or complicated technology. Holy Bananas – it's one of those episodes where you ask yourself, “What in the world was that — because that was awesome!” What you will learn in this episode:  Context around siphoning an audience What happens when you approach an audience with intentionality behind the strategy Why showing up helpful will grow your sphere of influence Potential opportunities to get in front of other audiences The advantages of deepening relationships by providing helpful, informative, and actionable information Resources: How to Siphon Other's Audiences Into Your Own Framework Predictive ROI Frameworks Library: https://predictiveroi.com/resources/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ SWA Episode 35: Stephen Woessner in the Hot Seat, with Hannah Roth SWA Episode 48: Sales Closing Techniques Without Feeling Like You're Closing, with Hannah Roth SWA Episode 54: Turn Ranting Into Revenue, with Hannah Roth

Noah sits down with Stephen Woessner—CEO of Predictive ROI, a marketing agency that helps agencies, coaches, and consultants grow their audiences, nurture more leads, and increase their sales.Connect with Noah: noah@profitwithpodcasting.comTune in every Wednesday for a new episode of The High-Ticket Offer. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!

I am so excited about the latest episode of Sell With Authority! Hannah Roth, Predictive ROI's own mad scientist and strategist joins me as we introduce a brand new framework fresh out of the Predictive lab. Hannah often works in the trenches helping clients define and achieve their business goals, overcome challenges, and find new opportunities for growth. She loves helping people, and being on the front lines alongside agency owners, coaches, and strategic consultants is where she thrives.  We're calling this framework “how to turn ranting into revenue.” We've created a strategic process for how to articulate your rant, how to connect your rant to business issues and challenges that your clients and prospects face every day, and then how to help them provide solutions. Which, of course, then drives revenue for you and your team. As always, Hannah has cooked up a few surprises along the way because she always does, where she seems to never miss an opportunity to turn the tables on me and then put me in the hot seat. What you will learn in this episode:  How to invite our right-fit prospects to take a position on a topic and discover their true passion and motivation What is “analysis paralysis,” and how can we avoid it How our new framework will help you take control of your sales pipeline and finally solve the feast or famine of biz dev Practical and tactical steps for turning problems, or pain points, into opportunities Why working in the trenches with our right-fit clients will improve their confidence and value proposition When we will host an open Q&A to share this new framework virtually live Ways to contact Hannah: Email: Hannah.Roth@predictiveroi.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

For over 30 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside and consulting with hundreds of agencies, business coaches, and consultants — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, working alongside his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” In this solocast episode of Sell With Authority, Stephen shares his insights and strategies for finding and attracting ideal clients for your business. Drawing from his own experiences as a lifelong baseball fan, Stephen explores the parallels between the game and the world of business, highlighting key strategies and insights that will help you and your team be more successful. While exploring the parallels, Stephen uses baseball analogies to illustrate the concept of getting “at bats” with potential clients and how to scout out and attract clients who are right-fit for your business. He also discusses the importance of having a well-defined customer avatar and using data to track and optimize your marketing efforts. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, this episode offers valuable tips and strategies for finding and attracting your ideal clients and taking your business to the next level. What You Will Learn: The concept of getting “at bats” with potential clients and how to scout out and attract clients who are right-fit for your business The importance of understanding your own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to attracting right-fit clients The power of building relationships and delivering value to win over clients The role of communication and feedback in maintaining successful client relationships How to continuously evaluate and adjust your approach to attract and retain the right-fit clients Strategies for crafting a compelling message that resonates with your audience The power of social media and networking in attracting clients and building relationships Resources: Website: www.predictiveroi.com Visit our newly expanded Resource Library Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/ Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Stephen Woessner - For over 25 years, Stephen has been in the trenches working alongside and consulting with hundreds of clients — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, fill their sales pipeline with right-fit prospects, and ultimately, drive revenue. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and owner. He's the host of the Sell with Authority podcast and his marketing insights have been featured in Inc. Magazine, Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, The Washington Post, and other media. He's the bestselling author of five books including his latest entitled, Sell With Authority, which he co-authored with Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute.

Hannah Roth is Predictive ROI's mad scientist and strategist (That is her actual title, by the way). Her background as a Fisheries Biologist coupled with her experience as a small business owner has allowed her to offer a unique perspective synthesizing data analysis with strategic insights. Hannah often works in the trenches helping clients define and achieve their business goals, overcome challenges, and find new opportunities for growth. She loves helping people, and being on the front lines alongside agency owners, coaches, and strategic consultants is where she thrives. Hannah holds a Bachelor of Science from Valdosta State University and is currently enrolled in Harvard Business School with a focus on Business Strategy. I asked Hannah to join me on this episode of Sell With Authority to share her insights on a sales closing technique that we use here at Predictive ROI in our own business development. It's called seeding and opening loops, and it removes friction from the sales process. And – HOLY BANANAS – her perspective and wisdom around this powerful business strategy will be super helpful for the next time you are meeting with a right-fit client! What you will learn in this episode:  How we define seeding and opening loops The ingredients in the recipe for seeding and opening loops Why it is crucial to keep your clients lens in the center when seeding and opening loops How to seed and open loops with an existing client How to use this sales closing technique with right-fit prospects Ways that you can take and apply this sales process  in your business development strategy Ways to contact Hannah: Email: Hannah.Roth@predictiveroi.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/ Join us in our free “How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline” Facebook Group

For over 30 years, Stephen Woessner has been in the trenches of agency new business strategy working alongside and consulting with hundreds of agencies, business coaches, and consultants — teaching them how to plant their flag of authority within the markets they serve, grow their audience, and fill their sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients so they can win new business. Stephen founded Predictive ROI in 2009 and remains its CEO and co-owner, working alongside his business partner, Erik Jensen. Stephen hosts the “Onward Nation” and “Sell with Authority” podcasts with listeners in over 140 countries and over 1,000 episodes. His agency new business and marketing insights have been featured in major media, and he's the bestselling author of five books, including his latest entitled, “Sell With Authority.” Here at Predictive ROI — we believe that most agencies, coaches, and consultants go about sales and new business development in the least effective, most painful way possible — and that there's a better way. We call it the Sell with Authority Methodology. We also believe that we're entering the era of the AUTHORITY. And if you occupy the coveted “expert” status — you'll be afforded the highest level of confidence and trust from your clients, prospects, and other stakeholders during the new business process because you have a depth of knowledge and point-of-view that can't be denied or easily replicated. Everything we teach and share in our practical and tactical agency new business strategy sessions are designed to help agencies, coaches, and consultants capitalize on the huge shift taking place in business development today. In our hyper-competitive market for awareness and attention — you should look to plant your flag of authority and then leverage this position to fill your sales pipeline with right-fit prospects while developing deeper relationships with existing customers. And we hope today's episode that breaks down our fastest agency new business strategy will help you move closer to the goal of building and scaling your business. Agency new business strategies that we break down in this episode: What is our fastest agency new business strategy How we refined the Trojan Horse of Sales Strategy and linked it with building our “Dream 25” list of prospects How to decide which prospects make the list and which don't (You can download the WHO Framework here) What's the ideal cadence for staying in touch with each prospect, and will you just send gifts? How much budget should you invest in building a relationship with each Dream 25 prospect? Will your Dream 25 list — and the criteria you used to build the list — ever need to shift? Other helpful business development resources: Increasing sales through the Trojan Horse of Sales Strategy (podcast episode) Why you need the Trojan Horse of Sales Strategy (podcast episode) How to build your Dream 25 strategy (podcast episode) Go long with your Dream 25 strategy (podcast episode) Why your Dream 25 matters (podcast episode) Download the WHO Framework here to “find & identify,” “emotionally and logically connect,” and “niche deep dive.” Our fastest agency new business strategies are detailed in our Sell with Authority book. Order your free paperback or Kindle copy here. Why pivoting your agency niche will help you sell better (Interview with Drew McLellan for the Build a Better Agency Podcast)

Riches in Niches and How to Attract High-Paying Clients I'm excited for you to meet our special encore guest expert today — Henry DeVries. If you're meeting Henry for the first time — he's the CEO of Indie Books International. He's the former president of an award-winning “Ad Age 500” marketing agency — and — Henry is also a weekly columnist for Forbes.com. Henry was my guest for Episode 15 of the podcast, where he shared his expertise around strategies and tactics for writing a book — and then — how to use the book as your primary marketing strategy — or, as Henry likes to say — “Marketing with a Book.” We'll be sure to add a link to Episode 15 to today's show notes.  Okay — I invited Henry to join me for this encore interview so we could focus our time and attention on Chapter 5 of Henry's latest book entitled, “Marketing with a Book for Agency Owners.” He titled Chapter 5 — “Riches in Niches.” If you've been listening to this podcast for a while now — or if you've read our books — or attended any of our open-mic Q&As or live workshops — you know that here at Predictive ROI…we're big fans of building a riches in niches strategy. I'm going to quickly quote Henry from Chapter 5… Henry writes, “To attract high-paying clients, agency owners must be clear on their ideal prospects. But a target market with a problem is not enough. Agency owners also must find target clients that can afford to pay what you want to charge.”  Okay — it's here at the intersection of these two points that Henry and I focused our riches in niches discussion. How to find right-fit prospects who are willing to pay what you want to charge — and I would argue that when you do this work correctly and your content strategy is on point and generous — your right-fit prospects will be EAGER to pay your premium price. To help us get there — I asked Henry to walk us through what he calls the “10 filter questions” that you and your team can use as you work through the process of niching down.  In my opinion — Henry's 10 filter questions are critically important to the process of seeking riches in niches because if we don't get it right at the beginning — HOLY BANANAS — it's most likely not going to feel right 2-3 years into your “niche” strategy.  I promise you — if you take and apply Henry's advice and build a strategy around riches in niches — and then — have the courage to build an authority position deep in the niche (instead of being sort of committed), you consistently create helpful cornerstone and cobblestone content that shares your smarts with your audience. If you do this work — you'll not only be seen as the AUTHORITY in the niche, but your sales pipeline will go from being dry to being filled with a steady stream of right-fit clients from within the niche who are eager to work with you — AND — willing to pay your premium price to do it.  That's the recipe for riches in niches.   What you'll learn from this episode about riches in niches: Why your riches in niches strategy needs to include stories that matter and where you ought to share them Why it's so important to share the right social proof with your prospective clients How to find prospects in niches who are willing to pay what you want to charge How to identify and then properly step into the right pond within the right niche How to work through the 10 filtering questions to do the right work up front to help ensure you tap into the riches in niches     Speaker 1: (00:03) Welcome to the Sell With Authority podcast. I'm Stephen Woessner, c e o of predictive roi. And my team and I, we created this podcast specifically for you. So, if you're an agency, agency owner, a business coach, or a strategic consultant, and you're looking to grow a thriving, profitable business that can weather the constant change that seems to be our world's reality, then you're in the right place. You want proven strategies for attracting a steady stream of well-prepared right fit prospects into your sales pipeline. Yep. We're gonna cover that. You wanna learn how to step away from the sea of competitors, so you actually stand out and own the ground you're standing on. Yep. We're gonna cover that too. You wanna futureproof your business so you can navigate the next challenges that come your way. Well, absolutely. We'll help you there as well. I promise you. Speaker 1: (01:02) Each episode of this podcast will contain valuable insights and tangible examples of best practices, never theory from thought leaders, experts, owners who have done exactly what you're working hard to do. So I want you to think practical and tactical. Never any fluff. Each of our guests have built a position of authority and then monetized that position by claiming their ground, by growing their audience, by nurturing leads, and yes, by converting sales. But all the while they did it by being helpful. So every time someone from their audience turned around there, they were with a helpful answer to an important question, so their prospects never felt like they were a prospect. I also promise you every strategy we discuss, every tool we recommend will be shared in full transparency in each episode. So you can plant your flag of authority, claim your ground, and fill your sales pipeline with a steady stream of right fit clients. Speaker 1: (02:09) So I am super excited for you to meet our very special encore guest expert today, Henry DeVries. If you're meeting Henry for the first time, he's the c e o of Indie Books International. He's the former president of an award-winning ad age 500 marketing agency, and Henry is a weekly columnist for forbes.com. Henry was also my guest for episode 15 of the podcast where Henry shared his expertise around strategies and tactics for writing a book, and then how to use the book as your primary marketing strategy, or as Henry likes to say, marketing with a book. So, we'll be sure to add a link to episode 15 to today's show notes to make it super easy to find. It's a great episode. Okay, so I invited Henry to join me for this encore so we could focus our time and attention on chapter five of Henry's latest book, which is entitled Marketing with a Book for Agency Owners. Speaker 1: (03:09) He titled Chapter Five, riches in the Niches. And if you've been listening to this podcast for a while now, or if you've read our books or attended any of our open mic q and as or live workshops, you know that here at Predictive roi, we are big fans of itching. So I'm gonna quickly quote Henry here, uh, from chapter five of the book, Henry writes, to attract high paying clients, agency owners must be clear on their ideal prospects, and then he goes on to write, but a target market where the problem is not enough agency owners also must find target clients that can afford to pay what you wanna charge. Okay? So it's at the intersection of these two points that Henry and I will focus our discussion today, how to find right fit prospects who are willing to pay what you want to charge. Speaker 1: (04:05) And I would argue that when you do this work correctly and your content strategy is on point and generous, your right fit prospects will be eager to pay your premium price. To help us get there, I'm going to ask Henry to walk us through what he calls the 10 filter questions that you and your team can use as you work through the process of nicheing down. Because in my opinion, Henry's 10 filter questions are critically important to the process of seeking riches in the niches. Because if we don't get it right at the beginning, well, holy bananas is most likely not gonna feel right two to three years down the road. I promise you, if you take an apply Henry's advice and seek the riches in the niches, and then have the courage to actually build an authority position deep in the niche and not be kind of committed to the niche, so you're consistently creating helpful cornerstone and cobblestone content that shares your smarts with your prospective clients, clients in the niche, you'll not only be seen as the authority in the niche, but you will fill your sales pipeline with a steady stream of right fit clients who are eager to work with you and who are willing to pay your premium price to do it. Speaker 1: (05:29) So without further ado, my friend, welcome back to the Sell With Authority Podcast. Henry, Speaker 2: (05:36) Thank you for inviting me to talk about riches niches. You're very welcome. April, 2022, the place, Oceanside, California. I'm celebrating the eighth anniversary of Indie books. Okay? We've published over 150 authors. Life is great. I'm not happy. Okay? I'm at a crossroads. Sounds like there's a story there. You're gonna start a hospital. There's a story there. I'm at Crossroads and I go, I teach this riches and niches and I've helped so many people, and I don't feel that we've really found ours, huh? Because I had focused on consultants and coaches, okay? And there was just something missing. And the, the ponds and the groups that I, the watering holes and Pamela Slim of the Whitest Nets language, you know, the, they just weren't feeling totally right for me. Okay? So I did a, I did an exercise. I, I went on a retreat, just me in a car to a motel to think of this through, okay? Speaker 2: (06:45) Made a list of all our authors and divided them into groups, okay? And there was this one group that I liked to work with the most agency owners, because I was an agency owner. And matter of fact, indie Books International is an agency. It's a marketing agency in disguise, as a publishing company, okay? And we, we help people get speaking, but part of it was this training aspect where we train you to give speeches, get on podcasts, do these things to amplify your work. That's my word for the years, Steven. Amplify. We need to amplify our work. That's a good word. Talk about that. So I went and, and the agency owners were, and I said, well, where could I go meet agency owners? So I researched, and there were 10 places where they gather that I found, and one was called the Baba, b a b summit, build a Better Agency Summit. Speaker 2: (07:44) Uhhuh. . And it was over $2,000 to attend a little problem. I didn't have an extra $2,000, but I do cover marketing for forbes.com. I've been a paid columnist for five years. So I contacted the Baba Summit people into my surprise, they said, yes, you can have a media credential come cover us, um, at the Western in Chicago. Mm-hmm. . So meanwhile, I start to call some of these agency owners that I'd helped do their books. And I said, you know, whatever happened as a result of the book. And Tom Young, uh, one of my authors said, oh, you helped us get to the million dollar level. And then we, we leveraged that book, and now we're at 2 million a year. Um, I talked to another person and she said, oh, I didn't have any Fortune 500 companies when we started. I've tripled my revenues, and now I'm working for the one of the top five banks in America, one of the top five financial houses in America, a a billion dollar Japanese technology company. Speaker 2: (08:51) As a result of this, I'm going like, well, those are some, I said, would you, would you put that in writing? Could I put that in writing? Well, of course. Would you tell other people? You know, could I put you on video? Oh, yeah. Send anybody my way. I'm going like, okay, check. We, we've got something going here. Right? Also, they were the, um, most willing to pay. Some of them told me, uh, you know, you, you're not charging enough. This is what the agents, this is what the agency owners were sharing. They were telling me that I wasn't charging them enough, right. Uh, for what they were getting from me. Okay? So I go to the, the Baba Summit. I did not know you were involved, Steven, I knew you from being in a, a couple of appearances on Onward Nation. Um, I, I think I had written about a couple of your clients and Forbes, so that was our relationship. Speaker 2: (09:39) But I see you were one of the sponsors there and involved, and that was great. Within an hour of being there. Everything I've been teaching for the last 15 years in writing about, but unwilling to do as a service, you were preaching at, at Baba, the p baba speakers were preaching, and they had people there to do it. You know, if you wanted podcasts, you could go to predictive roi. If you wanted a, um, a proprietary research study, you could go to audience audit. So it was like, these are my people. Mm-hmm. , uh, this is so great. And I had decided then, okay, I'm going all in. Now. Let me tell you, fear never sleeps. To go all in on a target niche is a scary proposition. Um, you're worried that by declaring I work for these people, your referral sources are gonna dry up Uhhuh, . Speaker 2: (10:35) I can assure you, they do not. Right? The the other thing that happens is you're, you're afraid that somebody will read your website and go, oh, well, that's not for me. I can assure you it's not. I have people call me up and say, look, I, I know I'm not an agency owner, but, uh, I run this consulting company and could I please convince you to work with me? Right. You know, go on . I'll say, you know, and, and, uh, some have and have done wonderful projects. Meanwhile, , so I, I commit to this. This is May and I, I think I've gotta write a book. I've gotta write a book about this, but I am very busy. When am I gonna have time to write another book? So, um, and we all have different faiths, and I respect that. And, um, in, in California, I have to say the universe or the universe will manifest when I'm, when I'm out in, uh, the Midwest with you, I can say God helps those who help themselves. Speaker 2: (11:35) So, but I, I prayed on it and I prayed for time to get this book done. Be careful what you pray for . I was give, in August, I was giving five workshops for CEOs on how to persuade with a story. Mm-hmm. , uh, that's what I'm paid to speak on. I've written books on that. And on, uh, day five, I contract covid. So I'm in Memphis, Tennessee, um, thousands of miles from home. Nobody there. I have to check into this, uh, cheap motel to quarantine for a week. Yep. And, uh, my healthcare got right on it got me into a doctor who prescribed the drug, PAX Lobin for me. Mm-hmm. . So I'm on a, a five day protocol of Pax Lobin. Well, it knocked it down right away. And I thought, well, I don't wanna watch TV and I'll just start writing the book. Five days later, the book was written, you know, thank you. Speaker 2: (12:38) I'm grateful for that time, . I wish it could have been like a little more enjoyable, but I got the book done and started rolling. I know I needed refinements. So, uh, signed up with predictive roi. We did the, the 90 day program, really refined it. Um, Eric, on your team, uh, I, I love Eric dearly because he challenged me on everything. Um, he gave me pushback on everything. It wasn't like, oh, great, this, like, no, this and that. What happens if this happens? And like, oh man, that would've been a huge mistake if I'd gone that way. So, very grateful to predictive roi. And then I saw, um, workshops by you and Drew McClellan of AMI in, in Florida. Um, didn't have the money for that. Went to the board and said, we need to personally borrow money, uh, so I can go to Disney World for a conference in December and January. Speaker 2: (13:34) Um, and then when I explained it, all my wife said, a hunch. Henry had a hunch. And we bet on the hunch. And the hunch worked. So, um, I've been picking up agency clients. You told me I needed to double my prices and hire better people. I went out and did that. Yep. Um, and then when people would call me, I would give that higher price, and they didn't blink. So it all came back to what we're gonna talk about today, these filter questions. Yep. Um, agency owners pass the filter questions test for me, and I hope the filter questions help the listeners today. Speaker 1: (14:15) Awesome. Well, so let's, I, I want to tease out just one piece outta outta what you just said about the, the workshop and not, and not, and not like promoting the workshop or advertising the workshop, but your recognition about how the Baba Summit and how the workshop and how you participate in our community, how you participate in the Agency Management Institute community and, and so forth. And how you've been very strategic in, uh, aligning partnerships and friendships and all of that, because those are efforts to get deeper into the niche. And, and I'm not saying that those are not great relationships and personal relationships and turning into friendships and that kind of stuff. I, I'm, I'm not saying that those are like surfacey, they're, and they're not genuine because I know that they absolutely are. What I am saying is that they are, excuse me, that they're also indicative of when you go deep into the niche, it's about really understanding the people in the niche, really understanding the pond, really understand who is in the pond, swimming around and all of that, and developing those relationships. That's part of getting deep into the niche. Would, would you agree? Speaker 2: (15:26) Oh, absolutely. And I have to do a shout out to Susan Byer, a member of the Community of Audience Audit. And I heard you and Susan speak at the Baba Summit, and I shook her hand and, uh, gave her my card and said, I'd like to interview her for forbes.com. And, uh, she's the world's busiest woman who's going at mock five with her hair on fire. So that wasn't happening, but I, I was on, uh, a call with you and there were other people, you, you had me, I think, on a q and a talk about the book mm-hmm. , and Yep. Susan was there, and she calls me up afterwards and said, we have to talk, says this. I was where you were at a few years ago. I know who you are. Uh, and I know where you're at, and I just get deep into this. Speaker 2: (16:13) Do this, this is what you need to do. Yep. And I said, thank you. I appreciate that. Uh, what is the best piece of advice you have for me right now? Okay. She said, go to the workshops in December and January, you know, beg, borrow Steele, do whatever you have to. She says, I went from having eight clients to 40 when I went into this niche, uh, really strong. And so go there. And she says, you're gonna learn things. Mm-hmm. from the content that Drew and Steven teach, you're gonna learn more about your target audience, because you're gonna listen to them. You're gonna hear them. You're gonna have a drink with them, uh, you know, breakfast with them, and you're gonna be this listening machine at one of the agencies where I cut my teeth. Um, I was the head of research too. I was the head of creative services and research. That's a, that's a schizophrenic kind of person. Speaker 1: (17:09) I'm like, that's a bit of a juxtaposition, but o okay. Speaker 2: (17:11) Yeah. Right. Sounds and research. So I, I know about depth interviews and research and, and, uh, you know, listening. And that was so true, because you're amongst them and you can relate to them, of course. And when they tell a story, you can go, oh, I understand that. Yeah. You know, um, I've been there, done that. Um, so that's important to, you've gotta go where your target rich audience is. Um, not so much that, oh, I'm gonna find clients. I did, I will, but I wanna understand their worries, frustrations, doubts. Mm-hmm. . Um, I need, you know, the fear, uncertainty and doubt, the FUD factor. You need to know their FUD factor. And that's the number one thing they want to know. Do you understand my pain? Speaker 1: (18:07) Yeah. The, not only do you speak my language, do you speak my dialect? And when, when, when we talk through the niche deep dive, you know, like in our q and a's and in the, the WHO framework and so forth, that, that part of that starts with the first two ingredients in that are what are the problems, hence the FUD factor that you just mentioned. Then what are the stories? How can you speak to those problems within a story? Because we're just d n a wired to receive stories, right? How can we talk about the FUD factor in the form of a story? And then to your earlier point, how can we step into the right ponds to tell the stories, right? Because then they feel appropriate and, and, and, and they land correctly. It feels weird to step into a non-agency owner pond, if you will, and start talking about agency owner stories. Speaker 1: (19:01) It, there, there's incongruency when that happens, right? So like, all of this is part of the, the great recipe. You've done a great job of stepping into the pond and finding the rich in the niche or the riches in the niches. And I know that they're, you're, you're actively mining that. Let's start going through the 10 filter questions, because I think they're, not only do I think that they're smart, um, but I, but I also think that they're smartness, if you will, , uh, in the layers, right? So some of the questions are multi-layered. Some of the questions are deeper than maybe what somebody might think as they're quickly going through them, and that, oh, I don't have to answer that one. I could just bypass that one. Or I'll just, I'll focus on, you know, question two, six and 10. And that should be good. Speaker 1: (19:46) And it's not good. The 10 filtering questions are 10 filtering questions on purpose. So, so let's, let's go through them first. I'm, I'm just gonna go through them, uh, quickly and then, and then we'll go back and slice 'em apart. So, question one, are you interested in solving the problems this group has? Question two, have you worked with any already? Three, can they afford to pay you four? Are they willing to pay more for better service? Five, do they already know they need an agency like you? Six? Are they numerous? Seven, do you, uh, do you have only a few real competitors? Eight. Can you find them easily enough through listen associations? Uh, nine, can you find a target rich environment where they gather? Uh, and then 10, will you or will some make marquee clients advocates and references? Okay. So let's slice all of these apart and go through them in depth. So walk us through, number one, are you interested in solving the problems this group has and why you put that first? Speaker 2: (20:53) Okay. So first let me grab my book, my 17th book. Amazing. And Stephen, my books are my children. Hmm. And like my children, I expect them to take care of me in my old age. Okay. So let's go to chapter five and that first one. Um, are you interested in solving the problems if solving their problems doesn't energize you? It's a non-starter. Um, when I was looking at the different groups, I've done a lot with technology services companies, okay. Speaker 2: (21:24) And I thought, huh, do I wanna spend all my time with technology services companies? Um, I had a chance once to buy the agency I'd started at and worked my way up to president. And, um, I didn't know this strategy, it was just instinctive and I followed it. And we were the leader in real estate, community marketing, you know, new home communities, master plan communities throughout Southern California. Okay. Um, we had all the top people, and and you eat on that whale for years, you catch a whale, like a master plan community that's a eight, seven, you know, seven, eight year project. You bet. Um, but I didn't buy, and one of the reasons was I didn't wanna spend the rest of my life talking about cathedral ceilings and low flow toilets. You know, it was just like, uh, it didn't excite me. Yeah. So, uh, I went out on my own and formed my own lemonade stand and went looking for the, for the right niche. So agency owners, I love the problems they have. Oh, by the way, research. Yep. Number one problem for two outta three agency owners is, and you know it, Steven, the dry sales pipeline, not enough qualified prospects in that pipeline. Yep. And business development is their heartburn, it's their pain. Second problem for, uh, 50% of agency owners, not enough time to do business development. Um, should we move to two? Have you worked with them already? Speaker 1: (23:03) 1, 1, 1 more piece to to number one. Speaker 2: (23:05) Okay. Speaker 1: (23:07) Because if we don't get right what you just said, you know, that, that we're interested in solving the problems that's gonna come through also in the content. When, when, when you know that Drew and I, uh, teach the point of view piece, right? So, predictive roi, we believe, like in our core, we believe, uh, that most agencies, business coaches and strategic consultants go about business development in the least effective, most painful way possible. There's a better way we call it. So with authority methodology, yeah. That is our belief system. It is our truth. So if you're just kind of like, eh, on point number one here, which is why it's an important filter that's gonna show through in your content, that's gonna show through how you show up in the pond, right? Speaker 2: (23:51) Right. We have an energy meter. Yeah. Everybody has it. And they can tell if you have energy around this topic or not. Are you just there? Oh. Because you're trying to serve that, you know, it's like if you're not genuinely energetic about it mm-hmm. , um, nor, uh, was famous author about, uh, you know, the power of enthusiasm. You know, so if you don't have enthusiasm, right? Um, it comes across and you can't fake it. Speaker 1: (24:26) No, Speaker 2: (24:26) You can't fake sincerity. Speaker 1: (24:28) No. Cuz cuz then you look like you're trying to get rich in the niche and Right. And then that, and that feels a whole lot of yucky to everyone in the pond. So, um, okay. So let's, and Speaker 2: (24:37) By the way you just said that Yeah. The riches are not just money. Yeah. Um, there are 12 different riches, uh, that you get from a, a money finishes 12th on the list. Um, when you're, one of the riches is you love to work. You love to work because you love solving their problems. Uh, you love these people. So that comes through Speaker 1: (25:03) 100%. Yeah. When, when, when somebody goes to the Baba Summit, the builder Better Agency Summit, this May, um, as the previous two summits, when, when Drew McClellan gets on stage to do his keynote, like he has the previous two, there will be there, there will be tears, there will be shouts of joy, there will be, it's an emotional delivery of a keynote. Why? Because everyone, all 300 and plus whatever number of people who are going to be there this year will know that he is there for them. And that he not only speaks their language, his stories align with that. His passions all about helping them. It, it is clear through his words and actions that he is their guy. And, and, and that rings through. If he was there to just be playing niches in the, or riches in the niches, it, it, it, it, I mean, it would fall flat, right? It would be easy to suss out and see the difference. Speaker 2: (26:03) They were yelling, we love you, drew. It was like a rock concert. I was thinking like, what's going on Speaker 1: (26:10) Here? Right? And that does not happen by accident, right? Speaker 2: (26:12) No. And it comes across and Drew is an agency owner. Yep. And Ami is this other thing he's doing to help other agency owners. Eric, from predictive ROI stepped on my toes and said, you don't talk in any of your materials, that you're actually an agency owner right now. And, and that you know this and you know, when you get up in the morning, you have to worry about your pipeline and, and you have to worry about the clients and the billing. And I says, you don't tell 'em that you're walking the same journey. So that's important. Speaker 1: (26:48) It is important. Okay. So now, now let's move to number two. Speaker 2: (26:52) Well, have you worked with them already? And, and I've coached a thousand people on this, and we'll come up to this and they say, well, I'd like to work with, you know, maybe hospitals, healthcare. I heard there's a lot of money there. Um, or I could work with financial advisors. I said, well, you know, how many hospitals have you worked with? None. How many financial advisors have you worked with? Dozens and dozens. I said, okay, here's our answer. . You know, it's like, uh, uh, yes, you could pick a niche you've never been in and worked to get in there, but you're swimming upstream. Uh, there's a German proverb I like to quote, and it i'll, it translates like this. It doesn't matter how fast you're going if you're on the wrong road. Speaker 1: (27:40) Amen. Speaker 2: (27:42) And in fact, it's actually worse because you're getting farther away from where you need to be. Um, so you need to get the right road. And the right road is people who you've already helped you have some credibility with. There needs to be a story there that you, as you said, the stories you tell. Yeah. They need to be your stories. Your stories matter. Human brains are hardwired for stories. So you need to be telling stories for that target group. Speaker 1: (28:10) Amazing. Okay. Perfect. Uh, how about three, can they afford you? Speaker 2: (28:15) Can you, they afford you? Um, I always say money isn't everything. The author Zig Ziegler said, money is not the most important thing, you know, oxygen, but it's next to oxygen. So we need money to keep going. It's the fuel that keeps the, the rocket ship going here. And, um, some people just don't have the money, right. For you to have abundance, the abundance you need for your team members, uh, for causes you wanna support. Mm-hmm. , um, all the things you need to do requires filthy luer. No. It requires money. Yeah. Speaker 1: (28:53) Well, and that ties into number four. Are they willing to pay more for better service, uh, so that you're not having a race to the bottom right. That you can actually afford to invest in delighting your clients? Am I on the same page with you? Speaker 2: (29:05) You, you're absolutely right. So they have to see the value in the investment. Okay. So when we were in the real estate niche, um, they saw the value and they'll pay more. There was a quick story. This, um, one, one client wanted to talk to us. And I have to say he was a little shady. You know, they were, they were big, burly people, uh, outside his office and, uh, you know, so let's just say shady. And so I made the mistake as, as agency president, I said, just double the amount that we normally charge, and that way he'll kick us out is too expensive, you know? And he said, but what happened was he said, okay, you charge twice as much as anybody else. Must Speaker 1: (29:53) Be good. Speaker 2: (29:53) Well, obviously you're good . So okay, you're hired . And then, then he gave us some secret information and said, if it ever gets out, you're gonna have to look over your shoulder all the time. Do you understand what I'm saying? And I said, I understand. I walked out and my, uh, my, my account executive young sweet woman said that threat, do you really think he could cause us to lose other clients? I said, Linda, he was threatening to kill us. He would've us murdered if this got out. She was like, . Like, thankfully the campaign went well, and, and, uh, we moved on. Yeah. Okay. Speaker 1: (30:38) . Well, so I, I, here, here's, here's one of the reasons why, uh, I feel like number five is multi-layered. Um, so do they already know they need an agency like you? When, when I read it now, it could be just my lens and my bias, um, that when I read it, I think, oh, okay. It's because, you know, we've planted a flag of authority. We've, you know, become the authority in this space, in the niche and, and all of that. And you say you must educate the prospects that need an agency like yours. Um, so, so tell us all about five, because when I read five, I'm like, that's pretty meaty. Number five, Speaker 2: (31:12) Five is meaty. So you're looking for clients who hire agencies. They've worked with an agency before. They know the value proposition of the agency. They're not that people go like, eh, I could hire somebody in-house, or I could hire an agency. Yeah. You don't want those people. Hmm. Um, because they're asking the wrong questions. You know, an agency buys time by the year, sells it back by the hour, and gives you top talent. Yep. You're competing for the bottom talent who's willing to work for you. It's like the old joke about you're an astronaut. Are you comforted by the fact that your rocket was built by the lowest bidder ? You know? And, and, uh, so so you don't want that. So you want something they, they hire agencies. Yeah. And, uh, I, I landed a million dollar account when I was president of someone else's agency. Speaker 2: (32:15) Okay. And I got it from teaching. And, and somebody took the course and brought me in and, and they talked about their business for 45 minutes. I understood nothing about their business or what they did. Hmm. And then they said, our current agency is Manning, salvage and Lee, but, um, we've had a little falling out, so we need a new agency. Well, that was the first thing I understood, because I knew that agency wouldn't touch an account for under a million dollars . I thought, oh, um, I said, give me a week and I'll come back with a proposal. So I educated myself on this, uh, industry. Nobody was a specialist in it, and, um, won the account. Mm-hmm. . Um, another time I was brought in by a, um, fortune 500 company, and they had this project, and it, it, you'd say, this wasn't in my niche, it was about energy and gas and electric and new things like this. Speaker 2: (33:16) And I talked to 'em and I said, you know, I really don't think we're the agency for you, uh, because I have no background in this area. And they called me a week later and said, you had the account. And I, I went in and I said, and it was a, it was a great account. I said, um, why, why did you hire me? But I don't know this area. He said, actually, nobody knows this area. We were looking for something else. We were looking for somebody who could come in and completely dissect a problem and then explain it to our people how to implement it. Hmm. And we talked around and people said, oh, these are the four magic words in English language, by the way. They said, I know a guy, Henry DRIs mm-hmm. . And that's how he got it. So sometimes you'll be brought in for a certain skill you have that people recognize for, and, and that can work for you too. I give you permission to work for anybody. I want to stress you should market to one target niche, niche in Canada, niche in America, as in, you know, there's riches and niches, witches. Uh, so, uh, we don't even know how to pronounce the word, but we know that it works Speaker 1: (34:38) Well, it is, it is kind of funny. Uh, you've mentioned Eric a couple of times and he, he too says, uh, pronounces it as niche. But when, when you said, I know a guy that, that, uh, reminded me of something that I thought about mentioning, but then just forgot in the fact of how that that is actually an ingredient of how Drew and I define niche. And so if, if anyone listening, um, has heard, uh, Eric and I teach niche before, um, you know, yes, it could certainly be industry that's one of the ingredients in the recipe. Two, it could be your superpower as you just described, skill, right? It could absolutely be a superpower. Uh, three, maybe it's a business issue or challenge, uh, that, that you solve better than anybody else. And you're, your certain skill example was kind of teetering into that. So you're putting a couple ingredients together, which is awesome in, in the fourth. It, it could be an audience, maybe, you know, an audience better, maybe you know, an audience better than the client or your perspective client. So like when we, we knit all of those ingredients together, it becomes a pretty, a pretty strong recipe. So let's move into number six, which is, are they numerous? Speaker 2: (35:47) Ah, and, um, I'm a big fan of David C. Baker. I've written about 'em for years. Mm-hmm. , uh, wrote the, uh, the business, let's see, the business of expertise. Mm-hmm. . And in the business of expertise, he says, you need to have 2000 to 10,000 prospects in the area to really consider it. Less than that, it's, uh, too small of a fishing pond. Too much you're trying to drain the ocean. Um, so you, you find that for me, there are 7,800 small to medium sized agencies in America. That's a pond I can fish in for the rest of my life. Yep. And, uh, still have prospects I couldn't get to. Um, so that's what you're, you're looking for. Okay. Some other people along the way, they, uh, one chose pest control companies. Hmm. Um, and they became the pest control agency for America. And when people say, oh, I need an expert in pest control and, and marketing and all this is, I know a guy this works for our female listeners, I asked some of them and they said, yeah, we, we get called guys too. So it's okay. So I know a guy, you know, if you need an, an, uh, a research study for a agency, I know a guy Susan Byer out of Arizona audience audit. So it works that same way. Speaker 1: (37:12) Okay. So, so let's, let's go to, uh, seven. Um, do you have only a few real competitors? Speaker 2: (37:21) Yeah. So it's, um, if somebody says, I have no competition, I'm really worried. Yeah. Now, now as far as I've researched and, and we keep mentioning Eric Jensen, you know, helped me with this. There are no agency book guys other than me. The per is like, they're like, their whole thing is doing agency books. Yeah. Now, there are other ghost writers, there are other publishers. Sure. Those are still viable choices. Somebody will look at them as they look at me. I might have an edge that I specialize in the niche, um, but that doesn't mean I don't have competition. Um, so, but I don't have tons of people who can do the soup to nuts for planning a book, preparing, you know, I'm a ghost writer. Uh, I'm an developmental editor publishing the book mm-hmm. . And then what happens, our motto at indie books is publishing the book is not the finish line. Speaker 2: (38:24) It's the starting line. Right. It's about the journey that happens after that. And it's a marathon. Uh, because no author gets discovered. I, that's a myth out there. I'm gonna write this book and people discover me. You don't get discovered. I, I love the actress Margot Robbie, if you, if you know her, um, I do. And, and she was being interviewed and somebody said, what would've happened if you moved from Australia to America and you weren't discovered? And she said, I'm sorry. Well, what's the question says, well, what would you have done if they didn't, if you weren't discovered? She says, you thought I was discovered. I knocked on every door in Hollywood, every agent, every producer. And I kept knocking until somebody let me in and finally give an addition. I was not discovered. So as an author, you're not gonna be discovered either. You need to slice and dice that content. You need to go on podcasts. You, I have a magnificent seven things you have to do. There's a great book, 1,001 Ways to Market your book. That's the problem. There's 1,001 Way Ways to Market your book. Uh, I'll give you the seven most pragmatic things to do that are gonna get results. Speaker 1: (39:37) So is, is that something that we can, uh, either link in the show notes or share with our audience, or maybe point them to a blog post? I, I know you teach on the seven, but is there, Speaker 2: (39:47) I didn't teach on the seven and I've had articles on it, uh, in Forbes. Uh, okay, great. And, and we could link to it. Okay. Speaker 1: (39:54) Perfect. Um, so I will link to one of your forbes.com articles on that for some additional insight. Thank you for that. Um, the, the discovery thing is, is is really great. Like people think that, um, who don't know the backstory of Sylvester Stallone, he did the same thing in New York and went to every agent, uh, and, you know, did it multiple times, uh, until finally he wrote the script. And it's a really interesting story, but it's all about perseverance. So eight, Speaker 2: (40:21) The Rocky story is interesting because he also didn't know what he was worth. And one of his first meetings when they asked him how much for the screenplay, and he gave a number, the meeting was over because they thought he was an amateur. Yeah. I'm sorry, we're going to eight. Right? Speaker 1: (40:36) . All right. Can, uh, and this really speaks to your, uh, builder, a better agency example that you mentioned from, from last year. Can you find them easily enough through lists and associations? Speaker 2: (40:46) Right? You're looking for places where they go to get smarter. So the Baba Summit, they go to get smarter. The David C. Baker has a mind your own business conference where they go to get smarter. Um, there's, uh, you know, the, what is it, tan, t a a and, uh, agencies get together and they go there to get smarter. So where are these places? Pamela Slim and the whitest that calls 'em the watering holes or the ponds? Yes. So can you find them? Sometimes people come to me, there's this group they want, they're describing this psychographic, and there's, I go like, yeah, we can't buy a list of those people. They don't have any meetings where this psychographic all gathers. Hmm. Uh, so, uh, this is, this is a dry hole, uh, as they say in, in the, all this down in Texas. You got a dry hole here. Um, and no amount of fracking is gonna help you get anything out of that hole. So, uh, gee, that was probably politically incorrect. . Um, so, uh, what we need to do is find where they gather, and there's this amazing tool I have, if I could share, can I share it, Steven? Of Speaker 1: (41:56) Course you can. Speaker 2: (41:57) It's called Google . You Google, where does, you know, agency owners gather? Where do agency owners meet? Where do agency owners, uh, you know, what do agency owners read? Yeah. And, and the Google machine as one old timer called it to me. So yeah, the Google machine will, will spit out your answers there. Speaker 1: (42:20) Yeah. Well, here, here's, here's what I love about eight and nine. Um, so, so nine is, can you find target rich environments where they gathered? And you mentioned Baba, you mentioned some of the other agency centric associations when, when I think of eight and nine, I see some real cool interdependency between eight and nine. Eight. Can we buy a list of the 7,800 that you mentioned before? Yes. Uh, can then we use that list to maybe do some strategic prospecting, if you will. I wonder if this person's gonna be at the Baba Summit this year. I wonder if that person's gonna be a sponsor to the Baba Summit. And then you can start sort of pre-planning so that you can take your list and then head to nine the pond, and then make sure you're meeting the right people while in the pond. Right. Speaker 2: (43:07) Right. And there are all kinds of strategies, and you've used them, um, that there might be some pre-event, you know, a cocktail party or, uh, I know we're kicking around some kind of donut party morning donut excursion, Speaker 1: (43:21) But no running If Car Cunningham, Carly Cunningham, if you're listening to this right now, donuts Yes. Long distance running through the streets of Chicago. No, no, Speaker 2: (43:30) No. Have you seen Henry and Stephen? Do we look like marathon runners, or do we look like donut eat? Speaker 1: (43:37) I have two tight hips for peace sake. I, I'm not running. Come on. Speaker 2: (43:42) . My doctor did say that I've already eaten my lifetime supply of donuts, and I should let other people have the donuts now. But, uh, for Carly, I might, I might consent to have one in Chicago. No, the point of that is you can get together, uh, I do Q and as, uh, modeled after your campfire q and as for authors and agency owners, and I encourage people to be part of the community, come there, ask questions, to get to know other members. I, I call the 150 authors, uh, the family. Yep. And my word is I want the family amplifying each other's work. It's, it's not a quit pro quo or anything like that, but it is the law of reciprocation that the more people you help, the more you will get helped to amplify your work and share it with others. And as we said, where these gatherings are, you can do extra things. David Maister, Dr. David Maister, I recommend him. Former professor at the Harvard Business School. Mm-hmm. . Uh, he let me take one page from one of his books 20 years ago and make a career out of it. A and he always said, this is what you need to do and you need to gather, and you just don't come in and out. Um, you need to be part of the community and contributing to that community anyway. You can. Speaker 1: (45:06) Right. 100%. I I know that we're, uh, quickly running out of time. So, so bring us home with number 10. Uh, will some make marquee clients advocates and references? Speaker 2: (45:17) Well, right. If, if you have some group where they say, what would be your client, but here's the condition, you can never mention that you worked with us. Uh, this is not a good place because prospects want social proof. They want several things. They want, they wanna know that you have a proprietary problem solving process, that you're not winging it. Uh, they want to know that you have experience. Uh, they wanna know some marquee clients. They wanna be able to talk to some people that you've worked with. Um, they need all these social proofs because they can't really judge how good of a service our agency provides. Um, and everybody says the same thing. Oh, I've done focus groups with people who hire agencies. Don't say these things. Don't say how long you've been in business. Uh, they laugh at you for that. I've been golfing longer than Tiger Woods. Speaker 2: (46:09) It doesn't make me a better golfer. Okay. The other thing is, don't say we're just the right size, big enough to get the job done small enough for personal attention. They, they laugh at us for that. They say firms with five people say that firms with 500 people say that. What they wanna hear is research about their peers. Not you naming peers. But, you know, we've worked with, you know, this many people or we've done a study and, uh, our research shows, like I shared that two outta three agency owners. And the number one pain is a dry sales pipeline. Not enough qualified prospects. Yep. I surveyed over a thousand people to learn that. So they wanna learn about themselves. They wanna know that you know about them. They want to be able to tell somebody, oh, well, we hired the agency that worked for A, B, and C, and they go, oh, they're good. Um, so that's why this is important. Speaker 1: (47:07) A hundred percent love that and great way to, to, to bring us home and, and emphasizes, uh, when, when we kicked off going through that list, or actually in the introduction, um, I, I've mentioned the, the, the, the piece that you use as your bottom line to close out this chapter. You, you, you say, so I'm gonna quote Henry again here, um, what he wrote, bottom line, the more quality thinking you do upfront meaning through these 10 questions, the easier business development will be 100%. Well, well said, Henry. So I, before we go, uh, before we close out and say goodbye, um, any final advice, anything you think we might have missed? And then please do tell, uh, our audience, uh, the best way to connect with you. Speaker 2: (47:52) Thank you for asking. Sure. If anybody ask you a good question like that, you're to pause three seconds for dignity and say, thank you for asking . The, the main message is stay on the journey. And then when you do a book, is the number one marketing tool. Talking about the book is the number one fill your pipeline strategy. Yeah. So you get on podcasts, you, you give speeches, you talk about the book, the book opens the doors to do that. And also, as you taught me in Sell with authority, you can't spell authority without the word author. An author is an authority and people get your best thinking in the book. So share that with them. So for anybody in the predictive ROI world, if they wanna have a no cost, no selling zone strategy call with me on this. I'm happy to do it. Speaker 2: (48:51) Yeah. So you can just contact me at henry indie books i ntl.com. Steven will put it in the show notes, and, uh, we'll have what I call a book chat. I'll help you get clear on the goals for doing a book, what hidden assets you have to get a book done. A lot of people don't realize they're already have these assets. Uh, three, what are the roadblocks, uh, roadblocks. Don't stop agency owners, but you gotta figure a way around them, over 'em, through 'em. And then, uh, four, I'll tell you how others have gotten from where you are right now to where you want to go, because the path and the plan of others leaves the clues you need for your journey and your quest to sell with authority. Speaker 1: (49:36) Yeah. A a good friend of mine and one of my accountability partners, Don Yeager, um, often says this, this quote is not his. I just can't remember the, uh, person who originally said it. But anyway, Don often says, success leaves clues. And, and I think that that's a hundred percent correct. And Henry, uh, thank you very much for saying yes to come back to the show for this encore. And everyone, uh, no matter how many notes you took or how often you go back and re-listen to Henry's words of wisdom, which I sure hope that you do, the key is you have to take what he's so generously shared with you, the 10 filtering questions and all of the story in stories in each of those. 10, take them and apply them. Because again, the bottom line, how much work you put into the front end of this is what will determine the success. Success leaves clues, and he just gave you a bunch of them. Take it and apply it. Because when you do that through application, that's where the results will come. And again, Henry, thank you for saying yes, we all have the same 86,400 seconds in a day. And I'm grateful that you came onto the show to be our mentor and guide, uh, yet again. Thank you so much my friend, Speaker 2: (50:46) As they say at Chick-fil-A. My pleasure.

Stephen Woessner is the founder and CEO of Predictive ROI, a digital marketing agency, and the host of Onward Nation and Sell With Authority Podcasts. Since the advent of the commercial Internet, Stephen has collected tens of thousands of data points that have given him the ability to identify what he calls the “”8 Money Draining Mistakes”” and the “”8 Money Making Opportunities.”” Darren Hardy, then-publisher of SUCCESS Magazine, interviewed Stephen to discuss how business owners can identify and fix the mistakes. Stephen served in the United States Air Force, spent six years at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse as a full-time academic staff member and taught digital marketing classes to small business owners throughout the state including the prestigious School of Business at UW-Madison, has owned five businesses, and is the author of three books, “The Small Business Owner's Handbook to Search Engine Optimization”, “Increase Online Sales Through Viral Social Networking”, and “Profitable Podcasting.” His digital marketing insights have been featured in Forbes.com, Entrepreneur.com, The Washington Post, and Inc. Magazine. We are doing something a little different for this episode of Sell With Authority by sharing my full length interview from an episode of the Build a Better Agency Podcast with Drew McLellan. Drew is the owner of McLellan Marketing Group and the owner and leader of the Agency Management Institute. In episode 354 of the Build a Better Agency Podcast, we have an important conversation about finding right-fit clients by going narrow and niching down – and how pivoting that niche can lead to fears of stepping into scarcity, instead of abundance. We talk through how pivoting agency niche can actually help improve sales and build community. What you will learn about in this episode: Why choosing your agency niche doesn't have to be a permanent decision Why sometimes throwing out the playbook and pivoting in a different direction is a better move for your agency, even if it doesn't seem that way at first How to know which types of clients you're already serving the best (this could be your new niche) What is cornerstone content, and why is it so important to establish? The importance of building a community of people wanting to learn from you and others to make more effortless sales You have permission to think differently about your agency and how you want to position it in your industry

A marketing strategist for over 30 years, Susan Baier founded Audience Audit in 2009 to help organizations understand their best audiences based on attitudes and needs rather than just demographics or purchase behavior. She develops custom segmentation research for marketers and agencies around the world, supporting their efforts to create marketing initiatives that are more relevant, more efficient, and more impactful. Susan and her Audience Audit team have been conducting “The Agency Edge”, an annual segmentation study of agency clients, alongside Drew McLellan, CEO of Agency Management Institute since 2014. Susan and team are also our research partners here at Predictive ROI when we step into the field to conduct our annual research. What you will learn about in this episode: How the attitudinal segments of Audience Audit's research are defined The 3 goals Susan and her team had in mind when they decided to conduct their latest research study What Susan and Audience Audit's research results show about how agencies are prioritizing their marketing efforts How an agency's reputation and thought leadership play a role in business development The importance of defining a clear niche What differentiates an agency from its competitors in the eyes of a right-fit client Resources: Website: https://audienceaudit.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbaieraz/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/audience-audit-inc./ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AudienceAudit/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/susanbaier Additional Resources: Visit our newly expanded “Resource Library“ Join us in our free “How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline” Facebook Group LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/

Fear is a familiar feeling in agency ownership. It's easy to feel like you don't know what you're doing or might be missing something important, especially if you're doing it all yourself. In this episode, I'm delivering advice on how to conquer the biggest agency owner fears in a Collabs & Cocktails event hosted by Predictive ROI. Whether it's imposter syndrome, money worries, figuring out how to manage employees, or learning how to collaborate with other agency owners, I have some advice that will help ease your mind and get you back to focusing on the important things. For 30+ years, Drew McLellan has been in the advertising industry. He started his career at Y&R, worked in boutique-sized agencies, and then started his own (which he still owns and runs) agency in 1995. Additionally, Drew owns and leads the Agency Management Institute, which advises hundreds of small to mid-sized agencies on how to grow their agency and its profitability through agency owner peer groups, consulting, coaching, workshops and more. A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The four biggest fears of agency ownership How to eliminate money fears by running things by the numbers Taking care of your employees so that they stick around Why you shouldn't operate on only referrals and word of mouth for biz dev The importance of becoming an authority in your industry Generating right-fit leads Navigating imposter syndrome The right way to collaborate with other agency owners

In this episode Katrina Burrus interviews Erik Jensen who is the Co-Owner of Predictive ROI—an agency helping business coaches develop and monetize their position of authority. How to can coaches be recognized as an authority in their industry? How can coaches determine which type of content they should be creating? How can coaches generate revenue from the content they produce? How can coaches build an audience around their content? How can coaches turn leads into clients? Erik Jensen Erik Jensen has been a business owner since the age of 14, when he formerly operated a national juggling business that took him and his brother around the country. Now the Chief Strategy Officer at Predictive ROI, Erik developed the podcasting strategy that made the agency over $2M, which was featured in the book Profitable Podcasting. Excellent Executive Coaching Podcast If you have enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast on iTunes. We would love for you to leave a review. The EEC podcasts are sponsored by MKB Excellent Executive Coaching that helps you get from where you are to where you want to be with customized leadership and coaching development programs. MKB Excellent Executive Coaching offers leadership development programs to generate action, learning, and change that is aligned with your authentic self and values. Transform your dreams into reality and invest in yourself by scheduling a discovery session with Dr. Katrina Burrus, MCC to reach your goals. Your host is Dr. Katrina Burrus, MCC, founder and general manager of www.mkbconseil.ch a company specialized in leadership development and executive coaching.

Erik Jensen is Co-Owner and Chief Strategy Officer at Predictive ROI, a remote-first firm that helps agencies, coaches, and consultants plant their flags of authority and monetize that position. In this episode, he shares how we can use thought leadership and strategic positioning to achieve predictable ROI and drive growth fast. Insights he shares include: Why do some businesses view content as an expenseHow do you persuade clients to look at it differentlyThe predictable ROI from thought leadershipProcesses and examples to show how we can sell with authorityWhat is strategic positioningThe importance of cornerstone content to strategic positioningStrategic positioning and the trojan horse sales methodologyHow to test the defensibility of your strategic positioningand much much more ...

1223 - Share Your Smarts with Predictive ROI's Erik Jensen

We are entering the era of Authority. Learn more about what this means for marketers from host Lori Jones and her guest Stephen Woessner of Predictive ROI on this episode of the Integrate & Ignite Marketing Podcast. Tune in as Stephen shares his three essential elements to building your brand authority and discusses his strategies for creating transitional moments for your audience and inspiring trust.

In this episode your host, David Weaver, talks with entrepreneur Erik Jensen, CSO at Predictive ROI.    Predictive ROI is a Marketing Agency that helps Agencies, Coaches & Consultants build a position of thought leadership, so they can monetize it.    Predictive ROI mission is to give business owners the strategies that actually work by providing turnkey services that will allow you & your team lead & grow your business strategically.   During this episode Erik & David discuss Erik's journey into entrepreneurship, some of the challenges they had to overcome from the beginning, along with some incredibly helpful insights on marketing strategies that apply to all different types of businesses.   To learn more about Erik & Predictive ROI Services:  https://predictiveroi.com/   If you'd like to be a guest on Sacrifice to Success, click HERE: https://lnkd.in/dUj-4bEV   To learn more about how we serve business owners, visit: davidweavercoach.com

Our guest today is Erik Jensen, Chief Strategy Officer at Predictive ROI. Erik developed the podcasting strategy that helped bolster the agency to over $2M, which was featured in the book Profitable Podcasting. Erik is also a co-author of the book, Sell With Authority.

Erik Jenson, Owner of Predictive ROI, wraps up discussions on non-traditional marketing tactics. When it comes to large companies, getting your content in front of the right person can be challenging. Fortunately, using content to develop relationships with other persons in the organization can help make the process a lot smoother. Today, Erik talks about using content as a trojan horse for sales. Show NotesConnect With: Erik Jenson: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erik Jenson, Owner of Predictive ROI, wraps up discussions on non-traditional marketing tactics. When it comes to large companies, getting your content in front of the right person can be challenging. Fortunately, using content to develop relationships with other persons in the organization can help make the process a lot smoother. Today, Erik talks about using content as a trojan horse for sales. Show NotesConnect With: Erik Jenson: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erik Jenson, Owner of Predictive ROI, discusses non-traditional marketing tactics. Many businesses want an opportunity to get in front of your audience. To generate revenue from your content, it's all about proactively communicating your value proposition to those businesses. Today, Erik talks about converting podcasts into sponsorships. Show NotesConnect With: Erik Jenson: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erik Jensen is the Co-Owner of Predictive ROI, a 7-figure marketing agency helping businesses monetize their position of authority.  A business owner since age 14, Erik began his entrepreneurial journey via a national juggling business that took him and his brother around the country. Now the Chief Strategy Officer at Predictive ROI, Erik developed the podcasting strategy that made the agency over $2M, which was featured in the book Profitable Podcasting. Click here to receive a free copy of Erik's book, Sell With Authority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erik Jenson, Owner of Predictive ROI, discusses non-traditional marketing tactics. Many businesses want an opportunity to get in front of your audience. To generate revenue from your content, it's all about proactively communicating your value proposition to those businesses. Today, Erik talks about converting podcasts into sponsorships. Show NotesConnect With: Erik Jenson: Website // LinkedInThe MarTech Podcast: Email // LinkedIn // TwitterBenjamin Shapiro: Website // LinkedIn // TwitterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.