Podcasts about select business team

EP 52 -  Collecting Email Addresses to GrowYour List This is the second to last episode in our email marketing series. If you haven’t listened to the others, I’d encourage you to start with episode 47 for the email marketing series and if you want to learn a little more about marketing, listen to episodes 44 and 45. In episode 47 we talked about list segmentation which is about managing your list, but it’s important to always be growing your list as well - why because that is new prospects for you. That’s part of marketing. In episode 47 we also talked about looking at your website for different ways you are collecting email addresses. Today we’ll take that a little deeper. Getting email addresses doesn’t just come from people visiting your website. You can ask on your social media posts, you can have give aways, contests, webinars, workshops, community events, things where people need to sign up for something and give you their email address in the process.   Why do you need to grow your list?  If you are someone that is investing in social media you might be thinking, “do I really need to do worry about email marketing?” My answer to this is  if you aren’t, you might be out of business before everyone else. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and whatever new platform is developed is rented space for you. Today, they are all free. Today, they control what people see, unless you pay them. It’s basically a pay to play game for them. So if you aren't paying, not many people are seeing your content. When FB first started with the business pages, as a trainer, I was telling everyone to create one. Those that did, those early adopters, had their pages seen...for awhile. Then FB went public and then they needed to start making money. So then the business pages weren’t seen as much and if you wanted your business page to be seen, you had to pay. Now its advertising The newest thing is groups. Build your community in a group. For now, everyone is seeing what is posted in your group. Before long, FB will have ads in the groups and you’ll have to decide how valuable it is.  I don’t fault FB. They are a business. Businesses need to make money. In the case of social media, it’s offered to the consumer for free, they get use to things, it’s almost like an addiction but AI decides what the consumer sees. The people you want to target might not be in their sightline.  By having the email addresses, you own it. You aren’t dependent on paying FB or even worrying about if FB exists because you reach your prospects and clients on your terms. Personally, I think that’s much better than having your business dependent on another! It’s really important to understand that social media is rented. You don’t really have people’s contact information. It’s hard for you to reach out to them.  With email marketing, you are in their inbox and as long as you are sending valuable content, they'll keep you there! Ok, enough about that.  I’ve used Constant Contact as my ESP for many years and I’ve been one of their partners for a long time as well. Since I’m not actively doing marketing for others today, I reached out to other CTCT partners in our community and asked them what they see as good ways of growing your list today.  Some of the ideas I’m discussing today are coming directly from them and these are people who are working with clients everyday, helping them with their marketing. If you want to check them out, check out the show notes at thebusinessofinsurance.com where I’ve linked to their websites where they were available.  What can you do to grow your list? Website - This is a no brainer and can be done a few different ways. In episode 47 I suggested you do a website audit.  Where are you collecting email addresses on your website? In my opinion, you should have some form of email capture on almost every page of your website. From giving things away to just getting more information, if you don’t ask, you won't’ collect.  This ties into what Amy Morales of Kapeesh Marketing says because she feels that many small business owners feel embarrassed or too modest to ask customers to follow them online or join some kind of digital marketing effort. Just as these business owners champion "shop small" and "shop local," they should feel empowered and completely capable of asking friends and customers to support them online and join them on an email list. I think some of this is because we don’t want more emails in our inbox so why should we ask other people for their email. I understand this but if you are sending out valuable information, people should be happy to get your emails. It’s the people that send out useless information that people will unsubscribe to.  I’ve seen this a lot over the years myself. I even see it today with the clients in my CEO roundtables at Select Business Team. People don’t want to seem pushy or upset anyone so they don’t ask for the emails and they don’t put the tools on the website or other platforms to get people’s contact information.  Just start with capturing an email, then you can get more sophisticated to capture other information.  Now I’m in complete agreement with Vee Tanner of The Biz Tech Wiz   who says, don’t put ‘sign up to get my newsletter on your website.  That worked 20 years ago, but it doesn’t work today. Not many people are going to knowingly sign up for your newsletter today. Some will, but many of us are in email overload, so we only want emails that we can use or benefit from! I recently started playing pickleball and I’m interested in playing in a particular community so when I found out someone was sending an email in that community about pickleball, I did sign up. It’s valuable to me! So while some people in certain circumstances will sign up when it says sign up for our newsletter, you would be better off calling it something else. If you just have the newsletter then say something like Get Information On Protecting Your Family or if you are focused on the B2B market, say something like  Get Details on Managing Your Business. Ideally you want to say something about staying in touch and offering something to download or get my free checklist or tool that benefits you. Amy Morales says this is what is working and can be done in several different ways. So, what can you give away? This is the million dollar question many of you will ponder.  Throughout this email marketing series, I’ve given you a few ideas but here’s a few more: Fire Escape route planning tool The most overlooked insurance purchases (cancer, umbrella, LTC, event, cyber Hiring a nurse advocate Caring for your Pets The topics for what you can give away are unlimited. It will take time to develop or you can purchase a white labeled piece which will save you a lot of time and probably money if you purchase it this way. Michael Loschke of Arista Advisors suggests that you have to have a compelling value proposition and the key objective is to become a close trusted advisor. He follows the advice of financier and philanthropist, Michael Milken's and suggests creating deep emotional relationships" (something to which every agent/sales pro should aspire) - Health, Wealth and Children. BTW, the latter is often pets for seniors and empty-nesters. ;) Ask people join your list  by phone or email or online zoom, "He’ll say to people, our clients receive special email offers and content on health, wealth, and children. May I add you to our VIP list?" Another way to Build your List is Webinars Webinars - Citrin Cooperman  is a large CPA firm and they have been doing almost weekly webinars on PPP loans during the pandemic. They hit the market early with their webinars and now they are pivoting to other topics but when they started the webinars, no one else was doing them. They kept going when others only did a few. Now they have pivoted but they’ve built up a loyal following because of what they offered during the pandemic. It’s not too late to start doing webinars around the pandemic. One of the hot issues that I’ve been reading about is mental health. Kaiser Foundation put together a return to work guide and a large portion was focused on addressing mental health. Aetna is doing a big webinar in June 2020 and a section is on mental health.  Does mental health apply to insurance?  You decide. While webinars are a great way to offer a service, if you promote the webinars on social platforms, when people sign up for the webinar you now capture their email address. During the webinar, I would offer another opportunity to give them something and have them sign up directly into your email platform to show that they signed up, but you could use their email address from signing up for the webinar and upload into your ESP pretty safely.  Workshops are very similar to webinars but are face to face. In 2020, I’m not sure how many people you will get to attend an in person workshop because of Covid. If you are listening to this podcast in 2021 or 2022, it might not be an issue at all! Like with webinars, your workshop topics can be about anything that will bring people together and help you grow your prospect list and email list. You can advertise them on your social platforms, send snail mail invitations, promote through your referral partners, put up flyers in different venues. Everything is focused on getting people to register or attend so that you can obtain their email address and you can stay in touch with them. There is a larger agency outside of Baltimore that started doing events a few years ago and 20 people showed up, now they have close to 100 people showing up every month. (at least prior to Covid they did) They’ve built their list by having these monthly events with speakers and inviting people - growing their list and their prospects at the same time.  Networking events  - Networking events is another strategy you can implement for growing your list. I like to call it offline to online. They  could be from ones you put together or ones put together by chambers, associations, social organizations or anyone bringing together a group of people for the purpose of meeting others.  One way you could build your list from these events is sending out a nice to meet you email afterwards, and having a link to give them something that they have to sign up for to receive. Or maybe you have a link to a webinar you are offering and you send them a link in the nice to meet you email.  Technically, if you have their email address you might be tempted to add them to your email list and you might be able to do this without getting into trouble, but if they sign up for something themselves, you are pretty much in the clear if you were ever reported. Again, get creative. If you go to a business networking event, maybe you have link to a business resource or maybe, and yes, I’m bringing up podcasting again, maybe you ask the person you met to be a guest on your podcast and you have them sign up on your website to get the details and that puts them into your list.  Another thing you could do is have people text to join your list. I’ve done this at speaking events in the past. I’ll ask the audience if they want to get a copy of the slides. Most people do so I’ll have a text number set up for them to text right there, they put in their email address and then they are emailed the slides. I now have their email address and am building my list! Jason Silver also suggested using a QR code. Other ways you could do this is to put it on the back of your business card. If you are in an office and clients come to your office, you could have them scan the QR code right there to get something.  Next, think about contests Jonathan Blotner - https://blotnermassmedia.com/  Contest marketing - sign up for a chance to win xxx maybe it’s a photo contest, Their friends vote on the best photo and the one with the most votes wins, but the votes have to be verified with their email address.  You might need to work with your marketing team to create and implement this, but I think it’s a great idea.  We’ve talked about giving things away on your website, having contests, having webinars, hosting events and attending events. There are many ways to grow your list but you have to be intentional about doing it.  Part of marketing is about nurturing relationships. Some people will find you on the internet, some people will be referred to you but not everyone is ready to buy when you talk to them. So what is your strategy to get them to like you, to trust you, to try you and get them ready to buy from you.  Email marketing is one tactic that you should be doing consistently. In the next episode I'm going to talk about marketing automation. It is how to take all of the ideas I’m talking about here for growing your list and automating the processes. For the most part, once the process is set up, it works automatically. It’s how you build your list even in your sleep! I hope the ideas we’ve been talking about are helpful.  BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT THE SHOW -  If you like what you’ve heard, please go to iTunes also know as Apple Podcasts and leave a review. It really helps with us getting noticed and helps the Apple Podcast algorithms as well! If you know someone that should hear this content, please share the episode with them. If you want to learn more about marketing, join the FB group called the Business of Insurance. I’ll link to it in the show notes and I look forward to meeting you there! If you want to connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, mention you heard the podcast in your request. It helps me identify the spammers from the listeners! UNTIL THEN, KEEP CREATING OPPORTUNITIES SHOW THE LOVE If you haven’t done so already, please like or subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast player. We are on all of the platforms including spotify, IheartRadio and Apple podcasts. If you are listening to this podcast online and don’t know how to listen to podcasts on your phone, reach out to our host, Debbie DeChambeau and she'll help you. CONNECT WITH THE PODCAST ON SOCIAL FACEBOOK GROUP FACEBOOK PAGE TWITTER   ABOUT THE HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance podcast is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA - an entrepreneurer, business advisor, insurance professional  and content creator. Her goal is to inspire you to think differently and explore ideas that disrupt the status quo.  Debbie has an extensive business and marketing background with a focus of helping insurance professionals be more successful.  She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and produces three other podcasts, Business In Real Life and Divorce Exposed and Seniors We Love.   Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.   SPECIAL KUDOS TO OUR CONTRIBUTING CONSTANT CONTACT MARKETERS: Amy Morales of Kapeesh Marketing and Make it Pop: Small Business Marketing Podcast heymakeitpop.com says that many small business owners feel embarrassed or too modest to ask customers to follow them online or join some kind of digital marketing effort. Just as these business owners champion "shop small" and "shop local," they should feel empowered and completely capable of asking friends and customers to support them online and join them on an email list. Most often it is that 1 on 1 conversation with clients and customers where they agree to join a list. Simply asking every client and customer when you shake their hand or meet with them if they're interested in receiving updates from you (and if they agree have them fill out an opt-in form) can be a great, engaged list builder. Jason Silver suggested using a QR code.  Michael Loschke of Arista Advisors suggests that you have to have a compelling value proposition and the key objective is to become a close trusted advisor. We propose offering significant value in the form of useful content. For 10 years, I have repeated financier and philanthropist, Michael Milken's advice for "engendering deep emotional relationships" (something to which every agent/sales pro should aspire) - Health, Wealth and Children. BTW, the latter is often pets for seniors and empty-nesters. ;) Asking by phone or email or online zoom, "Our clients receive special email offers and content on health, wealth, and children. May I add you to our VIP list?" Vee Tanner of The Biz Tech Wiz  don’t put ‘sign up to my newsletter and stay in touch but using ‘download, get my free checklist or tool that benefits you is working Jonathan Blotner - https://blotnermassmedia.com/  Contest marketing - sign up for a chance to win xxx maybe it’s a photo contest, Their friends vote on the best photo and the most votes and the email address verifies the votes.

Spreaker Live Show #183 for March 20th, 2019Show Duration: 50 minutes- Host: Rob Greenlee, VP of Podcaster Relations of Voxnest that operates Spreaker. I am a 14+ year podcaster that started out on the radio. This is the official podcast of Spreaker platform. @robgreenlee - rob(at)voxnest(dotcom)- We stream LIVE every Weds at 3pm PST / 6pm EST from SpreakerLiveShow.com-You can now get the show on Google Podcasts App on Android- You can hear this show on Amazon Echo Smart Speakers now via the New Spreaker Skill- If you want to send me an audio promo for your show, I would be happy to play it on the show. - Just create an MP3 and give me a brief description of your show in an email to me at rob@spreaker.com- Spreaker Blog Topics: http://Blog.Spreaker.com On the show this week:- The Power of Joining or Starting Podcaster and Listening Communities- In The Interview: We are discussing Creating a Podcast Business Plan as Most Podcasts are actually small businesses. Guest is Debbie DeChambeau *Play clip from the interview- Podcast Promo of the Week: Multilinguish Podcast by Babbel - for the Language Curious - Featured Podcast Promo of the Week → The Live Drop w/Mark Valley - Stories from the Elusive World of Intelligence Collection and Espionage - If you want to send me an audio promo for your show, I would be happy to play it on the show. Just create an MP3 and give me a brief description of your show in an email to me at rob@spreaker.com- Podcasting & Spreaker’s Events Calendar - Listener Comments Let's get into the show:-The Power of Joining or Starting Podcaster and Listening Communities Spreaker has published a terrific blog post about this topic at Blog.Spreaker.comThe two platforms that dominate for building these communities are Meetup and Facebook or mix of both, but Google Groups does still exist but is a little old schoolThe one exception is “Telegram” a platform that has gained traction in Spanish speaking countries.Generally Meetup excelled in event discovery by attendees, but Facebook was more appropriate for group discussion. Totally makes sense to me.Seems like the power is to use both Meetup and Facebook GroupsOrganizers discussed in the blog post generally feel like Meetup is great for RSVPs but those people aren’t as likely to show up. Those that find out about events on Facebook do tend to show up more. Meetup attendees are notoriously flakey”. I agree, I have run Podcaster Meetups in Seattle for Years.Attendance will vary a lot based on month of the year, venue and purpose of the eventCommunities attract all levels of podcasterBeing an Event Organizer can have many professional benefits - building your leadership brand can help your podcast grow too. On the listener community side, I would recommend to create just a Facebook group for your listeners to engage with each other and ge listener feedback on topics and building intra-listener relationships. -Podcast Promo of the Week: Multilinguish Podcast by Babbel USA Team: Are Not multilingual, but language-curious? Explore how language connects us all — from the producers at the language-learning app Babbel. In season 1, we dig into unsolved linguistic mysteries, sexist robots, the best travel advice you've never heard, if language affects our worldview, which accents are sexiest, and more! New episodes every Tuesday. Play Audio Clip --> Featured Podcast Show Of The Week: The Live Drop -- Join host Mark Valley as he ventures into the elusive world of intelligence collection and espionage to spot, assess and debrief: spies, spy catchers, analysts, diplomats and occasionally the actors who portray them. A new episode each week brings stories and analysis from the Cold War to the present. Drop in at thelivedrop.com - In the most recent episode Mark talks to Tom Pecora is a 24 year CIA veteran and senior clandestine security manager the CIA’s War on Terror, and a career in Clandestine security operations. - -- play clip here-Listener Comment - Linda Irwin I have used licensed Epidemic Sound to create entire music shows on Spreaker that feed to Spotify. Those generally have more listens than my comedy shows.-Podcasting & Spreaker Event CalendarNABShow.com - Las Vegas - April 6-11th, 2019, Voxnest and Spreaker will be there in force with a booth again this year.I will be speaking at the Eliances.com GRANDtable Event in Phoenix, Arizona at Arizona State University on April 2nd at 8am PSTOutlier Podcast Festival at Austin, TX - Keynoting - May 17th - 18th - Outliercs.com The Audiocraft Podcast Festival (Sydney NSW, Australia: May 31 - June 2) has announced its initial lineup, Our very own Jonathan Zenti (Voxnest/Meat) will be joining the speakers list down under. -The Interview:I am joined on the show today by Debbie DeChambeau, Select Business Team, llc, she is a podcaster with a few of her own business podcasts and was a Presenter of a session at Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando on the topic of “Business Planning for Podcasters” and thought that would be a great topic for the show… Checkout Debbie’s Business in Real Life Podcast → https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/business-in-real-life/id1137499088?mt=2Business of Insurance Podcasthttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/business-of-insurance-podcast/id1318390091?mt=2Play InterviewIs Your Podcast Going To Be a Business or Hobby?Do Most Podcasters NEED a Content and Business Plan?Parts of the Plan (Cover sheet, exec summary, company description, market and competitive analysis, marketing, operations, management/HR, financial, supporting docs)If your Podcast is a Hobby: Do you still need a Content and Business Plan as Hobby podcasts if done good can become a business. So you need to prepare for that and in the competitive content marketplace of today a plan/strategy gives you an advantage. Do research and talk to others who have succeeded. SometimesBuilding Yourself a Business Team (accountant, bookkeeper, business attorney, insurance, banker, marketing outsourced HR, business coach)Other Resources to Help with Process?There's so much to cover here, but don’t have enough time. How should a podcaster proceed - other trainings, resources and listening to your podcast?How can a Podcaster Find you “Debbie”.Spreaker/Voxnest Links:https://Voxnest.comhttp://blog.spreaker.comhttp://SpreakerLiveShow.comhttps://Spreaker.comEmail: rob at voxnest.comSend Questions and Comments to:Twitter: http://twitter.com/spreaker using #SpreakerLiveTwitter: http://twitter.com/VoxNestTwitter: http://twitter.com/robgreenleeTwitter: http://twitter.com/alexeum Tech Support: support at spreaker.com

Spreaker Live Show #183 for March 20th, 2019Show Duration: 50 minutes- Host: Rob Greenlee, VP of Podcaster Relations of Voxnest that operates Spreaker. I am a 14+ year podcaster that started out on the radio. This is the official podcast of Spreaker platform. @robgreenlee - rob(at)voxnest(dotcom)- We stream LIVE every Weds at 3pm PST / 6pm EST from SpreakerLiveShow.com-You can now get the show on Google Podcasts App on Android- You can hear this show on Amazon Echo Smart Speakers now via the New Spreaker Skill- If you want to send me an audio promo for your show, I would be happy to play it on the show. - Just create an MP3 and give me a brief description of your show in an email to me at rob@spreaker.com- Spreaker Blog Topics: http://Blog.Spreaker.com On the show this week:- The Power of Joining or Starting Podcaster and Listening Communities- In The Interview: We are discussing Creating a Podcast Business Plan as Most Podcasts are actually small businesses. Guest is Debbie DeChambeau *Play clip from the interview- Podcast Promo of the Week: Multilinguish Podcast by Babbel - for the Language Curious - Featured Podcast Promo of the Week → The Live Drop w/Mark Valley - Stories from the Elusive World of Intelligence Collection and Espionage - If you want to send me an audio promo for your show, I would be happy to play it on the show. Just create an MP3 and give me a brief description of your show in an email to me at rob@spreaker.com- Podcasting & Spreaker’s Events Calendar - Listener Comments Let's get into the show:-The Power of Joining or Starting Podcaster and Listening Communities Spreaker has published a terrific blog post about this topic at Blog.Spreaker.comThe two platforms that dominate for building these communities are Meetup and Facebook or mix of both, but Google Groups does still exist but is a little old schoolThe one exception is “Telegram” a platform that has gained traction in Spanish speaking countries.Generally Meetup excelled in event discovery by attendees, but Facebook was more appropriate for group discussion. Totally makes sense to me.Seems like the power is to use both Meetup and Facebook GroupsOrganizers discussed in the blog post generally feel like Meetup is great for RSVPs but those people aren’t as likely to show up. Those that find out about events on Facebook do tend to show up more. Meetup attendees are notoriously flakey”. I agree, I have run Podcaster Meetups in Seattle for Years.Attendance will vary a lot based on month of the year, venue and purpose of the eventCommunities attract all levels of podcasterBeing an Event Organizer can have many professional benefits - building your leadership brand can help your podcast grow too. On the listener community side, I would recommend to create just a Facebook group for your listeners to engage with each other and ge listener feedback on topics and building intra-listener relationships. -Podcast Promo of the Week: Multilinguish Podcast by Babbel USA Team: Are Not multilingual, but language-curious? Explore how language connects us all — from the producers at the language-learning app Babbel. In season 1, we dig into unsolved linguistic mysteries, sexist robots, the best travel advice you've never heard, if language affects our worldview, which accents are sexiest, and more! New episodes every Tuesday. Play Audio Clip --> Featured Podcast Show Of The Week: The Live Drop -- Join host Mark Valley as he ventures into the elusive world of intelligence collection and espionage to spot, assess and debrief: spies, spy catchers, analysts, diplomats and occasionally the actors who portray them. A new episode each week brings stories and analysis from the Cold War to the present. Drop in at thelivedrop.com - In the most recent episode Mark talks to Tom Pecora is a 24 year CIA veteran and senior clandestine security manager the CIA’s War on Terror, and a career in Clandestine security operations. - -- play clip here-Listener Comment - Linda Irwin I have used licensed Epidemic Sound to create entire music shows on Spreaker that feed to Spotify. Those generally have more listens than my comedy shows.-Podcasting & Spreaker Event CalendarNABShow.com - Las Vegas - April 6-11th, 2019, Voxnest and Spreaker will be there in force with a booth again this year.I will be speaking at the Eliances.com GRANDtable Event in Phoenix, Arizona at Arizona State University on April 2nd at 8am PSTOutlier Podcast Festival at Austin, TX - Keynoting - May 17th - 18th - Outliercs.com The Audiocraft Podcast Festival (Sydney NSW, Australia: May 31 - June 2) has announced its initial lineup, Our very own Jonathan Zenti (Voxnest/Meat) will be joining the speakers list down under. -The Interview:I am joined on the show today by Debbie DeChambeau, Select Business Team, llc, she is a podcaster with a few of her own business podcasts and was a Presenter of a session at Podfest Multimedia Expo in Orlando on the topic of “Business Planning for Podcasters” and thought that would be a great topic for the show… Checkout Debbie’s Business in Real Life Podcast → https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/business-in-real-life/id1137499088?mt=2Business of Insurance Podcasthttps://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/business-of-insurance-podcast/id1318390091?mt=2Play InterviewIs Your Podcast Going To Be a Business or Hobby?Do Most Podcasters NEED a Content and Business Plan?Parts of the Plan (Cover sheet, exec summary, company description, market and competitive analysis, marketing, operations, management/HR, financial, supporting docs)If your Podcast is a Hobby: Do you still need a Content and Business Plan as Hobby podcasts if done good can become a business. So you need to prepare for that and in the competitive content marketplace of today a plan/strategy gives you an advantage. Do research and talk to others who have succeeded. SometimesBuilding Yourself a Business Team (accountant, bookkeeper, business attorney, insurance, banker, marketing outsourced HR, business coach)Other Resources to Help with Process?There's so much to cover here, but don’t have enough time. How should a podcaster proceed - other trainings, resources and listening to your podcast?How can a Podcaster Find you “Debbie”.Spreaker/Voxnest Links:https://Voxnest.comhttp://blog.spreaker.comhttp://SpreakerLiveShow.comhttps://Spreaker.comEmail: rob at voxnest.comSend Questions and Comments to:Twitter: http://twitter.com/spreaker using #SpreakerLiveTwitter: http://twitter.com/VoxNestTwitter: http://twitter.com/robgreenleeTwitter: http://twitter.com/alexeum Tech Support: support at spreaker.com

EPISODE 36 WITH RUSSELL LACEY OF ELECTRIC ADVISORS Thank you for joining us today for episode 36 of the the Business In Real Life podcast. Our guest is Russell Lacey of Electric Advisors.  This is an unusual conversation in that it’s more educational about his business than information about how to be successful in some capacity. For some of you, it might even come across as boring, but trust me when I say it’s information that many business owners might not be aware of. If you aren’t a business owner listening to this, but you work with business owners, then you will also want to hear this because you can share the knowledge with your clients and prospects and position yourself as a valuable resource. If you want to reach out to Russell, his contact information is in the show notes, or you can search for ElectricAdvisors.com and you’ll find him on the website. We have a lot of listeners from around the world so I’m not sure this information will apply outside of the US and for that I apologize.   This conversation was recorded in 2018 but isn’t being released until 2019. If you listened to the episode about rebranding, I discussed my struggle with the podcast name...and as a result, I didn’t release many episodes in 2018. Russell got slighted in that struggle I was having but that doesn’t mean the conversation isn’t important. I’ve known Russell for close to 20 years and watched him build this business from the beginning. As social media was taking off, I’d offer suggestions on how he could leverage it. Like many businesses, he went through a trial and error period, figuring out what was working and what wasn’t in the digital space. In this episode he talks about what he’s doing today for business development and I think you’ll be surprised at what is working! We start the conversation with him talking about his business. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: How an energy broker can help small to midsize businesses save on energy costs Old fashioned outreach tactics that work How to educate your customers when they don’t know they need you ABOUT OUR GUEST – RUSSELL LACEY Russell Lacey is the President of Electric Advisors. Learn more at electricadvisors.com Connect with him: LinkedIn Facebook. Twitter - @eapowerchoice ABOUT THE HOST This episode of Business In Real Life is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau. She is the owner of Select Business Team, llc and has an extensive background in insurance, business and marketing. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and hosts two other podcasts The Business of Insurance  and Divorce Exposed. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram or follow FB business page at Select Business Team.  

EPISODE 35 DO YOU HAVE A COACH? If you thought you were listening to the Select Business Team podcast, we changed the name of the podcast and we are now Business In real life. Listen to the last episode # 34 and we explained why we are rebranding. It’s a new year and if you are like most people you’ve done your planning, written down your goals and you’ll go back to work energized. If you are in sales, you’ll start prospecting, if you are in business, you’re excited with about the new opportunities in front of you. We all start with a clean slate with every intention of making a difference and achieving new results. What I see happen so often is the energy that we feel at the beginning of the year quickly gets rerouted. Problems arise, we fall back into our routine, objections get difficult to overcome and  at some point, our balloon pops! It’s like people who set the goal of going to the gym regularly. Usually within 2 months, that’s completely derailed. I’m not trying to be negative, just realistic. I want to see you succeed. I want to see you be just as energized in May as you are in January. So what is the solution? It’s simple. Everyone needs a coach. I know this might sound odd, but it’s true!  Did you play sports growing up and have a coach that inspired you, showed you ways to improve your strategy and hold you accountable. What happened if you didn’t show up for practice? If you make a bad play, what happens? The coach pulls you through and provides the guidance to make a difference the next time! Why is adult life any different? Being a business owner is hard. You are wearing many hats and juggling a lot of tasks. There is a lot to learn and with the rapid pace that technology is changing, there is even more to keep up with. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To let things slip and not achieve the results you had intended. Sales is a constant motivation game. You have to show up every day ready to give it 150%. That’s hard for some people to do on their own. If you have a sales manager who acts as your coach, you are ahead of most people in sales. Most sales managers have their own book of business to pursue, they have to juggle multiple hats and as much as they want you to succeed, they hired you to make it happen. Most are reactive, not pro-active. If you want to be super successful, you need someone to be proactive and inspiring. Sales is a contact sport. How many people can you touch in a day. Rejection can be hard. Your coach can help you be the best that you can be! A few people can go it alone and do really well. But for the most part, the ones that are really successful have a coach. If you really want to succeed in 2019, find yourself a coach. Find someone that will hold you accountable, someone that will keep you focused and someone that will inspire you. Someone that will pull you up when you  are sinking and share new ideas to push you forward Coaches are everywhere today. The key is to find one that you feel comfortable with, who is different than you are but understands what you are going through. Try them out for a few weeks and if you aren’t feeling the love, find another! Your success could depend on it! If you don’t have the budget to hire a coach, consider joining a mastermind or starting your own. Look at it as a board of advisors, other professionals who are meeting to share ideas, hold each other accountable and create new opportunities together. At my company, Select Business Team, that’s what we do. We can work with you one on one, but that’s not our strength. I believe the real value for business owners and those responsible for business development comes from being part of a team of other professionals that you can learn from. The bigger value is learning something that can save you from a big financial mistake. For example, we recently had a conversation in one of our meetings about credit card compliance.

EPISODE 34 BRANDING AND REBRANDING  You see, after this episode, the Select Business Podcast is rebranding and will have a new name and a new iTunes Graphic. This podcast was started as a way to promote members and clients of my company, Select Business Team. At Select, or as it has been nicknamed, SBT, we host business roundtables. Meetings where different professionals come together and talk about different aspects of business development. Our members include employees and owners, professionals and those in sales. Most of our members are in service businesses such as lawyers, accountants and real estate, but we also have some other industries represented. The Original Intent When the podcast was started, it was truly designed as a way to interview members and help to promote them. After all, we’ve had almost 10,000 downloads so someone is listening! Initially a few of them jumped on board, but since many of them don’t listen to podcasts, it was hard to have them see the value of being a guest. It’s almost been like pulling teeth to get some members on as guests, so recording has been slow. Earlier in 2018 we sent out an email to our list of non members, looking for guests and had several people sign up for an interview. Apologizing About The Name As a podcaster, I am very active in the podcast community. I host a monthly meetup in Maryland and I speak to organizations about podcasting. When I am asked about the name of my own podcasts, I always apologize about the name of this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love the name of my company. Its reflective of what we do but I don’t love the name of it for a podcast. So after many months of struggling with this, the decision was made to change the name. Business In Real Life The new name, Business In Real Life, is reflective of the conversations we’ve been having at Select but allows me to still be happy when I say the name of my podcast. If you didn’t know, I actually have two other podcasts, of which I never apologize about their name. One is Divorce Exposed, the other The Business of Insurance. I didn’t come up with the name, Business In Real Life on my own and I want to give credit where it is due. A few years ago, I was going to start another business with the same name with another woman who I adore and together we came up with this name. Regrets Unfortunately, my life took a downward turn and I couldn't move forward with anything new and left her hanging. It is something I have regretted but emotionally I wasn’t in a good place and couldn’t do anything. I haven’t really talked about this period in my life publicly too much because I’m just now coming out of it. Maybe on another show i will. But Lori Gartenhaus and I collaborated on this idea and the graphics that we are using for the re brand. She’s an amazing individual and one of my regrets is not being able to move forward with her. For those of you listening in the DMV area, if you have heard of Gartenhaus Furs, that was her family company. She sold it a few years ago and now does a lot of business consulting. If you ever have the opportunity to work with her, your investment will be worthwhile! Next Steps  The new name, Business In Real Life, will be the same format as before, just a new name. As we move forward with making the change, we hope that you will continue to listen and share the show with your business colleagues. If you are a business owner and interested in being a guest, reach out to me at debbie@selectbizteam.com with a summary of what you’d like to talk about. I really want to mix things up and know that this is the right path forward. Other Podcasts Of course, if you want to check out my other podcasts, Divorce Exposed and The Business of Insurance, I won’t be upset! Thank you so much for listening and until next time, keep creating opportunities! About The Host  This episode of the Select Business Team podcast is produced and hosted by Debbie DeC...

INSURANCE PODCAST WITH STEVE HARVILL Episode 18 - Meet Steve Harvill. He’s the owner of Creative Ventures, a published author and a speaker for the first day of IA&B Futures Conference. He presented on the 21 Secrets of Million Dollar Sellers. He is a scientist by education and uses his leadership experience and empirical data to reinforce his assertions, providing actionable steps for attendees. In our conversation he provided what he hopes attendees took from the presentation and also shares his thoughts on leadership. QUESTIONS WE ASK What should people do about information overload at a conference? What is leadership? How do you test your theories? WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM LISTENING Why a mastermind is worth considering Using a dental association for market research Leadership skills involved in creating shoes for Michael Jordan READY TO BE PART OF AN INSURANCE MASTERMIND We are in the process of creating a virtual mastermind meeting for owners and producers in 2019. Click here to get the details on our upcoming Insurance Mastermind as they become available.  We won't spam you or sell your information! CONSTANT CONTACT SPECIAL OFFER Click here for your free 30 day trial of Constant Contact ABOUT OUR GUEST – STEVE HARVILL Steve is the owner of Creative Ventures, a published author and a trainer of sales professionals. He's the author of 21 Secrets of Million Dollar Sellers. Connect with him: Website YouTube Facebook.   Twitter HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW If you have an iphone or an iTunes account, would you leave us a review? It provides us the opportunity to get discovered by other agents. Log into your account, look for our podcast Business of Insurance then go to Ratings and Reviews and let us know what you think of the episode. Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review ABOUT THE HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance is produced and hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Debbie is an insurance agent with an extensive business and marketing background. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and hosts two other podcasts Select Business Team and Divorce Exposed. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram or follow the podcast Facebook page

INSURANCE PODCAST WITH SEREDA FOWLKES In this episode of the Business of Insurance podcast, I’m speaking with Sereda Fowlkes, an Allstate Agency owner who talks about her journey in this industry. We talk about the early days in her career when she worked inside a Sears store and her experience working for a direct writer.   This is an episode that was recorded for another podcast I host called Select Business Team and Sereda is a member of one of our business teams. Our conversation takes a deep dive into being an agent, buying insurance and running a business. It has a lot of great nuggets, so I’m sharing it with this podcast platform since we are talking insurance! QUESTIONS WE ASK What are the real benefits of having an insurance agent instead of purchasing insurance from the internet How does a big brand insurance company help it’s agents sell their business? What can business owners look for as added benefits to assist employees? WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM LISTENING Different ways having an insurance agent can be beneficial Concerns about consumers buying online The value of supplemental insurance Why agents shouldn’t overlook selling life insurance ABOUT OUR GUEST – SEREDA FOWLKES Sereda Fowlkes is the owner of Fowlkes Insurance which is affiliated with Allstate Insurance Company. Her website is Fowlkes Insurance Services, Inc. Connect with her on: LinkedIn, Follow her on facebook.   Twitter If Sereda inspired you to get a quote on your insurance, connect with her here HOW TO LEAVE A REVIEW If you have an iphone or an iTunes account, would you leave us a review?  It provides us the opportunity to get discovered by other agents. Log into your account, look for our podcast Business of Insurance then go to Ratings and Reviews and let us know what you think of the episode. ABOUT THE HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance is hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Debbie is an insurance agent with an extensive business and marketing background. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. She is the co-author of Renewable Referrals and hosts two other podcasts  Select Business Team and Divorce Exposed. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. If you are an agency principal, join our FB discussion group where we talk about how to build a better agency.

EP 7 - Our guest today is Robert Klinger of Klinger Insurance Group. We recorded in his new video studio and during our conversation he explains why he built the studio and how he hopes it will help the community. The tagline for this insurance agency is Creative Solutions for an Ever Changing World and as you will hear in our conversation, as an agency they truly follow their mission. We talk about how his military career impacts the systems in his agency, his new foundation and the education process he feels every agency needs to be part of. QUESTIONS WE ASK What are the challenges for people entering the insurance industry? What do you look for in  new hires? What gets you excited about insurance? WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM LISTENING Why service is so important Ideas for creating a great work environment Marketing strategies ABOUT OUR GUEST – ROBERT KLINGER  Robert Klinger is the owner of Klinger Insurance Group. Connect with him on: LinkedIn For Klinger Insurance, LinkedIn for Robert Klinger Follow her/him on facebook.   Twitter YouTube Instagram ABOUT THE PODCAST HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance is hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Debbie is an insurance agent with an extensive business and marketing background. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. In addition to hosting this podcast, she is the host of the Select Business Team podcast and Divorce Exposed podcast. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. 

Today’s episode of the Business of Insurance Podcast is for those of you who are responsible for bringing in new business. What I’m talking about today will work for anyone selling insurance, but my examples today will be focused on the personal lines producer and account manager, specifically those of you selling homeowners I’m part of an insurance group on FB and I see people ask for the best way to find new clients all of the time. As someone that has been teaching about referrals for over twenty years and who has co-authored a book on referrals, I have a lot of wisdom to share in this area. So lets say that you are selling homeowners insurance and you want to write more policies. Ideally, you want to connect with the professionals that are talking to people buying and selling houses. In most states, this would be the realtor, lender and settlement attorney. I call these strategic partners or referral partners. My recommendation is to get to know mortgage lenders first. Now remember, for this episode, I’m focusing on the agent that is looking for more homeowners insurance, but know that this strategy will work for any producer or account executive. You are probably thinking you should start with the realtor, but in my opinion, that's one of the biggest misconceptions among insurance agents. They would be the logical first choice, but in my experience, most realtors don’t bring up insurance. Insurance is at the end of the transaction and is usually handled by the lender. The realtor is focused on making sure the buyer has financing, the settlement attorney, home inspection and contractors that are used for the repairs that result from the home inspection. In my experience, Insurance is at the bottom of the initial conversations. I’m in the metro DC area, and settlement  / title attorneys handle the closings (and I know that is different is some parts of the country). So the realtor will often list the settlement/title attorney in the contract but the realtor doesn’t usually bring up insurance. I’m not saying the realtor never brings it up, but it’s the lender that’s going to make sure the policy is in place before they buyer goes to closing, which is why I recommend you focus on lenders first. One exception to this is if you have a great vacant home policy that you are marketing. In many instances, the seller will move out while the house is on the market, not realizing the vacancy clause in their homeowners policy. Depending on how long the home is empty, there could be a problem and many realtors are not aware of this. For realtors who focus on selling homes, connecting with them to promote your vacant home policy could be a good opportunity. For this conversation, I’m focusing on the mortgage lender. But remember, the strategy I’m talking about will work for any strategic or referral partner.   The first thing you should do is make a list of all of the mortgage lenders in your area.I would recommend you make a list of 100. (if that seems overwhelming, start with 50). To build your list, look on LinkedIn, in magazines  where they might be advertising and do an online search. You can also ask the realtors you know who they like to work with. Look at those that work for credit unions, banks and private lending companies. You’ll want to weed out those that have insurance agencies attached to their companies at first. It’s not that you don’t want to know them, but sometimes they are encouraged to give business to the in house firm so if you are looking to ramp up referrals, focus on those that are more independent and save those lenders for later. It’s important to keep in mind that not every lender is going to be ideal for you. You’ll want to prioritize them by those you can best serve. You might want lenders who focus on first time home buyers or lenders who have special programs for jumbo loans. Part of the lenders you want to focus on ties back to the markets you have to provide insurance. If you are targeting a lender that mostly does million dollar plus loans and you don’t have a good carrier for that home value, you’d be spending a lot of time building the relationship but not being able to help their referrals. So identify the types of homeowners policies you are able to write and sort your list of lenders accordingly.  In some scenarios, this will be difficult to determine without talking to them, but as you meet with a few, you’ll have more of a feel of what they can offer and know which lenders to focus on first. Ideally, you want to focus on lenders that are active - those that are out hustling for business, not those that are sitting back waiting to retire. You’ll also find some don’t have the same personality mindset that you have and you might choose to focus your attention on those that are like minded first. This is why we start with a large list because some of them will get weeded to the bottom or off of the list completely. Once you’ve weeded your list, you are going to want to meet them and build a relationship with them so that when they have clients going to closing, you are the one being recommended. Next you’ll want to create a strategy of how to meet them. There are a number of different ways you can do this. Connect with them on linkedin, see if they are on other social platforms as well and connect with them there. If you are on twitter, you might want to make a special list just for your lenders so you can easily see their posts and retweet and comment. Invite them to coffee / lunch Attend real estate functions - generally there is a real estate board or association in your area and the lenders will be there because they want to meet the realtors. Check out a meeting or two just to make sure there are enough lenders showing up, but I think you’ll be surprised at how many are there. Create your own event just for lenders Types of events - happy  hour, themed office parties; You can also ask the realtors for an introduction or go to open houses that are sponsored by lenders to meet them. Both of these strategies will provide you with a warm introduction or at least make the first contact feel warm because there is a connection. You can also do the reverse, invite a realtor you know and introduce them to a lender you want to meet. One of the ways people conduct their first meetings is to learn about how each person conducts business and what type of business each person is looking for. Yes, you might wonder how you will find business for a lender, but you will if you learn to ask the right questions. The lenders job is to help you there. You might also discover that the lender wants introductions to financial advisors or other realtors that you know. The more you are able to help the lenders, the more they will keep you top of mind and refer their clients to you. I’ve created a guide that you can use to prepare you for this type of conversation. It provides questions that you can ask but more importantly, it provides you with questions that you should know the answer to so that you can talk intelligently to your strategic partners. DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY HERE There are so many steps that go into creating a strong referral program but getting started with meeting your strategic partners is the first step. Start by building your list. In future episodes, we’ll talk more about how to stay in touch once you meet for the first time, tracking your relationships, how to give back to your strategic partners and the little touches that make you stand out when you receive referrals. If you would like to talk about creating your own referral strategy, connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email to debbie@selectbizteam.com and let’s see if our working together is a good fit. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Business of Insurance. If you like what you are hearing, please go to iTunes and leave a review! ABOUT THE PODCAST HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance is hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Debbie is an insurance agent with an extensive business and marketing background. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. In addition to hosting this podcast, she is the host of the Select Business Team podcast and Divorce Exposed podcast. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. 

Today we are talking with Jason Ernest who is the President and CEO of Insurance Agents and Brokers.  This is an insurance association for Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania insurance agents. In this episode we are talking about independent agency challenges and innovative tools IAB is providing as solutions. If you are an insurance agent or agency owner, I would strongly suggest you consider membership in your association. They offer a lot of value but this particular association is positioning itself as a partner for the agency principal, not just an association that offers trainings and advocacy. QUESTIONS WE ASK What must agencies do to stay relevant and successful in this competitive environment? Does IAB have a strategy for attracting young talent to the industry? Where do you see the independent agency system?  WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM LISTENING What agents need to do to make the phone ring The two R’s that agencies need to stop depending on Why some restaurant workers make ideal insurance agents How to leverage IAB to keep you focused on growing a profitable agency ABOUT OUR GUEST - JASON ERNEST Jason is the President / CEO of IAB - Independent Agents and Brokers. Connect with IAB on LinkedIn Facebook   Twitter  ABOUT THE PODCAST HOST This episode of the Business of Insurance is hosted by Debbie DeChambeau, CIC, AAI, CPIA. Debbie is an insurance agent with an extensive business and marketing background. Her focus is helping insurance professionals be more successful. In addition to hosting this podcast, she is the host of the Select Business Team podcast and Divorce Exposed podcast. Connect with Debbie on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram. 

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH ELLEN KANDELL Today we are talking about the important stuff in a business - conflict in the workplace, sexual harassment and mediation with Ellen Kandall who is a litigator turned mediator and trainer. Our conversation starts with how people in her position can help an organization but once we get to sexual harassment, the conversation gets really valuable. Maybe I’m a little biased because it’s my podcast, but honestly this is important stuff and not enough people are educated on what to do. Ellen is a former member of Select Business Team and joined when we first started back in the early 2000’s. Over time, her business has evolved, and being part of a weekly meeting didn’t fit her training schedule. During the conversation, we spent a few minutes talking about how she has transformed herself from being a practicing lawyer to helping with facilitation and conflict resolution and providing sexual harassment training.  In my opinion, this conversation is powerful and essential for every business owner to hear. QUESTIONS WE ASK ELLEN  Dealing with conflict in the office environment and using a mediator to create resolution How do families and companies benefit from using a neutral party for dealing with difficult situations What type of impact is there on HR departments that use a mediator for handling conflicts Describe what is involved in sexual harassment training  Explain a team effectiveness survey? How is a workplace climate report beneficial to organizations? MEDIATION AND OTHER THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM LISTENING  How Mediation, arbitration, Facilitation and Training can benefit an organization in the area of conflict resolution Creating systems and outsourcing projects to create a more functional business Typical business challenge of marketing  The difference between mediation and arbitration Different aspects of Sexual harassment and bullying training What companies need to consider if there is a hostile working environment How to engage employees in conflict resolution RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU  BOOKS Heroic Public Speaking - We briefly talked about this organization during the conversation. If you are looking to polish your skills as a speaker/trainer, this is a great program to attend. They have a conference each fall which is usually in Philadelphia. You might also want to check out his book, Steal The Show which provides great insights into speaking.  Check it out. You won't be disappointed. This is my affiliate link, which means I'll earn a few dollars if you buy from this link...but you own't pay more for the book if you buy it this way! Book Yourself Solid - Is another book by Michael Port. It was published in the early 2000's and it's a great read. This is my affiliate link, which means I'll earn a few dollars if you buy from this link...but you own't pay more for the book if you buy it this way! PRESENTATIONS We talked about doing presentations and I mentioned Joey Coleman and his workshop on presentations. His book, Never Lose A Customer Again: Turn Any Sale Into Lifelong Loyalty In 100 Days, gets rave reviews. Check it out.  Like with Book Yourself Solid, this is my affiliate link, which means I'll earn a few dollars if you buy from this link...but you own't pay more for the book if you buy it this way! SELECT BUSINESS TEAM Interested in learning more about Select Business Team? If so, check out where our teams are meeting.  Can't find one in your area?  Don't worry, we can help you start one. Give us a call to discuss further (Click here to schedule a time to chat) REVIEWS Did you like this conversation?  If so, leave us a review on iTunes!  Not everyone knows how to access ITunes, so we've created a handy chart to help you leave a review!  Click here   and follow these instructions. ABOUT OUR GUEST - ELLEN KANDELL  Ellen Kandell is the owner of Alternative Resolutions.

As many people make new years resolutions, it’s a good idea to share them and perhaps be inspired by what others are doing.  My thought by asking, how do you invest in yourself, was to find out what members are doing to grow. Aside from resolutions and goals, and required industry CE’s, it isn’t often a topic that is explored. I strongly believe that the more you educate yourself, the more knowledgeable you will be and the more value you will add. Lifelong Learner I've always been a learner. In the early days, it was through cassette tapes and Cd's. Today I listen to 2-3 podcasts a day. Most of what I listen to is business, sales and marketing related, but I also listen to a couple of motivational podcasts, because I believe life can get in the way sometimes. (listen to episode 16, The Business of Overwhelm, which is my own story of life getting in the way) A little extra motivation doesn’t hurt sometimes! Most of what I talk about today applies to business, but some of these could also be applied personally.  While I think exercise, weight and health goals are important, I’m a believer that  those need to become lifestyle changes, not just something to focus on in the new year. My thought with investing in yourself is how do you improve your knowledge, personally or professionally. Below is a summary of some of the responses from members of Select Business Team this week. Read a Book a Month The person who suggested this said he had a lot of books on his shelf that he’d never read, so he wanted to put them to good use.  He had already started one book titled ‘Present over Perfect’.  The title resonated with me because I hear so many people struggle with perfection.  It holds them back and frustrates them and often adds undue stress to their lives.  While I haven’t read the book, it’s one that might resonate with some of you listening. Reading a book a month is a great way to invest in yourself, expand your horizons both personally and professionally. Attend Conferences  A few members in different teams had this one on their list, so I’m sure conference planners will like to hear this! Last fall, I invested in attending a conference. It was my first industry conference in years. As a podcaster, I’m focused on helping insurance agents create a podcast as a sales tool and this was my ideal audience, not to mention that I was able to pick up another certification as an insurance agent. It was extremely beneficial as I made some new connections and actually received two referrals from it. If you are looking to invest in yourself, consider attending one or two conferences...one in your industry and one in your target markets industry. Join a Think Tank If you are a business owner, the more you surround yourself with other business owners and learn from their mistakes and successes, the faster your path to success will be.  Select Business Team provides this concept, but we don’t just have business owners on our Teams, we allow professionals and those in business development. This allows for a diversity of ideas creating greater impact in everyone’s business. Take Time To Breathe This might sound odd, but everyone is focused on business, there are so many things that need to be done and there usually isn’t enough time to get them done.  Taking time to slow down, take it all in and not let business control your life is important.  Part of taking time to breathe is stepping outside of the office for some quiet time to plan and think. Some members struggle with this worried that they are too important to be away for an hour.  The reality is if you don’t do the planning and the creative aspects of running the business, things will get stagnant and then you will be looking back and wondering what is happening.  Plan a lunch outside of your office, leave your phone on silent and take a paper and pen with you to write without distractions. You will be surprised at what you accomplish in such a short p...

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH NINA RADETICH  This episode of the Select Business Team podcast is a conversation with Nina Radetich who is a newscaster turned marketing consultant and the owner of Radetich Marketing.  We are talking about my favorite tactic, podcasting for sales. The recording is actually the audio from a FB live interview she did with me on her show Small Biz Power where she interviews business owners in the studio on FB live. She was in her studio in Las Vegas, I was in the local recording studio of Podcast Village in MD.  For me, it was my first FB live which I also think is a great way for a business to reach a wider audience. Nina and I are partnering to help sales teams create a podcasting for sales program. We provide them with a proven strategy to open doors for new business. We’ll help them create a show that is sustainable, delivers an intended message and builds relationships. This is what we talk about this in the interview as well as some of the challenges businesses owners face. Sending emails, cold calling and direct mail doesn’t usually work on the first attempt. When you invite someone to be on your podcast and share their knowledge, you will get results. In addition to interviewing your ideal client, there are significant benefits once your podcast has been published. A podcast will help you build: A content marketing machine for your organization Relationships with the right individuals Authority in your industry Community around your brand PODCASTING FOR SALES SYSTEM Before starting a podcast, we recommend you build a strategy around your new media platform. When we work with clients, we start with a plan as we know this will set you up for success. Your podcast strategy should: Reflect your company brand Focus on conversations with guests who are your ideal clients Include graphics for your website and social media platforms Identify website content format Create an invitation sequence and a follow up system for your guests Determine your equipment and recording strategy Outline your post production process As you will see in this interview, we are both extremely excited about this concept. If you want to schedule a consultation with us to see how we might create a podcast for your organization, click on this link and schedule a time that works for you. You can also call us at 301 996-2328. Let's talk about how a podcast would benefit your sales team. ABOUT NINA RADETICH Learn More About Nina On Her Website Connect With Nina On Facebook Follow Nina on Twitter

BUSINESS AND MARKETING 1st ANNIVERSARY EPISODE  Thank you for joining us today for episode 25 of the Select Business Team podcast.  I’m so exicted about this episode because it marks the 1st year of creating this podcast.  Select Business Team brings business professionals together to discuss options for growing and expanding business with a focus on marketing, leadership and revenue and our podcast provides conversations with business owners on similar topics. Since today is our 1st anniversary, we are celebrating and this episode is packed full of information to help you, the business professional. The overall theme is lessons I’ve learned from this first year of production, but there are several valuable ideas that I share as I’m talking. The first few minutes you’ll hear me thank a few people that stepped up to the plate to really help this podcast get started, then the real nuggets begin.   In addition to thanking a few people, I also share with your my personal insights about this journey.  If you are looking for marketing ideas, keep listening, because you'll hear several.  Here’s a little bit of what you can expect: Challenges people have being interviewed on an podcast Time management issues of creating a podcast What’s in the analytics - can you guess what country gets more listens than my own state? The bigger vision for podcasts At the very end I'll mention a new program I'm launching called Next Level Referrals.  If you want to build a solid referral business, it's worth listening to the end and getting the details! Lets get this 1st anniversary episode started. It’s  hard to believe that it has been 12 months since we launched the podcast for Select Business Team. Today I want to share my appreciation for those that have made this journey possible and talk about a few lessons learned along the way. It has been such an interesting experience, but in reality, this might not have ever started if it wasn’t for two very special people. You see, I had been thinking about a podcast for a long time.  I tried to recruit my son to help me but he wasn’t interested.  Then one day I was talking to Ben Piper,  who is the owner of Commonwealth Consulting Group and an SBT member. Somehow we got on the subject of podcasts and he said he had one. Truly I was in awe and he could see my excitement. He volunteered to show me how to get started. Otherwise, I might still be talking about it and not taken action! Initially, I was intimidated, but after hours of research, it wasn’t as hard as I thought. The hardest part is making time, which I’ll talk about shortly. Shortly after showing me the equipment, Ben told me about a meetup group for podcasters and encouraged me to attend. That’s where I met Charlie Birney of Podcast Village who has been a true inspiration for me. He’s got a heart of gold and is always sharing his knowledge and offers his studio at a discount to members of meetup. I’ve done a lot of recordings at his studio and we share ideas regularly. You’ll hear him on an upcoming episode. Again, a big thanks to Ben and Charlie for helping me get started and bringing this podcast vision to life. THANK YOU One other person that I’d like to thank is Rick Becker. He’s someone I went to high school with and while we didn’t really know each other then, we reconnected through a mutual friend and he’s become my running partner. He’s got a great voice and after a lot of convincing, he agreed to do the intro for my podcast.  When we recorded the intro, I truly didn’t have any idea what I was doing. I didn’t know about voice levels and how to set the microphone on the recording software. We did several ‘takes’ and thanks to my amazing editor Evan, we have an intro that I love! So thanks Rick, and to his wife Susie for putting up with me and Evan for all of your hard work. When I first launched the podcast, the plan was to interview members of Select Business Team and use the podcast as a mem...

Interested in starting your own podcast?  This week Lorraine chats with Debbie Dechambeau of the Select Business Team about the basics of podcasting. She also shares some ideas on how to use your podcast as a business tool.  If you enjoy the topic, be sure to check our blog at www.roundpeg.biz  for more on this topic.

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH BECKY BRIGGS  Today we are talking with Becky Briggs of Our Gift Biz.  If you listened to episode 19, I talked a lot about gift giving.  As I was doing some research for that episode, I reached out to Becky, for her insight on gift giving, from the business side. With our travel schedules, it took us several weeks to coordinate our calendars for this recording. But it was definitely worth the wait as she shares some great nuggets, not just as a business owner but as someone that specializes in giving gifts. It’s not just the gift baskets that we often think of, her company creates gifts that are personalized to the recipient and make the giver look good! Our conversation covers a lot but three areas we spend a lot of time on are: How the initial concept of a business changes when you actually open the doors Finding time to stay up to date on industry, marketing and business trends Taking care of yourself as a business owner Your Gift for Listening At the end of this episode I mention a new program that I’m creating called Next Level Referrals.  It’s a referral training program for sales and business development.  I’m piloting the program in July so if you are listening to this episode, go to nextlevelreferrals.com for additional information. If you are listening to this episode after June, sign up to be notified when we start the next program or for our next webinar. This program is for sales and business development professionals.  I’ve been training people how to create referral opportunities for over 20 years but it’s always been through weekly meetings.  I know that a lot of people listening to this podcast have no desire to attend a weekly meeting and even if you did, we might not have a Team in your area yet.  So this is a way that I can share my knowledge with you and you don’t have to leave your desk to learn! In this 4 week class, I’ll teach you how to build your network of referral partners, how to contact them, build the relationship and stay in contact with them.  This is my  first training program, so I'm creating it as a a pilot program.  I'll be on every call, it's not a self study program, and I'll be answering questions and offering feedback. I’ll also be offering 2 follow up sessions for this pilot group to make sure everyone is still on track and their network is growing. Since this is a pilot program, I’m reducing the cost even though you’ll probably get more value from it since I’ll be actively involved.  I'm reducing the price for this program. In exchange, I'm asking for your honest feedback on how the program is working for you and what else you need to make your referral marketing program more successful. If this is something you think you can benefit from or if you know someone that can, check out nextlevelreferrals.com and learn more.  The pilot program will launch in July but if you are listening to this after June, don’t stress, we’ll have another program that you’ll find even more valuable. Thank you for being part of the Select Business Team journey and listening to our podcast. We are excited to bring entrepreneurs together to discuss options for growing and expanding their business, focusing on what happens in the back office. RESOURCES  Learn more about Next Level Referrals by clicking here Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review  ABOUT OUR GUEST – BECKY BRIGGS  Becky Briggs is the owner of Our Gift Biz  .  Connect with her on LinkedIn . Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH DEBBIE DECHAMBEAU Do you want to stand out and get noticed?  If so, do what people have been doing for centuries.  Send a hand written note.  Yes, I know, with technology, sending note cards can seem obsolete, but think about it.  How many emails do you get every day vs. snail mail?  How many emails do you just delete, delete, delete just to clean up your inbox? Now, think about how many hand written notes you get in your regular snail mail box?  When you get them, what do you do?  If you are like most of people, when it’s hand written envelope, you pay attention.  You feel like it might be a special piece of mail.  And you probably open it and read it! Now, can you say that with every email you get?  My guess is probably not. If you are inclined to open a handwritten note, how do you think the person you send one to will feel when they receive one from you?  It’s a powerful tool that will help differentiate you from the crowd and if you aren’t already writing and sending them, it’s something you might want to consider starting. Click here for your Note Card Idea Sheet I know your time is valuable and you have a lot of podcasts to choose from so we hope you’ll find value in today’s episode where today we talk about handwritten personal note cards. This is a two part episode…yes, I know what you are thinking, is there really that much to say about handwritten personal notes.  Well, actually there is. Part 1, this episode, will hopefully is to inspire you and share all the different ways you can use a personal hand written note Part 2 includes Ideas on how how you can actually get your personal handwritten notes done from what type of paper to what to say. A special gift to help you get your personal notes completed. Basically paper to scripts. Provides FAQ’s for writing notes so make sure to listen to that one as well. If you are a listener and like what you are hearing on the podcast, could I ask you a favor? Could you go to iTunes and leave us a review. If you aren’t sure how, see the resources section below. Don't have an iTunes account?  Leaving a review on our FB page would be terrific! Select Business Team brings business owners of service professions together to discuss the back office issues of running a business. We interview our members who are business owners and they share their real life experiences of running a business.  (when talking to business owners: The ideas we share with you in this episode are valuable to any business owner. ) If you would like to join a Team or start one of your own, reach out to me at debbie@selectbizteam.com and let’s have a conversation. I’m a big fan of hand written notes, and I have been for as long as I’ve been in the business world.  When I first started selling, I made it a habit to send hand written notes.  I studied a lot about sales and went to a lot of Tom Peters programs.  He frequently talked about hand written notes. Thanking people makes them more likely to continue a relationship, which has the potential to lead to more opportunities for you. Except for the cost of paper and a stamp, showing gratitude is free.  Showing gratitude helps us treasure good experiences, deal with conflict and build better relationships. Over the years I’ve also been inspired by Brian Buffini  for sending note cards. If you aren’t familiar with Brian, he’s built a real estate coaching business.  While I’ve never been in real estate, I’ve attended several of his events over the years because he’s very motivational and his system is simple…and it works. He teaches his clients to send 5 note cards a day.  A lot of people find that task overwhelming, but think about it.  If you can send 25 a week, think about how many people you are touching, how many people will remember you. In my opinion, if you aren’t sending any personal handwritten notes today and think this is a good strategy for you,

The Value Of An Office BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH PAUL SMITH  Thank you for joining us today for the Select Business Team podcast where we are talking with Paul Smith of The Abrams Group, Re/Max Town Center Park Potomac.  At Select, we bring entrepreneurs and professionals together to discuss options for growing and expanding their business, focusing on what happens in the back office. We help business owners look at areas of the business that increase profits.  Paul and I have known each other for a long time.  We first met when he was in a networking group I ran back in the 90’s, when he owned a bagel shop.  He closed the shop and went into the insurance business selling life and health insurance products, and when we saw each other at networking events, we could always talk insurance!  When I started Select, we lost touch but reconnected about 5 years ago at a networking event. It’s actually funny because for a awhile, most of my FB pics with another man were with him…and no, we weren’t dating, just having a nice conversation and we always seemed to be talking when the photographer showed up! Recently, Paul has gone from working as an insurance agent to becoming a Realtor and today we’ll talk about that transition. My conversation with Paul includes the business of real estate with some in-depth discussion about why someone should use a realtor instead of trying to buy or sell properties on their own.  So even if you aren’t a business owner, you will find some great nuggets in this conversation.  Before I get into the meat of our conversation I wanted to mention something I do when I’m not recording podcasts or running our business teams. I offer training and primarily on email marketing.  If you are a business owner, sales professional or a realtor like our guest today, having a way to stay in touch with the people that you meet is essential. You ca stay connected on social media, but that can be hit or miss with all of the algorithms.  I’m a big fan of email marketing because for every dollar spent on email marketing there is a $42.00 ROI. I offer regular webinars so if you want to attend one of them and learn more about email marketing or other marketing strategies, go to selectbizteam.com/events-calendar for one of our upcoming webinars. Most of them are free and I’d love to have you join us. In today's episode we talk about: The value of an office and the support it provides How Starting as a Realtor is like starting a new business The analogy of a Realtor and a Director RESOURCES  If you like what you hear on the podcast, we'd love for you to leave a review on iTunes.  If you have an account, but aren't sure how to leave a review we've included instructions below.  We'd love your opinion! Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review  Not sure how to leave a review?  Check out our instructions here http://www.selectbizteam.com/make-itunes-review/ Paul and I have known each other for awhile and would always reconnect at networking events.  These photo's are from three different events over the years - you can see how we've changed!  Thanks to Ann Maas Photography and The Umbrella Syndicate for the pics.   ABOUT OUR GUEST – PAUL SMITH   Paul Smith is a Realtor and is part of The Abrams Group at Re/Max Town Center Park Potomac.  His website is The Abrams Group.  Connect with him on LinkedIn and Facebook.

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST - MIKE AIN Welcome to another episode of the Select Business Team Podcast where this week we want you to live your life. This podcast is named after our company and we bring business professionals together to create a Team that support each other as we grow and discusses topics that are valuable to business development. A few examples include, hiring, insurance, marketing and exit planning. You’ll find insight on these and many more topics throughout each episode. In some of our episodes, we interview our members, in some of our episodes, I provide you with insights on a particular topic that I’m hoping you can apply to your business.  As the founder of the company, I’ve learned so much from sitting in these meetings and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years.  Todays episode is a special one to me.  It’s about one of our members and includes some very important lessons learned from him that I believe you will also benefit from. This episode of Select Business Podcast is dedicated to Mike Ain who was a longtime member of Select Business Team and a very special and dear friend. The episode shares some lessons that are relevant to everyone…and particularly every business person. We always think it can’t happen to us…that we are immune to everything that we hear about…until that one day…. I didn’t get the chance to interview Mike on the podcast, mostly because I started recording after he became ill. A regret on my part for sure. He was a personal injury attorney that specialized in medical malpractice cases, his wisdom is something that would benefit all of our listeners. The stories I’ve heard him tell about how he would prep for a case, how he put medical with technology to present cases for his clients were fascinating and I wish I had those recorded. I know his knowledge, passion and sincerity would have inspired you. So why is this story so important? The things that happened to Mike over the past 4 years are the exact things that could happen to you, yet you probably think like I do and like so many people do….this only happens to other people. I know that Mike didn’t think this would happen to him. He was a vegetarian, he ate healthy, he wasn’t over weight and he did extensive long distance bike riding, and played tennis all the time, all things that kept him active, healthy in hopes of having a long life. It was late one Thursday afternoon in the fall of 2013. Select Business Team was having a networking event in Bethesda where we invited members from all of the Teams along with any guests they wanted to bring. We host these types of events every 6 months or so, but we haven’t had one since. Probably because I’m a little concerned I’m jinxed.  Ok, that’s another story! As the host of these events, I usually purchase some appetizers and it’s a cash bar for everyone. I walk around, make sure everyone is talking to someone, facilitate introductions as much as I can, and truly try to be a good hostess since I know almost everyone and it’s my company! About half way through this event, I saw Mike and another member, Jon, sitting off to the side, so I walked over to see what was going on.  Mike was sitting on a bar stool, Jon was standing behind him, holding him up, which seemed a little odd to me.  As I walked closer, and looked at Mike, he didn’t look right.  Part of his lip was facing up, the other part was crooked in the opposite direction. Now, I’m not trained in medicine, but I have to say that one of the many Facebook posts that went around about what to look for if someone is having a stroke actually worked.  I immediately said to Mike, I think you are having a stroke, I’m going to call 911.  Of course, we were in a restaurant where there was no cell signal so I had the hostess call for me.  It felt like hours before they arrived, but EMT took him to the local hospital. Jon went with him and I let all the guests know, waited for everyone to leave,

Thank you for joining us today for the Select Business Team podcast as we talk about gift giving. I know your time is valuable and you have a lot of podcasts to choose from so we hope you’ll find a lot of value in today’s episode. Select Business Team brings business owners of service professions together to discuss the back office issues of running a business. We help business owners look at areas of the business that increase profits. My hope with every podcast is to get you thinking a little differently about how you operate your business. To not necessarily do what everyone else is doing but to find a way to stand out and be remembered. Be different, adapt to technology, create systems and make sure that you are making a profit. When it comes to marketing, this is just as important. Since my core focus in business is referrals, the topic I’m discussing today really resonates with me. When I sold insurance, this is something I did regularly. When I started Select Business Team, I did this a little bit but over the years, I’ve really gotten out of the habit. With this episode, I’m making a point to get back into it and make it a regular marketing tactic. I’m talking about gift giving Did you give gifts to your clients, to your strategic partners, to your prospects between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve?  If so, if you asked the person today what you gave them that they would remember? My guess is they’d pause, run a few ideas around and maybe they’d guess correctly.  The real question is, WAS YOUR GIFT MEMORABLE?’ Was is something that jumped out at them? Something that they’ll remember in 2 months, In 2 years? In today’s podcast, I want to talk about 4 areas of gift giving. The first is promotional products or swag vs. personalized and customized gifts, The second is why you are giving gifts, The third is when you give gifts We’ll finish up with some different strategies for getting business from gift giving. If you like what you hear, please go to iTunes and leave a review.  If you aren’t sure how, check out our website at selectbizteam.com/makeitunesreview .  Or, check out the  resources section the show notes for this episode. Also, if you find this topic valuable, please share the podcast with a friend or co-worker.  Someone who would benefit from the ideas. Let's get this show started. Separate from gifts, what types of swag or promotional items do you give away to clients, prospects and strategic partners? Are you giving pens, calendars, fruit or food baskets?  Logo’d apparel or items like measuring tapes, key chains or memo pads? A lot of companies do this and don’t really measure the results. They know they are suppose to do this. They hope it has an impact, but for the cost of the swag, was there a measurable return? As I look around my own office, I have a small clock that has a picture frame attached. I’ve had it for years and it has the logo on it from the company that gave it to me. To be honest with you, I know think the company is a credit card company, but I don’t really know for sure. I also have a pad of sticky notes with another company. It has the name and logo and what they do but no contact info. It would be nice to have their number so I could easily call them. I like having the sticky note pad, but I’m not sure the branding would ever have me call them! This is part of the thought process you want to go through when selecting and putting your logo on promotional products. Here’s a Thought What if you took the budget you have for promotional items and bought fewer gifts? But they are special and personalized to the recipient and are only delivered to a few people that would have the most impact.  And, you didn’t give them during the holiday season, but you gave them at a different time of year. Just because.  What if you only gave 10 gifts - 5 to the top 5 prospects on your list and 5 to your best strategic partners.

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH KAREN KRYMSKI Thank you for joining us today for episode 18 of the Select Business Team podcast. I know your time is valuable and you have a lot of podcasts to choose from so we hope you’ll find value in today’s episode. Select Business Team brings business owners of service professions together to discuss the back office issues of running a business.  Today’s guest isn’t a member of Select but is an advocate for small business owners. Karen Krymski currently works for SBDC and has quite an entrepreneurial background. Her current position allows her to help other businesses grow and expand. Karen and I met while working for eWomenNetwork. She was the executive managing director of the Tampa Bay Chapter and I was the executive managing director for Maryland. Both of us have refocused our efforts, but our experience with this organization definitely had a positive impact our lives. Our discussion takes us in three different areas with some unique perspectives Sales  - It's about the relationship and having a genuine interest in the person. Be authentic, develop your own style and have the mindset of Always Be Closing.  As you build the relationship you learn how to ask questions that lead you to where you want to go with sales. Government Contracting - Research getting on a GSA schedule; does the federal government buy what you sell? What agencies are best and how much do they purchase of what you sell? Once you determine that, how do you go about building relationships with contracting officers, programming managers and prime contractors.  Find out what the opportunities are and making sure you aren't trying to be all things to all people - i.e. not trying to sell to all branches in the government. Start out as a sub contractor to get your feet wet and avoid the overwhelm.  It is a good idea to start as a subcontractor to learn the ropes, and avoid getting a bad mark which can impact getting future contracts. Having a Business Partner - The good, the bad and the ugly. It is important to have everything in place to protect yourself if you are going to have a partner.  Research them, meet their family, have tea and cookies together! Just because they are a good friend doesn't mean they are a good business partner. Have a buy/sell agreement - get the document drafted together, take the document to your own attorney then take the feedback back to the original attorney together to create the final document.  Address health, death, divorce, who get's what, how the dollars will be divided, etc. Have the document in place so you aren't in business with your partners family if something should happen. It’s not the best quality recording we’ve had, but it’s extremely valuable content. I’d like to encourage you to turn off all the other distractions so you can absorb the incredible nuggets shared in this episode. RESOURCES WIPP - Women Impacting Public Policy is a good organization for connecting with government contractors Women In Defense Federal Government Small Business Event held in the spring at the Washington DC Convention Center Episode 9 Andrew Blate - discussion about having a partner Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review  Not sure how to leave a review?  Check out our instructions here http://www.selectbizteam.com/make-itunes-review/ ABOUT OUR GUEST - KAREN KRYMSKI Karen Krymski currently works for SBDC in Tampa Florida.  She counsels small business owners, teaches classes and is passionate about helping companies succeed.  Connect with Karen on Linkedin.  

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH MARC EMDEN Thank you for joining us today for episode 17 of the Select Business Team podcast where we bring entrepreneurs together to discuss options for growing and expanding business, with a real focus on what happens in the back office.  Today we are talking with Marc Emden and we get into two of my favorite topics. One is about marketing and different ideas of what works and what doesn’t work. The other area is about legal issues, not necessarily about business, but case law and how it impacts us. I’ve mentioned on one or two episodes that I spent the first half of my career as an insurance agent. I am still licensed as an agent and a certified insurance counselor but I don’t sell policies any longer, I mostly consult. When I did sell, I sold the policies that business owners need to protect their businesses and workers. What I don’t mention too often is that my major in college was law enforcement. What I loved about it was reading and interpreting case law.  For many it might be boring, but the stories behind the cases and the laws that protect and develop from these cases is what has always fascinated me. Insurance is somewhat similar because it’s all about policies and understanding what they say and how to interpret them for each situation. In today’s podcast we talk about two cases that don’t necessarily impact your business, but as a consumer they are good to know. They are focused on technology, and as we talk about over and over on this podcast, you don’t know what you don’t know. I’m talking with Select Business Team member Mark Emden who is a personal injury and criminal attorney in Rockville, Maryland. We talk about his journey as law practice and some of the lessons learned along the way.  I really enjoyed our conversation and hope you do too! RESOURCES Check out episode 2 where we talk about attending networking events and getting the most out of your efforts. Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review. Not sure how to leave a review?  Check out our instructions here http://www.selectbizteam.com/make-itunes-review/ ABOUT OUR GUEST – MARC EMDEN Marc Emden is an attorney and has his own practice in Rockville, MD.  He specializes in criminal and personal injury cases. You can learn more about him on his company website, emdenlaw.com or connect with him on linkedin.

Business and Marketing Podcast with Debbie DeChambeau Welcome to episode 15 of the Select Business Team podcast. In most of our episodes, we interview our members about their business and their business experiences, but it's just your host talking about different ways to meet new strategic partners, when they won’t otherwise respond to your inquiries.  How can you help the people you have identified as your strategic partners get visibility and more clients before you really know them.  Basically, how can you add more value to the relationship? Do you reach out to people that you think might be good strategic partners and suggest you get together because you think there is synergy and want to explore ways that you can work together?  If you are reaching out to someone who is just starting out in business or in sales, this can be very flattering, but if they are busy, this can be very time consuming. When I refer to strategic partners, I’m talking about people in other professions who are going after the same customer base as you.  For example, strategic partners for a realtor might be divorce or estate planning attorneys, mortgage lenders and apartment leasing agents. For a banker, a strategic partner might be a business attorney, a CPA and a business coach.  If you are developing a list of strategic partners, you might want to listen to episode 7 of the Select Business Team podcast where we talk about creating a referral marketing plan for strategic partners. In this episode: We are assuming you already have that list of strategic partners developed, but if you don’t, keep listening because you will get some great ideas and maybe even get some inspiration for getting started! If reaching out to people you don’t know for the purpose of developing potential relationships is part of your marketing strategy, one of the questions you need to ask is how do you set yourself apart from everyone else and get their attention? How do you stand out and get them to say yes to meeting with you? What if you could provide an attractive offer as a way to get to know them.  Something that would make it difficult for them to say no to because it’s exposure for them, either by way of you promoting them or by an introduction you want to make. 5 Ideas Invite them to be a guest author for your company blog Ask them to be a guest on your podcast and interview or have a conversation with them. Follow them on social media and share some of the content they promote – when doing this, put your own comment in to personalize it some. Promote them in one of your email newsletters – Remember that not everyone will land on your blog or podcast so when you push your content out via email,  you have a greater chance for more people to see it. Offer to provide a product or service that you offer free of charge to them In this episode we provide several examples and elaborate on these 5 ideas, so take a few minutes to listen and grab something for taking notes. If you would like more information, give us a call or send us an email. RESOURCES Are you ready to try my email service provider for 60 days?  Click here to get started.  No credit card, just your name, email and website address. Select Business Team - A lot of business today is created from what you do for others….the more you help them, the more they will help you. At Select Business Team, it is the core foundation of what we do. While we might talk about how to most effectively run a business, we also talk a lot about how we can create opportunities for each other on the Team. A lot of being able to create opportunities for others comes from really understanding what they do in business, what types of clients they work with and what the outcome of their services means to their clients.  Send us an email if you would like to learn more about how we can help you build your business through referrals. ABOUT THE HOST - DEBBIE DECHAMBEAU

BUSINESS AND MARKETING PODCAST WITH SCOTT CORNBLATT Is entrepreneurship hereditary? In this episode of the Select Business Team podcast, we talk with Scott Cornblatt, owner of OLS Trading, Inc, who started his first business at 12. Scott's father was a business owner and did a lot to support his children’s entrepreneurial desires. Scott is a member of Select Business Team, and each week we interview one of our members and discuss their business journey, the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly! Select Business Team brings business owners of service professions together to discuss the back office issues of running a business. As you’ll hear in this episode, each team becomes the board of advisors for members, providing a sounding board for running and managing a business. Our conversation today is one of the longest we have had to date, but it is packed full of great tidbits that are beneficial for every business owner.  For example: What’s it like to go from having 2 business partners to running the show by yourself? From a hiring perspective, what does it means to hire the right horsepower Staying awake at night wondering why the customer chose to hire your company Scott considers members of SBT his board of advisors and their knowledge helps him to run a better company. It can be lonely being a business owner, so the sooner you surround yourself with others, the easier your role of running the business becomes. Ok, just to clarify, it’s never easy running a business, but having support lightens the load! Scott is a passionate business owner who is truly thinking out of the box with running his business. Scott shared some fantastic information so get out some paper and takes notes. You are going to really enjoy this conversation. RESOURCES Try to list a few resources talked about and end with both subscribe and how to. Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review  Not sure how to leave a review? Check out our instructions here Interested in joining a Team? Check out our current Teams or to learn how to start your own or get on a waiting list, send an email to debbie@selectbizteam.com ABOUT OUR GUEST - SCOTT CORNBLATT Scott Cornblatt is the owner of OLS Trading, Inc. He's active on LinkedIn, so connect with him there.  

Business and Marketing Podcast with Gail Horne Thank you for joining us today for episode 13 of the Select Business Team podcast where today we are talking with Gail Horne.  She is the owner of Mindful Nutrition Services, llc and her company provides nutrition and guidance for those looking for a healthier lifestyle.   Select Business Team brings business owners of service professions together to discuss the back office issues of running a business. One of our member benefits is to interview our members and they share their real life experiences of running a business.  The ideas we share with you in this episode are valuable to any business owner or anyone thinking about starting a business. Gail joined SBT a few years ago, however, due to her husbands job, she was transferred out of the area.  Now settled and in a new profession as a health coach, she has reunited with Select and is starting our first Team in Pennsylvania. If you know any business owners in the mainline area of PA that would benefit from being surrounded by other business owners and discuss business growth, ask them to contact us. In this episode, we talk about something that challenges many start up companies.  The desire to have everything to be perfect before the doors open or the business launches.  Gail has experienced this and for her, it was over the perfect shade of pink! In this episode you'll hear about: Building a company around the brand, not just the owner of the company Starting a company from a life experience It doesn't need to be perfect, accept that it's good enough RESOURCES Did you like what you heard today?  If so, please Subscribe on iTunes, and leave us a rating or review  Not sure how to leave a review?  Check out our instructions here ABOUT OUR GUEST - GAIL HORNE Gail Horne is the owner of Mindful Nutrition Services, LLC.  Check out her website or connect with her on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Business and Marketing Podcast with Adam Solomon. Recording this episode with Adam Solomon is one of the most fun we’ve had, mostly because we are actually recording in a podcast studio. Usually we record in our guests office or they come to our headquarters.  We’ve had one recording where we recorded via skype. Today, we are in the studios of Podcast Village, using professional equipment with an engineer monitoring sound. It’s just a fun experience. Maybe one day Select Business Team will have it's own studio with our own in-house engineer, although our editor, Evan, does a great job once we finish the recordings! Adam Solomon is a talent acquisition recruiter and he’s been at the forefront of technology for a long time.  Adam is the owner of DC Tech Search and he helps employers find qualified candidates for technology development and engineering projects. You have to speak the lingo and understand the business in order to find the candidates and Adam has the background.  In some segments of the technology industry, there aren’t enough candidates to fill a lot of the positions. One of the area's we talk about is how he sells the sizzle to get candidates to consider moving to a new position! A few other areas we dive into include: Build your company and focus on the brand, not on promoting the founder. How to make a company recession proof The value of having your office outside of your home Adam has started 4 companies, learning lessons from each venture.  He shares some of the ups and downs of starting each business and what he’s done differently with the last business to make it a success. It’s good information for every business owner. When recording this episode, we noted we might be over 500 downloads when this episode goes live.  At the launch of episode 12 we are over 700 downloads. Thank you everyone for listening and sharing the word about this podcast.  RESOURCES  Virtual Communication Tools this  article provides some insight about g-chat and slack Podcast Village - many thanks to our friends at Podcast Village who have a podcasting studio where you can record and have your podcasts edited.  Great people, great environment and a great end product! Virtual offices we discussed in episode 4 ABOUT OUR GUEST – ADAM SOLOMON Adam Solomon is the owner of DC Tech Search. Learn more about his company dctechsearch.com or connect with him on Linkedin.

Business And Marketing Podcast With Andrew Blate What is it like starting a contracting company at 24 and almost going into bankruptcy? Our guest today is Andrew Blate who is the co-owner of Beautiful Home Services. He is an accountant turned painting/remodeling contractor, and in this episode, he shares some critical information for every business owner. Andrew is also very enthusiastic about his company, which he started in his early 20’s with his best friend. They've created a company that focuses on their priorities, their strengths and their results. From almost going into bankruptcy to a successful rebound, you will definitely find valuable information in this episode for growing and managing your business. It shouldn't be surprising that as an accountant, he's also a numbers guy. He knows how many estimates he's given in his career, knows his closing ratio and what's working and not working financially in the business. From my observations, I believe Andrew is an amazing sales person and he’s running a great business.  In some ways it is a game to him but he also has a solid plan for closing business. Maybe that comes from his prior career, but honestly, every business owner needs to know their numbers, no matter what business you are in. Best Ideas This conversation touches on several essential issues relevant to business owners which include: What does it mean to be a good sales person? From being a people person to knowing your numbers, sales doesn't come naturally to everyone.  Andrew shares some simple ideas that anyone can implement that can help with sales. Most importantly, pay attention to your closing ratio,  this year, last year and over your career of bringing in business to measure what is working, not working and look for areas that you can adjust to improve your percentages. How is the communication in your organization? From talking with your team to talking with your clients, is someone paying attention to this critical component of business?  Andrews clients hire him because of his ability to communicate AND his ability to ask for the business! Why having enough capital when starting is important, particularly if business slows down. If you have overhead but don't have any revenue, cut the overhead quickly!  Unless you pay attention to the numbers, it could be too late before you see the problem. Andrew has been a member of Select Business Team for almost 4 years and he’ll be the first to tell you that joining a group wasn’t at the top of his priority list.  Once he experienced our format, he wanted to start his own Team. He was instrumental in being a founding member of our Tysons Thursday Team. ABOUT OUR GUEST ANDREW BLATE Andrew is the co-owner of Beautiful Home Services, a painting and remodeling company that does business in Metropolitan Washington DC.  Learn more about the company on their website, or connect with them on  Twitter,  or Facebook.  You can also connect with Andrew on  LinkedIn.    

Business and Marketing Podcast with Dan Scully In this episode, we talk with Dan Scully of Vantage Point Communications.  He is the owner of the company and has also been instrumental in helping Select Business Team grow.  Over the years, Dan has started several new teams and provided great ideas for making changes that have improved our company. I'm honored at how much Dan has supported Select over the years and when he moved away, he was greatly missed.  Now that he has settled in his new home, he realizes how much he missed our concept, so he's in the process of starting a Team on the eastern shore in MD. If you listened to episode 7, we talked about strategic partners and Dan uses his network of strategic partners not only for building his business but for creating opportunities for others.  He's a connector and a creative! Three of my takeaways: Business owners often wear many hats which can inhibit growth so try to hire someone quickly to do some of the small tasks in your business Think about having a budget and a marketing plan so that you don’t miss opportunities Don’t let fear of failure keep you from starting a business. People learn from failure so if you surround yourself with the right Team, you’ll see greater success and less failure One of the most important components of today's discussion is having a business plan.  Some of the concepts Dan discussed are essential in building a solid business especially when he moved to a new state and how that could help him grow quickly. If you are a business owner without a plan, check out our webinars 'Build, Grow and Ignite' which we offer once a month. You can check our webinar schedule on the events calendar. RESOURCES Episode 3 - Nicole Orisme - NLH Contracting - if you need help with hiring, this is a great episode ABOUT OUR GUEST - DAN SCULLY Dan is the owner of Vantage Point Communications and he provides business and non profits with marketing materials from give-aways to wearable branded apparel.  Learn more about Dan on LinkedIn.  

Business and Marketing Podcast Welcome to episode 7 of the Select Business Team podcast.  We are mixing up the format today and instead of interviewing one of our members, we are going to talk about creating a referral marketing plan focused on generating referrals from strategic partners. You can create a referral marketing plan that is focused on your clients or just the general public, but I think focusing on strategic partners will expand your opportunities for generating business. At Select Business Team, part of what we focus on with our clients is creating business opportunities and this is usually done through other members on the team, which could be considered strategic partners.  We frequently discuss strategies to make this happen and as you’ll discover in some of our other podcasts, the more you help your strategic partners, which we refer to as your ‘Team,” the more they will help you.  If you just put your hand out and ask for something, you won’t reap the rewards of this type of program. First I want to lay the foundation and suggest you create a plan. I’ve always believed that when you have a plan, you have a guide….it's like having a road map. Having a plan is also a tool that allows you to measure your results. When it comes to creating business opportunities from referrals, having a plan is no different. Without the plan, it’s easy to digress, get lost or even not do anything at all. Some people think that a plan takes a lot of work. In some ways, it does, but the type of plan I am referring to isn’t one that needs to be pages long or researched to death; A simple excel spreadsheet can work. It can be as detailed or simplistic as you want. Ultimately, it needs to be one that works for you. One that you feel excited about and one that you will keep working. Remember, fail to plan….plan to fail! One thing to keep in mind as you are creating your referral marketing plan is that the plan doesn’t have to be etched in stone. You can modify as you go along. Keep track of your efforts and focus on what is working. Don't over complicate things. Before you get started, identify what you want to accomplish. Build the plan with the end goal in mind. Initially, I would recommend that you keep things realistic…maybe even stretch your goals a bit, but don’t go overboard right away because it is easy to get overwhelmed when you do and then, you might abandon the project altogether or nothing might happen. Your overall referral marketing plan should include identifying your strategic partners, then building out the plan by mapping out how will you approach them, how will you educate them on what you do, who you are looking for and how will you stay in touch with them. If you are in a service type of industry, one of the best areas to focus when creating your referral marketing plan is building a network of strategic partners. These are people that are in non-competing industries but who go after the same customer base as you. Here are two examples: Perhaps you are a business attorney. Your strategic partners might be accountants, financial advisors that implement 401k plans, business bankers, business insurance agents, consultants and web designers. Each of these professions deals with business owners which is the same profession that the business attorney would be working with.  What if you were an electrical contractor that focused on residential homes. Strategic partners for you might be plumbing, flooring, painting, carpentry, landscaping and drywall contractors.  They are non-competing professions but their customer base is the same as yours, homeowners. Make a list of strategic partners for your industry. Then think about how many people you know in each of those professions. Look at: Your LinkedIn connections, Your social media connections and The current clients you or your company already has Friends and family Past clients of your company

Today we are talking with Paula Mattson-Sarli who is an estate planning attorney.  She has her own practice and as an attorney does things a little bit differently.  She offers to go to her client’s home, instead of only meeting them in her office.  Paula is not only a member of Select Business Team, she is one of our meeting facilitators. As an estate planning attorney, she provides many services from estate planning to preparing living documents.  Estate planning is one of those that areas that many people don’t think applies to them….until it’s too late. From health care directives to living wills, everyone needs to make sure they have the proper paperwork in place in the event something happens to them. You don’t need a lot of wealth before you meet with an estate planning attorney, but it’s wise to have a conversation with one when everyone is young and healthy so that proper planning can be implemented. A personal experience inspired Paula to follow this path of law. Her passion shows through in her conversations and in the way she treats her clients. Listen along to this episode and you’ll not only get a few insights into starting a business, you’ll also get some valuable estate planning information. During this episode, we have a great discussion about business plans, particularly the financial and marketing components and then Paula shares a lot of insights on documents we should all consider. Three of my favorite nuggets Having living documents to cover any type of incapacity Understanding what long term care costs are for seniors what your options are if you need these benefits and don't have the resources Why you don’t want to download important estate planning documents from the internet Listen along to this episode and you’ll get insights into running your business and some extremely valuable estate planning information. ABOUT OUR GUEST –  PAULA MATTSON-SARLI Paula Mattson-Sarli, is an estate planning attorney and the owner of Personal Touch Law. Her website is  personaltouchlaw.com.  Connect with her on LinkedIn, Follow her on Facebook.

Business and Marketing Podcast with Gideon Culman Today we are talking with Gideon Culman who is a Life Coach and works with individuals who are ready to make a change.  Gideon isn’t your typical coach…he has three liberal arts degrees and two masters degrees (yes, you read that correctly), a coaches certification from the International Coach Federation, his resume includes international experience, he speaks several languages and he describes himself as curious! Realizing that it can be lonely when starting a home based business is something that people don’t expect when they start a home based business.  The reality is that working from home can be great if you are trying to keep expenses low or if you are trying to balance work with the home life.  But not having contact with other businesses professionals regularly can impact your success as a business owner. In this episode we talk about different co-working spaces to get your company out of the house while keeping expenses reasonable and minimizing the loneliness of a home based business. You’ll also learn why surrounding yourself with a team of professionals from other industries can be extremely beneficial for your business. If you are thinking about becoming a coach or if you are curious about how a coach can help, you’ll find significant value in this episode. Today he shares his biggest surprise about getting started in business and we have an interesting discussion about different co-working spaces and how they can benefit business. RESOURCES If you are looking to get your office out of your house but aren't ready for a big committment, check out some of these co-working spaces: Launch Workplaces - mostly in the DC area WeWork - locations around the world Intelligent Office - locations throughout the US 1776 - more of an incubator, but might inspire you to find something like this in your area ABOUT OUR GUEST - GIDEON CULMAN Gideon has been a member of Select Business Team for 2 years and I’m constantly impressed with his wisdom. Connect with Gideon and see if what he offers is a good fit for you. Visit his website  - GideonCulman.com  Find him on LinkedIn Connect on Facebook

Business Development Podcast With Nicole Orisme It is hard to grow your company when it is one person wearing many hats.  There are many considerations when adding to the team, from employees to independent contractors, but as a business owner, do you know all the rules and regulations? In episode 3 we are talking with Nicole Orisme of NLH Contracting and they offer outsourced human resource consulting. Nicole talks about what employers need to think about when it comes to making the first hire….from employee handbooks to company benefits, this episode is packed full of great information for small business owners thinking about hiring employees and for people who are going into business and need their spouses support. When Nicole mentions that she met with Debbie at the Womens Business Center, she was referring to the owner of Select Business Team and the host of this podcast….Debbie taught a class called the ABC’s of Starting a Business, and she was a participant.  They had a conversation about what she was doing, met a few times to discuss Nicole's business and during one of the  meetings, Nicole said she wanted to focus on government contracts which could take about 6 months.  In that same conversation, Nicole mentioned she had her husbands support with the business, so Debbie asked her what type of revenue her husband was expecting from her….it was her ah ha moment…the light bulb went off because she realized she needed to generate some revenue long before she might get a government contract.  Then Debbie invited her to a Select Business Team (SBT) meeting. When Nicole visited the SBT meeting, she was introduced to several business owners and a few turned into clients. This jump started her business and since then her revenue has blossomed. During this episode, we talk about your role as an owner in your company and encourage you to evaluate the efficiencies or inefficiencies in your business and Nicole provides several ideas to help you determine your true value within your organization. ABOUT OUR GUEST: Nicole Orisme who is the owner of NLH Contracting.  Her website is the same as her company name: NLH Contracting.com.  Connect with her on Linkedin  of follow her on Facebook.  If you need advice from an experienced human resources consulting firm, you should contact Nicole.  She and her team can keep you out of a lot of hot water!  

Business and Networking Podcast with Debbie DeChambeau What is the best place for you to network? Part of it depends on what you want to get out of your networking and how much time, money and energy you want to commit.  Every organization has it't differences from giving back to the community to being random people getting together with the intention of making valuable business connections.  There is nothing wrong with being part of more than one organization, but if you are going to join, make sure you have to time to participate.  Otherwise, you are basically wasting your money.  Just having your name as a member doesn't really add value.  You need to participate, meet the other members and get involved in some capacity. During this episode you'll hear several options for you to consider as you build out a networking plan.  Remember, if you are going to attend networking events, make sure you schedule time afterwards for follow up....otherwise, you have wasted a good portion of your time meeting and talking to people!  Here are the networking organizations we discuss in this episode: Chamber of  Commerce Rotary Leadership Programs Mastermind Associations Meet-Up Creating Your Own What makes one better or different than another?  That depends on what you are looking for.  Think about your ideal client, your target market and your geographical location.  If you are a national company, you will probably want to join a national association and make a point to visit the different state chapters.  If you are local based retail organization, you'll want to be in an organization that is made up of local members. Let us know which networking organizations work best for you and your company....and why.  Leave a comment below.   RESOURCES Download your copy of Perfect Introduction In Reverse ABOUT THE HOST Debbie DeChambeau has been helping business owners and sales professionals build a referral network for over 20 years.  She is a speaker, co-author of Renewable Referrals and the founder of Select Business Team.  If you need help building your referral business, connect with Debbie. Connect on LinkedIn Connect on Instagram  

Business and Marketing Podcast With Debbie DeChambeau Networking is a marketing tactic that has been around forever, but during recent years, networking groups have become a formalized process that has generated millions of dollars in revenue for companies that participate. During this episode, Debbie shares her road to starting Select Business Team which originally started as a networking or referral group but has grown into a business development organization with networking as a benefit.  Some of the discussions you’ll hear in the introductory episode include: Is a Networking Group right for you? - since this type of business development can take a little bit of time it’s important to make sure your schedule can accommodate the commitment.  Ideas to help you decide are provided. How does a networking group differ from other networking opportunities? – The most effective networking groups are one person per profession, weekly or bi weekly structured meetings with professionals that are committed to helping others. Having a facilitator that keeps the meeting focused and not getting off track where the direction of the meeting can get lost makes a big difference in the value your’ll receive as a member. Why is a networking group important for building know, like and trust? - When you meet with people on a regular basis and hear their successes it makes it easy for them to introduce you to people who need your products or services.  How do you decide on a group? - You’ll hear several ideas for making a decision on the best group for you to join. From the initial way you were greeted when you walk in the door to the follow up from members. This episode is packed full of information on how to make the right decision when joining a networking group. Let us know your favorite ideas below or share them on iTunes. Also let us know your experience with networking groups  RESOURCES DISCUSSED: Duct Tape Marketing Podcast - As mentioned in this episode, Debbie is a member of Duct Tape Marketing which is network of marketing consultants implementing the Duct Tape Marketing System. This system helps business owners navigate the world of marketing which is rapidly evolving as technology and media platforms develop.  John Jantsch is the founder of Duct Tape Marketing and his podcast is a great resource for trending marketing information.  If you need marketing assistance, feel free to reach out to Debbie and her team can help you implement the Duct Tape Marketing System. Business Network International - while Select Business Team might be considered a competitor, BNI is an international organization with a great reputation. If you are listening to this podcast outside of the DC area and want to join a networking group, this would be one option to consider. If you want to start your own group, give Debbie a call and discuss as we are expanding as well and would love to help you start in other areas. ABOUT THE HOST Debbie DeChambeau has been helping business owners and sales professionals build a referral network for over 20 years.  In addition to having her own referral/networking organization, she regularly trains on how to build a business that is focused on growing as a result of referred business.  If you need help building your referral business, connect with Debbie. Connect on LinkedIn Connect on Instagram