Consulting Growth: Recent Episodes
Liston Witherill
Get advice on how to grow your consulting business from the experts who've done it before. On this show, you'll learn how firms are growing, and the lessons they've learned along the way. We'll cover topics ranging from marketing, sales, scaling and automation, delivery, and operations. If you want to grow your consulting, training, professional services, or agency business, this is the show for you.
Want to stay in touch with your clients, build your and your firm's reputation, and have people tell you when they're ready to work with you? A newsletter is a great way to do it.
That's exactly what Michael Katz does: email marketing and email newsletters for small professional services firms. He's an email expert, having sent his first email newsletter in 1999.
In this episode of Consulting Growth, Michael talks about how his approach to email marketing, including:
- How to build an email marketing program at your firm
- Where your first list of contacts comes from, and why you're ready to launch your newsletter now
- How to generate content ideas for a full year
- Steps you can take to outsource your newsletter, without trading off quality
- How often you should send, and how you can extend the life of your email newsletter far beyond the inbox
You can visit Michael Katz's website or sign up for his newsletter here.
Leadership, like personalities, comes in different shapes and sizes. Introversion or extroversion is not about how shy or social you are; it is about how you derive your energy.
Introverted leaders who struggle with communication, succeed when they understand the underlying needs and benefits for those they lead.
Today, our guest is Tom Yorton of Shyne Advisors. Tom works with introverted leaders in order to help them develop the skills to become better leaders and become their true selves in the process.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
-What does it mean to use the conventions of media and entertainment to reach our audiences more effectively
-Other ways on how can an introvert leader communicate more effectively and more interesting
-How can you make yourself memorable through communication
Technological advances continue to accelerate and are driving change in business. Most introverts embrace new technology as an ally and use it to advance their leadership position over peers and competitors.
Introverts tend to be naturally quiet. That can make them good listeners and allow other people’s voices into the conversation. But people need a word from you from time to time; in order to communicate, other introvert leaders use the conventions of media and entertainment to reach our audiences.
Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. Also, the best leader is not an introvert or an extrovert. The best leader is someone who can inspire, motivate, and enable others to act. Introverts can be great leaders, as long as they use their natural abilities wisely and use strategies to overcome the challenges inherent in their personality preference.
Mentioned in this episode:
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Shyne Advisors
tomyorton@shyneadvisors.com
A brand’s purpose should be the center of attention in order to gain success. A brand with a strong purpose not only helps the overall good of society but also helps customers know what they stand for through purpose-driven brand actions. In a world in which consumers can quickly find out if a brand is acting on their promise, it is crucial for brands to be transparent, create connections and a strong relevance with their consumers.
Today, our guest is Betsy Henning - Marketing Director of AHA Marketing Agency. AHA is a strategy and creative agency that combines "conventional" marketing with deep knowledge of corporate responsibility to help purpose-driven brands connect more deeply with their audiences and accelerate their success. They also helped clients like Johnson & Johnson, Charles Schwab, and many others, narrow down and hone their purpose.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- What it was like to get buy-in and its obstacle
- Creating expectations and how does that relate to your brand
- Why account management is the key in a project based agency
- Qualities of an account manager who can develop business on a regular basis
Your audience care about how you can help them. Think about your brand and how you want people to feel when they interact with it. Make sure to infuse everything you do with intention and get your audience excited about working with you.
There’s no substitute for competence. As an agency specializing in brand purpose, account managers are responsible to communicate with clients regarding their goals, plans, and challenges. Account managers are industry experts who can help clients with their brand purpose.
With literally thousands of brands launching every day, it’s challenging for brands to have a unique point of difference. Particularly when it comes to the functional attributes of a product. Sure, consumers consider quality, perceived value, price, and packaging when looking at new products, but often they are looking for something that will make a meaningful impact on their lives. In other words, often they are looking for a brand with purpose. A brand with a purpose delivers genuine value to consumers by standing for something consumers care about.
Mentioned in this episode:
Get over yourself: Debunking 3 communication myths
Drawdown by Paul Hawken
Johnson & Johnson
Charles Schwab
betsy.henning@ahainc.com
There is an increasing body of evidence that diverse teams of varying racial and ethnic makeup produce better results. They perform better financially, gain a competitive edge when recruiting top talent, experience less employee turnover, and offer greater benefits for those they serve.
Today, our guest is Elena Christopoulos. A very busy consultant who builds project teams and bring diversity to her team. She also applied diversity in her political career. And she believed strongly in promoting diversity.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- What impact does diversity have on your bottom-line
- What does diversity mean
- Pointers for people who are developing ad-hoc teams in order to develop the team and then create cohesion and collaboration on the team quickly
To succeed in building a diverse team you need to make it a key, long-term priority for management, and something that the organization as a whole explicitly strives for.
We see diversity as something that is complex and holistic, a concept that’s constantly evolving. A diverse team brings together different skills, personalities, and perspectives, resulting in fresh ideas and smarter problem-solving. A diverse team looks like the real world and is more aligned with an increasingly diverse and global customer base.
The key is determining how to harness the power of diverse thought. It can make the difference between a team being barely capable of working together and one that can strengthen your business.
Mentioned in this episode:
Project Drawdown
Slack
ElenaChristopoulos.com
One of the most powerful ways to establish authority is through thought leadership. It is all about sharing ideas, insights and valuable information to your target audience with the goal of solving their problem and improve lives.
Being a respected expert is essential in new customer acquisition and retention. Acting as a visionary expert makes it possible to build a reputation within a certain field and forges a relationship of trust.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- How to nurture authority in other people
- Difference of point of view and writing
- How to apply thought leadership in your business
- Benefits of an established authority
Thought leadership content can’t just be “pretty good.” When you create something engineered for thought leadership, it needs to say something — it needs to highlight your authority. By communicating through thought leadership you become part of the conversation, early in the consumer journey. You allow your audience to get to know you.
Thought leaders seize every opportunity to showcase expertise and knowledge along the way. By doing so, consumers use their product and services.
A leader is steadfast in beliefs, consistent in messaging, and diligent in creating and sharing content. In other words, they must be committed. Consistency is a key component to establishing a reputation as an authority and building the trust that comes with that reputation.
Mentioned in this episode:
Modern Sales Ep063: How to Build Authority
Thought Leadership Marketing for the Subject Matter Expert
The Business of Authority Podcast
A personal brand is one of the most powerful ways to differentiate you and your company from the competition. Developing a personal brand in the digital age requires a whole lot of time, strategy, and patience.
My guest today is Kurt Schmidt of The Foundry, who prides himself on being an inspirational leader who solves problems in a way that builds culture and delivers diverse breakthroughs.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why you should invest in personal branding
- Why companies should build products in the first place
- Why traditional management doesn't work anymore
By establishing a personal brand it can exhibit the skills and qualities that someone has, defining what makes them important or unique. In a competitive world, it is essential that individuals are able to find an edge on their competition.
Personal branding helps you be yourself and do what you love. The beauty of it is finding out who you are and learning from the journey that it took to get you there.
Personal branding has reshaped the traditional management landscape, it's important to define your leadership style and embody a keen awareness of what you are doing. Leadership without authority is to get others to willingly cooperate and engage, rather than following instructions because you're the boss.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Foundry
The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact
SchmidtList
Slack
Leads can be acquired in many different ways, from referrals through customers, white papers, social media and more. Deploying a survey with customized questions will help you be sure that you're only talking to the most qualified people, who are most likely to buy.
My guest today is Tom Miller, founder of Email for Experts. He will share his way of qualifying leads using surveys.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- How conducting a survey can help you qualify leads
- How to set up your survey funnel
- Reactivate previously lost leads
- How to convert website visitors to sales leads
Lead qualification is the act of evaluating each sales lead and allocating limited resources to those which have the highest probability of converting to a customer. Or, put another way, chase the good leads hard and put the others on the back burner.
Attracting the right leads is key to start with. Lead qualification with the help of qualification form and website tracking lets you know who is most interested and ready to purchase your product or service.
Lead qualification isn't particularly difficult, but it is extremely important. When you aren't qualifying leads, you are wasting time and money. But more importantly, if you aren't qualifying leads efficiently, you are also wasting time and money.
Mentioned in this episode:
Email for Experts
I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
Hubspot
The Medium is the Message by Marshall McLuhan
SBstandard.com
One of the main reasons we go to conferences is to make new relationships. Understanding how to network at a conference, and going in with the right strategy, can be a turning point for your business or career.
My guest today is Andy Storch, from Advantage Performance Group. He reveals his strategy to network efficiently at conferences.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- How to prepare for a conference
- What to do during the conference
- How to follow-up properly
- Why investing in conferences important
A valuable network can open doors for new opportunities that might help you connect with experts to broaden your knowledge or people you might wanna do business with. Building and maintaining a healthy network is one of the most important things that you can do as a professional.
Discovering innovative products and services for your business is necessary to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced world. Plus, these vendors who sell to your industry fully grasp what is happening inside your competition. Invest time with the sponsors at the event and turn them into your friends and allies.
Even if it’s intimidating, gather up the courage to talk to the speakers that made an impact on you. You can also participate by asking questions and go out of your way to introduce yourself. Take advantage of your time, try to be out there and meet people. You may find yourself sitting next to your next customer or mentor. Perhaps the next partnership is one that you hadn’t even considered, and being approached by the right people could be the best thing you never expected.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes
Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
We've covered in previous episodes how to build your authority in your market and what efforts are needed to do so. Here's something you can add to that list: marketing events. Getting your business's name out there can be challenging, but if you have an event organized that's intriguing to guests before they even arrive, you're on the right track, my friends.
My guest today is Erin Joy, owner and founder of Black Dress Circle in St. Louis, Missouri. In the past 8 years, Erin's business has taken off due to her successful and well-planned marketing events. She shares how live events have been the cornerstone of her business-building efforts, and what you can do to market your business.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- The benefit of hosting events
- Why Black Dress Circle is exclusive to women
- The biggest thing people get stuck on in growing their network
Hosting marketing events may not be at the top of your list of ideas to build your authority, but Erin highly recommends it. In her experience, she notes the value in her ability to control the brand, look and feel, conversation, and guests of her events. She also mentions the benefit of creating the content and choosing invitees who were of a “stellar” caliber.
While you don't have to follow in her exact footsteps, Erin's business is focused solely on women entrepreneurs and business owners. Why? Women tend to be more relational. In BPC, they can talk about the intersection of business and psychology and the balance of raising families as a business owner. BPC gives women a space to relate to others personally and professionally while connecting the women to build a strong network.
What is it that gets business owners "stuck"? The biggest thing is stopping. People get stopped in their goal or vision because they're either not as strategic as they need to be and are unaware they're lacking strategy, or they choose to believe networking functions are ineffective. Here's the simple truth: it's not about going to the events, it's about everything that happens after. Making connections, learning from other professionals in your market, and expanding your network will not only help you devise a business strategy that's effective, but it will also connect you to others in your market who can positively influence you and your business.
Mentioned in this episode:
Black Dress Circle
Midwest Women Business Owner's Group
erin.joy@blackdresscircle.com
If you've ever wondered how to become a keynote speaker, it may come as no surprise that it's not a linear journey. To speak on a certain topic in your field and establish yourself as an expert takes quite a bit of effort and self-reflection, as well. From managing bands and touring around the world, to becoming an international keynote speaker, my guest today shares a bit about his journey.
James Taylor has been an international keynote speaker for the past 20 years, speaking on creativity for entrepreneurs, business owners, educators, designers, writers, and so many more. Starting with marketing events, he realized the power of speaking and its ability to build trust. He's sharing how to build authority as a speaker, and how to get started.
In this episode, we'll be discussing:
- The first steps to take in becoming a speaker
- Three things you should always have for your speaking business
- How to find your "thing"
At the start, you need to decide what type of speaking business you want to do. Ask yourself: what does speaking need to do for you and your overall business? Find the types of audiences you'd like to speak to, and where you can find them. Continuously research other speakers and their methods, where they've spoken, and how you can create your own process through this.
When establishing yourself as a speaker, there are three essential things you should have: a high-quality reel, a stand-out pitch, and great photography. While James admits to having none of these at the beginning of his speaking career, accumulating these assets with each event you speak at will build the portfolio you need to establish yourself as an expert speaker.
So how do you find your "thing"? How do you find the one topic, or even, phrase, people are most interested in hearing you say? When you find what you really want to speak on, whatever your topic is, start to think about how you can go two levels deeper. on your topic. Start getting curious, and really wonder what you’d be happy to spend the next 10 years researching and speaking on.
Mentioned in this episode:
Steal the Show by Michael Port
The Consulting Bible by Alan Weiss
Spread Your Message. See the World. How to Become a Global Keynote Speaker by Fredrik Haren
Moleskine
Espeakers
Ontraport
International Speakers Summit
speakersu.com
As an independent consultant, it's important to have a strong network and professional community you can lean on and work with when needed. There are so many benefits to building a community in your network beyond the possibility of landing more projects.
My guest today is Will Bachman, co-founder of Umbrex. Umbrex is an online community of independent management consultants. As a former consultant at McKinsey, Will shares his experience working with a team versus working independently and creating his own, and how you can improve as an independent consultant with a strong community.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- Why a professional community is necessary
- How to maintain communication in your network
- What to expect as an independent consultant
What's the need for a community? For starters, it doesn't hurt to have a few people to lean on when you need help, or to collaborate on projects with. You have the opportunity to learn about the tools and techniques your community members are using, and how you can benefit from them.
There's no set number of how many people you should include in your community. In fact, according to Will, starting small is best. Having five or 10 people that share some kind of interest is enough to get started, especially if they’re in the same city. Share what's going on in your field, learn from your peers, and grow the community with time.
You can maintain communication with your group in a variety of ways, but the method that's probably most used is email. The best part? You don't have to put that much effort into it. An hour a month for a monthly email may be just perfect, as long as you're reaching out to your network, sharing information, scheduling events, and keeping the community in tact.
If you're considering the independent route, there are three aspects of independent consulting to be mindful of (hint: you'll be running the ship solo). There’s delivering the work itself, and that entails actually doing the project. Then there’s generating the work, getting project leads, and converting leads into confirmed assignments. Finally, you'll be building the infrastructure for your firm throughout each process. Are you ready for it?
Mentioned in this episode:
Umbrex
Veritux
The Irresistible Consultants Guide to Winning Clients by David A. Fields
Calendly
Docusign
Expensify
Rev.com
PandaDoc
Being acquired may seem like you've struck gold—literally, and figuratively—in your business. What most people don't focus on, though, are the downsides to being acquired. You might be thinking, "there's no way being acquired can have cons," when in actuality the results may surprise you.
My guest today is Alex McClafferty of Productize.co. Alex is sharing his experience of his company, WP Curve, being acquired by GoDaddy, and the emotional results of the process. He shares a deeply personal and honest account of what happened, and what Alex recommends to anyone else who wants to get acquired.
In this episode, we'll be sharing:
- The emotional gap of going through a sale
- How Alex approaches his current business
- Takeaway lessons
In conventional terms, being acquired causes a case for champagne-popping and celebration, but in Alex's case, his company's acquisition didn’t solve everything for him. A sense of emptiness came with the sale. His advice? Close the emotional gap when going through the acquisition process. When you’re spending a lot of time in a company and working on building something, it becomes a part of your identity, and you most certainly don't want to lose that.
At Productize.co, Alex works with individual and group clients. For one-on-one engagements, he recognizes that every founder is different, and tries not to be too directive with how he engages with them. Depending on where the business is at, the context of the conversation changes.
On the group side: it's a bit more structured and defined. There's a hot seat to dig into someone's issues or problems. From there, the group cross-collaborates to find out how they’re serving customers effectively, and wrap it up with a Q&A session to determine next steps.
The biggest lesson Alex learned through his journey is now a major part of his consulting process. He starts with the emotional component when working with clients. They talk about what an acquisition is going to feel like; not what it’ll feel like when the money hits the bank account, but what it’ll feel like when you have to let go of the thing you built and you have no control of it anymore.
Mentioned in this episode:
GoDaddy
Productize.co
Salesforce
Drip
Ep01: How to Get Acquired with Nick Ellsmore
4-Hour Work Week
alex@productize.co
Some consulting firms have the "juice," others…maybe don’t. The way you sell and the way you market yourself has a big influence on whether or not your potential clients think you have the "juice." Your client relationship building skills may need to be spruced up a bit.
My guest today is John Doherty, founder of Credo. Credo is a marketplace for clients to hire pre-vetted marketing professionals for a variety of consulting and agency needs. John shares with us specific tips like how to build trust, how to implement a sales process that works, and how to steadily elevate the level of strategy and expertise that you bring to these conversations.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- Why you should know your budget from the beginning
- How to bring in leads
- Building trust effectively
A lot of professionals will not figure out what their budget is. If you don’t have an idea what your budget is, it’s going to be hard to pitch a project that will be signed off on. You’re either going to present a wildly low estimate, and they’re not going to believe you can get it done for what you're quoting. It could also go the other way: you’re going to come in wildly above budget, and your client is going to come back frustrated.
On Credo's marketplace, John shares how the pros are bringing in leads, but there's a kicker: there's no one tried and true way. The channel John sees work best is referrals. If you can drill down and specialize in one thing, you become that go-to person for that specific need. Referrals work really well, especially when you're just starting out. Keep in mind, though, referrals are hard to scale and they’re hard to make consistent.
Part of your client relationship building skills is to build trust in the sales process. John thinks of trust-building as a hierarchy. The first item being a niche-focused service; that’s social proof. Following that, you have logos: a visual representation of the types of clients you've served. Testimonials are the third item on the hierarchy, followed by case studies. Clients can see these verifiable results and make the choice if you've got the "juice."
Mentioned in this episode:Get CredoDripMillion Dollar ConsultingSEMRushAhrefsThe Five Minute Journaljohnfdoherty.com
The value in SEO is that you can be found online by people who have no idea who you are, but as it turns out, coming up in the top 3 slots on Google is actually pretty difficult. Surely, there are plenty of SEO techniques to incorporate here, and that's exactly what my guest today is sharing.
Jeremiah Smith is the CEO & Co-founder of SimpleTiger, an SEO company helping SaaS companies be found online. Jeremiah shares what he knows about SEO, how he applies it to his consulting firm, and how you might apply it to yours to increase your chances of being found and growing your firm online.
In this episode, we'll be covering:
- The benefit in picking a horizontal & vertical niche
- Creating a contextual framework for clients
- The future of Internet search
For Jeremiah, it took a few sets of trial and error to realize the true value in picking a horizontal and vertical niche. Cutting all of the clutter out, it was decided that SEO would be the main focus of SimpleTiger. This allowed them to come up with a clean process for delivery and delivering to clients, but then came an influx of a variety of business models from companies of varying industries.
Their next move? Focus on SaaS companies. The benefit there really helped SimpleTiger hone in on who they're talking to and what they're talking to them about.
To guide clients through what it would be like work with them, Jeremiah goes into detail of laying out a contextual framework. Carefully guide your client down to a view that allows them to see closely the results you can provide. Once you get into that, you’re going to create a relationship that allows you to have an authoritative position. You’ve answered the question directly in a very specific way, and the client can see you know a lot more than just their one problem they've hired you to solve.
SEO is a powerful tool for pretty much every business out there, so what does it's future look like? According to Jeremiah, SEO has always tried to lend itself more and more to the user's experience, and will do so even more in the years ahead, along with a continued reliance and growth on AI.
Mentioned in this episode:
Mojca Zove
SimpleTiger
22 Immutable Laws of Marketing by Al Ries
Start with Why by Simon Sinek
Tribes by Seth Godin
Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga turns followers into fanatics
Slack
SaneBox
As the saying goes, "You win some, you lose some," but what about the companies that seem to win all the time? In your sales process, winning pitches is undoubtedly the goal, but knowing how to approach pitches proactively will make all the difference.
My guest today is Robby Berthume, CEO of Bull & Beard, an agency collective. As an agency "matchmaker," Robby's role is primarily in the sale itself; joining in on conversations and pitches between agency and client. Robby brings his experience of participating in pitches, and how to help you create winning pitches every time.
In this episode, we'll be discussing:
- Proposal preparation
- Projecting confidence in your pitch
- How to add value to your sale
When submitting your proposal, you have options on how you can approach it. You can use a template, but from a brand point of view, it has to be visually appealing and engaging. Remember, this is the document that helps you seal the deal. In addition, you should walk the prospect through the proposal. Schedule a time to walk through it, get the direct feedback you need, make the sale, and build a relationship.
It's paramount that you exude confidence throughout your pitch. Who wants to work with someone who isn't confident in their abilities, what they can provide, and how they're going to solve a certain problem? Focus on being intentional when you’re doing your sales call or your sales process. You're trying to help them reach a solution, after all.
There are so many aspects to the sales process that matter, and adding value to it helps the client see you're worth the investment. All components of the sale are important and give an impression, so when you're presenting your pitch, do it well with quality. Make sure you’re standing out from the crowd. The small details make a huge impact in the sale.
Mentioned in this episode:
Bull & Beard
Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldregde
Dust by Hugh Howey
Running a creative agency requires much more than just being creative. Having a good sense of business development and strategy will make for a smooth run of your agency; at least that's what my guest, Chris Bolton, is sharing with us today.
Chris is the Strategy Director at Murmur Creative, a creative agency right here in Portland, OR. His experience of building a business mostly through SEO and an "in the trenches" method has generated most of their leads, and continues to do so to this day.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- The benefits of a collaborative workspace
- The biggest lesson of building a creative agency
- Seasonality and its effect on acquiring leads
At Murmur, Chris shares how the office is more of a collaborative space, noting that "the people are part of the secret sauce." This style of work also allows Chris to ensure the quality of the work being done without having to micromanage, and allowing for more fluid movement of processes in each project.
To get to this kind of work environment, Chris shares the biggest lesson he learned in building a creative agency: you are not alone. There are so many people figuring out how to develop and manage their agency. This can come as a great benefit, though, as having a wide range of perspectives allows you to find the best solutions to run your agency. Communicating with others who are going through the same thing can make building your agency that much more rewarding.
When you do decide to start your agency, be cognizant of the seasons. The driest times of the year are end of summer and December, so it's best to begin building your agency towards the beginning of the new year, or some months before the end of the summer to lock down projects.
Mentioned in this episode:
Traction by Gino Wickman
Creative Agency Podcast
Entrepreneurial Operating System
Agency by Rick Webb
ProposifyAnything You Want by Derek Sivers
Gusto
If you've drafted sales proposals that generated no response, chances are you're not putting your best effort forward. Reuben Swartz, founder of Mimiran, is my guest today and he's sharing his top tips for creating sales proposals that win.
A key component of drafting and creating proposals starts with a story. If you're just unloading chunks of information, chances are the person reading your proposal will get bored. To keep them on their toes and invested in what you have to offer, a detailed story with actionable solutions will improve the success rate of your sales proposals.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- Aspects of a winning proposal
- How do identify the symptom your client is facing
- Finding the focal point in your proposal
To create a proposal that's sure to lock down a project, you need to have a compelling story: one that contains a protagonist and a villain. You, the seller, are the protagonist; the person who is going to help the client solve their problems. The villain is what makes the story interesting. A compelling villain represents the change your client needs to go through, helping them understand why they want your services, and what they're willing to invest (time, money, energy, etc.).
Before you propose on anything, you have to identify the client's major symptom, or problem, and how your services will be the remedy. Without taking the time to study why your client is faced with a particular problem in the first place, devising the right solution for them will become a greater challenge.
To find the right solution for them, start by reminding yourself that the proposal is not about you at all—it's about the buyer's journey, and what the client will get out of working with you. Ask yourself, is it about you, or the client? Obviously, it's about the client, and you will need to talk about the problems they're experiencing and looking to fix.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Reuben's Proposal Course
The Irresistible Consultant's Guide to Winning Clients by David A. Fields
Mimiran
Sales for Nerds Podcast
When you’re starting from scratch, you want to be sure you’re taking the right steps to establish expertise in your market. Creating useful content that captures a point of view will not only help to strengthen your company’s positioning but also help others within your market.
My guest today is Mark O’Brien, CEO of Newfangled, and he’s sharing how to establish expertise with useful content no matter where you are in your business. Mark’s company works to create the systems and habits inside firms that reliably create the right leads and ensure content is engaging and educational.
In this episode, we're chatting about:
- How to make email marketing work for your business
- How content affects relationships
- Positioning yourself in your market
Email marketing can prove to be effective in creating awareness of your business, but it has to be done right. The only way it is going to work if it is purely educational, highly focused, empathetic content, that functions with the user in mind. This comes with a commitment, though, to establish expertise and build content consistently around the expertise.
It should be noted, too, to be intentional with whom you are emailing. Focus on list cleansing, list segmentation, and sending to small groups of people around specific topics based on your best guess of what their needs/interests are. Once a relationship has been earned, email is a great way to maintain it—but the content has to be fantastic.
You have the content, the expertise, and the relationship, but now you must take the position of who you can help the most, what you're willing to do for them, and the sacrifices you have to make. When your positioning is clear and in place, content creation becomes easier once you know who exactly you're talking to.
Mentioned in this episode:
Winmo
Newfangled
Traction
Expert Marketing Matters Podcast
Agency culture becomes increasingly important as the firm grows in size and value. While some may think of the in-office perks like craft beer on tap and foosball tables, culture is really about being clear on what the company stands for.
My guest today is Robert Glazer, CEO of Acceleration Partners, and he's sharing how he's building his company's culture, the lessons he's learned growing his marketing firm, and how he's working to create a culture he loves that excites him and his colleagues to go to work every day.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- Results vs. Relationships
- What culture is
- Accountability in building culture
- The 3 buckets of employee problems and how to avoid them
While growing an agency, what's more important: results or a relationship? On the one hand, if you have a relationship, you're in a great spot, but if you don't have either results nor a relationship, you're more than likely in a rough position. If you had to choose between the two, your chances of retaining a client are probably a lot better if you have the relationship and trust. Results will change, as well as people, but that trust helps to solidify your position.
Having said that, building a relationship among your team is vital to a strong culture—but what exactly is culture? As defined by Robert, "culture is just being really clear about what you stand for.” A great culture is very consistent about what it thinks, what it says, and what it does. It also rewards what it says and does, and the core values hung up on the wall are actually practiced by the team each time they hire or fire an employee.
Part of the culture at Acceleration Partners is accountability, or as Robert puts it, "own it." From the onboarding process, the value of owning a project from start to finish, as well as the outcome of it, is something team members have to grow comfortable with. Making the culture apparent in the hiring process will help to strengthen it and bring on people who align personally and professionally with your company's values.
If the employee can't grasp the culture, they may fall in to one of three "buckets" Robert identifies employees may fall within. The first being the employee is not the right fit, and doesn't meet the company's core values. Unfortunately, there's no real fix for this, so you have to find a way to transition these people out. The second bucket consists of an employee's awareness and understanding of what they need to do, but can't do it. A fix for this simply consists of clearly laying out the necessary responsibilities of the role. And finally, the third bucket is a different definition of success by the employee and the manager. Robert describes how he avoids this by having a 6-month and 12-month success plan already in the job description.
Mentioned in this episode:
Ep055: B2B Content Marketing Strategy to Grow Your Agency with Benji Hyam
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Dan Pink
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) by Carol Tavris
Brand Cycle
Acceleration Partners
OneNote
Whole Life Dashboard
Brand strategy or brand guidelines are often more familiar terms, but brand storytelling is something businesses should focus on. The narrative your business tells makes what you do more relatable to people on the outside. Rather than try to set your brand apart with "business-y language," as my guest Donna Griffit says, she's here to tell businesses it's the story that matters.
Donna is a corporate storyteller, working with startups and all kinds of companies to help them improve their pitches, sales decks, and marketing stories. Donna sheds light on a subject that is often ignored, but highly valuable to incorporate in your business.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Why storytelling is so important
- "The simple solution statement"
- How to capture the story from your clients
"People resonate with stories. People identify with stories.” As Donna puts it, simple language that creates a narrative is what people relate most to. You want to create an image in the listener's mind that their business is more than just the services it provides. It's the history, team, mission, and purpose behind the brand that makes your brand stand out.
Donna's "simple solution statement" is just that—a simple statement that speaks volumes about your brand's story. A great example we mention is Steve Jobs' pitch of having "1,000 songs in your pocket" with an iPod. He sold a story people could relate to in the most simple way possible. No mention of storage, megabytes, or compression power—just a piece of technology that would make your life easier.
If you want to capture your client's story, you'll have to do something we've mentioned in previous episodes: listen and understand to their needs. When the client tells their story for you, it's much more trustworthy and credible than if you were to make one for them. Tap into what their saying, and create a pitch based on the needs they've laid out for you.
Mentioned in this episode:
Female Founders Community
Boomerang
Donna Griffit
Some tools work better than others. Figuring out the best one for your business can be a series of trial and error. Rather than let CRM failures happen, you could find the one that's the best fit for your business.
Jon Lee, CEO of Copper, is my guest today, and he's explaining why CRM failures happen, how they can be avoided, and how you can leverage CRM to grow your business. And no; no tedious, tiring data entry is required here!
In this episode, we'll discuss:
- How to avoid CRM failures
- The impact of AI
- What attributes make a great customer
- The best way to attract customers
A Forrester study reported that 47% of CRM implementations fail because of lack of adoption. The system is not organized, or structured in a way that turns new users away because the navigation is confusing. This can be avoided by creating a CRM that flows in a way users are already familiar with. Jon shares how Copper is laid out very similarly to Google, so nothing feels unnatural to a new user.
While CRM is not 100% automated, AI and machine learning can greatly impact how it helps customers. AI has the ability to look at historical patterns, extract those patterns, and continue to refine and develop that capability of understanding to then be able to provide that recommendation back to the customer.
Speaking of the customer, what attributes make up for a great customer? You can determine these attributes based on their journey with your product or service. How you acquire the customer and provide a customized experience based on their history of engagement with your product/service also foreshadows how they'll interact with your product in the future.
So, what is the best way to attract these great customers? By simply helping them, they will return the favor (the favor being purchasing your product/service). Show them how you can help them, the value your product/service can add to their life, and be sure to give them an amazing experience along the way.
Mentioned:
Jon Lee
Copper
HBR - Why CRM Projects Fail
Gong
What Every Body is Saying by Joe Navarro
Automation has become a business buzzword for many in recent years, but what should be the term in focus is an automatic business. My guest today is Brad Martineau of Sixth Division, and he's sharing how optimizing and managing an automatic business can deliver impactful experiences to your customers.
If you want this business model to work for you, your vision of how it will operate should be clearly laid out. Brad walks us through the steps of creating the ideal automatic business, and what strategies you can implement to do the same.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- Designing an ideal experience for customers
- Custom built services leading to custom outcome
- Using automation where appropriate
- The small business spine
The very first step in making an automatic business, according to Brad, is to design an ideal experience. You hear about the buyer's journey and funnel marketing, but formulating an experience creates a journey in itself that will give customers a sense of trust from your business. Applying technology to this process ensures that an experience is achieved every single time without relying on humans.
Customizing these experiences for your audience will lead to custom outcomes. By crafting the service for them, you bring additional value to your work and provide a more personal service. This gives them an outcome that they want based on your ability to connect.
It's important to note that automation may not be applicable to all aspects of your business, so use it where it's appropriate. You don't have to hide what's automated and what isn't, but be cautious of where you're applying it and how it will affect customers.
Brad's "small business spine" lays out the foundation of how he finds clarity and value in the work he does. Focusing on money, time, and what you see for the business will allow you to understand your role in each of these components and what approach you will take when one of these things starts to change or fluctuate.
Mentioned in this episode:
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins
Profit First by Mike Machalowicz
Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits! by Greg Crabtree
Dotcom Secrets and Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
Basecamp
Sixth Division
You're the best at what you do and have the resume to prove it, but still, you wonder how to become an expert, or at least, be considered as one. What are the qualifications or characteristics? David C. Baker, also known as the "expert's expert" according to the New York Times, joins me today to talk about how to establish yourself as an expert.
David is the author of The Business of Expertise, an "expertise manifesto" that motivates and encourages entrepreneurs to become experts themselves. A bona fide expert himself, David brings years of wisdom and knowledge to this episode, and I'm very excited to share this one with you all.
In this episode, we'll be talking about:
- What an expert is
- How to recognize clear boundaries in sales
- Content vs. insight in establishing expertise
So what makes an expert, well, an expert? According to David, it's someone who is "regularly paid to dispense their thinking." Insightful thought processes are at the root of expertise, along with a constant thirst for knowledge. Exercising your mind and continually learning solidifies your credibility as an expert, and inspires others ask you and learn from what you already know.
When it comes to being an expert, confidence is part of the package. You need to position yourself in a way that lets others know who you are, and what you're all about. Use this confidence to set you apart from other competitors in the sales ring.
Being mindful of this confidence can also prevent you from growing attached and invested in a sale that may not have actually happened yet. The poise you present shows what you can do for the client, but don't start really caring until you're officially hired. There are boundaries to be aware of, so make sure those are not crossed by attaching yourself to the sale too soon.
Another way to build your credibility as an expert is to provide more insight, and less content. As David puts it, "content is ignorable." You read something, it registers, but by the next day, you're not really thinking about it. Insight, however, takes a point of view and almost forces you to agree or disagree with what's being said. It's thought-provoking and gets audiences to really think about why they do or don't agree with you. Posting controversial topics, though, is not the message here—just take a risk, and see what results.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Business of Expertise by David C. Baker
2Bobs Podcast
Welcome to the very first episode of Consulting Growth! My guest today is Nick Ellsmore, CEO of Hivint, an information security consulting firm in Australia. Nick brings his experience of starting and selling two companies, the steps he took that led to two major acquisitions.
While starting a business with an exit strategy in mind is typically not the first item on the agenda, Nick shares with us how to get acquired, in addition to the importance of being prepared, and sustaining a company culture that can withstand any and all changes within the business.
In this episode, we cover:
- How a stand-out brand will help you get acquired
- The value of company culture
- Positioning according to trendsIf you're wondering how to get acquired, the first step is to build a strong brand. Just like a peacock that flashes its beautiful feathers, immediately turning heads and capturing all the attention, your brand will need to do the same. If people are going to acquire you, they need to notice you. There needs to be an appeal and a demand for your business, and the unique qualities that make your business truly stand out from the rest.
Creating a strong brand, in turn, attracts a highly talented team. This team then starts to form an identity and culture of how business is done. According to Nick, "Culture is the way we do things around here," and any decision made is magnified throughout the company. In a leadership role, your behaviors will set a lot of the culture—being consistent, knowing what’s important to you, and reinforcing that throughout the company will strengthen it.
The way you position your business and brand will determine the likelihood of acquisition. Keeping up with trends, and just overall what it is exactly that businesses are looking for, helps to create a clear and narrow position that will put you at the top of the potential acquirers' list. Demonstrate that you are what they're looking for, and you can help them solve their specific challenges.
Mentioned in this episode:Hivint Cybersecurity ConsultancySiftStratsec