Let's Teach You Something: Recent Episodes
Chris Inman
This podcast is for micro business owners and those that are starting a new side gig and hope to make it a business. Are you a Solopreneur that is looking for some ideas and help? This is the podcast for you. We will be having experts from a variety of backgrounds helping YOU improve your business with some free advice and tips.Every episode will be have different guests and will cover a different aspect of your business. Every episode will be hosted by Chris Inman, a solopreneur himself. He owns I.D.E.A. Cleveland a video marketing agency. He started this series because with networking and meeting new people in the community he has a network of people to turn to for advice but he didn't always have that. Starting his business he struggle with so many things and he knows that many have the same struggles when they start their businesses. We hope you learn something new in each episode that will help your business grow and become successful.
This week's guest is Beth Gantz the Small Business Advisor at the SBDC at LCCC
The Ohio Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provide a high-impact, front-line program designed to facilitate small business growth, job creation, and access to capital. SBDCs provide confidential one-to-one business advice at no cost, management training, education programs, and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small business owners. Ohio SBDC Network also includes the specialty programs –International Trade Assistance Centers (ITAC) and Manufacturing and Technology and Technology Small Business Development Centers (MTSBDC). Each center is staffed with highly-trained, industry experts to assist the local small business community with growth strategies.
When it comes to cold calling, there are a lot of different ways to go about it. Some people believe that the best way is to just jump in and start talking, while others take a more strategic approach by crafting a formal request for information (RFQ). In his book “Cold Calling 101”, author Mark Akins outlines the pros and cons of both approaches and shares his own experiences with cold calling. “13 Tips for Mastering Cold Calling” Whether you’re new to cold calling or you’ve been doing it for years, there are always ways to improve your skills. Here are 13 tips from experts in the field that will help you master the art of cold calling: 1) Always be prepared before making the call; 2) Do your research on potential customers; 3) Make sure your elevator pitch is strong and concise; 4) Be friendly but professional; 5) Don’t sound scripted; 6) LISTEN! 7) Ask questions 8 ) Control the conversation 9) Take rejecting graciously 10) Try not to hang up first 11) Have some sort f follow-up 12) Get feedback often 13) Practice makes perfect.
If you’re looking to get the most out of your marketing spend, you need to focus on ROI. Here are 3 top tips from Anneliese Vance: 1. Plan ahead and map out what you want to achieve with your marketing campaign – this will help ensure that every penny is accounted for and working towards a tangible goal. 2. Keep track of how each individual element of your campaign performs by monitoring relevant metrics; this way you can course-correct along the way if necessary, or adjust future campaigns accordingly. 3) Make sure there’s a clear link between your sales team’s activities and your overall marketing strategy; funneling leads through an effective nurturing process will result in more conversions down the line.