Grow My Revenue Business Cast

Do you think you know what your customers want? Have you sent them surveys? Most business owners either assume that they know what their customers want, or don't know the right questions to ask to get the most impactful answers. Today Ryan Levesque, creator of the Ask Method and national best-selling author of Ask, joins us to talk about why you shouldn't assume you know what your clients want, and how to formulate the questions to find out what they need so you can best serve them. He also explains why segmented opportunities will produce better results for your marketing efforts on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · What is the key to unlocking the full potential of your business? · What is the second biggest mistake people make when trying to find out what their customers want? · Where should you start when sending out a survey? · What does SMIQ stand for? · What are micro-commitments and how do you use them effectively? · And so much more! Episode Overview Ryan Le

Every year, I give a rundown of the business trends I see in the upcoming year, and today I am sharing the top 2017 business trends with you on this episode of Grow My Revenue. Specifically, I'll be talking about the different roles in sales today and which role you should be focused on, how the sales process has changed for the buyer and how you can be a key component in that process, as well as crowdfunding to test your ideas, and why you must start segmenting your marketing lists. Listen to this episode and discover: · What are the three sales roles, and which should you be evolving into? · What is the single best sales tool you can have? · How to use crowdfunding to validate your ideas. · Why and how monthly recurring revenue changes the value of your business. · And so much more… Episode Overview Of the top trends I see coming in 2017, I chose a few to discuss here that are going to have the most impact on your bottom line. The first concept is the three roles in sales: the order taker, the salesper

Is search engine optimization (SEO) simply an afterthought for your business, or is it something that is part of your marketing plan like your editorial calendar? It should be the former, but either way you'll learn a lot from today's show! On this episode, the one and only John Jantsch joins us to talk about why SEO is for growth and why it's not about likes, clicks, or shares any longer. We also explore his latest book, SEO for Growth, and how we can use SEO to become a part of our customers' journey as a trusted advisor before they're even looking for a solution. John is back for a second terrific interview, and you will definitely learn a lot about how useful SEO is for growing your business today on Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why he chose SEO for Growth as the title of his latest book. · What was Google's goal from day one of its existence? · How SEO has evolved beyond just clicks, shares, and likes. · Do links still matter to search engine rankings? · Why we put so much

When you think of public relations (PR), what comes to mind? Swanky parties of schmoozing and martinis? Or someone who makes phone calls to their friends to land big publicity for a business? Neither of these are what PR and integrated communications are about at their core. Today our guest is Gini Dietrich, the author of international best-seller Spin Sucks, and the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated communications firm. She's also head of Spin Sucks Pro, and hosts the show Inside PR. I brought her on because she is a bona fide expert on all things marketing communications; she knows more about it then most people on the planet! Today she's giving us the truth about PR, communications and what both will and won't do for a business. Listen in to hear all of that and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · Why do most people think PR is about lying? · When should you include PR in your marketing? · What are the four components of an integrated communic

Have you ever noticed how marketing messages often pay no attention to what is on the mind of the customer they are trying to reach? Rather than find out what their audience is concerned with, most marketers prefer to expound on what's so great about their company, and why people should use their product or service. Doing so is one of the ways marketers have ruined communication today. On this episode, I'll be sharing some real-life examples of bad marketing, and why you must know what your customer is thinking about before you begin the marketing conversation. I'll also explain how to get the answers you need by asking the right questions. Today's edition of Grow My Revenue is entertaining and informative! Listen to this episode and discover: · What are brain pickers, and why are they on the rise? · Why trying to appeal to everyone makes you appeal to no one. · What is breakage, and what does it have to do with marketing? · What is one of the things people most misuse in marketing automation? · What you m

If you've ever wondered how to streamline and integrate your physical marketing and your digital marketing, or how to best utilize the social media platforms available, you'll want to give today's show your full attention. On this episode, Shama Hyder joins us to talk about the current and ever-changing landscape of digital marketing. She is the founder and CEO of the award-winning agency The Marketing Zen Group and has been named one of the "Top 30 Under 30" entrepreneurs by Inc. Magazine in 2014, and was one of Forbes' "Top 30 Under 30" the following year. She is also the best-selling author of several books including her latest, Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in The Digital Age. She is a wealth of social media and digital marketing information, and she shares it generously today! Listen to this episode and discover: · Do you need to be on every social media platform? · How do your goals influence your digital marketing? · The story behind her book Momentum, and why she

All of us have had the unpleasant experience of receiving a phone call or an email from someone trying to sell us something. But what makes it so unpleasant? Typically it's because the person writing or speaking to us is focused on what they want to give us and what they have to offer, an approach that doesn't work. On today's show, Bob London joins us to explain why so much of marketing still uses this approach even though it fails, a few great examples from his life and how to show your customers that you really are different. Listen in to hear Bob's humorous insights that will shift your marketing perspective immediately, for the better. Listen to this episode and discover: · What technique helped Bob double his business without putting in more effort? · Why being on Inc. 500's Top 5,000 list is a double-edged sword. · Is the term "full service" useful or simply an empty, meaningless phrase? · Why does Jeff Bezos have an empty chair in every meeting? · Email automation gone terribly wrong: an example fr

By nature, if you're like most people, you can't wait to hear a yes. But our guest on today's episode is an expert on why going for no is equally important in the business world. Andrea Waltz is the best-selling co-author of Go For No and she's a notable international speaker on the subject. Today we'll talk about why no is not a bad word, the biggest misconceptions she sees among sales people and how to strike a balance between going for no and being pushy. We will also dive into quantity versus quality, and how you must marry both to be effective in your sales conversations, and we wrap up with one suggestion she has for you to implement the go for no strategy right now. Andrea is a treasure trove of information, and she's also a lot of fun! Listen in for yourself on this edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · How to get permission to follow up after a no. · What is one of the hottest topics in selling, according to Andrea? · How to marry quantity and quality when making sale

When was the last time you received a request for a discount from a client or potential client? And how did you respond? On this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue, I'll be addressing this very topic. During my recent keynotes and workshop presentations, the audiences asked various questions about pricing pressure and discounts. Specifically, they wanted to know when it was okay to give a discount and how to respond appropriately when someone was asking for one. Today we'll be covering all of that plus how to carve out a niche and make yourself stand out as a service rather than a commodity. Listen in for some educational and applicable advice you can start using in your business right now! Listen to this episode and discover: · How to stop being an order taker, and start to be a salesperson. · What can you do when someone applies pricing pressure? · How do you measure impact for your clients? · The question to ask when someone says your pricing is too high. · Why education is key to setting your fee

If you work within a corporation or any other organization, do you still have a personal brand? Our guest for today's episode says yes, you do. Ryan Rhoten is a speaker, podcaster, and personal brand master. He works with business professionals on creating their personal brand strategies and then elevating them. On today's show, he joins us to explain his four-step process to personal branding, why it's relevant to everyone (even if you work for someone else), and the biggest mistakes he sees people making regarding personal branding. Ryan brings the goods on these topics and more on this instructive and highly relevant episode of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · Why does your personal brand matter, even if you work for someone else? · What is the single biggest mistake people make when establishing a personal brand? · Can we control our personal brand? · Why people may not like your personal brand, and why that's okay. · What is the right way to utilize social media to grow your per

Being able to lead a team of people with a variety of skills is an invaluable ability, and a tool to help with that process is StrengthsFinder. Today I've brought on the expert on this topic, our two-time guest, Lisa Cummings. If you've been listening for a while, you heard her first episode; it's one of our most popular! And today's discussion is equally as good. We're touching on topics like the misconceptions around StrengthsFinder, how to adapt your communication style based on someone's assessment results, and what to do if there is a disconnect between a team member's strengths and their position. On today's show, Lisa really brings the goods on those topics, and a few more! So get ready for an informative, and insightful edition of Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: · What strengths are common in sales teams? · In the companies that use StrengthsFinder best, what does Lisa most often see? · What percentage of Americans were recognized for good work in 2015, according to Gallup? ·

Comedy and business share a lot more parallels than you might think, at first glance. For example, the process that a comedian uses to evoke laughter is the same process you can use to engage someone's interest. Here to explain what that process is, as well as other surprising connections between comedy and business, is Ron Tite. Ron is the CEO of The Tite Group, a successful agency in Toronto. He's also a stand-up comedian who has trained with Toronto's Second City. He's also the author of Everyone Is An Artist (or At Least They Should Be). On today's show, Ron shares why we don't have to be funny to be effective (and why being effective is most important), how to know if you should use comedy when talking to clients and your team, as well as three traits artists have we can all use in our business practices. Ron is equally entertaining as he is informative so buckle up and listen in to this episode of Grow My Revenue! Listen to this episode and discover: · The power and impact of insights, in business a

If you've ever been on the receiving end of a typical follow-up sales call, you know how ineffective they are, but is your sales team guilty of making these types of calls? Whether they are or not, there is a much more effective way to follow up. On this solo show, I will be talking about the importance of using valuable content as part of your follow-up system, why smart companies are now combining their marketing and sales departments, and how you can do the same. This is an information-packed episode of Grow My Revenue, get ready to take some notes and start implementing today! Listen to this episode and discover: • What are the two worst ways most people follow up? • Why you don't create content for the sole purpose of marketing. • What steps are included in the most effective sales process? • Why it's critical to be candid on your web site. • Should you create a sense of urgency in your follow-ups? • And so much more… Episode Overview Recently I attended Content Marketing World 2016, where I presen

Have you ever wondered how Starbucks created and sustained their culture throughout their skyrocketing growth? Our guest for today's show is the man who knows, Mr. Howard Behar. Howard is the former President of both Starbucks North America and Starbucks International. He was at the helm when they went from 28 stores to 15,000! On today's show, Howard share lessons he has learned about why culture matters in every organization, what employees really care about and want to see from their leaders, and much more! This is an absolutely riveting conversation about the necessity of a healthy company culture. Listen to this episode and discover: · What is a company's culture reflective of? · Why you must be intentional about the culture you create and live by. · Why it's all P2P, and what that means. · What doesn't work in terms of an employee reward structure? · What happens when an organization says one thing, and does another. · And so much more! Episode Overview All companies and organizations today know cu

You've been told the majority of communication is non-verbal and to read someone's body language for the full picture. But have you ever tried to read someone's physicality, only to get it terribly wrong? Our guest for today's show will explain why, and how to make sure that doesn't happen again. Joining us is world-renowned body language expert, Mark Bowden. Mark is the founder of TRUTHPLANE®, where he and his team work with CEOs, politicians and other notable leaders. He's also written three books on body language, and was voted the #1 expert in the world on that topic! Today he'll share some of the major misconceptions about body language, as well as how to establish trust and how not to. This is another episode you'll learn a ton from so tune in and get ready! Listen to this episode and discover: · Why sales scripts don't work. · The importance of staying curious and why it wins trust. · Why our brain isn't a knowledge system, and instead, what it is. · What part of the body is the "truth plane"? · Ho

If you use a CRM to measure your sales team's performance, you may be missing out on the whole picture. To know if you are getting an accurate view of what's working and what's not working for your sales reps, you should be looking at certain key performance indicators (KPIs). On today's show, Eric Esfahanian of Gryphon Networks joins us to talk about those KPIs, why CRMs are often the bane of sales departments and the biggest mistakes most sales managers overlook regarding sales performance. Because sales are so critical to the success of your business this is a can't-miss episode! Listen to this episode and discover: · When a CRM works and when it doesn't. · What should all managers be measuring from? · Why it all comes down to qualifying leads. · What is your most important job as the head of sales? · Why the #1 thing Eric teaches his reps is not closing. · And so much more! Episode Overview When I asked Eric what are the biggest hurdles he sees sales managers and executives struggle with regarding sa

Have you ever been talking to a potential client only for them to say they don't have any problems you can solve? On today's special solo show, I'll be sharing a specific example of how one listener can address this in his business. You'll hear how to apply it to your industry as well. Also on this episode of Grow My Revenue, I'll guide you through the conversation steps you can take to talk with a potential client who has an existing vendor. I'll explain what to say to open the conversation, let their guard down and tell you just how well that existing partnership is going. This is a show you don't want to miss so sit back and tune in to today's Grow My Revenue. Listen to this episode and discover: • How to talk to a potential client, even if they think they have no need for your services. • What are the symptoms that your product or service treats? • How to effectively discuss their current provider with a potential client. • Why you should have good third-party stories to share. • And so much more… Epi

Being recognized as a thought leader is a critical component of being successful in your industry. But reaching that status doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen by accident. Here to share the intentional pieces needed to reach that goal is Elizabeth Marshall. She's known as the go-to expert on becoming an expert! She's worked with clients like Seth Godin, Michael Port and Carol Roth among many others. On today's show, Elizabeth spells out the most common mistakes she sees people make when trying to reach thought leader level, how to promote yourself with seeming to self-promote, and the three questions that when answered will help you define your stance and your audience. This is an episode you will surely want to take notes on so get ready and listen in! Listen to this episode and discover: • Why becoming a recognized leader is a mastery path. • Is your message ever "one and done"? • How your own unique combination of experience and knowledge will help you stand out. • What is the difference be

Sometimes the difference between failure and success is whether or not the person has and uses certain tools and practices. Our guest for today has created an acronym of methods and resources to help along the bumpy road to fulfillment and achievement. Dr. Jay Greenstein has built six chiropractic practices with four divisions and is the leader in research and results-based chiropractic science. That success wasn't without failure and challenges, however. Today he joins us to talk about what he has overcome, how he has done it and why SWAGR has helped him through it all. Whether you've ever failed or simply failed to start something because the risk seemed too great, today's episode of Grow My Revenue with Dr. Jay Greenstein will be sure to help you overcome obstacles and challenges as you build and grow your business. Listen to this episode and discover: • Does six sigma apply outside of the manufacturing industry? • What's the difference between a sales person and a subject matter expert? • How can you

If you're like most entrepreneurs your goal is to build your business, and one day sell it for a handsome profit. Our guest on today's show has done just that, and he's here to talk about it! Matt Curry and his wife built Curry's Automotive into an auto repair shop empire before selling it for $16.5 million a few years ago. On today's edition of Grow My Revenue, Matt shares what it took to build that empire, what regrets he had after selling it and his one piece of advice if you want to sell your business for an eight-figure sum in the future. Listen to this episode and discover: * How long was Matt required to stick around after selling the business? * Who to talk to when you really want to know how your business is running. * What his Richmond shop taught him, and can teach you too. * How he and his spouse have successfully worked together for over 20 years. * Does he see his Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as an obstacle or a benefit? * And so much more! Episode Overview When Matt and his wife starte