More than a Few Words
1,038 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 88 ratingsA marketing podcast for business owners. The brief conversations of this marketing podcast are filled with practical tips from business owners and marketing professionals from around the world.
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Episodes
#979 Commit to LinkedIN
March 17, 2024 09:18 - 3 minutes - 3.56 MBThis year I decided to follow my own advice and commit to one social media platform. Sure I still post content in lots of places, but I am spending time every day on only one platform - LinkedIn. And, I am not just showing up, posting an update, liking a few things and leaving. I did some research to find out what the LinkedIn algorithm likes and adjusted my approach accordingly. Comments matter. So I am spending time writing meaningful comments on multiple posts each day. I engage with pe...
#978 Finding the Right Marketing Partner
March 14, 2024 09:04 - 10 minutes - 10.3 MBWhen you are ready to take the next step in your business you will need a marketing partner, but how do you find the right one? That's what I talked to Behdad Jamshidi, founder of CJAM Marketing about. In this lively conversation he shared insights into navigating the process of selecting the ideal marketing team. Behdad defines a marketing partner as an agency, freelancer, or contractor who helps businesses execute marketing strategies while allowing them to focus on core operations. He...
#977 The Four "C"s of Accountability
March 12, 2024 09:28 - 11 minutes - 11.5 MBIn this terrific conversation from my archive Don Markland shared his powerful story of transformation from an unhealthy lifestyle and lack of clarity about his purpose to a successful life and business. He realized there are two fundamental rules of accountability—starting with oneself and leaving ego at the door—set the stage for the four C's. Critique success - never settle for good enough, always striving for improvement. Don emphasizes the importance of surrounding ourselves with ho...
#976 Find the Best Solution
March 10, 2024 09:13 - 1 minute - 1.79 MBEveryone likes to be right and to see their ideas put into practice but sometimes your ideas are not the best it. If, as a leader you are more focused on proving you're right and winning every argument people around you will acquiesce. You will have a solution but it won't necessarily be the best solution. This is tough, because it means you have to give up control. If you've hired the right people they will have good opinions about projects and about the way the company is run, so you nee...
#975 Find Your Niche
March 07, 2024 10:20 - 11 minutes - 8.53 MBCarolyn Patrick dropped by for a conversation about one of my absolute favorite topics—niche marketing. Carolyn’s a seasoned consultant and non-executive director hailing all the way from Australia, bringing a wealth of experience in customer brand and marketing across diverse industries like banking, wealth management, insurance, retail, and government. To explain why she thinks it’s crucial for businesses to identify their niche Carolyn shared a personal story of working with specific n...
#974 - A New Approach to PR
March 05, 2024 10:35 - 11 minutes - 12 MBDid you miss this conversation from my archive? Every business owner knows an article in the news can be a great boost to a business. The question is how do you get the media to notice you. My guest Mickie Kennedy explains it is not by sending another boring release about your product or service. You need to be creative, finding a unique angle. One way to do that is with a survey that uncovers an unusual data point or piece of information which might be the beginning of a great story. A...
#973 - The Three Truths of Marketing
March 03, 2024 10:31 - 1 minute - 1.94 MBI have been talking about marketing for a long time. And then funny thing? Although it is a big topic, managing marketing boils down to three simple truths. The first is that marketing hasn’t really changed in 50 or 60 years. The basics of marketing are about what they were half a century ago. What has changed are the tools. And that’s the second truth, there are always new tools on the horizon, new ways of doing things. And the third truth is that the most effective marketing is marketin...
#972 What Drives Your Passion
February 29, 2024 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBI had a chance to chat with David Ask, an accomplished entrepreneur and product development expert, to discuss the essence of creating a heart-centered business. As the leader of a mastermind group, David believes in the uniqueness of each person's spirit and soul. He encourages individuals to explore what lights them up and drives their energy. As the conversation unfolds, he reflects on his own journey, revealing his identity as a creative rather than a conventional entrepreneur. He stre...
#971 Influence Marketing
February 27, 2024 11:01 - 12 minutes - 10.8 MBI had a great time chatting with Jason Falls, a seasoned digital marketing thought leader, author, and speaker. The topic of our conversation was influence marketing, a topic often misunderstood by brands. While many people discuss the role influencers play in shaping buying decisions Jason brought a fresh perspective to the conversation, emphasizing the broader concept of influence marketing instead of fixating on individual influencers. He stressed the need for a holistic approach, urgin...
#970 A.I. Powered Video
February 25, 2024 10:16 - 1 minute - 1.6 MBThese days your audience wants bite size content. They're not going to sit through twenty or thirty minutes of video or read long blog posts. It's frustrating because you've got this long content, but it doesn't have to be. With the help of AI you can transform that long long post into a series of short social media posts. You can take cut that ten, twenty or thirty minute video into little thirty second sound bites. The little videos are just enough to hook the audience, get their atten...
#969 Don't be Afraid of SEO
February 22, 2024 10:10 - 10 minutes - 9.61 MBIn this conversation, Bear Newman, a seasoned digital marketer and author with over 15 years in the field joined me for a conversation about SEO. If you’re like many business owners, SEO might be a bit of a mystery, and that’s why I’ve brought Bear in to help us demystify it. We kick off by addressing common fears around SEO and highlighting the importance of taking action rather than striving for perfection right from the start. Bear dives into the conversation, shedding light on the misc...
#968 Start with a Process
February 20, 2024 09:01 - 10 minutes - 9.63 MBYour business does not happen by accident. You have to have processes and procedures in place to make sure that everything gets done when it’s supposed to. Does that sound a little overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be according to my guest Brittni Schroeder. She explains you are only one person, and systems help you streamline your activities and create processes you can share with others. The systems help you scale and handle more clients and bigger projects to grow your business.
#967 Get Rich Quick.
February 18, 2024 10:55 - 1 minute - 1.65 MBHave you noticed that the internet is filled with people claiming to have made thousands of dollars online and they're willing to share their secrets to success with you all for the low low price of $199. The problem is the only people who get rich from that slick package solution are the people who create it. Why? because the system they create is right for them or it is generic and not right for you. Instead what you need to do is invest money spending time with someone who can look at y...
#966 Irrelevant Competitors
February 15, 2024 10:39 - 12 minutes - 10.7 MBIn this insightful interview, I had a chance to chat with Anne Carden, about making competitors irrelevant by building a business that stands out. She emphasizes the importance of identifying and leveraging a business’s unique selling proposition or “sweet spot.” Anne explains every business, regardless of size, possesses a distinctive quality that can set it apart, emphasizing the need to position oneself around that expertise to become untouchable in the market. She provides practical ex...
#965 - Discover the Secret to Getting a Customer to Yes
February 13, 2024 11:35 - 12 minutes - 10.3 MBIn this episode of "More Than a Few Words," I had the pleasure of chatting with Susan Trumpler, the founder of Unstoppable Women in Business. We dove into the process of moving prospects from contemplation to a resounding "yes" and making the sales journey more comfortable. Susan emphasized the importance of understanding the prospect's pain points and aligning your solution with their immediate needs. We discussed the three crucial questions that need to be answered before a prospect can...
#964 Improve Landing Page Content
February 11, 2024 10:56 - 1 minute - 1.71 MBYou're spending a lot of resources to drive traffic. But are you converting traffic to prospects? If you're not getting people to fill out your conversion forms there are a few things you can do to improve the effectiveness of those pages 1. Don't oversell avoid bloated adjectives like awesome and amazing. Just stick to the facts. 2. While we're on the subject of facts, back up what you're saying with real proof. It gives you tremendous credibility 3. Use video to complement the images a...
#963 Match Your Strategy to the Stage of Your Business
February 08, 2024 10:28 - 13 minutes - 12.6 MBLet's face it, one of the challenges faced by most business owners is the absence of a clear rulebook for navigating the complexities of entrepreneurship. To shed light on the essential strategies for success, I invited Scott Ritzheimer, founder of Scale Architects, to share his tips for entrepreneurs, particularly the struggle to prioritize and manage tasks amidst a multitude of expert advice. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding that there are seven specific stages of business...
#962 Be a Magnetic Speaker
February 06, 2024 10:06 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MBChatting with Tina Bakehouse was like unwrapping a gift for anyone who’s ever hesitated to step into the spotlight. We explored the idea that public speaking isn’t just for natural extroverts. It is about discovering that inner magnetism within all of us. Tina, the author of “Discovering Our Magnetic Speaker Within,” brought her insights to the table, emphasizing that being magnetic involves intentional communication, encompassing words, voice, body language, energy, and overall essence. T...
#961 Simple Email Tips
February 04, 2024 11:48 - 1 minute - 1.45 MBToday I want to talk about email. Why email, when there are so many better ways to get people to pay attention to you? Because year in and year out people open their emails. So if you want to deliver messages to people who are interested in what you have to say email is still a great way to reach them Here are a few things you can do to improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns number Send them on Tuesday. Emails sent on Tuesday actually have the best open rate Keep your emails ...
#960 - Zencastr and the Future of Podcasting
February 01, 2024 11:00 - 9 minutes - 9.07 MBIn this conversation, I had a chance to chat with Josh Nielsen, the founder behind Zencastr, one of the top podcasting platforms. As the founder and CEO, he’s focused on the next level of podcasting, providing creators worldwide with an all-in-one platform. We delved into the current podcasting landscape, and Josh pointed out a trend he dubs the “tick-toification of podcasting.” Attention spans are shortening, and people are leaning towards bite-sized, consumable content, especially in the ...
#959 Sell the Transformation
January 30, 2024 11:05 - 10 minutes - 9.53 MBDid you miss my conversation with Joe Matz as we unraveled the the concept of business transformation. We chatted about the desire among entrepreneurs to push the limits of their businesses, but recognize the challenges that come with turning that desire into a tangible transformation. We explored the notion that everyone has a unique genius zone, a sweet spot where work becomes easy, fun, and exciting. Joe delves into the significance of identifying this genius zone and aligning it with th...
#958 Start with Original Content
January 28, 2024 10:57 - 2 minutes - 2.26 MBToday's tip start with a bit of a rant. I I teach marketing at a local university and was grading papers the other night. As I read, it occurred to me a number of my students were using CHAT GPT to write their essays. I was annoyed but also stopped to think about why I felt like that was problematic. The answer was pretty simple. Their answers were generic, boring and they didn't really address my specific question. In a way that is the same challenge content marketers have when using AI ...
#957 Time to Train Your Team
January 25, 2024 10:43 - 11 minutes - 9.83 MBToday's talk centers around the unavoidable truth: not every employee walks into the office fully equipped for the job's challenges. Enter the world of training, a necessary step for workforce readiness. Joining me is is Vicki Noethling . We explored the hurdles faced by small businesses with fewer than ten employees when it comes to carving out time for training and developing effective plans. Small business owners often find themselves juggling individual tasks, with training sometimes ta...
#956 Simple Video Tips for Small Business Owners
January 23, 2024 11:00 - 9 minutes - 7.45 MBWe are living in a Video world. All the major social media platforms, and many of the upstarts are flooded with video. If you aren't creating at least some video content, you are really missing an opportunity to put yourself in front of potential customers. Mechelle McDonald explains that every business owner, even if they are camera shy, needs to find a way to put themselves on camera. Potential customers want to touch, see, feel and connect. Video lets you do all that. In addition to...
#955 Customer Focused Copy
January 21, 2024 10:23 - 1 minute - 1.23 MBLong before I worked on my first website, I was writing content for brochures and direct mail campaigns. Many of the lessons I learned about good copywriting then are absolutely transferable to the digital age. If you want to create great content that's engaging and interesting your copy must be is focused on your reader. One of the simplest tests is what I call the pencil test. Get two pencils, one a blue and one red. Print out that page of web copy and start circling every word that is ...
#954 Listen toThis
January 18, 2024 10:01 - 12 minutes - 11 MBI'm glad you're listening to this episode, but are you actively listening? That's the topic I dove into with Patrick Donadio, author of the book "Communicating with Impact," which outlines a process designed to improve communication, increase profits, and boost performance in less time. Our conversation kicks off stressing the pivotal role of setting intentions in communication, underscoring that a clear purpose steers the entire interaction. As we explore the significance of listening, par...
#953 Create Human Centered Content
January 16, 2024 10:08 - 11 minutes - 11.3 MBFrom our archive: Scott Murray thinks marketers have to stop selling, promoting and clinging to outdated strategies and tactics. Instead they need to create content to spark engagement, conversation and inspiration from their audience. As we've moved from print to digital, control has shifted from the marketer to the consumer. They decide when they will stop and look at your content and when they will scroll right by. To earn their attention, you need to put the right content on the ri...
#952 What Will Your Offer Web Visitors?
January 14, 2024 11:02 - 1 minute - 1.47 MBA great auto response campaign starts with an exchange, you offer something of value to a prospective customer, and in return, they give you their contact information. What can you trade? What is your inbound offer? The short answer is anything; any information that you have access to, that a prospective customer might be interested in. Here are just a few examples: Industry data, survey results and how-to guides. Customers always want to know how other people use your product or service....
#951 Strategic Marketing
January 11, 2024 10:52 - 11 minutes - 9.93 MBYou know, so many business owners say, “I know some of my marketing is working, but I’m not sure which 50%.” Well, if you want to up your success rate, you need a plan. Laura Wagenknecht the owner of Mosaic Business Consulting, is the perfect guide for this. She emphasizes the importance of unveiling your marketing gradually, focusing on niche markets, and tailoring your approach to different audiences. In our conversation, Laura dives into the intricacies of strategic marketing, especial...
#950 -Sales Stories
January 09, 2024 10:27 - 10 minutes - 11.8 MBStories are a valuable element in building your personal brand, marketing your business, and as you will discover today, they can add value in your sales process too. As our guest Tom Jackobs explains your need two types of stories in your sales process. The first is your personal story which explains why you do what you do and the second is a story of results. How you helped someone achieve their goal.
#949 Write Yourself a Letter
January 07, 2024 11:00 - 56 seconds - 1.07 MBYou have a whole year ahead of you. You will accomplish amazing things. So, what I want you to do right now is close your eyes and imagine that it's not January but December. Imagine all the things you've accomplished this year. Go ahead, write them all down. Put that piece of paper in an envelope and seal it. Don't open it until the last day of the year Dream Big Dream big both personally and professionally. Maybe you want to lose weight, expand your team, launch new products, or close m...
948 A New Take on PPC
January 04, 2024 10:39 - 10 minutes - 9.75 MBToday we're diving into the world of pay-per-click advertising. You know, it'd be fantastic if customers just stumbled upon our businesses, but we all know that's not how it works. Sometimes we need to invest in advertising, especially in this age of the internet where pay-per-click is an affordable option. But there are right ways and wrong ways to do it, and that's what we're chatting about today. To help me navigate this terrain, I invited Nick Gosling to join me. He's a fractional COO a...
#947 Selling the Dream
January 02, 2024 10:52 - 10 minutes - 9.62 MBJake Stahl, a pioneer in conversational dynamics, joined me for a conversation about how business owners can better communicate the value they offer. The key is to understand your customer's needs and desires and create a compelling value statement that addresses those needs. Stahl suggests using the "3 Whys" technique to uncover the true dream outcome driving your customers. He suggested four simple questions you can use to build your value statement: Dream outcome: What do your custome...
#946 Burn the Boat
December 31, 2023 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.81 MBThe failure rates for early stage companies are staggering. Depending on the source the numbers range from 40% to 90% in the early years. And while the economy can play a role, one of the biggest reasons small business owners fail in the early years is they try to hedge their bets. There’s always that safety valve in the back of their head. “I can get a job, or I can do something else.” That back up plan approach doesn’t work. If you want to be successful, you have to treat your busines...
#945 Why Do Storytellers Have More Fun?
December 28, 2023 10:51 - 10 minutes - 10.3 MBI am pumped to have Tom Ruwitch on the show. Now, Tom is not your average business growth guru; he's a storytelling aficionado and a pioneer in content marketing. He is on a mission to rescue us from the clutches of mundane, prospect-repelling content that makes marketing feel like a never-ending drag. So, I kicked off the conversation with a simple question: Why do storytellers sell more? Tom broke it down, explaining that it's not just about regaling your own legendary origin story. It's...
#944 - Absolute Marketing
December 26, 2023 11:00 - 10 minutes - 10.7 MBCreating great marketing content takes a while It is important, but if you’re not careful, it can take over so much of your time that you don’t have any time left to run your business. Our guest, Elizabeth Pampalone shares the secret to creating a year’s worth of content in a week through a process she calls Absolute Marketing. The system actually consists of five, the five pillars of marketing, branding, websites, social media, blogging, and email marketing. Start with a solid brand, def...
#943 - A Good CTA Drives Action
December 24, 2023 11:21 - 1 minute - 1.88 MBOnce someone starts to fill out your form, you want to be sure they take that last step to submit the form. But the truth is, people don’t actually like to submit. Although that is almost always the default choice when you build a form it is actually one of the least effective phrases you can use. Here are some better choices Use a word that commands action: click register, go or download Use language that actually promises the benefit: Get the case study, watch the video The stronger ...
#942 Leverage Other People’s Platforms
December 21, 2023 11:08 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBI had a great conversation with Jennie Wright, an email list building and lead generation strategist about how to leverage peer platforms to grow your email list. Jennie explains the easiest way to build your email list is by leveraging other people’s platforms. This can be done by appearing on other people’s podcasts, participating in giveaways and bundles, and speaking on panels and summits. She recommends that you do a little bit of due diligence before agreeing to be on someone’s pod...
#941 Lessons from a Lifelong Networker
December 19, 2023 10:54 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBAlbert Kaufman is a lifelong networker. His tips are timeless, which is why I am rereleasing this conversation from 2017. If you missed it back then, you don't want to miss it now.
#940 - The Conversion Form - Where the Magic Happens
December 17, 2023 10:28 - 1 minute - 1.47 MBLast week, I shared some tips for creating great landing pages. This time I want to focus on the submission form because, that's where the magic unfolds. When it comes to submission forms the more you ask for, the less you'll receive. Every additional question you toss in there is a chance your prospect will say "No Thanks" and leave before submitting their response. Keep it simple and only request what's absolutely necessary. For instance, if you're not planning to give them a ring, why...
#939 Build Your LinkedIn Brand
December 14, 2023 10:48 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MBToday's chat is about LinkedIn and the art of personal branding. I've been cultivating my personal brand for years, both online and offline, and one of my go-to tools is LinkedIn. Joining me for this insightful conversation is Matt Parkin, a LinkedIn Top Marketing Voice and a personal branding coach. Matt's expertise has been sought after by industry associations, companies, schools, and conferences. We're diving into the essentials of using LinkedIn to bolster your personal brand, and who b...
938 -Use a Quiz to Find Your Best Prospects .
December 12, 2023 10:22 - 9 minutes - 9.81 MBWhat if you could determine who in your audience is your best client in just 180 seconds? My guest, Juliet Clark explains that with a well designed quiz your prospects will actually self-select, telling you with their answers if the are good, great or mediocre prospect. It starts with asking people to self-assess where they’re at on a scale of one to 10 in relationship to the results you can help them achieve. Keep the quiz short and sweet, and deliver useful information based on their an...
#937 Build Better Landing Pages
December 10, 2023 10:12 - 1 minute - 1.5 MBHey there! Last week, I shared a few tips about crafting your offer, and today, we're diving headfirst into the world of landing pages. The goal of your landing page is to convince potential customers to say, "Yes, I absolutely want that!" An effective landing page has a single, laser-focused purpose. It is ok that visitors won't be getting to know you in-depth here; any distractions might derail them from filling out that all-important submission form. So, what makes a landing page trul...
#936 The Multipurpose Business Plan
December 07, 2023 10:42 - 10 minutes - 9.63 MBToday we’re diving into business plans with Lura Wagenknecht. You’ve probably heard me harp on about the importance of business plans, and I know some of you might think it’s just a document collecting dust on a shelf. Well, let me tell you, every bit of that plan is gold, and Laura shared some great tips on how to make the most of it. Laura, the owner of Mosaic Business Consulting, is a seasoned business consultant and executive coach with over 30 years of experience. We’re both passionate ...
#935 How to Raise Your Price
December 05, 2023 11:47 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBIf you are like most business owners you make the mistake of looking at your competitors for guidance on pricing. Unfortunately, they probably don’t know any more about pricing than you do. Why don’t business owners charge more for their products and services? Robin Waite thinks it is usually it is fear that holds them back. Learn how you can get over your fear and raise your price. About Robin Waite Robin Waite is the founder of Fearless Business, a Business Accelerator for Coaches, Con...
#934 Face the Day
December 03, 2023 10:07 - 59 seconds - 1.13 MBI got up this morning and there was snow outside. And, quite honestly I was annoyed because it still fall. The change in weather completely messed with my plans. But, when I got over being annoyed I reached for a sweater, found my my hat and went out to face the day. In a way, that's the life of an entrepreneur. You have your plans, you have your ideas and then something happens. So you have to dig around in your closet and find a tool or technique a new hat. Put it on and get ready to ...
#933 She Thinks Big
November 30, 2023 10:52 - 10 minutes - 8.43 MBI was so excited to have another chance to talk to Andrea Liebross, a business and life coach who specializes in empowering female entrepreneurs. This time our conversation revolved around how women owners can think big, manage like a CEO, and achieve success in both their professional and personal lives. Andrea shares insights from her new book, "She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and Into the Extraordinary." She outlines four key steps for be...
#932 - Find Your Personal Sytle
November 28, 2023 11:11 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MBThese days everybody's trying to present themselves as an expert. So how do you stand out in your niche in a crowded market? Part of the magic comes from creating a visual brand. - That's what i had a chance to chat with Sharon Haver about back in 2021. Funny thing, the conversation is as relevant today! Where does the process begin to build a visual brand for yourself? In today's crowded market, anyone can become a personal brand, but only special people can become have a personality bra...
#931 When Facebook Goes Away
November 26, 2023 11:39 - 1 minute - 1.44 MBWhat will you do when Facebook goes away? Now I’m not trying to spread fear and panic and I don’t expect that the platform will disappear overnight. But let’s face it, technology changes, platforms change and so do fads and trends. At some point, Facebook will diminish. I mean, a decade ago, everyone thought that AOL was the be all end all. And the answer to the question is actually simpler than you imagine. While social media platforms are important, the one constant in your business is yo...
#930 Stop Wasting Money on Marketing
November 23, 2023 11:27 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBIn this podcast interview, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jan Cavelle, a seasoned entrepreneur from the UK with a wealth of experience in running micro and small businesses. She is the author of two books, "Scale for Success" and "Start for Success," aimed at helping aspiring and growing entrepreneurs. She has also contributed an article as a guest author to my new collection of essays. We discussed the common issue of small businesses wasting time and money on marketing. Jan emphasize...