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
#929 Start with Words
November 21, 2023 10:18 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBI know. you think we're living in a visual video world. Maybe you believe and you don't need to write anything anymore. But that just isn't true. No matter what happens in the world of content it starts with words. So I really enjoyed chatting with Erin Lebacqz about the challenges people face when starting to write and tips on effective writing techniques for both informational and emotional impacts. Erin provides valuable advice on initiating writing, combatting "Blank Screen Paralysis...
#928 Time for a Rebrand
November 19, 2023 11:08 - 2 minutes - 2.08 MBWhen you create your brand you are investing in something that should last for the long haul. The colors, the fonts and your overall style guide should remain fairly consistent over the life of your brand. However, sometimes your business changes and when it does you might want to consider rebranding. Maybe you want a more mature look, something more representative of. and established company. Or, in my case as I let go of my agency I'm looking to change my branding to create an image tha...
#927 Bringing Sales and Marketing Together.
November 16, 2023 11:03 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBIn this interview, I was excited to invite Patty Farmer, to join me once again for a quick conversation. This time we dove into how to integrate marketing and sales activities to benefit your business. It all starts by setting specific and measurable goals for both marketing and sales efforts, establishing benchmarks to track success. Patty explains the importance of reverse engineering goals, starting with the ultimate sales goal and working backward to determine the steps and content nee...
#926 Start with the Middle.
November 14, 2023 11:52 - 17 minutes - 10.8 MBIf you missed my conversation with Tina Bakehouse about writing tips in late 2021, here's you chance to catch up. Many "would be writers" think they should start with a title and let the story unfold. Our guest, Tina Bakehouse suggests starting in the middle. Begin by fleshing out the content in the middle. Once you are clear on the body of what you're writing it will inspire the title and the flow from beginning to end. While a good title will grab the reader's attention, the best par...
#925 Call Visitors to Action
November 12, 2023 11:45 - 1 minute - 1.92 MBThe goal of every page on your website is to get visitors to do something. Maybe that's fill out a contact form, pick up the phone to call you, download an e-book, register for an event or sign up for your newsletter. No matter what it is you want customers to do the best way to get them to do that is to have a clear call to action on the page. CTA's come in all shapes and sizes as they're scattered through your website. However, the one on your homepage, that primary CTA needs to be the m...
#924 Your Next Hire
November 09, 2023 10:28 - 10 minutes - 9.41 MBWhy did I invite Lisa McDonald, a certified career coach to join me for a conversation? You are not looking for a job, but you are probably looking for employees, And Lisa is probably working with those potential employees, telling them not to apply for a job with your company. In this lively conversation, we talk about the mistakes employers make starting with job descriptions that don't really reflect the company to interviews that go completely off the rails. This is one conversati...
#923 What is Your Brand Position
November 07, 2023 10:58 - 21 minutes - 28.3 MBMore than just marketing hype, your brand is about creating an impression of your company in the mind of your prospective customer. It is the basis on which all your other marketing should be built. More than ten years ago, Allison Carter and I discussed how a brand position defines who you are and who you serve. It isn't marketing copy, but a clear outline of what you want customers to think about when they hear your name. A positioning statement contains the following elements: Descrip...
#922 A Short Letter is Hard to Write
November 05, 2023 11:01 - 1 minute - 1.41 MBMy uncle used to say that he was going to write me a short note but didn’t have time, so he wrote me a long letter instead. When you are limited in the number or words, you choose your words carefully and you use them sparingly. When you have the luxury of a long letter, you can ramble on and on, and hope that sooner or later, you’ll get to the point. And you hope the recipient will hang in long enough to figure out what you’re talking about. That strategy is something you should keep in m...
#921 Where are Your Keys?
November 02, 2023 10:17 - 10 minutes - 7.88 MBMy friend Michelle McNally, the Executive Vice President of Customer Success for BoxCrush dropped by to talk about the importance of safeguarding digital assets, including passwords and resources. We talked about the key elements business owners should have control over to ensure the security and accessibility of their online assets. Michelle highlights the common challenges faced by business owners and marketing departments when it comes to managing these assets. She stresses the importanc...
#920 Don’t be a Rotten Apple
October 29, 2023 10:17 - 2 minutes - 2.67 MBWhen asked about their branding style, I often hear business owners say they "want to look like Apple." They admire the clean, sleek design. They imagine their brand will seem modern, authentic, high-tech, hip, cool and smart if they incorporate some of the same style elements into their brand. But it is usually a bad idea. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple's branding for Apple. It just rarely works out for other brands. Why? Business owners won't walk the talk. Apple styling requires lots...
#919 Managing the Content Beast
October 26, 2023 09:44 - 11 minutes - 8.13 MBIn this podcast episode of "More than a Few Words," host Lorraine Ball interviews Geoffrey Klein, a story expert, TEDx speaker, and content producer, about creating captivating content. Klein's new book, "The Content Beast," serves as a guide to crafting remarkable content. The conversation revolves around the challenge of making content stand out and the art of storytelling. Klein suggests that a key element of compelling content is understanding and catering to the audience. He introduces...
#918 Live Life By Design
October 24, 2023 10:01 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBIn this conversation from our archive, Andrea Butcher of HRD - A Leadership Development Company shares why she believes you should live life by design, not by default. Taking control of your daily activities starts with a long term vision - where do you want to be in ten years. Once you have the vision, you can begin to think about what you can do this week to move closer to that goal. And on a daily basis, defining what is the most important thing for you to do today. Although the...
#917 You Can Not Be All Things to All People
October 22, 2023 10:01 - 1 minute - 1.74 MBTo develop really effective marketing, you need to be clear about your brand position, what makes you uniquely qualified to earn the business of your customers. Look beyond the technical skills and product specifications to the intangible elements. What should customers think and how should they feel as they interact with the brand. Sounds simple, but it isn’t. Being high quality, hardworking, offering leading-edge technology or providing good service are important but they are not things w...
#916 Buy, Don’t Build
October 19, 2023 13:02 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBI had a wonderfully, thought-provoking conversation with Jon Rogers about a unique strategy for business growth – the idea of buying businesses rather than building them from scratch. Jon shares his insights into how wealth accumulation is often driven by acquiring and merging existing businesses rather than starting from the ground up. He emphasizes that these principles can be applied by anyone, not just the top 1% of wealthy individuals, and explains how the lower 99% can also benefit f...
#915 Dance withTime
October 15, 2023 09:35 - 1 minute - 2.03 MBAre you clocking in early and burning the midnight oil every single day? As a small business owner you may feel that is required to get ahead, but it doesn't have to be the pattern for your days. It's not when you waltz in, but how well you dance as you hit the floor. The art of time management is an elusive dance, but here are a few simple steps that will help you glide to success. Create a daily to-do list. Instead of drowning in a sea of week-long and month-long chores use this lean lis...
#914 Seven Figure Sales Teams
October 12, 2023 10:01 - 11 minutes - 9.82 MBIn this podcast interview, I had a chance to chat with Che Brown, about the importance of building a high-performing sales team for entrepreneurs aiming to achieve 7 or 8-figure businesses. Che emphasizes the primary challenge facing entrepreneurs today is often insufficient revenue to realize their visions. He highlights five crucial steps to create a 7-figure sales team. Che's first step is to hire a sales representative who works on a commission basis, emphasizing that this person only g...
#913 - Creating Content for People With Short Attention Spans
October 10, 2023 10:01 - 10 minutes - 11.5 MBAlmost ten years ago, I had a conversation with Juett. We discussed the fact that people just don’t have the same attention span they used to. You need to get to the point quickly if you want to hold their attention. Surprisingly, our tips on how to keep visitors with short attention spans interested and engaged is as relevant today as it was almost a decade ago. Listen now to learn how to implement writing techniques like lists and engaging headings to capture your audience at a glance an...
#912 Lessons from Retail
October 08, 2023 10:01 - 1 minute - 1.47 MBI started my career in retail as the floor manager. It was my job to attract customers as they walked down the aisle, to pull them into the department and get them to stay. I would organize the racks of clothing so that they would browse from one to the next and stay in the area as long as possible. Hopefully they would stay until they bought something. Funny thing, as a web designer that was still my job. When I I looked at the design of a website I would think about how I was going to ...
#911 Building Community
October 05, 2023 10:58 - 11 minutes - 9.55 MBDeb Schell joins me for a conversation about building and nurturing communities. Deb emphasizes that in today's information age, communities play a vital role in facilitating learning and implementation of new ideas, connecting people with similar challenges or goals. She also highlights the need for business owners to focus on the people, purpose, and problem-solving within their communities rather than fixating on platforms. Deb suggests building your community by identifying ideal membe...
#910 - Smats, Guts, Luck and Friends
September 30, 2023 10:26 - 1 minute - 1.62 MBI've heard it said that entrepreneurs need three things - smarts, guts and luck. Your smarts can be street smarts, book smarts or creative smarts. You've got to be able to use your intelligence to navigate decisions rationally and analytically. You must have the guts to go after your big ideas. You need courage to put yourself out there and not worry others would think. You need to be brave enough to try things even if other people think you are crazy. And Luck? Even with smarts and guts...
#909 Use AI for Your Home Page
September 28, 2023 10:24 - 11 minutes - 8.08 MBThis week I had a chance to chat with Jeanette Stein, a seasoned business coach who specializes in using AI and automation for business growth. She shared insights into how to harness AI while maintaining a personalized touch, overcome SEO concerns, and develop a distinct brand voice. As a writer, I am just a bit nervous about using AI for website copy but Jeanette emphasizes the importance of maintaining a human element while interacting with AI, guiding it with prompts to create tailored ...
#908 - Do You Have a Peer Group? You Should
September 26, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.31 MBIf you missed this conversation about collaboration with your peers with Jon Tsourakis, then you are in luck. You can listen to it now. When you collaborate with people you would, on the surface level think of as your competitors, it is amazing what happens. You will discover your business is healthier, your mental status healthier and the tips and tricks and strategies that you uncover can completely change how you operate your business. What about the fear of competitors stealing your ...
#907 Evaluate and Embrace New Technology
September 24, 2023 10:15 - 2 minutes - 2.07 MBHow do you decide which software tools and digital trends deserve attention and resources and which don’t? So how did I answer the question? Simple, our strategy is explore, evaluate and embrace. The first part of the strategy is staying ahead of the curve by reading, reading, reading. There’s no single expert in the field so I have several websites I check on a regular basis. When I find new software tools which pique my curiosity, I switch over to evaluation mode. I dive into by reading...
#906 Let AI Tell Your Story
September 21, 2023 10:12 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBIn this episode I have a chance to chat with Richard Rosser about the intersection of artificial intelligence and storytelling. Richard shares tips on how to use AI for brainstorming story ideas. He explains ChatGPT can generate concepts and case scenarios for various situations. Instead of spending hours sifting through search engine results, ChatGPT provides focused and organized information. He elaborates on the potential of AI to craft stories from prompts and how to use AI to refine ...
#905 I Love Evergreen Content
September 17, 2023 09:39 - 1 minute - 1.53 MBOne of the things I love about living in Indiana is the color the seasons. There are bright pastels in the spring and rich greens in the summer and bright oranges and yellows in the fall. The exception is winter. Those dreary days of winter seem colorless and bland compared to the vibrancy of the colors throughout the rest of the year. That's why I love evergreen trees. They bring spots of color all year long. And just as those wonderful trees bring consistent color to my yard. evergreen co...
#904 Navigating Growth Amid Economic Uncertainty
September 14, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 11 MBIn this episode, the spotlight is on the challenging decisions that small business owners face amidst economic uncertainties. Joining the conversation is Beate Chelette, the growth architect and founder of the Women's Code. Beate equips visionary leaders with strategies, blueprints, and growth maps to enhance business systems, strengthen leadership skills, and maximize profits. With her insights, she guides clients to amplify their impact and scale their businesses. Thriving Amidst Turbulen...
#903 Learn to Harness Chaos
September 12, 2023 10:01 - 13 minutes - 11.1 MBSome people think that chaos is a dirty word. But as my guest Robert Raymond Riopel suggests, a little bit of chaos in your life is a good thing. If you missed this conversation when it was first released in 2021, you definitely want to check it out now. He suggests that as as human beings, one of our primary functions is to evolve and chaos is actually what forces us to evolve. When you courageously volunteer for chaos, instead of allowing it to overwhelm you can takes steps to proactiv...
#902 A Different Perspective
September 10, 2023 10:01 - 1 minute - 1.18 MBIf you're getting ready to hire someone new or add a person to your advisory board it is easy to look for someone with whom you'll get along. That, however, might not be the best choice. What you often need is someone who can compliment your weaknesses and fill in the blanks in your skill set. Very often the person who does that is the Yin to your Yang. They're your opposite and so while they bring that fresh perspective and different skills they can also make you a little crazy because...
#901 The Key to Success is in the Implementation
September 07, 2023 09:59 - 11 minutes - 7.58 MBIf you are like most business owners you have lots of great ideas. As a matter of fact you have so many ideas it is hard to get any of them done. In this episode, Annelise Worn shares her insights on the importance of aligning business goals with one's desired lifestyle and values. Her approach involves reverse engineering an idea by starting with the vision of the business and life you aspire to lead. She emphasizes the significance of breaking down goals into three distinct time frames...
#900 Go to The Gym
September 03, 2023 09:19 - 1 minute - 1.31 MBEvery time I go to the gym I see people using weights that are clearly too heavy for them. There is pain in their faces as they struggle to lift the extra weight. They are risking injury every time they do that. My trainer always suggests I work with lighter weights which allows me to perfect the motion. I can do more repetitions and will build muscle as well as the people who struggle with the weights that are too big. There is a marketing lesson here. Instead of running one very big ca...
#899 Managing Good and Bad Stress
August 31, 2023 09:34 - 10 minutes - 7.6 MBIf you are like most business owners, right now you are stressing about something. You are probably thinking if you could only get rid of that stress everything would be better. But Allison Graham, suggests some of that stress is actually helpful. She discusses three categories of stress: empowering stress, destructive stress, and survival stress. Empowering stress is characterized by feeling energized, in a state of flow, and capable of tackling challenging tasks. It's the positive stre...
#898 Discover Productivity Hacks
August 29, 2023 09:48 - 10 minutes - 9.8 MBTracy Brinkman shared some great productivity hacks you can use to take control of the chaos in your day. Time Blocking: If you have a task, that is high priority make a date with yourself. Block out time as if is an important meeting, maybe an hour or so, and don’ let anyone cut into that time. Set Priorities Stop trying to accomplish 87 things each week. Pick a few top priority items and make sure they get done first. When you combine these two productivity hacks you end up working ...
#897 I Wrote a Book
August 27, 2023 10:06 - 2 minutes - 1.49 MBTwenty years ago I wrote a book called the Science of Marketing and and recently I decided to update the book. As I started editing, I realized most of the content is as accurate today as it was twenty years ago, Sure some of the examples are a bit out of date because I talked a lot about postcards and radio advertising which really isn't appropriate for small businesses anymore. However, the foundation and the thought process is still as relevant as it was twenty years ago. So if you ...
#896 Build Trust by Letting People See the Real You
August 24, 2023 10:27 - 10 minutes - 10 MBMost of the time marketing planning consists of thinking about what are you going to do. My guest Derek Johnson suggests that maybe you need to be focused on the "who" of marketing. This involves creating content to build a personal brand and show the human side of business. People often prioritize the technical aspects of marketing, such as techniques, tech work, and funnels, while neglecting the human aspect that builds trust. Sharing personal stories and daily routines on platforms lik...
#895 Don’t Write Bad Blog Posts
August 20, 2023 10:07 - 1 minute - 1.63 MBWe routinely tell business owners that great blog posts are an important part of their sales, marketing and SEO strategy. With so much riding on each and every blog post, it’s tempting to push the sales element really hard. But that is exactly the opposite of what you should do. The hard sell is one sure way to turn off prospective customers. Think about the late night television commercials that scream at you at 3 am. Instead of making me want to learn more about their incredible claims to...
#894The Strategy of Good Web Design
August 17, 2023 10:53 - 10 minutes - 8.96 MBGreat websites don't happen by accident. Sierra Janisse believes every decision you make on your website from what images you use to the words you write , the pages you create and all the call to action buttons starts with answering one basic question. What do you want your ideal clients to do when they come to your website. What is your primary call to action for your visitors. About Sierra Sierra Janisse of Sierra Lin Design is a Certified Master Marketer, Kajabi Web and Funnel Desi...
#893 The Human Factor
August 15, 2023 10:32 - 11 minutes - 9.8 MBThese days, it seems like everybody's talking about robots. It's easy to get swept up by trends like Google algorithm changes and AI generated content. But, guest Rai Hyde Cornell says those things are secondary to the most important factor in your marketing - the human beings Too often, we think about the system or platform first. We wonder if we should jump into Threads or buy Google ads, but those decisions come after you decide who you are talking to. About Rai Rai Hyde Cornell has ...
#892 Convey Meaning with an Image
August 13, 2023 09:17 - 1 minute - 2.08 MBTraveling through Central Europe I was in three different countries, with three different currencies and three different languages. I don't speak Czech, German or Hungarian, but managed to navigate bus, train and boat transportation with ease. How? Almost everywhere we went the directional signs included simple icons which conveyed their meaning at a glance. As I sipped my espresso in a sidewalk café I thought about how this same strategy of simple meaningful graphics applies to any busines...
#891 What to Do With Your Book After It is Published.
August 10, 2023 10:05 - 10 minutes - 8.86 MBYou always wanted to write book. Now you've done. It is published and you can just sit back, right? Nope! Nancy Erickson says there is so much more you can do with the content of your book to expand your authority and credibility even further. For example, if you have written the book correctly each chapter can stand on its own as a topic for a keynote, workshop or online course.
#890 What Type of Networking Animal Are You?
August 08, 2023 10:03 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBDid you miss this conversation with Rochelle Groh about networking animals? She suggests the next time you go to a networking event, look for the four types of networking animals. The shark, who is ready to take a bite out of every conversation The penguin who typically gravitates to the same people at every event The bee who knows everyone in the room The lone wolf who prefers longer, more one on one conversations. About Rochelle Groh Rochelle is the Co-Founder of Cutclass and th...
#889 Do you Know What a Customer is Really Worth?
August 06, 2023 08:56 - 1 minute - 1.33 MBOne of the critical elements of building a marketing budget is understanding what a customer is worth. Why? Because you can't decide how much to spend to acquire that customer if you don't really know the value of that customer. Too often business owners make the mistake of looking at what the customer is spending today and see that is the only value of the customer. But, if you're in a business where customers come back time and time again, you need to look at the total picture to determ...
#888 The Future of Content Marketing
August 03, 2023 09:22 - 10 minutes - 9.4 MBContent marketing has been around for a really long time. And it is probably going to be around for a lot longer. But as new tools arise, many people wonder what the future of content marketing going to be like. Professional writer and a humorist, Erik Deckers joined me to share his thoughts on that topic. He explained content marketing has be around a lot longer than most of us imagine. Archeologists have recovered Papyrus and carvings showing things for sale. While content marketing ...
#887 Improve Your Closing Rate
August 01, 2023 09:11 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBOne of the most important numbers in your business is your closing rate. The simple metrics tells you how well you are performing when face to face with a potential customer. The better your closing rate is the better your business. Guest Bruce Scheer shares some of the mistakes companies make as they try to improve their closing rate: Jumping immediately to price changes .While that may work in the short term it will hurt in the long term as you race competitors to the bottom of the mar...
#886 I am my Brand
July 30, 2023 09:41 - 1 minute - 1.54 MBLike many business owners I defined myself as the founder of my company, Roundpeg. Lorraine Ball and Roundpeg were intricately linked. The fact that the business was originally an outgrowth of my personality got lost along the way. I became an outgrowth of the business. That was fine for 20 years until I sold Roundpeg. Suddenly that cornerstone of my brand was gone. So I've spent the last two years realigning, adjusting and figuring out who I am and what my brand is. The funny thing is ...
#885 Simple Tricks to Improve Your Public Speaking
July 27, 2023 07:18 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBIf you've been listening to More than a Few Words for any length of time you know I was born talking. Standing in front of a group of people or facing a microphone is not uncomfortable for me. But it is for many people. Public speaking anxiety is a crippler for some people and can get in the way of careers and businesses. Guest Rebecca Jabbar says the key to getting comfortable is to personalize the message with two very simply pieces of information explaining why you care about a particu...
#884 Google Can’t Read
July 26, 2023 07:17 - 10 minutes - 9.54 MBFrom our archive is a terrific conversation with Kyle Roof about SEO. In it he addressed some common misperceptions about Google. For example, many people think Google reads a web page as a human would. Google is not able to do that, it isn't pulling meaning from your content. It is an algorithm looking at your content not from an editorial quality perspective, but a mathematical one looking to see if you check off the boxes in the formula. About Kyle Roof Kyle is responsible fo...
#883 Maybe You Should Buy a Business
July 25, 2023 09:50 - 10 minutes - 9.69 MBAs business owners try to grow their business they assume they have to do it organically. The problem with the organic approach is you have to be patient. It takes time for the business to mature and grow. But that is not the only way to grow. Your path to success might include merging with another company or acquiring a business. Deb Curtis, an expert in SBA-Supported Business Acquisition Loans & Smooth Ownership Transitions shares a few tips and things to consider before you jump int...
#882 Improve Your Listening Skills
July 23, 2023 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.88 MBI had the strangest phone call the other day. It was from someone I have known for a long time. I wouldn't call us friends, but our paths have crossed multiple times over the years so we are acquainted. We chatted for a few minutes. He told me he had moved to Florida. I mentioned I sold my company and I am enjoying the slower pace. He barely acknowledged what I said and proceeded to launch into a pitch on his new venture. Unfortunately, I have no interest since, as I told him, I sold my a...
#881 Hop Into the Mailbox
July 20, 2023 10:45 - 10 minutes - 9.37 MBWhen I started my agency in 2002, clients and friends called me the Postcard Queen. I was working with small businesses and postcards were a wonderful way to get noticed. Then along came email marketing and social media. Direct mail seemed cumbersome and old fashioned in comparison. Travis Lee suggests as everyone has rushed towards digital it is no longer the bargain it once was. With auction style bidding for advertising the cost of click has increased dramatically, while the return ha...
#880 Stop Spiraling Toward Burnout
July 19, 2023 10:44 - 10 minutes - 9.74 MBThere is a cycle business owners get trapped in as they start to spiral toward burnout. Coach Linsi Brownson says the first thing you need to do is recognize, you’re not doing anything wrong. This is just a phase in your business. This is actually a really great moment to step back and realign the business, by going back to the drawing board and looking at three things: yourself, your business position and your operations. LOOK AT YOURSELF Take time to understand your energy capacity W...