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
#730 What Makes You Remarkable
June 07, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 9.91 MBWhy should I buy from you? That's the question we have to answer if we want to grow our business. My guest, Rich Brooks thinks the answer needs to be remarkable. And he has developed a formula to help business owners find makes them remarkable. It starts with the four "F's" - find, focus, fashion and frame. About Rich Rich Brooks is founder and president of flyte new media, a digital agency in Portland, Maine, that’s been in business for over 24 years. He is a nationally recognized s...
#729 Buying Journey
June 05, 2022 13:59 - 2 minutes - 2.25 MBLet's go on a buying journey. Think about the last item that you bought, where you spent more than $100. Maybe it was something for your business or home. Write down the item you bought and work backwards through your buying journey. Describe why you chose that particular product. Did you see an ad? Did someone recommended it? Was there information on social media which made you curious? Write down all of the things you remember related to that purchase. For example, we recently installed n...
#728 Follow Your Passion and Make Money Along the Way
June 02, 2022 10:02 - 12 minutes - 11 MBIf you're like a lot of people you may be under the misconception that you have to make a choice between doing what you really love or making money but that doesn't have to be the case. Guest Joel Salomon doesn't believe you should have to make that choice. It starts with transforming limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs and creating affirmations to shift your mindset. Use present tense, not future tense language. Saying the affirmations out loud to start your day. You don't have t...
#727 Build Your Super Toolkit
May 31, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 8.29 MBDo you have a super toolkit for your business? Also called standard operating procedures (SOPs), when created correctly give business owners freedom to work on their business. This week, our guest Kris Ward explains that many business owners make the mistake of creating static SOP's to cover liability. The narrow definition and inflexible design will actually hold you back. A super toolkit will grow and change along as the business grows and changes. About Kris Ward Kris Ward is an a...
#726 Three Truths of Marketing
May 29, 2022 10:16 - 1 minute - 1.71 MBWhen it comes to marketing, there are 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 marketing that is authentic and unique to your brand, your business and to you. And so if you want to be s...
#725 Morning Routine
May 24, 2022 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBIf every morning is an adventure and you're not quite what you should do first, Ryan Cote suggests you begin your day with a morning routine. Interestingly, one thing many highly successful people do is start the day off with a morning routine. In this conversation, Ryan shares his morning routine, and things you can do to build a habit of investing in yourself.
#724 Do You Always Have This Effect on Women?
May 22, 2022 22:20 - 4 minutes - 4.98 MBThis is a marketing story about personal branding that took place about 30 years ago, I had just started working for Lennox industries. At that time, Lennox Industries was a male oriented business. With men in all the senior roles, this company was trying to change their boys club image. It was also, surprisingly a personal, family run, $750 million business. It was a personal family business. Three weeks into my job, we had a party for one of the men on our team. He'd been there for 20 yea...
#723 Full Circle Marketing
May 19, 2022 10:01 - 12 minutes - 9.09 MBMany business owners think closing the sale is the end of customer journey. Guest Wayne Mullins doesn't agree. He sees the act of attracting the customer as only half the process. The other half should be focused on keeping the customer engaged so they become an evangelist for our product. As a salesperson he discovered when he nurtured those relationships, checking in after the sale the customers would be more likely to tell friends, family members and coworkers about the product or t...
#722 Influence Marketing
May 16, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 10.8 MBWe make buying decisions because we've been influenced by someone or something. Many companies are trying to cash in on this trend, hiring influencers to promote their brand. But our guest Jason Falls focusing on the influencer is not the right strategy. When you focus on the personalities there is really no substance to it. If however, you the "r" off and focus on what you're trying to achieve, which is persuade an audience to take action now you are likely to have much better results. ...
#721 How To Find The Best Solution
May 15, 2022 10:00 - 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...
#720 Evergreen Content for Lawyers and Everyone Else
May 12, 2022 10:59 - 10 minutes - 9.88 MBGreat content helps small business owners build trust and compete with businesses significantly larger, by establishing authority and credibility. Guest John Hinson explains it is a cost effective strategy saving you potentially thousands of dollars every month because you are driving traffic without paid search. In the legal field, like many industries there are great evergreen topics. Information every customer and prospect needs. Content that answers those typical questions has along ...
#719 Find Your Story
May 10, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 8.83 MBThe stories that we tell ourselves really are our most important stories. Our guest, Bridget Cook-Burch shared her thoughts on stories and how stories drive our destiny. It is less about what is really happening and more about how we frame the situation. There are stories of opportunities and stories of limitations. As entrepreneurs we got to capture the beautiful stories and learn to reframe others so we actually write a new chapter of where we're headed in our lives so that we are ulti...
#718 Burn the Boat
May 08, 2022 10:01 - 1 minute - 2.17 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 busin...
#717 Grow Your Network with a Podcast
May 03, 2022 10:01 - 10 minutes - 9.36 MBIf you're a business owner, you are probably always looking for ways to widen your circle and networking is certainly a great way to do just that. In this conversation with Ryan Hansen, we talked about a slightly different approach to networking. Often called a professional extrovert he loves talking to people about their business ideas and then helping them act on it. So it was a natural fit to start a podcast as a way to open the door to interesting conversations, with people he was hop...
#716 Find the Yin to Your Yang
May 01, 2022 10:00 - 4 minutes - 2.67 MBI love running my own business, getting to do things “my way” … most of the time. But I learned that to be successful, I need to also listen to the opinions of others. Who are these “others?” They are people who compliment my weaknesses and have skills to fill my blind spots. They are the Yang to my Yin. What Is Yin-Yang? With roots dating back to China in 1300 BCE, Yin-yang refers to a concept where opposite forces are seen as interconnected and counterbalancing. Together the two halves m...
#715 Simple Steps to Grow A Mastermind Group
April 28, 2022 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBIf you're a coach you can earn a living one conversation at a time. But if you really want to maximize your revenue opportunities. You need to consider group coaching Where do you start? Our guest Chris Williams says it boils down to four simple steps Start organically. Don't worry about advertising till you really understand your audience Start measuring predictability. If you don't have a way to predictably generate on-profile leads you don't have a business. you're just getting lucky...
#714 Six Figure Freelancer
April 26, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 8.91 MBAll too often people think the word freelancer is synonymous for broke. But according to my guest, Kate Bagoy, that's not true. You can make money and live the life you want as a freelancer. Right now is a great time for freelancers as we've moved to a more remote work culture. More are outsourcing and opportunities for freelancers growing faster than ever. Making this shift from freelancer to building a business is a shift in mindset. Freelancers who struggle tend to do so because they'...
#713 Transform Business Cards Into Contacts
April 24, 2022 10:01 - 1 minute - 1.72 MBWhen you come home from a networking event with a stack of business cards, you either have something incredibly valuable, or a pile of garbage. What makes the difference? It's not the cards themselves, but what you do with them. Do you take the time to sort them and pull out those handful of people who you really need to follow up with? Do you track those conversations over time, so that periodically when things get a little slow in your business, you go to your contact list and start makin...
#712 Networking Animals
April 21, 2022 10:51 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBThe next time you go to a networking event, guest Rochelle Groh suggests you should 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 the host of the Allergic to Small Talk podcast. Roc...
#711 Managing Through Chaos
April 19, 2022 10:25 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBThese days the world feels more than just a little crazy. As you are processing all the crazy in the outside world you have a business to run. So how do you balance the conflicting emotions and keep your business moving forward? Guest, Debra Sunderland stresses that a business is only going to go as far as the leader goes. That's not to put pressure on you, but to remind you that the first step is preparing and taking care of yourself every day. Typically leaders are focused on achiev...
#710 Strategic Relationships
April 17, 2022 10:04 - 50 seconds - 1.03 MBGreat strategic relationships are what make your word of mouth marketing work. These partners have complementary businesses to yours. Serving similar customers they are likely to bump into people who will need your services and you are likely to find opportunities for them. So stop walking into networking events looking for your next sale. Instead, seek out people who can be a gateway not to one customer, but to 100 customers.
#709 Sell the Transformation
April 14, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.32 MBIf you're looking for different results tomorrow than you had yesterday you need to make changes. Sometimes it is a small change, but often it is a significant transformation in your business or in your life. But how do you make those transformative changes? And more importantly, as you work with clients, what is the transformation you will make for them? Lorraine explored the topic of Transformation with Joe Matz a serial entrepreneur who has owned businesses in Italy, Brazil and the ...
#708 Create Content that Converts
April 12, 2022 10:13 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBSo you've been creating content for awhile. You've got blog posts, images and videos. You share it on social media and place it on your website, but that isn't enough, because you aren't creating content for fun. The goal is to generate leads and maybe sales. In this episode, Dani Hao and I discuss how to create marketing content that actually converts. She suggests creating content specifically targeted at each stage in the buyer journey. That content should drive visitors to a specific ...
#707 Conference Social Media
April 10, 2022 10:36 - 1 minute - 1.7 MBThinking about hosting a conference and wondering about which social media platforms will serve you best. While you should probably have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, each of those platforms is going to play a role at different stages. For example, in the lead up to the conference, you're probably going to get your best results promoting the event on LinkedIn. This is where businesses come to talk about business. During the conference. However, you may want to swi...
#706 Your Personal Brand
April 07, 2022 10:08 - 12 minutes - 9.26 MBDo you have a personal brand? Do you even know what that is and why you need one? My guest Ian Moyse explains that while the term "personal brand" sounds illustrious, something for celebrities and influencers, everyone has a personal brand. Your personal brand is the perception others have of you. What they think of you and what they say of you when you're not in the room. These days with social media, it is easier than ever for people to learn about you, good and bad from your digital p...
#705 Automate Your Processes to Grow
April 05, 2022 10:04 - 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. A...
#704 The Great Retention
April 03, 2022 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.55 MBIn the age of the great resignation, business owners of all size companies are struggling with employee turnover. The pandemic had accelerated the resignations, but if you have employees, sooner or later you will need to address employee turnover. It is a natural part of owning a business. People will come and go for a variety of reasons. In some cases, there are things you can’t control (a spouse is transferred out of state or the employee is recruited by a firm that will pay 1-1/2 times w...
#703 SEO in 2022 - It is all about content
March 31, 2022 10:22 - 10 minutes - 10.1 MBIt would be great if the rules of SEO would remain constant. Unfortunately, SEO like most of your digital marketing is constantly evolving, as the technology evolves. In this episode, Ryan Morgan, founder of the digital consultancy swell, Digital and an SEO training program called The SEO Cohort talks about the latest SEO trends. These days, search doesn't begin with keywords. It starts with a question. Ryan believes the companies that will come out on top are the ones with websites tha...
#702 Build Lasting Habits
March 29, 2022 12:59 - 11 minutes - 10.7 MBIf you're like me, you've started lots of things that you hoped would become habits. You run at them full bore for a little while and then you lose steam. That start and stop is natural, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode, Wendy Harris shares tips to make your new habits a permanent part of your routine. The first step is to start with one thing. Making too many changes at once is overwhelming and not sustainable, so start with one new behavior and do it every day. . Podcast ...
#701 Create Less Content
March 27, 2022 10:00 - 1 minute - 1.66 MBWhen it comes to content creation, more is not always better. I've been blogging since 2008. And I have a library filled with thousands of blog posts which I wrote as resources for for clients and prospects and because Google loves fresh content. Unfortunately, only a fraction of those posts drive much traffic. It is exhausting to churn out three to five posts a week, only to have them sink into oblivion, buried under a sea of new posts. So, a few years ago, I switched my approach to blogg...
#700 Conversations
March 24, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 10.6 MBIf you could have a conversation with anyone, who would you choose?” Almost everyone has a first choice and maybe a second, but who has hundreds of choices? As the host of More than a Few Words , Lorraine Ball has enjoyed the opportunity to talk with marketing and small business professionals from around the world for more than 13 years. You might think we would run out of things to talk about, but living in a digital world there is always something new. So today, in celebration of those 7...
#699 Presentations Made Simple
March 22, 2022 10:03 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBNo matter what your job is, sales expert, business owner or manager working your way up the corporate ladder, you're going to have to sell your ideas. The prospect can be a little scary but it doesn't have to be according to our guest Patrick Donadio. He shares some simple tips like opening with a hook instead of an introduction. You can open with a question or a compelling statistic that catches their attention. Then you have earned the right to tell them who you are. Engage the audie...
#698 Marketing Wallpaper
March 20, 2022 10:27 - 1 minute - 1.31 MBHave you let your brand become marketing wallpaper. You've said the same things over and over and over again to build consistency which is great but you've said it so much people no longer hear it. If that's happened to you and your message has become so bland that it's forgettable. You need to bring your brand to the forefront again with subtle changes. Maybe it is pulling forward a new color in your visuals, or adjusting your standard wording to focus on one specific element of your m...
#697 Your Message Matters
March 17, 2022 10:35 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBIf you have something to say, you may be frustrated as you try to get that message out to the right people. Our guest, Jonathan Milligan shares some tips on how you can rise above the noise so prospective customers hear what you have to say. Often what prevents people from hearing your message, or taking time to figure out if they want to buy from you is the fact that they may not believe they can use your product or service. If you want to get heard, and sell more, you need to start by a...
#696 Use Data to Drive Content
March 15, 2022 10:00 - 10 minutes - 9.92 MBAccording to our guest, Ryan Sullivan, modern day marketers understand that the buying journey is not linear. so the content on your website should speak to every aspect of the buying journey. This creates a strong network effect on your website as you align your content with the search behavior of your target audiences. It is important to remember what people say, and what they actually do are not the same. That’s why it is important to have data tools which monitor actual search behavior...
#695 You Can Not Be All Things to All People
March 13, 2022 09:31 - 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...
#694 Change Your Sales Process with Four Little Words
March 08, 2022 11:10 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBAccording to our guest Merit Kahn, it is one thing to be really well versed in what you're going to say to a prospect and how you're going to go through your sales process but you need to engage the prospect. If you are having your best presentation ever, but the person that you're talking to is not open to hearing new ideas it won't matter how great your solution is the conversation isn't going to end well. She suggests you begin any conversation by confirming your audience was open to r...
#693 Don’t Drive Looking in the Rear View Mirror
March 06, 2022 11:08 - 1 minute - 2.06 MBIt isn’t practical to drive looking only in the rear view mirror. Even if you think you know what is in front of you, sooner or later you will run into something you didn’t expect. When you run your business simply by reviewing your bottom line, you are driving using your rear view mirror. Why? Because the monthly revenue number is a lagging indicator, telling you how well you have done. There is no preview of the months to come. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is important to look at your P...
#692 Ideas are Free
March 03, 2022 14:11 - 11 minutes - 10 MBWhat is the difference between an thought and an idea. It is not just semantics according to my guest Bruno Pesec. A thought is something fleeting. It becomes an idea when you write it down and start formulating a process to bring it to life. Ideas are free, but the time and resources required to bring them to life are not. So before you pull the trigger on that idea you need to think about the value of the idea. Who will it serve, how does it fit into your business and what will i...
#691 Batteries Not Included
February 27, 2022 11:00 - 2 minutes - 2.33 MBHas this happened at your house? It is Christmas morning and after your child gleefully tears open a present, finding their much anticipated toy inside, they are disappointed because the batteries were not included. What usually ensues is a mad dash around the house as everyone searches for the right battery, followed by a trip to the store which may or may not be open on Christmas morning. Regardless of how the battery is ultimately found, the chaos and the time between opening the box an...
#690 Embrace the Chaos
February 24, 2022 11:15 - 13 minutes - 11 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. 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 proactively change and improve your situation. About Robert Raymond Riopel An international Best-Selling author,...
#689 The Non -Fiction Brand
February 22, 2022 11:01 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBWhat is a non-fiction brand? It is a brand that is true and authentic in its reflection of a company. To build your non-fiction brand, my guest DP Knudten you need to start with a hard look in the mirror. As a business owner you need to go beyond the surface to discover exactly who you are, what you do, and how you do it. Those three things right there which comprise your brand proposition are absolutely fundamental because that's what makes you different than someone who does the exact ...
#688 Sales Questions
February 20, 2022 11:01 - 2 minutes - 2.43 MBThe more you know about a prospect, the easier it is to sell. Asking questions is a great way to learn what you need to know and avoid wasting time talking about your product or solution if you don't know if you are talking to the right person . So, what should you be asking? Of course, there are the basic question which kick off the conversation. Why did you call me? What are you hoping we can do? What kind of time frame are you looking for? Why now? This is my favorite question because it...
#687 Life Beyond Social Media
February 17, 2022 11:01 - 12 minutes - 10.7 MBIf you are like me, you probably spend a lot of time on social Media. While these tools are helpful, are they the best resource for your business. My guest, Megan Brame has eliminated both her Facebook and Instagram profiles. How is she generating leads? By going back to basics, relying on word of mouth, phone calls and email. Megan Brame is a 5x award-winning entrepreneur, author, and Advanced Digital Marketing Strategist. She helps entrepreneurs develop value-based marketing initia...
#686 Tools and Tips to Manage Digital Productivity
February 15, 2022 20:05 - 11 minutes - 10 MBLike many business owners I made the transition from paper to digital tools a few years ago, but some days it feels as if I am juggling too many digital tools. So my goal for this year is to streamline my digital toolkit and make those tools really productive. To help me do that I turned to Dr. Frank Buck, author of Get Organized Digitally for a few productivity tips and tricks. He suggests: It is time to get rid of the sticky notes and paper tasks lists and get yourself a good digital...
#685 It Takes More to Get High
February 13, 2022 11:01 - 2 minutes - 2.68 MBMarketing is addicting. You do a little marketing, you get results, you do a little more and suddenly you’re hooked. You can’t imagine your business surviving without the jolt from your social media, Yellow Page ad, email marketing or whatever you use to get your marketing buzz. Your addiction isn’t necessarily a bad thing if the marketing activities are generating results. Just remember that when experimenting with any addictive substance, there is a danger of abuse. So how do you manage y...
#684 Sell More with Good Design
February 10, 2022 11:19 - 11 minutes - 15.3 MBLots of people make the mistake of thinking good design is just a pretty picture. But, as our guest Jacqui Naunton explains, it is so much more that that. And when done correctly can have an enormously positive impact on your business. It starts with a good first impression because people are inundated with images every day and so you only have a split second to make a statement or create an impression, getting people to stop long enough to learn more. You need to be confident about you...
#683 Make Visitors Feel Welcome
February 08, 2022 11:30 - 10 minutes - 9.9 MBHave you ever been to a website that just makes you feel right at home? Everything is where it's supposed to be. And you know, you've come to the right place. That's a website that's was designed with the user experience in mind. What is user experience? According to our guest Joey Donovan Guido user experience is the positive, negative, or neutral experience somebody has when they show up on your website. This is important, because when somebody arrives, and they feel comfortable, know w...
#682 Ahead of the Pack
February 06, 2022 11:06 - 1 minute - 2.19 MBOne of the things I love about living n Indianapolis is the activity at the racetrack. Yes, it is true, I am a race geek. I love the cars, the drivers, the back story and the history. I have a favorite spot high in turn one for qualifications, and there is nothing quite like the feeling when you hear the call for , "ladies and gentleman start your engines!" Watching the car and motorcycle races throughout the year one thing is obvious: winning teams can't sit on their laurels. If Team P...
#681 Is a Franchise Right For You?
February 03, 2022 11:09 - 10 minutes - 8.05 MBSo you want to start a business but you really don't have an idea of what you want to do. In that case, a franchise might be just what you're looking. Our guest, Diane Pleuss has matched hundreds of entrepreneurs with their perfect fit franchise opportunity. Franchising is often a good fit, when seasoned professionals think about leaving their corporate roles behind. Maybe they have been downsized, or maybe they just want a change. They have skills and resources and are looking for a f...