Sales for Nerds

S4N 094 Meridith Grundei on Effective Speaking

A lot of people hate public speaking. But whether you're officially a "speaker", or just someone who needs to talk to a "Zoom room" now and again, speaking effectively is critical to your business. Speaking coach Meridith Grundei shares how she went from shy kid who didn't want to answer questions in class to helping others overcome their fears of speaking, and how you can communicate more effectively.

S4N 093: Alistair McDermott on becoming a Recognized Authority

Alistair McDermott sits down with some whiskey to talk about becoming the Recognized Authority in your consulting niche. This leads to easier marketing and sales and less wasted time and effort. Alistair shares his 5 step process for niching down and becoming that Recognized Authority. (An approach that dovetails nicely with the Mission & Positioning screen in Mimiran CRM.

S4N 092 Reuben Swartz on the 2 Step Sales Process for Consultants

It's easy to make sales overly complicated. (I've been guilty of that many times.) So here's the simple, 2-step sales process for consultants that doesn't require fancy sales skills or any of the hard selling at all. You can implement it when you're busy with clients or don't have any client work. And it's fun, sustainable, and effective (Naturally, Mimiran, the fun CRM for solo consultants, makes this all easy.)

S4N 091 Rachel Nigro on treating your Body Well for Optimal Performance

To perform at our best, we need to fuel and nourish our bodies properly. But most fitness advice has everything backwards. In this episode, learn how personal fitness coach Rachel Nigro flips the conventional wisdom on its head, so you can feel better, look better, and perform better, without crash diets and/or self-loathing.  

S4N 090 Erica Holthausen on turning expertise into authority by publishing articles

While publishing a book is a great way for experts to gain (and broadcast) authority, you don't need to write a whole book to benefit from publishing. Erica Holthausen shares how you can get published in magazines and journals to boost your profile and attract ideal clients. Brought to you by Mimiran, the fun, "anti-CRM" for independent consultants who love serving clients, but hate selling (with follow-up features that help you implement Erica's strategies, and lead magnets to help you tu...

S4N 089 Rochelle Moulton on not avoiding conversations as you build your authority

Rochelle Moulton has made a career within a career of helping introverted consultants become effective sales people. She has done this with Arthur Anderson (back in the day) and now helps other solo consultants grow their practices without working more. This comes from growing authority, so more people seek you out. Unfortunately, some people try to build their authority to avoid talking to people, but having conversations is the best way to get clientsa and build your authority. In this...

S4N 088 Bridget Hom on hiring and firing the right mental team

"As entrepreneurs we're typically in relationship with our thoughts about people, versus people themselves", says Bridget Hom, mindset coach and author of Stuck on Ready. In this episode, Bridget discusses how to hire (and fire) the right mental team inside our own head, so we can have real relationships with people outside our heads, and move our business (and life) forward.   Find Bridget at https://www.bridgetofreedomcoaching.com/ or connect with her on LinkedIn. Listen to more epis...

S4N 087 Kevin Whelan on Selling Your Expertise, Not Your Time

If you want to make more money with less stress as a consultant, it helps to move from implementor to advisor. Philosophy major and accidental "consultant to consultants" Kevin Whelan steps through his journey from building inexpensive websites to advising firms on their digital marketing projects, to advising other marketing agencies on moving up the value chain. Don't miss it. Brought to you by Mimiran, the fun, "anti-CRM" for independent consultants, helping you create and nurture r...

S4N 086 Richard White on Taking Good Notes

Taking good notes is essential for effective meetings, but most of us never learn how to do it well. In this episode, Richard White, founder and CEO of Fathom.video, a Zoom note-taking tool, explains how challenges with note-taking at his previous company led him to create this solution. Reuben wanted to do this episode because he uses Fathom every day (see the show notes for a view of Reuben's custom bookmarks). Get your free Fathom account. And of course, Fathom pairs nicely with M...

S4N 085 Tom Jackobs on Storytelling for Sales

Learn how Tom Jackobs went from almost going broke because he didn't know how to sell to hitting a 90% close rate by selling through stories. Tom's storytelling approach is authentic and doesn't require fancy sales techniques, just being attuned to the prospect and caring about their success.

S4N 084 Steve Buzogany on Client Appreciation

How do you show appreciation for your best clients and partners? In this episode, Steve Buzogany from The Appreciation Advocate discusses how to turned around his real estate sales career and turned his gift for gifting into a whole new business, and how you can apply those same techniques to build deeper relationships, get more referrals, and better clients. Find Steve at AppreciationAdvocate.com. For a system to track referrals, and the business you get from them, plus lead magnets, ...

S4N 083 Wayne Mullins on Full Circle Marketing that gets Results

Wayne Mullins, founder of Ugly Mug Marketing and author of Full Circle Marketing: Tranform Your Marketing & Turn Customers Into Evangelists stops by Sales for Nerds to help you focus marketing on what gets results, not what's prettiest or shiniest. Learn how he grew a landscaping business with donuts (and other marketing tricks), why sales and marketing have to work together, how to get more referrals, and more. Brought to you by Mimiran, the fun, "anti-CRM" for independent consultants w...

S4N 082 Jay Kingley on Optimizing Referrability

In this episode, former management consultant turned referrability expert Jay Kingley explains why he doesn't like referrals (seriously), and how to get the right kind of referrals. Jay shares how he became the partner with the best sales results, despite hating sales and the usual client entertainment song and dance. Plus, learn why 98% of people have the wrong format for their elevator pitch, and what to do instead. Sales for Nerds-- see show notes for all episodes. Track referrals...

S4N 081 Michael Roderick on getting people to talk about you when you're not in the room

You don't want "word-of-mouth", you want to put words in people's mouths, so they say the right things about you when you're not around. Michael Roderick shares how he went from high school english teacher to Broadway producer in 2 years, by getting people to say (good) things about him when he wasn't in the room. Michael shares his A.I.M. principles for referrability and how the L.E.S.S. pneumonic helps you be more memorable.  

S4N 080 Franklin Taggart on building a creative business that you love

If you feel stuck at a job, or even in your own business, wondering why you don't have the passion for it anymore, Franklin Taggart, host of the "Your Own Best Company" podcast, can help you find the right path to create a business (and life) that's engaging and fulfilling (and profitable). More info and full show notes at www.salesfornerds.io. Want a system to help you create and nurture business relationships and have fun doing it? Check out www.mimiran.com, the fun, "anti-CRM" for ind...

S4N 079 Mark Firth on YouTube Video Marketing

Join guest Mark Firth as he shares his journey in digital marketing (and around the globe, from London to Bogota to Florida), and how he realized that posting on social media didn't give long last results. But YouTube's algorithm is different, and can help you connect with an audience. Find out more at www.salesfornerds.io. And check out Mimiran, the fun, anti-CRM for independent consultants at www.mimiran.com. 

S4N 078 Michael Buzinksi on Doubling your Revenue with the Rule of 26

Doubling your revenue seems like a big task, but in this episode, Michael Buzinksi, author of The Rule of 26, shows you how you can improve 3 key metrics by 26%, to double your business. He also discusses the order to address the different metrics, and how to handle common problems. Of course, this advice pairs well with Mimiran CRM for independent consultants. Get the show notes and other links at SalesForNerds.io.  

S4N 077: Jonathan Stark on how to ditch hourly billing

Hourly billing is the industry standard, but it creates perverse incentives for consultant and client. Jonathan Stark is a former software developer turned consultant, and host of the Ditching Hourly podcast. He shares his journey from realizing how hourly billing was hurting his firm to making more money with better clients and more success with value-based fees. He covers how to get more money upfront, how to set the prospect's mind at ease, even at higher price points, and much more. ...

S4N 076 Corrie Loguidice on starting a consulting business

Corrie Loguidice was set to inherit the family business, but a series of traumatic events led her to change course and strike out on her own. Applying the lessons she had learned as an art major (you read that right) and a marketer, she built her own consulting practice and now helps other professionals leave the corporate world to start their own consulting businesses. Learn how to do this the right way, straight from Corrie.

S4N 075 Julie Brown on how to network the right way.

Julie Brown lauched never thought of herself as a master networker or professional speaker, but when someone asked her to give a talk on networking and the room was packed and people in the audience asked her to come talk to their firms, she knew she was on to something. In addition to being a captivating speaker, Julie puts in the "work" to build the "network". Learn how you can do that the right way, the authentic way, without feeling slimy or overwhelmed, and having fun the whole time.

S4N 074 Cynthia Zhai on using your voice effectively

We communicate not just with words but with tone and body language. Voice coach Cynthia Zhai discusses how we can communicate confidently by being intentional about voice. We can't all sound like Morgan Freeman, but we can improve how we talk to be more effective.

S4N 073 Ashley DePaulis teaches you to be nicer to your body

As business owners, we spend a lot of time trying to make our minds more productive, often without considering that our minds are connected to our bodies. If we don't take care of our bodies, we miss out on joy and productivity, and we load up on stress. Ashley DePaulis, who helps large organizations prevent burnout and turnover, is here to give you tips that will make not just your business, but your life better.

S4N 072 Rick Terrien on starting a business at any age

If you read the business news, you might think that you have to start a business by dropping out of college, or you're too late. But Rick Terrien, who did start a successful business while in college, and now runs the Center for Ageless Entrepreneurs, shows you that it's never too late, and that you should be planning to start a business in your later years.

S4N 071 Melisa Liberman on going from employee mindset to business owner mindset

Melisa Liberman loved working at a big consulting firm. But life had other plans and she ended up an independent consultant. She talks about how she struggled with the mindset shift from employee to business owner, and how you can make the leap much faster and with les stress.

S4N 070 Liz Steblay on starting your solo consulting business

Liz Steblay details her journey from working mom at a Big 4 consulting firm, struggling to juggle everything, to becoming a successful independent consultant, and founding an organization to help others make the leap. Learn what she learned about managing money, finding clients, and staying sane.

S4N 069 Will Russell on Getting Clients as an Introvert

Will Russell never set out to start a marketing agency, and as an introvert he wasn't excited about sales and marketing. But he knew his strengths and weaknesses, and created a spreadsheet to track his activities and their results. Almost everything he tried failed. But one tactic worked very well. Learn what he did and whether it will work for you.

S4N 068 Reuben Swartz on Strategic Planning

Have you started (or finished?) business and life planning for 2022? Here are some thoughts on how to plan (and execute) effectively.

S4N 067 Shaily Hakimian on Being Unforgettable

Can people tell how awesome you are from your website? Your social media profile? If not, why not? Social Media Sherpa Shaily Hakimian is here to help you be unforgettable and let people know how awesome you are.

S4N 066 Sarah Elkins on how to tell your own story

Your stories don't define you-- how you tell them will. That's the title of Sarah Elkins' podcast and book, and the driving philosophy behind her communications consulting business. Learn how the stories you tell yourself and others can hold you back, and what to do about it.

S4N 065 David Newman on Marketing for Consulting

S4N 064 Michelle Tillis Lederman on forging authentic connections

As a "recovering CPA", Michelle Tillis Lederman never imagined becoming an author and expert on human connections. But you can benefit from her journey and learn how to forge authentic connections that will make your journey faster, easier, and better, and also more fun. 

S4N 063 Diane Helbig on how to Succeed without Selling

063 Diane Helbig on how to Succeed without Selling

S4N 062 Reuben Swartz on MEGA Positioning

062 Reuben Swartz on MEGA Positioning

S4N 061 Alan Weiss on Million Dollar Consulting

S4N 060 Doug Brown on sales mistakes

S4N 059 Bob Burg on how to be a Go-Giver

S4N 058 Reuben Swartz on What I've Learned This Decade-- I mean year

058 Reuben Swartz on What I've Learned This Decade-- I mean year

S4N 057 Angelique Rewers on Selling to Corporate Clients (without proposals)

057 Angelique Rewers on Selling to Corporate Clients (without proposals)

056 Ellen Melko Moore on creating a Super Tight brand on LinkedIn

S4N 056 Ellen Melko Moore on creating a Super Tight brand on LinkedIn

S4N 055 Russell Thackeray gains multiple degrees, loses 168 pounds, and forgets to learn that sales is hard

S4N 054 David Priemer teaches you to sell the way you buy

S4N 053 Chalmers Brothers on Language and the Pursuit of Happiness

S4N 052 Mike Capuzzi on using short helpful books for marketing for Main Street Businesses

S4N 051 Stacey Brown Randall on getting more referrals without asking

050 Michael Greenberg on how consultants can use podcasts for sales and marketing