Breaking Down Your Business | Small Business | Business Owners | Entrepreneurship | Leadership (Business)

What’s In This Episode:

Are you a Type 1 or Type 2 thinker? The difference may be playing out in how you sell, too.

"There's a lot of turnover in those first few years when you go out on your own." - Brad

Alastair McDermott helps consultants of all kinds by generating leads and building their websites. But he's considering simplifying his business, which might alienate a good chunk of his audience that describes themselves as DIY'ers. What should he do?

Jill thinks he may benefit from carving out more of a niche while Brad suggests he does a little more market research on the types of audiences he wants to work with.

"Even if you tell people to back off, they don't know how to do that. Is that teachable?" - Jill

If you're trying to close a deal too fast, Brad says, you're telling people that you're not good at sales - and also that you may be a little bit desperate.

Is your sales process fast or slow?

Hang out with Jill and Brad!

Only a few more days 'til you can join Jill and Brad for drinks at their FIRST EVER offline event! Meet them October 4 at Park & Field in Chicago to get your shouting on. RSVP here.

Sponsor:

If you’re a manager or business owner, chances are you juggle many HR tasks and are trying to keep up with the ever-changing employment laws. HR 101 from ComplyRight is a free online training program that will give you a solid understanding of employment law so you can handle typical workplace issues like a pro. The six courses include General Legal Obligation for Employers, Recruiting and Hiring, Classifying Workers Correctly, Managing Your Employees, Preventing Workplace Harassment and Discipline and Termination. Explore ComplyRight’s free courses at www.complyright.com/courses.

Guest:

  • Alastair McDermott helps independent consultants and specialized consulting firms get better quality leads on their website.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_328.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Last week, Jill and Brad discussed what a salesperson does. Today, they're talking about the sales process. Is it driven by the customer?

"As a salesperson, you need to lead the conversation." - Brad

Do you wonder why people would want to buy from you anyway? If you ask some of the right questions, you may gather insight.  Either they don't know of you at all, or they know a lot  - they follow you on social, they spend time looking through your website - and overall, it's good to know where you stand.

"Salespeople are not good listeners." - Jill

And if you're leading the conversation, you need to be able to ask questions and get answers that will help you help your customer. And you also need to listen, which as Jill points out, is very counterintuitive. And you might not be the solution for what your client and prospective lead needs, but you might be able to figure that out with them together.

Once you've asked your questions, you may be able to come to a diagnosis - and you might be able to figure out the problem even before your lead has articulated it. Talking that through and recognizing additional problems leads to trust, which is vital in the sales relationship. Then you move on to the confirmation and feedback stage... and then, signing on the dotted line.

How does your sales process work in your business? 

Hang out with Jill and Brad!

Only a few more days 'til you can join Jill and Brad for drinks at their FIRST EVER offline event! Meet them September 13 at Park & Field in Chicago to get your shouting on. RSVP here.

Sponsor:

If you’re a manager or business owner, chances are you juggle many HR tasks and are trying to keep up with the ever-changing employment laws. HR 101 from ComplyRight is a free online training program that will give you a solid understanding of employment law so you can handle typical workplace issues like a pro. The six courses include General Legal Obligation for Employers, Recruiting and Hiring, Classifying Workers Correctly, Managing Your Employees, Preventing Workplace Harassment and Discipline and Termination. Explore ComplyRight’s free courses at www.complyright.com/courses.

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_327.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Are salespeople the best or the worst?

"If you really want to grow your business, don't keep it a secret." - Brad

Catherine VonVanno of 20Four7VA calls in to discuss leads. So far, she's had warm leads but she wants to start reaching out to people who might not know of her VA service and go the direct marketing route. Does she try to handle internally, or go with a marketing agency to help?

The question of direct marketing and radio ads leads to a discussion about what kind of prospective clients may be out there who aren't really internet savvy. And how would you educate your market?

"They can explain why you need something without making you feel bad." - Jill

What is the job of a salesperson and how do you know when you've found a great one? Do salespeople just exist to take you on that last mile of the sales journey? What function should they play in your business - and how do you feel about them as a consumer?

What are your thoughts on salespeople? Listen in

Hang out with Jill and Brad!

Wanna join Jill and Brad for drinks at their FIRST-EVER offline event? Meet them September 13 at Park & Field in Chicago to get your shouting on. RSVP here.

Sponsor:

If you’re a manager or business owner, chances are you juggle many HR tasks and are trying to keep up with the ever-changing employment laws. HR 101 from ComplyRight is a free online training program that will give you a solid understanding of employment law so you can handle typical workplace issues like a pro. The six courses include General Legal Obligation for Employers, Recruiting and Hiring, Classifying Workers Correctly, Managing Your Employees, Preventing Workplace Harassment and Discipline and Termination. Explore ComplyRight’s free courses at www.complyright.com/courses.

Guest:

  • Catherine VonVanno is the president and executive director of 20Four7VA, which provides virtual assistant solutions to eCommerce businesses.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_326.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

We spend a lot of time thinking about the "before" of clients - how to get them, what we'll do once we have them - but what happens for the "after" part?

"This experience could help you to see more clearly and to have that empathy with where your clients are." - Brad

Jim Taylor of Launchways calls in to discuss how to make sure that sales don't outpace operations too much. And as they head into their busy season, how can they make sure they can still turn a profit and take care of their existing employees? Jill and Brad recommend that Jim make additional hiring choices to help... and of course, consider raising prices to deal with overflow.

"Get some feedback because that's going to help you improve your business." - Jill

Then, Jill has some Fs for you (not those kinds of Fs) to help with the "after" of your client relationship.

Which "Fs" do you give your clients?

Hang out with Jill and Brad!

Wanna join Jill and Brad for drinks at their FIRST-EVER offline event? Meet them September 13 at Park & Field in Chicago to get your shouting on. RSVP here.

Guest:

  • Jim Taylor is the CEO of Launchways, a company that solves customers’ growing pains by helping them build a scalable people infrastructure to support long-term growth. Visit their website or LinkedIn
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_325.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Every website has some common problems that need to be addressed for a better customer/user experience. Jill and Brad talk about what those are.

"When anyone goes to any website, they don't want to have to figure out what they're doing there." - Jill

Questions you need to focus on:

  • What is your CTA? You need one.
  • Where is your contact info? If you have a contact form, make sure it's actually working.
  • How's your messaging? Is it helping potential customers or is it all about you?
  • Does your branding reflect what you're actually like? Don't just slap on a template or copy what someone else is doing.
  • Are you giving visitors a reason to stay?

"When people get to your website, what is the feeling that you want them to have?" - Brad

Not sure if you're making some of these mistakes? Get feedback from another person.

How's your website?

Hang out with Jill and Brad!

Wanna join Jill and Brad for drinks at their FIRST-EVER offline event? Meet them September 13 at Park & Field in Chicago to get your shouting on. RSVP here.

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_324.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Brad's a little confused about what customer experience actually is, so Jill and Brad call CX guru Jeannie Walters to help him out.

"Whether you know it or not, you are providing a customer experience." - Jeannie Walters

Jeannie explains that customer experience is the journey someone takes before they become a customer all the way to when they either cease to be a customer or become a lifelong advocate. The businesses who do it well are proactive about the experiences they're providing.

Done right, it can lead to more referrals and more value. However, most businesses don't factor in what customer experience might mean, and instead just focus on making the sale and getting the customer. But you can decide what sort of customer experience you want to deliver and build that into the way you do business leading to positive results for everyone involved.

"If I told you that by tweaking a line on your invoice... would get you three new referrals, wouldn't that be worth it?" - Jill

It used to be that you needed 12 positive experiences to overcome one negative one - and now you need 22. It can seem overwhelming. So if you're just getting started with customer experience, what can you do? Start with repair and little changes. It feels like a lot of work but with feedback from your customers, it makes a huge difference.

What customer experience are you providing?

Hang out with Jill and Brad!

Wanna join Jill and Brad for drinks at their FIRST-EVER offline event? Meet them September 13 at Park & Field in Chicago to get your shouting on. RSVP here.

Guest:

  • Jeannie Walters is the CEO/Founder of Experience Investigators™ by 360Connext, a global Customer Experience consulting firm. She has 20 years of experience helping companies improve loyalty and retention, employee engagement, and overall customer experience. Visit her website and sign up for her 21-day CX challenge.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_323.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Have you had a great experience with a brand that leaves you feeling good? For Jill, it was a follow-up email after leaving a review for blinds. For Brad, it was tea that traveled all the way from England with a personal note and a recommendation.

"Empathetic customer service can go a long way." - Brad

Jill and Brad talk to the Pitch Whisperer John Livesay, a speaker who's in high demand, but he's not sure how to scale, especially because he can't be everywhere at once. They recommend that the consulting aspect of his business be delegated, and to raise his prices for speaking gigs.

"You're saving you time; you're not saving me time." - Jill

When it comes to showing the human aspect of your business, how can you do it? Personalization takes time and effort. In today's hurried world, some of that personal touch gets lost (don't get Jill started on calendar links and Brad recently talked about automated pitches on the Offline podcast).

Are we automating things that shouldn't be automated?

How do you make your business more welcoming?

Guest:

  • John Livesay, aka The Pitch Whisperer, is a sales keynote speaker and shares the lessons learned from his award-winning sales career at Conde Nast. In his keynote “Better Selling Through Storytelling,” he shows companies’ sales teams how to become irresistible so they are magnetic to their ideal clients. Visit his website here.
Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_322.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What’s In This Episode:

Oh, summer. That time when all kids, everywhere, come down with the affliction known as "boredom." Jill and Brad have found some creative - and not so creative - ways to keep their kids busy. But what happens when your employees (the "kids" of your business) start complaining? How do you handle that?

"It's excellent to clarify what they're missing versus your expectations." - Jill

If your employees are reaching out because they're bored or they're done with their tasks, the problem might be that you as their boss haven't done a great job of explaining their responsibilities. And if they're getting unruly, Jill thinks it might be because they're having a bad day and she'll take a step back.

Brad will address it one-on-one because he doesn't want that attitude to become the new normal. But if someone has a consistent attitude, they may be unhappy with their position.

"Good employees verify boundaries with you." - Brad

If the employee has a sense of entitlement, both Jill and Brad take steps to call it out. They'll ask questions to get to the root of the problem. Jill and Brad talk about the difference in reaction between entitlement and unruliness, plus how they work to set boundaries.

What do you do when the "kids" get unruly?

TOMORROW! Want more info about hiring when you are trying to grow? Brad's doing a webinar, How to Win the War for Talent: Actionable Strategies to Attract and Retain Top Talent at Your Business, on July 31! Just sign up at this link and let Brad and two others help you be better at hiring.

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_321.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

What has happened in the evolution of your business? Jill and Brad reminisce about how they felt when they first started their businesses... and what's changed.

"When you're 23, what do you have to lose?" - Brad

Jill began her first business around the age of 23 and felt pretty confident. Brad started his business more out of necessity and he didn't want anyone to know how scared he was feeling - and faking otherwise just meant he felt like he couldn't ask anyone for help.

"The stakes are higher now." - Jill

Now that they're more experienced in running their own businesses, the old fears are gone, but some of the anxiety remains. Once you're established, the fear changes: How will you deal with the loss of revenue? Maintaining your reputation? Once you have some success, holding on too tightly can also cause your business to fail.

Perhaps the thing that's changed the most? Not being afraid to ask for help.

How have you and your business evolved?

Want more info about hiring when you are trying to grow? Brad's doing a webinar, How to Win the War for Talent: Actionable Strategies to Attract and Retain Top Talent at Your Business, on July 31! Just sign up at this link and let Brad and two others help you be better at hiring.

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_320.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT

Want more info about hiring when you are trying to grow? Brad's doing a webinar, How to Win the War for Talent: Actionable Strategies to Attract and Retain Top Talent at Your Business, on July 31! Just sign up at this link and let Brad and two others help you be better at hiring.

"No small business owner knows what they need or want in the beginning." - Jill

How do you hire people when trying to grow your company? Why is it so hard? We're so busy, and on top of all of the things we're doing, we now have to worry about the hiring process. Everyone's looking for the quick and easy shortcut, but sadly there is none.

We're also not great at recognizing what it is we need. A lot of small business owners think that if they just had someone else who was exactly like them, they'd be fine. But that doesn't exist either (and you don't really want that). Brad has a system for figuring out what he actually needs for the task at hand.

Also, you'll probably need to spend more on hiring quality people. You can mitigate risk by hiring part-time to start out.

"Always be hiring." - Brad

You can start collecting resumes with Google or some software so that when you're ready to hire, the talent pool is there for you. You can also meet face-to-face with people to see how you feel about them, but it doesn't mean you have to hire everyone you meet.

And once you have hired, if they're not working, don't feel bad about moving onto the next person.

How do you hire when you're trying to grow your business?

Direct download: Breaking_Down_Your_Business_EP_319.mp3
Category:Business -- posted at: 2:00am CDT