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Category: Business

  • NEVER do this

    NEVER do this

    I take a lot of pride in being a sales person.

    I’ve trained lots of people who go on to make great money by helping prospective clients understand how their life/business will be better by working with the team.

    The sales profession already has a PR problem with the rest of the world, and that’s why I’m especially incensed when I see someone do it so poorly.

    And that brings me to this week’s rant.

    Here’s the situation. I’m on the clock for the marketing company as a sales person. A meeting pops up on the calendar for later in the afternoon. It’s a app company that looks like its going toe to toe with Doordash, but it has something about “making food free for the world” which sounds a bit like Star Trek hypernaivety, but ok; let’s see what it’s about.

    The call starts, and the guy pretty much starts by asking, “Is it ok if I screenshare a bit?”

    And let’s take a moment here. Because this is a huge red flag to me, and I’m not sure most people understand why.

    I haven’t had a single person who asked to screenshare to me, the sales person, and have it go well. Not a single time in the entire history of the world where screensharing is a possibility.

    So, when this guy asked to screenshare, my red flag alert goes wild.

    I say, “Let’s hold off on that. We could look at your screen for the whole time, have fun, and I still won’t understand whether or not we’d be able to help you, so how about I ask you a bunch of questions so I can get what you’re looking to do in the next 6 months or so, and then I’ll be in a better position to help you out. Sound good?”

    He reluctantly agreed and we moved on.

    I asked him what the app is all about.

    He tells me that it’s an advertising platform where users can watch ads and get direct benefits in terms of free food at participating restaurants. “15 minutes of watching adds is the equivalent of a burrito at Chipotle!”

    Now I know how to measure time in burritos.

    And then it clicks. I understand what’s going on.

    I ask him, “Are you here to have us help you guys get the word out about the app, or are you here to ask us to get all our marketing clients to advertise on your app?”

    He waffled a bit about looking for ways to work together to increase visibility for the app, but yeah it’s 99% that he wants us to get all our clients to advertise on their platform.

    This is where I got mad.

    He’s taking a slot from my calendar that could have gone to a real business owner who needs help marketing their business so he can pay for his daughter’s surgery. Or put more money into the college fund. Or any number of noble reasons you’d want to have more business.

    Instead, this sales guy is stealing a slot from a fellow sales guy in an effort to backdoor his way into making a business to business deal.

    Look, man. If you don’t have the mettle to call the owner directly, then there’s no way in hell I’m doing your work for you.

    I told him he was wasting both our time, and that it’s a bad strategy.

    He then proceeded to double down and continue the pitch.

    I cut him off mid sentence and said I’m ending the call.

    The whole meeting took 12 minutes and we were scheduled for 45. So I saved myself 30 minutes or so.

    But dang.

    Here’s the lesson. If you are a sales person doing outbound sales. Never go through the sales department of the company you’re trying to pitch. It’s a waste of time. It’s like a pirate with no code of honor amongst thieves.

    NEVER pitch the sales team.

    You’ll only embarrass yourself & besmirch our reputation even more than it is already.

  • Active vs Passive Strategies

    Active vs Passive Strategies

    Hey there, trade show enthusiasts! 👋 Want to take your booth game to the next level? Well, I’ve got some exciting insights to share with you in our latest video. 🎥🌟

    Imagine having an awesome booth that catches everyone’s eye, but struggling to bridge the gap between passersby and actual conversations. That’s where I come in to spill the beans on the key difference between active and passive lead generation strategies. 💼💡

    You see, most of the traditional trade show marketing ideas fall into the passive category. You know, things like donuts, coffee, handouts, and those trusty QR codes. But here’s the kicker: they rely on people deciding to engage with them voluntarily. 🍩☕️

    But wait, there’s one strategy that truly takes the cake: human-to-human communication. Yep, it’s all about proactively reaching out to those potential customers and starting meaningful conversations. That’s where the magic happens! 🗣️✨

    In our video, we’ll dive deep into different approaches you can take, like having your sales team work their magic or hiring an in-booth host. We’ll explore the pros and cons, but there’s one method I’m particularly passionate about: the in-booth presenter. 🎤🌟

    These presenters are absolute rockstars! They work closely with your company, getting to know your business inside out, and then they hit the show floor to create an attention-grabbing spectacle. They’ll draw in a crowd like you’ve never seen before! 🎉👥

    But here’s the secret sauce: finding that perfect balance between entertainment and subtle marketing messaging. You want to keep your audience engaged and interested, without overwhelming them. It’s an art, really. 🎭🔥

    So, if you’re ready to revolutionize your trade show booth and leave your competition in the dust, this video is a must-watch for you! 🚀 Don’t miss out on the game-changing strategies that can transform your trade show experience. Click that play button and let’s get started! 📽️💪 And remember, if you can change your mind, you can change your life.

  • What Is Experiential Marketing?

    What Is Experiential Marketing?

    Experiential marketing is about creating a memorable experience for your customers – an experience that resonates and aligns with your brand in a positive way. It’s not about telling your audience how to feel, but rather, orchestrating an experience that naturally triggers these emotions.

    In this video, we break down the concept of experiential marketing and highlight its significance, particularly for tech entrepreneurs and their respective ventures. We also discuss why many trade shows fail to hit the mark, despite their best intentions, and how you can stand out by adding a more personal, memorable element to your presentations.

    We explore the fundamental human affinity for stories and experiences, showing how this can be leveraged for more impactful marketing. Discover how to transform your brand from a mere logo to a memorable journey in your audience’s minds.

    Interested in personalized advice on how to implement these ideas for your next conference, trade show, or digital marketing initiative? Visit me at www.icanreadminds.com.

    Subscribe for more valuable insights into experiential marketing, sales, business, and beyond.

  • 3 Tips For Motivation

    3 Tips For Motivation

    We’re diving deep into the secrets of motivation. Discover three key insights that will help you better understand motivation and how it can impact your career and your life.

    We’ll be exploring why people are motivated by their own reasons and how understanding these reasons is crucial for successful interactions in both business and personal relationships. We’ll discuss how aligning your goals with others can lead to mutual success and growth.

    We’ll also take you through the different factors that influence motivation, like needs, autonomy, mastery, defiance, competition, certainty, validation, and even fear. All these factors can be leveraged to help boost motivation, once you understand them correctly.

    We’ll take a pit stop halfway to relate motivation to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and discuss how an understanding of this theory can help you better predict & influence human behavior.

    Then, we’ll explore the concept of change. Where does change come from? Is it external, or does it stem from within? We’ll examine how moving towards what you want and moving away from what you don’t want can be powerful motivators.

    Finally, we’ll delve into the complexities of motivation and why it can be challenging to motivate others. We’ll share strategies on how you can create a project or business that caters to various motivations, thereby increasing your chances of success.

    If you’re interested in learning more about business, sales, negotiation, and applied psychology in life and business, consider subscribing to the channel. Remember, if you can change your mind, you can change your life. Tune in now to unlock the secrets of motivation!

  • Personal Branding Secrets From Millionaire Magicians

    Personal Branding Secrets From Millionaire Magicians

    In the age of the internet, everyone is building a personal brand (whether or not they know it).

    It’s a smart move to take lessons from some of the most successful personal brands in all history: magicians.

    These guys build amazing wealth without the help of the internet, so there’s a lot we can learn from them and run with it in this new universe to achieve even bigger things.

    Relevant watching for any creator: author, entrepreneurs, and beyond.

  • 7 Reasons To Start A YouTube Channel In 2023

    7 Reasons To Start A YouTube Channel In 2023

    This gets kinda meta.

    Last week my wife went on a 4 day work trip.

    As you may or may not know, we have a 6 month old kid; our first.

    This would be the first time that my wife was away from our daughter. That also meant that this would be the first time I get to keep the baby alive.

    All by myself.

    Spoiler Alert: it went fine. Mostly.

    That kid can scream, man. She had gotten used to A Certain Standard Of Living™ and it is not Bottles By Dad™.

    And she let me know.

    From 9:30 to 10:30pm. And midnight to 1am. And 2:30 to 3:45.

    She’s a fantastic negotiator.

    So, when I had a hot second to shoot this video I was tired.

    I wasn’t feeling my best. Certainly don’t look my best either. It was late at night after the baby was taking a quick powernap between Parenting Feedback Sessions™ so the lighting is all janky.

    And, after looking at the footage, I almost didn’t post it.

    I was afraid.

    But then, I thought about how one of the lessons that I recorded is to not let fear stop you from doing the things that you know will help the world.

    So I went ahead and used it.

    And I think it’s pretty dang good. If I didn’t tell you, you may never have thought “Boy, he looks like he’s been taking care of a 6 month old all on his own.”

    So go watch the video telling you not to be afraid that I was almost too afraid to post.

    You’ll also see why I (who has under 500 YouTube subscribers) still think everyone should start a YouTube channel in 2023. Even if you’re an introvert. Even if you don’t want a big audience. And why I have committed to sharing stories about my time on & off stage, on the road, and in board rooms across the world.

  • Hustler’s Dilemma

    Hustler’s Dilemma

    When it comes to making big moves there are usually two camps:

    1. Tell everyone and speak it into existence.
    2. Tell nobody and move in silence. Fall like lightning.

    In this video I talk about the pros & cons of each of these approaches, and share a secret third path that I don’t see many people talk about.

    Watch this video if you want to avoid making huge mistakes as well as other freelance tips for beginners (and freelancing experts too; you might learn something!)

    CHAPTERS

    00:00 Make Big Moves
    00:22 General Idea
    01:00 Approach #1
    07:43 Approach #2
    10:23 Secret Approach #3
    12:49 Invitation

  • Freelancing Nightmare

    Freelancing Nightmare

    If you are a graphic designer, website builder, illustrator, copywriter, or any other kind of client-facing creative, then you have to watch this video.

    I share a story about a huge problem I faced about 10 years ago, and the lesson still haunts me. You can avoid major delays if you watch this video to the end. Plus, you’ll also get paid faster, too!

    CHAPTERS

    00:00 Are you a creative freelancer? Avoid this pitfall at all costs!
    01:07 Background
    02:40 The Story
    05:49 The First Lesson
    08:08 The Second Lesson
    09:39 The Recap
    10:34 Sound Off With Your Nightmare Client Scenarios

  • Sales Secrets From The Age-Old Tradition Of Busking

    Sales Secrets From The Age-Old Tradition Of Busking

    Busking is the art of performing in an area with a lot of people walking around.

    Stop them in their tracks, get them interested enough to watch you, & then have enough fun that they give you money.

    AKA: The skill I learned at 13.

    One of the best ways to keep the crowd engaged?

    Borrow a $20 bill from someone, put it “somewhere safe,” & then refer back to it through the act.

    Everyone wants to know what’s going to happen to the money. Now they can’t leave.

    Genius move that works for movies, emails, etc.

    It’s called “opening a loop” and once you do that, the audience feels compelled to stick around so they find out how the loop is closed out, or resolved.

    The money is usually destroyed with fire & then found in a miraculous place: usually in the lemon I was juggling.

    Now the guy has a wet $20. Is he going to walk around with that in his pocket? Nope. It’s easier to let me keep it, and he’s getting a story he gets to tell for the next 30 years.

    That’s worth a LOT more than $20.

    Plus, that helps me transition into the pitch.

    That’s when I invite everyone to fold their money (can’t do that with coins), and drop it in my hat.

    I’ve made them laugh enough, blown their minds with impossible feats, and they are more than happy to throw in a couple bucks.

    And that’s how you do it.

    The exact same framework is effective for email marketing. Trade show lead generation. E-commerce abandoned cart sequences. Retargeting campaigns on Google’s display network.

    I’m 39 years old. I started this when I was 13. That’s how I have 26 years’ experience.

    If you want deeper looks into this kind of thing, you should join my Secret Email Society where you’ll learn unconventional approaches to business that you’re not going to see from your business school gooroos.

  • 3 Sales Skills To Master

    3 Sales Skills To Master

    There are three skills you need to master if you want a career in sales. These are bedrock skills that I learned from my time touring the world as a professional mind reader. Enjoy!