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1123: Ultimate Sales Guide: Overcome Anxiety, Increase Closing Rates, and Leverage Referrals with Sales Expert Eric Lofholm

June 7, 2024

What is the ultimate sales guide? Sales is all about connecting with people and solving their problems. It’s a journey of understanding customer needs and offering solutions that create value. It’s not just about transactions, but building relationships and trust. In essence, sales is the bridge that connects a product’s potential with the customer’s needs.

Eric Lofholm, a master sales trainer and expert, has been teaching sales since 1999 and has shared his sales systems with thousands of professionals in the U.S. and worldwide for over 20 years. He is the author of 15 books on sales and success, reflecting his passion for simplifying the sales process to help people increase their sales. Today, Eric shares insights on demystifying the sales process, using content to attract prospects, the importance of self-control, and prospecting strategies using social media. He also shares how he got into sales training, how someone can become more confident, and how to overcome call reluctance. Stay tuned to learn more from this leading authority in sales and sales strategies!

Quotes

“Use technology to create the sales conversation and learn how to embrace sales, as opposed to resisting it, and watch your sales results skyrocket.” – Eric Lofholm

"Look to leverage their network. Build a relationship with them and get them to refer or endorse you to their entire network." – Eric Lofholm

“Optimism is a learned skill. Optimism is a muscle. You can learn how to be positive, you can learn how to be optimistic.” – Eric Lofholm

Takeaways

02:03 Embracing sales and leveraging existing networks can significantly boost lead generation and sales results.

08:29 Creating valuable content and building familiarity with potential customers is an effective way to nurture relationships and drive sales.

20:41 Developing self-control and consistency through daily, small actions is crucial for achieving sales and business goals.

24:18 Prospecting regularly, even through simple outreach on social media, can fill a sales pipeline with opportunities.

33:39 Maintaining a positive, optimistic mindset and treating sales as a learnable skill can lead to long-term success.

Resources

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1119: Achieve Success Through Leadership, Mental Toughness, Overcoming Personal Adversity, and Helping Others Reach Their Full Potential with Former Army Ranger and High-Performance Coach Jeramiah Solven

June 3, 2024

Have you ever thought about what it takes to really do well in life? Not just in your job, but also in becoming the best person you can be? Leadership is the ability to influence and guide others, whether in a business, military, or any other setting. True leaders are not just born; they are made through experiences, challenges, and a constant desire to improve. Success, mental toughness, and leadership are all interconnected ideas that are very important for reaching personal and professional goals.

Jeramiah Solven is a former Army Ranger officer, high-performance coach, public speaker, and the entrepreneur behind the Elite Leadership Coaching company Conquer Academy. Today, Jeramiah shares his personal journey of overcoming obstacles, including his experiences in the military, dealing with PTSD, and building a successful business. He discusses the importance of mentorship, personal growth, and helping others achieve their goals as the keys to his own success. He also shares his insights on leadership, mental toughness, and the path to personal and professional success.

Quotes

“The key I learned for success in any industry is that it’s not about what you need to do; it’s about who you need to become.” – Jeramiah Solven

" Stress will either show you how to get stronger or tell you what you need to cut from your life." – Jeramiah Solven

“You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough people get what they want. That’s the truth when it comes to business. The way to accomplish your mission is to help people accomplish theirs. If you help people get what they want, anything is possible.” – Jeramiah Solven

Takeaways

07:34 Developing personal integrity, discipline, and mental toughness is crucial for achieving lasting success in business and life.

16:09 Addressing and processing stress and trauma, rather than escaping through vices, is essential for personal growth and well-being.

22:01 Prioritizing the development of oneself as a person, rather than solely chasing results, leads to faster and more sustainable success.

26:15 Helping others achieve their goals is the key to getting what you want in life.

Resources

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895: Strategy Sprints: Get Your Time and Energy Back, Enjoy Less Stress, More Revenue, Scaling, and Freedom with Simon Severino

November 4, 2022

There are so many situations in business and life where a small amount of reconfiguration is the solution. Perhaps there is no need to start over from scratch after discarding everything you've accomplished in your life. A slight reconfiguration may do instead of something more drastic, and that can entail reconfiguring your priorities, schedule, and finances. 

Simon Severino is the Founder of Strategy Sprints, a company that helps business owners in SaaS and services run their companies more effectively. He is the author of the book "Strategy Sprints: 12 Ways to Accelerate Growth for an Agile Business," which provides a framework for entrepreneurs to improve their decision-making, increase sales, and achieve their goals. Today, Simon discusses the importance of writing things down, measuring key metrics, and having a clear process for making decisions.

Quotes

“If you don't write down your assumptions, you treat them as if they were reality.” - Simon Severino

“If you don't know your numbers, your decisions are not based on data—they're based on rumors.” - Simon Severino

“When the tide goes out, you see who's swimming naked. Whenever there's a recession-type situation, the mindset that gets me through is that the weak hands are just being weeded out. All these businesses might not even have had any business making money.” - Simon Severino

Takeaways

02:49 Documenting your assumptions and testing them through experiments is crucial for making informed business decisions.

07:51 Tracking a few key metrics regularly can help you quickly identify and adapt to changes in your business or industry.

18:30 Simplifying your business offerings and focusing on one core solution can lead to a more efficient and profitable operation.

22:17 Connecting your daily work to the tangible results and feedback from clients can help overcome the perceived "boredom" of repetitive tasks.

23:49 Reducing the number of "parts" or components in your business can make it easier to maintain and improve over time.

Resources

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How to Index, Scape, Build a Spreadsheet, and Download an Entire YouTube Channel in 2022

March 29, 2022

Step 1: Get the List of YouTube Video Links from the Channel

Extract All YouTube Links from a Web Page: Go to the Chrome Developer Console (F12), click in Console and paste in:

var urls = document.getElementsByTagName('a');
for (url in urls) {
   console.log ( urls[url].href );
}

Select All (Ctrl-A), Copy, and Paste (Ctrl-V) into a text editor to sort out the list. I've used EditPlus for over 20 years because it allows me to use regular expressions when doing a search-and-replace... use the ^ (hat character or shift-6) to place text at the beginning of every line and $ (dollar sign or shift-4) to place text at the end of each line.

Step 2: Get the "Metadata" (Title, Number of Views, etc.) for Each Video Link

Start with just ONE YouTube video before building a "batch file." I use YT-DLP (a command-line tool).

yt-dlp -o "%%(id)s	%%(upload_date)s	%%(title)s	%%(view_count)s	%%(duration)s" --get-filename https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl1wkoG-os0 >> list.txt

This will dump the video ID, upload date, title, view count, duration (in seconds) into a new line in the file "list.txt."

Here's a really important nuance: if you were to run this command (perhaps as a test) in the command line, you would only have one percent % sign. But when you enter this into a batch (.bat) file, you must enter two percent signs %%.

I use a "search-and-replace" regular expression in EditPlus to add the special command to the left and right of each YouTube video, then save the file as "batch1.bat" (with the quotes), and then I can let it run and fill up the text file containing the list.

Because I separated the "columns" with a "tab" character, it pastes right into any Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet.

Step 3: Download Every YouTube Video in the Channel

You could almost figure this out on your own, without me having to tell you. Build a batch file with the list of YouTube videos, a search-and-replace regular expression in EditPlus:

yt-dlp -S res,ext:mp4:m4a --recode mp4 --output "%%(id)s %%(title)s.%%(ext)s" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl1wkoG-os0

831: Grow, Build and Generate Leads for Your Business Using Video Editing Tools with Augie Johnston

December 28, 2021

Augie Johnston is an entrepreneur and former professional basketball player who is making waves in the video editing industry with his startup, VidChops. After growing a successful YouTube channel with over 20 million views, Augie realized the pain point of video editing and decided to create a solution for other YouTubers and content creators. Today, Augie discusses the power of online video and how it can be used to grow a business, sharing his insights on video marketing fundamentals, equipment, and strategies for YouTube video creation and monetization.

In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Augie shares actionable strategies for leveraging online video as a marketing and business growth tool. He emphasizes starting simply, even with a phone, and focusing on fundamentals like lighting, audio, and content quality. He discusses the importance of understanding your audience and creating binge-worthy videos that maximize watch time and suggested video placements on YouTube. Augie also highlights the best monetization strategies beyond AdSense, including lead generation, email capture, and product sales. He outlines key editing techniques such as jump cuts, crop-ins, and end cards to maintain viewer engagement. For entrepreneurs and creators looking to streamline their workflow, Vid Shops offers affordable editing packages starting at $325 per month, helping clients scale from minimal views to millions per month. More information can be found at vidshops.com.

Quotes

“Stop worrying about production; just get the fundamentals right—lighting, depth of field, and good audio.”


“The hard part is the words that come out of your mouth; the delivery is what gets better with practice.”


“Online video should be part of your marketing strategy in many ways—ads, landing pages, content—because video is the most powerful media.”


“Start with your phone, record 50 videos, then upgrade your equipment; it’s all about creating a habit and improving over time.”

Resources

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770: Listening, Adapting, Appreciating: Master Your Team Communication Skills with Meredith Bell

February 15, 2021

Meredith Bell is a communication expert and the co-author of the book "Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills." With over 30 years of experience working with her business partners, Meredith has a wealth of knowledge on effective team communication. Today, Meredith talks about the importance of active listening, accepting constructive feedback, and building strong relationships in the workplace.

In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Bell shares insights from her books Strong for Performance and Connect with Your Team: Mastering the Top 10 Communication Skills. She discusses actionable techniques such as asking others to repeat back instructions, using subtle cues to manage interruptions, and practicing gracious acceptance of constructive feedback. Bell emphasizes the value of presence, appreciation, and deliberate listening in building strong professional and personal relationships. Resources mentioned include GrowStrongLeaders.com/free for a free ebook on listening and Amazon for her books, alongside her social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Quotes

“Being fully present with someone is one of the greatest gifts you can give—it shows you value and respect them.”

“Ask people to repeat back what they understood. It prevents miscommunication before it wastes time or creates frustration.”

“Look for opportunities to express appreciation—even for small things—and it sets you apart in building strong relationships.”

“When receiving feedback, be gracious and ask, ‘What can I do to make this better next time?’ It helps you grow and strengthens trust.”

Resources

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704: Video Persuasion: Storytelling, Brand Building, Demonstration Videos, and Psychological Principles with Rick Cesari

April 24, 2020

Rick Cesari is a pioneer in the direct-to-consumer marketing industry, with over 25 years of experience. He has been involved in the growth of several iconic brands, including the Juice Man, Sonicare, the George Foreman Grill, OxiClean, and GoPro. Cesari is the author of the book "Building Billion Dollar Brands" and his latest book, "Video Persuasion," which focuses on using video in online marketing to drive sales, conversions, and brand building. Today, Rick discusses the key elements of effective video marketing, including the importance of having a clear call-to-action, incorporating psychological principles of persuasion, and leveraging customer feedback to create compelling content.

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Topics Discussed:

  • Rick Cesari Career Overview
  • Using Video in Online Marketing
  • 4 steps in Creating a Good and Effective Marketing Video
  • 2 Negative Practices of most Companies
  • His book called: Video Persuasion
  • How to come up with the best marketing strategy and great ideas?
  • His website: rickcesari.com

How did his career start?

Rick Cesari has been in the marketing business for 25 years. His first few years in the marketing business was greatly spent in helping to promote Real Estate Seminars- trying to get people attend this real free Real Estate Seminars. Real Estate is one of the few businesses who started using television as a medium of marketing to promote their business. He is considered as a pioneer of infomercial industry. In 1990, Rick Cesari started his own company, Juiceman Juicer, along with his brother. Juiceman Juicer was one of the first products and brands to be sold and built through infomercial format. It was later on sold to a company in Chicago called Salton Housewares which later on came up with the product George Foreman Grill. Among his successful products are Sonicare, Oxiclean, Rug Doctor, and a lot more.

Using Video in Online Marketing

Creating videos that are interesting, engaging, and watchable with proven direct response marketing strategies.

What is the secret to Video Marketing? Understanding the direct response marketing and principles. It is not only about making videos that are shown on the internet or television but these videos should generate more revenue, sell more products, grow your business and create a good reputation brand.

4 steps in Creating a Good Marketing Video (effective for television and e-commerce channels such as Amazon)

  1. Introduce your Product
  2. Demonstrate your Product
  3. Focus more on the Benefits of the product rather than its features (if possible include product reviews and testimonials)
  4. Always have a call to action: Instructing viewers to go to their website and check out their products and BUY them!

These steps are similar to the AIDA (Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action) Marketing Model.

2 Negative Practices of most Companies

  • Most companies forget that the most powerful marketing tool is the "Word of Mouth" of customers or product testimonials in other words. Companies fail to ask for product reviews of the direct consumers
  • Most companies fail to include a call to action in their marketing videos. For example, they don't tell their viewers to visit their website, check out their products or any stimulants that will generate product revenue.

A book called Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini, is a great book that talks about 6 persuasion principles that will guide Companies in creating marketing videos. One principle that is very helpful is Social Proof- a priniciple wherein we used the action of others to decide proper behavior for ourselves. In the concept of Product reviews and testimonies in E-commerce such as Amazon, for example, most people are gonna buy the product of 100 reviews over a product with 2 reviews. It is very vital to get product reviews and testimonials to appeal to more people.

Video Persuasion, The Book

One of the things this book offers is 3 ways to "hook" the viewer and keep them engaged. One way is to get straight to the point and deliver answers or solutions as quick as possible.

2 points to be successful in creating  marketing videos:

  1. Understand the Human Psychology- how people behave and react to things. Human behavior doesn't really change unlike the technologies and other marketing platforms.
  2. Create videos with User Generated Content.

An example of User Generated Content: the GoPro camera marketing in television and online platforms. Every GoPro ad started with a GoPro logo so people know right away that it is a GoPro ad and the content are any forms of videos that were by users on online platforms such as social media (snowboarding, scubadivng etc) and offer saying like "Win One Everything They Make" at the end of the video.

This marketing strategy creates a ripple effect in terms of viewer responses:

  1. They watch the commercial
  2. They go the website and register for the contest (the company creates database of email marketing)
  3. They go the website, watch other videos and share them to their friends
  4. The more traditional direct respone, they go to the website and purchase a product which will generate REVENUE!

Decisions & Strategies

How do you arrive at the decisions or strategies that you make? How do you come up with the ideas?

  • Make an educated guess based on understanding the demographics that you are marketing to and what they respond to
  • Make an AD Test
  • Reach out to the customer base and most companies have database of customer emails. Set up a Testimonial Day and invite at least 15 people for interview about the Why they bought the product, How did they hear about the product, what they like and don't like about the product, how will they describe the product to their friends. This will allow you to know what motivates people to buy the product which in effect let you create ads that are in response to real customer reviews
  • Record the video for marketing purposes.

WWW.RICKCESARI.COM

  • check out his website and download some of his free ebooks and watch his three most engaging types of online videos. For companies with e-commerce websites, in order to capture viewers, consider 3 types of online videos and upload it on your website
  • Create an introduction video that has parts: Your background, how you started, and most importantly about the PRODUCT and what make it stand out among other similar products.
  • Create a demonstration video not only showing a tutorial on how to use it but also points out the benefits to the end user.
  • Video Testimonials.

Takeaways

04:03 Effective video marketing requires a clear call-to-action and a focus on benefits rather than just features.

08:08 Incorporating psychological principles of persuasion can help increase engagement and conversions.

18:24 Gathering customer feedback through methods like testimonial days can provide valuable insights for creating compelling marketing content.

20:03 Combining old and new marketing strategies, such as user-generated content and contests, can be a powerful approach to building successful campaigns.

21:55 Storytelling is a crucial element in modern marketing, and incorporating different types of videos (introduction, tutorial, demonstration) can help engage viewers and drive results.

To get to know more about him and his work, and learn how to build your business by using videos, you can visit the following websites:

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702: Three Pillars of Change: Lead Others to Lead Themselves Using Your Open Playbook with Larry Dodd

April 22, 2020

What happens when the pressure to change becomes heavier than the tools designed to manage it? How do leaders drive transformation when spreadsheets, systems, and flowcharts can’t capture the human heart behind the process? Inside every organization lies a tension between progress and people, between process and purpose. Many companies stall not because they lack plans, but because they lack connection—the trust that fuels innovation, confidence, and sustainable change. This episode asks the question every leader must face: can you truly lead others before you understand yourself?

In this episode of Marketer of the Day, leadership strategist and founder of Open Playbook, Larry Dodd, breaks down his revolutionary three-pillar framework for mastering change from the inside out. With a career spanning from accounting to consulting with Major League Baseball, Larry shares how self-awareness, authenticity, and trust form the foundation of every successful transformation. His Open Playbook method teaches leaders to know themselves, create their strategy, and then give it away—to empower others to lead and build a culture that thrives long after the leader steps aside.

Quotes:

"If I finish a change initiative and it looks exactly like I planned it, I’ve failed because the people I built made it better than I imagined."
"The biggest mistake leaders make is a lack of self-knowledge and not building people based on trust."
"When you give away your playbook, you’re giving away your experience, your heart, your passion—the things no one else can offer."
"The closer we get to our authentic selves, the more frightening it becomes, but that’s where real strength lives."
"Change starts at the top, but success depends on the trust that flows through every level of the organization."
"Leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about building the people who will find them."
"Authenticity is the foundation of every transformation worth leading."

Resources

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655: WWHW, Why, What, How-To, What-If: Easily Create a Book, Podcast, or Online Course In Just a Few Easy-to-Follow Steps

September 9, 2019

Do you want the ultimate fix for writer's block?

The answer is WWHW: Why, What, How-To, What If!

Listen in as Robert Plank explains the genesis and concept behind his new book -- and how you can use this universal formula to create a book, podcast, or online course -- that flows out of you AND is structured in a way that gets the most results for your readers and clients.

Get the Book:
"WWHW, Why, What, How-To, What-If: Easily Create a Book, Podcast,
or Online Course In Just a Few Easy-to-Follow Steps"

Quotes

“If you're ever trying to convince me to buy something on a web page, tell me why it is important. In other words, why did I come to that web page to begin with?” - Robert Plank

“If you rely on the structure, the template, you can devote your energies to the more fun stuff. You'll be more aware and mindful of what you say and how you say it.” - Robert Plank

“If you're ever uninspired or stuck, find someone who has a problem. Record a podcast episode solving that person's problem.” - Robert Plank

Takeaways

00:34 Structuring content using the "Why? What? How to? What if?" formula can make it more engaging and effective.

11:11 Focusing on solving specific problems for a target audience, rather than just copying what others are doing, can lead to more effective and engaging content.

22:09 Identifying the specific person you are trying to help can make the content more relevant and impactful.

25:38 Mind mapping can be a useful tool for organizing and rearranging ideas when creating content.

38:43 Being mindful of the words used and avoiding filler phrases can improve the clarity and professionalism of the content.

48:04 Applying the WWHW formula can help create a natural flow and transition between different sections of a presentation, book, or podcast.

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567: Translate Your Message into Money: Automated Webinar Funnels, Strategy Sessions, and Serving Your Audience with Jeremy Slate

July 14, 2018

Jeremy Slate is the founder of the Create Your Own Life Podcast, which helps entrepreneurs live the lives they know they were meant to. He studied literature at Oxford University, Specializes in using podcasting and new media to create celebrity and was ranked #1 in iTunes New and Noteworthy and #26 in the business category. After his success in podcasting, Jeremy Slate and his wife, Brielle Slate, found Command Your Brand to help entrepreneurs get their message out by appearing as guests on podcasts.

Quotes:                                                                                                                                   

“You have to be willing to serve the audience. You have to be willing to serve in the way that that host needs you.” – Jeremy Slate

“You have to ensure, first and foremost, that you're niched down enough, as larger podcasts might not always be the best fit for you.” - Jeremy Slate

“As long as you have a great product and consistently deliver it, increased sales will allow you to hire more salespeople to manage those leads effectively.” - Jeremy Slate

Takeaways:

06:36 Podcast guesting requires a strategic approach with three key components: personal story, clear message, and a focused call to action.

17:11 Consistently appearing on podcasts (1-2 per week) increases your chances of being discovered and gaining visibility.

24:48 Smaller, niche podcasts often provide more engaged audiences than large, generic shows.

26:47 Always promote your podcast appearances to help both yourself and the podcast host.

28:11 Having a team or support system can help manage the podcast guesting process more effectively.

Claim Your Free Worksheet: Crack the Code and Translate Your Message into Money

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