Ask an Expert by Propelo

In this episode, we dive into the world of marketing with Rob Murray, CEO and Co-founder of Intrigue Media. Rob challenges the traditional approach of trying to convince everyone to love your product. Instead, he reveals the marketer's secret weapon: finding those who already adore what you offer.The episode goes beyond theory, offering actionable advice. Rob discusses the tenacity needed to find your ideal customers, but also introduces the "3SWN" principle: "Some will, some won't; so what? Next!" This powerful concept helps you move on from rejection and focus on the potential "yeses" waiting around the corner.Finally, Rob emphasizes the importance of authenticity, both for your brand and your individual marketing efforts. He shares the inspiring quote: "Every single time you get a ‘no’ you’re closer to the ‘yes’. Embrace the no, get the answer and then move on to the next one."Join us as we learn how to ditch the generic marketing tactics and find your true fans!

Are you struggling to understand why your product isn't selling? In this episode, pricing expert Hermann Simon, founder of Simon-Kucher & Partners, dives deep into the concept of perceived value and how it impacts your pricing strategy. You'll learn how to assess customer perception, along with practical tips on using conjoint measurement to maximize your profit. Hermann also discusses the role of innovation and market share in difficult economic times.This episode is for you if:You're a business owner struggling to price your product competitivelyYour sales are lower than expectedYou're unsure how to measure customer perception of your productTune in and unlock the pricing secrets of hidden champions!

Looking to climb the career ladder and make a difference? This video explores 3 key ingredients for success:Tenacity & Goal-Setting: Learn from Melissa Eichbauer, a recognized leader, on how clear goals and unwavering determination can propel you forward.Adaptability & Innovation: Discover how Finley Volkswagen thrived during the pandemic by embracing online sales and prioritizing customer convenience.Enhancing the Customer Experience & Community Involvement: See how businesses can win by putting customers first and giving back to the community.Melissa shares valuable insights on leadership, empathy, and creating a positive impact. Be inspired to achieve your goals and make a real difference!

Business guru Verne Harnish, known for books like "Scaling Up," shares valuable advice applicable to any company. He emphasizes prioritizing customer needs over sales ("giving before taking"). He also challenges the typical view of differentiation, arguing for a truly focused target market. As Harnish says, "the richest are in the niches."

Mark Graham, co-founder of Commonsku, tackles both the challenges and the potential of the promotional products industry. He explores the fate of those pens and stress balls we leave behind in hotels, contrasting them with the high-quality items we hold onto. This disparity highlights the industry's struggles. But Graham doesn't just dwell on the problems; he offers a solution: fostering a strong community. He explains how Commonsku's innovative software bridges the gap between distributors and suppliers, fostering collaboration across the entire supply chain. This isn't just about software – it's about connection. By fostering authentic connections within the industry, Commonsku empowers distributors and suppliers to interact and collaborate effectively. In essence, Graham details the evolution of Commonsku, a platform that has transformed from a simple product into a powerful tool that unites the promotional product community.

Margaret Heffernan, a renowned entrepreneur, CEO, author, and keynote speaker, dives deep into the ever-present reality of uncertainty. From navigating personal challenges to navigating global shifts, Heffernan emphasizes the importance of embracing the unknown and fostering the skills necessary to thrive in dynamic environments.Key takeaways from the episode:Uncertainty is an inevitable part of life: Recognizing this allows us to approach challenges with a proactive mindset.Preparation is key: While we can't predict the future, we can be prepared to adapt by developing scenario planning and critical thinking skills.Embrace experimentation: Don't be afraid to try new things and learn from failures. Experimentation is crucial for innovation and growth.Stay informed and engaged: Be an active participant in shaping the future by staying informed about current events and engaging in meaningful conversations.Heffernan's insights offer valuable guidance for individuals and organizations alike, empowering them to navigate uncertainty with confidence and initiative.

Using Swag More Intentionally and Thoughtfully by Joseph SommerDiscover the dynamic world of promotional products with Joseph Sommer, the entrepreneurial mind behind Whitestone Branding. In this podcast, Joseph recounts his journey from a culinary enthusiast to the founder of a successful marketing agency. Uncover the challenges of saying "no," scaling a business, and securing major deals, including the Washington Nationals.Explore the evolution of Whitestone's marketing strategies, from overcoming scaling hurdles to rebranding for a polished image. Joseph sheds light on the misunderstood realm of promotional products, emphasizing strategic thinking over throwaway swag.Get real-world examples of impactful and misjudged promotional campaigns, along with insights into KPIs that define success. Joseph predicts the future of promotional products, envisioning a shift towards sustainability and creative integration into virtual and in-person events.Before you dive into promotional products, Joseph leaves you with three vital questions: Does it surprise and delight? Will it be used? Is it of high quality for a potential re-gift? If you resonate with two out of three, promotional products might be the strategic boost your brand needs.Join us for Promo Unveiled, where Joseph Sommer shares his expertise, providing a fresh take on turning swag into a potent tool for marketing success.

Jesse Cole is the owner of the viral sensation Savannah Bananas, a baseball team that has sold out every home game since the 2016 season. But it wasn’t like this at the beginning, as Jesse explains. With a lot of adversity came the realization that they had to be dramatically different, so they challenged themselves to create an unforgettable customer experience.

Join us in this episode as Hilary Corna, a seasoned professional with a background in process optimization at Toyota, unveils a groundbreaking approach that places humanity at the forefront of business. Discover how her unconventional, "unprofessional" approach encourages authenticity, allowing individuals and organizations to shed pretenses and connect on a genuine level, fostering a more loyal customer base.Intriguingly, Hilary kicks off the conversation by delving into the importance of embracing this human-centric philosophy, even within the realm of process optimization. We explore the correlation between improving the customer experience and directing the same effort towards understanding customers on a personal level.Hilary also shares insights from her recent transformative experience at Burning Man, shedding light on how it has shaped her perspective and influenced her clients in understanding their business's trajectory.What sets this episode apart is the wealth of practical examples Hilary provides, showcasing how businesses can infuse humanity into their operations. Learn from success stories like Scribe Media, who have personalized their invoices to add a human touch to otherwise mundane aspects of business. Tune in for a captivating discussion on revolutionizing the business landscape with a human-centric approach.

Welcome to today's episode of the Untangled Entrepreneur Podcast. In this edition, we delve into the insights and experiences of Jonathan Domsky, a seasoned entrepreneur with over two decades of expertise. As the Founder of Untangled Coaching, Jonathan's mission is to ignite the growth and potential of fellow entrepreneurs.In this exclusive Ask an Expert Interview, Jonathan shares his remarkable journey, from an impulsive decision resulting in the establishment of his first company, Kidorable, to his adept utilization of key industry connections that facilitated the rapid expansion of his business to over 2,500 retail locations.Moreover, he imparts invaluable wisdom on the significance of recognizing and nurturing one's passion and purpose, emphasizing the vital intersection between personal fulfillment, proficiency, societal needs, and financial viability.Listeners will gain profound insights into breaking detrimental habits and routines, as well as discovering the secrets behind sustained motivation and productivity in the ever-evolving landscape of remote work. Jonathan's tips on navigating complexities, both professional and personal, will undoubtedly inspire and guide you towards your own entrepreneurial success.Tune in as Jonathan Domsky unravels the fundamental principles that drive success, offering practical tools to cut through the noise and carve a path towards a purposeful and prosperous entrepreneurial journey.

When you think of how to describe Jake Dunlap, the words "sales guru" come to mind, but after interviewing him, that term seems too nuanced. Over the years, Jake has achieved great success in many sales positions, from execution to leadership, but over time he began to realize that office politics had no interest in him. He loved sales, tactics, processes, and customers, but realized the best way forward was to start his own business.That's why Jake founded Skaled in 2012, a sales consulting firm focused on developing repeatable and sustainable sales models and processes. To date, the company has outperformed its competitors in many industries, including some of the biggest brands everyone knows. Although many businesses faced many challenges in 2020, many of Scaled's customers were able to achieve significant revenue goals.

Join us on today's episode as we dive into the inspiring journey of our expert guest, Royal Marty. Discover how Royal's customer-centric approach breathed new life into a struggling, long-established business. Uncover the innovation behind the cutting-edge enzyme-based biochemical product, with applications ranging from road construction to soil conditioning.Royal opens up about the valuable lessons learned during a transformative rebranding process and shares insights into agile adaptation in the face of change. Don't miss his simplified explanation of enzymes for non-scientific minds.After navigating a rollercoaster year of rebranding, our guest found their stride with remarkable success at tradeshows. Learn how they adapted their strategy in response to unexpected challenges, delving into the world of impactful content creation, particularly through short, high-impact videos. Explore how these adjustments compressed their sales cycle and set the stage for a bright future.

Today's Ask an Expert guest, Kathleen Quinn Votaw, underwent a dramatic turn of events in a short span – from welcoming her baby boy to receiving a cancer diagnosis, all while navigating a tumultuous work environment in 2003.Inspired by a casual burger and beer date night and her husband's encouraging words, Kathleen embarked on a journey to revolutionize the recruitment industry. Her primary focus has always been aligning an organization's culture with the talent they seek, sometimes helping them implement internal changes for success.Kathleen discusses her early use of channel marketing for business growth and emphasizes the importance of providing value to your network. She shares her challenging but fulfilling experience writing "Solve the People Puzzle," comparing it to a labor of love and highlighting its impact on her brand and career.Lastly, Kathleen sheds light on the current recruitment landscape, addressing challenges faced by both employers and employees in today's uncertain times.

In this enlightening episode, join us as Nate Brown, the Chief Experience Officer at Officium Labs, delves into the often underestimated realm of customer experience (CX). With a wrestling belt award adorning his office wall as a testament to his CX prowess, Nate brings a wealth of insights to the table.Having honed his skills on the front lines and sought guidance from CX mentors, Nate has transformed into a sought-after thought leader. Tune in to discover how to assess your own customer experience, navigate the nuances between transactional and recurring business models, and effectively engage senior leadership (hint: leaders need not be at the forefront of support).Nate's wisdom extends to marketing too – learn why aligning marketing messages with actual customer experiences trumps embellishment. And don't miss his poignant revelation about prioritizing employee experience over CX. A personal anecdote underscores the critical role of front-line employees in shaping exceptional customer interactions.Join Nate as he unveils the layers of CX intricacies, redefining your understanding of this pivotal business facet. 🎧🚀

Accounting encompasses more than mere financial statements and tax preparation, as mentioned by today’s guest on Ask an Expert. Greg Crabtree serves as a partner at the accounting services firm Carr, Briggs and Ingram. He holds a reputation as an international speaker and acclaimed author, known for his work titled "Simple Numbers."Greg's perspective centers on the idea that accounting can serve as a potent tool to aid owners and management in effectively operating businesses. It further facilitates enhancing profits and reinvestment in business operations.From assessing labor efficiency ratios to evaluating capital profit reinvestment, there are uncomplicated yet profound ways to harness the potential of accounting for business management.Greg has encapsulated these concepts and metrics in his publication, "Simple Numbers." He is also on the verge of unveiling his upcoming book, "Simple Numbers 2.0," delving into even more insightful methods to harness intelligent accounting techniques.Finally, as many of you are aware, I am consistently intrigued by the strategies and content creation approaches of business owners. Regarding writing, Greg shares his approach of retreating for a weekend with a goal of producing 5,000 words, ensuring he remains on course. However, it's his philosophy of aspiring to change the world rather than focusing solely on marketing that has allowed him to achieve both objectives.

Allan Dib, author of the wildly popular book “The 1-Page Marketing Plan” comes on the show and shares a ton of useful information so get ready to take notes.  Allan’s background is in technology, but he learned a valuable lesson early on that even if you’re the best in your industry if you’re not also very good at marketing you’re going to struggle.“A dollar from your ideal customer is much more valuable than a dollar from just any random customer even though your bank manager will tell you they’re equal, they’re not equal it’s the principle of the unequal dollar”Allan DibAllan then dove head-first into marketing realizing that there had to be a better way, and the 1-Page Marketing Plan was born.  Allan and his company at Success Wise have used this to help countless businesses simplify, and more importantly, get more out of their marketing.Today he shares specific marketing strategies from strategic targeting, improving the customer experience, and then how you turn those happy customers into referral channels.  He also shares the importance, and the technique, to developing a good team for your business.  Finally, we talk about the importance of augmenting your marketing vs. strictly automating your marketing.

Sorry folks, but… “Nobody cares about your product but you,” states David Meerman Scott. David has been studying businesses across countlessDavid recently co-authored the best-selling book “Fanocracy” which details why, and how, you should focus on turning your customers into fans.  Naturally, you need to have a good product or service, but if you can put the needs of your customers at the forefront, and then focus on developing an engaging experience you can start to create a tribal community.  These customers will not only end up becoming stickier to your brand for the long haul, but they will also become your best source of new referrals.Reiko Scott, David’s daughter,  has earned a degree in neuroscience so there is tangible science that helps explains how exactly fanocracy works.  David also highlights Pelaton and Haggerty Insurance as two brands that are excelling at creating tribal fans.We also talk about the importance of passion in your business and how you express that to your customers and the marketplace.  While leading a mastermind group at a Tony Robbins seminar, David was challenged by an attendee that said his profession as a dentist wasn’t that passionate.  A couple of questions later David had tapped into the dentist’s personal passion of skateboarding and recommended he try to infuse that into his customer experience.  It took a while to figure out how, but a couple of years later the dentist’s revenue is up 30% and his patients have become raving fans.Finally, we talk about the science and power of proximity conversations and mirroring nuerons.  These are the part of our brain that fire, when we see someone else doing something but our mind can visualize as if it’s us doing it. Video is a medium that allows us to capitalize on both of these when we use a format just like this interview; casual conversations with faces close and centered on the camera.  We’ve all experienced the power of this these past few months, but mostly with our colleagues and family/friends.  David talks about how you can leveage this with your business to, and gives a visceral demonstration that highlights just how powerful it can be.

Accounting doesn’t have to suck, so Today’s Ask an Expert guest went out and improved it.  Spencer Sheinin, Founder and CEO of Shift Financial, literally wrote the book on how to simplify your financials so you can turn accounting into a powerful business lever.  We talk about his book, Entreprenumbers, and how his simplification strategy allows you to control and leverage your accounting, in fact, he gives you the 6 specific metrics you need to focus on.We also talk about cash flow and how you can use it as fuel to grow your business.  Finally, we also talk about the Pareto Principle, and how you can use this to identify your best clients, and then how you can go get more.

People don’t hate presentations, they hate crappy presentations according to Rich Mulholland.  Rich founded Missing Link over 20 years ago focused on helping individuals and organizations to develop and then deliver presentations that aren’t just memorable, but ones that drive action.Rich has spoken and given presentations all around the world and has helped elevate the audience experience for tens of thousands of people.  Today he gives actionable insights from the 4 pillars of a successful presentation to the technology you should be using.He also shares his own personal passion for board games and how he’s incorporated that passion into helping companies generate stronger engagement and bonds.  Finally, we talk about a best-in-class example of a company that has literally jumped into the content generation space before it even knew what they were doing.  They’re a great example of how focusing on how if you wait until everything is perfect then you’ll be waiting forever.

The biggest financial winners are those that can leave their emotion at the door and capitalize on becoming countercyclical says today’s Ask an Expert David Waddell.  With over 900 clients nationwide, David’s wealth management firm Waddell & Associates take a holistic approach to growing wealth.  David talks about the distinction between asset management and wealth management, and why the latter is a better approach to financial growth.  He also talks about what he’s seen from the market in the past few months, and more importantly what he sees in the future.  He also talks about how too many people focus solely on the P&L.  While that’s important from day-to-day operations, he talks about how leveraging the balance sheet can have a tremendous impact on growing the business.