Brett Trainor Unplugged

Getting word out about your product is one thing. But getting your buyers to hear your message is another.

Nothing has been more relevant in this day and age than the use of online marketing tools to connect with your buyers. Simply spreading the message without putting too much thought in the value you’re giving in your interactions with prospects is just not going to work anymore.

In this episode, we’ll talk about making your content crispier for your prospective clients with Diana Mitchell, Digital Marketing Consultant at Peoplemover. 

If you want to find out what makes your customers tick, then this episode is a gold mine of incredible and insightful information for you.

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

Being a fractional CMO before it was a thing [01:39]

The experience of being a guest on Oprah [02:26]

Opportunities are present in B2B marketing [03:50]

How companies reacted to the pandemic [05:59]

Invest in buyer enablement instead of sales enablement [09:07]

Your online content has to be up to par [13:56]

Don’t be afraid to give away 99% of your great stuff [16:09]

Now’s the time to have conversations and give value [17:34]

Focus on what your prospects would like to hear [21:31]

Treat your customers like prospects and your prospects like customers [27:57]

Re-engage with those already in your customer database [33:24]

Three things new founders should do [35:23]

Provide value, don’t sell [38:02]

Get yourself a good writer [39:08]

What’s next for Diana [41:17]

The one thing Diana recommends [42:04]

About Our Guest:

Diana Mitchell appeared as a two-time guest in Oprah and in a movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger. She is an Outsourcing Content & Digital Marketing Manager as well as Marketing Coach & Mentor at Peoplemover, helping junior marketing teams excel, and increasing leads and revenue for companies through her senior-level marketing team. In the next few months, Diana is preparing to launch her podcast “Moms Who Lead” designed for leaders who are supermoms at the same time.

Connect with Diana on LinkedIn.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Rising up from bankruptcy to finding your true path is an amazing achievement. 

Just as we’re facing uncertain times in our lives, a lot have started to reconsider their priorities and how they’ve been living their lives.

Which is why we have a very timely episode today with Sean Rosensteel, who shares why it’s so important for founders to become more intentional with their lives. You’ll get not just the reason for living intentionally, but also how you can do so.

No matter where you are in your life’s journey, this episode has so much value for you!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

Overview of Sean’s new book and the journey to writing it [01:59]

How the COVID-19 pandemic affected the release of his book [03:07]

The things that led to him writing his book [05:23]

Reaching the turning point that got Sean into taking responsibility for himself [08:39]

How the choice to be intentional came about [13:13]

The need to identify what intrinsically motivates us [17:31]

Who you are becoming is more important than what you get [20:30]

The right timing of the book during this reset [23:59]

Real magic happens in the constant state of balancing [25:46]

What is important changes at different times in your life [26:30]

Adapting the framework to business [28:07]

Attract people by showing your vulnerability [30:35]

People buy from people [34:14]

What’s next for Sean [35:29]

The one thing that Sean recommends [37:45]

About Our Guest:

After finding himself bankrupt at age 28, Sean Rosensteel realized that, in order to attain happiness and fulfillment, he has to break free from conventional wisdom. As a consultant, coach, trainer, and now, book author, he has a passion for helping others. He has recently published his first book, “The School of Intentional Living: A Real-World Approach to Living Life on Your Terms" and also founded The Intentional Living Academy to support his readers on a deeper level.

Go ahead and grab a copy of his new book on Amazon and Audible. 

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Getting a customer to buy your product after trying for so many hours, days, or weeks is a priceless feeling. Imagine if you can do it in just minutes.

Most entrepreneurs make the rookie mistake of building a business without a framework in mind. Thus, the client intake and sales process become a massive mess that creates a lot of friction and will eventually tire them out in the years to come. However, it’s not too late to unravel the chaos.

Today, Anthony Coundouris, author of run_frictionless, shares with us the 4Qs that will help solve your sales problems.

Make things easier for you and your client by tuning in to this show now!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

Overview of today’s topic [01:18]

Being occupied in creating the playbook [01:40]

The path that led to writing run_frictionless [03:04]

The type of companies Anthony worked with [04:42]

Scale yourself out of the business rather than throw yourself out [06:05]

The value of a sale that didn’t need the founder’s involvement [07:58]

The 4 Quadrants as a decision-making framework [10:11]

Making sure your products or services are aligned with the right customer [14:12]

Understand the limitations of your product or service [17:15]

Why a Q1 and Q3 fit is better [20:43]

The importance of selling to those who share your belief [24:22]

Sharing your Q3 with an online audience [30:53]

Hire someone who shares the same beliefs [33:35]

Serve your customers in the fastest way possible [36:32]

What’s next for Anthony [43:35]

The one thing Anthony recommends [44:35]

About Our Guest:

Anthony Coundouris is the founder and author of run_frictionless, a playbook that helps entrepreneurs achieve predictable sales. He has assisted in scaling small and large businesses for a decade and has consulted with big companies worldwide. With his experience as a founder for two startups, he has seen where businesses fail short and is dedicated to guiding companies out of that direction.

You can connect with Anthony on LinkedIn.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

One of the biggest myths in business is that you, the business owner, have to be the one to manage it day in, day out.

However, by setting the wheels of systemization in motion, you’ll see how your business can run without it being too dependent on you.

Today is Part 2 with Dave Jenyns as he shares about the six stages of SYSTEMology that will allow you to remove yourself from your business from time to time.

Enhance your business process by tuning in to this episode!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

The six steps of the SYSTEMology process [01:00]

Define stage: Mapping out the Critical Client Flow [02:20]

By systemizing your process, you can remove yourself from the business [05:26]

Assign stage: Identifying the key team members [08:02]

Extract stage: Picking the brains of your team [09:49]

Integrate stage: Getting the buy-in from the staff [16:00]

People resist systemization and eventually stop [18:36]

Scale stage: Systemizing the business as a whole [20:51]

Optimization stage: Monitoring your metrics [24:59]

The next step for Dave [27:47]

The one thing Dave recommends [31:39]

About Our Guest:

Dave Jenyns is the author of the upcoming book SYSTEMology and the host of the podcast Business Processes Simplified. As the Founder and CEO of systemHUB, he is keen on building systems that free small business owners from the day-to-day operations of their companies. 

Having systemized himself out of this business and hired a CEO to run it, Dave was able to pursue opportunities that he would have missed out on had he needed to be present running his company.

You can reach Dave through any of his social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast.

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

The sad reality faced by startups nowadays is that they’re unable to build systems in place that allow them to run smoothly.

Most think of systems in terms of the ones used by big corporations, which do not fit the needs of small businesses.

Thus, I invited Dave Jenyns to share how he was able to systemize himself out of his company which later allowed him to pursue a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

We have a phenomenal episode here that continues on to Part 2 next week. So stay tuned!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

The business of creating systems [02:22]

A business system as the last piece to scaling [05:41]

The importance of having great people [09:06]

There is value in systems for the startup space [11:31]

Systems create space for other opportunities [13:49]

The project with Michael Gerber of The E-Myth [17:32]

When more doors start to open [21:30]

Where SYSTEMology comes in [22:17]

About Our Guest:

Dave Jenyns is the author of the upcoming book SYSTEMology and the host of the podcast Business Processes Simplified. As the Founder and CEO of systemHUB, he is keen on building systems that frees small business owners from the day-to-day operations of their companies. 

Having systemized himself out of this business and hired a CEO to run it, Dave was able to pursue opportunities that he would have missed out on had he needed to be present running his company.

You can reach Dave through any of his social media pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Do you ever wonder why no matter how great an idea you have, you struggle with making it click? A perfect dream is just that unless you can turn it into reality.

But all it probably needs is the right person to work on your vision.

In this week’s podcast episode, Mark C. Winters joins us in an informative episode on the execution problem faced by most startups, the integrator as key to solving that, the relationship between visionaries and integrators, and how to find the right partner for your business.

If business hasn’t grown as much as you like then this episode is a must for you!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

Mark’s line of work [02:28]

Visionary and integrator defined [04:11]

Great ideas are not powerful if you can’t execute them [07:13]

An integrator doesn’t have to be a co-founder [08:21]

What motivated Mark to write the book [12:14]

The five rules and five tools in the ‘Rocket Fuel’ journey [13:23]

Staying on the same page is essential in a business marriage [15:48]

Identifying a visionary and an integrator [21:43]

The essence of the seven-step connection process [23:38]

Finding your integrator [25:03]

The downside with an assessment score overlap [27:52]

Determining if the visionary and integrator are a good fit [31:11]

The next step for Rocket Fuel [34:44]

One thing Mark recommends [38:08]

About Our Guest:

Mark C. Winters is the co-author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller ‘Rocket Fuel.’ He is also the CEO of Rocket Fuel Ventures, a company that helps entrepreneurs achieve business success by helping visionaries partner up with integrators.

You can reach Mark through any of his social media pages, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

You’ve heard from B2B founders who have successfully scaled their businesses, but have you taken a look at the fundamentals that allowed them to get to the point of scaling their business?

In today’s episode, I’m going to share with you a checklist you can use to make sure startup fundamentals are covered and to verify that activities have been covered.

Get ready to find out how you can if your startup is ready to grow.

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

What are the objectives and vision you’re driving towards? [01:44]

Document your risks and restraints [02:29] 

Identify customer pain points [03:12]

Communicate the value drivers of your products or services [04:52]

Do a competitive analysis of others in your space [06:31]

Pick a single vertical to dive into [07:05]

Check how big the market is [07:57]

Breakdown revenue into acquisition, retention, and expansion [09:02]

Understand key financial metrics [10:41]

Look at the customer lifetime value [12:41]

Differentiate yourself with content marketing [14:02]

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

Most startups prioritize customer experience above all else. While that’s something to strive for, it isn’t easily ingrained into your employees. So how do you make sure your employees start valuing your customers more?

The answer? By improving employee experience.

Today’s subject matter expert, Gil Cohen talks about creating a positive employee experience that translates into a positive customer experience, how values go hand-in-hand with hiring the right people, and how to improve employee connections in a remote work setting.

If you are struggling with keeping your employees engaged, then let this episode serve as your guide and tune in!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

His history with employee experience and how it shaped his company [02:18]

Employee experience vs employee engagement [04:00] 

The essence of understanding your whys and your values [07:14]

Finding the right fit for your company [10:54]

Two things to consider before hiring employees [15:43]

How to incorporate employee experience into your organization [21:46]

Redesigning the culture of a growing startup company [24:46]

The result of good employee experience and engagement [27:50]

How to improve employee connections in a remote-work environment [30:42]

Having the right people in the right roles [34:06]

The next move for Employee Experience Design [37:32]

One thing that Gil recommends [38:48]

About Our Guest:

Gil Cohen is the founder of Employee Experience Design, a company that helps organizations co-create experiences that have better outcomes for both people and businesses. With his several years of experience as an Employee Experience expert in an IT company in Toronto, Canada, he has then catapulted himself into success despite the pandemic.

You can connect with Gil through his LinkedIn.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

The travel industry is one of those most affected by the current pandemic we’re on. We anticipate that the recession we’ve entered will likely kill many businesses in this industry.

Surprisingly, there is one travel company that’s growing in the midst of all stalemate in travel. But we find that their ability to thrive is based on their use of mindset-driven marketing.

Which is why we continue on the theme of buyer enablement in today’s episode. Revenue coach Kristin Zhivago is here with us as we talk about leveraging your customer’s mindset to grow your business, looking at the customer’s perspective on why they’re buying from you, why sales and marketing cannot be isolated, and much more.

If you’re a B2B company interested in approaching growth this way, then this is just the right episode for you!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

The journey from traditional advertising to digital marketing [01:45]

We’ve been incorrectly assuming what customers want [05:55]

Why you shouldn’t focus on features and benefits [11:36]

Don’t forget about the post-sale journey [17:14]

Reaching customers outside your network [19:40] 

Marketing and sales should not be separate [26:43]

Customers just want their questions answered [29:33]

Her excitement over mindset marketing [33:47]

One thing she recommends [35:00]

About Our Guest:

Kristin Zhivago is the President at Zhivago Partners. Zhivago helps partners increase their revenue by providing digital marketing management services. Kristin’s book, “Roadmap to Revenue: How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy”, has been named the Top 6 Marketing & Sales Books by Forbes.

You can get access to her guide on mindset-driven marketing, her book, and more resources on her website.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/

With 400 million users, LinkedIn has become the most useful social network for B2B marketers. It's a platform for people to connect with colleagues and learn more about their industry.

LinkedIn is an excellent source of traffic that is underutilized by most. One main reason is because of the unfamiliarity with leveraging the opportunities there.

In another series featuring subject matter experts, we have LinkedIn expert Anthony Blatner with us as we talk about best practices for targeting niche audiences at scale, organic vs. paid advertising, upcoming new tools, and much more.

Learn more about his wonderful and important LinkedIn tips by tuning in to the show!

Resource Links:

We’ll be talking about:

Working in an undervalued area as a LinkedIn focused agency [02:00]

Tips for maximizing your organic reach [06:21]

Improving engagement on LinkedIn posts [09:32]

LinkedIn articles vs. LinkedIn posts [11:45]

Best practice for linking to outside posts, videos, or sites [13:22] 

Optimizing LinkedIn paid ads [14:57]

Tactics for shifting through leads [21:14]

Why you should specific with targeting [23:44]

Leveraging your ad analytics [26:52]

Advantages of LinkedIn ads over Google and Facebook [28:17]

Upcoming new LinkedIn features Anthony is excited about [32:37]

One thing Anthony recommends everyone to do [35:53]

About Our Guest:

Anthony Blatner is the CMO at Modern Media Advertising, an agency focused on organic and paid LinkedIn advertising. As a LinkedIn advertising expert, Anthony is a great resource for early-stage entrepreneurs.

You can connect with Anthony through his LinkedIn.

If you liked this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, tune in, and share this podcast. 

Connect with B2B Founder: 

Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCySoKsETeKxu-Fnf2VfE7Gg/