In this episode, Tom and Andres Giraldo discuss:

• How to market your business in the modern era.
• Why business leaders often pay too much for advertising.
• How to take the ego out of advertising.
• Why it's important to build your brand.

Key Takeaways:

• Online technology has changed the way consumers learn about and, potentially, interact with your product/service.
• Your culture should be strong enough to attract OR reject someone who does/doesn't fit your company.
• If you're willing to help people without asking for much in return, you'll help build your brand by word of mouth.
• Once you take the ego out of advertising, you can focus on what's actually helping/hurting your brand.

Connect with Andres Giraldo CEO & Managing Partner, The Skyline Agency:

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.theskylineagency.com

Phone: 972-861-0416

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom and Matt Hoffman discuss:

• How the hotel industry is changing.
• What a short-term rental is.
• How technology is affecting travel.
• Why you should communicate with everyone on your team.

Key Takeaways:

• Your ideas are a commodity and should be treated that way.
• Your culture should be understood by everyone at your company.
• Effective communication is needed at every level of your business.
• The short-term rental industry is changing faster because of technology.

Connect with Matt Hoffman, CEO, Kigo:

Phone: 855-977-0843 

Website: https://www.kigo.net/

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom and Mike "Batman" Cohen discuss:

• The ethics of modern recruiting.
• How to find employees that fit YOUR company.
• How to set yourself apart from the competition.
• Why a strong culture will attract better job applicants.

Key Takeaways:

• The internet has made it possible for potential hires AND prospects to research your business before ever meeting.
• Never be afraid to support others, even your competition in some cases, as they can provide a referral network and build your brand/culture.
• Don't ever "commoditize" other people, ESPECIALLY not your prospects and/or potential hires.
• Just as in sales, a hands-on approach can help your search for a potential hire that actually fits your company.

Connect with Mike "Batman" Cohen Founder, Wayne Technologies, Inc.:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/gothamtechtalk/

Website: www.waynetechnologiesinc.com/

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom discusses:

• The differences between coaching and mentoring.
• When/how often to coach your team.
• How to be successful at coaching.
• Why most people don't know how to coach.

Key Takeaways:

• If you're telling your team what to do, you're NOT coaching, you're supervising.
• A good leader should spend about 60% of their time coaching.
• If there's new products, guidelines, etc, it's okay to step back into a supervisory role.
• You should always set aside time EACH week to have a coaching session.

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom and Michael Welch discuss:

• The growing CBD and hemp industry.
• The recent farm bill that legalized growing hemp.
• How to learn from your competitors.
• Why research is key to kickstarting a new business.

Key Takeaways:

• Your competitors are your best benchmarks for success/failure in your industry.
• Research your industry, competitors, products, and services as much as you can before starting a new business.
• While some businesses may not seem profitable at first, a slight pivot in your product/service can lead to success.
• When hiring, always look for candidates who are qualified as well as fans of your product/service.

Connect with Michael Welch President & CEO, Rocky Mountain High Brands:

Website: www.Hempd.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/livehempd

Twitter: @LiveHEMPd

You can also click here to buy their products on Amazon.

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom and Chris Rawley discuss:

• Why it's important to invest in your industry.
• How to develop a niche market.
• The farming industry and how it's changing.
• How to use technology to drive new business.

Key Takeaways:

• The internet can help bring older industries into the modern era.
• Even when it comes to investing, appealing to a wider audience can help you grow your company.
• As the agricultural industry grows, so too does the economy.
• Adopting ethical business standards helps drive a company's success.

Connect with Chris Rawley Founder & CEO, Harvest Returns:

Website: www.HarvestReturns.com

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/harvest-returns/

Twitter: @HarvestReturns

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom discusses:

• The four roles every leader should "play".
• How to transition between each role.
• The importance of each role.
• Why becoming a sales coach has become so popular.

Key Takeaways:

• An effective leader spends about 40% of their time supervising.
• Supervisors should be collecting data.
• Coaches and mentors should take a "hands-off" approach to leadership.
• Leaders may have a hard time mentoring more than one or two people at a time. 

Want to learn more about coaching? Send Tom your questions to be answered on the next episode of the DFW Business Podcast! 

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom discusses:

• The importance of learning, and RE-learning something.
• Why training can be a waste of time.
• Why being open to change is so important.
• The B.A.G.E.L.S. approach to journaling.

Key Takeaways:

• Change is painful but necessary.
• Accountability partners can help when learning something new.
• If you journal every day, you can track your growth.
• Too often we keep our heads down, working hard, without admiring what's already around us.

Click here to learn more about the book "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar" that Tom mentioned. 

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom discusses:

• Why the best way to grow a company is through sales.
• Why hiring the RIGHT salespeople can be tough, especially in 2019.
• How to understand your own hiring process.
• How to find the RIGHT salesperson for your organization.

Key Takeaways:

• Only about 15% of a resume has reliable information.
• To stop candidates from "acting" during the interview, put them in a real-world "selling" environment.
• Your hiring process needs to include on-boarding AND compensation plans.
• If you're not tracking EVERYTHING a salesperson needs to do in order to be successful at your company, how will you know if they've worked out or not?

To learn more hiring best practices, click here to check out our upcoming Hiring Boot Camp on Feb 28th, 2019.

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode, Tom discusses:

• What a business culture is and how to understand yours.
• Why every business should have a list of "best practices" to follow.
• How to come up with a sales plan for 2019.
• Why reaching out to old customers/prospects can increase your bottom line.

Key Takeaways:

• When coming up with a plan to follow for the New Year, it's important to find out what worked best in years passed.
• It's not enough to simply come up with a plan to follow, you have to track your progress at least monthly.
• Old customers and previously uninterested prospects can be a great source of new business.
• Never be afraid to ask for referrals... you might be surprised how many people enjoy helping you out.

Connect with Tom Niesen Owner & CEO, Acuity Systems, Inc:

Phone: 972-860-8695 x223

Website: www.SalesMadeEasy.com

Email: [email protected]