Growth Think Tank

The meaning of leadership today is shifting significantly and it's for the better. Join us on this podcast with Kare Anderson who says that leaders who possess a "WE not ME" mentality have greater impact for the collective. By truly knowing ourselves on a deep level, we can choose others to collaborate with. Leaders often think they've got to create impact on their own but according to Kare, this is not so! Lean in to this inspiring episode!

Get the show notes for 156 | Shifting from Me to We for Impactful Leadership with Kare Anderson

Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @KareAnderson ‏ #Impact #MeaningofLeadership #ShiftingSignificantly #Episode156 #Podcasts

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The meaning of leadership today is shifting significantly and it’s for the better. Join us on this podcast with Kare Anderson who says that leaders who possess a “WE not ME” mentality have greater impact for the collective. By truly knowing ourselves on a deep level, we can choose others to collaborate with. Leaders often think they’ve got to create impact on their own but according to Kare, this is not so! Lean in to this inspiring episode!

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Target Audience: Kare’s clients are as diverse as Salesforce, Novartis, S.F. Giants and The Skoll Foundation. Her message focuses on helping leaders transform their thinking from “Me to We.”

[spp-tweet "“There’s a desire of finding mutual sweet spots of interest” ~Kare Anderson"]

Kare was raised not to talk about herself. She was predominantly shy, an observer and a daydreamer. She wondered about the people around her and collected insights into their motives and behaviors. She became a journalist and worked in Europe, The Wall Street Journal, NBC and Forbes. Throughout her journey, she has been surrounded by great mentors. She currently speaks about connective behavior.

[spp-tweet "“Some of our greatest allies are those with different temperaments that ours ~Kare Anderson"]

According to Kare, we are increasingly talking about ourselves in today’s world. An ever increasing amount of us are leaving the traditional world of working for others and are working on our own. We seek to have a deep and meaningful connections with others. There’s a strong desire for finding mutual sweet spots of interest and to create meaningful collaborations.

David Rockefeller Jr said : “Kare focuses changing how you see yourself and your world.” Kare truly believes some of our greatest allies are those with different temperaments. We must know ourselves first so we can identify those other people. It is this sense of mutuality that gives us additional lenses into perceiving the world around us. It’s not about just striving for just yourself anymore, but striving for the collective and working together.

[spp-tweet "“Everything we learn puts us on a path for deeper learning. ~Kare Anderson"]

We often make assumptions regarding others’ motives and this leads to misunderstandings. A book entitled Mindwise by Nicholas Epley sheds light on how we can feel more connected to each other.

“If your leadership is not all about you it will live beyond you” ~Andy Stanley. Everything we learn puts us on a path for deeper learning. Our emotional intelligence is twofold. Kare questions how can we use it? Are we using it for the greater good? The focus of leadership is shifting according to Kare. Leaders must be connective leaders. They must be aware of their own temperament and talents. This guides a leader into identifying other leaders with complementary temperament and collaborating with them. Leaders who focus on the collective and embody an “US” attitude have a more meaningful impact.

[spp-tweet "“I believe we have to go slow to go fast” ~Kare Anderson"]

Kare believes we have to go slow to go fast. We shouldn’t always be the smartest person in the room. The leaders who are most productive are those that attract complementary partners. Collectively, they find their sweet spot together and are of greater service as a consequence.

It is true that we respond quicker and stronger to what we don’t like. This is our survival reaction. If you want to know yourself and understand what you care about, pay attention to what bugs you and on the flip side of that is what you care about. Kare wrote a course on “Dealing with Difficult People.” If you know what characters bug you, you know your hot buttons and you can consciously choose your reactions better. You can choose to behave out of grace. You can choose how you respond in interactions with all people (those you don’t respect and those you do) - it’s for the collective.

[spp-tweet "“The leaders who are most productive are those that attract complementary partners” ~Kare Anderson "]

Kare shares a personal story about being in the trenches and how she became more resilient as a result. Prior to this Kare used to stand on sidelines. Someone she knew was once wrongly accused of a murder. It was in this moment she chose to come forth and stood up for what was right. This served as a building block for future times. She also recognized that those who stood with her were the right people for her in her life.

• Why you must know yourself
• The importance of choosing people with contrasting temperaments to yours
• Why Leaders who have an US mentality have greater impact
• Why you must stand for something
• Be specific about what you like vs. what you don’t
• How awareness leads to graceful response

Specificity. What do you stand for? What’s the key benefit of your company so people can draw conclusions and meaning for themselves.

• Resources and Links
• Say It Better Website ~ CTA: What resonated and what do you disagree with?
• Kare on Twitter
• Mindwise By Nicholas Epley 
• Reach out to Gene for your biz concerns 
• Join Momentum Mondays
• Join Mastery
• Ready to take the STAGE? Get more info here!
• Leave a review on itunes
• Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.

Connect with me too on LinkedIn or Twitter @genehammett.

Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable.  Apply Now!

And lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!

I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on my website. I've learned what to do and what not to do and my advice is this: Be Tactful. Before you jump into handing over your credit card to the next service promising you leads, I want you to take a step back and get to really know your ideal client. Nothing you do can be effective if you are not drawing in your ideal clients to your website. And you know what else? If you're not a big fan of marketing, I've got good news for you. When you do it right and when you provide real VALUE to your ideal clients, it doesn't feel like marketing. Lean in for all this and more...

Get the show notes for 155 | Digital Marketing: What's Working Now Episode 3 of 3 Gene Hammett

Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett #IdealClient #RealValue #Marketing #Episode155 #Podcasts

Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!

I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on my website. I’ve learned what to do and what not to do and my advice is this: Be Tactful. Before you jump into handing over your credit card to the next service promising you leads, I want you to take a step back and get to really know your ideal client. Nothing you do can be effective if you are not drawing in your ideal clients to your website. And you know what else? If you’re not a big fan of marketing, I’ve got good news for you. When you do it right and when you provide real VALUE to your ideal clients, it doesn’t feel like marketing. Lean in for all this and more..

Are you guessing what and how things are converting on your website? A lot of people do it this way and if you're one of those people, you really want to lean into this episode. Today's podcast guest, Dustin Drees tells us why it's so important to drop the guessing game and determine what the real numbers are for optimal success. Plus, with the technology we've got at hand, determining numbers has become an exact science. As always, if you're not into the numbers and research game, you want to hire someone to do that for you since this is a crucial factor for your business.

Get the show notes for 154 | Digital Marketing: What's Working Now Episode 2 of 3 with Dustin Drees

Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @dustindrees #Technology #ExactScience #CrucialFactor #Episode154 #Podcasts

Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!

Are you guessing what and how things are converting on your website? A lot of people do it this way and if you’re one of those people, you really want to lean into this episode. Today’s podcast guest, Dustin Drees tells us why it’s so important to drop the guessing game and determine what the real numbers are for optimal success. Plus, with the technology we’ve got at hand, determining numbers has become an exact science. As always, if you’re not into the numbers and research game, you want to hire someone to do that for you since this is a crucial factor for your business.

Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.

Target Audience: Dustin’s target audience includes clients who have at least 20,000 unique visitors to their website per month. His aim is to improve their revenue and conversions online.

[spp-tweet "“We’re in a spot where data is so readily available" ~Dustin Drees"]

So why should we care about conversion anyway? Conversions are important because they represent what’s working or what’s not working on your website. Most of the time, it is revenue focused. So, if there’s a certain revenue mark you want to attain, you can claim a clear business plan to get you to your goal. If the plan isn’t working, conversion rates reveal that and you can then create a new plan. If you aren’t aware of your conversion rates, you’ve got no control of what needs to change or what should stay the same.

[spp-tweet "“There’s always room for improvement” ~Dustin Drees"]

Dustin became a Conversion Rate Optimization Expert after spending a long time in the web industry. He was doing lots of freelancing around design and would often want to know what the impacts of his designs were. He was curious about whether his clients were seeing the benefits of his work. While Dustin very well knows the value of good design, he reached a point where he wanted to do more than just design.

Dustin realized CONVERSION was the type of conversation he’d been wanting to have with clients and was at a point where he could do that. He decided to specialize his work and began measuring impact for his clients. We’re in a spot of our technological evolution where data is so readily available. Dustin says everyone can have access to tools and we can really watch the impact of what we do online. We are not left to assumption anymore unless we choose to be.

Split A/B testing: VWO

According to Dustin, solid research provides analytics but also gives a view of the qualitative side (which is even more important). This helps you to know WHO is coming to your site. This in turn helps you to tweak your messaging and language.

[spp-tweet "“What is your site doing to get them to stick around?” ~Dustin Drees"]

Another reason it is so important for business owners to look at their conversions is because there is always room for improvement. You can always be doing better on your website and you want to be continually refining. You want to get the most out of it you can. A website that converts not only generates more revenue but allows you to build community. Community and and creating a movement is the real reason we’ve got websites to begin with. Getting acquainted with your visitors allows you to perfect your messaging which will attract more of the same types of people.

While a nice clean design does give you authority and legitimacy, what is your site doing to get them to stick around? Driving the RIGHT people through your funnel are the ones who are going to buy.

[spp-tweet "“Can you elicit a behavior or action out of them by connecting properly?” ~Dustin Drees"]

Beware of case studies. They can sometimes be faulty and limited. “Best Practices” people claim are not the best for all conversions. Run your own tests and determine what works best for you and your site. Studying conversion helps you to understand what works and what doesn't on a visual level too. By understanding emotion for example, can you elicit a behavior or action out of visitors and connect with them accordingly.

[spp-tweet "“Get out there and know your customers better than you think you already do” ~Dustin Drees"]

• Why you need to drop the guessing game
• How measured conversion measures what works
• How conversion can help you edit your system
• Tools to help you with conversion
• Why you need to know exactly who is visiting your site
• Why a website is never complete

[spp-tweet "“You can always be doing better on your website” ~Dustin Drees"]

Get out there and get to know your customers better than you think you already do. Find and ask the right questions to them at the RIGHT time in the buying process. ASK. you may think you already know their problems, but you don’t. Start there. Everyday- you should continue to evolve- it is a constant process. A website is never done.

• Contact Dustin directly: [email protected]
• Dustin on Twitter 
• Dustin's Website
• Recommended Conversion Tool
• Reach out to Gene for your biz concerns 
• Join Momentum Mondays
• Join Mastery
• Ready to take the STAGE? Get more info here!
• Leave a review on itunes
• Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.

Do you have questions about today’s episode!?

Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable.  Apply Now!

And lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!

I know you've seen lots of entrepreneurs out there killing it online through social media. Are you wondering how you can do it too? Well our guest Andrew Medal today tells us how his company Agent Beta helps entrepreneurs do just that! Digital Marketing is a gigantic field and guess what? It's growing at a super speed like never before. An entrepreneur, you've got tons of tasks you're juggling, so what are you willing to let go of? Find out why it's better to hand this off to experts in this field to grow your business without going insane!

Get the show notes for 153 | Digital Marketing: What's Working Now Episode 1 of 3 Andrew Medal

Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @AndrewMedal #entrepreneurs #DigitalMarketing #Experts #Episode153 #Podcasts

Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!

I know you’ve seen lots of entrepreneurs out there killing it online through social media. Are you wondering how you can do it too? Well our guest Andrew Medal today tells us how his company Agent Beta helps entrepreneurs do just that! Digital Marketing is a gigantic field and guess what? It’s growing at a super speed like never before. An an entrepreneur, you’ve got tons of tasks you’re juggling, so what are you willing to let go of? Find out why it’s better to hand this off to experts in this field to grow your business without going insane!

Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode

Andrew’s Target Audience: Andrew’s company Agent Beta serves small businesses and all different types of clients including the public sector. There is a big focus on Crossfit athletes as well as media companies.

[spp-tweet "“Digital marketing is always moving” ~Andrew Medal"]

Agent Beta focuses on helping businesses create the right content, marketing that content and retargeting that to prospects. Andrew shares that there are so many aspects to digital marketing. Likewise, it’s a market that is always moving and in a way, you have to stay “in the trenches” to understand what’s going on. The areas one must focus on to stay in the game are:

1) content marketing

2) social media marketing

3) retargeting and remarketing. Tons of success and results can be attained by focusing on these areas.

[spp-tweet "“In 2013 small business owners spent 44 billion collectively on content marketing” ~Andrew Medal"]

CONTENT MARKETING= The purpose of content marketing is to provide value to your target market. It also reflects your expertise and shows your branding. In 2013, small business owners spent 44 billion dollars collectively on content marketing. This continues to grow.

Some common mistakes people make with a content marketing plan according to Andrew:
1) They automate too much. There is a place and purpose when it comes to automation. (i.e- using buffer, hootsuite, etc). Go ahead and automate but do not automate everything. It lessens the potential to build that KLT factor.
2) The Messaging is off. Some biz owners don’t truly know their audience. Or they are speaking solely of themselves and not expressing what is in it for the client.

Andrew’s team focuses on getting their clients to produce 4 blog posts per month. Then, in the social media marketing phase communicate with people directly to gain feedback. Test different titles and ask them what grabs their attention more. http://buzzsumo.com/ is great tool for this because it allows you to see what gets shared the most. so they view what a competitor is putting out there and craft their titles by that standard- while also adding a unique spin to a similar type piece of content

Other Tools for Social Media Marketing..
Crowd Fire is another great tool https://www.crowdfireapp.com/logout where grow your socail networks. This works by following your competitors followers whom will then start following you. This builds a super targeted following. It is simple and web based. Another tool to check out is Adespresso which optimizes facebook ads. http://adespresso.com/home2/

RETARGETING:
Also known as: remarketing. This is something you set up on your website. When someone visits your site, a cookie is embedded within their browser. Your ad then follow them across the web. This is beneficial because when they want to learn more, you’ll be in their face and it also gives the illusion that you are everywhere (authority) on the web. From a cost standpoint- you don’t pay unless they click, so it is cost effective.

[spp-tweet "“Entrepreneurs don’t let go of what they should” ~Andrew Medal"]

What’s working right now when it comes to Facebook marketing? “Perfect Audience” gives you a $300 credit when you sign up to start your first targeting ad. It integrates with Facebook, Twitter and all across the web.

What’s the biggest mistake people are making that is holding them back? Andrew says some people aren’t willing to let go. Sometimes, entrepreneurs don’t let go of what they should and let an expert handle it when appropriate.

[spp-tweet "“Go out and find someone that knows what they’re doing” ~Andrew Medal"]

• Why Agent Beta focuses on content marketing, social media marketing and retargeting
• Why producing consistent content is essential to business growth
• Mistakes people make in their content marketing plan
• Understanding the KLT factor
• Knowing your target audience
• What’s working right now with Facebook marketing
• Why handing off certain things to experts grows your biz and keeps you sane

Go out and find someone that knows what they’re doing. Look at what your competitors are doing. Start mapping out different ideas that could work for your own content (especially blog posts can be the best way to start). The same goes with social media marketing. Find out where your target market spends most of their time. Once you find this out, set up a facebook ads and then manage your demographics. Then for retargeting, go to perfect audience to set up an ad today!

• Personally connect with Andrew Medal: [email protected]
• Andrew on Twitter
• Andrew on Linkedin
• Track trending content with Buzzsumo
• Grow your audience on Instagram and Twitter 
• Optimize your Facebook ads
• Create your perfect audience on Facebook & show the right ad to the right person at the right time.
• Read Andrews weekly articles on Entrepreneur magazine 
• Reach out to Gene for your biz concerns 
• Join Momentum Mondays
• Join Mastery
• Ready to take the STAGE? Get more info here!
• Leave a review on itunes
• Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode

Do you have questions about today’s episode!?

Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable.  Apply Now!

And lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!

Do you have all the leads you can handle? Do you have high-quality leads for your business? Well, usually the answer is - I can use more of those, thank you. There are many ways to build leads for your business, but one powerful channel that many are not using is Facebook. Today's guest is Valerie Shoopman, who is a Social Media Expert...but her main focus is Facebook ads. Listen in to the interview as we discuss how you can focus on your ideal clients and get a steady stream of leads rolling in.

Get the show notes for 152 | Lead Generation with Facebook Ads with Valerie Shoopman

Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett #FacebookAds #Powerfulchannel #HighQualityLeads #Episode152 #Podcasts

Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!

Do you have all the leads you can handle?  Do you have high-quality leads for your business?  Well, usually the answer is - I can use more of those, thank you.  There are many ways to build leads for your business, but one powerful channel that many are not using is Facebook.  Today's guest is Valerie Shoopman, who is a Social Media Expert...but her main focus is Facebook ads.  Listen in to the interview as we discuss how you can focus on your ideal clients and get a steady stream of leads rolling in.

Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.

Valerie's Target Audience: Valerie serves entrepreneurs - specifically - business coaches. She currently teaches people how to utilize Facebook ads so they may attain the the success she is experiencing.

[spp-tweet "“Facebook is the only platform currently where you can match up all that much granular data with your ideal target audience” ~Valerie Shoopman"]

Valerie was formerly an “all around” type of woman until she realized she HAD to become known for SOMETHING. Niching down on what type of problem she wanted to solve skyrocketed her business. She is now known as the facebook ad expert and people can refer to her as such. The decision to specialize in something allowed Valerie to dive deep and become a TRUE expert.

Facebook ads are huge right now! Did you know that Facebook is currently the only platform where you can match up all that much granular data with your ideal target audience? Facebook has so much data that you can focus and filter down to reach your exact target audience. It’s very strategic and can work wonders for you business if you play the game right.

So wait, what’s Granular targeting? Granular targeting allow you to connect with your ideal target audience. Facebook ads are set up in such away that you can literally give your ideal audience an “avatar.” You can identify their age, likes, hangouts, interests, location and more. It also allows you to target specific behaviors, income, and who they follow.

[spp-tweet "“It (a webinar) builds that TRUST factor” ~Valerie Shoopman"]

In order to make Facebook Ads work for you, you must be super clear about your NARROWED NICHE. You can think of your narrowed niche as the inner circle inside the target market and it can be narrowed even further by creating your “profitable niche” which goes inside that inner circle.

To make your Facebook ads effective, Valerie recommends uploading your email list and targeting those people. People are typically afraid they will burn out their list. However, you must acknowledge that general open rate for most email campaigns is only about 20-30%. That leaves around 70%-80% of people on your mailing lists who are not opening your emails. When people see your ad on Facebook in addition to seeing you in their inbox, it automatically raises their perception of you and the importance of what you are saying.

[spp-tweet ""Make that connection which allows you to actually make that sale” ~Valerie Shoopman"]

There is a similar effect when you use the “Look-alike audiences” feature on Facebook ads. What this means is targeting those people who visit your website. Always layer it up with more demographics. This builds your KLT (know, like and trust) factor.

So, what’s working right now for Facebook ad conversions? Valerie says it’s connecting Facebook ads to your webinars. Then, on the backend of the webinar, lead them to schedule a strategy session or take them to a sales page. Be sure you have the conversion tracking code in place so you track what ads are working as far as optin rate. Also, a tracking pixel should be added for any sales on the backside of the webinar. This is especially true if its an evergreen type model where you can go back and get a running start from the ads that converted the leads as well as the sales that were completed (or viewed).

[spp-tweet "“The person who just met you could care less how many modules you have” ~Valerie Shoopman"]

Setting up a webinars is really simple. Take your pick from platforms like Gotowebinar (free) or Google Hangouts (free). Once you decide on a platform, you will obtain an url for you to share with your guests. Leadpages is a third party tool which easily integrates with gotowebinar. Likewise, Hangouts can also be integrated with Leadpages.

Valerie attests that Facebook ads leading to webinars works well. Why? Because people connect to you. They hear your voice or they see your face. This creates an emotional connection which ultimately leads to making that sale.

[spp-tweet "“You need to not be the smartest person in the room” ~Valerie Shoopman"]

The biggest mistake Valerie sees people make is not being tuned in enough to the solution they are offering to the challenge of their ideal client as they should be. She says that the person who just met you could care less about how many modules you have (so true!). They have a problem they need a solution for. Forget about your features and focus on what’s in it for them. How will your offer solve their problem? What emotional transformation will they experience?

Like all of us, Valerie has caught herself in the trenches too. She has become aware of the importance of being truly present when she attends live events or masterminds. She has learned the significance of taking that step back and allow others to help her. PLUS, she has learned that you need to NOT be the smartest person in the room. Think about who is further along than you are and surround yourself with those who have different experiences than you.

• How narrowing down a niche skyrocketed Valerie’s business
• Why Facebook ads are superb at targeting your ideal clients
• How to target your email list
• How to target visitors on your website
• Why setting up webinars is super simple
• How webinars build that KLT factor
• How to tune into your ideal clients and make more sales

If you find yourself in the trenches, Valerie says to surround yourself with other people who are on a “higher’ level than you are. On the subject of Facebook ads, always start with the end in mind? What’s the ultimate goal? Then set your strategy and be sure it is a measurable goal.

• Valerie's Facebook Mastermind Group
• Valerie on Twitter
• Reach out to Gene for your biz concerns 
• Join Momentum Mondays
• Join Mastery
• Ready to take the STAGE? Get more info here!
• Leave a review on itunes
• Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.

Do you have questions about today’s episode!?

Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable.  Apply Now!

And lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!