High-Trust Business Podcast

Physical restrictions don't mean business stops. They just change how you connect.

A week into rolling lockdowns, I'm seeing two types of businesses emerge. Those scrambling to figure out what's next, and those already adapting their client connections in creative ways. The difference isn't luck or resources. It's mindset.

Your physical location might close, but your relationships with clients and prospects don't have to suffer. I'll walk you through real examples of businesses finding new ways to stay connected, deliver value, and position themselves for when things return to normal.

This isn't about surviving until things go back to how they were. It's about building stronger connections that work whether your doors are open or closed. Some challenging times ahead, but also real opportunities for the businesses willing to adapt quickly.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/099-socially-distant-virtually-connected/

Score Your Own Funnel — Find out where your funnel is strong, where it's leaking, and what to fix first. Takes two minutes. Take the Scorecard

Today on the Book More Show, we're talking with Sam Altawil from just outside Sacramento, California.

Sam is the author of On the Edge of Effectiveness, a book dedicated to helping individuals and organizations make the most of their HR capabilities, and I really wanted to get Sam on the show to talk about why he wanted to write his book, and his experience almost a year later.

His is an interesting book because he doesn't have a specific commercial intent. Rather than having a specific product or service to promote, Sam's goal was to share the knowledge he has and help people avoid some of the mistakes he's seen.

It lead to a great book, very authentic in its message, and now he's in a position of wanting to add more value, having received feedback from the first version being out in the real world.

We had a great conversation about how to best do this while keeping in mind one of the Book Blueprint mindsets of Beneficial Constraints. How can we best include the information most valuable in the book, and provide a way for people to continue the journey, without the usual lead model of guiding someone toward a specific outcome?

I really enjoyed this call. Sam's passion for his subject comes through in everything he does, and this conversation about adding the right value to the pages, and having the right information elsewhere is very useful to everyone, whether you have commercial intent or not.

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Sam Altawil wrote "On the Edge of Effectiveness" for one reason: to share what he's learned about HR and help people avoid costly mistakes. No course to sell. No consulting empire to build. Just genuine knowledge sharing.

A year after publishing, Sam's at an interesting crossroads. He's getting great feedback and wants to add more value to the book, but he's wrestling with how to do it right. How do you expand your content without falling into the typical "lead magnet" trap?

We dig into the concept of Beneficial Constraints. What belongs in your book versus what belongs elsewhere? Sam's wrestling with this exact question, and his approach offers a fresh perspective for anyone writing without commercial intent.

Sam's passion for helping organizations improve their HR capabilities comes through in everything he does. His authentic approach to book writing offers valuable lessons whether you're building a business or just sharing expertise.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/098-on-the-edge-of-effectiveness-with-sam-altawil/

About Sam Altawil: LinkedIn

Is Your Book Ready to Collect Leads? — Most books sit on a shelf. This scorecard shows you if yours is set up to start conversations and bring in clients. Take the Scorecard

Today on the Book More Show I'm talking with Betsey about an issue that's come up a lot recently, people underestimating how much time and effort is involved with doing the production work of creating a book yourself.

Getting your words onto a page is something everyone has some experience of. We all write emails, documents, letters, reports, so it's easy to think that laying out a book falls into this same category.

The reality is the level of detail required to satisfy your ideas, as well as the technical print and production requirements, can be a challenge to the most skilled Word-smith, let alone trying to do it yourself.

We often find that people come back and talk to us months or even years later, having wanted to take the DIY route, but running into the production details that can slow down the most well-intentioned author.

So, in this episode, we're hitting two main points: The 'Who Not How' approach of concentrating on the most valuable assets, your knowledge and time, and for those who only have resources for the DIY approach, we'll go through some tips for making it as painless as possible.

There is something for everyone here and some encouragement that there are quicker ways of getting your idea out there.

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Questions/Feedback: Send us an email

You've got your book idea. You know what you want to say. How hard can the production stuff be?

Turns out, a lot harder than most people think. I'm seeing this pattern constantly: smart business owners dive into book production thinking it's like writing an email or report, then get buried in formatting nightmares for months.

The technical requirements alone can derail the most well-intentioned author. Margins, bleeds, spine calculations, font licensing. It's a rabbit hole that eats your most valuable asset: time.

I'll walk you through the real cost of doing it yourself versus the 'Who Not How' approach. Plus, if you're determined to go DIY, I'll share the specific tips that'll save you the most headaches.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/097-avoiding-the-production-trap/

Score Your Own Funnel — Find out where your funnel is strong, where it's leaking, and what to fix first. Takes two minutes. Take the Scorecard

Today on the Book More Show, we have another of my favorite types of podcasts as we get to with one of our authors, Mike Mack.

You might recognize Mike's name because he's both written a book and has been a guest on the podcast before. So today he's back having just published a second book with us, Relationships for Keeps, and if you follow us on Facebook, you might have seen a video I shot as the book launched in towards the end of last year.

This is a really great episode. Mike has some fantastic insights into not only the creation process, but how he's using the book and, not surprisingly, how it's amplifying the relationships he has.

If you listened to the previous podcast with Mike, you'll remember relationships are key to how he builds his business and the framework or lens through which he views things. It comes across both in the tone and friendliness of the way he speaks, and in the steps, he takes to nurture those relationships and really add value at every stage.

It's not only the subject of his book, but that's really what all of our books are about.

Giving value to start a relationship and then build a journey, a follow-up that educates and motivates people towards the next step.

There is a lot to take away in this episode.

Questions/Feedback: Send us an email

Mike Mack's back for his second time on the show, fresh off publishing "Relationships for Keeps." If you caught his first appearance, you know relationships aren't just Mike's business strategy, they're his entire worldview.

What makes this conversation worth your time? Mike breaks down exactly how he's using his new book to deepen existing relationships and start new ones. You'll hear the specific steps he takes to add value at every stage of a relationship, not just when he needs something.

Mike's got this figured out. His approach comes through in how he talks, how he thinks about his readers, and how he builds his business. You'll walk away with concrete ideas for using your book to strengthen relationships instead of just collecting leads.

This isn't theory. It's a working framework from someone who's built his entire practice around genuine relationship building.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/096-relationships-for-keeps-with-mike-mack/

About Mike Mack: Website | LinkedIn

Your Book Is Closer Than You Think — You already say everything that needs to be in your book. 90-Minute Books turns it into a done-for-you lead generation tool. Get the Free Book

Today on the Book More Show, I'm talking with Dean about two great subjects. The opportunity to syndicate your book and the art of conversational conversions.

If you run a coaching group, generate leads for people, run a sales team, or anything where your success depends on other people's sales, then the opportunity to create a book that other people can use is a huge advantage.

We know that for most people, the idea of creating a book is beyond what they are willing to do. Even with a simple process like ours, it's just not something they think about. Know how straightforward a book can be to create, you can leverage that 'willingness gap' by essentially doing it for them, and benefitting from the conversations they're able to start.

We finished by talking more about those conversations and the opportunities for conversational conversions.

If you're looking to convert someone into a customer, there are really only two times; now or not now…

Once someone asks for a copy of your book, it's your ability to create a conversational conversion that will take someone to that next step.

Another great episode.

There is a lot to take away in this episode.

Questions/Feedback: Send us an email

Most sales managers know their team should be using books to start conversations. The problem? They're waiting for each salesperson to write their own.

Here's what works better: you write one book that everyone can use. Your sales team, your coaching clients, your referral partners. Anyone who benefits when conversations turn into customers.

Most people won't write a book, even when they know it works. That's your advantage. Create the book once, then give others the tool they need to start better conversations.

I also break down the two-bucket approach to conversational conversions. When someone asks for your book, you've got a narrow window to move them forward. Miss it, and you're back to chasing cold prospects.

Show notes: https://mrstuartbell.com/podcasts/htb/095-conversational-syndication/

Is Your Book Ready to Collect Leads? — Most books sit on a shelf. This scorecard shows you if yours is set up to start conversations and bring in clients. Take the Scorecard

Today on the Book More Show I'm talking with Betsy, and we dive into what turned out to be a pretty interesting episode, using a book to build your team and their success.

First, we looked at building your team itself using a book. We used real estate as an example. It's an industry where staff turnover can be relatively high. Agents have the freedom to move to any brokerage, so how can you use a book to attract the best agents, and set the tone, and communicate the values of your organization once people join.

We then looked at using a kind of syndication model, internally rather than externally, to help your team engage more clients.

As the business owner, you're in a great position to write the most effective lead generating book. You have the knowledge, experience, and authority to get it done. You also have the opportunity to amplify its reach by putting the team member's name on the front rather than yours.

At the end of the day, you're interested in the business being as successful as possible. If that goal is helped by the team using your book, with their name, to engage clients and start a conversation, that's a win.

So, lots more examples in this episode.

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Questions/Feedback: Send us an email