Is your leadership team 'clowning around'? Making Conversations about training leaders Count!

"The sun is shining or the clouds are raining, or all of the structures that we've built are standing. Mostly everything is going well."

Jay Guilford, Making Conversations Count - (April 2022)

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Who is Jay?

As a face of Cirque du Soleil's training program "Spark", Jay had the opportunity to work with some of the most creative minds in the world.

He was constantly amazed at the circus performers’ ability to turn their art into a demonstration of leadership – to use teamwork, training, and focus to create seemingly impossible feats.

Once a man who was clowning around with the circus, Jay Guilford is now highly respected for his skills in training leaders, and if he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings he might have missed his cue.

And this is the teaching he preaches to his clients at Fortune 500 companies.

In this episode of the "Making Conversations Count" podcast, Jay explains to Wendy how he gets the best out of today's leaders, using skills he's gained from being the front man in the big top!

You'll learn....

In this episode of "Making Conversations Count", in which Jay Guilford shares how he helps train leaders, covers:

• Jay’s job: telling leaders to ‘calm down’
• Be your authentic self
• Listen!! And everyone lies!
• Communicate like they’re a seven-year-old
• Everything is going well – even when it feels like chaos

A poignant moment from the episode:

Wendy

What would your top tip be for those starting out in terms of communication and leading themselves?

Jay

In my heart, the top tip is authenticity. It's something that I've had to learn early in my career. I did things because I needed a job or I wanted this amount of money or I wanted the prestige of a certain set of things, and that was different from being my authentic self.

So early on, especially when you're younger, the world forgives you for a lot of stuff.

Like, if you're in your 20s, you can be sleeping on a couch or, like, hopping from job to job and you have a lot of leeway because you're 20 something and not 40 something like me. I think everyone has a lot of leeway, but when you're younger, it's easier to take those chances.

Click here for the full transcript What IS Making Conversations Count?

"Making Conversations Count" is a podcast from WAG Associates founder and telemarketing trainer Wendy Harris.

Missed our previous episodes?

You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here:

https://makingconversationscount.com/episodes/

Listen to Making Conversations Count

On your mobile device? Hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here:

Carrying On The Conversation about getting better website traffic that Wendy had with Michael Buzinski Have you got everything set up to attract the visitors that you WANT on your website?

The rule of 26 is a framework that can increase your website conversions by 100%.

This was explained in detail by guest Michael Buzinski when he was on the most recent episode of "Making Conversations Count".

Wendy Harris had a very impactful conversation with Michael and you'll hear for yourself how she's specifically taken action off the back of it. 

We're hoping you'll have already listened and taken notes from the episode of "Making Conversations Count" with Michael Buzinski. In which case, this bonus content will make sense!

Wendy and Neal deep dive into Michael's insights into using the rule of 26

In this edition of "Carrying On The Conversation" Wendy and producer Neal reflect back on the recent episode which featured author and website expert, Michael Buzinski.

If you haven't yet heard it, drop everything, and click the link above to listen!

And make sure you have a pen and notepad handy!

"Making Conversations Count" is a podcast from WAG Associates' telemarketing trainer and telemarketing expert Wendy Harris.

Missed our previous episodes?

You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here:

https://makingconversationscount.com/episodes/

 

On your mobile device? Hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here:

https://makingconversationscount.studio/listen

 

Once you've listened, remember to leave us a review! 

https://makingconversationscount.studio/Review-all-episodes

You are following the show on socials, right?

Only there will you see sneaky peaky teasers of the upcoming episodes, as well as updates and news on the show! 

Here are the links just in case you need them:

Twitter Facebook Pinterest YouTube Instagram

 

Are you using the correct KPIs to ensure your website is attracting the correct kind of traffic for you? Making Conversations about website marketing Count!

"Social media is not where we test markets.

Unless you have the following of your perfect clients, your target market, you are not testing on social media."

Michael Buzinski, Making Conversations Count - (April 2022)

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Effective use of website marketing

When it comes to website marketing, you have to be willing to put in the work if you want to see results.

Too many business owners make the mistake of thinking that they can simply create a website and wait for the customers to come flooding in.

That's not how it works! You have to be proactive and generate traffic yourself. One way to do that is by using the "Rule of 26."

The tips and strategy contained within this episode of Making Conversations Count will help you escape low traffic woe and massively increase your website's revenue generation power!

You'll learn....  

In this episode of "Making Conversations Count" in which Michael Buzinski shares how to properly use website marketing covers:

• Fear in your marketing
• Start with local
• Facebook is dead?
• Everyone’s an expert
• The Conversation that counted for ‘Buzz’

A poignant moment from the episode:

Wendy

I've built my own website on Weebly years ago and then kind of maintained it, and I thought that was all I needed to do. And then it all changed and somebody said, "oh, WordPress!" And I was like, I haven't got a clue.

Now. I haven't got line of sight of my own website because I don't understand it. And I haven't really had the time for anybody to particularly show me. The only thing I want to do is upload the blog. For me, it should be fairly static. When people have told me that there is so much more to having a website than just having a website, I haven't come away feeling convinced. People that are talking to me about having a website because everybody does. And I don't want to be like everybody else does and just trust that you're telling me that and you want me to part with how much money and then them say, oh, but you've got to treat it like person. It's a person's salary. It's the equivalent of a person's salary. Well, I can't afford a VA.

So why would I pay for another salary? It makes it conceivably out of reach for a lot of people, because then they don't really understand what it is that they should be doing and what it is that they need to have. So they can go and ask somebody to say, "can you do this for me?" Because if you don't feel like you know the questions, how do you ask?

Michael Buzinski

You're bringing up the point of pricing, right?

And so that's, like, the next level. You could love my methodology and you could love me. You could say, I buy into the buzz. Buzz is the man, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But if I bring to you a price that you can't afford, you can't afford it, period. End of story. But you also have to understand, even if you can't afford it, it's good to get your options out there. It's good to do research and talk to at least two people. No more than three. If you go beyond three in your research, you want to find the two to three that you really like. You understand at least what their website is saying.

And you've gone to their social media and you're like, okay, this person seems like they know what they're talking about.

That's great. Now go

Carrying On The Conversation about answering customer questions on your website  that Wendy had with Marcus Sheridan Are you ready to be honest with your customers on your website?

If you don't want to address the elephant in the room, someone else will.

That's just one of the many key takeaways to be enjoyed in the most recent episode of "Making Conversations Count" that featured Wendy Harris chatting with Marcus Sheridan. 

We're hoping you'll have already listened and taken notes from the episode of "Making Conversations Count" with Marcus Sheridan. In which case, this bonus content will make sense!

Wendy and Neal deep dive into Marcus' insights into content marketing

In this edition of "Carrying On The Conversation" Wendy and producer Neal reflect back on the recent episode which featured author and speaker, Marcus Sheridan.

If you haven't yet heard it, drop everything, and click the link above to listen!

And make sure you have a pen and notepad handy!

"Making Conversations Count" is a podcast from WAG Associates' telemarketing trainer and telemarketing expert Wendy Harris.

Missed our previous episodes?

You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here:

https://makingconversationscount.com/episodes/

 

On your mobile device? Hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here:

https://makingconversationscount.studio/listen

 

Once you've listened, remember to leave us a review! 

https://makingconversationscount.studio/Review-all-episodes

You are following the show on socials, right?

Only there will you see sneaky peaky teasers of the upcoming episodes, as well as updates and news on the show! 

Here are the links just in case you need them:

Twitter Facebook Pinterest YouTube Instagram

 

Using your website to answer customer questions and address the elephant in the room Making Conversations about them asking Count!

"It's not until we're really serious about spending our money on something that we start to wonder, all right, how could this go wrong? How could this blow up in my face? What could be the drawbacks? What could be the negatives? We don't ask those things unless we actually want the thing"

Marcus Sheridan, Making Conversations Count - (April 2022)

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Open and honest website marketing

Have you ever had a conversation with a company where they just didn't seem to want to be open and honest with you?

In this episode of "Making Conversations Count," Marcus Sheridan discusses how companies can avoid making conversations suck.

He explains how many businesses try to hide information from their customers rather than being transparent with them on their websites.

This is a huge mistake, and Marcus caused a movement in marketing when he released his book "They Ask, You Answer" in 2016.

The 'pool guy'

Since then, he's gone from a guy who was selling fibreglass pools (and ONLY fibreglass pools) to a highly respected global keynote speaker, offering wisdom to forward thinking corporations who want to embrace the philosphy of 'TAYA'!

If you want to learn how to make your conversations count, and avoid making them suck, then you need to listen to this marketing masterclass!

The book "They Ask, You Answer" is about how companies can be more open with their customers on the internet.

Marcus Sheridan talks about how they can avoid making conversations suck, and how they can embrace the philosophy of TAYA.

He also offers some wisdom to forward thinking corporations who want to adopt this philosophy.

Marcus Sheridan is a highly respected global keynote speaker, and he has some amazing things to say about marketing, and how companies can use the internet to their advantage.

If you want to learn more from Marcus Sheridan, then you should definitely check out this podcast episode!

In fact, it's less a podcast episode, and more a mini masterclass on how to do website-based content marketing correctly!

Click play.

You won't be disappointed.

With the help of Marcus Sheridan, you'll learn:

• The importance of talking about the elephant in the room
• Why 'TAYA' (They Ask, You Answer) philosophy works so well
• The things people worry about when making a purchase
• Why even the wealthiest purchasers still need to know your pricing

 

Want to read more in depth info about the episode?

Click here to be taken to the podcast's website.

A poignant moment from the episode:

Wendy

It is something that really tickles me that people are a little bit like, oh, no, it's mine, it's mine. It's mine.

And it sort of reminds me of a title to one of your chapters. I've been told if we're not adding anything new to the conversation and we shouldn't be talking about it, it's like, well, that's like the CEO of that marine boating company saying, well, we don't really know who our customer is then, so let's not talk to them.

Marcus

That's exactly right. I actually get really miffed about some of the things that you see...

Carrying On The Conversation about having a business co-pilot that Wendy had with David Holland Are you ready to get your own business co-pilot?

You don't know what you don't know when it comes to business.

And sometimes, when you're too close to it all, you either rush your decisions, or worse still, you don't make any at all.

And this can spell disaster for your company's survival. 

We can all be a little too emotionally attached to it all.

With any luck you'll already have been clued up on how vital a business co-pilot could be for your business having heard the most recent episode of "Making Conversations Count" with David Holland.

Wendy and Neal deep dive into the benefits of a business coach.

In this edition of "Carrying On The Conversation" Wendy and producer Neal reflect back on the recent episode which featured business coach, David Holland.

Oh, and if you check out his page on the website, you'll get access to an exclusive offer for listeners of "Making Conversations Count"....

"Making Conversations Count" is a podcast from WAG Associates' telemarketing trainer and telemarketing expert Wendy Harris.

Missed our previous episodes?

You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here:

https://makingconversationscount.com/episodes/

 

On your mobile device? Hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here:

https://makingconversationscount.studio/listen

 

Once you've listened, remember to leave us a review! 

https://makingconversationscount.studio/Review-all-episodes

You are following the show on socials, right?

Only there will you see sneaky peaky teasers of the upcoming episodes, as well as updates and news on the show! 

Here are the links just in case you need them:

Twitter Facebook Pinterest YouTube Instagram

 

Do you need a business coach in your business' co-pilot seat? Making Conversations about business co-pilots Count!

"There's a danger of, of focusing on the stuff... the accoutrements of life and the big fancy cars and that sort of thing..."

David Holland, Making Conversations Count - (April 2022)

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This week's conversation about business coaches/co-pilots with David Holland;

If you're like most business owners, you're working hard every day to make your business a success.

But sometimes it can be tough to see the wood from the trees, especially when you're so close to your own business.

This is where a business co-pilot can be invaluable.

In this week's episode of "Making Conversations Count", we speak with David Holland about the value of having a co-pilot in your business.

David is a successful entrepreneur who has learned how to see the big picture and help businesses achieve their goals.

With the help of David Holland, you'll learn:

• How David's desire to design the perfect life led to his becoming a business coach
• 'Stuff' is not the answer (fast cars, beaches etc)
• How a business coach can help and how business coaches want to help
• How you can seriously gain in life by just giving away your most precious possession!
• David's proudest achievement as a business coach
• The pivotal conversation he had on a train which changed his life

Want to read more in depth info about the episode?

Click here to be taken to the podcast's website.

A poignant moment from the episode:

Wendy Harris: I do honestly, I do, I work to live. 

This is something else that business owners get embroiled in the, "It's my business and it's personal". 

This has come up with lots of previous guests that switching off is really hard, so whilst you've got your time in the diary as three days a week, it doesn't stop you from thinking about it.

David Holland: Absolutely not, and this is why it's so important to do something that we love doing. 

I'm working with clients and doing the workshop on the three days a week.  

When it comes to the Friday and we're digging the garden or something, it doesn't mean you're not thinking about it, it's always there. 

We treat our business as a person, another entity, another person in the family. 

We talk to the business, we liaise with the business, we're thinking about them as we go along.  That's absolutely fine, but that's why I think it's really important to choose something that you enjoy doing.  We didn't enjoy running a transport recruitment business, we just weren't made for it.

This, we are, therefore it's not a job really.  I would never say this to my clients, well I might do, but I would do this if I didn't get paid.  We do that to run everything else, but I actually enjoy what I do.  I enjoy speaking with people, supporting them in all that we do and I don't mind if I think about it seven days a week, it's all part of the fun.

Click here for the full transcript Honorary mentions in this episode

Carrying On The Conversation about 'being intentional' and designing your best year ever  that Wendy had with Rob Cressy Are you ready to live life with full intention? Being intentional

We overcomplicate things as humans.

All we seem to do is spend our lives waiting around for things to happen. 

Hopefully you'll already know how easy it is to change that, and live life to the full, having heard the most recent episode of "Making Conversations Count" with Rob Cressy.

Wendy and Neal deep dive into being intentional

In this edition of "Carrying On The Conversation" Wendy and producer Neal reflect back on the recent episode which featured creating coach, Rob Cressy.

Oh, and if you check out his page on the website, you'll get access to a free guide to enjoying your best morning routine.

"Making Conversations Count" is a podcast from WAG Associates' telemarketing trainer and telemarketing expert Wendy Harris.

Missed our previous episodes?

You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here:

https://makingconversationscount.com/episodes/

 

On your mobile device? Hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here:

https://makingconversationscount.studio/listen

 

Once you've listened, remember to leave us a review! 

https://makingconversationscount.studio/Review-all-episodes

You are following the show on socials, right?

Only there will you see sneaky peaky teasers of the upcoming episodes, as well as updates and news on the show! 

Here are the links just in case you need them:

Twitter Facebook Pinterest YouTube Instagram

 

How to be intentional every day, design the best year ever and get paid for doing exactly what you love! Making Conversations with yourself Count!

"Is that possible that it can be easy and fun for you to have every single day of your life be the best day of your life?..."

Rob Cressy, Making Conversations Count - (March 2022)

Lower bandwidth version

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The lessons of this conversation with Rob Cressy

This episode of Making Conversations Count talks us through how to be intentional every day, and how we can have a conversation with ourselves.

With the help of Rob Cressy, you'll learn:

• In order to get paid for what you love you need to do what you love
• Brad Sugars is right when he talks about reading a book a week, but Rob brings further thought
• A question to ponder to keep you 'on track' - can it be easy and fun?
• A quadrant of intentionality - Health, Wealth, Love and Happiness
• Uncertainty sucks because it leads to inaction
• The biggest things that can impact our lives can happen in an instant. So you need to be intentional equally quickly!

A poignant moment from the episode: Scroll below for the link to the full transcript

Wendy Harris: It's that being relentless about yourself, isn't it, in pursuing those aspects that you want to achieve in your life.  I think sometimes change happens subtly as well.  It doesn't have to be such a Hollywood moment.

Rob Cressy: It can be both.  I'll give you example of a change that happened to me recently that actually changed my life for the rest of my life, amazing.  I was on the receiving end of some coaching, and I was saying to my coach, "For the last decade, I have not stopped thinking about my entrepreneurial journey and what it is that I'm creating every single day, nonstop".  There's just like this loop in my head, and I was like, "I'm just always thinking about this, and I don't want to always be thinking about this".  He was like, "Rob, as you grow your potential grows, so by design you're always going to be thinking about this forever.  You can either choose to be a victim or you can choose to be at peace with this".

I sat there and I was like, "That actually makes sense".  I was like, "Of course, if I keep getting better and doing things I've never done before, so therefore my mind is always going to think about it, so let's not take the victim mentality that why am I always thinking about this?  Just say, 'Hey, I'm aware that I'm thinking about this and that's not necessarily a bad thing and I'm at peace with this'".

Honorary mentions in this episode

The Obstacle is the Way - by Ryan Holiday

Brad Sugars and his thoughts on growth through reading

Trisha Lewis

Veronica Franklin Gould

Rob's podcast "Best Year Ever"

Carrying On The Conversation about 'unsquashing' yourself to overcome imposter syndrome  that Wendy had with Trisha Lewis Are you ready to unsquash yourself? Effective communication

Showing up isn't always easy.

And sometimes we find it much more comfortable to reduce the chances of feeling judgement and shame by holding back.

And that's not good for anybody.

And it's exactly why it's important for us to work on 'unsquashing' ourselves so we can bring our gifts to the world. 

Wendy's been unsquashing for a while now!

Wendy's recently been working extra hard on unsquashing herself, and this is being reflected in the information and tips she's sharing with listeners.

She's owning her gift for using conversations to change lives and businesses.

In this edition of "Carrying On The Conversation" Wendy and producer Neal reflect back on the recent episode which featured communication coach, Trisha Lewis.

Oh, and if you check out her page on the website, you'll get access to a free guide to showing up in your best self on Linkedin.

If you prefer reading, scroll down for the full transcript. 

"Making Conversations Count" is a podcast from WAG Associates' telemarketing trainer and telemarketing expert Wendy Harris.

Missed our previous episodes?

You can catch up with any of the other guests we've been making conversations count with, here:

https://makingconversationscount.com/episodes/

 

On your mobile device? Hear them in your favourite platform (Apple or Spotify etc) here:

https://makingconversationscount.studio/listen

 

Once you've listened, remember to leave us a review! 

https://makingconversationscount.studio/Review-all-episodes

You are following the show on socials, right?

Only there will you see sneaky peaky teasers of the upcoming episodes, as well as updates and news on the show! 

Here are the links just in case you need them:

Twitter Facebook Pinterest YouTube Instagram

Carrying On The Conversation - Trisha Lewis Transcript

[00:00:00] Wendy: Trisha Lewis the Queen of the unsquashed.

[00:00:05] Neal: I do love that. I do love that. it is true. What you said in the conversation about that makes absolutely no sense, but it makes perfect sense when you know what it's talking about.

[00:00:16] So communication coaching, essentially.

[00:00:19] Wendy: Yeah. I mean the, the boring version versus the 'Impact' version. So yeah, communication coach versus "UNSQUASHABLE!" And I think Trisha has a really good insight on the awareness of what holds us back in conversation and even demonstrated it herself by messaging me the day before, because she'd had that