Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Should You Become An AI-First Business?

• Discover why becoming an AI-first business is crucial in today's rapidly evolving landscape.    

• Learn how AI can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency across various business functions.    

• Understand the importance of effectively managing and interacting with AI as a valuable team member.    

• Explore the potential impact of AI on the future of work, including the shift towards a gig economy and the emergence of new specialized roles.    

• Gain insights into the limitations of AI and the importance of human oversight and intellectual capital.    

• Learn practical strategies for successfully integrating AI into your business operations and staying ahead of the curve.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Handling Tension On Your Team.

• Identifying Tension: Mercer and Jeff discuss various signs of tension within a team, such as missed deadlines, unmet expectations, and individuals feeling nervous about their roles.  

• The Importance of Setting Clear Expectations: They emphasize clearly defining results and expectations to reduce tension and ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.  

• Accountability and Commitment: The hosts stress the need for team members to take accountability for their work and commit to achieving results, rather than simply focusing on completing activities.  

• Leadership vs. Autonomy: It’s crucial to balance providing autonomy and demonstrating leadership to guide team members and address performance issues.  

• Embracing Tension: A certain level of "good tension" can be beneficial, pushing individuals to grow and improve their skills.  

• The Role of External Perspectives: Seeking out external groups and perspectives can help teams break out of their comfort zones and identify areas for improvement.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Executive Assistants - Do You Still Need One?

• Executive Assistants (EAs) vs. Systems: The hosts revisit their differing opinions on the necessity of EAs in today's business world, considering the rise of AI and automation.    

• The Changing Role of EAs: They discuss how the traditional tasks of an EA, such as scheduling, email management, and travel booking, are increasingly being automated or replaced by systems.    

• Capability and Capacity: Jeff and Mercer explore matching tasks with team members based on their skills and available time to optimize workflow and eliminate the need for a dedicated EA.    

• The Value of Defined Processes: Both stress the importance of clearly defining processes and systems as it allows for more straightforward automation and eliminates the need for an EA to "fill the gaps."    

• AI as the New EA: The hosts propose that AI and automation tools effectively become the new "executive assistants," enabling individuals to accomplish more efficiently.    

• Evolving Roles and Opportunities: The conversation concludes by acknowledging that while the traditional EA role may diminish, the skills and knowledge of individuals who previously served as EAs remain valuable and can be utilized in other organizational capacities.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Social Media Strategies for 2025.

• Discover why a results-oriented approach is key to social media success.    

• Learn to define your desired social media outcomes and identify your current results.    

• Understand the importance of using existing content to fuel your social media machine.    

• Explore strategies for creating a consistent social media presence without burning out.    

• Learn how to leverage AI to optimize your social media content and strategy.    

• Gain insights into building a two-tiered social media system that combines brand building and direct response.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is How Smart is AI, Really?

• Discover why focusing on AI's "smartness" might be the wrong approach.    

• Learn why "usefulness" might be a better metric for evaluating AI's capabilities.    

• Understand the importance of user interaction in maximizing AI's potential.    

• Explore the concept of "game over, game on" and its relevance to adapting to AI.    

• Learn how to effectively communicate with AI by focusing on desired results, not specific steps.    

• Discover the potential impact of AI on various aspects of life, from work to personal growth.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is How to Increase Prices Gracefully.

• Learn how to increase prices gracefully without losing customers.    

• Understand the importance of clear communication and transparency when raising prices.    

• Explore the impact of price increases on different buyer modalities.    

• Discover strategies for mitigating customer resistance to price hikes.    

• Gain insights into successful price increase strategies used by companies like HubSpot and Canva.    

• Learn how to implement a "reverse flash sale" to incentivize customers to buy before prices go up.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is The Power of Buying Modalities.

• Discover the definition and significance of buying modalities in the sales process.    

• Learn about the four key buying modalities: competitive, spontaneous, methodical, and humanistic.    

• Understand how each modality influences buyer behavior and decision-making.    

• Find out how to identify and target different buying modalities in your marketing efforts.    

• Explore the importance of tailoring your sales approach to resonate with each modality.    

• Gain practical tips and strategies for optimizing your sales process to cater to diverse buying preferences.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is MeasureU - The Origin Story.

• Jeff and Mercer share how they transformed two successful brands, MeasurementMarketing.io and DataDrivenU, into a unified platform called MeasureU.

• The merger initially started with cross-selling products between brands, but customer confusion over multiple logins and support systems prompted a need for consolidation.

•  Their experience launching ProfitSchool on the Circle platform served as a testing ground, proving the viability of a unified community-based approach.

• Instead of forcing one brand to dominate, they created MeasureU as a fresh entity, incorporating the best elements from both original brands while adding new features.

• The transition happened gradually, starting with new courses on MeasureU, allowing them to test and refine the platform with a small group before full implementation.

• The new brand structure enabled additional revenue streams, simplified customer experience, and created opportunities for partnerships and expansion that weren't possible with separate brands.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Mergers and Partnerships - Our Perspective After 12 Months.

• After 12 months of partnership, Jeff and Mercer share honest insights about their business merger, including the importance of pre-partnership relationships and testing compatibility through smaller projects.

• They emphasize how specialization has been key to their success, with clear divisions of responsibility allowing each partner to lead in their areas of expertise while remaining flexible in overlapping domains.

• Both partners acknowledge the challenging learning curve of their first year, including managing expectations, having difficult conversations, and creating new systems that work for everyone.

• The transition from individual thinking ('I') to collective decision-making ('we') proved essential, with both partners learning to understand and respect each other's perspectives.

• Creating a new brand rather than merging existing ones helped establish a fresh culture that combined the best elements from both partners' previous experiences.

• Continuous communication and expectation adjustment are crucial to maintaining a healthy partnership.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Extending the Sales Window.

• Extending the sales window involves creating multiple opportunities to connect with qualified prospects rather than limiting yourself to a single interaction or offer.

• Jeff and Mercer discuss how early communication should qualify prospects' interest, intent, and ability before moving to close, treating each step as a mini-sale.

• When prospects hesitate, successful salespeople step back, address specific objections, and reframe their offering to match the client's needs and comfort level.

• Strategic follow-up sequences, no-buy surveys, and regular check-ins help maintain relationships with prospects not ready to purchase immediately.

• Redirecting prospects to more suitable solutions builds trust, even if less profitable, and often leads to stronger long-term client relationships.

• The duo reminds us to maintain an abundance mindset rather than desperately pursuing every potential sale, focusing instead on creating sustainable client relationships.