Sell With Authority

For this episode of Sell With Authority we are doubling down on value-based pricing to help you future-proof your agency. Our guest expert is a true authority when it comes to pricing and sales strategy.

Blair Enns, the CEO of Win Without Pitching and the author of the widely acclaimed Win Without Pitching Manifesto joins the podcast. His latest book, Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour, is a must-read for anyone looking to get a handle on pricing in their business.

I was inspired by one of his articles on quantifying the value of pricing. Specifically, the part about 'the elephant in the room' when it comes to pricing really hit home — because we've all been there. The uncertainty pricing brings to agency owners is a challenge we just can't ignore.

So, I knew we had to bring Blair on the show to dive into this topic and help us all navigate the complexities of pricing with confidence. And to make this conversation even richer, also joining is our very own Mad Scientist and Strategist, Hannah Roth. Hannah works tirelessly in the trenches with our clients, helping them fill their sales pipelines with right-fit clients so they can sell more of what they do best.

If you're an agency owner struggling with pricing, this episode will give you the framework and confidence you need to untether from time-based billing.

• How to shift from selling inputs and outputs to focusing on value creation for right-fit clients
• Why mastering the value conversation can radically transform your agency's profitability
• Blair's simple – yet powerful – four-step framework for implementing value-based pricing
• How to view your client portfolio as an investment portfolio to tailor pricing strategies
• The pitfalls to avoid when transitioning away from traditional pricing models

Resources:

• Website: https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairenns/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/win-without-pitching/
• Win Without Pitching Manifesto
• Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour

Additional Resources:

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group

For this episode of Sell With Authority, we've got something really special lined up for you — something we've never done before.

We're calling it a "Fireside Chat." It's a more laid-back, informal conversation, but packed with expert insights on a crucial topic for your agency's success — strategic partnerships.

Also in the category of things we've never done before — Hannah Roth, our Mad Scientist and Strategist, and Erik Jensen, my business partner here at Predictive — are co-hosting the episode and interviewing our guest experts Tim Burk and TCB from Conduit Digital. Conduit Digital focuses on being a strategic partner, tailoring their methods to fit each agency's needs.

Discover how agencies like yours can streamline, upgrade, and scale while reducing the inherent risks that come as your agency grows.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why articulating your point of view is critical — it can make a big difference for your agency!
• Creating your ideal client profile or Right-Fit Client avatar and how it can guide your strategies
• Why building a methodology to teach from is key
• Why you should aim for partnership over outsourcing
• The expectations you should have when creating strategic partnerships
• Expert advice for agencies looking to scale and improve performance

Resources:

• Website: https://www.conduitdigital.us/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/conduitdigital/
• Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/ConduitDigitalUS/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conduitdigital/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/conduitdigital
• Twitter: https://x.com/conduit_digitall
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@conduitdigital

Additional Resources:

• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our book: Sell with Authority

Today's episode of the podcast is a solocast so that you and I could take a strategy from last week's episode and explore it with more depth. Last week — you may recall — I shared that one of the strategies that we taught during our July Intensive was what we call "No Friction Lead Generation." When you have built up enough trust, respect, and authority in the minds of your audience or prospects — that when they have an issue inside their business that aligns with your expertise — you get the call.

Or — when you reach out to your audience and let them know you have a new program, service line, event, etc. at the agency — they raise their hands and want to attend or become your next new client.

When that process runs smoothly — we call it No Friction Lead Generation — because, through your content and trust building, you have removed the "friction" from the sales process. And your prospects already know how you can help and they are eager for you to help when they have a need.

No Friction Lead Generation is what we're going to focus on in this episode so you can create the right content — without it being a heavy lift on your shop — and you can build a steady stream of leads flowing into your sales pipeline because you followed the right recipe.

Sound awesome?

I promise you — if you put the takeaways into practice — you and your team will sell more of what you do — for a higher fee.

• How to create what seems like an inexhaustible supply of helpful content for your audience
• How to identify the three or four business issues and challenges that you and your agency solve with excellence for clients
• How to take the business issues you identified and turn them into the foundation of your content strategy that builds your authority
• Why you should schedule time with someone on your team so they can interview you about each business issue and how your agency solves them
• How to implement the "7-1" cadence so that it delivers a steady stream of right-fit prospects flowing into your sales pipeline

Go here to download our WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients.

Go here to download our WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee.

Go here to download our HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals.

Go here to download our How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients.

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

Last week (July 30th and 31st) — my Predictive team and I hosted our latest "2-day Intensive." Every March, July, and November — we get our Predictive clients together for an "Intensive" where we peel back the curtain and share the results of the most recent experiment in the Lab, the actual results, and how to install it into their agencies.

We promised all our clients—and the guests we invited- for the July Intensive—that we'd share the exact recipe for how we 10'xed our email list from 3,900 agencies to over 40,000 agency contacts in about six months.

We walked everyone through the strategies, process, and every step-by-step ingredient in the recipe. After two amazing sessions, we looked back on the experience and thought, "Holy bananas—there were some really awesome takeaways here…not just the content we taught."

For this episode of Sell With Authority, I will share that debrief with you and all of those bonus takeaways. Hope it's helpful!

I promise you — if you put the takeaways into practice — you and your team will sell more of what you do — for a higher fee.

• Why, when your agency "Eats its own dog food," you create trust with your prospects and clients
• Why you should never be scared about teaching the best of what you've got in full transparency
• How to build out and document your agency's methodology in a way that is unique and will set you apart
• Why you should never mix deliverables and outcomes — they are not the same, and clients will pay you much more when you deliver outcomes
• Why, when you include all five ingredients of our recipe in your proposals, you'll make your agency a much easier YES! for prospects

Go here to download our WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients.

Go here to download our WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee.

Go here to download our HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals.

Go here to download our How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients.

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

I am thrilled about this episode of Sell With Authority because it is super fun — and ridiculously helpful!

Hannah Roth, our mad scientist and strategist at Predictive, is back for another episode to debunk the myth that niching down is just about picking an industry.

Hannah has been diving into the latest Agency Edge research report. We walk through her observations and distillations — at a high level.

One standout point in the research is the importance of having a well-defined niche.

People are often scared to niche down because it feels like saying "NO" to revenue.

But — niching down allows you to say no to clients that cost you time, money, and sanity, and say yes to clients that are more profitable, better to work with, and actually appreciate the work your agency is doing.

We also discuss how to build a reputable brand, why consistent, helpful content is your golden ticket — and the importance of a solid referral system.

Evolving through multiple lenses — from industry and audience to methodology — can make your agency stand out and make it so much easier for clients to say yes.

Double down and future-proof your business by mastering your niche with the strategic lenses Hannah shares. You and your team will remove friction from the sales process — and sell more of what you do.

What you will learn in this episode:

• How to leverage six different lenses for niching down
• Why niching down does not just mean picking an industry
• Why building a rock-solid reputation within your niche is crucial
• Steps to repurpose existing content into multiple formats
• Key insights from the Agency Edge research report

Resources:

• Predictive ROI Free Resource Library: https://predictiveroi.com/resources/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-roth-387a6b223/
• Agency Edge Research Series: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/agency-tools/agency-edge-research-series/

This episode is going to be one of those episodes where you ask yourself… "What in the world was that!?! – because that was ridiculously fun and super helpful!"

My guest expert today is Erik Jensen. In case you're meeting Erik for the first time — he's my business partner here at Predictive ROI, and we've worked alongside each other for well over a decade.

Erik has a depth of expertise in helping agency owners go deep into their niche to build their authority position — and then — monetize that position in the form of a steady stream of right-fit clients flowing into their sales pipelines so they can sell more of what they do.

If you're a Predictive client — or if you've been a member of our community for a while now — you may also know that one of Erik's superpowers is system design — and in particular — CRMs — so think all things email marketing, content, process automation, workflows, and e-commerce.

When Erik and I were thinking about him coming back to the podcast for another conversation — we explored the idea of focusing our time together around CRMs — and, in particular — how putting the right strategy and tech into practice inside your shop could help you streamline biz dev and ops — and in the process — help you sell more of what you do.

If you've ever considered or questioned how the right CRM — combined with the right automation — might help you and your team grow your audience, nurture leads, and increase sales — while streamlining processes and workflows — then this conversation with Erik is for you.

I promise you — if you take and apply the insights, wisdom, and expertise Erik shares during this episode — you and your team will find new ways to streamline biz dev and ops inside your shop so that you have the capacity to sell more of what you do.

• What is the difference between CRMs and email marketing automation platforms?
• What are the top 3 questions Erik is asked when it comes to CRMs or email/marketing automation?
• How could an agency owner and their team tell if or when they should consider moving from a MailChimp or Constant Contact to a CRM like Keap, Hubspot, GoHighLevel?
• When Erik was evaluating all of the CRMs when choosing one for Predictive — what features and criteria were important to consider?
• Why is Erik a fan of Keap's automation builder?
• If you're considering onboarding a CRM — what would Erik recommend as your initial three action steps to start down that path?

• Get the WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients.
• Get the WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee.
• Get the HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals.
• Get the How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients.

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

My guest on this episode of Sell With Authority has spent nearly 20 years working in strategic and leadership roles focused on growing national and local client brands with award-winning, ROI-generating digital strategies.

Corey Morris, President and CEO of Voltage returns for an encore interview.

Corey recently released his new book, The Digital Marketing Success Plan, and I'm thrilled to dive into the insights and strategies he shares.

To set the stage for our conversation, here's an excerpt from Chapter 10 of Corey's book where he touches on a significant trend in the digital marketing landscape. Quoting Corey:

"A trend I'm seeing personally and can validate through feedback I see with over two dozen other agency owners — that I believe will continue to grow–is brands having less patience with agencies. On the positive side — companies want to work with agencies that know what they're doing and are the best at doing it.

That means constantly bringing new ideas and thinking deeply about their business overall.

Unfortunately — many companies have been burned by bad agency relationships.

Whether due to talking big and not delivering, trying to be full service and do everything at a level of deep expertise, or just not being a right fit for other reasons like niche, price, strategy, etc. — most companies have had a bad experience with agencies at some point.

Combine that with shorter-than-ever tenures for CMOs and the fact that so many agencies sound the same and have similar messaging — agencies are getting fired at a record rate.

That means that being an expert or specialist and owning a niche is important to gain trust early, drive results, and have a quality relationship among all of the people on both sides.

Shortening patience isn't a one-way street.

Agencies can be different and should be — and accountability will be a factor that wins out more and more in the coming years."

Corey's observations are compelling and timely — and they resonate deeply with the challenges and opportunities faced by agencies today.

I want to reinforce the relevance of his insights with some data from the latest Agency Edge research study conducted by Agency Management Institute and Audience Audit. This study aimed to quantify what clients want from their agencies, allowing respondents to choose more than one factor.

Hannah Roth, our resident mad scientist and strategist here at Predictive, delved into the Agency Edge research and shared her thoughts on the implications. She summarized:

"Clients want the strategy, the path, and the overall goal in nearly equal parts. To pack a powerful punch, agencies that want to attract advocates and exacting experts should offer elements of all three."

I couldn't agree more with Hannah's analysis — and it's fascinating how the data aligns with Corey's insights.

This synchronicity is exactly why I invited Corey back for an encore.

We explore how his book can serve as a roadmap for your agency to create winning strategies, paths, and goals for your clients.

• The importance of having a documented, transparent plan that aligns all stakeholders
• Why chasing the shiny object of AI might be leading you astray from effective, proven strategies
• How focus on strategic planning can help you withstand sudden changes and distractions in the marketing landscape
• Real-life examples of clients who thought they were profitable but were actually losing money — and how you can avoid those pitfalls
• Tips for agencies to provide strategic guidance and not just project execution

Resources:

• Website: https://voltage.digital
• Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/voltagekc
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreymorris/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/voltagedigital/
• Twitter Personal: https://twitter.com/coreydmorris
• Twitter Business: https://twitter.com/VoltageKC
• Instagram Business: https://www.instagram.com/voltagekc/
• The Digital Marketing Success Plan: https://thedmsp.com
• Sell With Authority EP 103: How to Get to the Top of Google, with Corey Morris

Additional Resources:

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group

For this episode of Sell With Authority — I break down a sales strategy that we've used here at Predictive for nearly a decade — but not until recently — did we build a framework around it.

We call it the "Sales Crucible" — and I will tell you — whenever we have a new service line to begin selling here at Predictive – I design what we call a "Sales Crucible."

And just like a literal "crucible," — I design a schedule and accountability points that intentionally put me under pressure so I'm forced to figure out the best way to talk about our newest offering, get at-bats in front of real prospects, strike out, and then eventually get some hits and score some wins.

I know this might sound ridiculous — why would someone want to do that to themselves? Right?

I promise you — if you put our Sales Crucible framework into practice — you will cut the time it takes to gain traction in your sales process.

But before we dive in — have you heard about our upcoming July Intensive?

Three times a year — we get our Predictive clients together on Zoom. We call it the "2-day Intensive."

We slice apart our best strategies for helping agencies sell more of what they do — and we break everything down in full transparency so you can install it into your agency.

I know I'm biased — but holy bananas — each Intensive is off-the-charts awesome.

Our next "Intensive" is Tuesday & Wednesday, July 30th & 31st, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon Central (on Zoom).

Our goal for the July Intensive is to help you sell more of what you do.

We have 30 guest passes available.

Would you like to join us?

And here's the magic.

The Intensive is a private client-only event.

That means no selling. No pitching. You just get to be one of us.

If that sounds helpful — just send me an email at [email protected] with the word "ONWARD," and I'll get in touch with the full details, calendar invites, and Zoom links.

• How to create your own "XYZ Statement" so you can easily introduce yourself to prospects using a statement that is designed for them and not you
• How to connect the dots between your strategies and tactics — with the outcomes delivered for your clients
• Why build a list of confidants to practice your pitch shortens your path to success
• How to move quickly into the real batter's box and swing away

• Get the WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients.
• Get the WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee.
• Get the HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals.
• Get the How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients.

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

For this episode of Sell With Authority, we're shaking things up a bit. Instead of our usual format — I've got something special in store for you.

Why this twist, you might wonder? There are a few reasons I'm excited to share with you.

But before we dive in — have you heard about our upcoming July Intensive?

Three times a year — we get our Predictive clients together on Zoom. We call it the "2-day Intensive."

We slice apart our best strategies for helping agencies sell more of what they do — and we break everything down in full transparency so you can install it into your agency.

I know I'm biased — but holy bananas — each Intensive is off-the-charts awesome.

Our next "Intensive" is Tuesday & Wednesday, July 30th & 31st, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon Central (on Zoom).

Our goal for the July Intensive is to help you sell more of what you do.

We have 30 guest passes available.

Would you like to join us?

And here's the magic.

The Intensive is a private client-only event.

That means no selling. No pitching. You just get to be one of us.

If that sounds helpful — just send me an email at [email protected] with the word "ONWARD," and I'll get in touch with the full details, calendar invites, and Zoom links.

Okay — now for the twist with today's episode. Jody Sutter of The Sutter Company.

For this episode — I'm sharing the full recording of a recent LinkedIn Live that I did alongside Jody Sutter.

Jody invited me — and I was like — Holy Bananas, yes!!

And here's the thing — from the outside looking in — someone might look at Jody's company and Predictive as competitors — and yet — we share content, and support each other any way we can — because we both want the same thing for agency owners — for them to win more business.

So we're going to play the entire LNKD Live recording here inside this episode.

Enjoy. Hope you find it helpful.

• How building an authority position can help you sell more of what you do.
• How you can make time to create or generate all that content.
• How long will it take before you see traction in your niche and results.
• How to easily get past the obstacle of thinking "What if I don't have anything interesting to say?"

• Get the WHO Framework™: Replace your dry sales pipeline with a steady stream of right-fit clients.
• Get the WHAT Framework™: Design your irresistible offer and sell it for a premium-priced fee.
• Get the HOW Framework™: Put a proven sales process into place and close 80% of your proposals.
• Get the How You Help Framework™: Use this framework to make yourself an easy YES! for clients.

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority

I'm thrilled to welcome Jay Owen to this episode of Sell With Authority. Jay is the Founder and CEO of Business Builders, and this is a bit of an encore because Jay and I connected a few years ago for episode 777 of Onward Nation.

Today's conversation is packed with insights you can apply to your own agency — to help you sell more effectively by focusing on how we help our clients grow as the catalyst for our own success.

By leaning in to assist our audience, right-fit prospects, and clients, we can guide them through their most pressing business issues, challenges, and roadblocks. When we help them achieve their most vital priorities, remarkable things happen for them — and for us.

Jay's mission, shared by his team, is to help others grow their businesses because when we do that, good things happen. Jay has a vision for assisting other agency owners in overcoming the persistent challenges we all face.

Or — more candidly — those issues we repeatedly bang our heads against the wall over.

If you take and apply the insights and wisdom Jay shares during this episode — you and your team can find new ways to lean into the recurring issues and challenges your clients face — and then — find new, helpful solutions your clients will value — and value you more in the process.

A big dose of gratitude to our presenting sponsor for the podcast, Conduit Digital. By using their expertise in streamlining, upgrading & scaling your clients…they promise to reduce your risk so you can become the best digital agency in your market in 30-days. You can find Conduit and all their helpful insights and smarts here.

• How Jay scaled Business Builders from a small agency to a thriving enterprise
• Internal leadership and management in navigating technological changes
• Why outsourcing and a contract model can be the key to agility
• The importance of maintaining core values during tough times
• Why community and human connection are crucial in today's business world

Resources:

• Website: https://businessbldrs.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayowen/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayowen/
• Book: https://getjaysbook.com/
• How to Build a Business that Lasts, with Jay Owen

Additional Resources:

• Website: www.predictiveroi.com
• Visit our newly expanded Resource Library
• Join us in our free How to Fill Your Sales Pipeline Facebook Group
• Stephen's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner/
• Order your free paperback or Kindle copy of our Book: Sell with Authority