Sink or Swim: Small Business Marketing Failures & Successes - Interviews with Real Business Owners

Sink or Swim is a bi-weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* How the 2008-2009 economy downturn helped Ken's business grow

* Why he thinks LinkedIn will soon become a great place to advertise

* How Ken uses physical mail to get people to his website

* The way Ken's company is building revenue through sales funnels

Guest Profile

Ken Tucker is the author of Social Media Marketing for Restaurants and the founder of Changescape Web (www.changescapeweb.com), a Small Business Marketing and Website Design Agency specializing in comprehensive integrated marketing strategies and campaigns for small and mid-sized businesses. Specialties include search engine optimization, website design, reputation management, social media marketing, lead generation, and marketing automation.

Ken is a Master Duct Tape Marketing Certified Consultant, an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional (since 2010), and an SEO for Growth Consultant (stlouis.seoforgrowth.com).

Ken created and taught one of the first college credit level Social Media Marketing classes in the US at the St. Charles Community College. He also taught a course on Content Management Systems. He serves as Co-Chair of the St. Charles County Chambers of Commerce Technology Committee.

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about Ken Tucker visit https://changescapeweb.com/

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Sink or Swim is a bi-weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* Ways to make customers excited about your offers

* How med school helped Chandler open a fitness boutique

* How quickly the marketing plans he had for his new business went out the window

* Why Chandler's business had to shut down their sales process at one point (too many referrals!)

Guest Profile

Chandler is a leader in the marketing, business and entrepreneurship landscape and charges forward with strategies well before they are adopted by the masses. Chandler builds brands and understands a customer-centric relationship model in today's business landscape. He works with high-level brands and over 200 unique companies to identify and define the ideal pipeline for their sales and marketing and to truly understand the customer, their needs and wants.

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about Chandler visit chanslogic.com | ootcmedia.com

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Sink or Swim is a bi-weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* Why Neil won't always play the music your kids want to hear (and how that affects his bottom line and future referrals)

* Why people love to refer business to Neil (and how he can charge more because of it!)

* What platform Neil wishes he has time to put more marketing effort into

* What unexpected thing Neil would do if he had an unlimited budget (it has to do with socks!)

Guest Profile

Neil Smith the DANDY DJ is a wedding and corporate event DJ based in Murfreesboro, TN about a half hour south of Nashville. In business over a decade doing strictly family friendly weddings and events. Formerly a professional musician.

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about Neil Smith the DANDY DJ visit http://www.dandydj.com

Neil's books

The Wedding DJ Bible: How To DJ The Wedding Like A Pro From Preparation To Grand Exit

Pick A Perfect Wedding DJ

The BARN WEDDING BOOK: How To Hold Your Hootenanny Without A Hitch!

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Sink or Swim is a bi-weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* How Roy knew a big change was coming to his job, and how he planned ahead for the marketing challenges that were coming

* What network he loves to share his 'daily motivators' on

* How Roy is in for the long game - nurturing leads for months or even years (and how he avoids hitting the panic button while waiting for those leads to convert)

* Why Roy thinks sending a different waiter to your table every few minutes would be a great learning experience

Guest Profile

Former rodeo bull rider Roy Barker, Business & Senior Living Operations Advisor, has spent his career working with businesses of all types to improve their sales and marketing strategies. He believes that any company can improve their financial position through expense management, managing employee turnover, and operational efficiencies.

"Employee retention is an area most businesses can improve on. This is one area where shortcuts are often taken. With the average entry-level worker costing approximately $7,500 to turnover, executives reaching 200 percent of their yearly salary, and some technical workers up to 400 percent of their yearly salary, this shortcut can be a costly proposition."

Roy has some great information to share about how to recruit, retain, and ensure that the employees a business hires are providing quality to customers. He is certain to provide some actionable advice that will benefit businesses of all sizes and types!

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about Roy Barker visit https://www.roybarker.com

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Sink or Swim is a weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* Why Rob thinks some marketing channels are like a bad drug habit

* How Rob has started to set his brand apart from most other realtors

* How keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries has boosted his bottom line

* Lots more (of course!)

Guest Profile:

The decision to become a REALTOR® was an easy decision for me. I had never sold anything in my life, never had any formal sales training and was not even from the area that I intended to service which meant I knew no one and had not base to prospect to.

But I knew one thing for sure, all I had to do was deliver top-shelf service to my potential customers and I would win business from the general public by default because I knew that thousands of other real estate agents out there would not. I just knew in my gut that I would be a huge success simply by observing the Golden Rule – “Do unto others as you would want done to you.” (Matthew 7:12 NCV, see also Luke 6:31)

10 years later I have tried every possible marketing and advertising scheme available to real estate agents and have spent more time and money than I care to think about yet above all else I have built my business by simply meeting the expectations of my customers and making them feel like they really matter and that I truly understand the stresses involved with such an enormous decision. I have received more awards and milestone achievements than I can count but nothing I’ve ever done professionally has been more rewarding to me than the incredible experiences I’ve had with my customers and the meaningful relationships I’ve created.

Show Notes

To learn more about Rob Shanks Home Team, visit RobShanks.com

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Sink or Swim is a weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* How Marc got his first client on the day he started his business - on accident!

* Why Home Sweet Legal started from frustrations Marc had with buying a house

* How Marc wants to use the 'Edward Jones' approach to marketing his business

Guest Profile:

Marc Jacob loves helping his clients, on big and small deals alike. A self-styled “Lawyerpreneur,” Marc recently launched Home Sweet Legal (www.homesweetlegal.com™), a division of his firm devoted to providing affordable and free legal services to home buyers and sellers. He is the Managing Attorney of The Jacob Law Firm, LLC, in Clayton, MO (www.marcjacobesq.com), where his primary practice areas are real estate transactions, business formation/contracts and not-for-profit organizations.

Marc is also a Supreme Court of Missouri Rule 17-Approved Civil Mediator. He is admitted to practice law in Missouri, Illinois and New York, a licensed real estate broker in Missouri , and he holds a Certificate in Economic Development from St. Louis University. He served as the Chair of the Delmar@170 Business District (the precursor to the U City Chamber), the Olivette-University City Joint Redevelopment Task Force and as co-Chair of the Joint Redevelopment Implementation Committee. Marc currently sits on the Board of Aish HaTorah St. Louis and the Urban League’s St. Louis Housing Task Force. Marc lives in University City with his wife and four sons.

Show Notes

The Social Media Marketing Blueprint for Lawyers

http://amzn.to/2BMTacc

Blue Ocean Strategy

http://amzn.to/2BACYbs

To learn more about Home Sweet Legal, visit https://homesweetlegal.com

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Sink or Swim is a bi-weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* Steve's first ever public speaking experience, for Brian Tracy!

* Why he thinks everyone should have a LinkedIn account, and how he connected with the guy who makes Mustangs for Ford through it for a client!

* How Steve thinks networking is the 'number one source of generating business for your company' when you're a B2B company.

Guest Profile:

Steve Turner is a Principal and Owner of Solomon Turner Public Relations in St. Louis. The firm is celebrating its 27th anniversary in 2017 and specializes in both traditional as well as social media. The firm works with clients on a national and local basis. Steve has appeared on TV, radio and in many newspaper articles and blogs discussing public relations and marketing. His firm recently started ThePRChannel.com to serve as an educational tool for business owners, students and others on a variety of public relations and marketing topics. Steve is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about Solomon Turner Public Relations, visit http://www.solomonturner.com/

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Sink or Swim is a weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* What the 4 success factors are in his strategic plan

* Why coffee/lunch with people is extremely important marketing

* How he left a corporate job to become his own boss

Guest Profile

Jim has spent over 30 years in the corporate world developing a career that has spanned several major corporations including: John Deere, American Airlines, Reuters, Stone Carlie, an architectural firm and several consulting firms.

He has held the titles of Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Facilities for North and South America, Vice President of Client Services, Director of Reengineering & TQM, Director of Human Resources, Senior Manager of Consulting Services, Manager of IdeAAs In Action and Corporate Administrator for  two cost reduction programs for all North American factories.

Jim has two publications to his credit; Reviewing the Effectiveness of your Suggestion System and Creative Thinking Seminar, both published by N.A.S.S. in Chicago, Illinois. He was co-editor of the popular Legal Guidelines for Suggestion Systems, which he has presented in a workshop series for numerous organizations.

A few of Jim’s honors include:

Founders Award Recipient – for his work in the field of Employee Involvement (one of only 20 people in the United States to receive this honor)

President of the National Association of Suggestion Systems

Founder and first President of the Midwest Chapter of N.A.S.S. located in Moline, Illinois. Co-founder of the Central States Chapter of N.A.S.S. located in Tulsa

Received Certification and elected to the Board of Examiners for the Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation

Appointed to the Governor's Quality Council for the State of Oklahoma by Governor David Walters

Appointed to the Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Chairman for Section 1409 of the American Society for Quality Control in Tulsa

Appointed an Examiner for the Excellence in Missouri Foundation and also served as a Judge for the Team Quality Award

Co-Founder of the PeopleSoft Regional User Group in St. Louis

Co-Founder of ExecLink “Executives helping Executives” in St Louis

Jim has developed and presented workshops, speeches and panel discussions to professional and civic groups as well as companies covering thirteen states within the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe and Saudi Arabia. He has belonged to, or participated in, twenty-three civic and professional organizations at either a local, state or national level.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. He is also is recognized as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute, Certified Manager of Suggestions Systems (CMSS) by N.A.S.S., as well as an Able Toastmaster Gold (ATM) from Toastmasters International.

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about Alliance Technologies, visit https://www.alliancetechnologiesllc.com/

Jame's book 'Smart Networking for Business & Personal Success

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Sink or Swim is a weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* Why he considers himself a 'hiring expert'

* How buying and reselling textbooks was the start of this business

* How he does business with 'no employees'

Guest Profile

Nathan Hirsch is a serial entrepreneur and expert in remote hiring and eCommerce. He is the founder and CEO of FreeeUp.com and the co-founder and COO of Portlight. Nathan started his eCommerce career on the Amazon Marketplace and successfully built a $7 million business within 4 years. After seeing the potential of using remote workers within his first business, he founded FreeeUp to make the remote hiring experience simpler for all eCommerce business owners. FreeeUp now provides reliable eCommerce workers to hundreds of clients around the world. Nathan is an expert at building efficient systems and processes, sales strategies, and business management. He currently lives in Orlando, Florida.

Other Notes/Links

To learn more about FreeeUp visit freeeup.com

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Sink or Swim is a weekly podcast of marketing interviews like this one. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

In this episode, find out things like:

* How the book Deals on Wheels got Peter started in the world of real estate

* What a Bird-Dog is and how he used them to grow his business (with zero up front costs!)

* Why direct mail is the best marketing for his business

Guest Profile

Peter Vekselman is a business owner based in Atlanta. He has a made a lot of money as an entrepreneur in the real estate industry. He is a serial entrepreneur who started in the vending business, then purchased a mobile home park that fell on hard times. Eventually he started investing in real estate and that has paid off extremely well. Peter is now one of the top real estate investors in the Southeast. He is a Principal/owner in three companies including RBP Investments and Yates Estates Keller Williams, one of the fastest growing real estate firms in Georgia.Peter Vekselman has been involved in Real Estate as an investor, contractor, developer, and lender for more than a decade. He has bought and sold more than 3000 properties, and his construction company has handled 100+ projects. As a private lender, he has managed a portfolio of over $10 million. He holds a degree in Finance from Miami University, and is based in Atlanta with a vast business network across the USA.

Peter has some great advice for both new and established business owners.

Peter helps by teaching people...

* How he has helped others change their life by investing in real estate.

* In general, he can talk about when you should start a business.

* How to focus on what you do best and stay away from things you don’t know about.

* How successful entrepreneurs fill in the blanks with a good team surrounding their skill set.

* How to market a business and how social media has paid dividends for him.

* The benefits of YouTube marketing

* He can also talk about how to avoid the mistakes he made along the way.

Peter speaks to groups of other business owners, and has been on podcasts/radio shows in the past.

Other Notes/Link

To learn more about Peter Vekselman, visit petervekselman.com or coachingbypeter.com

PipeDrive CRM

Commissions Inc CRM

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