The Authority Builder Podcast

Zander Fryer of High Impact Coaching shares a hard truth. If you want to build a six- or seven-figure business, and you’re not there yet… it’s because you’re not good enough. If you were, you’d already be there. 

But, adds, Zander you can become good enough by picking up the right skills, mindsets, habits, and knowledge you need. By growing as a person, you can grow your business.

One of his techniques involves, every day, thinking of the one thing that scares you the most… and doing it. Zander gets into detail on that, as well as…

• The biggest difference between successful people and those that are perpetually stuck
   
• Why you must always challenge yourself – and how to do it even when you’re “successful”

• If you’re not doing this… nothing else matters

• The dangers of a trying to create “perfect” product or service

• And more

Bob Howard, founder and president of Contact Science, has built software that focuses on making prospecting for new business more efficient and effective – not to mention easy. It’s automation that doesn’t forget the human touch that is vital for successful sales.

If you don’t have outbound prospecting as part of your business development… Bob shares reasons why you might want to add it to your process. If you do but aren’t finding much success, he shares ways to set more qualified appointments to build your business. 

He stresses that his solution is not a typical CRM – and outbound prospecting is actually much more straightforward than you probably think. We take a deep dive into that, as well as…

• Key metrics to watch out for to spot parts of your outbound prospecting process in need of improvement

• The first step if you’re starting an outbound program from scratch, including where to get a list… if you don’t have a list

• How your outbound prospecting approach changes based on the type of business you have

• The importance of messaging and how to use it to gain “mindshare” in three different channels

• And more

When you make strategic changes, don’t forget to make sure your team is onboard, stress Leeza McKeown and Dan King of Fireside Strategic. If you don’t have that buy-in… there’s no execution and no improvement.

That’s why this dynamic duo stress the people component of any strategic plan. We talk about how to engage your team and make them enthusiastic participants in change, from the CEO down.

It all starts with an honest assessment of where you are now… and where you actually need to be. We dig deep into that, as well as…

• The bottleneck every company has – and how to break through it

• What role the leadership skills and management style of the CEO plays in the process

• The #1 first step you must take before investing in any major changes in your business

• How your customers can help you determine your next strategy shift

• And more

Bart Mroz, CEO of SUMO Heavy Industries, has a problem. This boutique digital commerce consulting company is focused on “heavy” development work on the backend systems for ecommerce clients. But they still get a lot of inquiries seeking help with marketing, SEO, design, and similar work… which they don’t do. 

Bart wants to reposition the business in the marketplace so they can start attracting more of the right prospects, especially bigger companies with in-depth needs. 

If you’re facing a similar problem in your business – a gap between what you do (or want to do) and what people think you do – it’s well worth a listen.

We talk about…

• How to identify your true buyer and their triggers

• Why you might need a lot fewer new clients than you think

• A strategy for laser-focusing your lead list – and how to start the right conversations with the decision-makers

• An effective way to establish yourself as a thought leader and innovator in your niche 

• And more

The biggest obstacle to business development for consultants and professional service providers – and salespeople in general, says Charlie Moon, is the fear of sales. 

It’s that emotional turmoil that as one of his clients put it, causes “sweaty palms” when speaking on the phone with a prospect. 

Right now, Charlie is trying a new marketing method to reach potential new clients who need help with sales. 

We talk about why he chose this channel, the advantages, how he’s going to “package” his message to ensure he reaches those prospects most predisposed to say yes… and why many of his clients could actually use the same channel too.

Tune in to find out… 

• How he’s finding his target audience(s) and speaking to them

• The bad habits your mentors may have taught you about out sales – and how to overcome them
   
• A way to get your current clients to “help” you write marketing to reach new prospects
   
• Why podcasting is not what you think

• And more

At consulting firm Sterling Woods Group, CEO Rob Ristagno and his team help middle market companies use data to create sales, marketing, and other strategies to accelerate revenue growth. 

Best of all, says Rob, it’s data that is already there. It’s just that owners and executives don’t know how to analyze it – or come up with insights that can impact the business.

It’s a vital service, yet Rob admits that the value of his company’s service isn’t always apparent and often seen as a “luxury.” It can be a struggle to get hired.

We take a deep dive into how to change that perception. Starting with identifying his ideal client and their pain points and going from there. If you’re facing a challenge in strategic growth and haven’t pinpointed your obstacles, this conversation is a must-listen.

Tune in for details on…

• A strategy for leveraging your current list of prospects

• How to use podcasts to get your foot in the door with potential clients
   
• The 3+ biggest obstacles to getting hired as a consultant or professional service provider – and how to overcome it

• A strategy for identifying not just ideal clients… but when it’s the right time to talk to them

• And more

There are a lot of misconceptions about LinkedIn out there, says Trevor Turnbull. It’s not Facebook for business people. It’s not an online business card and resume. It’s not a place to spam hundreds of people hoping to find leads.

But when used correctly this social media platform can pull in a steady stream of qualified prospects, says Trevor. And he should know. He’s The LinkedIn Guy, with more than 26,000 people having gone through his training programs.

In this episode, he talks about an effective client acquisition system he’s created, the LinkedIn Linchpin Method, that leverages the true value of LinkedIn, as well as…

• How to avoid being perceived as a spammer

• A content creation strategy that actually works, including a format you wouldn’t expect

• Why you must start a conversation with a prospect before you ever talk to them – and how to do it

• The reason you must act like a “human” on LinkedIn 

• And more

If you went on a vacation for a week… would your business grind to a halt? That means you have an owner-centric business, says David Jenyns. And you need to change the way things are run so you can work on the business – and not so much in it. 

David, founder of systemHUB and creator of the SYSTEMology methodology, says putting the right systems in place and empowering your team will free you up to be more strategic, spur growth, and increase the business’s value. 

Best of all, your business can run profitably without you… giving you the true freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want.

And yes, you can even implement systems if you offer professional services.

We get into the details of how to actually implement David’s methodology, including…

• Warning signs of an owner-centric business

• The biggest limitation to business growth – and how to overcome it

• How to determine what to systemize first (and why you need less systems than you think)

• The 3 steps to creating effective systems – and how your team fits into the process
   
• And more

In the past several months, we’ve all experienced traumatic upheaval in healthcare, society, culture, politics, the economy… This isn’t the first time in history something like this has happened. And people face their own personal crises – large and small – all the time.

But we can’t let fear rule our lives in a time of change and turmoil.

How we react to change – not the change itself – is what creates the outcome. What we must do is refocus and make a plan to move forward.

It might seem easier said than done, but there are ways to face fear head on, lessen its impact, and move past it. Tune in for details on the mindset you must adopt to overcome fear, as well as… 

• Why other people are key to overcoming fear

• A 30-minute writing exercise that can help you solve any problem

• The best way to deal with negativity

• The 3 Cs of turning fear into opportunity

• And more

Now, more than ever, says Matt Heinz, you need to be crystal clear about who you’re selling to and why… and build your message around that. Only then can you stand out from the crowd and reach the fewer prospects who are buying (and are buying less, by the way).

He says the first step is to set your sales goals – and that informs your target market. Next, setting up a “sales funnel.” 

But in complex selling, which requires multiple “touches” to get the deal, a new type of funnel is needed, says Matt. He outlines a sales process that incorporates all parts of your organization working together.

As part of that, Matt talks about getting very specific about your target audience – much more detailed than you might think. We talk about that, as well as…

• A strategy for scaling up revenue goals – without increasing your marketing budget
• How to get sales and marketing teams to actually work together 
• Why the wrong types of goals can sabotage your marketing 
• When a lead isn’t a really a lead
• And more