The Pollinator Podcast

Jeff Stay built the largest privately held referral and networking organization in the South East US in Miami - a town known for being made up of a lot of very distinct, tight-knit communities.

Not bad for a guy from Minnesota.

There is a lot that could be said about generating referrals (and Jeff and have had many multi-hour conversations about it over cigars and whiskey).  But I asked him to specifically talk about it in terms of "propagating the sale" by generating referrals from great clients.

It seems odd to a lot of folks that their best clients don't send them referrals, and Jeff explains why.

Connect with Jeff here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-stay-49216a11/

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #propagatethesale #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

CRM and Marketing Automation software come with this amazing promise of making everything easier.

All the amazing functionality that they provide will have your business running so smoothly that all you have to do is lie back on a beach and sip fruity cocktails.

But that never happens, because it takes a hell of a lot of work to set a system up to do that.... and it's constantly evolving.

Ian Campbell, when he's not sipping bourbon and serenading jazz audiences, runs our CRM platform, The Mission Suite.

He talks about the first steps that business owners need to take to get the most value out of these systems, and how to avoid having them suck your time, energy, and money dry.

Connect with Ian here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianscampbell/

Check out The Mission Suite here - https://www.themissionsuite.com

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #cultivatetheopportunity #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

Amy Donner is one of the most helpful people for new business owners you will ever meet. She has witnessed the digital transformation in marketing and advertising first hand.

She is a huge fan of the democratization that digital media has brought to small business owners but also knows that there is still a place for bringing your message into the tangible realm and putting it in print.

According to Amy, there are three times you should be thinking about going into print. And if you have 2 of the three, then definitely so.

Connect with Amy here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylivergooddonner/

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #planttheseed #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

Quality over quantity. It's easy to say, but not always easy to execute.

Kristin Abele with The Found Gen takes the Madison Avenue experience to both small businesses and Fortune 500 companies alike.

She explains distinctions between branding, advertising, marketing, and sales and the content needed at each stage. But this is key: stop trying to through everything against a wall. Focus on these key things instead.

Connect with Kristin here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbabele/ https://www.thefoundgen.com #clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #preparethesoil #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce is the #1 Chamber in the South Florida Market as ranked by the South Florida Business Journal, which is impressive since it's compared to the large regional chambers of commerce across multiple counties.

Its President, Mark Trowbridge, has now led it through two economic downturns and recoveries - the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 and the global COVID-19 Pandemic.  We discuss how to get the most value out of your chamber membership, and why chambers are still so relevant to businesses, and a lot of the hidden value that often becomes so important for businesses in times like these.

Connect with Mark here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-trowbridge-06a006a/

Connect with The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce here -  https://www.coralgableschamber.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/coral-gables-chamber-of-commerce/ 

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #plantheharvest #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

Everyone "knows" that your most profitable sale is the sale to your existing, satisfied customer. And yet, so many folks keep the transactional mindset. Eric Serrano has a breadth of experience selling and managing sales teams in diverse industries, and shares some of his keys to long-term success... things that really shouldn't blow people's minds... but do.

Connect with Eric here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-serrano-9a076618/

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #propagatethesale #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

The Old "Always Be Closing" Ideal is Dead. My friend Carlos Garrido talks about how to deal with leads in modern sales environments, and instead of ABC... ABQ. There are some things that hard sales tactics are good for, however, and he explains what those are. And whether you're in business promoting yourself, or are in a selling role, Carlos explains what a salesperson's principal responsibility is. Connect with Carlos here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosgarrido0/

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #cultivatetheopportunities #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

Adding video into your branding and marketing mix can seem overwhelming. I asked Neto Almanza to come on and break it down and help business owners overcome some of their hesitations. He has produced all type of video content, from videos for small law firms and mom and pop shots, to telenovelas, to promotional content for huge corporations and international organizations. He has some solid technical tips, but also, even more important, some ways to get over being camera shy. And we also talk a little about where the future of video is going. You can get connect with Neto at https://www.linkedin.com/in/netoalmanza or https://www.videoworks.miami

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #planttheseeds #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

Brent Bardales is a walking entrepreneurial spirit. He took what he used to grow other businesses online into his own agency that provides a whole suite of digital marketing services. I asked him to come on and discuss the mistakes people often make when setting up paid ad campaigns in Facebook and Google, and he did not disappoint with some great nuggets you may want to go check – immediately!

#clientcultivation #pollinatorpodcast #planttheseeds #sales #marketing #strategy #clientcultivationcycle

A super exciting (and somewhat sultry) episode of the Pollinator Podcast, as I interview my wife, Shannon. She is in a medical sales role for a larger corporation and was recently awarded the President's Award for being number one in the nation. She talks about what it's like to come into a sales role from a technical role (she's a dietician by trade), facing rejection, the power of consistent action, and how nurturing relationships is what builds sustainable success.

#sales #clientcultivation #clientcultivationcycle #planttheseeds