It’s no secret that a strong call to action is key for creating great marketing material. But what does it look like to actually craft a call to action that people respond to?

To help answer that question we invited our Director of Marketing, Tyler Ginn, to join the podcast for this week’s episode. He sits down with Don and JJ to break down a successful email campaign and gives you practical tips for creating calls to action in your marketing that will get a response. Plus, find out which type of salesperson is statistically proven to be the most successful (hint: the answer will probably surprise you).

The Ritz-Carlton is one of the most iconic brands in the world. And on this episode of the podcast, we welcome the visionary who built it, Horst Schulze.

He shares the practical strategies he used to do it. How to craft a compelling vision. How to make sure all your employees share that vision. Plus, the four key objectives every successful business pursues in order to succeed. It’s a masterclass in authentic branding and visionary leadership from a man who knows exactly what it takes to excel at the highest level -- and what he shares will help you excel, too.

We all need to know how to conduct great interviews. Whether you’re hiring, networking, doing customer discovery, or even dating, you need to be able to ask questions that solicit meaningful answers. On this episode of the podcast, Donald Miller talks with master interviewer Dean Nelson about what questions to ask, how to listen, and more. Don’t miss this super practical episode!

Want to make your brand’s messaging exponentially more powerful? Learn how to define a villain for your customers. That’s because our brains are hard-wired to pay attention to negative things -- threats, villains, potential losses. On today’s episode, Mike McHargue (a.k.a. “Science Mike”) explains the science of why this happens. And don’t worry -- he uses simple terms we can all understand and apply to our businesses without being manipulative.

What are you selling? Your quick answer may be “real estate” or “jewelry” -- but to really connect with customers, you need to understand the deeper value you offer them. You don’t sell real estate, you sell peace of mind. You don’t sell jewelry, you sell confidence.

Join us on this episode for a deep dive into defining what your customer really wants. First, Don and JJ talk about why we need to understand our customers’ desires. Then, Don interviews advertising executive Aaron James about real-world ad campaigns that have done just that.

If you want to give yourself a big advantage as we start 2019, this is the episode for you!

As we close out the year and look ahead to 2019, take a moment to reflect on how you’re growing as a business leader. This podcast is a great place to start. We’ve compiled the best and brightest insights from this year’s episodes, from world-renowned guests like Rachel Hollis, Daniel Pink, and Patrick Lencioni. It’s a wealth of wisdom to inspire and equip you for the year ahead.

http://buildingastorybrand.com/129

Word of mouth plays a role in 50-90% of all buying decisions. But most of us have never actually sat down to outline a strategy that would get more customers talking about our brand.

If that’s you, it won’t be after you listen to this episode. Jay Baer joins Donald Miller to talk about “talk triggers” -- moments you can create for your customers that they’ll tell their friends about. He’s full of specific, practical examples that will inspire you. You may very well transform your whole business with the big idea you get from this episode. Listen now!

http://buildingastorybrand.com/episode-128/

Should your company take a stand on a social issue? There’s no better person to ask than TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie. He and his team have built a thriving footwear brand on the One for One model of giving a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair they sell. And recently, they launched a bold campaign on the controversial issue of gun violence.

In this episode, we examine the finer points of what happens when your company takes a stand on a social issue. How does it affect your employees’ lives? Your bottom line? Your brand? The cause itself? Listen now and see for yourself.

http://buildingastorybrand.com/127

We business leaders like to talk about our "core values," but all too often, those values don't actually show up in our products, services, and business practices.

That's not the case at Brandless, an online retailer with a wholly different approach to how people shop for home essentials. They've built everything around core values like quality, community, and kindness.

On today's episode, our guest correspondent Allison Trowbridge talks with Tina Sharkey, the co-founder of Brandless, about the practical ways we can build our businesses around our core values. Listen now!

http://buildingastorybrand.com/126

The Enneagram is a personality typing system that teaches there are nine basic personality styles in the world. These styles, or “Types,” deeply influence how we think and act. But what does that mean for us as leaders? Enneagram teacher Ian Cron is back for part 2 of our Enneagram series for leadership.

This time, he shows you how to leverage the strengths of your own Enneagram Type in order to lead your team well. (Not sure of your Type? You may have a better idea of it after you listen to this episode!)

http://buildingastorybrand.com/125