Developing a sales culture comes down to a science, it's important to work with people you can win, and have fun with. We look at what does a successful culture looks like to attract new hires. Vendasta's VP of Revenue, Neal Romanchych , joins us this week to talk about sales culture. We take a look at the science of selling and the structure of it, and he breaks it down to three points: People, Pitch, and List. Digging into the People piece, Neal uses the PAF approach: Performance, Accountabili...
Sep 02, 2020•31 min•Season 3Ep. 350
The four stages of competence, also known as the four stages of learning, show that individuals don’t know how little they know, or are capable of when it comes to a specific skill; they don’t know their incompetence. George Leith is back with another edition of the Master Sales Series, we're exploring the four stages of competence. When the learner recognizes their incompetence, they start acquiring a skill and consciously using it. Eventually, the learner will begin to utilize the skill withou...
Aug 26, 2020•16 min•Season 3Ep. 349
If businesses don't Adapt to Digital now, they may not be able to survive the long road ahead. The pandemic is the catalyst for businesses to make the switch to digital. Conquer Local travels to London England so we can speak with Paul Plant , Co-Founder & Director at BigFive Digital. Paul is one of the co-authors of Aftershocks And Opportunities: Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic Future , it explores four core themes; Critical Shifts, Society and Social Policy, Government and Economy, and Busin...
Aug 19, 2020•30 min•Season 3Ep. 348
Reviewing your team’s sales call, or your calls can be cringe-worthy. We learn why and how we need to get over it. This episode of the Master Sales Training Series, we dig deep into reviewing your sales call. We have special guest Brent Blazieko, Founder of Soundlounge by Tbone, AND Conquer Local’s very own Audio Engineer. George and Brent use their past careers in radio to discuss how and why to listen to your personal sales calls and not just your teams. They discuss best practices, how to giv...
Aug 12, 2020•26 min
Different segments of digital marketing can work independently, but adding a video marketing strategy can enhance and make them stronger. We speak to Brian Albert , Founder and CEO of Videobolt , in Florida this week. Videobolt has a history of helping businesses grow by producing high-quality videos and pass it along to SMBs who can't necessarily afford it. Brian shares the two questions you should ask yourself before hitting the record button on your camera to create a video for your brand. He...
Aug 05, 2020•25 min•Season 3Ep. 346
The Lighthouse Strategy is all about how companies can hone in on a particular niche that they aim to serve. Their niche could be anything ranging from restaurants to dentists to real estate agents. Dennis Yu , CEO of Blitz Metrics , is our guest this week on the Conquer Local Podcast. One of the most requested topics for the podcast is how to acquire new leads. When it comes to lead generation, this is the strategy Dennis recommends to all agency owners, regardless if you've got an established ...
Jul 29, 2020•26 min•Season 3Ep. 345
By creating a culture of always serving the customers, hiring around customer-centric is an easy way to tell if the candidate is the right fit. Wayne Bischoff , CEO of Mediamark , joins us on the Conquer Local Podcast all the way from South Africa. Wayne's sales career started at the age of 7 when he began selling pencils on the playground. He shares how his background in sales prepared him as the CEO to create a customer-centric organization. Hiring amid pandemic has been a significant theme on...
Jul 21, 2020•42 min•Season 3Ep. 344
Did you know that Conquer Local has its very own Digital Marketing Academy? It's a game-changer because the SaaS industry changes under our feet. We have Jacqueline Cook (Jackie), Chief Strategy Officer at Vendasta , on the podcast to discuss the strategy behind the Conquer Local Academy. After some research and listening to digital marketing agencies and entrepreneurs from different areas of the world, there was a realization that there was a need in the space for a digital marketing academy. I...
Jul 15, 2020•31 min
For marketing agencies and salespeople alike, we must put the local business first. We have to be able to present a buyers journey to a client because whether we try to empower them or not, they are always in charge. We have Jeff Koser , the spirited founder and CEO of Zebrafi , who is at the helm of the podcast this week. Jeff and George dig deep and analyze how the customer journey is shifting into a buyers journey. Jeff is the award-winning co-author of Selling to Zebras - How to Close 90% of...
Jul 08, 2020•32 min•Season 3Ep. 342
If you are ready or not, the pandemic is a Forcing Function for Digital Transformation that local businesses need to adopt. Marty Fisher, President of Sherpa Marketing , is our guest this week; Marty started Sherpa Marketing in 1996. Since the global pandemic hit local businesses hard he started an initiative called Adopt a Business. He has a passion for local businesses, and when he saw the effects the pandemic would on the economy he knew Sherpa Marketing needed to step in. George and Marty di...
Jun 30, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 341
What if organizations can emulate intrapreneurship within their walls? What would that mean in terms of growth for the employee and the organization itself? We welcome Dr. Chitra Anand , an advisor to high growth companies, she has recently received her doctorate of business in intrapreneurship. No, that isn't a typo—What is an intrapreneur? An intrapreneur is an entrepreneur within a large, complex organization: a startup within a company. Dr. Anand explains how organizations need to embrace in...
Jun 24, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 340
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between branded content and native content. Wundervue defines branded content as any sales or marketing initiative that uses content to engage a user, and that is paid for by a client. Jared Merves , Founder of Wundervue , explains how to succeed through storytelling. He believes that branded content is the silver bullet that provides publisher partners a path to revenue and profit growth and the sustainment of quality local journalism. Jared expl...
Jun 17, 2020•23 min•Season 3Ep. 339
Information shared by an expert at Google provides some SMB Best Practices can use when going back to business. Todd Rowe , Global Marketing Director at Google , is our guest this week on the Conquer Local Podcast . He uses the information collected from SMBs across the globe to understand the best practices they can take when re-opening after the wave of closures from the COVID-19 pandemic. With his knowledge, organizations will be able to help local businesses get back to business with ease. T...
Jun 10, 2020•33 min•Season 3Ep. 338
To build a cooperative in retail, it started with only 12 retailers, which quickly grew to 300 in one short year. "Ten thousand mistakes can lead to the ten right decisions." Lindsay Gaskins, President, CAA Member and The Bike Cooperative, at CCA Global Members , is our guest this week. Lindsay started a brick-and-mortar business in 2008 during the financial crisis in the United States; in turn, she sold nothing in the first three months. Lindsay explains how she refined her business to have 45 ...
Jun 03, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 337
How to help the SMBs get back to business by being the Trusted Local Expert. What does it look like to reopen and how to communicate it to the SMBs customer base? George Leith is back to bring you another edition of the Master Sales Training Series. We discuss two things, first, being the trusted local expert; that's you. Reviewing how you operate as an organization, is it making your appointments remotely? Is it reallocating your budget? How are you delivering value to your client? George explo...
May 27, 2020•12 min•Season 3Ep. 336
Consumers want to support their favorite local businesses. For this to happen, local businesses need to embrace e-commerce and go online. Greg Sterling , VP of Market Insights at Uberall , joins the conversation to give us the data on local business pivoting to e-commerce. Many local businesses have been able to embrace the digital shift, most fall into three groups: Successful in shifting to online, meeting expectations to stay open, and those who are struggling and may disappear. The successfu...
May 20, 2020•32 min•Season 3Ep. 335
Customers travel through a series of steps—whether they know it or not—before they purchase at a local business. This is known as the customer journey. We welcome Ahsen Mohammad to the Conquer Local podcast this week to talk about the Customer Journey. Ahsen took the concept and built his marketing agency around it, Customer Maps , and only serves five customers. Instead of stretching out to bring more and more clients on, he prefers to go all-in with his clients and become a part of their team....
May 13, 2020•21 min•Season 3Ep. 334
The way we hire has changed, what does onboarding a remote workforce look like in today's landscape? Conquer Local heads to Denmark to bring you Tricia Score . Tricia is the Sales & Customer Engagement Team Leads at Microsoft; she shares what her experience has been as she has already onboarded three salespeople remotely. Tricia puts the emphasis on remembering human interaction, making the connection to establish trust, and keep the lines open for communication. Now is the time to connect w...
May 06, 2020•28 min•Season 3Ep. 333
Franchise Selling must ultimately be around building trust with your customer base before getting started. We welcome Joe Mohay , CRO & Co-Founder of Integrated Digital Strategies (IDS), on the podcast this week, and he is here to talk Franchise Selling. Joe shares what he has learned in his career regarding building trust with customers, "Businesses that go above and beyond are the ones who will succeed." He breaks it down into three sections, treat customers like family, prove to them you ...
Apr 29, 2020•35 min•Season 3Ep. 332
Developing a Buyer Persona, learning the dos and don'ts, and why it's essential to understand the mindset of small business owners. Stu Richards , CEO of Bredin, is our guest this week on the Conquer Local Podcast . Stu is a frequent speaker on marketing to small and medium businesses in North America. Bredin works with some of the largest brands and companies that are trying to appeal to SMBs. Stu explains by doing topic research around the buyer persona, and it allows us to understand better w...
Apr 22, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 331
Developing a brand identity for your agency is one of the best ways to take your brand to the next level. Master Sales Series this week brings you the importance of having a robust brand identity. Strong brands are all around us. In our modern, digitized world, people are seeing an alarming number of brands everywhere they turn. Remember that study done in 2007 about people being exposed to 5,000 advertisements a day? Well that number has increased with the surge in mobile smart devices, increas...
Apr 15, 2020•16 min•Season 3Ep. 330
You have to admire startup founders. Creating. building, developing, and growing a SaaS Startup is not an easy feat. SaaS Startup founders put everything on the line to drive forward with their dream of solving a problem, building a unicorn, or even employing 500 people. Jordan McFarlen , Business Incubator Manager at Cultiavtor powered by Conexus, in our guest this week. He is currently working with key stakeholders, community members, and most importantly entrepreneurs to build out the strateg...
Apr 08, 2020•45 min•Season 3Ep. 329
Where are you going to be after the inevitable bounce? Will you Be the Hero? We are taking a different angle for this Master Sales Series episode. George brings to light what it means to be the hero during this time of crisis. Conquer Local's core purpose has always been to drive local economies by providing knowledge to our listeners. We support local businesses, and during challenging times like these, we’re committed to that now more than ever. We’re here to help our listeners clients through...
Apr 01, 2020•20 min
In its simplest form, Product-Led Growth leans on product experience in order to grow a customer base. In the traditional acquisition model, marketers focus on attracting potential customers through inbound tactics like paid ads. Once a prospect shows interest and are vetted as a qualified lead, they become a market qualified lead and are sent to the salespeople. Product-Led Growth (PLG) is a strategy that puts the product right before the customer to lead the customer experience! Anna Tavares, ...
Mar 25, 2020•36 min
The bar has never been lower to start a business by going Direct to Customer, but that doesn't change what the pillars of business are. Direct to Customer brands leverage their true purpose, technology, data, content, and speed to market in astonishing ways. Now, you can too. Brace for impact. Mitch Joel, Founder of Six Pixels Group, is our guest this week. He is one of the amazing speakers at the Conquer Local 2020 Conference in beautiful Montreal. Big and small business need to take it next le...
Mar 18, 2020•20 min
A powerful Elevator Pitch can be magnetic. If it’s engaging enough, you can sell anything – whether it’s a product to a client, an idea to an investor, or convincing an employer that you’re the right fit. We held a live Elevator Pitch competition at Vendast'a headquarters. Our astonishing host, George Leith, was one of three on the panel of judges. We bring you the eight elevator pitches from the competitors, and George provides feedback on each. Who do you think will win? The objective of an el...
Mar 11, 2020•32 min
Converting Leads Part 1 was all about the prospects, and we're now diving into Part 2: Converting Leads, with existing clients—selling after the close. George is back with Part 2 of Converting Leads on this episode of the Master Sales Series. You’ve closed the deal, you’ve won the sale, it’s time to celebrate, right? Yes, but there’s still work to be done. George explains the concept of looking at existing partners whose accounts are still active and treat them as a lead. Treat them the same and...
Mar 04, 2020•22 min
Everyone always wants more and more leads, but what about the leads they already have? We bring you Converting Leads on the Conquer Local Podcast The Master Sales Series is back and we are talking about Converting Leads. We conducted a survey from our listeners to understand what they are looking to Conquer in 2020. The number one thing everyone put at the top of their list, you guessed it, getting more leads. Taking a step back and looking at that answer and uncovering the nitty gritty details,...
Feb 26, 2020•28 min
Developing a Sales Strategy to implement with your sales team isn't a one and done, it has to tweaked and edited as you grow. We are excited to bring back Donny Dye, Founder of Quota NYC, to the Conquer Local Podcast. Donny updates on what he has been doing since we last spoke in Season 2. For the past year he has been the acting CRO for Eden Health developing and growing their sales team. Donny divulges the three things his tried and tested method of developing a sales strategy: Strategy, Team,...
Feb 19, 2020•31 min
Sales Procurement is your friend, not your enemy. Jens Hentschel, Founder and CEO of THE FIVIS PARTNERSHIP, is on the Conquer Local Podcast this week talking Sales Procurement. Most people cringe at the word procurement, but procurement is just as important as sales. Sales organizations see procurement as a roadblock and avoid it at all costs. Jens explains that procurement is your best friend, and when you are selling a product or service reaching out to the head of the procurement department c...
Feb 12, 2020•28 min
