What are the things we need to build our business community and brand? In this Expert Insight Interview, Keri Roberts discusses branding and community building through podcasting. Keri Roberts is an entrepreneur, founder of Branding Connection company focusing on brand awareness, community building and content marketing, and podcast host.

The interview discusses:

• How to build a community
• How to create a brand
• How to start a podcast

Build a Community

Building a community takes time, care, and effort. In today’s world, we can buy anything, even followers. But success rarely comes over the night. Instead of paying for thousands of followers, it is better to focus on the quality you provide to those people. Showing that you care will make them talk and refer you to the others, which will scale your business. In podcasting, showing that you researched to get to know your guest even before the show started shows that you care. Also, when searching for podcasts guests, people tend to think that they need to have the CEO of Apple as a guest. There are so many successful and inspiring people out there who have maybe more to say and share because they want a chance to share their expertise as well. Having lesser-known guests but from diverse backgrounds and cultures allows hearing different perspectives and learning more.

Your Brand

Branding is not only your logo but also how people feel about you. You will best present yourself by being your true self. When you show your authenticity, people will easier connect to your brand and show interest in your podcast. On the other side, the guest should also feel as comfortable as possible because that way, he can present his true self the best as well. Covid19 period impacted the podcast industry to start showing its guests in more informal scenery, usually from their living rooms, which made guests more authentic as well. No matter if the interview took place in the living room, gas station, or the studio, and no matter if it was short or long, as long as there is quality content offered in it, the audience will listen to it.

Start a Podcast

When starting your podcast, you should first look at what you are passionate about and start from there. That can show you which direction you want to follow. Next, you can start building your community with people who are close to you. And with time, you will start seeing what areas of the podcasting you like and don’t like. That way, when you expand your business, you can choose if you want to continue alone or to expend your team.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Did you know that a space shuttle is never on the right course track, but always on course-correct? The same works for decisions. You start with one, and then adjust as you go. In this Expert Insight Interview, Jodi Hume discusses decision fatigue and energy management. Jodi Hume is a founder of Strategy and Decision support on-call company and podcast host.

The interview discusses:

• What causes decision fatigue
• How to manage energy
• Importance of energy capital

Decision Fatigue

The frontal part of the brain that helps us make decisions runs more fuel than any other brain part because we face decision making all the time. Decision making is also when you wake up in the morning and look at your emails and decide which one to open. However, the other decisions, so-called hard decisions that require serious thinking, are the ones that cause the decision fatigue. Many times, we put so much pressure on the choices we make, thinking that if we choose wrong, we could change the course of our whole life. Especially now, in the middle of pandemics, we are afraid to make decisions with less information and certainty. People underestimate their ability to adapt to different circumstances. We always weigh the risk of any decision we make, but we never account for the risk of procrastinating to decide. It is crucial not to freeze in the fear, but to keep forward and to make a choice.

Energy Management

When we feel overwhelmed, the best thing that we can do for ourselves is to take a break. We live in a time when it is easy to get mentally and emotionally drown, so we have to find something that brings us joy, and that will be able to recharge our empty batteries. That can be as simple as going to nature for a hike, sitting on the porch, or listening to music. Those little moments of joy that nurture our brain and soul will help us to get our creativity, productivity, and energy back on the track. There has to be a balance when we put our brain to rest so that later we can be capable of making better decisions.

Energy Capital

In business, the decision-making process is sometimes collective rather than individual. In an organization, energy capital is as significant as financial capital. Thus, as leaders, we cannot afford to experience the collective exhaustion which comes from the fear and indecisiveness to make decisions. A poor decision is simpler to correct if we are still sharp in our minds than if we are mentally exhausted. Good leaders do not know it all but are more comfortable with making risky decisions during uncertainty.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Our unconscious physical and vocal behavior patterns make up our presence. In this Expert Insight Interview, Dr. Louise Mahler discusses how we can get practical with our presence. Dr. Louise Mahler is an expert in presence and presentation, body language, and voice, as well as a keynote speaker, executive coach, and author.

This Expert Insight interview discusses:

• The shift to virtual presence
• Improving our voice
• Taking a second when moment asks for

The Virtual Presence

Shifting almost all our professional contact virtually came so sudden and unforeseen. But video meetings are a change that we can either use as an excuse to get scared and paralyze, or to embrace it. Since the majority of meetings and work is online, we have to think of our virtual presence. Stepping in front of the camera for many people means becoming so much self-aware. Nod, blink, and smile is a technique to show that we are engaged in the conversation, and we listen. These three little tricks soften our image as well. The thing that many people struggle with, especially in sales, is vocal fry. Vocal fry is something that shows that you lost commitment to your sentence and flow of thought. Our performance in front of the camera depends a lot on our confidence. And the way we improve our performance is by bringing our best selves to the engagement.

Vocal Practice

In a virtual setting, we can see only the area that the camera covers, so the skills or usually, the lack of our skills becomes so much more evident. Sometimes, we are not even aware of how we talk, how we sit, or what we do with our hands while on camera. The fascinating thing about our voice is that we don’t hear our voices the same as others. So, if we want to improve the way we talk on camera, instead of watching our old videos, the more beneficial way is to find a voice coach.

Take a Second to Breathe

Sometimes, during a meeting, it happens that we get stuck in the sense that the other side does not understand what we want to say. In that case, it is crucial not to start panicking because panicking impacts voice tone. Taking a second to breathe helps to get enough air to set a reset button on your body and brain, and to organize your thoughts. The second thing is eye contact. Another side can see if you look somewhere else, or if you deal with a dog under the camera. Interruptions happen, so take a break and then come back with complete focus on the meeting.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

How do you go from stuck to unstoppable in business? In this Expert Insight Interview, we discuss with Tracy Timm her new book Unstoppable. Tracy Timm is the founder of The Nth Degree Career Academy, career clarity expert, coach, and author.

The interview discusses:

• Getting the right mindset
• Our core values
• Increasing our awareness and affirmation
• Changing the perspective

Get Your Mind Right

By choosing the mindset we want for ourselves, we also choose the opportunities that we want for ourselves. An abundant mindset enables us to open ourselves to a limitless number of possibilities, while a finite mind limits our expectations from the start. The key is to find clarity within ourselves regarding who we are and what we want. Once we achieve personal clarity, we automatically feel more confident and eliminate fear and doubt. Another important thing is to allow yourself to take control of your circumstances. That way, you let yourself to prioritize and invest in your career instead of waiting for external factors and influences.

Core Value

We are not even aware of how much our core values are influenced by some expectations that are “good on paper” or “what will the people say” thinking. But those imposed core values hurt not only us for not achieving our potential, but also the world because we are not giving our full potential to it. Based on the core values, we make our purpose, life decisions, and a dream career, so they need to be clear, easily accessible, and actionable.

Valuable Mirrors

As a professional, you add value to your business from three different aspects – your personality, your expertise, and your core values. But, when it comes to doing the introspection of ourselves, our persona is the hardest to determine on our own. We might be too biased or too strict for ourselves. Thus, for that, we need help from the people who know us. By asking around 25 people to list your three best characteristics, not only do you get a more accurate perspective, but it also increases your affirmation and supports a healthy self-image. Sometimes, focusing on your strengths rather than on fixing your weaknesses is the simplest way to professional and personal success.

Nothing is Wasted Unless Wasted

When we find ourselves in a situation to start from scratch or change a path we were on, we tend to think that everything we did and learned so far is wasted. That keeps people from making that one life or career-changing decision. But nothing is wasted unless we waste it. Through our past experiences, we gained both good and bad experiences and knowledge to pass on our future endeavors. In conclusion, everything leads back to having the right mindset and believing that making a change and using the opportunities is natural, encouraged, and possible to achieve.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

How do we find courage and grace when dealing with ambiguity and change? In this Expert Insight Interview, Tracey Grove discusses her new book, Taming the Sabertooth: Resilient Leadership in a Stressful World. Tracey Grove is an owner of Pure Symmetry Coaching and Consulting, and resilience expert, author, speaker, and coach for individuals and organizations.

The interview discusses:

• Finding courage and grace
• Practicing gratitude

Find Courage and Grace

We maybe couldn’t control or stop so many things that happened this year, but we can choose the mindset and energy that we put into overcoming those challenges. When dealing with a challenging situation, people either fight it out, freeze, or most commonly want to run and hide. But the truth is, life is hard, and we need the courage to fight and go through it. Millennials and newer generations have been so protected and cuddled mostly by their parents that those generations are more prone to depression and less capable of accepting the failure in any form. Yet, failure is a pillar of success because we learn from it and grow later. We need to embrace the loss and consequences and take accountability for our actions. It is in human nature to blame everyone but us. Taking responsibility for our actions liberates us because we accepted the situation, and now we can choose to change it. There will always be someone better, smarter, quicker, but that does not lessen your achievement. Your real competition is with your inner you, and not with the rest of the world.

Practice Gratitude

Social media and the so-called “selfie” culture contributed to the rise of a new trend in society where everybody is a narcissist and obsessed with comparison to the others. We also feel like we are in some race and always late, so we multitask. But, when we multitask, we lower our IQ in those moments and decrease our productivity. We give attention to too many unimportant things that we forget to be present in our real-life sometimes. We should focus more on things that make us feel grateful. We all have good people and good things happening in our lives, but we still choose to focus all our energy on the wrong things. For instance, many people should be grateful for being able to work from home during the pandemic. Also, people forget that being able to get up from the bed in the morning is a reason enough to start your day with gratitude. Once when we shift our energy on the real things that we can be grateful for, we automatically shift our mindset to be more optimistic as well.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Do you consider yourself emotionally strong enough to turn the unfavorable situation into your favor? In this Expert Insight Interview, Kim Ades discusses the Frame of Mind Coaching process. Kim Ades is an entrepreneur, a founder and president of Frame of Mind Coaching, coach, speaker, and author.

The interview discusses:

• What is emotional resilience?
• The Frame of Mind Coaching process
• Identifying what we want

What is Emotional Resilience?

One trait characteristic of top performers in any industry is high levels of emotional resilience. Being emotionally resilient means not only to bounce back from the trouble times quickly but also to find a way to thrive during difficult times. People who have emotional resilience look for opportunities no matter the circumstances that surround them. The world continuously changes, and some people try to resist it and make life harder while some people embrace the change.

The Frame of Mind Coaching

Someone said that our life is what our thoughts make it. However, people are not even aware of the full extent to which our thoughts impact our outcomes. The Frame of Mind Coaching process looks at the people’s current thinking. The first part of the process is to learn how a person functions in daily life. Firstly, clients record their calls, and later they listen to those calls and observe them. Secondly, they keep a daily online journal through which a coach can extract noticeable patterns, triggers, and beliefs. The key to achieving our goals is to align our ways of thinking and believing with the goals we want to achieve. The belief system plays a crucial role in your path towards your goals. For instance, constant fear and anxiety also fall into a belief. That is a belief of being endangered all the time, and it causes so much stress on your mind, plus it only furthers you from your goals.

What Do You Want?

We should all ask ourselves two questions. The first one is what we really want? And the second one is what prevents us from it? By asking these questions, many people realize that they do not know what they really want because all this time they were living up to other people’s expectations and standards. And the reason why they were doing those things is that they had a wrong belief system. So, what we need to do is to change our belief system and find courage and determination to go live that life we wished for ourselves in the first question.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when somebody says negotiation? Usually, it is something associated with high insensitivity. In this Expert Insight Interview, Simon Haigh discusses mindful negotiation. Simon Haigh is a growth strategist, coach, author, speaker, leadership, mindset, and brand advisor, as well as among the top 100 negotiators globally.

The interview discusses:

• The mindful approach to negotiation
• Aspects of gender and culture
• Importance of soft skills

The Mindful Approach

One thing that this pandemic did well for humanity is that it brought us closer to each other, and it made us remember how to be more sensitive towards each other. This impact is also noticeable in the business world. Every business values risk, revenue, and reputation the most, but the more important is how it achieves those goals. The key is to be mindful and to use subtle negotiation skills such as reasoning, friendliness, and bargaining in addition to the old school, cold negotiation. It feels like in the pool of business skills taught nowadays, negotiating is a bit neglected because that skill comes from the experience. People learn it by doing it, but the key is in being aware of your side, the other side, and the overall situation that cause negotiation. That awareness is achieved by listening, asking the right questions, and being authentic while doing it. People have the power to see through fake, so it is of utmost importance, to be honest during the negotiation process.

Gender and Cultural

There is research showing that using feminine traits in negotiation brings more sustainable deals. Thus, gender balance only increases the awareness needed for a successful negotiation. Another factor that can influence the negotiation is a cultural difference. Cultural differences exist on national levels, as well as on regional levels. For instance, Israeli culture is very casual and informal, which is very different from the Japanese unique traditional culture. Also, New Yorkers are very straightforward, while people in the South are more subtle.

Embrace the Soft Skills

By doing the due diligence, we can access what kind of power (networking, informational, relationship, or hierarchical) the other side has. And during the negotiation, by allowing the silent breaks and listening to the other side, it is easy to access how much of that power the other side actually has. Considering that the pandemic forced us to fast advance one whole decade in the way how we do business, the same principles hold for the virtual negotiations as well. Especially now, when social distancing is encouraged worldwide, the commonly known soft skills such as negotiation, communication, networking, etc. are of great significance to our both professional and personal growth.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Why do we still talk about marketing and sales alignment? Because it hasn’t happened yet. In this Expert Insight Interview, Darrell Amy discusses how we can create alignment between sales and marketing by making them both focus on the revenue growth engine. Darrel Amy is an author of the book Revenue Growth Engine, growth strategist, and speaker.

This Expert Insight Interview discusses:

• Delivering outcomes to the ideal clients
• Influencing decision-makers

Deliver the Outcome

The best way to achieve alignment between sales and marketing is to make them both focus on the same thing as driving a revenue growth engine with the ideal clients. By identifying the ideal client, we also identified the prospects meaning that sales do not need leads anymore. Instead, both departments can now focus on the outbound marketing approach meaning that sales can call the prospects while marketing can send them messages. However, the crucial thing is to have these two departments consistent with the messaging they send to the prospects. The truth is, people do not buy products or services, but the outcomes those products or services provide them. So, we need to know what our ideal prospects want. Clients’ wants and needs change all the time. Speaking of B2B, businesses that once wanted productivity, scaling, and efficiency now value resilience and flexibility the most. In times of uncertainty, we need to be able to speak to our ideal clients. Each B2B business has an average of 6.7 decision-makers. We need to talk to each of them and get all of them on the same side. Talking with clients is an area in which marketing people could step in as well and support the alignment with sales.

The Strategy to Influence

Considering that B2B business usually has many decisions makes, we need the strategy to influence them. Sales and marketing need to collaborate in developing the content packages to bring to the buying team because, for instance, the IT manager needs to hear different things than the finance manager. Throughout the buying cycle, we talk with various people building a network of people. For networking, we can use business and sales processes such as CRM. Once when the sale is closed, the sales department usually thinks that their job is over, shifting the focus on marketing and customer success. Instead, the sale closing means opening the relationship and creating the opportunity to grow. Customer experience is the continuing process, and since we gained so many client insights already through the buying process, marketing and sales can work together again to contribute to the overall customer experience.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.