Archives for January 2015

International Selling: How to Be Ready for The Next Opportunity

This is Episode 27 of This Old New Business business podcast with Jeff Korhan.

International Selling: How to Be Ready for The Next Opportunity

Martin Limbeck is an international selling expert with extensive experience working with both American and European companies.

Regardless of apparent differences such as language and culture, we’re all human beings. This is why Martin likes to say: selling is selling. So, if you want to learn practical and uncomplicated ways to immediately increase your sales potential, this episode will not disappoint you.

Our Featured Guest: Martin Limbeck

International Selling: How to Be Ready for the Next OpportunityMartin Limbeck is an international sales authority, sought after keynote speaker, and the author of NO Is Short for the Next Opportunity. He draws on real-life sales experiences to help business owners and sales professionals develop pride, passion, and perseverance – so they will love their work and close more deals.

Successful Sellers Have a Winners Mindset

Anyone that sells knows you cannot sell anything if you are not sold on the value your company can bring to your prospective customer. You have to believe in yourself, the company you represent, and of course, your customer.

Martin completed his high school education here in the United States as a foreign exchange student. That was his first experience with the American culture, which naturally differs in some ways from his native German culture. Listen to the audio to hear his story.

Especially in international selling situations where unexpected circumstances are likely to arise, Martin stresses the importance of having a winners mindset. Regardless of the culture, people want to buy from winners that work harder for the customer.

Invest in Your Customer Relationships

Martin’s formula for international selling success is quite simple. Start with International Selling: How to Be Ready for the Next Opportunityunderstanding your customer. This obviously requires research that is readily accomplished using the abundant information available online.

Next is investing in your relationship with the customer by showing him or her from the heart that you care.

Readiness for the next opportunity begins with a mindset, but it is sustainable only by consistently investing in relationships. One of Martin’s practices is making at least two phone calls every day to his customers. How about you?

How is your business getting ready for the next opportunity?

Lighting Round Tips and Advice

Martin’s Top Sales or Marketing Advice – Shovel first; collect second. You’ll have to listen to the audio to fully appreciate Martin’s life lesson about selling in an American vs a European culture.

His Favorite Productivity Tip – Cold calling customers. It works.

A Quote that has Inspired Martin’s Success – “The winner isn’t always the one with the fastest car; it’s the one that refuses to lose.” Dale Earnhardt

Key Take-Aways

How to subscribe to This Old New Business podcast

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You can also subscribe via Stitcher.

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If you enjoyed this episode of This Old New Marketing podcast, please head over to iTunes or Stitcher to leave a rating, write a review, or subscribe.

About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedInTwitterFacebook, and Google+

Modern Media: How to Build Your Business Reputation

This is Episode 26 of This Old New Business weekly business podcast with Jeff Korhan.

Modern Media: How to Build Your Business Reputation

Gini Dietrich and I had a great conversation about the evolution of modern media in this episode, from the days when it was predominantly self-serving to where we are today.

Being truthful, most of us will admit we’re still getting comfortable with learning to tell better stories and how to help our target audience, while of course concurrently building our business reputation.

You will learn the practical methods Gini uses to help her clients. So, whether you are just getting started or are doing the work but not getting results from your media, well then, this episode is for you.

Our Featured Guest: Gini Dietrich

Modern Media: Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, an integrated marketing communications firm. She is the author of Spin Sucks, co-author of Marketing in the Round, and co-host of Inside PR. She also is the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and the founder of Spin Sucks Pro.

The Evolution of Modern Media

It turns there are as many challenges with creating quality media as there are for being effective in so many other endeavors. Gini assures us that it doesn’t have to be that way.

She helps small businesses use the modern media channels more effectively by starting with what they know best – their business and the customers it serves.

For example, when Gini’s company starts working with new clients, it asks a simple question: What kinds of things happen every day? 

Instead of promoting the business, as most of us have been taught, we only need to learn how to tell better stories about the things that happen to us every day. People are naturally curious and that makes true stories about everyday activities a form of marketing, because embedded within those stories are clues to its values, culture, and true capabilities.

Media traditionally promoted a conceived business reputation. These days media simply delivers honest information that allows the audience to decide for themselves.

It’s Better to Show Than Tell

When it comes to building your business reputation it’s always better to show than tell, and the social media platforms are ideally suited for this.

For example, if you do not enjoy blogging it’s not likely you will do it consistently, and that alone sends a message. Whereas, if you enjoy making short videos to help your customers that authenticity will naturally come through.

For this reason, Gini suggests finding the type of media you enjoy creating and get started to build the habit and gain the experience that will make it better. Also, carefully choose your social media channels to meet your audience where they are now.

It may seem counterintuitive to use your media to share your ideas and hard-earned best practices, but bringing that to a community that values it is a surefire way to build an enviable business reputation that attract and retains customers.

Lighting Round Tips and Advice

Gini’s Top Sales or Marketing Advice – Make the commitment to create media that favorably influences your audience. Soon people will expect it and you will hold yourself accountable to them.

Her Favorite Productivity Tip – Try the Moleskine for Evernote Notebooks. It allows your handwriting and drawings to be instantly digitized with the camera app.

A Quote that has Inspired Gini’s Success – “It doesn’t matter how often you fail. It’s how you get up and redo it that matters.” Anonymous

Key Take-Aways

How to subscribe to This Old New Business podcast

Click here to subscribe via iTunes.
You can also subscribe via Stitcher.

Help us Spread the Word

Let your Twitter followers know about this podcast with this ready-made tweet.

If you enjoyed this episode of This Old New Marketing podcast, please head over to iTunes or Stitcher to leave a rating, write a review, or subscribe.

About the Author:  Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the author of Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business and host of This Old New Business podcast.

He helps mainstream businesses adapt their traditional growth practices to a digital world. Connect with Jeff on LinkedInTwitterFacebook, and Google+

Business Communication: How to Build Relationships with Technology

This is Episode 25 of This Old New Business weekly business podcast with Jeff Korhan. You’ll find this episode to be an easy listen because Terry Brock is a natural storyteller. In addition to being a Hall of Fame speaker, Terry is known for discovering useful technologies, but more important, he has a knack for finding creative ways […]

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Business Podcasting: How To Start a Podcast

This is Episode 24 of This Old New Business weekly business podcast with Jeff Korhan. This is the 2nd of a two-part series on business podcasting. Last week we discussed How Every Business Can Benefit from Podcasting. In this episode we go into detail on how to get started. Note: There are some affiliate links associated with a […]

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