The Bacon Podcast with Brian Basilico | CURE Your Sales & Marketing with Ideas That Make It SIZZLE!

One of the most recognized sounds computer lovers remember is the dial-up connection and AOL's announcement that says, “You've Got Mail!” It was like a sugar high whenever you heard that sound. Nowadays, most of us feel like we have the stabbing pain of a cavity when we hear our Outlook or Gmail inbox notification saying, “You've Got Mail!” What changed? The biggest difference is that many (if not most) of the emails we get today have one goal: to sell us something. Some of that is subtle, like email lists we have signed up for, while others are just blatant phishing, which is a random solution (or at least they say so) in search of a problem. It's hard to have the time and resources to optimize data, but that is one of the single activities that can impact email marketing success. All too often, we import names and emails into email programs and lists because it's easy. What's a bit harder is collecting more detailed information and tagging contacts along their lifecycle on your email list. I hate to break it to you, but people don't want your newsletter. Newsletters are about you, and they are interested in what benefits them. Yet companies create emails with five or twenty stories (some or all with links). The real challenge is finding and creating content relative to your audience when you send it. It is so important to create fresh, specific, and timely content. The best way to prime your business for the AI revolution is to learn how it works for you and your company in the current business environment and then adapt as the tools become smarter and more accessible (and affordable).

Let's face it. We are living in a world that is overwhelmed with information. 380 new websites are created every minute, and over 500,000 new websites are added every day 7 million blog posts are published across the internet daily 300 BILLION emails are sent per day (85% spam) 720,000 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube (30,000 days' worth of video content) per day AI-generated content creation will double those numbers in less than a year Getting your messages in front of any audience is getting harder and harder, let alone the perfect audience who might care about what you do or sell. Okay… Take a deep breath. It's not all doom and gloom. All of that information is only a problem if you are trying to outperform companies with deeper pockets and more cutting-edge resources. You can totally zig while your competition zags. While most businesses are hunting for new clients in the internet marketing space, you can grow your business better and faster using relationship marketing principles. These principles are based on psychology, sociology, and human-to-human principles that date back to the beginning of time. Let's dive into five myths and remedies that may help you achieve your desired outcomes while spending less money and making more in the long run.

Mulch is made by shredding trees. Finer shredding improves the soil over time. As organic mulches decompose, they can add nutrients and organic matter to the soil, enhancing its quality. Mulch is not only decorative but also functional. It helps plants by regulating soil temperature, retaining water, and preventing weeds and erosion—all from recycled trees. I think of creating content as an ecosystem, just like a tree. It starts with an idea or a seed of thought. It grows and builds roots in your business marketing. Then, it provides nutrients to help feed itself and your business. Running a business is hard. The bigger the business, the more complex it is. You have to manage issues like people, finance, supply and demand, sales, marketing, and what I consider the most challenging part… finding customers and keeping them happy. Like a tree turns CO² into oxygen, you can turn lessons into relationships. This means converting those lessons into strategic marketing ideas that facilitate sales. Reinvention is based on results. It requires critical listening and critical thinking to understand the subtleties. You can hear how the bass drum and bass guitar build a foundation while the strings on the chorus lift the message to a different level. It has to become a habit of consuming fuel that drives you forward to success.

You may not think about it, but we are surrounded by messages and ads all day long. In today's digital age, the average person encounters between 6,000 and 10,000 ads daily. We are bombarded with billboards, snail mail, radio, and TV, not to mention all the social media content, spam emails, and robocalls. All of that noise has one goal: to get you to spend or give your money to them. The never-ending battle for your attention and dollars is waged relentlessly daily. This works because we are personally tied to our beliefs, egos, and needs. We all want to be right, liked, and sustained without being taken advantage of. We face a lot of noise that is trying to persuade us. We tend to pay attention to what we find relevant. If you think about it, each change in our economy has created new opportunities while the status quo has deteriorated before our eyes. People who refused to reinvent themselves and their businesses fell by the wayside, while others saw their fortunes explode. Revolution is based on promises. Promises are like music that we have already heard. You may have an emotional connection, but the next song forms a new connection once the song ends. It's a sugar high that peaks and falls. Reinvention is based on results. It requires critical listening and critical thinking to understand the subtleties. You can hear how the bass drum and bass guitar build a foundation while the strings on the chorus lift the message to a different level. It has to become a habit of consuming fuel that drives you forward to success.

If you have been involved in online marketing in any way over the last 10+ years, you have been fed a steady diet of more. More followers equals more sales. More hits to your website equals more sales. More social media engagement leads to more sales. Almost nobody would argue that more sales are bad, but people have conflated more with better. I am here to say that better is worth more. In the world of relationship marketing, sales begin at connection. A connection can come in the form of a follow, a friend request, a connection request, a message, a website form submission, or whatever each platform uses to start, generate, and maintain conversations and relational connections. The main goal is to stay top of mind and maintain a connection so people will see your content, consume it, and hopefully learn something, and then engage in a relationship at the time of their choosing. That is the promise of social media. They do this for free, so people will pay for advertising to do just that!

Trust has to be planted and grown. It is a seed planted through a personal relationship. It needs to grow roots and be nurtured through light and water to produce fruit. Trust must be watered by honesty, warmed and fed through the light of integrity, and rooted in consistency. Strong roots and branches provide shade and shelter in the stormy weather of doubt. It would be great if there were a way to measure trust. You can calculate the number of people who know or connect with you. You can measure likes by the number of people who interact with your social posts or open your emails. However, trust can only be seen when a transaction happens. There are five stages to go from like to trust: Connection, Caution, Consistency, Courage, and Commitment. No tool, system, or software program can automate trust. You may think that sending emails, keeping people in the loop, and sending them direct messages may help, and they do. But the only way to maintain and nurture trust is through human-to-human interaction.

Going from Know to Trust requires a stepping stone, and that’s called a Like. You can try to jump over that stone, but it leads to a transactional two-step. You may make a sale, but it will not build a relationship. Relationships are key in the B2b world because businesses need to be reminded that you are there to serve them when needed and that they can continue to trust you. Like is a connection. Online a connection is a follow, friend request, or whatever a social platform says its phrase is defined as a positive affinity, rapport, or fondness with someone in a digital sense. In the literal sense, like means you have something in common. For example, I like dogs, golf, music, humor, motivation, family, and business. The more you have in common with certain people, the more they will like you. So, it is the activity that gets someone who knows you to know you better. It’s about informing without dividing. It’s about making them feel something. It’s about forming a bond around subjects that matter to both of you. The goal is to stay in touch and be top of mind. The goal is not just to sell something. There are three final points that I believe need to be addressed.

Know is a beautiful word. People ask, “You know what?” They text IYKYK (meaning if you know, you know). Know can also be a derivative of knowledge. Know is a two-way street when it comes to marketing. You want people to know about you and your business. You may also want to know who knows about you and your business. Knowing who knows what is almost like the old Abbott and Costello bit, “Who’s on first.” Or, what came first, the chicken or the egg? Just because someone becomes aware of your business or gets to know you exist does not guarantee that they will remember you a week, month, or year from now. That means that you have to remind them that you are there and that you are still relevant. As I mentioned, there are three kinds of marketing: awareness, education, and sales. Awareness is about being top of mind. With awareness marketing, your goal isn’t to inform, educate, or convince. It’s about raising your hand and saying, “HEY… we’re still here!”

The concept of “Know – Like – Trust” has been around for a while. It is commonly attributed to author Bob Burg (Endless Referrals and The Go-Giver). Another person attributed to the concept is sales trainer Michael Goldstein, who talked about buyers needing to experience “confidence, affinity, and empathy” before making purchases. No matter who originated it or how you phrase it, it’s undoubtedly a foundational process to making a sale. When I say process, it’s one foot in front of the other sequence. Yet many business people try to hop over the like part and go from know to trust. Know, Like, and Trust has three distinct phases when it comes to marketing to build relationships. One of the critical principles that muddies the water when it comes to business-to-business relationship marketing is the concept that your business is trying to appeal to the largest audience possible. In business, sales are the KPI that drive everything from employee compensation, innovation budgets, and, in some cases, investor and shareholder enthusiasm. The concepts of Know, Like, and Trust are intertwined, yet each has its own purpose, process, and performance metrics. One last key thing to remember is that marketing people are part of your sales team, and salespeople are part of your marketing team.

Networking has been around for a long time in business. Some of the names you may recognize (Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and John D. Rockefeller) were prolific advocates of networking. As we know it today, networking started taking hold in the 1970s. More formal groups like BNI (Business Networking International) started in 1984. Tradeshows, associations, and even chambers of commerce are all forms of networking. One of the best philosophies I have ever learned about networking is that business is not B2B (business to business); it’s H2h (human to human). Humans are complex beings. They have emotions, biases, experiences, expectations, fears, hopes, and random acts of kindness or stupidity (depending on the planet's alignment and inspiration from higher powers). In face-to-face networking, we get a tiny glimpse into the complexity of a person's overall being. Think of networking as a relationship bank! You have to make deposits to create interest. Every quality network you can tap into creates a foundational asset that can and will help grow your sphere of influence.

One of the foundations that's stuck with me through the years is, “Businesses do not do business with other businesses. People do business with people.” There has never been a corporation that has ever paid cash or written a check. People do that. Yes, companies try to put you on autopilot by making you subscribe to things, but it still takes a human to enter the data and make the initial purchase. What had been the Horatio Alger dream of the Nineteenth Century, starting in the mail room and ultimately owning the bank or factory, now had even more scope. How many loyal workers dreamed of climbing the corporate ladder to become CEO of a multinational corporation? Part of the evolution of business is about teaching ourselves how to really network. There are many options, from associations to chambers of commerce to people who do informal and semi-formal free and paid events. Those events lead to people suggesting other networking opportunities. That could expand your Golden Rolodex even further, but how do you find value in networking?

What’s your image? Top view on pan with fried egg with bacon Babies are cute, puppies are cute, and bacon is not cute, but I bet your mouth watered a little bit. What if someone recently lost a baby? Maybe they are a cat person? What if they are an animal rights activist or vegan? Then, those first statements could not be any farther from the response you had hoped for. Brands, like cute, are in the eye of the beholder, but as a business, our brand is our image. Branding is complicated. It’s more than your logo, your corporate fonts and colors, and how you advertise to your perfect customers. It encompasses everything from the stock images you choose to how you answer the phone (or not) to what platforms you choose to distribute your content. Speaking of content, your content comprises text, images, and media (audio/video). It’s Not About You, it’s about people choosing you. So, what does BACON (Building Authentic Connections Online Networking) mean or look like to you and your business? I can assure you it is different for almost everyone, but all have some things in common. For B2b businesses, this means investing time in nurturing a long-term relationship. This may mean providing them with information in the form of articles or even providing them with connections that may turn into leads and sales for them first.

You can’t control change; it controls you. Chances are, you are in one of two camps: 1) Those who embrace technology or 2) Those who are overwhelmed with all the change. Now, you may still be a damn the torpedos, I am going to use my printed Franklin planner and Palm Pilot Blueberry thingy kind of person, but I want to try and help you understand what change matters and what may not when it comes to you and your business. My goal here is to help you better understand how to embrace the benefits of these changes. Heck, you can always hire an assistant to deal with all those technology changes that keep coming at you like stars in a hyperdrive Star Wars scene. It’s Not About You, it’s about people choosing you. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: In today’s reality, it’s not you choosing the customer, advocate, or power partner, they choose you! What you have to do is find a way to become distinctive, memorable, and top-of-mind. This is the power of social networking and social media, getting you to that top-of-mind position and helping you stay there. You just have to learn how to leverage the tools in a way that creates and enhances relationships.

I've spent more than forty-five years in business. During that time, business has experienced many changes, innovations, breakthroughs, revolutions, and upheavals. I’ve had the chance to see the birth and evolution of the personal computer, and I worked at the company that pioneered the cell phone. Then I watched the “brick” phone transform into a computer that fits in your pocket. I’ve watched and evolved with the growth of the internet. I’ve experienced the world before browsers, email, websites, Google, Facebook, and YouTube, and watched in awe as these new technologies emerged to create a complete paradigm shift in how we conduct business. In this new and revised version of the book, I will do my best to give you better context about your type of business. Let me start by defining two major categories that transcend most all marketing subcategories. "It takes ten thousand hours to truly master anything. Time spent leads to experience; experience leads to proficiency; and the more proficient you are the more valuable you’ll be." - Malcolm Gladwell To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at B2bInteractiveMarketing.com

It’s been 10 years since I wrote my first and still my favorite book. I was faced with the challenge of deciding if I wanted to write a new book or update the original. This is the beginning of that journey... What follows is the prologue form the new book Sections Include: So here we are! The Birth of B2b The Teacher The Birth of this Book Fast Forward 10 Years 10,000 Hours Relationships that are fundamentally built on trust are what have been motivating us to change, take chances, learn, stay alive, and become better human beings! It takes ten thousand hours to truly master anything. Time spent leads to experience; experience leads to proficiency; and the more proficient you are the more valuable you’ll be. To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at B2bInteractiveMarketing.com - Malcolm Gladwell

Here are the top five New Year's sayings or cliches: 1. Out with the Old, In with the New 2. New Year, New You 3. Another Chance for Us to Get It Right 4. See You Next Year 5. A Frest Start Now, I don't want to become a Captain Buzzkill or minimize the significance of what the New Year may mean to you. We should all be proud that we survived to make another trip around the sun. We should enjoy all of those yearly retrospectives of what happened last year and revel in what lies ahead. After all, “Hope springs eternal.” But one of my favorite cliches goes like this, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift… so be open to the present!' Let's explore some old and new that we can embrace in the present as we look ahead. “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves”. – Bill Vaughan .In this episode... We will discuss how what's old should become your NEW go to marketing ideas.. Want To See How To Market BETTER? - Click Here

Here are the top five New Year's sayings or cliches: 1. Out with the Old, In with the New 2. New Year, New You 3. Another Chance for Us to Get It Right 4. See You Next Year 5. A Frest Start Now, I don't want to become a Captain Buzzkill or minimize the significance of what the New Year may mean to you. We should all be proud that we survived to make another trip around the sun. We should enjoy all of those yearly retrospectives of what happened last year and revel in what lies ahead. After all, “Hope springs eternal.” But one of my favorite cliches goes like this, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift… so be open to the present!' Let's explore some old and new that we can embrace in the present as we look ahead. “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves”. – Bill Vaughan .In this episode... We will discuss how what's old should become your NEW go to marketing ideas..

Mark S A Smith: Working in the world of technology since 1982, Mark uses systems thinking to help organizations successfully bring new, disruptive technology to market by orchestrating compelling, strategic conversations with executives. Mark’s authored many books including include his latest Pivot to Profit from IT Disruption, Security in the Boardroom, Linux in the Boardroom, Guerrilla Negotiating, Guerrilla TeleSelling, & Guerrilla Trade Show Selling. Forthcoming: Selling Disruption & Executive Strategy Skills. Mark is an electrical engineer, media technologist, computer programmer, hardware salesman, software marketer, business owner, executive coach, author, professional speaker, video producer, podcaster, blogger, musician, and father of five Millennial children who do not live at home. Ask Yourself: Just how good is my “crystal ball?” Is that going to get better or worse? How much do I need to be thinking about the future? How important are each of the timeframes to making decisions that impact our business? Action Plan: Build and frequently update a document to collect insights that impact the four timeframes. Hold “crystal ball” conversations with customers, vendors, partners, and industry leaders. Talk with people of all generations to get their thoughts and insights, to understand what they identify with, and what they feel is important. Look for changes in the way people think and make decisions. Contact Mark On LinkedIn - CLICK HERE

When I was a kid, I did not have to walk to school uphill, both ways, in the snow! But it was before you could buy calculators and computers in the dollar store. I am trying to remember any algebra, trig, or calculus that I actually use today. Much of it was based on formulas and principles. I know it's used in science and computing, but I'm in sales, marketing, and advertising. Most of the math I do today is primarily in accounting and spreadsheets. There is a bit of geometry involved in creating art in Photoshop. Art and music use geometry, math, and formulas. Business is about math. Income minus expenses equals profits. Advertising is not any different. You want to spend as little as possible to increase sales to make more profit. Let's look at relationship marketing as MATH. Or better yet, and an acronym. MATH = Meet Audiences (with)Targeted Help. To sum up, MATH is HARD. But if you want to add more customers and multiply your profits, you should subtract some old processes and then divide and conquer to help the right people at the right time. “If a man's wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics.” – Francis Bacon .In this episode... We will discuss how MATH = Meet Audiences (with)Targeted Help and could help lead to future success.

Ely Delaney is an Automated Systems Strategist and the co-founder of Purple Knight Marketing, an education company designed to help entrepreneurs go from surviving to thriving in any economy. He’s an Amazon bestseller with his two books “Marketing Tidbits” and “Networking Tidbits” With a passion for connecting people, his best selling training course “Networking Like A Rockstar” has over 1350 students registered globally. Ely helps speakers, authors, and coaches automate their follow up to grow their business without having to have an MBA from MIT. He’s the guy to help you build a 24/7 automated system and turn you into a Follow-Up Rockstar! Connect with Ely - Click Here