https://bit.ly/SSSMC

Steve Brossman from SteveBrossman.com talking about How to Sell Yourself When You ARE Your Brand.

Steve and Mary discussed the importance of understanding customers' pain points and the value of collaborative selling, with Steve sharing examples of successful collaborations. They also explored the potential for expanding strategic alliances and creating clarity around their offerings. Lastly, they discussed the promotion of upcoming workshops and the need for Mary to monetize her social media impressions, with Steve offering to help her with self-selling secrets in the

Understanding Pain Points and Collaboration

Steve and Mary discussed the importance of understanding potential customers' pain points and the value of their offerings. Steve emphasized the need for a collaborative approach in selling, rather than imposing one's knowledge on others. He shared examples of how this approach had helped others, such as a life coach who increased her sales and a professional salesperson who secured a half-million-dollar deal. Steve also introduced the concept of a "bankable story" and the idea of creating a visual blueprint to facilitate collaboration. Mary agreed, highlighting the benefits of expanding strategic alliances and creating clarity around one's offerings.

Collaboration and Upcoming Workshop Promotion

In the meeting, Mary and Steve discussed the potential for collaboration and the promotion of upcoming workshops. Steve offered to help Mary with her social media engagement and suggested setting her up as an affiliate for their workshops.

https://clienttether.com

Keith Levenson from Client Tether talking about What Startups Need to Do Before Franchising

Franchising Capital and Support Requirements

Keith and Mary discuss the significant capital requirements and support systems needed to successfully franchise a business. Keith emphasizes that a minimum of $250,000 is required to start franchising, with more capital being better. He explains that substantial resources are needed to provide ongoing support to franchisees, such as real estate assistance, operational systems, and accounting guidance. Mary notes that even service-based franchises require detailed manuals and procedures. Keith stresses the importance of protecting the brand's intellectual property and highlights humility and openness to learning as key attributes for a successful franchisor during the challenging transition from operator to franchisor.

Franchising Discussion and Resource Sharing

In the meeting, Mary and Keith discussed franchising, with Keith sharing his experiences and insights. Keith expressed his enjoyment in talking about franchising and his hope for new and exciting brands to emerge.

Julie Lichtman from Freedom Professional Services talks about How Startups can work with a Virtual Assistant

contact Julie on her LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielichtman/

Virtual Assistants in Startups Discussion

In this meeting, Mary Scott from BusinessRiff and Julie Lichtman from Freedom Professional Services discussed the role of virtual assistants in startups. Julie explained that virtual assistants can handle administrative tasks such as calendaring, scheduling, email management, and customer service. She also highlighted the importance of asking potential virtual assistants about their skill set, availability, and rates. Mary emphasized the value of virtual assistants in maintaining contact with potential partners and customers, and the importance of not asking them to perform personal errands or handle hiring and firing. The discussion concluded with Julie noting that the number of hours a virtual assistant works for a company can vary from one to thirty hours per week.

Virtual Assistant Role in Startups Discussion

Mary Scott from Business Riff and Julie Lichtman from Freedom Professional Services discussed the role of a virtual assistant (VA) in startups. They highlighted the tasks a VA can handle, such as data entry, CRM management, email inbox management, and calendaring. They also emphasized the importance of finding a VA with the right skill set and ensuring they understand the company's mission and elevator pitch. Julie advised that a VA should be able to hit the ground running within 5 hours of training, and startups should consider hiring a VA if they feel overwhelmed by administrative tasks. The discussion concluded with Julie suggesting that startups meet with at least three potential VAs before making a decision.

https://danielpatrickandrews.com/

Daniel Andrews from Network In Action International talks about Networking & Strategic Partnerships for Startups

Daniel shared insights on building authentic professional relationships and strategic partnerships in business, emphasizing the importance of long-term connections and mutuality. The discussion covered effective networking strategies and the value of trust in referrals.

Building Authentic Professional Relationships

Daniel shared his personal experience of transitioning from casual networking to building authentic professional relationships. He emphasized the importance of understanding that most people encountered in networking are suspects rather than prospects. Daniel recounted his journey of becoming friends with a man named Bert, who acted as his wingman in making initial sales calls for profitable business propositions. He stressed the importance of building trust and borrowing the trust already built with others. Mary acknowledged Daniel's insights.

Strategic Partnerships and Networking in Business

Daniel and Mary discussed the importance of strategic partnerships and networking in business. Daniel emphasized the need for building long-term relationships with key referral partners, rather than just collecting business cards. He also highlighted the difference between reciprocity and mutuality in partnerships, with mutuality being a more sustainable approach. Mary agreed, noting that startups should prioritize creating and cultivating strategic partnerships for easier customer acquisition through referrals. They also discussed the importance of effective communication, trust-building, and concise content in business relationships. Daniel shared his successful method of holding regular referral pairings and the importance of trust when someone is referred by a trusted source.

Aileen Boyle from Fortro talking about Sales Mistakes & Opportunities.

https://link.eventraptor.com/widget/bookings/fortro-amplify-your-sales 30 minutes call to get to the root of your challenge and point you in the right direction

Summary

Understanding Customer Needs for Business Success

Mary and Aileen discuss the importance of understanding customer needs before launching a business. Aileen emphasizes serving customers over aggressively selling, and ensuring products solve real problems. She stresses validating ideas through customer interviews. Mary agrees idea validation is crucial before starting a business. They mention piloting new offerings. Aileen highlights active listening in sales conversations to understand customer perspectives and concerns, rather than overwhelming them with information. Mary plans to share links to Aileen's services.

Effective Information Sharing and Question Handling

Mary and Aileen discussed the effectiveness of their approach to providing information and answering questions. Aileen suggested giving people a link to her diary for easy access to ask questions, which Mary agreed to. They also discussed the importance of giving people what they expect, what they don't expect, and leaving them wanting more. Aileen emphasized the value of not leaving people with unanswered questions and the need to provide practical, tactical solutions. They ended the conversation with Aileen sharing a link to her diary for further questions and Mary mentioning another recording to be done.

https://morethanafewwords.com

Lorraine Ball from More Than a Few Words talks about 3 Questions to Answer Before Starting a Marketing Campaign

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraineball/

you tube tag @MTFWPodcast

Preparing for Marketing Campaigns: Key Questions

Lorraine and Mary discussed the importance of preparing before launching a marketing campaign. Lorraine mentioned three key questions that business owners should answer before pursuing new marketing strategies. The first question was not stated in the meeting transcript, but Lorraine emphasized the need to address these questions to avoid getting distracted by the latest marketing trends.

Understanding Customer Segments and Tailored Marketing

Lorraine and Mary discussed the importance of understanding and catering to the specific needs of different customer segments, particularly small and mid-sized businesses. Lorraine highlighted the differences in mindset between small business owners, who value time over money, and mid-sized business owners, who have more money than time. She emphasized the need for tailored marketing campaigns and identifying competitors, not just other businesses, but also existing solutions that customers may be using to solve their problems. Mary agreed, stressing the need for customers to understand the benefits they would derive from a solution. They both agreed on the importance of being specific and focused on a niche market to attract the right customers and stand out from competitors.

Sales Strategies and Objectives Discussion

Lorraine emphasized the importance of understanding the objectives of sales efforts, such as selling more to existing customers or introducing products to new markets. She suggested different strategies and media for reaching different objectives, including social media, email, and text messages. Lorraine also discussed the concept of decoy pricing and the importance of creating different pages on a website for various objectives. Mary ended the conversation by encouraging the audience to book a call with her for further assistance at https://businessriff.com

https://tech-assist.ca/

Abby Bassie-Cripps from Tech-Assist talks about Cybersecurity for Startups

https://tech-assist.ca/safety.php

https://abidel.legalshieldassociate.com/en-ca

Cyber Security for Startups: Prevention and Preparation

Mary Scott from Business Riff discussed the importance of cyber security for startups with Abby Bassie Cripps from Tech Assist. Abby emphasized the need for proactive measures to prevent hacking, such as using antivirus software, a VPN, and a separate router. She also advised rebooting the system when signs of hacking are detected. Mary highlighted the potential for hacking and the importance of being prepared to handle it. Abby further explained that a separate router can be a valuable investment for cyber security, despite its cost.

Mary and Abidel discussed various methods to protect privacy and security online. Abidel recommended using a paid VPN, a secure browser like Brave, and a search engine like DuckDuckGo to keep browsing history private. They also discussed the pros and cons of using cloud storage versus external hard drives, with Abidel suggesting that external hard drives are safer in terms of privacy and security. Lastly, Abidel mentioned the use of browser add-ons to block bad ads and protect against server downtime.

Abidel discussed the concept of "pretenders" in the context of ad blockers, emphasizing that not all ad blockers are genuine. She also explained that the effectiveness of these blockers depends on various factors, including the user's location and the permissions on their computer. Mary asked for clarification on the differences between hacking, phishing, and spoofing, to which Abidel responded that hacking is a broad term encompassing various actions, including unauthorized access to a computer. She further explained that spoofing involves impersonating someone to gain access or information.

Abidel discussed the importance of verifying the authenticity of emails before opening them. She explained that emails with a lot of letters and numbers that don't make sense are likely from hackers trying to collect personal information. She referred to this as phishing. Abidel also advised against emptying the spam folder, as service providers periodically review these emails and create new rules to prevent them from being sent again. Mary confirmed her understanding of these concepts, including recognizing phishing attempts like emails with attached PDFs from unknown sources.

Mary and Abidel discussed the importance of personal logins for accessing websites and the use of password managers for generating secure passwords. Abidel recommended the Trend Micro package from Legal Shields, which includes a quality antivirus, VPN, and password manager. She emphasized the need for a 16-digit password with letters, capitals, numbers, and symbols for maximum security. Abidel also expressed her preference for password managers that are stored on the computer rather than in the cloud to avoid potential hacking risks

https://bizblip.com

Paul Riat from bizblip talks about Startups & the Press

Startups, Press, and Ideation Strategies

Mary and Paul discussed the importance of startups engaging with the press. Paul emphasized that the press can connect startups with people outside of their network, which is crucial for building a successful business. He also highlighted the role of pitch competitions and mentors in providing feedback during the ideation phase. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of startups being able to tell their story effectively, particularly when they are ready to launch their product or service.

Engaging Journalists for Startup Promotion

Paul and Mary discussed the importance of engaging with journalists to promote a startup's story. Paul emphasized the need for founders to be honest with journalists, provide concise information about their product, and be immediately available for follow-up. He also highlighted the importance of having a crisis communication plan in place in case of negative events. Mary agreed and added that founders should be responsive to journalists at all times and never say "no comment." They also discussed the benefits of reaching out to journalists in the tech startup industry in the St. Louis region.