Dave and Omar discuss prioritizing yourself as an entrepreneur, conventional but effective marketing methods, and how the soft sell is often the best tactic.
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Episode Highlights
Inflection points from the show
[01:08] Eyes on the prize: Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, shares his philosophy on selling. It’s not about the “sell” — it’s about focusing on the customer and helping them achieve their goals.
[04:29] From teaching to webinars: Webinar Ninja founder Omar Zenhom talks about his move from teaching to business consulting and how it evolved into his $100 MBA podcast and Webinar Ninja.
[15:00] Getting off the ground: Omar’s method for getting beta users for Webinar Ninja is no magic bullet. He individually emailed 80 people that he met at a conference, explaining his work and asking if they’d be willing to share it in their newsletters.
[17:02] Measuring success: Since Webinar Ninja is a software brand, Omar uses three metrics to determine the company’s health: trials, trials to conversion, and churn rate.
[21:55] Never stop improving: Omar likes to read biographies from entrepreneurs he admires. He’s found that you cannot change your business without changing how you approach your business as an entrepreneur.
[36:10] Making the most of webinars: Webinars let you reach your audience in a live, authentic way. Omar gives his top tips for how to use webinars to sell.
[40:26] Avoid the hard sell: Rather than droning through a set demo on a webinar with clients, Omar recommends asking attendees what they want from webinars. He also likes asking what attendees like most and least about their current solutions.
[43:30] No gimmicks: Unbelievable claims, like about high-value bonuses you’ll give attendees if they buy today, have no proven effectiveness. That tactic grows old quickly.
[44:35] Advice column: Omar recommends that your business be compatible with who you are. Otherwise, it’s too hard of a road, and the passion won’t exist.