We all know what it feels like to sit through a lackluster training listening to a disinterested speaker drone on and on about a topic he may know lots about, but just can’t seem to bring to life. On the other hand, we’ve also been witness to presenters who take the most dry, mundane material and make it feel fresh and exciting.

What’s their secret? How do speakers turn average talks into great experiences that leave audiences feeling inspired and energized?

It turns out, great presentation skills can be learned.

My guest today is best-selling author and speaker Rob Jolles. Rob is a former corporate trainer who draws on his 30-plus years of training experience to "teach people how to change minds. His programs on influence and persuasion are in global demand, reaching organizations in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Far East. And in showing clients not just 'how to' but also 'why to,' he stirs individuals and companies to create real, lasting change.”

Rob has developed a proven process that helps presenters lead workshops and seminars, as well as keynote presentations, that are informative, engaging, inspiring and memorable.

Today we’re going to talk specifically about how to run seminars and workshops and the biggest mistakes companies make when it comes to corporate training and presenting.

I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Rob Jolles on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· Why it’s critical that curriculum developers collaborate with presenters to create engaging and effective trainings.
· Why decision makers need to attend the very trainings they sign-off on.
· What speaker bureaus look for when hiring speakers and presenters.
· Why 15-second sound bites no longer cut it.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

As a longtime trainer for the Xerox Corporation, Rob Jolles knows the importance of process for delivering workshops and keynotes that are engaging and leave audiences members wanting more. It doesn't matter whether you're presenting to a group of 4 or 40, the principles of great speaking are the same: deliver value that educates and entertains, while letting the audience know that you understand their issues.

From the start, a speaker should let audience members know "What's in it for me?" (often referred to by its acronym ‘WIIFM’), Rob says.

“We don’t know who’s in that little group of seven,” he says. “I always like to throw in a little ‘WIIFM’… and not just, ‘What’s in it for you?’ but maybe how what I’m going to talk about is going to help you on the job, and perhaps help the company you work for.”

In other words, set the audience’s expectations.

More importantly, by having a process you can follow to deliver key ideas and take-aways, a speakers and presenters can monitor what’s working and what’s not.

“When you have a process, you have a way of measuring what you’re doing. When you can measure it, you can fix it. The process that we used was called the UPPOP,” Rob says.

In this episode, we talk about:

· What UPPOP stands for and why it works.
· How to prime audience members for ‘the ask.’
· What all decision makers need to do when booking speakers or trainers.
· Why blaming the audience for inattention is a bad idea.
· Tools the best speakers use in their presentations.
· The biggest mistake presenters make when preparing their presentations.

“At the end of the day, it isn’t about all the information that you crammed in,” Rob says. “It’s people finishing that presentation and going: ‘You know, I like that CEO. I like that guy in accounting, and I love working here, and I want to do what they just asked me to do.’”

Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Rob Jolles.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/rob-jolles/

We’ve all been on the receiving end of pushy, sleazy sales tactics that make us want to run for cover. It doesn’t feel good.

Nobody wants to be around a salesperson whose sole focus is to convince a prospect that they need what the salesperson is selling. Instead, buyers appreciate salespeople who know the kinds of problems they solve, and show an interest in learning about their clients’ problems to see if what they have is an appropriate solution. Genuine interest in your prospects' needs – as well as understanding that your solution is not suited for every problem – not only creates trust, it’s the foundation for future referrals.

And that’s what I talk about in today’s episode of Grow My Revenue: three core elements that will help you achieve greater business success when it comes to working with potential clients.

Plus, I'll share with you my F.I.T. strategy, as well as the specific questions you should be asking prospects to determine whether the two of you are indeed a good fit for each other. Listen in for those topics and more on this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue.

Listen to this episode and discover:

· What exactly F.I.T. is and how it can be used to ensure amazing results.
· Why you should be focused on the types of problems you solve and not the products or service you sell.
· Why everyone is not a good fit to work with you.
· The right way to ask for referrals.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

In my many years in business, there’s one common mistake I see salespeople repeatedly make that prevents them from achieving the sales success they’re after. And that's this: rather than identifying and articulating the problems they’re good at solving, sales people spend all their time trying to convince prospects that their solutions are the best solutions. That’s a lousy strategy.

Effective sales is not about persuasion or coercion, it’s about getting to the truth as quickly as possible.

Today, I’ll show you a better approach to selling – the F.I.T. strategy – that “disarms” prospects and leads to better results. You'll learn:

· Why ‘persuasion’ sales tactics backfire.
· The types of questions you should be asking during sales conversations.
· What you’re doing to turn away ideal clients (you may not even realize it!) and what to do instead.
· The exact thing to say to referral sources or existing clients when asking for a referral.

When you listen in, you'll hear the kinds of questions that disarm prospects who may be thinking you’re just there to sell them something.
You'll also hear how the old methods of sales no longer work, and specific steps to take to have more productive, insightful sales conversations on this edition of Grow My Revenue.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit:
http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ian-altman-fit-antidote-pushy-selling/

We all know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of bad marketing. We come across tasteless ads, intrusive pitches and condescending emails that make us wonder: Why do marketers think it's OK to treat customers like that?

And here's one of the biggest challenges: because of marketing automation, people think it’s OK to send out stupid and bad marketing because, since it’s not taking up someone’s time, who cares right?

My guest today is Bob London, former corporate marketing exec and founder of Chief Listening Officers, a B2B marketing firm that creates strategies that 'speak to the customer.' He's spent a lot of time wondering how it is that companies become so out of touch with their audiences. In the age of automation, 'stupid marketing' has gotten so out of control, it almost makes him wonder if the companies who produce terrible marketing campaigns ever listen to what their customers have to say.

The short answer is 'no.'

"You actually have to go and talk to customers" if you want to understand their needs and wants, Bob says.

Today we’re going to talk specifically about how stupid marketing makes it hard for salespeople to do their jobs, why it's critical to get out of the office and talk to customers, and our biggest marketing pet peeves to date.

"It’s like the Chinese Zodiac," Bob says. "Every year it’s something different."

I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Bob London on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· What stupid marketing is and how it undermines a company's reputation and sales.
· Specific examples of stupid marketing and what makes them stupid.
· Why it behooves companies to talk to customers.
· What not to do when it comes to email or network marketing.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

Before starting his own company, Bob London spent a big chunk of his career in corporate marketing. That meant he spent a lot of time in brainstorming sessions, sitting around conference tables with other marketing people just like him.

“In marketing and sales, you develop something called a 'buyer persona' – hopefully, in conjunction with actual buyers, hopefully not in brainstorming with people who all look and sound like each other,” Bob says.

"And there is zero chance that anyone in that room… can come up with the answer of what the customer really wants and needs unless you go out and talk to them."

But so many marketers fail to do that. In fact, they know very little about their buyers because they don't listen to their customers.

"There’s this big exposé about Hubspot from a guy who used to work there, and he makes the point that the people who are behind a lot of the emails are only using their own persona, which is: just graduated from college, maybe a journalism degree, probably played on a sports team, very high energy, very positive," Bob explains. "Too many exclamation points. That’s their persona."

In this episode, we talk about:

· What a 'buyer persona' is.
· How to open up a conversation with potential clients so you don't become a victim to stupid marketing paradigms.
· How not to make connections on LinkedIn.
· The worst email Bob ever received and what he did.
· Why companies need to pay more attention to how they market if they want to increase sales.

“It’s the company’s responsibility to arm the sales people with stuff that matters to the customer," he says. And to do that, "You actually have to go and talk to customers.”

Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Bob London.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/bob-london-marketing/

Do networking events make you squeamish? Do they make you feel sleazy and slimy, like you just want to run home and shower after having participated in one? Or maybe it's not that bad for you. Maybe you just want to develop a professional, online relationship with someone you admire, but you have no idea where to start – or what to even say to that person.

My guest today is going to explain how the same principles that apply to face-to-face, offline networking are true for online networking and, if done right, can be the greatest driving force in your business. Networking doesn’t have to feel icky or gross. In fact, it can be fun and profitable if people take the time to invest in nurturing the relationship, instead of simply trying to make a sale.

In this episode, I talk to Dave Delaney, the founder of Networking For Nice People, an online community for sales professionals, business leaders, and people looking to build professional relationships that both feel good, and are mutually rewarding. He is the author of New Business Networking: How to Effectively Grow Your Business Using Online and Offline Methods, in which he shares proven strategies and tactics to grow your professional network. Dave shares the biggest mistakes he sees people make when networking, and how to avoid them.

Today, we’re going to discuss the pitfalls people encounter when networking; the varying ways people should interact in different networking environments, and tips on how you can make your networking more effective both online and off.

“You need to be establishing relationships first,” Dave says. “Let [people] get to know you, and understand who you are and what you’re all about first."

I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Dave Delaney on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· What “casino-style networking” is and why it’s a big bust.
· The winning formula to networking effectively.
· The biggest networking mistakes people make on LinkedIn and Twitter.
· Tips and tricks to following up online with people you met in real life.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

Dave Delaney started his business because he was fed up with going to networking events where people just threw business cards at him like a blackjack dealer at a Vegas casino.

“There's no connection. It’s horrible and you just feel nasty after it happens,” he says.

Dave knew there had to be a better way. So he started a community for like-minded people who wanted to master the art of networking in a way that felt genuine and, well, nice. But more than just feeling good, he wanted to help people make networking work for them, not against them – especially on social media where people have the tendency to think that it's OK to behave differently just because it's a digital medium.

“I use the analogy of being at a cocktail party and you go over to a group of people and say, ‘Hey, you wanna buy these?’ Even the worst sales person wouldn’t go over and interrupt people. But that’s what [people] do on Twitter,” Dave says.

Rather than interrupting or spamming people, Dave recommends getting to know someone. He created a simple, four-step system to engage with people after you meet them that is more friendly, approachable, and kind. In this episode, we talk about:

· What to do when you meet someone at a networking event.
· The right way to follow up with that person online and what to say.
· The most important thing to do when wanting to connect with someone on LinkedIn or other social media sites.
· How I (Ian) respond to spammers.

“It’s the people who just solicit, solicit, solicit that don’t get anywhere," Dave says. "It’s about building relationships first and foremost.”

Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Dave Delaney.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/dave-delaney/

Do ever feel like you’re putting in double the effort for less than half the results in your business? Or maybe you’re scared of turning down potential clients because you’re afraid your sales pipeline might dry up, so you wind up working with clients that drain your energy and resources?

My guest today is going to explain why saying ‘yes’ to every client that walks through your door is the wrong approach to building and sustaining a successful business – one that feels invigorating rather than draining. He’s going to share with you his secrets to quadrupling his business in just 18 months while turning down 80 percent of the leads that inquire about his services.

On today’s episode, I talk to Raman Sehgal, the founder and CEO of ramarketing, a digital marketing and PR agency, about how he was able to grow his business fourfold by weeding out less-than-ideal prospects. Raman shares his biggest mistakes, the lessons learned from his early days in business, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Today we’re going to talk specifically about Raman’s “red flag” system of client selection, and how his company stopped spending time on bad leads. They now focus on taking care of existing clients – which, in turn, has led to more business. Raman believes that if companies learned how to identify and pinpoint the types of clients they don’t want to work with – as opposed to the ones they do – they would see better results in their bottom line.

“Restraint gets respect,” Raman says. “When you say no to someone, it makes them want you more. It’s like some kind of cruel dating game.”

I know you’re going to love this discussion, and you’re going to learn a ton from Raman Sehgal on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:
· How a small B2B marketing and PR agency quadrupled its revenue in less than two years.
· The biggest mistakes companies make when choosing to work with clients and how to avoid them.
· Weeding out bad customers: why it’s important and how to do it.
· The criteria Raman uses in his “red flag” system to identify worthy prospects.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview
As a longtime professional in the pharmaceutical industry, Raman Sehgal started his business with an eye toward helping pharmaceutical companies with their marketing and PR. What started off as a very clear focus, though, became blurry over time.

Like most new business owners, Raman started chasing every new potential client. Afraid he was passing up money and opportunity, he said ‘yes’ to every prospect – even the ones he knew were not a good fit. And that was a costly mistake, he says.

“It can have a bad effect on morale and motivation, and it can distract you from other clients and suck all your energy,” Raman says.

After losing a client that accounted for roughly 30 percent of his business, Raman started to get serious about prospecting. Rather than do what he’d been doing, he decided to get more discerning. He created a system to weed out less-than-ideal clients using specific demographic (and behavioral) criteria. In this episode, he talks about:
· The kinds of clients he refuses to work with today.
· How getting clear about who you work with can streamline your marketing efforts.
· The kinds of client behaviors that are instant warning signs for Raman and his team.
· And the one thing he wishes he would have done more of in his 30s.

“You can always make more money, and there’s always other opportunities, but a bad client can absolutely drain your business,” he says. “Honestly, it’s really not worth it.”

Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today’s Grow My Revenue with Raman Sehgal.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/raman-sehgal/

There's one thing that's constant, and that's change. But why is it that some organizations seem to manage change so effortlessly, while others appear to buck it?

Turns out most companies approach change all wrong. They see change as a barrier that needs to be overcome rather than the by-product of something that’s happened.

On today’s episode, I talk to Tamsen Webster – part idea whisperer, part message strategist and part presentation coach – about ways companies (and people) can navigate change and get buy-in for their ideas. She’s also the Executive Producer of TEDxCambridge, the largest and oldest, locally-organized TEDx events in the world.

Today we’re going to talk specifically about change, how we can get people to embrace change and how to affect change in our organizations. Whether we’re trying to change the minds of our customers, our sales reps, the people on our teams, or people in our personal lives, we can all benefit from learning how to navigate this inevitable force to achieve the outcomes we desire. If companies want to handle change more effectively, Tamsen says, then they’d do best to change the way they look at change.

“We look at change as the thing we’re trying to accomplish when, in fact, change is the result of something,” Tamsen says. “Change isn’t the means. It’s the end."

I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton from Tamsen Webster on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· The key ingredient that so many companies overlook when it comes to communicating change. (It’s what Tamsen calls the ‘Trojan Horse’ of change.)
· The (wrong) ways companies and managers try to change people’s minds.
· How companies can make things make sense internally, so they can make things make sense externally, and therefore make the change happen.
· The 5-step framework that companies can use to communicate and effectuate change.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

As a speaking and presentation coach, Tamsen Webster knows how to capture an audience's attention. More importantly, she knows how to communicate complex (and, at times, controversial) ideas clearly, so they can effectuate change.

There’s a big difference, she says, between trying to convince people of something that makes no sense to them, and making your case so compelling that people willingly make the decision to change.

“We need things to be meaningful in order to make a different decision from what we’re doing right now, and that’s critically important, because if they don’t make any sense to us, then we’re not going to move off of status quo,” Tamsen says.

The meaning we ascribe to things and our decision to embrace change is the ‘red thread’ that ties the two together, Tamsen says. In this episode, she talks about:

· How people make sense of things.
· Examples of the ways most companies try to persuade people to change.
· The five questions she asks all her clients who are trying to effectuate change.
· The “Dark Side” of persuasion and selling.

“This is not in any way about manipulating people to your point of view. It’s about making your reasoning for something as clear as possible, in language that’s going to be as clear as possible to (your audience) so that the meaning that you have transfers as frictionlessly as possible to them.”

Tune in for all of these nuggets of wisdom, and more, on today's Grow My Revenue with Tamsen Webster.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/tamsen-webster/

Have you ever wondered what top-performing sales professionals do to achieve extraordinary results?

You may be tempted to think that top performers have special talents and abilities that their peers don't. And you wouldn't be entirely wrong in thinking that – high performers do take certain actions that allow them to achieve outstanding success. But where you might get it wrong is in thinking that those behaviors and actions can't be learned or practiced. They can.

Today, I'm going to share with you the key concepts and mindset that will help you move the needle in your business to achieve the sales results you're after. We're going to discuss the thinking and attitude that top performers have that allow them to achieve extraordinary success, and that you could adopt, too.

Plus, I'll be weighing in on specific strategies that you can use with prospects who shop around for new vendors after having worked with existing vendors for a long time, and what to do in competitive situations like that. Listen in for these topics and more on this special solo edition of Grow My Revenue.

Listen to this episode and discover:

· The mindset top performers adopt that others don't to help them achieve amazing success.
· Why being curious (or skeptical) is the best approach to new sales situations.
· The types of questions you should be asking prospects who are looking to switch vendors.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

I lead workshops all over the country and have trained thousands of CEOs and sales executives on how to achieve better results in business. Recently, I held a workshop where I coached a sales team on sales strategies and tactics. And every time I lead a workshop, I inevitably get the person who says to me something like: "In the market we’re in, the whole industry is declining and it’s shrinking," or: "A lot of customers just see us as a commodity, so they don’t care about this." Basically, it's just a whole series of excuses.

And it's a trap many sales people fall into – they believe that the reason they're not seeing result has nothing to do with anything they're doing or any of their behaviors. They believe poor sales performance is a result of external factors.

Today, I’ll discuss the mindset and behaviors top performers adopt to achieve top results. You'll learn:

· How to uncover the truth behind a prospect’s motivation to switch vendors after having a long-established relationship with an existing vendor.
· What the #1 goal of a salesperson should be (it's not what you think).
· What top-performing salespeople do that others don’t.

When you listen in, you'll hear the types of questions to ask if you want to see better results, and what to ask instead in competitive sales situations. You'll also hear how to "turn the tables" on a prospect when they are looking to switch vendors after working with an existing vendor for a long time – all on this edition of Grow My Revenue.

For full show notes and other resources, including information about upcoming full-day group workshops in Dallas (3/31), San Francisco (4/17), and Wilmington (5/9), please visit:
http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ian-altman-top-performing-salespeople/

Constructive feedback and discussion is vital to the health of any organization.

But what happens when that feedback triggers an adversarial response from someone that creates an impasse, rather than a bridge, to understanding?

Today’s guest is CEO and executive performance coach Alison Whitmire. Alison is the President of Learning in Action Technologies, a company committed to her passion of making the non-conscious conscious.

Alison has worked with hundreds of top performing executives to help them be more effective leaders and communicators. The lessons she shares regarding the role of empathy in communication in this episode may inspire you to look more closely at the way you communicate in your business and in your life.

“One of the key challenges in any genuine, authentic communication can be a lack of empathy,” Alison says. “Until we have an empathetic point of view for an opposing point of view, we’re missing really valuable information and that’s true almost in every context, particularly in the business context.”

Alison and I talk about the difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one; how to develop the self-awareness needed to respond more empathetically in high-stress situations; and how the current political climate underscores the lack of empathy in most discussions today. Listen in for these topics and more on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· Why being empathetic is good for business.
· The difference between an adversarial response and an empathetic one.
· The misconceptions that exist about showing empathy, particularly if you don’t agree with another’s point of view.
· What you can do to be more empathetic.
· And so much more…

Episode Overview

As a performance coach, Alison Whitmire works with CEOs and senior-level executives who often find themselves in high-pressure, high-stress situations that require strong communication skills. If handled correctly, communication under difficult circumstances can lead to breakthroughs and collaborations that can propel a company forward, she says. If handled poorly, communication can create dysfunction and logjams.

“Empathy under stress and empathy not under stress are very, very different things,” Alison says. “Most of us are much more empathetic if we’re not in conflict with someone. When we’re in conflict, relationship patterns from the past tend to override what would (otherwise) be a really empathetic response.”

Alison lays out the five steps to manage your response in stressful situations so it becomes a win-win for everyone or, as Alison puts it, where “one plus one equal three.” Today you'll learn:

· How stress greatly affects someone’s ability to demonstrate empathy.
· Why some people may lack empathy.
· Five steps to develop more empathetic responses.

When you listen in, you'll hear what shapes our ability to be empathetic and why no two people ever respond the same way to any situation. You'll also hear on this edition of Grow My Revenue how an old Saturday Night Live skit resembles how most people communicate today. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Alison Whitmire.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit:
http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/alison-whitmire-empathy/

If you’re a company with a great product or service, marketing is critical to your business growth – both online and off. In fact, creating great marketing can be the difference between booming sales and flailing sales.

But great marketing doesn’t happen in a vacuum or the confines of a boardroom. Great marketing is created when organizations takes risks. When they’re creative. When they’re obsessed with their customers.

My guest on today’s episode of the Grow My Revenue Business Cast is marketing and branding expert Ann Handley. Ann is the Chief Content Officer for MarketingProfs, an online education resource for modern marketers, and the author of the Wall Street Journal best-seller Everybody Writes.

Today, we cover the common mistakes businesses make when coming up with their marketing strategies, why ‘going viral’ is not recommended, and how developing a 'pathological empathy' for your customers is the number one thing that will move the needle in your marketing. I know you're going to love this talk, and you're going to learn a ton on today's edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· The common mistakes companies make when developing marketing content.
· Why innovation and creativity are the foundation of great marketing.
· Why ‘going viral’ should never be a company’s aim.
· How Ann defines great marketing.
· Why developing ‘pathological empathy’ for your customer is vital.
· What companies can do to create rich, meaningful marketing messages that resonate.
· And so much more!

Episode Overview

As an expert and self-described marketing geek, Ann Handley understands the value of marketing in a way most business leaders don’t. While most follow cookie-cutter approaches to marketing, Ann champions an approach centered on innovation and creativity.

“The willingness to take some risks in your marketing I think is also key,” Ann says. “And inherent in that is really knowing who your audience is, know who you’re selling to as opposed to selling to everybody.”

That's why she encourages business owners and marketers to be “obsessed with their customers,” or what she calls ‘pathological empathy.’

“It’s next-level empathy,” she says. “All the companies I talk to that are actually using marketing to drive business are obsessed with their customers.”

Today you'll learn:

· What marketing really is.
· How templates and cookie-cutter approaches fail
· Why it’s vital to know your audience.
· How to create marketing that resonates.
· The company that wowed Ann with its genius marketing message.

On this edition of Grow My Revenue, you'll hear Ann’s take on how, in many ways, marketing has changed over the years and how, in many ways, it’s remained the same.

Also on today's show, Ann shares an embarrassing moment from MarketingProf’s 2016 B2B Marketing Forum in Boston, now in its 11th year. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Ann Handley.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/ann-handley/

The most recent presidential election in the United States proved that predicting – or as my guest today calls it, ‘probability calculation’ – is a dangerous way of reading an audience. It essentially amounts to throwing darts at a board, he says.

If companies want to create products and services that best meet the needs of their ideal customers, they need to have solid research to support their business objectives – otherwise they might wind up guessing at the wrong outcomes.

On today's episode, I talk to Tom Webster, Vice President of Strategy and Marketing for Edison Research, the organization behind exit polling for national elections in the U.S. For more than two decades, Tom has conducted political polling for some of the most contentious elections in U.S. history, as well as market research for some of the top companies across the nation. What he’s learned about the role of research in business decisions may surprise you.

“You need the input,” Tom says. “There’s no such thing as a perfect study. There’s no perfect piece of input. But it’s a lot better to fly with instruments you can correct, than to fly with no instruments at all.”

Tom and I talk about President Trump’s surprising victory, the need for diverse points of view in boardrooms across corporate America, and what to do to really have your finger on the pulse of your audience. I know you're going to love this discussion, and you're going to learn a ton on this edition of Grow My Revenue!

Listen to this episode and discover:

· How you can gather and distill insights about your audiences.
· The misconceptions people had about the most recent U.S. presidential election.
· Why President Donald Trump is what pollsters call a 'black swan'.
· How bias plays a role in different types of polling.
· How to get the right type of qualitative and quantitative information to · really have a finger on the pulse of your audience.
· And so much more!

Episode Overview

As a polling expert and survey researcher, Tom Webster is the man companies go to when they want a snapshot of what’s happening with their clients today, and the data trends that have happened over time. There’s a big difference, he says, between forecasting outcomes and predicting them.

“Once you start getting into the business of, ‘Here’s what’s going to happen in the future,’ you get into a very different business,” Tom says.

That's why he’s not a fan of ‘probability calculators’, and why he says business owners and executives should never make decisions in a vacuum. Today you'll learn:

· What ‘bias’ is in polling, and why it exists in every survey conducted.
· How a ‘social desirability’ bias among voters played a part in Trump’s surprising victory.
· Why it’s dangerous to surround yourself only with people who think and act like you.
· What the difference between qualitative and quantitative research is and why you need both.
· Why companies need solid data to ensure they're meeting the needs of their customers.

When you listen, you'll hear how pollsters in the most recent presidential election didn't get it wrong. Rather, it was the interpretation of the data that lead to all the confusion. On this edition of Grow My Revenue, you'll also hear how consumer behavior has radically changed over the years with advances in technology, yet the reasons why customers buy remain the same.

Also on today's show, Tom and I talk about how content marketers need to take on the role of trusted advisor, rather than the more traditional salesman. Tune in for all of that and more on today's Grow My Revenue with Tom Webster.

For full show notes and other resources, please visit: http://www.ianaltman.com/podcast/tom-webster/