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Month: January 2021

Podcast – Internet Optimization in the Work From Home World

Posted on by Merrill

When your workforce suddenly had to move to a “working from home” model, you know many of the hassles it caused. One of the big ones was the quality of the employee’s home internet connections. Your employee is on a Zoom call with a client, their spouse is also working from home, and the kids are taking classes online. And you know that in the middle of an important video conference call, someone was going to start binging Netflix.

In this episode of the SeaGlass Technology Podcast, we talked with Mark Medgin of Bigleaf Networks. We discussed how the slow migration away from on-site application servers to Software as a Service (SaaS) increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic, and the strain that placed on home internet set-ups. We also spoke about what technology is available to be able to prioritize certain programs like VOIP over others that need less bandwidth.

What is Your Significant Object?

Posted on by Merrill

“Narrative transforms insignificant objects into significant ones.”

The Significant Objects Hypothesis

In 2009, Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker tried an interesting quasi-anthropological experiment.

They went to garage sales and thrift stores and bought 100 items, all averaging $1.00. Old plates, ceramic figurines, #1 Dad mugs, all the various tchotchkes you regularly find gathering dust in your house.

They then brought on 100 authors to write up a short story about the items.

Finally, they posted both the items and their accompanying stories to e-Bay.

The result? Total cost spent on objects – $128.74. Total revenue generated from their sales? $3,612.51.

The pink horse in the photo? Bought for a dollar – sold for $104.50.

“Stories are such a powerful driver of emotional value that their effect on any given object’s subjective value can actually be measured objectively.” — Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker

What stories are you telling about yourself? About your business? About your products/services?

What emotional value are you adding?

For more information about the Significant Objects Project, click here – https://lnkd.in/gQedxpM

Podcast – Is Your Printer as Environmentally Conscious as You Are?

Posted on by Merrill

The latest BOSS Network podcast is out! In this episode, we talk with Greg Barber from EcoFriendly Printing to find out why more and more businesses are moving to sustainable practices.

We cover the dizzying array of paper choices (including some that can grow flowers!), vegetable-based inks, and the amazing fact that ecologically responsible printing costs about the same as traditional methods.

Podcast – Can My Small Company Offer Employee Benefits?

Posted on by Merrill

When you think of employee benefits you usually think it’s something only large companies can offer. But did you know that businesses with only two employees can offer affordable benefits?

In this episode of The LIPN Podcast, we spoke with Diane Santonino from Allied Wealth Partners. How can my small business offer insurance benefits? What options are available? And what do I need to do to make sure my staff is taken care of without breaking the bank?

Podcast – Why You Need to Update Your Website RIGHT NOW!

Posted on by Merrill

If you haven’t updated your business website in the past three years, you may have a serious problem on your hands.

Just in time for the holidays, my new podcast has just been launched. The Business Owners Support Services Podcast is produced by the BOSS Network, a B2B networking group for business owners by business owners.

In this episode, we talk with Zohair Yasin (a.k.a. “Z”) about what we need to do to get our business websites back to working for us. How do we fix the problem areas, how do we avoid legal pitfalls, and how do we get our websites to show up on search engines without paying thousands of dollars?

Check it out – 

Also available via all regular podcatchers.

The Soft Intro

Posted on by Merrill

Thank you for following along on my series of podcast narrative structures. My final example is The Soft Intro.

Do you get most of your business from referrals? You know that people buy from those they know and trust, so how can you get people to know you?

If you are confident in who you are and what you know, just simply use the podcast to tell us about yourself. Tell us about some of your successes, your history, maybe an interesting hobby. Use your podcast to give potential clients a glimpse of who you are and why they should care.

This is a great format for those trying to grow a strong personal brand in order to stand out in a crowded market.

Example – Matt handles people’s tax returns. In his podcast, he simply told stories about how he got into doing taxes, being a Civil War buff, how’s he’s been able to help people, and why he enjoys what he does. A few months after he posted his podcast on his website, I called to check in on him. In that time, he had gotten 27 new clients. Each had been referred to him by others – who then found his website, listened to his podcast, then called him saying things like – “You seem like a nice guy who really knows what he’s doing”.

Right on Target

Posted on by Merrill

In my penultimate post on podcast narrative structures, let’s talk about Right on Target.

Is there a subsection of an industry that has a problem that you are particularly suited to solve?

Instead of talking about your business in general, talk about how you can fix this one specific thing.

This is a great narrative for any organization that can focus on a niche problem.

Example – Tom is a cybersecurity expert that wanted to specifically reach senior partners in large law firms. In his podcast episode, he spoke about a little-understood NY state law that could have catastrophic consequences for firms that ignored it. Within 24 hours of the episode launch, he got a panicked call from a large law firm in NYC. Days after they met, he ended up with a six-figure contract.

Just the FAQs

Posted on by Merrill

Do you feel like you keep telling every new client the same thing over and over again? All the same questions with all the same answers? Don’t you wish that for once, you could get a call from someone who knows all the basics of what you do so you can get to the heart of what they need?

Collect all those questions and answer them in your podcast.

This is a great format for those businesses who offer a basic product or service that can be customized and upsold.

Example – Leo sells insurance. He’s putting together a series of podcasts on “Everything You Need to Know About…” He covered auto insurance in one episode, homeowner’s insurance in another, and flood insurance in a third. Potential customers now know all the basics and Leo can spend more time customizing his policies for them.

The Origin Story

Posted on by Merrill

Next in my series of podcast narrative structures is The Origin Story.

Do you have a dramatic reason why you are in the business you’re in? Is there a startling fact about you or your business that is unique in your industry?

This is a great type of podcast to use as a differentiator in your field, especially if the field you’re in is a common one (real estate agent, lawyer, accountant).

Example –
Theresa is a personal injury attorney. When she was in her early 20s, she was badly hurt in a hit and run. She had such a horrible experience with her own lawyer that she swore when she got out of the wheelchair, she was going to law school. Fifteen years later, she is now a well-respected personal injury attorney with a reputation for fighting unrelentingly for her clients.

The Hero’s Journey

Posted on by Merrill

When sitting down with new podcast clients, I ask them what kind of story they want to tell, and why?

I do my best to help them find the right type of narrative for the results they are looking for. Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing a few of the archetypes that have worked for some of my previous clients.

First up is The Hero’s Journey.

Have you been doing what you’re doing for a long time? In your early years, did you make mistakes and learn from them? Are you now considered a mentor and expert in your field? In your podcast, you tell the story of the challenges of getting to where you are and how you can share your expertise with others.

This is a great narrative structure for experienced consultants and coaches.

Example –
Hal took over the family business from his father. He quickly realized that he wanted something else from his life and decided to sell the company. In his ignorance, he made every mistake it was possible to make, and ended up shutting down the business and walking away. He was so traumatized by this he began learning everything there was to know about the successful buying and selling of businesses. He is now a high-end business broker who guides his clients successfully through the same minefields that tripped him up years ago.