10 Minutes at Exit 4
By 10 Minutes at Exit 4
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Podcast Description
Ever notice how much you can learn from a balanced perspective? The best insight comes from an opinion swap that looks at the same thing, from different perspectives. Sandy and Howard, both marketing professionals with an array of practical business knowledge, take on the challenge of discussing marketing strategy and implementation with two microphones and a chess clock (literally!) that keeps fair time between one big personality and the next. Each episode features a new topic and a new angle of commentary. Be sure to visit the show website at http://www.10exit4.com for show notes.
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Sales Trap? – Episode 14 | Death of a Sales Trap Now Playing at the Incubator Theatre On Broadway and Technology Cast & Characters in Order of Appearance Narrator â GPS Lady Tom Sales â Paul Szklarski Betsy Sales â Stephanie Szklarski Ann Tithesis â Sandy Spadaro Trap Wizard â Howard Yermish The Selling Universe â Sandler Training/Rhine Associates Synopsis This compelling story unfolds in a Philadelphia suburb not far from Exit 4 on the Jersey Turnpike. Having had a vision of a better Selling Universe, where no Objection is left unturned and no Sales Trap is seen coming, Tom Sales (Paul Szklarski) makes the life-changing decision to start a family business of expert sales trainers, including daughter Betsy (Stephanie Szklarski). Years later, his dream has come to fruition. Droves of corporate and small business sales teams are trained to match & mirror, qualify prospects and deliver seamless presentations, ultimately leading to ⦠making the sale. Joined by supporting characters, Ann Tithesis and the Trap Wizard, Tom and Betsyâs conviction remains tried and tested, despite the grueling jokes and innuendos about sales people. The Sales Trap is proven to be a myth and the dark fear of salespersons no longer exists in The Selling Universe. Scene Highlights Act One: âThe problem with âpeopleâ people is that if you donât buy from them, they get their feelings hurt. They think that you donât like them anymore.â Act Two: âIf you sound like a salesperson, youâll be treated like a salesperson. If you want to have a real conversationâ¦you have to do the work of making them like you and you have to genuinely like them.â Act Three: âYou could literally hold up a card that says âIâm doing it to youâ and you still wonât see it.â Act Four: âThere are really very few things that if you did it wrong, you would kill a sale. You didnât have it anyway, so it doesnât matter.â Act Five: âSo we went very meta there⦠I asked you a question and that question in itself was a trap!â An official apology from the management: Episode 14 experienced a traffic delay, causing the overall trip to be four minutes longer than the prescribed ten minutes. Consider it bonus time. | 1/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Resolutions – Episode 13 | (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/10exit4-whiteboard-ep013-300x298.jpg)My 2011 TO DO List * Lose 10 pounds * Find Mr./Ms. Right * Quit smoking * Start running * Decrease caffeine * Increase marketing * Make more money Check. Check. Check. No sweat. Right? Itâs a new year bearing a full list of new promises that we make to ourselves. 92% of the resolutions made on January 1st will be forgotten by February 1st.1 Are we all suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder? Perhaps. But weâre willing to bet itâs more about pleasure vs. pain than you may think. Ask Yourself: * Is the pain you avoid greater than the pleasure you receive from breaking comfort zones? * Do your habits support making the change needed to accomplish the goal? * Are you more surprised your lack of success or your lack of planning for it? Now Tell Yourself: Either START planning your habits or STOP making resolutions. 1 Living on the Up Beat - http://www.pr9.net/games/consumer/3207december.html (http://www.pr9.net/games/consumer/3207december.html) | 12/30/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Feeling-O-Meter – Episode 12 | In honor of the Thanksgiving season, we're talking about ways that businesses thank their clients. We've taken the liberty of creating a gauge using a scale from 1 to 11 for assessing your "Thank You" systems. Where do YOU measure up? (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Ep012-Whiteboard-300x227.jpg) Less than Zero â The Sales Pitch Example: Saying thanks by offering a $50 OFF coupon on the next $200 order they place. "Thank you, now please buy more stuff." 0 to 3 â Notable Effort, Nothing Special Examples: * Sending a non-denominational card at the holiday that covers X-mas, Hannukah, Kwanza and the Chinese New Year all in one shotâ¦just in case. * Have it signed by an electronic service that computerizes your signature. 4 to 7 â Establishing Character & Intention Examples: * Differentiate your "Thank You Moment" by focusing on a customer-specific anniversary. * Giving a gift of something that matters to the client rather than to you. 8 to 11 â Be the Hero Examples: * Don't wait for a holiday. Exercise "Random Acts of Kindness" and expect nothing in return. * Do work, fulfill an order or fix something that's broken for no cost â send no bill. * Send Bobby McFerrin with a singing telegram. Now you know what we're thinking when we get your electronically signed "Seasonâs Greetings" card, complete with Brush Script font in gold foil and all! But ultimately, itâs the thought that counts. (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Ep012-ThankYou-300x224.jpg) Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. Gobble-Gobble! | 11/25/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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MiFi Fanboy – Episode 11 | What the hell is a "MiFi (http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband/?page=products_mifi)," you say? (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/VZW-MiFI2200.png)Sandy wondered that too until Howard showed her the product, raved about why he liked it and then painted a specific verbal picture as to how she might use it in her own world. Kind of like an unpaid evangelist, or a fanboy. Funny thing isâ¦most folks that are paid to peddle new products or technologies often miss the mark on this seemingly obvious format. Why? Maybe itâs hard to explain. Maybe the peddler is an untrained advocate. Or maybe they just donât give a crap. The question to ask yourself is, do you need to be a Marketing GURU to communicate beyond whatâs on the specification sheet? We donât think so. But you have to be a fan of what you are selling. You have to honestly believe in it. Sample BAD Script: âThe MiFi 2200 supports 802.11Bâ¦and it also supports 802.11Gâ¦it receives the Internet over a 3G network. It has VPN compatibility, NDIS support nodes, yada yada blah blah blahâ¦â I can read the spec sheet myself. Tell me why I should give you money to walk away with a smile on my face and this gadget in my pocket. It starts by speaking in your own voice, and saying why something is applicable and relevant to you and your customer. This evangelizes products and services better than a well memorized features list. You might even find that your customers will do the tricky selling for you. Soâ¦are you going to be a Fanboy? Or will you find yourself saying, âHmmm, Iâve never sold one of these before.â WARNING: Equestrian Crossing Ahead | 11/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Hospice, Pit Bulls and Boob Sweat – Episode 10 | [Special Note: A portion of today's show notes requires use of your best Cookie Monster voice.] Hi! Hey do you want to play game now with me, Cookie Monster? Okay, I start. "One of these things is not like the other ones, one of these things just doesnât belong. Can you guess which thing is not like the other onesâ¦before I finish my song?" Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WhuikFY1Pg (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ChristineRescue-150x150.jpg)Damn it Cookie Monster, Give me more time!! * In this corner we have hospice: a safe, sedate pillar of the underlying sadness that comes before imminent death. * In the other corner we have pit bulls: animals that humans generally fear and will avoid in order to keep their own limbs intact. * The last corner features a WILD and CRAZY GIRL whose main professional responsibilities include marketing of the other two, all the while maintaining truth to her own passions and personality. Sounds like a juggling act? Turns out that our guest for this episode, Christine Zajac, has made us believers that there IS NO ONE thing that doesnât belong with the other! Not in this game. Who knew? But what about boob sweat, you say? Wellâ¦you'll just have to listen in carefullyâ¦and let us know what YOU think. Links: * Samaritan Hospice (http://www.samaritanhospice.org/) * The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (http://nhpco.org/) * Smilin' Pitbull Rescue (http://www.spbr.org/) * Bad Rap (http://badrap.org/) * Skin Texture Photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/christinelovespitbulls/4860041491/in/set-72157623916261918/) (a.k.a. Boob Sweat) * New England Journal of Medicine: Early Palliative Care for Patients with Metastatic NonâSmall-Cell Lung Cancer (http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1000678) * Miller-McCune: Palliative Care May Trump Heroic Measures in Life Expectancy (http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/hospice-may-trump-heroic-measures-in-life-expectancy-21098/) * KMIR6: 7 Things You May Not Know About Hospice Care (http://www.kmir6.com/Global/story.asp?S=13076486) * Temperament and Myths from the organization who cared for the Michael Vick dogs: Monster Myths (http://www.badrap.org/rescue/myths.html) | 10/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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A Place to be Paranoid – Episode 9 | (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/MapExit4.jpg)Are you worried about random stalkers? What would it take to get you to publish your location? Now, you can use Facebook, Foursquare or one of the many other location based social networks to prove to people that you and your friend(s) do more than sit on your couch and watch Dancing with the Stars. So why would anyone care? If you can get over the initial weirdness and paranoia, you might just create some wildly serendipitous results, helping you to connect with other forward thinking people and make powerful business connections. You might even score the most points or even become the mayor! âThe Mayor?â I hear you say? Yes, if you are one of the first 23 people to check in, you are eligible to win one of these fabulous prizes! * A free piece of cheesecake * A pair of Jimmy Choo Shoes * An unsolicited movie recommendation * And your own personal stalker in aisle four at the pet store Sound strange? Or is this an opportunity to use technology to extend real connections with real human beings? | 10/14/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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How Much Is A Friend Worth? – Episode 8 | Proposal Submitted by âMarket My Business, LLCâ In the following proposed agreement between âMarket My Business, LLC,â herein referred to as âPayee,â and âBig Bank of Karma,â herein referred to as "The Universe," Payee agrees to render an annual deposit of no less than three dollars and sixty cents ($3.60) for each FRIEND which The Universe generates. The term FRIEND, by definition of purpose within said agreement, is one which offers an ongoing and valued support such that will promote, in a favorable manner, the outcome of Payeeâs lead generation system and business-building courses of action. The following values have been placed on said FRIENDS by categorical range of potential loyalty and longevity: * Average Joe = $3.60 * Client = $4.75 * College Buddy = $5.25 * Mom = $10.75 This correspondence and subsequent package of attachments serve to outline the complete scope being requested, including objectives, procedures, identification of responsibilities, and estimated fees upon fulfillment of terms. ______________________________ [Your Name Here], President Market My Business, LLC ______________________________ Big Bank Of Karma The Universe Sound a little silly?â¦Or more like a reasonable risk for securing a return on investment? You decide. (Here is the link the Adweek article: Value of a 'Fan' on Social Media: $3.60 (http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/digital/e3iaf69ea67183512325a8feefb9f969530)) | 10/1/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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It’s Not About the Math…Or Is It? – Episode 7 | Know anyone with a tendency to look at networking from a have-to-leave-with-15-business-cards sort of way? Or better yet, someone that gives you a 2-minute qualification period before they consider you a non-prospect and moves on? (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_1049-300x226.jpg)Letâs call this The Old Math. Time honored methods of traditional networking have taught us that certain actions MUST be taken in order to be effective at turning networking into quantifiable business. You know the ones weâre talking about: * Spit out your 30 second commercial (after hours of practiced memorization, mind you) every time you meet someone new * Leave behind as many cards as you collect * Have a definitive goal on conversion rates (prospects to sales) BEFORE attending any given event * Spend no more than 5 minutes with each person and then move on Howard and Sandy say, âCUT IT OUT ALREADY!â Episode 7 urges you to reconsider the ultimate goal using The New Math. What should we be promoting â Product or Personality? When so many of us are turned off by car-salesman tactics*, the big equation should result in making people feel âGlad to Meetcha!â Intent to have conversations + Being yourself = making memorable connections Interrupting ÷ awkwardly waiting around for an âinâ à enthusiastic breakpoints = masterful timing Telling real stories â practiced commercials + promoting others = creating trust and curiosity Positive body language + demonstrative gestures à genuine interest = sending a message of engagement and investment Todayâs Lesson: We get that time is money. But people want to do business with people they like. Soâ¦what are you gonna do with my card?? *Disclaimer: The term car-salesman used here as an adjective rather than an insult. Sorry Uncle Joe! | 9/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Does Anyone Hang Out on LinkedIn Anymore? – Episode 6 | Or perhaps, âDid anyone EVER hang out on LinkedIn?â In this episode, we attack this social network from two angles. From Howardâs view, this is not the place where he âspends 30 minutes reading someoneâs resume again & again,â nor does he find that he can âcurate his best connections there.â On the other hand, Sandyâs clientele in certain stuffy industries have found this to be the best place to grow databases and build value in group discussions with like-minded professionals. They donât miss all the âshiny objectsâ that so easily distract the less business focused reader. Theyâre both rightâ¦so why is there a large elephant standing awkwardly in the corner of the room? (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_0953-300x224.jpg)Compared to the other major social media players, is LinkedIn a no fun zone? Perhaps it is all of the email that invites you to join someone elseâs professional network on LinkedIn. (Seriously, who talks like that. People, customize the invitation message!) Certainly theyâve tried (or are trying), with the recent additions of applications like BlogLink, the Amazon Reading List, and the Twitter integration. Have these added functions simply turned it into a poor Facebook wanna-be, potentially changing what those serious folks used to embrace about LinkedIn? Perhaps the attempt to âout Facebook, Facebookâ could be the ultimate demise to this business network platform. What do you think? Do you hang out on LinkedIn? I would like you to share this podcast with your professional network on LinkedIn. (http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=http%3A//www.10exit4.com/2010/09/hang-out-linkedin&title=Does%20Anyone%20Hang%20Out%20on%20LinkedIn%20Anymore&source=10%20Minutes%20at%20Exit%204) | 9/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Trolls Under My Bridge – Episode 5 | Trip. Trap. Trip. Trap. "Whoâs that Trip-Trapping over my bridge?!" says the ugly troll. "It is I, Little Billy Goat Marketerâ¦" Every business owner worth his/her weight in leads has taken the time to build a bridge of their own. Stone by stone, the actions they take to market that business create a bridge that one hopes will lead to great respect, admiration andâ¦oh yes, a golden stream of flowing revenue. Until the trolls pitch a tent under the bridge. Have you met said trolls? Not mythical creatures at all, but otherwise known in the marketing world as complainers, haters or spammers. These uglies whisper negative commentary, discount your brilliance and post/air the flaws in your bridge, often avoiding the accountability that comes with a grown-up discussion. Episode 5 begs the argument that legitimate commentary, either negative OR constructive, can and should lead to better ideas, more effective customer service and intrinsic improvements to your bridge architecture. After all, the trolls do win if you let the fear of negative feedback keep you from crossing. (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_6555-300x228.jpg) Our conclusion? Listen for the trolls, and learn from them. | 8/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Resident…or Current Resident – Episode 4 | Dear Friend, In the absence of any better marketing ideas, and because I care so little about your time, I'm sending you this very general direct mail piece that isn't properly addressed to you and that includes plastic, cellophane and a silicone glue backing that won't play well with your shredder, but will play into your general paranoia about personal privacy. In addition, I've enclosed a token gift pen and a poorly customized object that you'll be unable to use and that wastes my precious marketing budget. Fortunately, it increased my cost of postage, which should provide some comfort to you. But wait! The best part is that I've automatically enrolled you into our program that is pure profit for us but a waste of money for you. You'll need to figure out which of our 800 numbers need to be called to make it stop. The email notifications cannot be replied to because we don't monitor those email addresses. In closing, I'm certain that, despite a standard 98% failure rate, this poorly executed direct mailing plan is guaranteed to annoy you into purchasing our mediocre product. Is it working?? Your Friend, The Robot GPS Voice (http://www.10exit4.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/10exit4-ep004-IMG01-600x345.png) By ignoring the show notes from this episode, we will be opting you into an ongoing "drip" program in which you will eventually fall prey to our cunning plan. That is, to change how you approach the marketing for your business. (Okay, so we aren't opting you in, but we do hope that you share it with your friends.) | 8/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Wasting Time on the Interwebs – Episode 3 | Twitter Hangover: n./ The acknowledgment of lost time while being engaged in Tweeting & Twitter-surfing for longer than anticipated. It does sound silly, and we know it should. Perhaps you've experienced it as a Facebook Lost Weekend. Depending on whether youâre in it for the engagement of conversation or for the purpose of learning from others, the big question is, "how can it be two hours later?!" Sandy embraces it like a sponge; Howard uses a timer. Swap opinions with us as we talk about how to filter efforts without losing track of precious time or sanity (well, okayâ¦we can't promise you won't lose your sanity). | 7/22/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Facebook (Lacking) Etiquette – Episode 2 | While most professionals are more familiar with the doâs and donâts of networking face to face, itâs often overlooked that there are unspoken guidelines to online etiquette and behavior. Questions like âHow do I know youâ and âWhy should we connectâ are commonplace in the social media world. Answering them appropriately can make or break a positive social networking persona. The sharing of personal information on Facebook is a marketing strategy for building better relationships. But how much information is TOO much? (Baby poopy pictures are probably over that line.) Where do you draw the line between who your online persona is and who you are to your friends & family? Take 10 minutes to chat with us about over-sharing, categorizing your privacy settings and increasing credibility as it pertains to Facebook Etiquette. | 7/8/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 13 Episodes |
