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Business Insights & Strategies From Experts: Unveiling Simple Truths Behind Success. I’m always grateful for Reviews and remember to Subscribe
Episodes
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
Sunday Aug 29, 2021
This one is a belter. Prepare to open your mind to #WickedProblems.
What's a wicked problem? A wicked problem is a problem that's difficult or impossible to solve—normally because of its complex and interconnected nature. Wicked problems lack clarity in both their aims and solutions, and are subject to real-world constraints which hinder risk-free attempts to find a solution.
Alexander Knapp has been helping solve wicked problems around the world since the mid-1990s in places like The Balkans, Darfur and Somalia on behalf of the UN. Usually first feet on the ground at the breakout of peace, Alexander and his incredible team live by 4 rules:
1. The first solution will fail, gather data, learn, try again. Repeat.
2. Stakeholders differ
3. Rules change as you play
4. No perfect answer - only imperfect options
Sound familiar?
Bring a notepad and pen. Listen multiple times. And please share with your team, your leaders, your partners. And tag someone specific who needs to hear Alexander's message
Contact Alexander via linkedin.com/in/atknapp or email her at aknapp@akc.global
Also download AKC's culture deck here: https://www.akc.global/opportunities/ It is nothing short of brilliant
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If you recognise your problems with sales, marketing, customer success, account management, churn, compensation, hiring, recruitment, leadership, management, partnerships and alliances, measurement won't be solved by doing what you're doing, email me marcus@laughs-last.com
Me and my merry band of partners who are the BEST IN THE WORLD at what they do, come together when you need them, where you need them to tackle the complexity. Book a preliminary call with me - https://calendly.com/marcuscauchi/discovery-call-15-mins
No pressure. No guarantees. But I do promise you will never see your business in the same way after we speak
Thursday Aug 26, 2021
Thursday Aug 26, 2021
Rikki Arundel is a story telling expert and high profile speaker on gender inclusion. She also happens to be trans.
We discuss DE&I, bias, the journey she went through from successful salesperson and manager in the financial services world to a stalwart advocate for the rights of minority groups. We celebrate difference. We discuss the challenges, the hardships, the discrimination and the courage required to be different.
We have a grown up, un-PC, un-woke discussion without treading on egg-shells. It was a wonderfully refreshing exploration of a sensitive and difficult topic which usually has white middle aged men like me fleeing for the hills. I hope it's opened your eyes and your heart to acceptance and seeing the value of hiring for difference and making it safe and possible for those who are different to fit in and contribute fully.
I'm sure there will be a few of you who will allow your prejudices to get the better of you. Please don't behave like a twat in your comments. You know who you are that I'm speaking to. There's no need for it. Ask intelligent questions, challenge but play respectfully. It's the grown up thing to do.
Please listen. Rikki makes immense sense and I feel richer for having met her.
Websites
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rikkiarundel.com (Company Website)
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genderspeaker.com (Company Website)
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calendly.com/rikkiarundel/speaking-discovery-call (Book a 30 Min Discovery Call)
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Contact me on marcus@laughs-last.com
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Tuesday Aug 24, 2021
Meghann Misiak helps early career salespeople develop the right habits, mindset and skills to get on the fast track in their sales career. When you're as long in the tooth as me, it's good to be reminded how tough it is starting out in sales. I was always grateful for a helping hand especially when you have doubts, you face obstacles or you feel out of your depth.
A lively, practical guide for young salespeople looking to accelerate your path to Presidents' Club
Twitter: megmisiak
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Contact me on marcus@laughs-last.com
Thursday Aug 19, 2021
Thursday Aug 19, 2021
Stewart Townsend offers Channel Sales as a service #CaaS. We discuss why channel sales is a more efficient way of achieving scale without loss of control. We explore what makes channel sales work and what causes your partners to fail to perform and why that is usually on you.
Channel is the hardest and most challenging way to go to market, but it also offers the highest rewards without the expense and headache of trying to build an army. A #ChannelManager is closer to a General Manager than it is to a Sales Manager. A #ChannelChief is closer to a Chief Executive than they are to a VP of Sales. If you doubt this, check out Jay McBain's excellent infographic.
Contact Stewart via LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/stewarttownsend
Websites
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stewarttownsend.com (Personal Website)
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channelasservice.com (Company Website)
Twitter: stewarttownsend
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Contact me at marcus@laughs-last.com if you want to join me on the podcast or can recommend a great guest
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
David Mullins is a sports psychologist who develops world champions in mixed martial arts, football, rugby and other sports. Hr explains the importance of learning to accept what you can and can't control, be clear about the objective when you show, which is to be present and perform at your best, in the moment. Distractions like a winning a contract or promotion, the hope for the trappings of success in the future, can get your mind out of the fight where it needs to be, resulting in a losing performance,
David explores the importance of concentrating on the fundamentals, the boring basics. We dig into the power of fair, relevant and accurate self-talk. He spotlights how we often lower our goals in the face of adversity instead of giving yourself the advice you need to hear to rise above it, and why we need to keep fighting from every angle even when we're down.
We draw some important parallels with selling. Improvement is a process. You have to let your ego suffer, to have the patience to start out bad, refine your skills, and grow over time. Putting the hours in is not enough. Without deliberate, intentional practice you will stay stuck and never meet your full potential.
Teach once, learn twice is a powerful way to learn. Study your competition. Read around your discipline. Reflect regularly. And accept that your plan may not survive contact with your prospect. If you've put the intentional effort in, you'll be more ready to adapt. The best fighters practice counters to their rivals counter moves. Sellers must do the same.
Contact David by hunting him down!
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Contact me at marcus@laughs-last.com
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Sunday Aug 15, 2021
Jackie Handy and I discuss #DEandI, #Diversity #Equity and #Inclusion. We tackle some delicate and uncomfortable topics without tiptoeing around them. Hard hitting, no compromise discussion about an area that too many people are afraid to take on.
Enough with the wokeness of it all. Stop paying lip service. Stop virtue signalling that you are an equal opportunities employer when you hire for difference and fire for not fitting in. Stop lying to your market, to your employees and yourselves. DE&I is not some snowflake, liberal issue. Diverse teams produce significantly more creative solutions to difficult problems than teams living in an echo chamber with their limited view of the world colouring their thinking.
Yes, it's bloody hard work. Yes, it's difficult. And yes, it is going to be uncomfortable. But the pay off is well worth the effort.
It's not about pandering to a few. Marginalising and discriminating against those who are different speaks to the culture and leadership in your business. It is the right and decent thing to do. And it is significantly more profitable. It's positively impactful on your business, your people grow and develop, you serve your customers more effectively and it increases the value of your business for shareholders if you actually put in the heavy lifting instead of making it an exercise in box ticking.
Jackie is eloquent, insightful and raises some of the most interesting and toughest questions. It was a genuine joy to interview her and learn about this vitally important topic.
Contact Jackie at Runway Global via linkedin.com/in/jackiehandy
Website: jackiehandy.com (Company Website)
Twitter: Runwayglobal
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Contact me on marcus@laughs-last.com
Please tag someone who needs to hear this message. And an honest review of #TheInquisitorPodcast will be very welcome
Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Becc Holland, CEO of Flip The Script explains why best practice isn't working. Banging her head against fixed mindset leadership she discovered
- 76% SDR not hitting quota
- 85% AE not hitting 75% of quota
Seriously folks. How the hell is this even remotely acceptable. It is unsustainable and creates dreadful conditions
EVERY KPI is wrong!
KPI correlation does not point to causation. We are misdefining MQLs, SQLs and making the conflict between marketing and sales.
Open your eyes, your ears and your mind. Ask better questions. Start with "Why are we doing things this way?", "Does it serve us today?", "How are we creating completely preventable problems?"
"This is how it's done!" is a completely unacceptable and toxic response.
Becc and I discuss what is objectively true. You probably won't enjoy this episode because you'll learn how you are double paying to slow down your buyer's journey.
Contact Becc via linkedin.com/in/beccholland-flipthescript
Website: https://www.flipthescript.co/
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Contact me on marcus@laughs-last.com
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Tag a founder, CRO, CMO, VP of Sales, VP of Marketing who is screwing the pooch with their metrics, how they compensate to drive away customers, churn salespeople and burn through managers
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Tuesday Aug 10, 2021
Dr Terri Levine has helped hundreds of business create authentic relationships with their customers without manipulation or deceptive marketing that build barriers between you and your prospective clients. Terri explains why marketing funnels get in the way of trust, and why you should be rigorously authentic in your marketing.
This was a genuinely enjoyable conversation with someone who has mastered marketing and communication at a visceral level. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did making it
Websites
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go.heartrepreneur.com/training-conveyorbelt ( https://linktr.ee/drterri)
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facebook.com/groups/heartrepreneurswithterrilevine/ (Company Website)
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promisingprofits.com (Text me: 808-DrTerri)
Twitter: MentorTerri
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Please like, comment, tag someone and share this episode. If you feel #TheInquisitorPodcast deserves wider recognition or you hate me, the style or the episode, please go and give us an honest review. We love feedback and learn from it
To get in touch with me at marcus@laughs-last.com
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
Sunday Aug 08, 2021
Jason Bay /JBay is Chief Prospecting Officer at #BlissfulProspecting. He trains B2B sales teams to sell efficiently, effectively and ethically. In this refreshing interview we challenge the status quo in sales - shitty metrics, bad management thinking, compensation that drives terrible sales behaviour, burnout and the incredible waste that most B2B organisations are guilty of inflicting on their own and their customers.
We discuss subtracting not adding to our prospecting process. How do we find ways to be more effective? How do we simplify? How do we enter the conversations that executives are having that make us a strategic provider? How do we educate our market in a way that differentiates? How do you remove first person (I/we) messaging and replace it with second person (you/your).
Bring a pen and notepad to this episode if you are involved in outbound sales. You won't regret it.
Websites
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blissfulprospecting.com/ (Company Website)
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pod.link/blissfulprospecting (Listen to our podcast)
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blissfulprospecting.com/bite-sized (My best bite-sized content)
Twitter: jasondbay
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Contact me on marcus@laughs-last.com
Please leave an honest review at Apple or Google podcasts. Share or tag this episode with someone who needs to hear the message JBay brings
Thursday Aug 05, 2021
Thursday Aug 05, 2021
Sean Weafer helps individuals and teams develop trust through leadership. He is author of 3 books, his latest being 'The Highly Trusted Advisor: How to Lead Teams and Win Clients in the Hybrid Age'. We explore why leaders and salespeople need to move from being an expert who relies on specialist knowledge and technical competence, to being a highly trusted advisor to your colleagues, team members and clients.
Sean is funny, engaging and speaks a lot of sense that aligns neatly with the core philosophy of #BuyerSafety.
Contact Sean via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanweafer/
Websites:
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SeanWeafer.com (Coaching, training & speaking)
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G2SCoachingSchool.com ({:category})
Twitter: SeanWeafer