Proposify Biz Chat

Takeaways Don’t replace what isn’t broken With new ways to connect with prospects popping up at an ever-accelerated rate, it can be tempting to believe everything you hear, like abandoning email marketing altogether and solely reaching out to prospects with tools like Messenger bots and social media. Dave says it’s fine to use new tools if you think they can help you gain customers, but advises not to abandon the tools that are already working for you, like email.   Relying solely on social media or new tools for Messenger can put you at risk of losing contact with interested leads should that social platform’s algorithm change. If you choose to use social media as the main source of lead generation, Dave suggests trying to capture the email addresses of at least 50% of those followers so you can still stay engaged with them and make offers, should an algorithm change occur.

Custom services, like the work of most agencies, take time, and time is a finite resource. Productizing your services can help you grow your business efficiently. The truth is, service businesses are inherently difficult to scale. Think about it: selling digital marketing or design services involves meeting with clients, learning about their business, crafting a strategy, and executing deliverables for them. This means you need to spend time up front in the sales process evaluating leads and trying to determine how much time each project will take, which takes even more time.

In this interview, Jim explains why you need a niche to stand out, how pricing higher from the beginning can lead to greater success, and why all clients should be called “customers”.

Marcus Murphy is the director of sales and monetization for DigitalMarketer, which hosts the Traffic and Conversion Summit for marketers each year. Leading an umbrella department for sales, customer success, business development, partner programs and channels, and strategic partnerships, Marcus helps restore, teach, and uplevel sales professionals.

Amara Omoregie is the director of marketing for Amara Reps, a digital agency and consultancy. Having spent 14 years in sales and another ten years in marketing, Amara helps clients by focusing on inbound leads, social media, web development, and advertising. Jason Swenk helps marketing agencies grow their businesses faster. Having worked with brands like AT&T, Hitachi, and Lotus Cars, Jason grew his digital marketing agency to multi-million dollar status before selling it after 12 years in operation. He now provides clients with valuable advice and actionable steps to follow suit.

In this interview, Sam explains the critical tasks every chief marketing officer needs to nail in their first three months in a new role, and why those first three months matter the most. He also talks about the importance of getting your sales and marketing teams on the same page.

In this interview, Mikael talks about why messenger marketing is the future, why email marketing isn’t as effective as it used to be, and how to get subscribers to your messenger bot. He also reveals the most misunderstood aspect of chatbots and breaks down why chatbot conversations sound more personal.

Making sure your leadership team is on the same page is crucial to reaching goals and scaling your business. The leadership team at Proposify recently got together for a two-day yearly planning session to ensure every department lead understands the mission, goals, we’re working toward so they could develop strategies to meet those goals for the next year. In this episode, Kyle and Kevin chat about why they decided to take the planning session out of office, how the group created Proposify’s company vision together by considering the company as a whole, first, and the qualities they want to see in each Proposify employee. They also discuss how yearly planning sessions can lead help leaders feel motivated, refreshed, and like they have a better sense of direction in leading their teams.

​“We only hire A-Players” That’s what Jon Lax, founder of Teehan Lax (acquired by Facebook in 2015), once said to Kyle at a conference. An A-Player is someone who closely resembles you as the founder. They are driven, passionate, and committed to the company. They embody your core values. They’re versatile and adaptable, jumping into any role at a moments notice and getting done whatever needs to be without complaint. They are excellent at their craft, among the best you’ve ever worked with. Even if you could hire all A-players, would you want to? Kyle suggests we should stop using terms like A, B, and C-players all-together. Instead look at whether your employees are in the right position, and if they align with your core values.

In this interview, Meghan talks about how to use content to nurture leads that are already in your sales funnel, and what types of content you should produce for each stage of the buyer’s journey. She also breaks down what she includes in all of her Crowd Content. proposals that has helped her win enterprise clients like 3M, WordPress, and Lowes.

As Proposify’s CPO, Ricky Ferris shapes the product vision and defines strategies and action plans to fulfill that vision. Through Proposify’s growth, Ricky has learned different approaches that have made our product management process smoother. In this episode Kyle and Ricky discuss the “big rock” theory for setting goals and increasing focus, how research and planning are the backbones of organization, and why you should talk to your customers first before coming up with a solution to their problems. They also talk about why you should revisit problems you’ve had in the past, how to schedule product updates within your team, and how transparency with your team about future goals can help you push through phases of projects faster.   

In this interview, Raphael talks about why he chose to specialize in conversion optimization for fashion, lifestyle, and luxury ecommerce brands. He also opens up about his business development process for selling high-end clients on the value of conversion rate optimization (CRO), and explains how Splitbase’s customer research process has improved conversion for clients.

Kevin Springer and Kyle Racki have been business partners for 10 years, having run an agency together before co-founding Proposify. Proposify has grown from a start-up into a successful SaaS company, and in 2017 alone, made some strong headway in the tech world.  

Proposify’s Chief Product Officer, Ricky Ferris, is in charge of designing new (and improving existing) features to help our customers close more deals. He has more than a decade of experience as a front-end developer and has collaborated with Proposify co-founders, Kyle and Kevin, for years as a UI specialist. In this interview, Kyle and Ricky discuss the importance of taking control of a demonstration, and asking customers the right questions so you highlight the features that will solve their problems. They also explain the difference between onboarding and a product tour, the message you should deliver through each, and how both are key components in good user experience (UX) and avoiding customer churn.

Kevin Springer and Kyle Racki have been business partners for 10 years, having run an agency together before co-founding Proposify. Together, they have grown Proposify from a start-up into a successful SaaS company, but they know that even the world’s best business leaders need a bit of coaching to help them along the way. In this interview, Kevin and Kyle discuss their experience working with a business coach, how having an outside perspective has increased Proposify’s engagement internally between different teams, and the best steps to finding the right business coach for you.

Kevin Springer and Kyle Racki have been business partners for 10 years, having run an agency together before co-founding Proposify. As a serial entrepreneur, Kevin has a wealth of knowledge and experience to lead the Proposify sales team to greatness. In this interview, Kevin and Kyle talk about Proposify’s sales process, why you need a ‘sales toolbox’, and the importance of staying inspired. They also discuss why you need to drill down to specifics about what you’re offering, and using value propositions in sales.

On this episode of Proposify Biz Chat, I’m joined by growth and content marketer, Sujan Patel. Sujan is the author of100 Days of Growth, a book about growth hacking that has sold over 40,000 copies, and is a featured writer for Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and MSNBC. Now as the co-founder and general manager of the growth marketing agency, Web Profits, Sujan works with companies like Salesforce, Mint, and Intuit. I’m talking with him today about content marketing campaigns and how to reverse engineer them. Check out the full video conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7Gbrmd69sU&t=4s Show notes: https://www.proposify.biz/podcast/066 

What it’s about Closing a deal can sometimes come down to how well a potential client feels you know them, and how clearly you explain how your services or product could work for them. As a pitching expert, Michelle believes in the importance of getting a little more personal with clients to make the sale. In this interview, she talks about building rapport, why you should always be prepared to pitch, and the key to closing a deal.

What it’s about Whether you know a thing or two about analytics, or you’re a digital marketing agency trying to find new ways to sell to clients, Joel Burke from Outshine lets you in on the secrets he uses as an analytics expert to help his clients. In this interview, Joel talks about the importance of using the data you collect, creating a cohesive work environment between your marketing and sales teams, and how to choose the best analytics tools.

What it’s about Joe’s experience in corporate development and early-stage software startup investment led him to his role as CEO at Nutshell. In this interview, he talks about allowing your customers to have a say in how your product or service works with their current routine, the importance of delivering a powerful, yet simple product, and focusing on the velocity of your pipeline.