Thursday 28 February 2013

Business Jazz – 1st March 2013 – Changed and Kickstarted



Change is unsettling. We grow comfortable with things the way they are. When they shift an inch, we feel the movement as if it were a mile.

Regular listeners will have noticed changes in the podcast this week. The intro, the tone, the focus.

That's a lot to take in.

If you've listened to the podcast already, we hope you understand why we've tinkered with the formula. If you haven't yet. Here's a quick overview.

While we know Paul will return, we don't know when. All we know is that it will be a while yet. When he does, you'll hear three voices host the podcast – Jane is staying on. With that in mind, it was appropriate to change the intro to include the three of us.

The second change is that we are weaning ourselves off Chris Brogan. He was our genesis, our original inspiration, and won't be forgotten, but there are other great thought leaders in business to look at as well. Besides, who can speak in detail better about what Chris Brogan is thinking – us or Chris himself? So, we're broadening our horizons. We don't stray too far in this episode, though. Podcast regular AJ Leon gets a big mention.

This week


In this week's episode, Roger and Jane look at AJ raised big bucks using Kickstarter to publish a book. Roger tells of Peter Cox, an Irish landscape photographer, who had equal success.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz – 1st March, 2013.

We're also in iTunes. We'd love it if you subscribed or left some feedback.

We might be flying the Brogan nest, but please connect with him


If you want to hear the amazing things Chris Brogan is saying, you can subscribe to his newsletter on his website. Utterly, totally recommended.

If you're interested in The Impact Equation, the book he recently published with Julien Smith, you can find it on Amazon US and Amazon UK (these aren't affiliate links, by the way).


Business Jazz Players


This podcast is a collaboration of people dotted around the world. Most of us have never met each other. It's quite a story and it's still evolving. 
If you'd like to read what's happened so far, you'll find it here: Our Story.

Extras


We have a tradition here at Business Jazz of recording a segment of audio around the main podcast, usually afterwards. This week, we skipped it. We'd already recorded four takes of the episode proper, so we were pretty much done. We'll be back next week with the after podcast.

Sunday 24 February 2013

Business Jazz – 24th February 2013 – Invite Your Customers to Leave



One of the best things you can do in business is release your grip over your customers and clients – invite them to leave you.

This is a healthy move for both sides.

For you, it brings a dose of reality. The grip you have on your customers is never as strong as you think it is. Your customers always have alternatives, even if nobody else does what you do or builds what you build. Your client can simply decide to do without your unique product or service. That's a choice too. By inviting people to break the bond with you, you'll remove the weaker links in your client base – the people who weren't that into you to begin with, or who have started to feel less excited by you. What remains is a core of dedicated customers.

In this week's episode, Roger and Jane look at an email in which Chris Brogan invites everyone on his mailing list to unsubscribe. During the podcast, Roger does – only to find that the sky didn't collapse in on him.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz – 24th February, 2013.

We're also in iTunes. We'd love it if you subscribed or left some feedback.

If you'd like to hear an audio version of the email we're discussing this week, you can listen to it on his blog.

Unsubscribe from Chris (by subscribing first)



If you'd like to have the chance to unsubscribe to Chris's newsletter, you can subscribe first on his website?

If you're interested in The Impact Equation, the book he recently published with Julien Smith, you can find it on Amazon US and Amazon UK (these aren't affiliate links, by the way).


Business Jazz Players


This podcast is a collaboration of people dotted around the world. Most of us have never met each other. It's quite a story and it's still evolving. 
If you'd like to read what's happened so far, you'll find it here: Our Story.

Extras


We have a tradition here at Business Jazz of recording a segment of audio around the main podcast, usually afterwards. Here is this week's:

Saturday 16 February 2013

Business Jazz – 16th February 2013 – The Soup Nazi is Your Friend



How easy do you make it for people to buy from you?

Do people even know that they can buy from you?

And do they know what they can buy from you?
 
In this week's episode, Roger and Jane Boyd look at idea's Chris Brogan has about "touchpoints of opportunity" – places where the customer can interact with you or your business. He uses the metaphor of the sidewalk, the storefront and the back room. Roger and Jane end up talking about the Soup Nazi and AJ Leon.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz – 16th February, 2013.

We're also in iTunes. We'd love it if you subscribed or left some feedback.

If you'd like to hear an audio version of the email we're discussing this week, you can listen to it on his blog.

See Chris Brogan's Sidewalk



If you'd like to see Chris's sidewalk, and learn about humanizing your business in general, why not subscribe to Chris's emails (the ones we discuss here) on his website?

If you're interested in The Impact Equation, the book he recently published with Julien Smith, you can find it on Amazon US and Amazon UK (these aren't affiliate links, by the way).

AJ Leon is doing some amazing things too. His Pursuit of Everything blog is a great place to go to be inspired.


Business Jazz Players


This podcast is a collaboration of people dotted around the world. Most of us have never met each other. It's quite a story and it's still evolving. 
If you'd like to read what's happened so far, you'll find it here: Our Story.

Extras


We have a tradition here at Business Jazz of recording a segment of audio around the main podcast, usually afterwards. Here is this week's:


Sunday 10 February 2013

Business Jazz – 10th February 2013 – The Gentle Introduction



Have you heard of this really powerful sales tool?

Don't sell.

At least, don't sell until the buyer is ready – until you have earned the right to sell.

Getting to that point takes time. Too often, we jump straight in. Particularly when we are trying to sell ourselves. Instead of getting permission to talk about ourselves, we just do it.

There are better ways.
 
In this week's episode, Roger is joined by Jane Boyd again to talk about ways in which to introduce yourself to prospective clients in a way that won't bring down the shutters on you. They try to answer questions raised by Chris Brogan in a recent email newsletter, and give suggestions about how to introduce yourself gently to new people.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz – 10th February, 2013.

We're also in iTunes. We'd love it if you subscribed or left some feedback.

If you'd like to hear an audio version of the email we're discussing this week, you can listen to it on his blog.

Introduce yourself to Chris Brogan



If you'd like to learn more about getting permission to sell, and about humanizing your business in general, why not subscribe to Chris's emails (the ones we discuss here) on his website.

If you're interested in The Impact Equation, the book he recently published with Julien Smith, you can find it on Amazon US and Amazon UK (these aren't affiliate links, by the way).

Business Jazz Players


This podcast is a collaboration of people dotted around the world. Most of us have never met each other. It's quite a story and it's still evolving. 
If you'd like to read what's happened so far, you'll find it here: Our Story.

Saturday 2 February 2013

Business Jazz – 2nd February 2013 – Being a Good Neighbour is Good for Business


Being neighbourly isn't a concept taught at many business schools – or at least, we don't think so. But if your intention is to generate business through your online activities, it is a very important one.

Helping others is a great way to build your community. It establishes and deepens relationships. And once the relationship is in place, business will follow – often in very surprising ways.

Paul is unavailable for the next couple of weeks, so in this episode Roger is joined by Jane Boyd to discuss an email by Chris Brogan in which he looks at how to be neighbourly online.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz – 2nd February, 2013.

We're also in iTunes. We'd love it if you subscribed or left some feedback.

If you'd like to hear an audio version of the email we're discussing this week, you can listen to it on his blog.

Be Chris Brogan's Neighbour



If you'd like to be a neighbor to Chris (or allow him to be a neighbour to you), you can subscribe to his emails (the ones we discuss here), on his website.

If you're interested in The Impact Equation, the book he recently published with Julien Smith, you can find it on Amazon US and Amazon UK (these aren't affiliate links, by the way).

Business Jazz Players


This podcast is a collaboration of people dotted around the world. Most of us have never met each other. It's quite a story and it's still evolving. 
If you'd like to read what's happened so far, you'll find it here: Our Story.


PS 


Would you like to hear more? We have a tradition on the show. Immediately after each recording of the podcast proper, we record an Audioboo with additional thoughts. We did one this week, but Roger lost his. With a bit of luck, Jane's will appear here later. Stay tuned.