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:

listen to ‘Review of #BusinessJazz recording session’ on Audioboo

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.

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.

Business Jazz – 27th January 2013 – How to Sell by Turning People Away

Selling is a mind game – much of it is psychology. Very often, we experience the bad side of it. Think Glengarry Glen Ross. We've all been on the receiving end of those tactics. It is selling as an adversarial pursuit of of someone else's purse.

Nobody, except the vulture-like salesperson, enjoys that experience. Ultimately, it benefits nobody. Not even the salesperson. In the long run, they lose our trust. Trust is the key that unlocks our purses. Without it, the lock stays firmly shut.

In this episode Paul and Roger discuss an email by Chris Brogan that starts with a declaration of intent. It intends to promote something that Chris hopes the receiver will buy. However, he advises strongly in the first paragraph that if you don't want to be bothered by a sales pitch, you should set the email aside. He doesn't want to waste your time or impose upon you. He recognizes that the recipient of the email will buy from him when they are good and ready. And when they do, the sales process will be smooth and, importantly, enjoyable.

A smooth and enjoyable sales process (or purchasing process, if you look at it from the buyer's side) is one of the things that makes a business genuinely attractive.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz – 27th January 2012.

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

Don't Buy From Chris Brogan


If you'd like to have the opportunity to not buy from Chris, 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? Immediately after each recording of the podcast proper, Paul gets out his iPhone and we record an Audioboo with additional thoughts.

This week's hasn't made it to air, but you can listen to Paul's thoughts on his way to Blackrock Castle for the recording:

listen to ‘On route to record #BusinessJazz podcast with @rogeroverall ’ on Audioboo

Business Jazz - 18th January 2013 - How Could a Campfire Help Instagram?

Fire is powerful.

It burns and destroys.

Fire also warms and rejuvenates.

It provides a place to come together. In a house around the fireside; outside around a campfire. It is where we gain comfort and where conversations are held.

In his latest email, Chris Brogan uses the campfire as a metaphor for creating content and story around your business. Content so compelling that it attracts others to it and compels them to discuss it.

Paul and Roger look at how we can apply this to our own businesses to make ourselves attractive to our customers. They also try to fit the campfire model into a rehabilitation programme for Instagram.


You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz - 18th January 2012.

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

Join Chris Brogan's Campfire


If you'd like to get the warmth directly from Chris' campfire, 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? Immediately after each recording of the podcast proper, Paul gets out his iPhone and we record an Audioboo with additional thoughts.

Here is this week's:

listen to ‘Review of latest episode of BusinessJazz podcast with @rogeroverall ’ on Audioboo

Business Jazz - 11th January 2013 - Keep on Going

Last week we talked about ambitions, execution and failure. This week, we riff off an email sent by AJ Leon in which he talks about the decision whether or not to give up. He recently stuck with something and ended up $8,000 lighter. Good decision? Bad decision?

That's a key question we're all faced with. Is it better to cut our losses and abandon a road we've set off down, or should we push on?

Chris Brogan gets his regular airing too as Paul and Roger discuss his recent email about the rise of bespoke business.

In the podcast, Roger alludes to a story about Walt Disney being born in Mojácar, a village in Spain. It's quite likely nonsense, but you can find out more here: The Spanish Connection.

You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz - 11th January 2012.

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

Chris and AJ have bespoke insights for you


If you'd like to subscribe to Chris' emails (the ones we discuss here), you'll find a place to sign up 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 regularly sends out inspiring emails as well. You can sign up for them here: Pursuit of Everything.

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? Immediately after each recording of the podcast proper, Paul gets out his iPhone and we record an Audioboo with additional thoughts.

Here is this week's:

listen to ‘Review of the latest #BusinessJazz Podcast with @rogeroverall ’ on Audioboo

Business Jazz - 4th January 2013 - Guiding Words

It's that time of year again when we tell ourselves we're going to put our best foot forward - change a few things. Some changes will be quite radical; some less so. They will all make our lives better.

Change isn't easy, though. Before you know it, your resolutions are in the waste paper basket, along with last year's.

Chris Brogan has a suggestion for you. Instead of committing yourself to radical change in the shape of ambitious resolutions, he recommends choosing three words that will act as your guides in the year ahead. They will be beacons for you to steer a course by; criteria on which to base decisions.

Paul and Roger discuss this concept and reveal some of their words for 2013.

They also talk about the inevitable: Failure. At some time in 2013, we will all fall down. Most probably, we'll do it repeatedly. Then what?


You can listen to this week's podcast using the player at the top of the post or download it directly here: Business Jazz - 4th January 2012.

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

Chris can guide you in 2013


If you'd like to subscribe to Chris' emails (the ones we discuss here), you'll find a place to sign up 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? Immediately after each recording of the podcast proper, Paul gets out his iPhone and we record an Audioboo with additional thoughts.

Here is this week's:

listen to ‘Review of BusinessJazz podcast cc @rogeroverall @mcfontaine’ on Audioboo