State Of Client Acquisition (Michal Bohanes)
Explorez tous les épisodes de State Of Client Acquisition
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| 25 Apr 2024 | Ep. 101 - Cold email changed: How to win in 2024 | 00:11:13 | |
In 2024, I've experienced firsthand the evolving landscape of cold email outreach in B2B lead generation. Despite naysayers claiming its demise, I've discovered that success lies in strategic adaptation. In this video, I share my transformative journey from dismal call booking rates to an impressive 5% success rate. Through trial and error, I've uncovered key principles that redefine cold emailing: genuine personalization, compelling offers, and valuable giveaways. By implementing these strategies, I've revolutionized my approach, bypassing common pitfalls and achieving sustainable results. Whether you're navigating lead generation, optimizing email marketing tactics, or refining appointment setting strategies, join me as I unveil the secrets to scaling B2B client acquisition effectively.
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| 23 Feb 2024 | Ep. 92 - High Ticket or Low Ticket - Make your Choice | 00:18:06 | |
High ticket services and low ticket products / communities have very different business dynamics. It's a mistake to try to sell both of them at the same time if you're not already at 7 figures with one of them.
Make a choice - sell high or low ticket, but not both.
This is the State of Client Acquisition Podcast - where we dissect the art and science of client acquisition for consultants, B2B coaches, and agency owners. | |||
| 21 Jul 2023 | Ep. 76 - How to be more Self Disciplined - the Gradual Approach | 00:21:08 | |
Even successful consultants who have grown their business into multiple 6 figures struggle with self discipline. I have put together 12 frameworks that helped me become gradually better at Self Discipline, to the point where I barely recognize my 5 year younger self. These frameworks are 1) Taking good care of yourself (without practicing "self-care") 2) Imagining your future millionaire self as your boss. What kind of performance review would (s)he give you? 3) Hormozi's Ignorance Tax 4) Externalizing the dark force 5) Sacrifice well - the story of Cain and Abel 6) Everything must rise at the same time 7) Not putting anything on a pedestal 8) Shift from output to input goals 9) Playing the infinite game 10) Removing temptations from your environment 11) Gamifying self discipline 12) Assuming ever greater responsibility
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| 15 Apr 2024 | Ep. 99 - This keeps 90% of B2B Consultants from getting clients | 00:31:41 | |
This episode exposes the flaws of relying on referrals, networking, and content marketing to land clients for your B2B consulting business. It unveils a 6-tiered framework for predictable client acquisition, with "Cold Email" being a game-changer. Here's the key takeaway: Stop relying on chance: Referred clients are unpredictable. Build a system to attract a steady stream of high-value clients. Focus on cold outreach: Master "cold email" to convert complete strangers into paying clients. This is scalable and founder-independent. Content marketing is a bonus: Content attracts leads but conversion is slow and unreliable. Use it alongside a proven client acquisition system. Paid ads are the ultimate scaler: Once you have a proven system, invest in paid advertising to exponentially increase client acquisition. This video will equip you with a clear roadmap to ditch the referral rollercoaster and take control of your B2B consulting growth. Watch Tony's video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC_aHBHOBHE
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| 24 Sep 2023 | Ep. 81 - The complete guide to working with marketing & leadgen agencies as a Small B2B Service Provider | 00:28:04 | |
In this video, I break down
✅ WHEN B2B service providers can engage a marketing agency
✅ HOW to select one
✅ and HOW to work with them
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| 30 Jan 2022 | Ep. 40 - Why Do This Influencer's LinkedIn Views DOUBLE While He's On Vacation? | 01:25:36 | |
Practically, a free master class on the art of 'Crushing it on LinkedIn' while enjoying some vacation sun. Featuring a puppy cameo, 'The Fund Whisperer' Anric Blatt returns for a discussion of the 2021 review of his Crushing it on LinkedIn course that stemmed from his content views skyrocketing while he was on vacation. Anric breaks down his numbers and shows us what he does that helps his numbers skyrocket while he's enjoying some sunshine. And yes, views don't mean revenue. But they're a good proxy for real-world success, all other things being equal. So there are plenty of good lessons to be learned. Josh Curtis also joins us as we explore the importance of authentic interactions as well as recognizing and maintaining the various audiences our content caters to. A silver platter of LinkedIn mastery nuggets, and remember; 'No Links in Posts!' Time Stamps: 00:00 Intro & Banter 03:00 LinkedIn Metrics 04:05 Anric's Crushing it on LinkedIn Presentation 12:58 What Did I Learn? 25:55 Crushing It Index Breakdown 30:55 Josh's Content Strategy 32:55 Threading Interactions Through Authenticity 40:47 Anric's 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' Strategy 53:00 Audience Q&A - Finding The Right Hashtags 59:16 Crushing it Index Formula 1:01:00 Maintaining Engagements 1:04:44 The School of Fish 1:12:30 No Links in Posts! 1:23:56 Wrapup Find Anric Blatt on LinkedIn here: here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anricblatt And here is Josh Curtis’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuascurtis The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode as a video here: https://youtu.be/A8VQnnkCT-I Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I | |||
| 23 Mar 2022 | Ep. 52 How To Become A LinkedIn Prodigy - Interview with Sam Browne | 01:12:27 | |
From charting the music to charting LinkedIn, in this episode, all round creative genius and serial entrepreneur Sam Browne shares his LinkedIn exploits that lead to him becoming a LinkedIn rockstar a mere 2 months into being properly active on the platform. We discuss our different content sharing methods where Sam proves to be more of a renegade with his unplanned and unscheduled methods that are also quite impactful. As well as the importance of centering the reading experience and creating aesthetically pleasing posts. What sets him apart is his cheeky creative flair that shines through his post segment conception and optimization. I broke down Sam's magic after our call in this LinkedIn post: https://bit.ly/3umdbzk Time Stamps: 00:04 Intro & Sam Browne Rockstar Backstory 08:00 How Sam Went from Rockstar to LinkedIn Prodigy 15:16 Sam’s (Past) Business Success 17:25 What are Sidecar Posts? 25:43 Sam’s Content Recipe 28:17 Where/How Sam Learned Copywriting 31:09 Content Posting Formula 34:38 Q&A: Schedule Structure 40:13 My Content Lessons (What Are You Optimizing For?) 45:06 Q&A: Does Not Being Scheduled Help Reach a Different Audience? 48:00 The Story Behind The Emojis 51:36 Sam’s Post Mini-Discussion 57:09 Q&A: Writing Business Specific Content Or Connecting With Ideal Client Base 1:01:53 Summary & More Pointers 1:09:58 Wrapup Find Sam Browne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-browne View Black River Drive’s Lead Single Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VwNj3BRdzw The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 07 May 2023 | Ep. 65 - Why Consultants Need to Diversify Their Client Acquisition Tactics (Portfolio Theory) | 00:16:12 | |
Many consultants rely on 1 or 2 sources of new clients. And in 90% of cases, one of these is word of mouth. That’s not a way to build a business. If you want to build a sustainable business, you need to have multiple client acquisition tactics running at the same time.
And if that sounds similar to investment advice, it actually is! There’s many similarities between investing and client acquisition, and in this video I discuss these similarities. | |||
| 04 Feb 2022 | Ep. 44 - Side Hustles Are A Giant Waste Of Time | 00:20:05 | |
Side hustling for years is a huge waste of time. SHs are an over-glorified recipe for overwork and mediocrity. There’s a better way. Reframe Side Hustles: 👇 SHs need to be short-lived experiments to VALIDATE if they can make you money. When is something “validated”? Simple: Either 3 acquaintances or 1 stranger is paying you market rates for your work. That’s enough of a signal that you have something valuable to offer. If proven to work, quit your job and go all-in. Why? Because if you keep side hustling, you won’t become very good at what you do. There simply isn’t enough time to hone your craft. You’re trying to compete in a market with one arm tied behind your back, all the while your unshackled competitors are gunning from all their cannons And this keeps you in a rut of mediocrity and self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re not making enough money with your Side Hustle to quit your job… …because you’re not giving it enough time and effort to grow into something that can replace your job income. But I get it: You can’t just go ahead and quit your job. So watch this video first. ++++ The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hOVtS2e3b-s Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 09 Aug 2024 | Ep. 106 - The big Mindset Error that keeps B2B Consultants from growing | 00:08:33 | |
I'm not going to go all woo woo on you and ask you have an abundance mindset.
But there is a mindset problem MANY B2B consultants have, and that is not treating Sales and Marketing with a certain level of respect and not aiming to become better at it. Your business stands on two legs: Your skills to deliver value to clients, and your ability to get clients. And the latter part requires skills. Just trying a cold email campaign once and calling it quits if it doesn't work is not the right path. You have to work on it.
Here's the key takeaway: Take Sales and Marketing a bit more seriously. You don't have to become the best in the world at it, but accept that you cannot outsource it and take on the burden to learn it.
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| 15 Apr 2024 | Ep. 98 - The Fastest Way to Stop Depending on Referrals | 00:21:38 | |
This video reveals a method to stop relying on referrals and scale your consulting business to $10,000+ monthly revenue. Forget cold emailing! Here's a B2B marketing strategy focused on YouTube content and targeted outreach.
Key Takeaways:
Ditch the Referral Trap: Build a system to consistently attract new clients, not wait for recommendations.
The Rule of 1: Focus on one ideal client and a single service package for maximum impact.
Craft an Irresistible Offer: Highlight your prospect's pain points and promise a clear solution.
Personalized Videos for Trust: Create short, impactful Loom videos to introduce yourself and your offer directly.
Funnel Lubricants: Develop YouTube content that addresses common objections and showcases your expertise.
Content Drip Campaign: Automate a series of these videos to educate potential clients between calls.
Start a YouTube Channel: Regularly produce high-quality content to establish yourself as a thought leader.
Stop Wasting Time:
Forget generic website efforts - prioritize outreach and content.
Focus on cold emailing, not LinkedIn limitations (reach 200 people daily vs. 50-100 weekly).
Action Steps:
Refine Your Offer: Craft a clear and valuable service package for your ideal client.
Create Personalized Videos: Use Loom to introduce yourself and your offer directly to prospects.
Develop Funnel Lubricants: Start a YouTube channel and create content that addresses common objections.
Implement a Drip Campaign: Automate your video content to nurture prospects between sales calls.
This system, combining personalized outreach with trust-building YouTube content, is your roadmap to reaching $10k+ per month!
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| 12 Apr 2022 | Ep. 54 - Seeking Passive Income can stop your growth | 00:16:15 | |
Being eager to transition to passive income too soon can be a stumbling block for your business. I recently spoke to someone who wants to serve his clients in a passive way (via an online course) although this is not the best way to get his clients results. In this episode I explain why this is not a good idea and why client results need to trump your own preferences of how you want to deliver your service. _____________ The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 28 Dec 2024 | Ep. 113 - How to go from $20-30k to $50-100k per month | 00:28:45 | |
The main factors in my now routinely reaching $50k/month and our first $100k revenue month are:
* 1 offer, 1 avatar. Focus on one thing and get really good at it.
* Work hard AND smart - working smart means working with leverage - and to get leverage, you need cash. So hustle your way to a surplus and then invest
Have the right frames of mind: Go towards the pain, not away from it. What you want lies on the other side of a wall of pain.
Surround yourself with the right reference points. I keep listening to Alex Hormozi and Cole Gordon who say things like "getting to $100k / month is very basic" and "very small businesses... basically anything below $3m revenue". And accepting that right now you're in a lonely season of your life.
Here's the key takeaway: Reaching $50-100k/month has technical requirements (such a limiting the amount of things you sell) and the right mindset ingredients.
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| 15 Mar 2024 | Ep. 95 - Why I don't care about my team's wellbeing | 00:13:46 | |
Or let's say I don't care as much about it as I'm supposed to, according to most HR gurus out there. The main reason is: I don't want to attract and retain people who care about wellbeing, mental health and mindfulness provided by their employer. I want to attract people who want to develop skills, make money, and who pride themselves in doing a great job.
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| 29 Apr 2021 | Ep. 14 - Your Network Is Holding You Back | 00:15:35 | |
I was 16 and was looking for a summer job. A family friend hooked me up with a gardening shop. Unbeknownst to me, he also fixed up my salary. The owner was willing to pay $x, and so our friend added another $x on top of it which the shop owner was paying me. I only learned about it a few years later. When I started my business in 2016, I was relying on my network, and for 2 years I've just been cruising with that. And then the network was exhausted. All of these stories just show what a bad idea it is to rely on your network to be successful in business. You're in a cocoon of inflated demand while you're offering sub-par products or services. The message: Use your network as a launch pad for a month or two, but then go right out there into the fierce choppy waters of the open market and prove your worth there. +++ The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 15 Apr 2021 | Ep. 12 - 5 Mistakes I Made When Starting My Consulting Business | 00:34:37 | |
In today’s episode I reflect on my journey to $29k revenue per month, a milestone I hit in March 2021. Truth is it took me unnecessarily long to get there (4.5 years). And so I thought about what I would have done differently if I could go back in time. After this reflection, I answer two listeners’ questions about outbound prospecting and about personal brand on LinkedIn. Timestamps: 2:15 - Lesson 1: Do you have a business or are you just doing gigs? 5:15 - Lesson 2: Friends? Great. Wider Network? Meh 9:50 - Lesson 3: Get market validation (with strangers) fast 12:50 - Lesson 3b: Don’t waste time on building an elaborate website 14:30 - Lesson 4: Eliminate side hustles 19:40 - Lesson 5: Design the business for later scalability 22:25 - Listener question about starting LinkedIn outbound conversations with a “problem question” 30:35 - Listener question: How do I build a personal brand on LinkedIn as I’m starting out with my business? The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 05 May 2024 | Ep. 102 - The best B2B Offer Training On the Internet | 01:14:50 | |
When I ask most people on sales calls what their offer is, most of them say something like "Well, we're supply chain consultants" or "I'm an executive coach" or "I build marketing systems for manufacturing companies" Well, that's all swell and dandy, but how will THAT elicit anything but a monumental yawn from a cold email prospect? "Hey, I'm an executive coach. Need some executive coaching?" That's hardly the stuff sales dreams are made of. But it's hard to build a good B2B offer. Most B2B Consultants don't even know where to start. So I decided to "leak" our complete Offer training, which is normally only accessible to our clients. In it, I dissect the anatomy of a great B2B offer discuss examples of outstanding offers show you step by step how to get your own offer from zero to hero Why should you spend 76 minutes watching this monster of a training? Because once you have a good offer, you can approach strangers via LinkedIn and cold email, book sales calls with them, and close more deals. Wouldn't that be a good outcome?
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| 16 Jun 2021 | Ep. 21 - Why "DISRUPTING" or "REDEFINING" your industry is a bad idea | 00:12:51 | |
Not only is being "disruptive" lazy marketing that most people see through. It also puts you into a wrong mindset. Because being disruptive means you're playing outside the boundaries of an industry (and therefore: hierarchy). You want to destroy it in order to build it up in your image and emerge as the dominant player. And playing OUTSIDE of an established hierarchy means you miss out on a significant source of happiness: Experiencing gradual progress and improvement. ++++ The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 08 Sep 2023 | Ep. 79 - 4 Reasons to Quit Consuming News & Politics as a Business Owner | 00:16:52 | |
The news is distracting. It's negative. It will end up occupying a ton of your mental bandwidth when what you need is 100% focus on your business. It's an expensive hobby that is preventing you from reaching your goals.
As a recovering news and politics junkie, I've completely broken with the idea of consuming this stuff and had to rearrange my life accordingly. And it all came to a head when a family member recently gave me a 3-month newspaper subscription as a birthday gift. Here's what happened...
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| 11 Nov 2021 | Ep. 34 - Being Respectfully Authentic On LinkedIn (feat. Anric Blatt) | 01:28:42 | |
A real treat. Anric Blatt is one of my favorite people on LinkedIn. He's funny, knowledgeable, and a real force of nature, churning out supportive comments by the truckload with a dazzling array of fonts, emojis and personalized GIFs. He and I have a bit of a running joke on LinkedIn where I post some rant against "vulnerability" on LinkedIn and he reminds me that we need to be authentic and include our whole personality into our LinkedIn presence. And he enjoys painting me as the "BUSINESS ONLY" thought police on LinkedIn who yells at people "This is not Facebook!" So one day we decided to battle it out and ran a zoom call with a select crowd of participants. We covered what I now in retrospect call Toxic Vulnerability on Social Media, Anric explains his model of the funnel he helps his clients with, we discuss tons of concepts like Respectful Authenticity, "Swinging the Monkey", and towards the end he even gives me some tough love on my content. You'll enjoy this one. Time Stamps: 2:30 Banter & Intros 11:50 Anric's concept of Respectful Authenticity 13:40 My presentation on To Be Or Not To Be Vulnerable on LinkedIn 19:20 Anric's take: Good and bad examples of Authenticity on LinkedIn 25:40 Andy Smith - one guy who gets it 100% right according to Anric 33:00 Andrew Pancholi deep dive: The most interesting man in the world underselling his interesting-ness. 38:00 The one-sentence persuasion course by Blair Warren - the Core of Anric's LinkedIn Strategy 46:00 Anric's Funnel 51:30 Excellent hack to ignite relationships with new LinkedIn connections 55:30 Is it ok to admit to your faults on LinkedIn? 58:00 Michal's Funnel & Pot Methodology 1:03:30 Anric's Authenticity share - what he REALLY hates doing 1:07:00 No two funnels should be the same 1:08:30 Anric giving me a teardown of my content 1:19:00 Wrapup 1:22:15 Q&A - On Funnel Lubricants and Automation 1:23:50 Swinging The Monkey You can find Anric Blatt on LinkedIn Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anricblatt/ Here is my Burned Toast post Anric referenced: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mbohanes_foodwaste-itgetsbutter-activity-6853968657207373824-YnVK Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/HLd9xdRIaQ4 | |||
| 04 Feb 2022 | Ep. 45 - Sell First. Then Build | 00:14:25 | |
Once a month I hear that ominous music... When the hero walks down the steps into the basement, candle in hand. 👻🐺😱😱😱 And I think NOOOOOOO! That’s the feeling I get when a prospect tells me he’s working on his course or coaching program. (oddly enough it’s only been MEN so far). There’s 3 good reasons you should SELL FIRST BEFORE BUILDING the damn thing. ✅ Saving Time: You avoid over-building and creating irrelevant parts ✅ Customer Insight: You build only what the client really needs. ✅ Focus on What Matters Most: Revenue. Because building is fun and can be a wonderful source of procrastination. Selling, on the other hand, is hard. Now you may say “but how can I deliver something I haven’t built yet?” The answer? You position it as a concierge product, i.e. the client gets MASSIVE additional value by getting a level of access to you later clients won’t. +++ The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode as a video here: https://youtu.be/dNkO65yNdHg Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 10 Jan 2025 | Ep. 114 - 9 Red Flags to spot Dishonest B2B LeadGen Agencies - B2B Consultants Beware | 00:16:11 | |
I share a 9-point checklist to help vet lead generation service providers to protect against scams. I recount my encounter with a prospect who was defrauded, pointing out red flags like founders not publishing content, vague testimonials, and a sloppy online presence. I also discuss issues during sales calls, such as not asking detailed business specifics or offering uniform pricing regardless of client value. I recommend using sales calls as learning opportunities and advise against using leadgen services unless you've mastered booking sales calls independently.
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| 15 Sep 2023 | Ep. 80 - The Path to $30k months as a B2B service provider | 00:42:42 | |
Music: "Slide Tonight" by Gavin Knox-Grant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttNDD-SmFpA Watch this episode on YouTube for the visuals: https://youtu.be/7Kj5NJBuEfQ Follow me on And if you'd like us to help you build client acquisition systems for your consulting business, watch this video and book a call: www.AlphaLeadAcademy.com | |||
| 01 Oct 2021 | Ep. 29 - How The Philosophy of Realism - Thucydides, Hobbes, Machiavelli et al - Can Make You A Millionaire | 02:08:50 | |
A deep dive into Realism and how this Philosophy can advance your business journey. Realism forces you to look at the world how it is and adjust to it. The antithesis would be Idealism where you imagine the world as it should be and then trying to mould the world in this image. Evan Thomsen (www.evanthomsen.com) is a firm believer that the first way is far superior and allows you to build a business much more effectively. In this sweeping conversation, Evan takes us through a history of Realism, covering philosophers such as Thucydides, Thomas Hobbes, Machiavelli, Edmund Burke and other beacons of Realism such as the Federalist papers. But we don't stop there - in every section, we discuss each lesson's applicability to business. Time stamps: 5:40 - Our recent sales call with a prospect where the difference between Realism vs Idealism became apparent 14:50 - Nothing is more perilous than leading change (Machiavelli) 23:55 - The Foundations of Realism: The Melian Dialogue by Thucydides - The Oldest Mic Drop In the Book 42:50 - Liberty and Chaos - Thomas Hobbes 56:40 - Limiting the Power of Factions - Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Paper #10 1:01:30 - The State as a Tree - Edmund Burke & WB Yates 1:09:00 - The Consequence of a Weak State - Burke cont'd 1:16:40 - The Virtue of... Virtue - Machiavelli 1:35:50 - How NOT maximizing profit is anti-Realism Learn more about Evan at www.evanthomsen.com Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/73OtLbvg3fIzJybFUWGsHG https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-client-acquisition/id1576487184 | |||
| 21 Jun 2024 | Ep. 105 - The Straight-Line Client Acquisition Blueprint | 00:26:08 | |
About this video: Podcasts, communities, content, and other forms of marketing - all of that is great. But for B2B Consultants who need clients fast, these methods take too long to prove that they can bring in strangers as clients. We need a faster way to show whether an offer works or not. This video shows the Straight Line Approach that can get you sales calls with strangers in as little as 1-2 weeks.
Here's the key takeaway: Sales Before Marketing. Become great at sales before you become known, liked and trusted.
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| 14 Jan 2024 | Ep. 86 - Why Saying "I don't have time to build Client Acquisition Systems NOW" Is a Trap | 00:16:45 | |
Saying "mañana mañana" to building client acquisition systems will cost you dearly. How much? I calculated it in this episode. But before we get there, we have to discuss: What does it look like to build client acquisition systems, what are the alternatives, and what is the one situation when you indeed shouldn't bother building them. But now it's your turn: Assuming you're making 100k/y now, and would grow 10% yoy if you didn't have client acquisition systems in place, and assuming that you'd grow 70%, 50%, 20%, 15% and then 10% every year once you've built client acquisition systems (conservative estimate)... how much money will you forego on a 10 year time horizon if you delay your building of client acquisition systems by a mere 3 months? Take a guess and then listen... :-)
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| 01 Mar 2024 | Ep. 93 - How to Gradually Transition from Generalist to Specialist B2B Consultant | 00:23:16 | |
I have never met a broad generalist B2B Consultant who has hit 7 figures. The path of getting to 7 or 8 figures if one of narrowing down (until you can go broad again at multi 8 figures). Processes and systems matter. You cannot scale a generalist consulting business.
But the transition can be scary. Saying no to revenue is hard when you're just getting by (which most B2B Consultants do - barely). But accepting every gig coming your way ensures you continue staying in the Generalist trap.
In this video I break down the 4 steps to break this vicious cycle and transition into a highly paid specialist within 6-18 months.
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| 28 Jul 2023 | Ep. 77 - Get Better at Managing and Forecasting your and your Company's Cash | 00:12:59 | |
Cash is King. It's important that you know how much King you have and will have now and in the foreseeable future. I often encounter Solopreneurs and small B2B business owners who don't have a full grip on their finances - outflows and inflows, cash forecasts, how much money will there be 6 months from now etc. I have built a tool for that I wanted to share with you today. Endlessly creative as I am, I call it the Cash Forecast Tool. Using this tool, you will be able to flexibly insert upcoming expenses, account for new revenue coming in, and be able to reliably predict how much money will be in the bank 3,6,12 months from now. And you can use it for both your business, as well as for your personal finances. How to use it? 1. Go here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1602mjKmToYZijvHqbOWL7VGNVf5mj00SXtzN2tNRFyM/edit#gid=1460396484 2. Click File and Make a Copy And voilà, you have your own version. Then, watch the video so you know how to use it.
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| 07 Jul 2021 | Ep. 24 - 7 Steps To Choose A Sales & Marketing Coach / LinkedIn Mentor (+1 Bonus Step) | 00:21:12 | |
I've been looking forward to this episode for a while. Because I keep hearing these tales of woe and regret where people invested with a coach or program to help them grow their business, only to find out that it "wasn't for them" or that expectations weren't aligned. So what are the things to look out for when choosing a sales & marketing coach or LinkedIn mentor? Most people go by their gut. And while the gut IS an important indicator (as you have to LIKE the person you'll be working with), there are several other important brain-based criteria. In this episode I cover the 7* steps to choose a coach. 1) Understand the lay of the land 2) Assess your current capabilities 3) Pick candidates who are 1-2 steps ahead of you 4) Become very clear on their offer 5) Do you like them and their style? 6) Don’t allow price to be a consideration 7) Release attachment to the perfect outcome * And because after recording I spoke to someone who had told me their story, I added step 8) as well. So you get a bonus step included! The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 07 Jul 2023 | Ep. 74 - What to do when your Consulting Client doesn't want to follow your advice | 00:12:10 | |
We'd like to think that clients take us on to follow our advice. But sometimes, they won't. Here's how you can react to it so that a) they aren't put off b) no one ends up resenting anyone c) you keep them as a client.
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| 30 Jan 2024 | Ep. 88 - Why it’s so hard to work with B2B LeadGen agencies | 00:25:25 | |
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| 24 Sep 2024 | Ep. 109 - The biggest mistake B2B Consultants make when they start | 00:18:56 | |
About this video: Starting a new series of videos where I'm documenting my journey from multi-6 to 7+ figures.
Topics:
0 - 10:35: Biggest mistakes I made in the last 8 years of running my business
10:35 - 14:20: Useful Frames - "Never forget you're a Bohanes"
14:20 - 15:50: Sacrificing what doesn't serve you in the pursuit of your goal
15:50 - 18:00: The real reason why you shouldn't judge other people. (at least why I strive to eliminate it.)
18:00 - end: Focus - why I chose against running ads (for now)
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| 03 Nov 2021 | Ep. 33 - How To Hire Freelancers, Video Editors & Virtual Assistants (feat. Richard Russell) | 00:49:12 | |
My client Richard had a few questions on the topic of hiring freelancers & video editors, and he was kind enough to ask them via a LinkedIn Live. In our conversation I present my approach, the salient points of which are: * Audit your time - what are you spending time on that someone else could do? (download the free template to track your time - see link below) * Create a landing page with a video where you introduce yourself to the candidates - always nicer to put a face to the person you'll be working for. * Sell yourself and the company. You want the best people, so make sure you present yourself in the best light * Do a paid trial run with 3-5 people at the same time. Based on their performance, hire the best among them. That and much more in the video. Time Stamps: 0:00 Intro 1:00 Welcome 3:00 Work buckets that can be outsourced 5:18 Conduct a time audit 6:25 The hiring process 20:00 Questions I received beforehand 25:30 Q&A Download the Time Block Planner template which can double as a tracking device for your time audit here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13WTRpuS_5vD7NKO9KgT-0KCh3nv-OuZREidm_GaN-4s/edit#slide=id.gb608267269_0_35 Richard's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardarussell/ Richard's website: https://richardrussell.co/ Watch Richard's testimonial on our work: www.michalbohanes.com/richard Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Watch our conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XFJA-7C89GY | |||
| 08 Feb 2022 | Ep 46 - Separating Yourself From The Inner Saboteur (feat Ana Bohanes) | 00:23:59 | |
The earlier you are in your entrepreneurial journey, the more mindset challenges lie around every corner. From self-doubt to being surrounded by less-than-supportive people, to poor lifestyle habits that fuel procrastination & laziness... there are daily opportunities to slip up and be My wife Ana has been instrumental in my own journey. We met in a business networking group and soon became accountability partners. She has helped me overcome many mindset bugbears. My biggest lesson from her was to externalize the self-sabotaging parts of myself. ➡ it's not ME saying these things... it's the enemy. And it has to be defeated. And now I'm proud that she decided to join my business and help provide the more feminine touch when my cold analytical logical self is at its wits' end. In this conversation, we discuss Ana's unique approach to mindset work and what the core tenets of her philosophy are. +++ The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qGdsPurR7j0 Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 09 Jun 2023 | Ep. 70 - 4 mindset errors (3 of which little known) that keep you at below $10k | 00:19:35 | |
4 Mindset patterns that keep you below $10k/month Little insidious mind viruses that masquerade as 🎭 humility 🎭 ambition 🎭 responsibility 🎭 healthy self-critique Other mindset patterns keep you from starting in the first place. But these ones specifically keep you below $10k (which means you're not building wealth) Here they are: 1) “What am I doing wrong?” It SOUNDS good because - at least - you’re assuming responsibility. But below it is a dark, ugly truth 2) “I’m not good at what I do and will get found out” Classic impostor syndrome. But most people just let it linger and learn to live with it. Bad idea. 3) “I don’t want to be salesy” Thought experiment: If you invented the cure for cancer …would you also want to not be salesy? 4) “I want to work with big corporate. They pay more than SMEs.” Sounds reasonable, right? Well, also here, there could be an unsavory truth hiding in plain sight.
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| 07 Apr 2023 | Ep. 60 - How to close more B2B consulting deals on the first call | 00:19:33 | |
It's not always possible to close a deal on the first call. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try, especially when the prospect seems ready. Now I routinely close deals on the call and strangers who are talking to me for the first time wire me a high four-figure amount on the call. There are five tweaks I have applied to my sales approach that allows me to do that. 1) I study the prospect beforehand and make a few assumptions about them (yes, assumptions, oh the horror). 2) In the first few minutes of the call, I frame the conversation as one where we will be making the decision today. 3) I respect the 30-10-20 structure of the call (30 min for investigation, 10 for the pitch, and 20 for Objection Handling). 4) During the investigation phase, I look for reasons why they shouldn't work with me. 5) I objection-handle persistently. I am discussing these adjustments in more detail in this episode, I hope you like it!
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| 27 Oct 2024 | Ep. 111 - How to close more B2B Consulting deals using YouTube (Tactical guide) | 00:10:21 | |
While YouTube might not seem like a traditional B2B marketing platform, it can be a valuable tool. Rather than focusing on high view counts, the key is to use YouTube to build trust and credibility with potential clients.
Key Strategies:
Targeted Content: Create videos that address specific pain points or questions your target audience has.
Custom-Made Videos: For prospects who book calls, send them tailored videos to showcase your expertise and address their concerns.
Email Drip Campaigns: Use YouTube videos as part of email drip campaigns to nurture leads and build trust over time.
Showcase Expertise: Demonstrate your knowledge and experience through in-depth content.
Address Misconceptions: Create videos that debunk common myths or misconceptions in your industry.
Provide Practical Guidance: Offer actionable advice or tutorials to help prospects.
By focusing on these strategies, you can use YouTube to effectively position yourself as a trusted expert and attract more clients.
Here's the key takeaway: Use YouTube videos as a trust-building funnel lubricant, not as a means to build a large audience as a B2B Consultant
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| 14 Jul 2023 | Ep. 75 - How to leverage LinkedIn DMs for Cold Email at Scale | 00:10:34 | |
Conversational prospecting (hitting up prospects over LinkedIn DMs) and Cold Email have a symbiotic relationship. In this video, we cover the downsides of Conversational prospecting and its limitations, and how you can use it to generate new angles for cold email.
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| 21 Sep 2021 | Ep. 28 - Here's me working on my own Strategy LIVE (Replay) | 01:51:41 | |
One of the tasks I'd been putting off because it was important but not urgent. I forced myself to do it by scheduling a LinkedIn Live on the topic. In this episode, I'm refining my own company strategy for Q4 2021 and 2022. The structure is: 1) Set a quantifiable goal 2) Analyse the current situation. External and internal, my own strengths and weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. 3) Identify specific high-priority gaps that need to be fixed 4) Name specific actions I will take (quantified and time-bound) that have the highest likelihood of filling the gaps and getting me to the goal. Find my long-form strategy document here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mZO9VWhyCI8fr-5ojhxEDuSdFRad-tYNrIDyeo2nFSY/edit# And the resulting 1-pager which i've printed out and hung on my wall is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ksk0q3ZzG0szb176TVOsjTNuy0evJd1LpkVqtOTxOEI/edit The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on the whole process - from positioning to content to prospecting to closing on the phone. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 11 Oct 2021 | Ep. 31 - How To Get Started With Content & DemandGen With Limited Time (Free Consulting Call) | 00:59:10 | |
A consulting call with Jonathan who runs a 700k+ / year consultancy. He's not doing much in terms of content and DemandGen and was curious what he could do with a very limited time budget. We're drilling down into his main sources of revenue, Time Stamps: 0' - 28' Gathering information 0:00 Introduction 5:05 Jonathan's history 10:50 Typical Clients, Business Model, Products & Revenue Origin Pie Chart 19:50 Pain points & time budget & Jonathan's other businesses 25:00 Deep dive into time budget 28' - 59' Advice 28:00 Creating a content ecosystem & the ethos of the Pot 🍲 what specific content routine to create. 35:00 Sources for great content (incl. anti-vulnerability rant) 41:50 Content is a C-level activity (it's gotta be YOU doing it) 46:45 Time block planning your day 49:10 Stay on brand when commenting & my high clients-per-likes addiction 53:00 How clients work with Michal You can find Jonathan and learn more about his business here: www.linkedin.com/in/gehrig3 The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/73OtLbvg3fIzJybFUWGsHG https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-client-acquisition/id1576487184 Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 30 Jan 2022 | Ep. 41 - Mindset Drill feat. Mark Firth and Frank Prendergast: Becoming Aware of Victim Mentality | 00:44:25 | |
In this episode I’m joined by High Profit Consulting’s Mark Firth and special guest Frank Prendergast of Frank & Marci to discuss the importance of having the right mindset to take on challenges and do away with the victim mentality. Mark has had a tremendous impact on me, imparting a crucial lesson to me in September 2020 when he told me I was behaving like a victim. While I didn’t want to hear it at the time, it couldn’t have been more true. Learn the ‘Be, Do, Have’ to have a bulletproof mentality and find confidence in being in the state of believing in yourself and your foundation. Time Stamps: 00:09 Welcome & Guest Intro 01:30 Mark Firth’s Business Model Breakdown 04:53 Meet Frank Prendergast 07:23 Mindset Awareness 21:10 The Evolution of Mark’s Mindset 29:30 The ‘Be, Do’ Have’ 40:00 Mindset Over Tactics 41:07 Mindset Criteria 42:40 Wrapup Find Mark Firth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markfirthonline Here is Frank Prendergast's link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankprendergast The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode as a video here: https://youtu.be/89iSX21WByE Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I | |||
| 02 Jun 2023 | Ep. 69 - What I need to change to grow my consulting business from $30k to $100k / month | 00:21:23 | |
Every uplevelling requires an overhaul of how we work. When you move from employee to entrepreneur, it's a massive change in how you spend your day. It's the same when you have to go from 30 to 100k/month. It'll become a totally new business. In today's episode, I share the 5 changes I need to make in my business to get there.
Here's the video about how I got from 10k to 30k/month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQRLDhBUhKw&t=8s&pp=ygULYm9oYW5lcyBiMmI%3D
This is the State of Client Acquisition Podcast - where we dissect the art and science of client acquisition for consultants, B2B coaches, and agency owners. | |||
| 29 Mar 2024 | Ep. 97 - 5 Reasons B2B Consultants shouldn't join $99/month Communities | 00:22:32 | |
Stop depending on referrals (and grow to 30K+/month): www.alphaleadacademy.com Watch this next - how to reach out to everyone you know in a scalable way: Warm Outreach: https://youtu.be/3mkYCLy9bwo Dan Henry's Mastermind video I mentioned in the video: https://youtu.be/Lr-f-usGzM0?si=FfQQVclXSkVkU6rP Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mbohanes/ Newsletter: https://www.alphaleadacademy.com/subscribe About this video: In this video, I discuss the limitations of joining B2B communities for early-stage consultants, coaches, and agency owners aiming to reach $10k/month. I argue that while communities offer social interaction and networking opportunities, they often distract from essential skill acquisition and client acquisition efforts. Instead, I advocate for a focused approach centered on refining client acquisition skills and implementing systematic outreach strategies. I emphasize the importance of individual effort and resilience in achieving business growth, discouraging reliance on communities for guidance. Through three outlined steps—ensuring fundamental business elements, conducting extensive outreach, and maintaining a consistent content presence—I propose a direct path to revenue increase, asserting that community involvement is unnecessary for success in the B2B consultancy landscape. | |||
| 19 May 2023 | Ep. 67 - How B2B Consultants get their business from Survive to Thrive Mode | 00:25:11 | |
No incantations, no affirmations, no visualizations, no manifestations.
None of these will get your business from (barely) surviving to thriving
None of that crap.
What you need is not more motivation or mindset work.
You need action.
The difference between being at $10k/month or less and making regular $30k months is a difference in VOLUME of activity.
And in having an offer that sells.
And in having a decent hourly rate that you actually stick to.
OK, so maybe there IS more to it than just volume.
But volume IS a big deal.
I discuss the full list of actions to take if you want to get from 10k and below (so basically just surviving) to $30k and more.
XXX
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| 02 Sep 2021 | Ep. 26 - State Of Client Acquisition: Interview With Evan Thomsen: Don't Chase The Dream Job - Build It | 01:56:26 | |
We're back for Season 2, and open it with a BANG! This is a a sweeping tour de force with someone I've had the privilege to meet only two months ago. Evan Thomsen describes himself as the Machiavelli of Business. He has created a unique kind of consulting career for himself. See, most consultants have a specialization that they then sell. However, Evan is not particularly specialized. Instead, he weaves himself into the fabric of the company so profoundly that he becomes a close confidant to the CEO. And as such, he is able to command superior compensation and gets fascinating insights into how his clients run his companies. An unapologetic admirer of Machiavelli's realism, Evan is a well-read and erudite thinker whose musings could engage and inspire a crowd of intellectuals as much as business leaders looking for a strategic competitive advantage. Evan has published a book about his career choices under the evocative name "Don't Chase The Dream Job - Build It", available on Amazon around the world: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Chase-Dream-Build-unconventional-ebook/dp/B091F3WPK8 Miss this episode at your peril. Time Stamps: 0-5:30 intro and how we met 5:30 – 9:45 Evan the shoe salesman 9:45 – 13:15 Evan the choir director 13:15 – 18:30 How Evan gets and works with his clients 18:30 – 28:45 How Evan gets paid and weaves himself into the fabric of the company 28:45 - 43:20 How Evan learns useful skills very fast - a value-add model for consultants that’s very different from hyper-specialization or productization 43:30 - 59:45 Evan’s summary of his book “Don’t Chase The Dream Job - Build It”. A new career model. 59:45 - 1:16:30 How the personal and professional are intertwined, and how limiting your professional potential also limits your personal life. 1:16:30 - 1:26:20 Why WHO you work with matters much more than WHAT you do. 1:26:30 - 1:33:00 Nassim Taleb, Jordan Peterson and Moana - Evan’s intellectual heroes. The line where the sky meets the sea. 1:33:00 - 1:56:00 How Machiavelli is applicable to business Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/WsHlCUL5sgc https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-client-acquisition/id1576487184 | |||
| 22 Mar 2022 | Ep. 51 - How Ryan Kovach Became A $1M Year Solopreneur | 01:07:13 | |
Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and Marketing Swiss Army Knife, Ryan Kovach of RK CMO shares how he went from temporary unemployment to a million dollar a year solopreneur. With a Can Do attitude and a DIY spirit, Ryan is a fractional CMO to his clients, by being both the consultant and the service provider that is fully immersed in their craft and their client’s day-to-day running of their (digital) marketing. Super valuable insights for anyone who is considering becoming a fractional CXO. Time Stamps: 00:02 Intro & Jiu Jitsu Breakdown 00:58 How Ryan Got Into Jiu Jitsu 03:34 Jiu Jitsu Lessons That Translated Into Business 05:31 How Ryan Built a $1M Solopreneur Business 21:39 Handling Workload: Subcontract or DIY? 27:18 How Long Did It Take You to Get 80K? 34:35 Ryan’s Niche 39:15 How Ryan Got His First Client 43:37 Scope of Work 50:10 Steps to Getting Company Personality 56:16 Ryan’s Growth Plan 1:03:21 Last Nugget of Knowledge 1:04:56 Wrapup The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 10 Mar 2022 | Ep. 50 - Why You Shouldn't Work With A "LinkedIn Coach" (The Bridge Towards Business Abundance) | 00:11:50 | |
I had a conversation with a Consultant who works with a "LinkedIn Coach". The question is: Can a LinkedIn Coach help you with your overall Strategy? Not just LinkedIn Strategy, but overall. Your product? How to Position yourself? How to sell on Zoom? People are so focused on the mechanics of LinkedIn, forgetting that it's just a small piece in the overall puzzle of making a business work. ++++ The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 13 Dec 2022 | Ep. 56 - How Consultants Can Escape The Referral Trap | 00:17:23 | |
Referrals are awesome. Prospects that book a call with you as referrals from someone else are... ✅ easy to close ✅ better to work with ✅ more likely to refer you themselves. I love referrals. The problem is when referrals are all you have... and you're just barely getting by. Then referrals are a trap. Because when something in the market shifts or the economy slows down, you have a problem. And tilling the field isn't fun when you're hungry. But fret not, for I have a plan for you. There are four steps I have taken to get out of my own Referral Trap 4 years ago: 1. Start doing outbound 2. Create a coffee date offer 3. Do some regular content 4. Build mechanisms to increase your closing rate ----- We help consultants build client acquisition systems. Learn more here: www.michalbohanes.com Book a call to see if we could be a fit https://calendly.com/kontent360/planning-session-inbound-45min Check out our client results www.michalbohanes.com/testimonials And subscribe to our weekly email www.michalbohanes.com/subscribe | |||
| 10 May 2024 | Ep. 103 - Why you can’t grow above $20k/mo (and how to fix it) | 00:17:01 | |
Stop depending on referrals (and grow to 30K+/month): https://www.alphaleadacademy.com The videos I refer to in the video: Picking a Niche: https://youtu.be/T6cC7N-kouQ The Critical Density Test: https://youtu.be/g5Uqce4U7Bk The 5 sources of scaling (What Naval Ravikant Taught me): https://youtu.be/1e82ZX7rkQw Why Networking is Toxic: https://youtu.be/lIeu1Ec1x6Q How to do cold email well: https://youtu.be/tECkIsMJ_zg LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mbohanes/ Newsletter: https://www.alphaleadacademy.com/subscribe About this video: Discover how to break free from the $20k/month revenue ceiling in B2B consulting. In this video, I identify four common traps holding consultants back from growth: the Niche-Offer problem, Value Delivery inefficiencies, and being in the Wrong Boat. Learn how to diagnose and escape these traps by narrowing your focus, optimizing value delivery processes, and ensuring scalability. I also tackle Inefficient Marketing strategies. Don't miss out on insights into scaling your B2B consulting business effectively. Watch now for tips on client acquisition, operational efficiency, and strategic growth strategies. Here's the key takeaway: If you cannot scale your B2B Consulting Business past $20k/mo, you have a problem. Fix it. Watch the video to learn how. | |||
| 07 Apr 2021 | Ep. 11 - How To Be Liked On LinkedIn (And Win Clients) | 00:50:25 | |
This is an interview with me by Kyle Hamer on the Summit Podcast, originally published here: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/SUMMIT-p1234956/?topicId=159584413 Timestamps: 00:01:22 Intro 00:02:40 How we met - Kyle's baby isn't ugly 00:03:55 The Cocktail Party Comparison 00:05:30 My background 00:08:30 My LinkedIn philosophy 00:11:00 Breakdown of the conversation Kyle and I had on LinkedIn 00:19:40 How to scale this approach 00:25:10 Does this work with a Team of SDRs? 00:32:40 What success rates can be expected with this approach 00:39:30 How do you find the right people on LinkedIn? 00:44:30 The positive upside from organic outreach The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. So if you have a question, go to www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 23 Jan 2022 | Ep. 36 - How To Create Irresistible Offers | 00:39:31 | |
An Irresistible Offer is not easy to build but has a massive impact on the success of your business. In today’s live I help you break down the architecture of an irresistible Offer. Let’s break it down. First, your Offer needs some strong Basics: ⇨ a non-shrinking market ⇨ a clearly defined target audience ⇨ a high enough price Then, you have to Enhance it a bit to make the Offer stand out, so use: 🔝 client’s language 🔝 Transformation 🔝 Unique Mechanism To finish off, add some Rocket Fuel No-brainer Incentive Tactics and you will be good to go and get those clients, create revenue and generate traffic. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:40 An Offer - what it is, THE power of it and how to make it good 05:12 The architecture behind an irresistible offer 06:42 How important a non-shrinking market really is 07:33 Defining your Target Audience - how & who to niche down 11:03 Why it’s important to set a high enough price for your offer? 14:26 Speak your client’s lingo 16:20 Make your offer a recipe for a Transformation 17:59 The Unique Mechanism 22:08 A recipe for success: Offer, Unique Mechanism and your Product 24:02 How Alpha Lead Academy makes it happen 25:35 Choosing your type of Unique Mechanisms 29:26 Why do you NEED a good UM for growth? 31:22 The no-brainer Incentive - Guarantees 33:16 What Guarantees you can offer 34:37 Summary & How the offer recipe applies to The Alpha Lead Academy 36:17 Testing your offer 37:24 Wrapup The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/fhA_Qup-hCM Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I | |||
| 18 Mar 2021 | Ep. 8 - Alter Egos and Mindset Work With Ana Bohanes | 00:45:16 | |
In today's Episode I welcome my lovely wife Ana Bohanes (www.anabohanes.com). We talk about mindset, building your Alter Ego for optimal performance, the quality of your inner dialogue and the need to isolate the negative inner voice inside of yourself. Plus we talk about how we met! :-) 00:01:25 Introduction Ana Bohanes 00:02:40 Ana's workout today (and why it matters for today's topic) 00:04:30 The concept of an Alter ego 00:06:10 How entrepreneurs can use Alter Egos 00:10:00 Why do we need it? Can't we achieve our goals as our usual selves? 00:12:40 How Ana and Michal met (and why it matters for today's topic) 00:15:40 Separating yourself from the inner voice 00:18:00 The importance of keeping the Inner Conversation positive 00:21:00 Your thoughts are like smells in an apartment 00:22:00 How Ana works with her clients 00:23:50 How to get started with building your Alter Ego 00:28:00 Question: How can we train our mind to be more resilient and improve the quality of the inner conversation? 00:39:35 How Landmark fits into all of this The link to the short Alter Ego template is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NeSprR1bt4rgC7zTkRX3nD-tz7vzAnJzTWB7-yK-38Y/edit?ts=6051aefe#heading=h.iiy3wunridia Click File and Make A Copy. The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. So if you have a question, go to www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. | |||
| 27 Apr 2023 | Ep. 63 - The 3 knowledge-based business models (don't mix them up as a consultant!) | 00:24:11 | |
There are 3 main business models in the area of selling your knowledge online. * The Agency (Done For You) Model * The High-Ticket Coaching Model * The Low Ticket Product Model Blur the distinctions between them at your peril. Each of them has its own rules and optimal sales and marketing mix, and if you want to succeed fast, it's best to follow the rules. In the video I reference the Critical Density Test Video: https://youtu.be/g5Uqce4U7Bk This is the State of Client Acquisition Podcast - where we dissect the art and science of client acquisition for consultants, B2B coaches, and agency owners. | |||
| 23 Jan 2022 | Ep. 37 - How To Do Outbound Prospecting On LinkedIn | 00:38:19 | |
In this episode, we do a live training session with Curt Sassak where we break down outbound prospecting. Originally, this was planned as a session on selling on Zoom, but since Curt said he didn’t have a challenge in this area, I did a swap-out on the fly to cover outbound prospecting. Learning how to do cold outreach effectively can be crucial to the success of a business. Whether you’re starting out or wanting to grow your customer base, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this training session as we learn how to prospect & attract the attention of your ideal client.
Timestamps: 00:00 Intros with Curt 04:20 Overview of the topic - Outbound Prospecting (Flying swap out) 05:10 30,000-foot view on your market (The Secret Weapon) 10:30 Biggest mistakes in prospecting 12:15 The Wider Field Of Concern (Knowing what to say when prospecting) 18:23 The Prospecting Sequence Breakdown 27:22 Checklist when you don’t know what you’re doing wrong 28:58 The Math (How many potential clients should I reach out to?) 31:42 Q&A & wrapup
The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/pY4-DE-9QVA Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I | |||
| 22 Apr 2021 | Ep. 13 - Should Business Consultants Use Facebook For Business? | 00:23:48 | |
In today's episode I dig into whether Business Consultants should use Facebook to grow their business, in which circumstances they should do so and which features of Facebook in particular they should use. The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 30 Jan 2022 | Ep. 42 - Finding Your Unique Voice On LinkedIn - feat. Paru Radia & Al Tepper | 01:10:12 | |
Executive Coach Paru Radia has blown up on LinkedIn in November 2021, with several posts of hers getting over 100,000 views and counting. And it’s far beyond vanity metrics. She closed 3 new retainer clients off the back of these posts. What has she changed to achieve this result? Paru walks us through her journey of discovering her voice with the help of her coach Al Tepper, founder of Content Gym. Drawing emphasis on authenticity, clearer communication and being a follower before a leader make for a good chance of finding your voice. Key insight: Writing TO your audience is better than writing FOR your audience. Paru and Al tell us the subtle, yet key difference. Time Stamps: 00:08 Welcome & Guest Intro 03:00 Meet the LinkedIn Superstar 05:16 Al’s Content Gym 12:40 What To Do WIth Our Old Network 18:30 Discussing Paru’s Content 24:09 The Value(lessness) of Sharing Posts 26:34 Doing What You Believe In 36:48 Does Content Translate to Revenue? 40:10 Impromptu Q&A 45:59 Discussion & Feedback of Jade Fedder’s Content 1:07:30 Final Words from Paru & Al 1:08:39 Wrapup Find the guests on LinkedIn: Paru Radia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paruradia Al Tepper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altepper Jade Fedder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadestaceyfedder The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode as a video here: https://youtu.be/1gTGT4Px7aI Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I | |||
| 19 May 2021 | Ep. 17 - Choosing To Walk Away From An Anxiety Diagnosis | 00:19:46 | |
Tricky subject! May is Mental Health Awareness month, and it's my firm conviction that 50% of supposed mental health issues are completely avoidable by choosing to walk away from the diagnosis and pursuing a meaningful adventure, instead. I speak from experience. In 2014, a doctor diagnosed me with "anxiety". I went to see a therapist who offered to treat me... and I decided against it. I chose to stop rummaging around in my past and unhappy present and chose to dedicate my efforts towards an external goal. Why does this matter for business? Because mindset is 90% of your success. The main difference between who I am now and who I was in 2014, even in 2020 is mindset. And if you allow your mind to be harangued by constant ruminations about how you're "not happy", encouraged by a culture of narcissism and self-obsession. Obviously, this doesn't apply to any clinical cases of depression and such. If that's your case, get help. But the line is blurry. And I believe that many many people could cure themselves by choosing to not accept the diagnosis and instead pursue a meaningful adventure in their lives. Up front I cover a listener's question of whether you should have a website with your name (like I do - www.michalbohanes.com) or something more business-y like www.scaleandattract.com or www.strengthcoaching.com. The answer may surprise you: It doesn't matter. At least until you scale to 7 figures. Timestamps 1:50 - Your own name as a domain name or a business name? 4:50 - Choosing to walk away from an anxiety diagnosis The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 12 May 2023 | Ep. 66 - How to start good Prospecting DM Conversations and keep them going (Wider Field Of Concern) | 00:10:56 | |
What if you get STUCK in Conversational Prospecting?
Not sure what to say next? Use this framework 👇
You don't want to ask the prospect directly about your product area
❌ "So, have you ever thought about writing a book?" (if you're a ghostwriter)
❌ "Curious - are you happy with your HR Software?" (if you build custom low-code software)
❌ "Who is doing your financial planning?" (if you're a fractional CFO)
It CAN work with some no-nonsense, get-to-the-point types.
But in many cases, it will put people off.
Especially when it's the first thing you say after building rapport.
Just like when you ask too personal a question too early on a date. ☠💔
Instead, use what I call the 𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧.
You stay in your domain of expertise.
But you open the aperture.
You ask a question about the area in question, but look at it from THEIR point of view, and frame the question accordingly.Watch the video for examples.
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| 26 May 2023 | Ep. 68 - Why "Networking" is Toxic as a Client Acquisition Tactic for B2B Consultants | 00:22:19 | |
Networking as a client acquisition tactic... is deadly It's the equivalent of the horse and buggy in a world of supersonic jets. In this video I provide conceptual and mathematical proof for this, but more importantly I share what you can do if so far networking has been your main or only way of getting clients for your B2B consulting business Relevant links: I refer to the video about the Critical Density Test: --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5Uqce4U7Bk To scrape email addresses off LinkedIn I recommend www.evaboot.com
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| 21 Sep 2024 | Ep. 108 - 3 Sales & Marketing mistakes older B2B consultants make | 00:06:02 | |
About this video: Experienced consultants often struggle to launch successful businesses due to three main factors:
1. Financial comfort: Having savings and a stable financial situation can hinder the necessary hustle and drive to acquire clients.
2. Ego: Fear of losing status and reputation prevents many from actively seeking business through networking and cold outreach.
3. Feeling that some tasks are beneath them: Overvaluing their expertise, experienced consultants often avoid hands-on work like sales and marketing, hindering business growth.
To overcome these challenges, consultants need to develop a strong sense of urgency, adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to perform any task necessary for business success.
Here's the key takeaway: Don't allow complacency to enter a state of consulting Limbo.
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| 08 Jun 2021 | Ep. 20 - The Difference Between Making $5k & $50k/Month As A Consultant | 00:17:38 | |
[Clip From A Live Alpha Lead Academy Coaching Call Included] I have a client, let's call her Jane. She's excellent at what she sells to people (public speaking, presenting, pitching). But she's been at a low revenue level for a while now, underselling herself on most occasions, with patchy revenue from piecemeal clients ($99 here, $997 there). During a coaching call with her, the problem crystallized in my mind for the first time: She's leading sales conversations with her SKILL, not with a product. She knows she has a skill she's very good at, and so she starts every conversation exploring the prospects' needs and then trying to fit her skill around it, resulting in this piecemeal approach. Instead, what she needs to do is to lead with the RESULT the prospect will get when working with her and presenting a fixed-price package that will help them solve the problem. Listen to a clip from my call with Jane where we discuss this (published with her permission). The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 04 Oct 2021 | Ep. 30 - Yearly, Quarterly, & Weekly Planning And Daily Execution | 00:44:39 | |
It's easy to set quarterly targets. But identifying specific tasks that will get you to those goals and ensuring you execute daily on these tasks? That's a whole different kettle of fish. I haven't met anyone who's doing this well. Connecting the long term goals with daily execution. So I decided to do something about it and create a system. In this video, I walk you through my entire planning process, from "I want to make $XXX, live in my dream house..." etc to "From 10-10:30 on Monday, I do this." Enjoy! (btw this podcast may be better to WATCH since I'm showing a few spreadsheets and other templates. You can do so here: https://youtu.be/c1sJN6V8Sy0 +++ Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/73OtLbvg3fIzJybFUWGsHG https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-client-acquisition/id1576487184 | |||
| 13 Oct 2023 | Ep. 84 - How Long Does It Take To Build V1 of Client Acquisition Systems for B2B Service Providers? | 00:20:11 | |
How long does it take to build a first version of effective Client Acquisition Systems assuming you've had a few clients already and want to move from referral and network based client acquisition to a more predictable system that books you calls with strangers and that you can sustain indefinitely at 2-5 hours weekly input from you, the CEO? My answer: 250 hours, if you have guidance and support. In this video, I break down this number and show what to pay attention to and which rabbit holes to avoid.
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| 10 Feb 2022 | Ep. 48 - Don't go back looking for a Job before listening to THIS | 00:31:04 | |
Slightly more emotional episode. It was triggered by a conversation with a consultant who's considering going back into corporate life because he cannot get clients for his business. I thought it was such a shame because there are such straightforward tactics he could just DO and win clients. So it's a bit of a rant or pick-me-up, depending on your viewpoint. The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xQ9X5Fr_kCI Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 30 Jan 2022 | Ep. 38 - LinkedIn Hacks to Boost Content Reach (feat. Anric Blatt) | 00:51:16 | |
To live or not to live – that is the question: whether ‘tis nobler to host LinkedIn and Facebook Lives… or herd audience into a Zoom call - Anric Blatt shares his thoughts on why one of these options is preferable to him. In this treat of an episode, we discover LinkedIn Easter Eggs with Anric as he gives us the lowdown of his tricks for a wider audience reach: experimenting with polls, and sharing LinkedIn articles with links, on LinkedIn. In a few ways, it’s using the machine against itself to further content promotion. Genius, right? We learn to create social proof using The Power of The Five, guaranteed to have your followers wandering your LinkedIn Garden. A lesson on the pros and cons of coaching clients shows us the essentiality of filling gaps with talent and milking that which works for us best; authenticity. Niche, Tribe and Identity. These are key ingredients to attracting your audience. Time Stamps: 00:11 LinkedIn & Facebook Lives vs Zoom Calls 04:39 Anric’s Follower Filtering Strategy 05:47 Experimenting with Polls 07:20 LinkedIn Link Sharing Magic Trick 13:30 The Power of the Five 22:16 Window Shopper Alert 26:25 The Sales Call Extravaganza 31:22 How Do We Feel About (Life) Coaching? 42:21 The Art of Effective Selling AKA Finding Your Niche 49:36 Wrapup Find Anric Blatt on Linkedin here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anricblatt The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode as a video here: https://youtu.be/1WAY6okoh1M Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I | |||
| 24 Apr 2023 | Ep. 62 - Beware these 5 sources of "sophisticated" procrastination | 00:12:30 | |
Procrastination isn't necessarily about Netflix or excessive tidying. There are much more insidious forms of procrastination that consultants and solopreneurs struggle with. They are much tougher to overcome because they're masquerading as worthwhile activities to grow your business. They are 😐 Networking 😐 Going to Conferences 😐 Getting into Partnerships and Alliances 😐 Getting hung up about Relationships and having a big Ego 😐 Doing anything other than prospecting and selling Eliminate these, focus on prospecting and sales - and you'll never worry about revenue in your life.
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| 06 Oct 2023 | Ep. 83 - 9 Step-Checklist for a Kick-Butt LinkedIn Profile for Consultants & B2B Service Providers | 00:48:20 | |
Your personal LinkedIn profile is your company's landing page. So it's worth optimizing it so that people know what you do and how you can help them
Contents:
1:25 Overview
2:10 Your profile is not your CV
4:35 Creator Mode - Yes or No?
7:45 Settings Check
10:00 Areas to optimize
10:05 1. Name
11:40 2. Profile Picture
17:59 3. Background Image / Banner
20:25 4. LinkedIn Headline
24:40 5. About Section
29:00 6. Featured Section
37:15 7. Company Section
39:00 8. Work History
40:05 9. Recommendations
44:27 Testing and consistent iteration
Great profile pic & background image combo Swipe File:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13PvIHmar2BrXOTSD1CAxaR3oUf-jNNB2gwXP9Hdrre8/edit#slide=id.p
Great About Sections
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1m2T6PsgCVmm839ds5ZBqPAqKpWLjmqL95AJFbHlfbzk/edit#slide=id.gc0c71ca01b_0_0
Great Openers in the About Section
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BfKpkTAlwRoPNQsHyetlwpR_zrzlrtw48uS4YEefGjg/edit
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| 09 Feb 2024 | Ep. 90 - The Only Strategy B2B Consultants Need | 00:19:10 | |
B2B Consultants who want to get from no / low revenue to high six figures usually totally over-estimate the need for having a Strategy with a big S. In reality, all you need is to heed a few simple rules that keep you clear from big mistakes, have a goal, have a credible plan to reach that goal, and then execute. We're all too influenced by brilliant strategic moves of the business heroes of our time, and don't put enough emphasis on simplicity and execution. In this video, I walk you through a simple yet necessary process that will put your B2B consultancy on the right path.
This is the State of Client Acquisition Podcast - where we dissect the art and science of client acquisition for consultants, B2B coaches, and agency owners. | |||
| 29 Mar 2022 | Ep. 53 - How To Serve Ethical Businesses...Without The Virtue Signalling | 00:20:04 | |
I have started about 2,000 conversations with prospective clients. And there's a common theme that has proven to be right over and over again: Those who focus on the identity of their audience or on a virtuous cause... ...do worse in their business. Examples: Those who... ✅ Coach female / black entrepreneurs ✅ Do Marketing for vegan solopreneurs ✅ Do Operations Consulting for "ethical businesses" ✅ Are focused on social impact Their revenue is invariably lower than that of companies who focus on solving a difficult problem FIRST. Now, Coaching, Marketing, Operations Consulting... those are difficult problems. But it's the primacy of the focus that makes a difference. If the focus is on the identity of the target client -- bad. If the focus is on the problem -- good. _____ The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/aYXCh_KfcPE Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 03 Apr 2023 | Ep. 59 - The ultimate test to see if your B2B Consulting Offer will scale (Critical Density Test) | 00:28:48 | |
Not all B2B Consulting Value Propositions are Scalable. Some of them are so unique to their target audience that the density of prospective clients in the market is too low to run any meaningful outbound client acquisition. But it's not only about density. Based on my work with consultants, I have identified 7 factors that are part of what I call the Critical Density Test. If your score is below 100,000, you may be at risk that your offer is not scalable. And if that is the case, I have a recommendation for you how to pivot. In the video, I mentioned how you can get someone in your target market on the phone to do customer discovery with them. Here's the video about it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCDtyU9b1VM And here's how you can calculate your own CDT. Click on the link below, and then File -- Make a Copy https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/171VGKpxzh4Y_zvImztUXWQEtWItBBnoupM8LTQBOUx0/edit#gid=0 ____
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| 30 Jun 2023 | Ep. 73 - How to tell the difference between Consistency and Insanity | 00:07:51 | |
Yes, you want to be consistent. But also, you need to be alert to when things don't work out. And yes, we hear the stories of people like Justin Welsh who posted for a long time before seeing results, and then suddenly, things took off.
How can you tell the difference between consistency and insanity? In this video, I discuss my simple framework for how to be consistent, but in a smart way.
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| 21 Apr 2022 | Ep. 55 - How Ray J. Green built a 40k/mo consulting business in a tank top | 00:59:22 | |
In this episode, I sat down Ray J. Green. as he shares his entrepreneurial success that came from a leap-of-fate move to Cabo, Mexico and taking on life as a remote solopreneur. Ray breaks down his journey from working at the Chamber of Commerce to generating a $40k / month revenue business in 2.5 years by offering sales audits and coaching. When entering a new field, Ray expresses that it is important to invest in people (coaches) that have knowledge of what you are venturing into. In the end, we both agree that the mistakes we make as we transition to business owners are actually lessons that help us create our own success playbooks. Time Stamps: 00:07 Welcome & Intro 04:50 Ray's Service Breakdown 11:11 How Ray's Journey Began 12:58 Ray's Client Acquisition Process 18:25 Ray's Client Secret of Success 20:49 On Case Studies and Testimonials 24:37 Ray's Revenue Breakdown 29:45 Thoughts on Niching 32:26 Client Drive Pinpoint 35:15 Ray's Content Strategy 38:17 On Mistakes Being Lessons 48:40 What Makes Ray Feel Alive 52:46 Ray's Team Breakdown 54:17 More On Ray's Secret to Success 57:32 Wrapup Find Ray J. Green on LinkedIn Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raymondgreen?originalSubdomain=mx Visit His Website Here: https://www.rayjgreen.com/ Direct Link to Ray's Podcast: https://www.rayjgreen.com/blog?tag=podcast The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube: Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz2iZoITN0I And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||
| 31 May 2021 | Ep. 19 - How Sam Moss Drives Much Of His 13-Team Agency's Revenue | 00:24:46 | |
One thing I like about Sam Moss is how non-flashy he is. He publishes solid B2B marketing content. A podcast where he interviews interesting people. The occasional family picture. But... ✅ ... no fancy jump-cut videos with animations ✅ ... no provocative clickbait ✅ ... no "vulnerable" self-flagellation And yet, despite this lack of extravagance, his LinkedIn content drives all the revenue of a 13-person agency. (Sam builds Wordpress websites for B2B companies) That's a remarkable achievement. Because, on the other side of the spectrum, I also know, many LinkedIn gurus who get hundreds of likes on each post... and yet have to get a job to pay the rent. So I was happy that Sam agreed to come on my podcast and talk about his journey from peanuts to 12,000+ followers, fantastic engagement,... and heaps of revenue. This is a value-packed podcast episode, so I recommend you listen to it in full. Sam's awesome and you should definitely check him and his content out: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam1ca/ And here is his podcast: https://1clickagency.com/podcast/ The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 06 May 2021 | Ep. 15 - Ice Cold Showers & Outbound Prospecting | 00:19:19 | |
Ice Cold Showers and Outbound Prospecting have many similarities, beyond the "it's unpleasant but good for you" aspect. In this episode, I explore these. Also, on top of the show, I discuss a recent sales failure and how I am dealing with it. The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 23 Jan 2022 | Ep. 35 - What I'd Do To Start Winning Clients On LinkedIn From Scratch | 00:46:54 | |
I imagined what I'd do if my account got wiped off the face of LinkedIn. How I'd start all over again. This would be my process. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro, Yada Yada 02:18 How I'd allocate my time 03:12 Before we dive in: Let's talk about your offer 07:00 Boxes your high value offer should tick 12:30 Adjust to your cash needs 17:10 Connecting (4h/week) 20:50 Start a podcast (8h/week) 26:15 Your own content (5h/week) 30:50 Commenting on others' content (10h/week) 37:40 Outbound prospecting 43:20 Wrapup The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcC665o2Wak Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 | |||
| 29 Jan 2021 | Ep. 1 - LinkedIn Pages: Great For Business Or A Waste Of Time? - Guest: Michelle Raymond | 01:04:37 | |
Guest: Michelle Raymond, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-raymond-goodtradingco/ In the first 30 minutes, we cover the point of LinkedIn Company pages. Michelle is a big proponent, I'm more of a skeptic. But in the end, she wins me over in a few ways. :-) Then, I provide a 30,000 ft view on the world of Organic LinkedIn Client Acquisition. Finally, we get into audience questions. | |||
| 16 Feb 2024 | Ep. 91 - The first step after Referrals must be Sales | 00:24:17 | |
B2B Consultants who depend on referrals must
a) understand the difference between Sales and Marketing and
b) start with Sales | |||
| 08 Mar 2024 | Ep. 94 - How YouTube can make you money as a B2B Consultant | 00:37:05 | |
Having in depth YouTube videos massively helps you get more leads and convert existing leads easier and faster.
You won't become the next Mr Beast, but you also won't need to invest millions into every video. Here's how to take optimal advantage of YouTube as a B2B consultant. | |||
| 04 Mar 2021 | Ep. 6 - Four Conditions For Joining An Engagement Pod On LinkedIn | 00:34:23 | |
Time Stamps: 00:52 LinkedIn discussion with Karl Morningstar https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlmorningstar/ 01:26 Observation about the LinkedIn landscape 02:05 Building credibility through content: outsourcing vs. writing your own 04:14 Why outsourcing content is not the best idea 06:11 How to identify your target people on LinkedIn 07:41 Why you should be interested in your audience's interest 13:18 What to do when LinkedIn outbound strategies don't work 14:44 Should you stop doing outbound strategies in LinkedIn? 15:58 Should I remove LinkedIn connections who aren't in my target audience? 18:01 LinkedIn Pods: join or avoid? 19:53 4 conditions if you were to join a pod 22:53 My experience joining a pod 24:00 The number 1 recipe for good content: Know what your audience wants 25:39 What to do with diverging advice from gurus 29:15 Why you should leave your at the door when networking in LinkedIn | |||
| 28 Apr 2023 | Ep. 64 - The biggest mistake B2B consultants make on sales calls (and how to stop it) | 00:18:51 | |
Consultants often turn into supplicants on sales calls. As a result, prospects lose respect, and treat the consultant like a job candidate.
This video is all about how you can break through this pattern by fixing these 4 things in sequence:
✅ Creating a new Belief
✅ Building your new Identity
✅ Establishing the right frame for the call
✅ Developing skills to handle any curveball thrown your way.
And just like that, you change from job seeker into sought-after expert who leads on a sales call. Give it a try and let me know in the comments how it worked for you!
This is the State of Client Acquisition Podcast - where we dissect the art and science of client acquisition for consultants, B2B coaches, and agency owners. | |||
| 25 Mar 2021 | Ep. 9 - 3 Conversations With Strangers Who Became Clients In March 2021 | 00:34:50 | |
The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B CEO. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. So if you have a question, go to www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. This week, I have my friend Karl Morningstar on the show and we discuss his latest client acquisition tactics on LinkedIn. We also cover the 3 outbound conversations that got me clients in March 2021. We go through them word by word and cover the psychology of outbound social selling. Time Stamps: 02:00 - What Karl is Doing on LinkedIn to get clients 08:30 - Karl enjoys my content but doesn't engage: Typical for successful decision-makers. 12:00 - Why I'd rather have one quality comment from an ideal prospect than 100 likes from irrelevant people 13:00 - Example 1 of my outbound conversations that got me a client in March 18:35 - Example 2 24:00 - Example 3 30:00 - Do I wait until people are live on LinkedIn? 31:00 - Do I follow up with people who didn't respond? 32:00 - Do I do anything with people who never engage? Disconnect them or scrape their email address? | |||
| 25 Feb 2021 | Ep. 5 - LinkedIn Video Masterclass With Chris Weiher | 00:55:03 | |
The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. So if you have a question, go to www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. In today's Episode I welcome Chris Weiher (www.cleavercreates.com). We talk about differing content philosophies for LinkedIn. Watch this episode on Youtube here: https://youtu.be/5I0c795-e4o Time Stamps: 2:00 - Chris Intro 4:50 - Our differing content philosophies 12:00 - What does it mean "is video working for you on LinkedIn"? Desired benchmarks 18:50 - Chris' sources of business and how he does outbound 26:40 - What does Chris do for his clients 29:30 - Why Chris doesn't do jump cuts 30:10 - The best source of content: Calls with Clients and Prospects. 33:00 - Why you should create content for your competitors. 37:30 - Reviewing Zarak's video 46:30 - Reviewing my video And yes, I mispronounced Chris' last name at 2:05. It rhymes with deer. Apologies Chris! Links of stuff we discuss: Chris' outbound strategy: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/chrisweiher_leadgeneration-videomarketing-videomarketingstrategy-activity-6689566425889280000-Hjhs Zarak's video: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zarak-s-3baa611b0_zestyycopy-activity-6767787224894468096-EjfM/ My video: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mbohanes_linkedinmarketing-socialselling-5amclub-activity-6770262615026393088-P_Ph Chris Weiher's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisweiher/ | |||
| 28 Mar 2023 | Ep. 58 - 4 Mistakes that kept me from reaching $20,000 / month as a consultant | 00:12:57 | |
There were 4 mistakes I was making that kept me from getting to $20k / month. They were 1) Have an unclearly defined Avatar / serving multiple avatars 2) My service offering was all over the place 3) I spent way too much time delivering to clients 4) I spent my non-client delivery time wrong And now that I fixed these problems, I'm easily making that (and more). Hope it's going to be useful for your own business. This is the State of Client Acquisition Podcast - where we dissect the art and science of client acquisition for consultants, B2B coaches, and agency owners. Follow me on YouTube｜LinkedIn ｜Email (Newsletter)｜Twitter And if you'd like us to help you win clients for your consulting business, watch this video and book a call. | |||
| 19 Apr 2024 | Ep. 100 - Why you can’t grow your B2B consulting business | 00:20:51 | |
In this eye-opening video, I expose the pitfalls of relying on outdated B2B lead generation tactics promoted by so-called marketing gurus. I reveal how many of these methods, such as networking, referrals, and public speaking, lack scalability, clear ROI, and depend on gatekeepers. Instead, Il advocate for a paradigm shift towards sales-centric approaches like cold emailing and paid ads, emphasizing scalability, clear input-output ratios, and outsourcability. Learn to discern between genuine client acquisition strategies and superficial marketing gimmicks with my insightful framework, ensuring your B2B consulting business thrives in the modern landscape. Don't miss out on unlocking the secrets to effective B2B lead generation and scaling your business successfully.
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| 12 Apr 2023 | Ep. 61 - Why Restaurants that sell Pizza AND Sushi struggle - (and their B2B Consulting counterparts, as well) | 00:08:29 | |
It's a bad idea to sell everything to everyone. And yet many consultants still do it. Recently I saw someone offering services as varied as Facebook ads and Supply Chain Management Consulting. All as a 1-man band. That's like selling Sushi & Pizza...and some Curry to top it off. Not very confidence-inducing. | |||
| 24 Mar 2024 | Ep. 96 - How much should it cost to win a B2B Consulting Client? | 00:17:31 | |
B2B Consultants are so used to getting clients for free (because they come from referrals), the idea of actively spending time and money on winning clients is absurd to them. And yet, it's the only way forward if you want to build a seven figure business that can (at least partially) run without you. But how much should you be willing to spend (in terms of time/money) on getting a new client? That's what we'll discuss today. | |||
| 23 Jun 2023 | Ep. 72 - Message from my boss (= the future Multi-Millionaire version of me) | 00:29:13 | |
As a B2B service provider, you may think you don't have a boss. But you do.
Your boss is your multi-millionaire future self.
He or she is calling you from the future and is probably quite dissatisfied with your current performance.
This is the message from my future self (note: I am NOT at that level yet - at the time of posting this, my business is making $30k/month) to my 5 year younger self, trying to get that lazy son of a gun to pull out the finger and do some friggin work.
What would YOU tell your younger self?
And what would your FUTURE self tell your current self?
Time Stamps:
0:40 - Use your network (only) as a launchpad
1:35 - Outbound is the way
2:55 - Before you're successful, make a binary decision about content
5:50 - Sell to small businesses, not to big corporate
13:15 - Define a cash runway, and then sell one offer to one avatar
14:15 - Volume shall set you free
15:13 - Outsource client acquisition
15:55 - The amount of work and sacrifice to get there is far more than you think
22:30 - Stop being hung up about what YOU want to be selling
24:10 - You are less important than your goal
2 videos I reference:
Relying on your network as the main source of business is a very bad idea (mathematical proof): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIeu1Ec1x6Q
Critical Density Test https://youtu.be/g5Uqce4U7Bk | |||
| 13 Sep 2021 | Ep. 27 - The Funnel And The Pot - Post Pandemic Client Acquisition for Small B2B | 00:50:39 | |
This is from a LinkedIn Live in September 2021. We're all seeing the writing on the wall. Solopreneurs are already doing it en masse. But small B2B companies are slow to catch on. This is the first time I crystallized the new world of client acquisition in a coherent narrative. I'm sure further iterations will follow. But I hope that this presentation will help small B2B companies to realize what's in front of them and execute a considerable DNA change inside the company and reshuffle their C-level priorities. In a nutshell, the Funnel and the Pot methodology requires you to do this: * Understand where & how buying decisions get made - in the Dark Funnel * Build separate paths for high-intent leads vs low/no-intent audience * Optimize the sales path with great conversion-oriented content (funnel) * Nurture the audience with quality content (pot) & build relationships at scale * Abandon high-volume lead collection (MQLs) * Treat cold outbound as a transition until brand equity drives sufficient momentum +++ Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Listen to the podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/73OtLbvg3fIzJybFUWGsHG https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-client-acquisition/id1576487184 Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 29 Sep 2023 | Ep. 82 - The complete guide to B2B Warm Outreach (leverage your Network to get your first Clients) | 01:02:10 | |
Do this BEFORE you flood the world with Content and Cold Emails: 👉 Systematically leverage your existing network to find clients. 👈 Introducing: The Comprehensive Network Sweep. Alex Hormozi's $100m Leads book provides a great framework for warm outreach. BUT: It assumes a more B2C oriented offer, e.g. weight loss. And that's why it treats everyone in your network the same. The big difference in B2B is: There are VAST, predictable differences between people & their power of referral. For example, if your offer is directed at startups ...a good friend in a VC firm will have 100x the impact than 1,000 acquaintances working in big corporate combined. So we have to treat people differently 👉 Dedicate WAY more time to reach out to the high potentials 👉 Reach out to the low potentials at scale 👉 And ignore the unlikely ones. In this video, I ✅ break down the whole B2B Warm Outreach process into 9 discrete steps ✅ outline the criteria for placing people into different buckets ✅ provide text and email templates to use for outreach Following this process, you can systematically reach out to your existing network in 2-6 weeks. And this is not only for beginners - even if you've been in business for a while, you can remind your network what you do & harvest new clients. Oh, and in the episode I promised a link to a LinkedIn Profile Optimization video: Here it is: https://youtu.be/II-tYHKfQAU
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| 20 Oct 2021 | Ep. 32 - The Psychology of Live Streaming In B2B (feat. David Rapalski) | 00:36:00 | |
Parasocial Interaction is the feeling of knowing someone well who doesn't know us. It's what stalkers feel with pop stars. And it's woefully underused in B2B where only a handful of influencers have deliberately worked towards building a high level of familiarity with their audience. In this episode, marketer David Rapalski and I discuss the phenomenon of Parasocial Interaction, why it's particularly strong in Live Streaming... and what you, as a solopreneur or small B2B company leader can do to leverage it. Time Stamps 0:00 Intro 1:25 Who is David Rapalski? 2:45 Parasocial Interaction 5:00 What's special about Live Streaming? 9:35 Why aren't there more people Live Streaming in B2B? 16:20 Best practices for B2B Live Streamers 19:05 Who are good B2B Live Streamers? 23:00 How can Solopreneurs or Small B2B Companies get started with Live Streaming? 28:00 Invest time in building your community Btw - You need to apply for Live Streaming on LinkedIn. Do so here: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/lv-app Find out more about David Rapalski here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rapalski-841353b0/ www.followthecrown.net Listen to The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast and ask any question! Sign up & submit questions: www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/XuD7gW56Dyo | |||
| 26 May 2021 | Ep. 18 - The Five Stages Of Entrepreneurship As A Coach Or Consultant | 00:26:41 | |
I have now spoken to well over 1,000 coaches, consultants and other such solopreneurs and leaders of small B2B. They are all at one of five stages of entrepreneurial progress. Stage 1 - "I do anything for money" ($0-3k/month) Stage 2 - Specialists who are afraid of selling ($2-5k/month) Stage 3 - Busy professionals selling their time ($5-25k/month) Stage 4 - The business owner - organic client acquisition ($10-50k/month) Stage 5 - The business owner - PAID client acquisition ($20k-unlimited/month) In this episode, I discuss the features and hallmarks of each stage and what to do to advance to the next one. Which stage are you at? And what can you do to advance to the next level? The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 14 Mar 2021 | Ep. 7 - Different Types Of Prospects And How To Treat Them | 00:55:49 | |
Today, I'm joined by Arthur Hoffman, https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthur-s-hoffman/ Founder In-Link Advisors https://inlinkadvisors.com/ and creator of the Cold Click Method to win clients on LinkedIn. We talk about the outreach philosophy he teaches to his clients and how it contrasts with mine. Time Stamps: 0:06 Michal's Intro 1:18 Arthur Hoffman Introduction 2:31 How LinkedIn detects potential spammers 2:53 The importance of preconditioning people to just press the ignore button 4:40 The psychology behind the message structure 7:31 What's the Cold Click Method? 11:03 Statistics the measure performance 12:24 What other things does Arthur avoid from happening? 15:31 Tips and advice from Arthur to the audience: Conciseness and Relatability 16:52 Arthur's philosophy on content 19:43 Michal's take on content 21:17 How does podcasting help Michal with outbound prospecting in LinkedIn 23:22 People react negatively to sales pitches 24:44 Arthur talks about his company and the services he offers 26:54 What is the most efficient approach in organic outbound prospecting? 29:41 Different types of prospects (Shoo-ins, Bedrock, Cream on Top, Ocean of Indifference) 33:07 Different types of prospects 2 (Ocean of Indifference) 34:35 Different types of prospects 3 (Opposition and Haters) 37:26 How to treat each type of prospect 39:13 Prospecting is categorizing people 41:37 Like to View and Comment to View ratio and Content are important 45:26 Arthur acknowledges that content is necessary 47:55 Posting time is not that important. Posts with better engagements show up more 50:40 Content is a silent sales rep 52:57 Michal's Closing Live recording on Wednesdays at 7pm CET (6pm UK, 1pm EST, 10am PST) Sign up at www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com to get notified when we record new episodes. | |||
| 12 Feb 2021 | Ep. 3 - How To Win Trust With Prospects | 00:51:13 | |
I have recently observed an increase in my closing rate from 10% (shudder) in the summer of 2020 to 35% in Nov20 - Jan21. Where did that come from? I believe it's down to changes I have made in my process as well as my sales call, all of which have led to a growth in the TRUST prospects have with me. In this episode I discuss what I did and break down the Trust factor into 3 buckets along the path - marketing, onboarding to a call, and the call itself. This section is followed by your questions and my answers Time stamps: 1:10 - How To Win Trust With Prospects 23:05 - I only have anonymous client testimonials. Is that good enough? 29:35 - Selling teeth whitening products on LinkedIn? 31:25 - Video getting fewer views on LinkedIn - should I continue doing video? 35:10 - What openers work in outbound prospecting? 39:55 - Should I write a book to boost my business? 44:55 - How do you find prospects to start conversations with in the first place? 46:00 - Is it possible to focus only on inbound (content) and ignore outbound prospecting? | |||
| 15 Jul 2021 | Ep. 25 - Delivery matters more than Content - Michael Barris Interview | 00:49:52 | |
Michael Barris is a public speaking coach who helps professionals gain more confidence in front of the camera. He’s also written a book “How to become a SuperSpeaker” I was intrigued by his instructional video (link below) where he suggests to become better at public speaking is to practice speaking twice as fast. In our conversation, we cover the magic of a great delivery, what you need to do more and let go of when public speaking. To me, the most eye-opening moment (7:00) was when Michael mentioned the Dr. Fox experiment, where an actor delivered a gibberish lecture in a lively and engaging way and still got positive reviews from a knowledgeable audience. In the second half of our conversation, we discuss client acquisition and, specifically, my theory of the Wider Field Of Concern which matters a lot when outbound prospecting - you don’t want to immediately ask questions such as “so, have you considered launching a podcast” when you’re selling podcasting services. What to do instead? —> 32:30 Learn more about Michael Barris here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbarris/ Website: https://mikebarris.com/ His excellent video that got me interested: https://bit.ly/3hjsqCR His video The 4 Phases of Delivering a Great Speech: https://bit.ly/3hjsqCR His book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Super-Speaker-Principles/dp/1674459793/ And here’s the link to the Dr. Fox experiment we discussed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Fox_effect +++ The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on the whole process - from positioning to content to prospecting to closing on the phone. Got a question you want me to cover? —> Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 19 May 2024 | Ep. 104 - How to get your next 5 consulting clients on LinkedIn | 00:22:20 | |
Are you struggling to generate B2B leads on LinkedIn? I used to misuse the platform too, focusing on content over connection. In this video, I reveal a straightforward framework to transform your LinkedIn lead generation strategy. You'll learn how to start conversations with complete strangers and book real sales calls, not just networking chats. I share three real LinkedIn conversation examples that secured clients and discuss why LinkedIn shouldn't be your primary long-term client acquisition channel. Discover the two scenarios where LinkedIn excels: when you're starting out and need insights or when you're ready to build scalable acquisition systems. Optimize your LinkedIn profile, use Sales Navigator effectively, and master conversational prospecting. This video is packed with my tips on LinkedIn profile optimization, LinkedIn marketing, lead generation, and leveraging LinkedIn Sales Navigator for successful B2B outreach. Don't miss out on these LinkedIn lead generation tips to boost your business! | |||
| 26 Jan 2024 | Ep. 87 - What Naval Ravikant taught me about growing a B2B Consulting Business | 00:26:51 | |
In this episode, I show you how to stop depending on referrals in 2024 as a B2B consultant and rather grow your business through developing the product and brand. Of course, before you do that you still have to build good client acquisition systems and cold outreach or LinkedIn outreach approaches that get you more clients as a B2B consultant in 2024. After this video you'll know how to approach growing your consulting business in 2024.
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| 23 Jun 2021 | Ep. 22 - How A Coach Without A Coach Is A Hypocrite | 00:12:08 | |
What does it say about someone who's in the business of helping other people be better at what they do... ... but doesn't invest in a coach / consultant / mentor themselves? It doesn't only destroy credibility, but it also impacts their karma. Listen to today's episode to understand why. +++ The State Of Client Acquisition (www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com) is an Ask-Me-Anything style podcast that covers all aspects of client acquisition for coaches, consultants and small B2B. We focus on LinkedIn organic and on YOU, the listener. Submit a question on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch the free Alpha Lead Academy Training on how to win clients on LinkedIn: https://www.michalbohanes.com/webinar-lp | |||
| 18 Feb 2021 | Ep. 4 - The biggest mistake when creating your Client Persona | 00:51:29 | |
Time Stamps 1:20 The one mistake many people make when creating a Client Persona: Over-emphasize demographic markers - all the while not spending enough time on their pain and problem. 20:10 How can an agency in India position itself to be able to acquire clients in the US? How do you bridge the gap of trust? 29:20 Feedback on a listener's first message in Outbound Prospecting. How to build rapport in Outbound Prospecting 35:30 A listener spends too much time on Outbound Prospecting and was only able to start 42 conversations in 20 hours' time. How to be more efficient and agonize less over the first message. 45:45 LinkedIn Headlines - if we have to choose between inspiring (and vague) or clear (and a bit boring), what should we pick? | |||
| 02 Feb 2024 | Ep. 89 - Why B2B Consultants Must Pick a Niche to Hit 6 - 7 Figures (and No: "SMEs" are not a niche) | 01:03:03 | |
In this video, I show you why it's so important to have a niche as a B2B Consultant, why "SMEs" are not a niche, how to pick a niche and how to transition from generalist to niche specialist. It's a big one, strap in. Here's the Google Doc I walked you through https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SuRS_56dbPiTV07_bc8sXQXGqNwTz1KzJwIX5MB8GCI/edit Here's Dan Koe's argument against niching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6GdcCYxZUE And here's Jordan Peterson about Peter Pan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll2gdKHXOYc My main points SMEs are not a niche (despite what most 5-figure consultants will tell you) Why niching is essential to make it to multiple 6 or even 7 figures How to transition from non-niched to niched without panicking The two main reasons for niching down Where people who favor personal brand building over niching are wrong... and where they are right. Demographic vs psychographic niches (and why this distinction matters) Your get-out-of-jail free card: You can still work with people outside your niche A full-scale 15 point checklist on picking the right niche When discriminating by sex or race ("we work with black female founders...") is a net negative for profits... and when it isn't. And tons more.
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| 10 Feb 2022 | Ep. 47 - Client Testimonials Best Practices | 00:55:32 | |
Testimonials are a give and take, in order to get some, we should be open to giving some first. Anric Blatt and I linked up to discuss testimonials; what they can do for businesses and personalities, how to go about giving and receiving them, the formats of testimonials and how to avoid going to third base too soon. He emphasizes the three step strategies around testimonials – the ‘Stop, Start, Continue’ and ‘Get, Give, Ask’ concepts that create a space of allowing people to give back. We also share methods of testimonials; his a video kaleidoscope of short, impactful testimonials and mine a transformational intimate interview styled testimonial – both being centered on the idea of giving a testimonial that works for YOUR audience. Validate first, fascinate second – a feedback tango on opening the avenue of reciprocity. Time Stamps: 08:00 The Responsibility of Testimonials 02:15 In Which Context Can Testimonials Cause Damage? 04:14 Anric’s Testimonial Kaleidoscope 14:08 Customer Testimonial (Strategy) Recommendation 20:40 LinkedIn Review Rating Plugin 25:30 Getting Client Feedback From Day 1 33:17 Anric’s Feedback Trick 37:00 My Testimonial Hack 44:26 Focusing on Your ‘Who’ 46:10 The Synthesis of Testimonials 53:26 Wrapup Find Anric Blatt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anricblatt/ Check out Anric’s Testimonial Videos: Video Testimonial Kaleidoscope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ-VDt9uXM4 Written Testimonials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgIKluTX214 Check out My Testimonials Page: https://www.michalbohanes.com/testimonials?r_done=1 The State Of Client Acquisition Podcast covers the fascinating world of transforming strangers into clients. Our audience are Small B2B leaders and solopreneurs. We focus on the whole process - Strategy - Positioning - Content - Prospecting - Selling. Got a question you want me to cover? Submit it on www.StateOfClientAcquisition.com. Watch this episode as a video here: Watch the ungated training on how to win clients in 2022 - The Funnel 🔻 and the Pot 🍲 And here are my paid products: Conversations That Close - How to start friendly, non-salesy, but assertive conversation with the aim of finding clients. $150 Basic, $499 Premium: www.ConversationsThatClose.online | |||