Forums Search

Entrepreneur and video marketing pioneer Michael Litt sat down and acquainted us with the power of video and its connection to sales through his so-called “smarketing” strategy. Michael’s foresight in both tech and marketing enabled him to create VidYard, a software company that allows users to host customized videos and fully analyze those who watch them.

Why We Use Video

Litt first established the significance of video on the Internet today with a handful of quick stats. Seventy percent of B2B content marketers use video in their marketing mix and 60 percent believe video is the most effective tool they have. Visitors who watch video stay twice as long as those who do not, and video on landing pages can increase conversion by 80 percent. ...

This is a bit of a different piece of content for me. In his brilliant book “The Tipping Point” Malcolm Gladwell defines 3 archetypes of people – Salesmen, Connectors and Mavens.

Though I see a bit of all 3 in me, relentless Maven. According to Gladwell, Mavens are “information specialists”, or “people we rely upon to connect us with new information.” He goes on to say: “Mavens are really information brokers, sharing and trading what they know.”

When I discover great things it’s hard for me not to share it with others. I simply can’t help myself. When a company has done such great work developing a product that it becomes an integral part of my work life (or personal life) they deserve to have others know about it.

We all lead busy lives, ...

Pitching a room full of investors can be one of the most important things you do to get your company off the ground. Learn how to tell your story and keep your audience engaged with these 5 tips from pitch strategist, Tyler Crowley.

1. Hook the audience

On average, you only have around 15 seconds to capture your audience (less if you present right before lunch), and you’re competing with email/Facebook for their attention. People’s brains are wired to remember stories and not PowerPoints, so cut out the stuff that doesn’t matter and start with a story. Create a persona and introduce them to the audience. What problems do they have? How does your product/service solve them?

2. Add a twist

When you’re telling your story, keep it interesting. Pe...

On April 21^st, 2015, Google will roll out an update that will make mobile friendliness a bigger part of its algorithm. If you don’t think this is a big deal, think again.

Why? Because Google is saying the mobile update will have a bigger impact than its Panda update.

Should you be worried? Yes!

Here’s why, and here are some ways to take full advantage of this update.

Step #1: Make your website responsive

It’s generally not the best idea to create a separate website just for mobile visitors. The main reason you will want to avoid this approach is because updates to your main site won’t appear on your mobile site.

With responsive design, this is no longer a concern. A responsive design will automatically adapt your site to the size of a perso...

As leaders, many of us regularly fall into a revolving-door trap when it comes to telling versus asking. And it’s most evident in meetings.

How many times do we march into a conference room with a list of things to say? Yet it’s far more prudent, productive, and profitable to shift from having all the answers to asking all the questions.

In fact, it’s so important that it might just be the core differentiator between a company’s culture and that of its competitors.

Stuck in an Always-Telling Rut

Why do we so quickly fall into the routine of telling instead of asking? Honestly, the reaction has roots in science.

Put simply, having all the ideas is a rush. Providing a quick solution that gets a group from point A to point B rapidly leads to ...

There are five main types of business loans that are relevant for startups: SBA small business loans, business credit lines, short term loans, invoice financing, and merchant cash advances. Let’s take a closer look at each one.

SBA Small Business Loans

A SBA small business loan is a loan that is backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Founded in 1953, the SBA is a federal government program that provides support to small business owners in the form of mentorship, workshops, counseling, and small business loans.

While the loans are backed by the SBA, they don’t come directly from the SBA. You’ll have to find a local lender who provides SBA loans in order to access the funding.

Who qualifies?

There are three main types of SBA small...

Update (12/7/17): The previous video lesson is no longer available and we’ve since removed it. However, you can still see more from Paul Campbell including his lesson on Stress Resilience.

Entrepreneurs are always looking for tips and tricks to optimize their performance, maximize their output, and manage stress.

CEO and Founder Paul Campbell informs us about the biological impact of stress, the need to exercise our bodies and our minds, and structuring your day to ensure that you can handle whatever comes at you.

(Video removed – no longer available)

Being successful starts in the mind—learn how to prepare yourself up for success with the rest of Paul’s 10-step lesson (no longer available).

Most products start out as a response to a problem. An inconvenience is slowing people down, a situation is diminishing quality of life, and either no solution exists or the one that does exist is insufficient.

Something new is needed. So creative people come up with an original or improved way to fix the problem.

All product development teams start with the problem. But many become so enamored with their solution that they lose sight of the problem they’re solving during the development process.

They come up with new ideas to work into the product and functionality that’s “cool,” and they build the product the way they think users want it.

But the end result is a product that, while mostly meeting the need they set out to fill, misses the...

Think about the last time you had to contact a call center. After being forced to take time out of your busy schedule to solve an external problem, suffering an annoying automated phone menu, sitting on the line listening to crackly elevator music and being passed through multiple hands before you finally reach the person you require, would you describe yourself as A) Cool, calm and collected B) Mildly irritated, but polite and courteous C) Ready to explode?

Now put yourself in the person on the other end of the line’s shoes. From the second they walk in the door to when they go home, call center representatives deal with clients in the same state of exasperation. They are the defensive linebackers who get thumped day after day by people w...

Don’t miss out! Check out the previous chapters here:
–Chapter One
–Chapter Two
–Chapter Three

CHAPTER FOUR: Translate Emails Into Task Lists

In This Chapter:

-Reframe how you use and view your inbox
-Bucket your tasks into 3 sections: “High Priority”, “Offloading” and “Later” tasks

Alright—let’s take a step back and see the state of things. So far, we’ve established: 1.) How to rebuild your email workflow 2.) The tools to prioritize, deflect and destroy any inbound communication and 3.) How to quiet the voice that’s sternly reminding you to “RESPOND-TO-EVERYTHING-ASAP”

You’re probably feeling more productive, already. Maybe you’re feeling a little anxious with all the changes you’ve made (it gets easier— promise!) Or, maybe a rush of po...