The most direct path for you to grow your business might be hiding right in front of you -- in those everyday conversations with customers, clients, members, donors, friends, and other stakeholders. The Manage Your Message Podcast, hosted by Jim Karrh, offers you insights, tips, inspiration, and practical advice--so that everyone close to the business can talk about it in a consistent, compelling way.
Episodes
Monday Mar 09, 2020
Monday Mar 09, 2020
What does it take to develop products that customers love? Is it creative genius, teamwork, refined processes, or all of the above?
In this episode of the Manage Your Message Podcast, host Jim Karrh welcomes one of the leaders in the product management community. Christopher O’Donnell has built dozens of web and mobile products, ranging from language learning for the US military to the most popular free CRM product in the world. Christopher is the Senior VP of Product at HubSpot—which puts him in a very visible role, and has him lecturing at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and to major corporations. Apart from the day job, Christopher is a songwriter and guitarist for the band The Providers.
Jim and Christopher discuss a number of topics related to product management and innovation, including…
- Why storytelling, inside and outside of the company, is critical to success
- How Christopher builds “constraints” into the creative process
- Which personal characteristics are important for product developers
- How to recruit creative team members
- How HubSpot listens to customers and works with them in the product-development process
- How Christopher uses music as a creative outlet (and its connection to software development)
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
Sunday Mar 01, 2020
Sales and marketing are in a constant state of change—driven by technology, talent, customers’ expectations, digital disruption, and more.
In this episode of the Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh welcomes one of today’s clearest voices for understanding those changes in the context of selling. Brent Adamson is best known as the co-author of the best-selling (and trend-setting) books The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer.
Brent is also the “Chief Storyteller” at Gartner, and hosts Gartner’s influential podcast “Lessons in Sales Leadership.” His academic credentials include the MBA from the University of Michigan and a PhD from the University of Texas. Much of his work for Gartner involves understanding what world-class business-to-business (B2B) sales and marketing practices look like today. As Brent relates, “Marketing and sales are becoming less synchronized with how buying is happening.”
Jim and Brent discuss a number of sales topics including…
- Why customers are feeling overwhelmed—not just by the volume of information, but the volume of high-quality information
- The state of sales and marketing evolution today
- The types of disruption that B2B organizations are dealing with—and how they are doing
- Brent’s assessment of the impact of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer
- The profound differences among sales reps who adopt “giving,” “telling,” or “sense-making” approaches with customers
Links:
Learn about Gartner and what they do:
See Brent’s LinkedIn profile and connect with him:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/
See Brent’s author page on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Brent-Adamson/e/B005TYSQTY
Learn more about Jim Karrh’s speaking topics and testimonials:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Monday Feb 24, 2020
Monday Feb 24, 2020
In a solo episode with takeaways from his new book The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business, host Jim Karrh shares practical tips for being a message leader and coach. Jim also highlights success stories of companies whose growth had stagnated, innovative new companies whose messaging wasn't keeping up, and entrepreneurs making big professional changes.
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
Sunday Feb 16, 2020
In this episode of The Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh continues a four-part “solo” series of practical takeaways from his new book The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business.
The second section of the book, including Chapters 5-7, is titled “A Lot More Great Messengers.” Both research and practical experience tell us that business leaders tend to underestimate the opportunity they have to enlist other people to share their message.
There are likely many people in and around your organization who care about it – and what others say about it. They might not know everything you do, or consider themselves to be great communicators, or even be comfortable in knowing exactly what to say themselves. They might need a nudge, some encouragement, and some tools in order to join more customer conversations. But they also probably have more inherent abilities than you—or they—realize.
Sure, company leaders are fond of saying things like, “We are all in customer service” or “Everyone is in sales.” Those statements are true! However, they also run headfirst into common assumptions and practices. Typically only a small percentage of people behave as if they are in sales or customer service (or are just a friend or advocate).
There is a lot of surprisingly good news that can move your team closer to that stated ideal. When that happens, growth follows.
Among the topics that Jim covers in this episode:
- The differing strengths of introverts, extraverts, and ambiverts (who Jim calls the Nimble Majority)
- How human intervention from the seller leads to better decisions by consumers
- The surprising ways that Millennials are similar to members of older generations
- Ways you can build the knowledge, skill, and confidence of others to talk about your business
Links:
Learn more about Jim Karrh:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
https://en.calameo.com/read/005570974156e126cc29e
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Listen and subscribe to The Manage Your Message podcast: iTunes and jimkarrh.com/podcast/
Monday Feb 03, 2020
Monday Feb 03, 2020
In this episode of The Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh continues a four-part “solo” series of practical takeaways from his new book The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business.
The first section of the book, including Chapters 2-4, is titled “A Message for Growth.” It’s important to note how words have great business value. As just one example, research showed how using one phrase versus another would equate to an $8,100 difference in the sales price of an average home in the U.S.! Yet the irony is that often the people who know the most, and who have the most they could potentially say, get tripped up on the message.
Among the topics that Jim covers in this episode:
- The specific words that have proven popular in promotion and sales during the past 40 years
- Why your vision or mission statement is not a great foundation for your external message
- How professionals within an industry begin to sound similar over time
- Why effective conversations are critical for demonstrating empathy – which in turn builds your professional trustworthiness
Links:
Learn more about Jim Karrh:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
https://en.calameo.com/read/005570974156e126cc29e
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Listen and subscribe to The Manage Your Message podcast: iTunes and jimkarrh.com/podcast/
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
Wednesday Jan 22, 2020
In this episode of The Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh begins a brief “solo” series of practical takeaways from his new book The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business.
The first chapter of the book gets its own episode. It is titled “Your Message can be Your Business Advantage—If It Isn’t Hiding Somewhere.”
The potential growth engine for your business might be hiding…in plain sight. It is lurking in the everyday, real-time conversations in and around your business. In order to turn that engine on, you likely need to do some uncovering, organizing, and getting to work!
Offline conversations are far more common for word-of-mouth than are the online ones (even in this digital age). They also have more impact; people tend to place more importance and value in those conversations.
So, how can a business professional or leader take advantage of these everyday opportunities?
Jim recommends…
- Simplify what business messaging entails (using the Message Management Model), and where you might need to focus your efforts
- Consider the type of approach to use (hint: playbooks tend to work well)
- Identify the business outcomes and growth metrics most important to you
Links:
Learn more about Jim Karrh:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
https://en.calameo.com/read/005570974156e126cc29e
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Listen and subscribe to The Manage Your Message podcast: iTunes and jimkarrh.com/podcast/
Monday Jan 13, 2020
Monday Jan 13, 2020
If you are a new company or challenger brand, how can you compete against the big players in your market?
In this episode of the Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh welcomes James Richardson, PhD, founder of Premium Growth Solutions and an expert in early-stage consumer packaged-goods brands.
James is the founder of Premium Growth Solutions, and a professionally trained cultural anthropologist turned business strategist. He has helped more than 75 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola Venturing and Emerging Brands, The Hershey Company, General Mills, Kraft Foods, ConAgra Brands, and Frito-Lay—plus emerging brands such as Once Upon a Farm, Mother Kombucha, Bobby Sue’s Nuts, and Rebel Creamery. He also hosts the “Startup Confidential” podcast.
Jim and James discuss growth topics including…
- How big, mature companies use the “push” strategy for new brands—and how that strategy almost never works for startups
- What the “death funnel” is, and why companies with $500K in revenue are most susceptible
- How to build memorability for your growth brand
- Why the “founding story” matters much more to investors than to consumers
- Lessons from the food and beverage world that apply to professionals running businesses in nearly any industry
Links:
Learn about Dr. James Richardson and his new book:
https://www.rampingyourbrand.com/
Buy “Ramping Your Brand” on Amazon in all formats here: https://amzn.to/2sDSxzb
Founders can find lots of resources to assist their professional development on Dr. Richardson's site, including his Founder's Quiz. The Quiz tests founders' self-awareness of what needs to be in place to grow exponentially. You can find the Quiz plus webinars and online courses here: https://bit.ly/2MZfinX
Learn more about Jim Karrh’s speaking topics and testimonials:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Saturday Jan 04, 2020
Saturday Jan 04, 2020
In this episode of the Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh welcomes Arthur Joseph, recognized by Forbes as “arguably the top speech coach in the world.”
Arthur has for five decades been fulfilling his mission to “change the world through voice.” Arthur founded and is chairman of the Vocal Awareness Institute, a voice and leadership training program.
His client list reads like a “who’s who” of star athletes, broadcasters, and entertainers, icons such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tony Robbins, Emmitt Smith, Pierce Brosnan, and Angelina Jolie. Arthur works with dozens of corporate clients, physicians, attorneys, and sales leaders. He has advised NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and has even helped several members of the NFL Hall of Fame with their induction speeches. But he also has books and programs that any of us can access.
Among the topics Jim and Arthur talk about…
- How professionals should consider the inherent power of their authentic voice
- The most immediate ways that professionals can improve their vocal power
- The 7 rituals Arthur prescribes and coaches for his clients
- How to deal with the increasing pace and noise of communication—including the ways that slowing down and strategically pausing can make you more effective
- The pitfalls associated with High Rising Terminal (“upspeaking”)
- How training and the Vocal Awareness program have evolved over time
Links:
Learn about Arthur and his Vocal Awareness Institute:
See Arthur’s TEDx talk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUM-rhA3QNg&t=97s
Refer to the campaign announcement by Kynsten Sinema that Arthur references:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_Ie7AY1rjM&t=70s
Learn more about Jim Karrh’s speaking topics and testimonials:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
In this episode of the Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh welcomes Mack Collier, recently recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 25 Social Media Marketers in the world. Mack is a speaker, consultant, and the author of Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies that Turn Customers Into Fans.
Among the topics Jim and Mack talk about…
- The practical differences among “customers,” “fans,” and “influencers”
- How stars such as Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga have been intentional in building massive followings – and the lessons that apply for almost any company
- How and why major brands like Dell invest in brand ambassador programs or customer advisory panels
- Why your marketing message, when transferred through fans, carries much more influence
- What separates the companies who are very effective through social media versus everyone else (including the ways they gain feedback on product design and marketing)
- The links among customer engagement, customer service, and overall customer experience
- A great example from Maker’s Mark
Links:
Learn about Mack and his insights:
Check out Mack’s book Think Like a Rock Star: How to Create Social Media and Marketing Strategies that Turn Customers into Fans:
https://thinklikearockstar.com
Connect with Mack on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackcollier/
Follow Mack on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MackCollier
Learn more about Jim Karrh’s speaking topics and testimonials:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com
Monday Dec 09, 2019
Monday Dec 09, 2019
In this episode of the Manage Your Message Podcast host Jim Karrh welcomes Jeff Amerine, one of America’s top experts in entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems. Jeff is the founder and managing director of Startup Junkie Consulting. He has-- directly or through the funds he manages – invested in 90 startups and small businesses. Jeff joined Jim for a conversation about messaging and management for entrepreneurs and those looking to gain attention, stand out, and grow quickly.
Among the topics Jim and Jeff covered:
- How innovators—especially those from technical backgrounds—can be passionate and extremely well-informed about their idea but stumped when it comes to talking about it, especially to laypeople
- What separates the “investable” ideas and enterprises from the others
- The value of a great pitch—as well as the accompanying risk of focusing so much on the pitch that an entrepreneur misses out on other opportunities to share the word
- The value of Giff Constable’s book Talking to Humans – and how Startup Junkie uses it in working with entrepreneurs
- How to best prepare for specific types of conversations (with potential customers, investors, lenders, and influencers
- The important questions that entrepreneurs and business owners should be asking – and the things to listen for
- The role of storytelling for entrepreneurs and growth businesses
Links:
Learn about Startup Junkie Consulting:
https://www.startupjunkie.org/
Connect with Jeff on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffamerine
Learn more about Jim Karrh’s speaking topics and testimonials:
Check out a sample of Jim’s new book, The Science of Customer Connections: Manage Your Message to Grow Your Business:
Follow Jim on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/jimkarrh?lang=en
Connect with Jim on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkarrh
Sign up for the Message Manager Memo weekly email https://jimkarrh.com/
or email jim@jimkarrh.com