12^th Episode’s Show Notes

The REACH OR MISS 12^th episode: The best advice of Guy Kawasaki, Marcus Sheridan, Chris Brogan, John Lee Dumas, Kate Erickson, Joe Pulizzi, Josh Elledge and many successful startup founders

REACH OR MISS listeners. When we decided to launch a podcast that will be devoted to customer focus for entrepreneurs, I wasn’t sure what will come out of these interviews.

 It seems like Marketing, and Messages and Customer Focus, everything connected to customer’s approach totally changed during this huge Technological Revolution we are all part of.

We are celebrating today the 12^th episode of the show, and I must admit the message is very clear: When I ask for their best advice I’m getting over and over the same answer.

Guy Kawasaki, Chris Brogan, Marcus Sheridan, John Lee Dumas, Kate Erickson, Josh Elledge and many successful entrepreneurs – all talk over and over about one thing:

You must talk with your customers (and listen to them)!!

In this episode I’ll try to walk you through the best advices of these very successful entrepreneurs. I believe each and every one of you, our listeners, will come with a slightly different point of view on this complicated issue of winning your customers.

 

I would like to share with you the first best advice, the advice of Chris Brogan.

Chris Brogan’s best advice about approaching the customer

Chris Brogan, is the New York Times bestselling author of nine books, He is a sought after public speaker and the CEO of Owner Media Group

“The best advice that I can have for a startup or entrepreneurial person is always design forward from the customer. To ask what does the customer want in this moment and how can we give them that? How can we deliver something that is going to be great for a customer?

I would take a big piece of paper, real life paper and a real pen or pencil, I would start with a circle in the middle and say this is my customer, how do I get them what they want? and what is my role in it?

A business should really look to be helpful first and they should think in the terms of is this simple? Is this smart? And is this sharable?”

 

John Lee Dumas launched EOFire, while looking for a podcast that will broadcast 7 days a week

John Lee Dumas EOFire – What is your best advice to entrepreneurs about approaching their customer?

John is the host of EOFire, an award winning podcast with 1.5 million monthly listens where he interviews today’s most successful entrepreneurs 7-days a week. JLD has grown EOFire into a multi-million dollar a year business and he’s the author of The Freedom Journal and The Mastery Journal

“Number one, you need to know who your perfect customer is, the ideal customer, your avatar.

Once you know who that person is you can start creating free valuable and consisting content for that person.

Then you want to make sure you are getting that content in front of them so you have to find them and make sure you are putting that content in front of them. And of course, they will be attracted to that content because you are creating it for them specifically.

Then, once you have the opportunity to get in front of them, asking them a question, sending them an email, newsletter or a social media message, you have to ask the question: What are you struggling with?

Than you can start to understand your ideal customers, what their pain point, obstacles, challenges and struggles are, so then you – the person that by the way is been delivering them free value and assisting content, can provide the solution in the form of a product, a service or a community.

You are not just somebody pitching them something, you are somebody that already provided them value, who they are growing to know, like and trust, who asked them what they are struggling with, who listened to them as they were telling their pain point,

And who now say: ‘Hi, you told me you are struggling with this, here is the solution, and I’d love to offer it to you’.

That’s the way to approach your customer.”

 

Joe Pulizzi’s best advice about approaching the customer

Joe Pulizzi is the founder of Content Marketing Institute which had a successful exit on June 2016, on his advice Joe tells about his book Killing Marketing and explains why we are doing marketing wrong.

“I see things a little bit differently than most of the books and sought leaders around the entrepreneurial space. Most business have a really good idea for product or service and they structure the entire company around that product or service, and the problem is that most of the companies has to pivot and change everything. My belief is that a better way to launch your company is around a particular audience. It’s fine to have the great idea for product or service in mind, but let’s focus on the audience, on the customer’s needs what are their pain points, what keeping them up at night. And become the leading informational expert for that group of people that learn to know, like and trust you. That’s where the opportunity is.

That’s the most effective way to start a company today. That’s how we founded Content Marketing Institute.

Instead of going out there with a product or service that probably isn’t going to be the right fit, focus on being the trusted advisor for your audience and then you can launch whatever product or services you want.”

 

I think I don’t have to introduce the next guest…

Guy Kawasaki’s best advice about approaching the customer

Guy Kawasaki is the chief evangelist of Canva, an online graphic design tool. He is a brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz and an executive fellow of the Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley). Guy is probably most known as the first legendary evangelist for Apple-Macintosh.

“My advice, believe it or not, it’s to make the product that you would like to use yourself and then hope that there are other people like you. Because I’ve noticed that people who do that, are people like Apple and Yahoo and Google, and these companies weren’t marketing driven per se but they built a product that they would like to use and come to find out many other people that would like it too.

And this is not typical advice. It’s maybe not even a good advice but this is the advice that I believe in.”

 

I first heard Marcus Sheridan on the Social Media Marketing World annual event and I had the pleasure of hearing him since over and over again.

Marcus Sheridan talks about “The customer”

Called a Web Marketing guru by the New York Times, the story of how Marcus Sheridan was able to save his swimming pool company “Riverpools” from the economic crush of 2008, has been featured in multiple books, publications and stories around the world. He is also the author of the book “They Ask You Answer” which was dubbed the number 1 marketing book to read in 2017 by Mashable.

blockquotehhh”Does the concept of “they ask you answer” works for entrepreneurs? A lot of customers don’t even ask about an innovative unfamiliar product.

• Even though customers might not have a question about the new product or service, they do ask a lot about the problem. In business the product is always built by the problem.
• When it comes to the way consumers / buyers think and buy and shop there are five subjects every consumer or customer is looking at:

– How much it cost?

– What are the problems with it? (Negatives)

– How it compares to other things in the market,

– What everybody are saying about it (reviews)

– What product is the best?

• Unfortunately most companies aren’t willing to talk about it.
• You want to become not only the experts of your niche but the expert of the things that leads the marketplace”blockquotehhh

 

Kate Erickson’s best advice about approaching the customer

Kate Erickson is a creator, engager and implementer, over at EOFire an award winning, most successful podcast for entrepreneurs. She is the host of Kate’s Take, the EOFire audio blog and the Author of the Fire Path, Beginners guide to growing your online business.

“Kate believe that you need to do things that DO NOT SCALE. Mainly speaking with a lot of your customers. That’s the only way to understand who your perfect customer is.”

 

The last advice of today’s special episode is the advice of Josh Elledge. Josh is a very successful entrepreneur. However the way was very tough and Josh has been through a few major failures before his big successes. The tipping point happened when he understood what sales are all about.

Josh Elledge’s best advice about approaching the customer

Josh Elledge is the founder & CEO of UpendPR and founder of savingsangel.com focuses today on turning digital entrepreneurs into media celebrities

“Most entrepreneurial business owners struggling because they keep trying sell so hard, and it may covers the bills, however I believe that in 2017 and beyond the only way to really succeed is to invest in relationships and spend any minute in serving and giving and create value for your customers through building your sought leadership. Than the customers will come to you.”

 

To summarize today’s special episode, I would like to remind us that the definition or the main goal of a business is about maximize the value of the company for its shareholders.

The company’s value is built on two foundations; the financial results and the brand perception. I always remind people at my lecturers that Mark Zuckerberg Issued Facebook in a value of 100B$ at the time when the net income of the company were around 1B… dollars. That’s called marketing and branding.

I strongly believe the secret for achieving the financial results and build the brand is all about seeing things from your potential customer’s point of view. For the prosaic and silly reason that the Money we want, is in the customer’s pockets.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 000 – Hayut Yogev – the story of Customer Focus

More resources for Entrepreneurs

1. Don’t Miss – Customer Focus Strategy & Execution: Market Analysis for Fundraising
2. Hayut Yogev’s Latest post: How can Entrepreneurs build a strong startup brand?
3. Former interview: With Andy Yang CEO of 500PX – The incredible story of the company