Weekend Favs December 28th

Weekend Favs December 28th written by Jordan E read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but I encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one I took on the road.

• Flowpoint.ai: Utilizes AI to deliver insights into user interactions, offering features like session replays and behavior analytics.
• Crazy Egg: Offers heatmaps, scrollmaps, and A/B testing to visualize user interactions and improve website performance.
• Databox: Centralize marketing metrics from multiple platforms into one dashboard.

These are my weekend favs; I would love to hear about some of yours – Connect with me on Linkedin!

If you want to check out more Weekend Favs you can find them here.

from Duct Tape Marketing https://ift.tt/TMoXOGk
via IFTTT

Top 10 Duct Tape Marketing Podcast Episodes of 2024

Top 10 Duct Tape Marketing Podcast Episodes of 2024 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As we wrap up 2024, I can’t help but look back at all the incredible conversations I had on the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast this year. Marketing is changing faster than ever, and small businesses have been riding the wave—adapting to new trends, embracing tech, and finding fresh ways to connect with their customers. This year has been all about staying creative, staying connected, and making things happen, and I’ve had the privilege of digging into all of that with some amazing guests.

I thought it’d be fun to round up the episodes that really hit home with listeners this year. These were the top podcast episodes of 2024 that brought the most value, sparked the best ideas, and inspired action. If you missed any, now’s the perfect time to tune in!

If you enjoyed what you heard here, check out the full line-up of shows.

 

1. Stephan Spencer-Mastering SEO in the Age of AI

Stephan Spencer is an SEO pro, founder of Net Concepts, and host of the podcasts Get Yourself Optimized and Marketing Speak. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, Spencer and I dig into how AI is changing the game for SEO and what you can do to keep up.

Biggest takeaway:

SEO in 2024 is all about adapting to AI. Spencer shares how to use AI tools to create better content, optimize your site, and stay ahead of the competition. Whether you’re an SEO veteran or just trying to boost your online presence, his advice will help you navigate this evolving landscape and set your business up for success.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

2. John Jantsch  – Unlocking the Secrets to Premium Pricing in Professional Services

Pricing professional services can feel tricky—unlike products, services are intangible, and their value can vary from client to client. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I dive into the strategies that help businesses charge premium prices by focusing on solutions instead of just selling services.

Biggest takeaway:

It all starts with messaging. To charge a premium, you need to clearly communicate the problem you solve and show clients you truly understand their challenges. From there, it’s about standing out with a unique approach, building trust through personalization, and offering productized packages that make your services easy to understand and buy.

I also explore how to create long-term relationships and shift to a scalable, recurring revenue model by delivering consistent value to specific clients.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

3. Seth Godin – How to Build Game-Changing Strategy by Choosing Your Customers and Competition

I had the pleasure of chatting with Marketing Hall of Famer and longtime friend of the show, Seth Godin, on this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast. Godin, known for his groundbreaking ideas on marketing and entrepreneurship, joined me to dive into my favorite topic—strategy. We explored how both businesses and individuals can rethink their strategic approach for greater success, drawing from his latest book, This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans.

Biggest takeaway:

Strategy isn’t just a step-by-step plan—it’s a philosophy of becoming. Godin explains how understanding systems, intentionally choosing your customers and competitors, and approaching strategy with empathy can transform how you operate.

In our conversation, Godin challenges conventional ideas, emphasizing the role of empathy—not just kindness—in decision-making. By truly understanding your customers and the systems they navigate, you can create stronger, longer-lasting connections. He also highlights the power of intentionally choosing who you serve and compete with, helping businesses escape commoditization and focus on delivering unique value.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

4. Hortense le Gentil– Unlocking Your Leadership Potential

Hortense le Gentil is an executive leadership coach, speaker, and author with over 30 years of experience helping CEOs and senior executives become more authentic and empathetic leaders. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, we explore what it takes to evolve from being a “hero” leader to a truly “human” one.

Biggest takeaway:

Great leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about leading with authenticity, empathy, and vulnerability. Hortense shares practical tips for overcoming mental blocks, connecting with your team on a deeper level, and unlocking your full leadership potential.

If you’re looking to grow as a leader and inspire those around you, this episode is packed with insights to help you thrive in today’s fast-changing world.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

5. Russell Henneberry –From Subscribers to Revenue: A Tactical Guide To Mastering Newsletters

Russell Henneberry is a digital marketing pro, speaker, and founder of The Clikk newsletter. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, Henneberry and I talk about the power of email newsletters and how they’ve made a big comeback as a must-have tool for marketers.

 

Biggest takeaway: 

Email newsletters are more than just a way to stay in touch—they’re a goldmine for driving revenue. Henneberry shares how to create newsletters that balance valuable content with smart calls to action, keeping your audience engaged while strategically guiding them to take the next step.

We also dive into ways to monetize newsletters, from ads and consulting to info products, and why focusing on metrics like open rates and subscriber quality is key to success.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

6. Jay Baer – How to Navigate the New Era of Customer Expectations

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I had a fascinating conversation with Jay Baer, a business growth expert, customer experience researcher, and 7th-generation entrepreneur. Jay, the author of seven bestselling books and founder of six multi-million dollar companies, shares insights from his latest book, The Time to Win: How to Exceed Your Customers’ Need for Speed.

Biggest takeaway:

Jay’s research reveals that two-thirds of customers now value speed as much as price. Saving your customers time is a surefire way to earn their loyalty, while wasting their time can cost you financially. In today’s fast-paced world, speed and responsiveness are essential for delivering exceptional customer experiences and driving revenue growth.

Jay breaks down the six-part “Time to Win” framework, offering actionable strategies for prioritizing speed within your organization and securing a competitive edge.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

7. Ryan Deiss – Crushing the Founder’s Curse: Unlocking Business Value Beyond Yourself

Ryan Deiss, founder of DigitalMarketer.com and a serial entrepreneur, joins me on the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast to share insights from his latest book, Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs to Run and Scale Without You. In this episode, we dive into strategies for overcoming the Founder’s Curse and creating a business that thrives beyond the founder’s involvement.

Biggest takeaway: 

To truly scale your business, you need to break free from being indispensable. Ryan shares practical strategies for building value engines, establishing strategic rhythms, and creating high-output teams that can drive growth without constant founder oversight. He also discusses how to map value creation flows and implement effective meeting rhythms to keep your business running smoothly and sustainably.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

8. Kate Bradley Chernis – How To Produce Better Content With Collaborative AI

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I had the pleasure of chatting with Kate Bradley Chernis, former rock and roll DJ turned founder and CEO of Lately AI. With over 20 years of experience in media and marketing, Kate shares her unique perspective on the evolution of content marketing and how AI is reshaping the industry.

Biggest takeaway:

Content marketing is evolving, and the key to success lies in blending human creativity with the power of AI. Kate shares actionable strategies for cutting through content clutter, crafting personalized social media messaging, and leveraging AI to boost engagement while navigating challenges like data privacy.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

9. Amanda Holmes – Walking Billboards and QR Codes

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Amanda Holmes, CEO of Chet Holmes International. A true innovator in sales strategy, Amanda shares how she doubled her company’s sales by 1176% in her first year and dives deep into the transformative power of the Dream 100 strategy and other unconventional marketing tactics.

Biggest takeaway:

Amanda explains how the Dream 100 strategy, a proven method developed by her father while working with Charlie Munger, focuses on targeting a select group of high-value prospects to drive exponential growth. She also shares creative marketing approaches, like walking around trade shows with a four-foot billboard and strategically placed QR codes, to seamlessly blend offline and online efforts for maximum impact.

Click here to listen to the episode.

 

10. Andrew Guttormsen – How to Build Game-Changing Strategy by Choosing Your Customers and Competition

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I sat down with Andrew Guttormsen, co-founder of Circle, the all-in-one platform for professional creator communities and world-class brands. With experience as the former VP of Growth at Teachable, Andrew has a wealth of knowledge in courses, memberships, and building growth marketing teams. Together, we explored what makes platinum communities thrive, from onboarding excellence to long-term member retention.

Biggest takeaway:

A thriving online community goes beyond the platform—it’s about fostering engagement, delivering value, and retaining members for the long haul. Andrew shares how platinum communities, like Oprah’s on Circle, use signature gatherings, seamless onboarding, and consistent value delivery to build lasting connections and keep members invested.

Click here to listen to the episode.

We love reviews!

Is your favorite episode on the list? If not, we’d love to hear which one you enjoyed listening to the most!

For our podcast audience, we can’t thank you enough for your support over the years! If you like the show, click on over and subscribe and if you love the show give us a review on  iTunes, please!

 

from Duct Tape Marketing https://ift.tt/82P1Z0r
via IFTTT

Weekend Favs December 21st

Weekend Favs December 21st written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but I encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one I took on the road.

• FullStory: A digital experience analytics platform that provides real-time insights and predictive analytics to help businesses optimize user experiences and drive results.

• Blaze.ai: An AI-powered content creation tool that enables individuals and teams to produce personalized social media posts, blogs, newsletters, and websites in their brand voice and style, streamlining the content generation process.

• StealthGPT.ai: A platform that generates AI-written content designed to bypass AI detection tools, allowing users to create human-like text for papers, reports, and blogs, complete with features like in-text citations and automated bibliographies.

These are my weekend favs; I would love to hear about some of yours – Connect with me on Linkedin!

If you want to check out more Weekend Favs you can find them here.

from Duct Tape Marketing https://ift.tt/ChEybjF
via IFTTT

Marketing Trends 2025: Actionable Insights for Agencies & fCMOs

Marketing Trends 2025: Actionable Insights for Agencies & fCMOs written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

The marketing world never sits still, and as we approach 2025, the buzz of new possibilities is louder than ever. For marketing consultants, agencies, and fractional CMOs, understanding these trends isn’t optional — it’s essential.

For over 30 years, I’ve been committed to helping small and medium-sized businesses achieve their goals through systematic, strategic marketing. My experience has taught me one thing above all else — businesses succeed when they solve their customers’ greatest problems and stick to a clear, repeatable approach. That philosophy is what led to the creation of the Duct Tape Marketing System — a framework that turns chaotic tactics into a predictable path for growth.

So, let’s talk about five major marketing trends for 2025 that consultants, agencies, and fractional CMOs need to watch. No surprise — a lot of these trends are powered by AI. That’s just where we are right now. But there’s more to it than just technology. These changes are about meeting the new expectations of your customers, and if you adapt, you’ll thrive

     

Table Of Contents:

• • Marketing Trends 2025: What to Expect
    • 1. Hyper-Personalization Powered by AI
    • 2. The Rise of Decentralized Communities
    • 3. Generative AI: Revolutionizing Creative Production
    • 4. AI-Driven Marketing Orchestration
    • 5. Brand Marketing: Back to Basics
    • 6. BONUS MLaaS: Marketing Leadership as a Service
  • The Future of Video, Influencers, and Events
    • Video’s Reign Continues
    • Influencer Marketing Still Strong
    • In-Person Events Are Back
  • AI in Marketing: A Tool for Growth or a Threat?
    • The Power of AI
    • Embracing Digital Minimalism

Marketing Trends 2025: What to Expect

1. Hyper-Personalization Powered by AI

AI lets us personalize marketing campaigns at an incredible scale. AI tools help segment customers down to the individual. This granular approach will be key for staying competitive.

Customers now expect personalized messages. Generic messaging will soon feel outdated. Think one-to-one campaigns that feel custom-made.

Many CRMs like HubSpot and ActiveCampaign already allow for email personalization. Combine these with customer data platforms for even deeper ai-driven personalization and dynamic content. You don’t need to dive in headfirst; starting small with personalized newsletters or website content can make a real difference.

2. The Rise of Decentralized Communities

People are looking beyond traditional social networks. They feel these platforms are over-saturated with ads. Many seek ad-light experiences on platforms like Reddit and BlueSky.

These decentralized communities offer meaningful interactions and niche discussions. Smart brands are building smaller, engaged communities around shared interests.

As search algorithms increasingly feature content from decentralized communities, they offer a better connection to audiences. For example, Google now features more Reddit content.

3. Generative AI: Revolutionizing Creative Production

AI isn’t just for writing blog posts. Generative AI is changing how we create content including videos and graphics. This allows everyone to access visual content creation tools easily.

The best creative platforms currently include DALL-E 3, Pictory AI, Midjourney, and Adobe Firefly. Or if you create need images with a lot of text try out ideogram. OpusClips and Vizard are great for AI generated video clipping and minimal editing.

It is important to understand these platforms and market responses. But the real key is to find the tool that works for you and your business and learn that one. New tools will inevitably come on the scene, but if you play tool leap frog it will be hard to really see the effectiveness these tools can have on your teams productivity.

This emerging trend allows marketers to generate creative content and create impactful marketing materials.

4. AI-Driven Marketing Orchestration

AI will become the central nervous system of campaign management. From automation to advanced analytics, AI can optimize processes, from SOPs to campaigns.

Tools like GoHighLevel integrate AI into email and ad workflows. I’m also observing how Google Analytics is leveraging AI for analysis.

AI-driven automation handles many touchpoints, freeing us to focus elsewhere and create engaging experiences.

5. Brand Marketing: Back to Basics

With AI and algorithms changing SEO and ad platforms, brand marketing is more critical than ever. This means focusing on trust, loyalty, and aligning values with customer preferences.

Brand trust is vital; 81% of consumers say trust influences buying decisions . Because consumers have so many options, brand marketing delivers strong, meaningful results. This is partially because people relate to a story.

Consumers in 2025 want authenticity and personalized experiences. They choose brands reflecting their values. The preference for short-form video and ad-light platforms reveals a desire for efficient information. Social commerce trends indicate people expect purchasing options through shoppable content and streamlined social media platforms.

Consumers also want brands that use their platforms for social good. And, that participate in meaningful ways, including through thing like sustainability marketing or give-back programs.

Remember that trust and values drive marketing trends. Customers are increasingly interested in brands that share their values. Focusing on these key trends can lead to repeat purchases and stronger customer loyalty.

6. BONUS MLaaS: Marketing Leadership as a Service

In 2025, I’d like to coin a new term, Marketing Leadership as a Service (MLaaS) — it’s about providing fractional marketing leadership to businesses that need strategic direction without the full-time commitment.

Small and mid-sized businesses often lack the resources for a full-time CMO, but they do need someone who can build strategy, orchestrate teams, and navigate new technologies. MLaaS fills that gap. As a marketing consultant or fractional CMO, you’re not just offering services — you’re offering leadership, insight, and strategic vision.

The Future of Video, Influencers, and Events

Video’s Reign Continues

While broadcast TV still has reach, streaming is gaining traction. Fifty percent of people now say they primarily stream TV . Smart brands should diversify their video efforts, including short-form video.

Video marketing trends evolve quickly. Platforms like YouTube are partnering with services like BARB in the UK to adapt to consumer behaviors.

Short, engaging videos, including those published on platforms like Youtube Shorts and Instagram Reels, are increasingly popular. HubSpot’s 2024 Consumer Trends Report found that 37% of consumers prefer short videos for product discovery and a majority want more video content.

Influencer Marketing Still Strong

Influencer marketing is a $24 billion industry . Around 40% of marketers allocate a quarter of their budgets to influencer campaigns.

Although I think we will see this trend change form a bit, affiliate and influencer marketing will continue to grow in 2025. This marketing strategy, focused on driving engagement and sales, has only been trending up.

In-Person Events Are Back

While virtual events thrived during the pandemic, in-person events are going to continue to grow in 2025. Experiential marketing is bigger than pre-pandemic . This shift highlights our need for real-world connections. The best events provide memorable experiences through engagement and interaction.

AI in Marketing: A Tool for Growth or a Threat?

The Power of AI

AI is transforming marketing, and that can be a good thing. eMarketer reports that, ” 3 in 4 marketers are using AI for content creation. ” These tools aren’t here to replace us — they’re here to make us better, freeing us up to focus on what humans do best: building relationships and crafting strategy.

Machine learning and real-time engagement tools (ChatGPT or AI chat bots) help us connect with audiences more effectively, whether through social media, voice search, or personalized content. Instead of fearing AI, use it to enhance your marketing and deliver more value.

The future of marketing is human — AI just helps us get there faster.

Embracing Digital Minimalism

To manage information overload, brands should adopt digital minimalism . Cutting excess helps messaging stand out.

Focusing on essential information and user preferences makes customers the priority. This can improve search optimization, help brands connect with customers, and further enhance customer engagement.

Conclusion

Marketing trends in 2025 blend cutting-edge technology and genuine human connection. AI offers marketers exciting new opportunities. Marketers can now create one-of-a-kind customer journeys.

They can also personalize messaging even further, deliver insights and valuable experiences, and make themselves indispensable to audiences. As a result, 2025 trends are moving from broad acquisition to targeted, personal efforts.

I know the challenges of starting a marketing agency and running a business firsthand—the endless research, the trials, the errors. It wasn’t easy, but it taught me invaluable lessons. From these experiences and over 28 years of trial and error, I developed a proven marketing system that has since helped countless businesses sustainably grow and scale.

Whether you’re a business owner aiming to grow (We’ve helped 1000s of SMBs 2x-10x their business) or an agency looking to enhance your client services (over 500 agencies globally have licensed our system), the Duct Tape Marketing Fractional CMO+ System can be tailored to meet your needs and boost your success. All it takes is the right strategy.

Ready to see real results? Let’s connect. Schedule a strategy session with our team today.

from Duct Tape Marketing https://ift.tt/0l1RQqZ
via IFTTT

Building a $220M Empire: The Power of Training and Branding

Building a $220M Empire: The Power of Training and Branding written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with Tommy Mello

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Tommy Mello, a visionary entrepreneur and founder of a $220 million home services business operating across 20 states. As the author of Elevate: Build a Business Where Everybody Wins and host of The Home Service Expert podcast, Tommy has dedicated his career to helping others achieve business success by focusing on recruiting top talent, optimizing branding strategies, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

During our conversation, Tommy shared his journey of scaling a business from a small operation to an industry leader in the home services space. He emphasized the importance of investing in training, aligning core values, and leveraging performance pay systems to build a thriving team and long-term customer loyalty.

Key Takeaways:

• Recruit Like You Market: Tommy treats recruiting like a marketing campaign, creating a continuous pipeline of A-plus talent. He focuses on identifying the right candidates by defining the ideal “avatar” for each role and using targeted ads to attract them.
• Performance Pay Drives Results: Transitioning to performance-based pay not only motivates employees but also improves KPIs like booking rates, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction, driving both team and business success.
• Branding is More Than a Logo: Tommy’s brand overhaul, including visually striking vehicle wraps and a unified brand voice across email, billboards, and yard signs, elevated his company’s visibility and customer trust.
• Optimize the Call Center: A well-trained call center is critical. By focusing on empathy, responsiveness, and problem-solving, his team converts more leads into loyal customers, maximizing ROI on marketing investments.
• Blue-Collar Jobs Are the Future: With skilled labor shortages increasing, Tommy sees a bright future for tradespeople, emphasizing the financial and personal rewards of working in the home services sector.

Chapters:

• [00:00] Who is Tommy Mello?
• [02:14] Optimizing Recruitment and Service Quality
• [04:05] Branding Goes Beyond Your Logo
• [07:26] Motivating Employees to Perform
• [12:37] Recruiting vs. Creating A-Players
• [15:52] Using Marketing to Recruit

More About Tommy Mello: 

• Check out Tommy Mello’s Website
• Connect with Tommy Mello on Instagram
• Read Elevate: Build a Business Where Everybody Wins by Tommy Mello

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by

Want to elevate your marketing game? AdCritter pairs Connected TV ads with precise digital retargeting to drive real results. Discover how their full-funnel strategy can help your business grow smarter. Let them know Duct Tape Marketing sent you, and you’ll get a dollar-for-dollar match on your first campaign! Learn more at adcritter.com.

 

Duct Tape Transcript

Email Download New Tab

John Jantsch (00:01.24)

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Duck Tape Marketing Podcast. This is John Jantsch. My guest today is Tommy Mello. He's a driven entrepreneur who's built a 220 million home services business with over 700 employees across 20 states. He's also the founder of Home Service Expert, where he's dedicated to helping fellow entrepreneurs achieve the same level of success. He's also the host of a popular Home Service Expert podcast and the author of

Elevate, build a business where everybody wins. So Tommy, welcome to the show.

Tommy Mello (00:35.662)

Thank you. Really excited to be here.

John Jantsch (00:37.004)

So I got looking back at this, think this is at least your second appearance on the show. And I got looking back and the last time you were on the show, it was 2020. were in the throes of, or maybe just starting to come out of the pandemic. And the home services business was really kind of crazy at that point. A lot of folks were in turmoil. A lot of folks were really having trouble finding skilled labor. So.

Fast forward to 2024, what's the state of the industry today?

Tommy Mello (01:08.962)

Never been better. You know, we were deemed essential during COVID. And the fact is, there's always this teeter totter. You need more leads or you need more great people. I learned in 2017 how to build my own technicians. So right now we graduate from my training school right next door, about 50 technicians a month. But it's kind of, I view recruiting like marketing.

John Jantsch (01:11.608)

Yeah, right.

John Jantsch (01:19.032)

Right.

Tommy Mello (01:36.506)

You got to really define who your avatar is and make sure it's the right person because if you're not converting leads getting the right reviews getting the right opportunity job averages You know people are always like I need more leads and I'm like well You must be booking every phone call. You must be converting every Booked call to a paid customer and they're like, well, what do you mean? And I'm like, well your marketing dollars are going to waste because your call centers Not working out very well. Your technicians are not converting very well. You don't have a rehash program. So

I'm kind of jumping around here a little bit, but the most important thing is you got the right people showing up to the right leads. And you should be ranking your leads and ranking the people showing up to the leads.

John Jantsch (02:11.202)

Okay.

John Jantsch (02:17.282)

Yeah. So, it's interesting because I think a lot of business owners, doesn't matter what industry, kind of think of hiring as an event. I need people. I'll go out and hire some people. I'll run some ads. I'll hire some people. And the way you're talking about it is more like we would think of traditional marketing. You've got to know who that ideal customer is. You've got to have the right message. You've got to constantly build pipeline to get those folks. And I think of a lot of businesses treated recruitment that way.

They'd find a lot more success rather than just always firefighting.

Tommy Mello (02:52.122)

Can tell you this What if I told you like I want you to the old Pareto 80-20 rule what I'd love people to do is look at their top 20 % I said what if they were able to multiply that by five so that what that means is They take the top 20 % of their working staff and either you got to train them up or out to get into that 20 percentile and Unfortunately when you're a small business

John Jantsch (02:58.776)

Right, right.

John Jantsch (03:15.918)

Mm-hmm.

Tommy Mello (03:21.582)

like I was for a decade, longer than that actually. I didn't know what good was. And you know what I used to tell people, John, I used to tell people, if you got a garage, you're my client. And I've quickly, over the last, I'd say seven years, realized that not everybody with a garage door is my client. The people that are price shopping, you could only have three things. My dad taught me this. You could have the cheapest, the best quality, or on your timeline.

You can never give all three. It's impossible to give all three. So I decided a decade ago, I'm not going to be the cheapest. I'm going get out there today when they need me the most and I'm going to do a quality job with a drug tested background, trustworthy person that can be alone with your wife and kids. And that's what we've done. And I think to be the cheapest is a race to the bottom.

John Jantsch (04:11.726)

Yeah. You got to throw all that other stuff out. Right. So you, you talk about in your writing and, and when we talked before, you know, about kind of struggling a little bit before you kind of turned the corner and, and, you know, figured out how to really scale was that, there any, were there any kind of pivotal moments or pivotal things that really made you, you know, you feel like, you know, kind of made the light bulb come on and, know, really lead to success.

Tommy Mello (04:41.112)

Yeah, this right here, I know not everybody's watching, but the way my trucks were branded, this was my original truck. It was just a white truck with stenciling on it. Then I got a better wrap that was pretty good. And then I got this one that's absolutely phenomenal. And this other, the brand new wrap I got, and this had to be about five years ago. It was done by Dan Ancinelli from Kick Charge.

And it doesn't have a lot of logos like the BBB and Yelp and Angie's List on it. It doesn't have anything. It doesn't even have a phone number on it. It's a billboard. People can only read five words as they're driving by. So anybody that puts these 18 words on there and says, you know, call now to get your appointment and this QR code, they're driving by. So once you get your brand dialed in and now my signature on my email looks like my catalog.

John Jantsch (05:10.02)

Yeah.

Tommy Mello (05:33.626)

Looks like my website, looks like my yard signs, looks like my billboards. And then I've got a jingle that's the same everywhere. So that was a big piece of it. I think people don't understand a part of marketing is your brand. And brand is, you know, some people take them and they differentiate them a little bit, but I think it starts with your brand. And what is your core values and what do you stand for? What can you prove you're known for? Like you can't say I'm the best. You can say out of the last thousand jobs, 998.

Started on time and two of them got rectified within 48 hours and those are facts and your kpi should be driven towards the consumer Obviously your financial department's going to have kpis like what's your conversion rate and average ticket or what you know balancing income statement and all a lot of great Data about what's good for us, but we need to start thinking about what's good for our clients and The biggest thing i've Is most companies i've invested in most companies that i've coached

I find most of their opportunity in their call center, where their leads are coming into. My mom used to answer phones for me, John, and she, sometimes I felt like she was having phone sex. She's never, I don't think had phone sex, but she'd be like, my God, honey, I am so sorry. It was like crazy. She'd be like apologizing and empathy and just, honey, I am so, we're gonna get this fixed. I'm gonna send out my best technician. This is like 15 years ago.

John Jantsch (07:01.624)

Ha

Tommy Mello (07:01.914)

I show up to these houses John and the people would give me a hug and they'd be like this is the best company I've ever talked to like Whoever that lady was she would never say she's my mother, but she brag about me She's I'm gonna send out our best technician this guy. He's a handsome devil and shit, she never says she's my mom and I show up and there was putty in my hands like the client would say whatever you guys say to do We're gonna do it. We've never heard of anybody take a call like that

And so I think the contact center, there's a lot of opportunities. And that's operational, right? But marketing needs to go through all the way through to where I collect the cash. And even after I get the review and we do business to get in the future. And I think people miss that.

John Jantsch (07:45.604)

You know, I listen to you talk about, mean, obviously your mom was very invested in the success of the business, in your success personally. How do you get employees to feel like, I'm an essential part. mean, a lot of times people answer the phone, they're like, hey, I'm just putting in my time. You know, I don't get to see that profit necessarily. mean, you know, all the things people can delude themselves with. So how do you get people, you know, everybody bought in it? Cause I know that's been a big part of what you've really preached.

in terms of really building a company culture.

Tommy Mello (08:19.514)

There's a simple phrase called what's in it for them. And I'm not into tenure. I'm not in an hourly pay. I'm in a performance pay. And if you set the guidelines and it's fair and it's distinguishable, meaning that it's not based on somebody's opinion, performance pay, what'll happen? And I want to be very careful here for your listeners. If you switch to performance pay, you'll probably lose 80 % of your staff because they'd like to get paid hourly.

They love to get paid, you know, come and do my job and be done. But when you come up with ways to say what's in it for them, how can I have them win more? And look, everybody's like, how do you even start that? Well, you just take your historical data. Like this person's booking 62%. At first, you got to know KPIs and have data accuracy. There's got to be some type of data compliance to make sure that it's accurate. And see, if I got them up, like right now we'll do 300 million, right, next year. For every percent we increase,

John Jantsch (09:14.328)

Mm-hmm.

Tommy Mello (09:16.346)

The booking rate, that's $3 million of revenue to the company. At 20%, that's an extra $600,000 to the EBITDA. And so I'm a mathematical guy, right? So I'm always doing math and coming up with formulas and saying, does this get the right behavior I'm shooting for? And if I share some of it with them, the company and, you know, I win really big, but I allow them to feel like they're winning really big too in comparison. Because if you're making $17 an hour, I can pay people $45 an hour.

and still be winning. And how easy is it, do you think, for me to recruit A-plus players when I can pay that much? It's like taking candy from a baby. It's like, why would he pay that much? Well, he's getting people to set him up for success. And that's so important. It's just smiling on the phone and empathy and really caring. And you know, I heard this from a buddy of mine. He said, if you ever go to the Four Seasons, you'll notice that they hire people that genuinely

John Jantsch (09:52.973)

Right.

Tommy Mello (10:16.238)

Genuinely do care like they don't just say hey, how are you today sir? Nice to see you. See you later They say listen is there anything I can do to make your stay better I'll tell you this I got to stay it for seasons and in the past They might tell you a story to say it was so magical for me and my family After that day I knew I wanted to work here and my goal is to make sure that this is the best experience you ever have to look you in the eyes They'll walk you to the bathroom if you ask for a question

John Jantsch (10:17.763)

Yeah.

Tommy Mello (10:43.108)

They'll open up a restaurant that's closed to make you something themselves that they have the opportunity to do that. And that's what I think is that we talk so much about marketing, about making the phone ring. And I talk about stacking the deck on the other side by recruiting A plus people on your team.

John Jantsch (10:59.214)

Talk a little bit about that concept of recruiting versus creating, you know, A plus team. Obviously, if somebody is already a proven superstar salesperson, they're, you're going to pay for it, right? You know, to recruit them perhaps. Whereas I know you spend a lot of time and energy actually training and teaching and creating A players. Talk a little bit about that, the difference between those two ideas.

Tommy Mello (11:28.288)

I do think there's certain things that look for I hire for personality. So I contact tonality. Can you tell a great story to you smile a lot when I take you and your wife or husband out to dinner. But I find that you guys get along well because if there's problems at home there's more likely going to be problems when you come to work because you're trying to kind of put yourself out of a fire that you just got into at home. But what we do is we train train train train train we role play.

John Jantsch (11:32.664)

Mm-hmm.

John Jantsch (11:50.532)

You

Tommy Mello (11:56.174)

And we just focus on these attributes of like believe in yourself. The first thing you need to do is believe in yourself. And that's what eye contact tonality smiling is, is believing in yourself. And I'm not Starbucks. I can't hire people to save them, to start looking through their lens differently. It's so hard to do that. It takes years. It takes years. Sometimes people go into the military, very unorganized, come out very, very organized, but that takes sometimes four to eight years. So I try to find the right canvas.

And then I try to teach these things like the words we use. We never say, this is how much it costs. We say the investment would be this. It is an investment. It's the number one ROI on your home. The number one investment more than your kitchens or bathrooms is your garage. Remodel magazine six years in a row, an unbiased third party. So we teach them the words to say, we monitor this. We've got systems that record the whole conversation in the garage with the client. That's for the client's best interest, but it's also to coach.

We say kneel down when you're doing when you're presenting you don't want to be above the customer because you make them feel inferior There's a lot of things that we try to do and when I played football We did two a days we practiced ten times a week to play one game So in business, why shouldn't we do the same thing or should we go after you train? You're just gonna go practice on the customer's house forever And I don't know about you, but I like nice things that last I've gone with the cheapest

to fix my house when I did a remodel in 2012. I'll never go at the best price again. Because I had to redo the roof after five years. I'm on my third AC unit. I just want the best. I don't want to have to worry about it. think homeowners are smart. They're like, you know what? What's the... And what if you had a magic moment where you said, you know what I care about the most? I care that my kids could go to school. And I care that my wife makes it to work on time. Because that's what we miss today.

So you called the best option. This is to keep the kids coming to school on time and make sure your wife gets to work. And there's these magic moments and you title the estimates exactly what the client cares about. And you title it, this is the one that'll give you the best investment for moving in five years and making sure you're graduate or last. Because they say, I'm gonna move in five years. So you say, listen, we don't need you to do the Taj Mahal. Out of the five options, let's do number four.

John Jantsch (14:03.428)

you

John Jantsch (14:27.62)

I actually recently put in two new garage door openers and it's been a while since I had replaced one and they've gotten a lot more technical. There's a heck of lot of bells and whistles in those things. mean, the price range is, you know, three, four X. You you can buy the cheapest one to the Taj Mahal. It's gotten a lot more sophisticated, hasn't it?

Tommy Mello (14:51.352)

Yeah, now you know, that's the deal. They got the my queue. The the opener's got a brain. And the brain will tell you know we've we've worked out a pretty good opportunity with the manufacturer that will know if you got a problem before you do and will just come out. We guarantee one hour service that if something it's got this thing called a force adjustment, so if it comes down on something or comes off track, will know about it. And.

John Jantsch (14:54.936)

Yeah. Yeah.

John Jantsch (15:11.736)

Yeah. Yeah.

Tommy Mello (15:17.464)

That's gotta be nice for you because before you know that you got a problem or showing up saying let us look at everything and make sure everything's okay.

John Jantsch (15:24.324)

Yeah. My favorite attribute is I know when the door opens. And so, you know, I'll be in here and I have my office in my house and my wife will go grocery shopping. I know it's time to go down there and get the groceries out of the car. I don't even have to hear it. Talk a little bit about skilled labor. mean, people, you know, people aren't coming out of high school today thinking I want to go be a carpenter or, you know, whatever electrician.

Tommy Mello (15:38.36)

Yeah, that was great.

John Jantsch (15:53.39)

nearly enough, I think, to meet the demand. So what have you done to, really kind of shore up that you hire for, like you say, you know, personality or fit, but they still have to be able to install something. They still have to be able to fix something. What are you doing to kind of shore up that, that end of it?

Tommy Mello (16:11.874)

Well, we spend 12 % of our revenue on marketing, okay? So if we do 25 million, we're spending a few million dollars a month in marketing. So we're in Val Pak, all over website optimization, we, Clipper Magazine, the newspaper, PFP Deals, Angie, every lead aggregator out there, we're on TV, radio, billboards. The idea is why not put the recruiting ad into some of these?

And say, at A1 Graduates, you've always known us for great service, blah, blah, blah, blah. Now we're looking for more. You want to do two in one. You want to do the marketing and the recruiting in the same message. And then you want to have this massive funnel that chops, chops, chops, chops. Every time it chops down to this smaller amount, it's refining, refining, refining, refining. Here's what I do know. Artificial intelligence and robotics are not going to replace

Garage doors HVAC plumbing electrical roofing anytime soon. No one's gonna come out with a robot and install windows But I'll tell you what this camera stuff we're working on the the drones and the different things They're all gonna be AI AI is gonna fix everything left brain AI is like handling here soon Development coding everybody said hey go into coding go into coding. Well AI is gonna fit you're not gonna have a job So these blue collar things that were shit on for a long time Like man, it was embarrassing if you were H a

John Jantsch (17:17.166)

Yeah.

John Jantsch (17:31.299)

You

Tommy Mello (17:39.194)

I do. a plumber. Now it's like you're beating your chair. You're like, I'm a plumber, baby. It's like our day. This is our time. And I think the word's getting out there. Like the average plumber is 49 years old. And now you got this amazing amount of people going, look, I don't think I was cut out to go to college and go into debt for $200,000 because I don't really know if I want to go into economics or accounting. And I don't know if my future, what the future holds there. So I do know that

John Jantsch (17:42.82)

Yeah.

Tommy Mello (18:09.238)

No one's going to be fixing anything on the home at least for a decade. I don't think this robot's going to be coming out and doing it for a while. So I think people are starting to understand that and they're starting to say, I don't want to go into debt. We pay to train you. You come to work for A1, you're to get paid a very healthy living to get trained. then if you can't make two grand a week, shame on you your first year. If you can't make three grand a week on year two, shame on you.

We're going to give you the tools. pay for the tools. We're to give you a brand new van. We're going to give you training. We're going to give you role play. We're going to make you, you know, we're going to give you a flexible schedule. We're going to make sure your wife and kids are bought in. It's typically a man going out to do the work. We've hired over 20 female technicians. Unfortunately, it's a harder job on the body than most realize, but it's a really rewarding job. And I think the more we can share the stories, we've got a full-time dream manager. Their job is to help people dream.

John Jantsch (19:06.02)

Hmm.

Tommy Mello (19:09.21)

What do you want out of life? Do you want to go on that big vacation? Do you want to buy a home or a second home or a third home? What does that mean needs to happen? Well, it means these need to be your KPIs. And when I talk to you, I just say, listen, you ever you told me you want to take your kids to Disney World First Class, let's skip all the lines. Do you realize if we just if you had a little bit higher conversion rate and I'll show you exactly what you need to do to do that, that you would make that happen this year? So you talk about

What's in it for them again? they don't care that, hey, Tommy sits down with them and he wants to make more money to the bottom line and you're gonna be on a performance improvement plan. No one cares about that. They care about like, what about me? What about my family? What about the people I care about? Like, I took a chance working for you. Why don't you teach me more? But you gotta remind them. You gotta remind them about their why and what it means to their life in the future. And hopefully you'll hire the right people that have plans. Because some people go through life

I just say I'm okay being mediocre.

John Jantsch (20:11.268)

Well, Tommy, run out of time, but I appreciate again, you stopping by. Very inspirational as always. I appreciate you taking a moment to stop by the Duck Tape Marketing Podcast. there some place you want to invite people to find out more about? I know you've got a variety of different interests and things you're involved in, but what's the best way for people to find out more about what you're doing?

Tommy Mello (20:32.514)

Yeah, if you just go to Tommy mellow, there's no w at the end of my name. So Tommy e l l o dot com. You see all my social media, my books, everything's there. And if you go to Tommy mellow dot com for slash shop, you can do a shop tour. I don't charge anything. If you ever get find yourself in Phoenix or want to come out here. It's a great experience. It's a way to pay it forward like everybody did for me when when I was coming up in the home service home improvement space.

It's a way for me to brag on the team and it's a way for me to help you because I do believe that if you help people it comes back tenfold. I think that Zig Zayler said you could have anything you want in life if you help enough people get what they want. And I'm a true believer of that. I really am. So if anybody needs anything reach out to me. I got 80 ways from Sunday to reach me. I've got a full-time team, a massive team these days that make sure that it gets that I'm aware of the comments and questions. So

I appreciate this podcast and I'm looking forward to having you on.

John Jantsch (21:34.583)

Likewise, we're gonna record back to back today. again, thank you for taking a few moments to share with our audience and hopefully we'll run into you one of these days out there on the road.

Tommy Mello (21:44.42)

Sounds great, appreciate you.

Scroll back to top

Sign up to receive email updates

Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast.

powered by

 

 

from Duct Tape Marketing https://ift.tt/ArW3JiX
via IFTTT

Solving the Marketing Leadership Gap for Small Business

Solving the Marketing Leadership Gap for Small Business written by Jarret Redding read more at Duct Tape Marketing

The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast with John Jantsch

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I tackle a critical topic that small businesses face today: the marketing leadership gap. Many small businesses struggle with disconnected marketing efforts, scattered strategies, and stagnant growth, not due to a lack of tactics but because they lack marketing leadership to tie it all together.

As we look ahead to the future of marketing in 2025, I dive into why traditional solutions—like hiring agencies or fractional CMOs—often fall short and what businesses must do to implement a long-term marketing strategy that drives sustainable business growth. This episode uncovers how a marketing system combined with leadership can transform small businesses into scalable, successful enterprises.

 

Key Takeaways:

• Most small businesses fail at marketing not because of a lack of tools or tactics but because of a marketing leadership gap.
• Strong marketing leadership ensures all efforts align with business goals and drive measurable growth.
• Fix foundational issues first: improve messaging, optimize your website, and focus on building trust through content marketing.
• Implement a repeatable marketing system that delivers consistent, long-term results.
• Treat marketing as an asset, not a cost, to increase business value and make your company more attractive for future opportunities.
• Marketing leadership as a service (e.g., fractional CMOs) offers small businesses and agencies an affordable way to gain strategic guidance.
• AI can improve marketing execution but cannot replace the leadership and strategy required for success.
• Agencies should shift their approach to think like architects of marketing systems, not just contractors executing tasks.
• Businesses must focus on long-term marketing strategies instead of quick, disconnected efforts.
• Closing the marketing leadership gap will help small businesses achieve sustainable business growth and success in 2025 and beyond.

Chapters:

• [01:50] The Leadership Gap in Marketing
• [02:57] Why Marketing Leadership Matters
• [03:39] Steps to Fix Marketing Leadership Gap
• [08:48] Marketing Leadership as a Service

This episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is brought to you by

Nobody does data better than Oracle. Train your AI models at twice the speed and less than half of the cost of other clouds. If you want to do more and spend less, take a free test drive at Oracle.

 

Duct Tape Transcript

Email Download New Tab

John Jantsch (00:01.04)

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Duck Tape Marketing Podcast. This is John Jantsch and no guest today. I am doing a solo show. Let's call this Solving the Marketing Leadership Gap for Small Business. How's that sound like for a lofty title? Now I could also, we're ending, depending upon when you're listening, we're coming to the end of 2024. I could also title this what I think the future of marketing is, whether you're an agency or whether you're a small business owner trying to market your

business. Let me ask you this. Have ever felt your marketing stuck? Have you ever told your agency marketing stuck? Like it's disconnected, it's scattered, it's not driving growth. Look, you're not alone. I hear that every single day. So that's what we're going to talk about. Why I think that happens and what your business can do to fix it. We're going to explore an issue. I'm not selling anything today. We're going to explore an issue that I probably will be selling.

solutions more directly for, but I want to get, I want to dive into what I think is at the crux of where we're going. There's a lot. I've said this earlier in my, I did do a 2025 trends post and I've said this a lot. think 2025 is going to make 2020, the change of 2024 pale in comparison. I think we're going to see so much change that happens with businesses and we're already seeing it. I'm hearing from agencies.

and business owners saying, hey, something's going on out there. I'm not getting the leads. I'm not getting the traffic to my website. So I think we're going to see a big shift in the winners and the losers, if I can say it that way. So look, hopefully you've got some big goals for your business, but here's the missing thing. You're lacking internal marketing leadership to guide those goals.

Let me focus on that word again, leadership. You might have internal marketing, you might have internal marketing hires, you might have hired an agency that is doing amazing job with your marketing or some aspect of your marketing, but you're lacking leadership. You've got a website, maybe you're running some ads, posting on social media, but nothing feels very connected and you're not really seeing the results, right? So the traditional solutions, I already talked about them. Hire an agency.

John Jantsch (02:27.416)

that's probably going to be very focused on execution, hire full-time marketing leader, maybe a CMO or fractional CMO, maybe pretty expensive. Right. And then the DIY, which hopefully you've realized that's a tough road, right? You don't have the time. You don't have the expertise. It's probably taking you away from the things that really do matter in your business. If you're going to move your business forward, I'm not saying marketing doesn't matter. There just might be higher payoff things that you're more suited.

to do. Most businesses fail at marketing because they lack not because they lack tactics, but they fail because they lack leadership really to tie it all together. And I think that that is been really a theme. Now I've, you know, for 30 years, certainly the 20 plus years I've been doing this podcast, I've been talking about strategy before tactics, and that is a big piece of it. But there's also a leadership

component. I think you need somebody to take ownership of that strategy and sure that really every marketing effort aligns with your growth goals. It's not about doing more. It's about doing the right things in the right order. Number one, developing a marketing strategy, but then having somebody that is there to help you fix the foundational issues really to tie it all together to orchestrate it. A lot of times, you know, when we start working with somebody,

before we can really do much for them in terms of growth or even in brand is we have to get their messaging right. We have to actually, in most cases, redo their brochure website and turn it actually into a sales asset. We have to talk about content that is educational and trust building. And once we get through that foundation, then we need to actually build a repeatable marketing system. One that ensures you're not just throwing money at the next new thing.

You're building a machine that works long term. So that's the component that I think marketing leadership brings. It's not just somebody that says, this is what we ought to do. This is how we ought to price it. This is how we ought to talk about our products and services. That's great to have that strategy, that component. But you also need somebody who is really then orchestrating on that. So breaking it down, you need the strategy first, right? Clear path, aligned goals, customer needs.

John Jantsch (04:54.82)

Identify what's missing, what needs fixing. Then you need to have those foundational issues fixed. Then you need to build a system. And then you actually need to start thinking about marketing as an asset in your business. And by that, mean, you need to start hiring and training a team to take over and keep that system running. that's, know, if you think about it, if you went out there and hired, you were at a point where you're like, gosh, we need to take marketing seriously. We need to hire some marketing leadership.

we need to hire a marketing manager. We need to hire a marketing fractional CMO. Well, that person would come in and hopefully you develop a strategy and nine times out of 10 there, they'd say, okay, who are we going to get to do the work? Because I'm, I'm not writing the emails. That's not my job. and so whether it's going to be a third party or you're going to actually bring somebody, in and hire and train those OREX or have your marketing leader hire and train those folks. that's really what I think the

I think that the agency model today is just what I'm starting to call marketing leadership as a service. So that includes strategy development, foundation fixes, then installing that system and then training and handing off into your business somebody who can actually run that system. That's the piece that's really been missing. know, people have either hired somebody one off, didn't really know what to tell them to do. They got a little result, but it seemed

seem like they weren't getting anything or they've hired an agency. Same thing. Nobody was directing them. Or maybe they've hired somebody to come in and build a strategy, but then nobody to really execute that. So, marketing leadership, I believe, is the missing link for most small businesses. And I believe that agencies today, if you are an agency, a consultant, marketing strategist out there listening, this idea of selling marketing leadership

as a service, I hope actually set some bells off and in some cases alarm bells, because this is what the market needs. And I think that you're going to find not only are people going to want it, they're going to want to pay a premium or expect to pay a premium for that person who can bring leadership. AI cannot provide strategy. AI cannot provide leadership. Agencies need to start thinking like

John Jantsch (07:17.368)

architects as opposed to contractors don't do the work. AI is actually going to do a lot of the specialized work. But that leadership component that is executing on a strategy that is building a marketing system, that's what's missing. And I've been saying marketing is a system, as I said, for 25 years. However, we're really getting to the point where that's a very tangible idea. For a lot of folks,

It's still even though they agreed with me marketing is a system It felt like a vague idea because really what you were doing was plugging people in to do things And it felt very much like traditional marketing but I believe that we are on the crux of or the what's a better way to say that the precipice. that's a good word precipice of This idea that we can in fact finally install a marketing system

in a business because of AI and because we are taking this idea as marketing leadership, as a service, as the missing ingredient. So next time you feel like your marketing isn't working, ask yourself, do I have any leadership? Do I have a system in place to make it work? If not, that's the first thing you need to fix. But if this conversation resonated with you, stay tuned. We are going to in 2025.

have a very set step one, step two, step three, step four, that really focuses on positioning what we do as bringing this to small midsize businesses. So stay tuned. If you like this idea, if you're an agency consultant, if you're a business owner and you like this idea, just reach out to John at ducttapemarketing.com and tell me you like the idea, you want to hear more. And I will tell you how we can actually build marketing as an asset in your business, not

as a cost, not as an expense in your business. It actually can be something that will make your business more valuable, not just because you'll grow revenue and get more customers, because you'll be able to show somebody. Let's say you want to exit your business, you'll be able to show somebody here's how our marketing system works. And that can be one of the most valuable things you can do in your business. So take care. If you're listening to this post 2025, have a happy new year.

John Jantsch (09:41.372)

Happy end of the year and let's make 2025 rock. Hopefully we'll see you one of these days out there on the road.

Scroll back to top

Sign up to receive email updates

Enter your name and email address below and I'll send you periodic updates about the podcast.

powered by

 

 

from Duct Tape Marketing https://ift.tt/NBeWAJl
via IFTTT