Talking Business Now

Best-selling author Colleen Francis joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss her most recent book, Nonstop Sales Boom, and offer a strategy for driving consistent sales growth in your company and putting an end to boom-and-bust sales cycles. You'll discover:■ What causes boom-and-bust sales cycles—and why we tolerate them■ How to attract the best leads for your sales pipeline■ Why qualifying an opportunity is the responsibility of both the buyer and the seller■ Why not all clients deserve your priority■ How to get clients to sell to your best leads■ And . . . what sales leaders should be Talking Business Now about with their sales teams in 2019!Colleen Francis is the founder and president of Engage Selling Solutions and has a 20-year history of delivering sales results. She is Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and an inductee into the Speaking Hall of Fame. Connect with her on:FacebookTwitterLinkedInLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mikki Williams, CSP, CPAE, joins Talking Business Nowhost Kelly Scanlon to discuss how your business can gain a competitive advantage through storytelling. Williams is the owner of Mikki Williams Unltd. She’s a Hall of Fame Professional speaker, a TEDx speaker, an executive speech coach and a Vistage resource speaker and Master Chair. In this episode of Talking Business Now, Mikki shares these insights with listeners: How to invest employees, customers and stakeholders through story so they care about your dataWhy it's important to understand that you are in the "emotional transportation business" every time you give a speech or presentationHow to use stories to create cultureHow to use stories to promote your company's brand Williams was chosen as one of the best speakers in the country by Meetings and Convention Magazine along with Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, Rudy Giuliani, Lou Holtz, Zig Ziglar and Jay Leno. An award-winning speaker for Vistage International and Master Chair of two of their peer advisory b

It’s an understatement to say that we live in a constantly changing world. And now, more than ever, customers expect companies to practice corporate responsibility. On this episode of Talking Business Now,Shannon Adkins joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss what it takes to build a purpose-led culture in our companies and to build solutions for lasting change. Adkins is the CEO at Future State, an employee-owned strategic consulting firm focused on supporting change management and operational transformation within global Fortune 500 companies. Future State is women-led, and more than 80 percent of its owners are women. The company's giving and employee volunteer program focuses on supporting local nonprofits that work with women and families. Future State was certified as a B-Corp in 2015, and in 2016 it was named a “Best for the World” business for its employer practices. Tune in to find out how purpose-led, triple-bottomline businesses of the 21st century incorporate these four characteristics to build loy

On this episode of Talking Business Now,Dr. Tom Hill joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss the four mantras he’s embraced to achieve success in all areas of his life. Tune in to discover how Dr. Hill has put these principles to work—and how you can too! We have a moral obligation to become the very best person with our God-given talents.We have a moral obligation to become a positive difference with every person we come in contact with.One idea, well executed, can change your life forever.One person, who is attracted to you because of who you have become, can change your life forever. Dr. Hill spent the first 26 years of his career in public education. Then, at age 50, he left the University of Missouri, where he was a professor and administrator, to pursue an entrepreneurial career in real estate franchise sales. In fewer than 10 years, he built a company that in 1999, had real estate offices with more than $3 billion in sales. He sold that company in 1999 and now spends his time and energy giving back and s

Amanda Brinkman joins host Kelly Scanlon on this episode of Talking Business Now. You may know Brinkman as the co-host of The Small Business Revolution—Main Streetseries with Ty Pennington. What you may not know is that Brinkman herself brings an entrepreneurial attitude—and a belief that all brands can “Do Well By Doing Good”—to all her endeavors. Brinkman, who has had a long career in marketing and advertising, almost didn’t go into the field because she didn’t know how it would fulfill her desire to “do good” and to give back. But a mentor challenged her to find a way to marry her two passions. From the get-go, Brinkman made a mark at top ad agencies working with brands such as Colgate-Palmolive, Virgin Mobile, Rebok, H&R Block and BMW. Now, as the chief brand and communications officer of Deluxe Corp., Brinkman is helping small businesses succeed. She created, executive produces and stars in The Small Business Revolution, which awards one small town and its small businesses $500,000 each season. She a

Sylvie Di Giusto [pronounced Dee-Juice-Toh] joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to talk about "packaging people." That's right, Di Giusto packages people. She's an image consultant, the author of "The Image of Leadership" and an online program called "How You Impress," and the founder of Executive Image Consulting in New York City. She and her firm help individuals and companies understand how people make up their minds very quickly about them—and either open the door for them or slam it shut. In this episode, Di Giusto talks with us about making a great first impression and how to control the message we send to others. Some of the tips she offers are: The 7-second ruleHow to deal with confirmation biasThe ABCD of your first impressionHow to use social media to control first impressions Connections: Facebook:www.facebook.com/sylviedigiustoTwitter: @SylviediGiustoLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sylviedigiustoInstagram: www.instagram.com/sylviedigiusto/Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone

During this holiday season, enjoy a replay of my popular Elf on the Shelf episode with co-founder Chanda Bell. She gives us the behind-the-scenes scoop on how she, her twin sister Christa Pitts, and her mother Carol Aebersold transformed a cherished family tradition into a best-selling and enduring holiday brand. The company, Creatively Classic Activities and Books, was founded in 2005. Thirteen years later, more than 13 million of the ever-popular elves can be found around the world. In addition to the elves, the company's products include books, Christmas pets, the Claus Couture collection, music videos and others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Talking Business Now, Rania Anderson joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss how to build diverse, high-performing teams and equitable work environments. Anderson’s new book, WE: Men, Women and the Decisive Formula for Winning at Work, presents a process of driving gender parity, and provides tangible insights for transforming and strengthening the way men and women work, lead and succeed together. The good news? It’s not about what the organization should do. It addresses what individuals can do. You can do things every day to change your workplace. Anderson is an international speaker, executive coach, founder of The Way Women Work and the cofounder of the Women’s Capital Connection, a women's angel investor network. She is also the author of Undeterred: The Six Success Habits of Women in Emerging Economies.  Tune in to discover: Why gender balance is so important in the workplaceA framework for recruiting, retaining and leading with womenOften overlooked workplace practices that disproport

Certified speaking professional Diane DiResta shares insights for adding power, punch and pizzazz to your presentations—whether you're talking on stage in front of a large audience, making a sales presentation, speaking in the boardroom, or in any situation where your message matters. In this episode of Talking Business Now, DiResta, the author of Knockout Presentations, discusses: Why public speaking is the new competitive advantage—and adds to your ROIOvercoming public speaking fearIncreasing your persuasiveness, even in front of challenging audiencesAudience expectations in the Digital AgeThe importance of being audience-centricUsing a "speech sandwich" to organize your presentationAvoiding common speaking mistakesDeveloping your listening skills to enhance your speaking skills DiResta is the founder and CEO of New York-based DiResta Communications, a consultancy that works with business leaders who deliver high-stakes presentations. She has spoken on four continents and is often quoted in the major media.

October 25 marks the 30th anniversary of monumental legislation. President Reagan signed HR5050, also known as the Women Business Ownership Act of 1988, into law on Oct. 25, 1988. The legislation is still considered the "Big Bang" of women’s business ownership. It removed the mandatory requirement in many states for a male to sign a woman's business loan, established the Women’s Business Centers, required the Census to count women-owned C corporations, and created the National Women’s Business Council, which reports to the president and Congress. In this episode of Talking Business Now, I talked with Virginia Littlejohn at the 21C Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, as she celebrated the 30th anniversary with the KC chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, which was instrumental in the legislation's passage. Virginia was a primary architect of the legislation. She joins us to give a behind-the-scenes look at the effort that resulted in this game-changing legislation, it’s impact on women’s en

Some people know from a young age that they’re destined for entrepreneurship. Others follow a career path that steadfastly leads them there. So it was with Jon and Teresa Andrade, the founders of Heartland Medical Solutions (HMS). The couple launched the Olathe, Kansas-based distributor of advanced imaging and surgical equipment in 2004, after Jon had worked in the industry for several years. The company now sells advanced imaging and surgical equipment to hospitals, surgery centers and doctors’ offices in eight states, including Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. Jon started his career in radiology as an X-ray tech in 1991. Through a mutual friend, he began his 11-year medical sales career at OEC Medical Systems. His wife Teresa’s journey was similar. Her degree in education has an emphasis in community health, and she’s followed opportunity throughout her career. “I’ve always done something, working and making money, taking those roles on myself. And then when Tere

Bradley Charbonneau joins Talking Business Now to discuss the power of habit. He believes most of us suffer from one thing that is something of a quiet poison that keeps us from thriving to new heights. It's being comfortable. Yes, most of us suffer from the habitual, yet not-that-terrible lives we wake up to every day. Charbonneau was living a nice, comfortable life in San Francisco. He was running a successful agency, but it was killing him. His father's death in 2015 jolted him out of complacency. He said: "It was as if, for the first time, I realized we were mortal and had only this life to live." So, he shut down his agency, moved his family to Europe and started writing. A strong believer in the power of habit, Charbonneau made a decision to write for 30 days. He saw it as a formidable challenge. But he realized that if he approached it one day at a time, he could form a habit and achieve his goal. Charbonneau has been writing now for more than 2,000 and has authored 11 books and numerous blogs and arti

Amanda Brinkman, who co-hosts The Small Business Revolution—Main Street with Ty Pennington, joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to give viewers a heads up on what to expect as Season 3 of the series debuts. Brinkman is the chief brand and communications officer of Deluxe Corp., and she has made it her mission to help small businesses succeed. She created, executive produces and stars in the series, which broadcasts on Hulu. In Season 3, the show chronicles a $500,000 makeover for Alton, Illinois, and its small businesses. Tune in to find out: How the show worked with Morrison's Irish Pub, which is owned by a female couple and their daughter, to get it on the path to growth.What kind of impact The Small Business Revolution—Main Street has had on towns that were featured on the previous two seasons.How you can nominate your favorite town for consideration for Season 4.How women are helping other women drive the small business boom. You can follow Brinkman and her small business adventures through he

Bill George, CEO of Kansas City Transporation Group, joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and introducing innovation in a fast-changing industry. George has carved out a lane in the on-demand transportation industry—and ridden it to success. As the CEO of KCTG, George sets the strategic direction of the Midwest’s largest private passenger ground transportation company. KCTG has grown to include several well-known industry brands—SuperShuttle, Yellow Cab, 10-10 Taxi and Carey Black Car Service—and operates in 19 cities. Tune in to hear George's entrepreneurial journey and how he's creating industry change: How George honed his skills working with his father as a young boy—and how the father-son duo managed to maintain a strong relationship in spite of some "knock-down dragout fights."How George and his father ended up in the cab business after running a successful Chrysler dealership.What George learned about selling businesses after selling two himself—and buying one back.How acti

Can your business operate without you? Would it survive if you weren't there every day, providing direction, answering questions and basically breathing life—your life—into it day in and day out? If you answered no, then your business is probably consuming you. You're probably sacrificing relationships with friends and family, your health, hobbies and other things that make life worth living—all so your business can live. In this episode of Talking Business Now, serial entrepreneur and best-selling book author Mike Michalowicz presents a formula from his latest book, Clockwork, that allows you to reclaim your life—while your business grows and turns a proft. Discover the 7 steps for making your business run itself: Why it's important to categorize your work using the 4D mix.How to determine the one function that is most critical to your business—the QBR.How to protect and serve the QBR.An efficient way to capture systems.What happens when you match traits to tasks, not people to titles.What it means to com

Successful organizations and leaders learn how to resolve conflict before it starts—and create a company culture that fosters understanding and expression. In this episode of Talking Business Now, Lauren Scheiffer, also known as "The Colonel's Daughter," joins host Kelly Scanlon to discuss ways to prevent, manage and reduce conflict and drama in the workplace. Lauren has years of experience ranging from the trucking industry to global cosmetics to managing a non-profit foundation. She’s also a certified speaking professional who’s combined the leadership lessons she learned in corporate America—as well as the wisdom she gained from her father who was an Air Force colonel—into powerful speaking engagements with hundreds of organizations in seven countries. Her goal is to help businesses improve communication effectiveness and reduce conflict. Here are some of the insights that Talking Business Now listeners will learn: How to overcome adversity with humility and a sense of humorThe price of allowing workplac

Marketing pro Louis Gudema joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to share dozens of best practices and actionable tips from his new book Bullseye Marketing: How to Grow Your Business Faster. He provides insights into how small and mid-sized companies like yours can ramp up growth with more targeted, cost-effective marketing. Tune in to discover: Why small and mid-size companies should be doing even more marketing.The Bullseye Approach to marketing.How companies with little marketing experience can overcome the biggest challenge of launching a successful marketing program.How to take advantage of the areas where the marketing bullseye actually overlap.How non-marketing executives, such as business owners, can overcome marketing challenges.What company leaders must track to know their marketing efforts are paying off. Gudema helps companies from MIT startups to the Global 2000 increase their revenue by focusing on the fastest, least expensive and most cost-effective programs to get more leads and sales

How often do you wish you knew the secret to living a successful and happy life? Not just a life that brings periods of joy, but a life that is joy-filled through both the ups and the downs we all inevitably encounter? Well, wait no longer. In this episode of Talking Business Now, host Kelly Scanlon talks business—and self-discovery—with Joe Deitch, the author of Elevate: An Essential Guide to Life. It's a book that's meant to be lived, not just read. A financial industry pioneer who founded Commonwealth Financial Network—the largest privately owned independent investment broker/dealer in the U.S.—Deitch is also the chair of a golf resort and real estate company with properties in the U.S., the Bahamas and Scotland. Among his numerous awards, he counts a Tony Award as co-producer of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. He also established the Deitch Leadership Institute at Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in the U.S. Here's what you'll take away from the episode: An understanding of the interconnecte

Sales and leadership expert Ron Karr is talking business now about how to use his proprietary Velocity Mindset process to increase your company's market share, sales and profits. He joins host Kelly Scanlon to share: What today's prospects expect from a salesperson.Simple questions for qualifying a prospect.How to shorten the sales cycle.How to grow sales revenues without discounting.The secret to reducing the number of proposals you send out.Time management tips for salespeople. Ron Karr has managed to generate three-quarters of a billion dollars in incremental revenues for his clients worldwide. Some of those clients include leaders from companies like YPO, Hertz, UPS, and Marriott Hotels. He is the author of four books, including the best-selling book “Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way.”  Ron has been published in more than 250 national magazines, interviewed on hundreds of radio stations and appeared on Fox News, the CBS Morning Show, BBC, Bloomberg TV and C-Suite TV. An international keynote speaker and

Dale Scott, the founder and president of Vintage Home KC, has earned a reputation refurbishing Kansas City homes that were originally built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They are mostly Craftsman-style homes that feature clean lines rather than ornate fl ourishes. Scott joins Talking Business Now host Kelly Scanlon to discuss his leap from owning a chiropractic office into several real estate and general contracting opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices