Unveiling the Secrets of Building a Thriving Business
Are you ready to unlock the secrets to building a thriving and innovative business? Look no further, because Joe Ardeeser and Stacy Jones have all the answers for you in our latest episode of Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them!
Joe is the Founder and CEO of Smart Pricing Table, an interactive B2B proposal software. With an impressive track record of over 12 years as a digital agency owner, Joe has had the privilege of collaborating with big-name brands like Bluetooth, T-Mobile, and Scantron. In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares highlights of the podcast of the significance of proposals, and why companies should prioritize perfecting their proposal process
A Little More About Joe
Joe's journey didn't end with the success of his agency. After selling his agency, he harnessed his passion for sales and proposal writing to create something truly innovative.
He developed Smart Pricing Table, a software designed to revolutionize how businesses manage their proposals. By reducing back-and-forth communication, incorporating upsells, and generating proposals with incredible speed, Joe has created a way to streamline the process like never before, allowing businesses to swiftly close deals with high-quality clients, and take their proposal management to the next level.
Interview Transcript Highlights
Stacy: How did you get here today? You told me you started this software journey quite a while ago!
Joe: Well, from the very beginning, one thing that has always been a part of me - and my wife can attest to it - is my love for systems. When I was a kid, my grandparents raised me, and during Halloween, we would prepare little goodies. I have vivid memories of putting three pieces of candy in a bag and creating an assembly line. It was like an A/B test, although I didn't realize it at the time. I have always had a strong affinity for systems, regardless of the project, company, or position I take on. Building systems has been a consistent source of joy for me. It makes business more fun and often leads to pleasant surprises.
Stacy: What are the best practices with proposals?
Joe: I have a simple framework that I use for better proposals, which I call the "first 5 C's" or sometimes refer to as the "profitable proposal blueprint."
1. Capitalized with technology
2. Catalog your offering
3. Cater to your customer
4. Confer with your customer
5. Continuously improve
( Listen on the podcast how these 5 C's work!)
Stacy: What else do people do wrong with proposals?
Joe: Here's what you need to do: Stop blindly throwing proposals over the fence without knowing what's happening on the other side. Makes sense, right? My suggestion is to have a Proposal Review Meeting. Let me share with you exactly how I've implemented it in the past, and I can assure you, it works like a charm.
Stacy: You've had an amazing meeting where everything went fantastically well, and they absolutely loved you. However, sometimes, even with such a great proposal meeting and walk-through, it doesn't immediately lead to a signature. What do you do when you find yourself in this situation, where they suddenly go silent and "ghost" you?
Joe: Let me share a couple of important points! This is where proposal software becomes incredibly valuable. Imagine if a potential client opens your proposal two weeks after being silent - wouldn't you want to know about it? Moreover, if they are actively engaging with different offerings, toggling them on and off, it's crucial information to have, as it may present an opportunity for a well-timed sales call.
Reaching out strategically is key. I've discovered that contacting someone before they go on vacation can make a significant difference. Similarly, reaching out before the weekend can have an impact. Being aware of their engagement levels is vital, and without the right software, you'll miss out on these valuable insights.
Little Snippet of Joe on Marketing Mistakes (+ How to Avoid Them)
Stacy: So Joe, where can our listeners find Smart Pricing tables besides typing in, smartpricingtables.com?
Joe: Smartpricingtables.com is where you can learn more about our products but I also have a free guide called the Profitable Proposal Blueprint. It is high level but really helpful and actually outlines, if you like these principles, I stole them from there for myself, of course. Download that!
If you are interested in some of the ideas that we have talked about here with Stacy today, schedule a quick demo with me. I don't care if it is tire-kicking. If this is an intriguing way to write proposals, I'd love to give you a quick 15-minute demo of our software to see if it would be a good fit.
I am also on Linkedin. I like to give proposal advice on posts and have a pretty big following on there as well.
Check Out The Podcast!
This is merely the start of an exciting journey towards building efficient systems and optimizing business operations. As Joe aptly puts it, "Building a good system leads to better outcomes." If you're eager to unlock the secrets of creating exceptional proposals and achieving outstanding results, dive deeper into our podcast below!
Every week we have a marketing professional on our show to share their tips, tricks and lessons learned from their professional experience. Check out some of our other podcast blogs from earlier this year:
- The Importance Of Audience Research
- Creating And Selling An Awesome Online Course
- The Power Of Journalism In Branded Content
- Increasing Your Sales And Establishing Systems
- How To Leverage LinkedIn
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