Sales Academy

"Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara challenges businesses to think differently about customer experience. By going beyond expectations, focusing on personalisation, and empowering employees to act with empathy, companies can create unforgettable moments that drive loyalty. It’s a must-read for leaders who want to create a customer-first culture where every interaction becomes an opportunity for connection and growth. Key Message: The central message of the book is that exceptional hospitality isn't about being reasonable—it's about going beyond what's expected. By delivering thoughtful, personalised experiences, businesses can create emotional connections that turn customers into lifelong advocates. Top Takeaways: Go Beyond the Expected: Customers remember moments of surprise and delight. Doing something "unreasonable"—like personalising an experience or offering an unexpected gesture—leaves a lasting impact. Small, thoughtful actions often have a disproportionate effect on customer satisfaction. Create Memorable Moments: Memorable moments happen when you personalise the customer experience. Listening carefully to clients and acting on their unspoken needs can create unforgettable experiences. Hospitality is Everyone’s Job: Hospitality isn’t limited to restaurants or hotels. Every business can create a culture of hospitality where employees actively seek opportunities to make clients feel valued and cared for. Empower Your Team: Leaders should encourage employees to take initiative and create magical moments for customers. When team members feel empowered to act without seeking permission, they can provide more thoughtful, spontaneous experiences. Attention to Detail Matters: Small, thoughtful touches—like remembering customer preferences or offering personalised gifts—make people feel seen and appreciated. These details show that you care, and customers are more likely to stay loyal. Turn Complaints into Opportunities: When something goes wrong, it’s a chance to exceed expectations. Responding with care, empathy, and generosity can turn unhappy customers into your biggest fans. Surprise is a Powerful Tool: Unexpected gestures have a bigger emotional impact than standardised offerings. By surprising customers with thoughtful actions, businesses can create positive emotional responses that deepen loyalty. The Culture of Hospitality: To sustain unreasonable hospitality, leaders must instil it as a core company value. This requires clear communication, team buy-in, and a shift from transactional thinking to relationship-building. Don’t Compromise on Quality: Hospitality must be paired with operational excellence. If the core product or service is subpar, no amount of "extra effort" can make up for it. Make People Feel Seen and Valued: Ultimately, the goal of unreasonable hospitality is to make people feel recognised, respected, and valued. This is the essence of building customer loyalty and brand advocacy. #business #growth

I personally feel this is one of the best marketing books written in the last 50 years. "They Ask, You Answer" by Marcus Sheridan is a practical guide to transforming your marketing strategy by focusing on answering your customers’ questions honestly and transparently. Sheridan draws from his experience turning around his struggling business to demonstrate how a customer-first content strategy can drive trust, sales, and business growth. Key Message: The book's core message is that businesses thrive by addressing their customers' concerns head-on. By creating content that directly answers common questions and provides valuable insights, you build trust, establish authority, and empower buyers to make informed decisions. Top Takeaways: Answer Customer Questions: The foundation of the book is simple: if customers are asking it, answer it. Addressing their concerns openly builds trust and positions you as a transparent, reliable expert in your field. The Big Five Topics: Focus your content on five key areas customers care about: pricing, problems, comparisons, reviews, and best-of lists. These are the questions people research before making buying decisions. Honesty Builds Trust: Many businesses avoid discussing pricing or weaknesses in their products or services, but Sheridan argues that being upfront about these builds credibility and helps potential buyers feel confident in their decision. Use Content Strategically: Develop blog posts, videos, and other resources that answer common questions at every stage of the buyer's journey. This content acts as a silent salesperson, working 24/7 to educate and nurture leads. The Role of Video: Video content is particularly effective in building trust and engaging customers. Sheridan advocates for a "video-first" strategy to personalise your brand and explain complex topics more effectively. Empower Your Sales Team: Create a seamless connection between your content and sales. By arming your sales team with educational resources, they can better address customer objections and close deals faster. Track and Measure Results: Success comes from consistent content creation and measuring its impact on traffic, leads, and conversions. Analysing data helps refine your strategy over time. Commit to a Culture Shift: Implementing this approach requires buy-in across the organisation. Everyone, from leadership to sales, must embrace transparency and a customer-first mindset. "They Ask, You Answer" provides a straightforward yet powerful framework for modern marketing and sales. By focusing on transparency, addressing customer questions directly, and leveraging educational content, businesses can build trust, increase engagement, and drive sustainable growth. It’s a must-read for companies looking to thrive in today’s digital-first world. #salesacademy #business #bookreviews #books #development #growth #learning #sales #marketing #leadership #businessowner #entrepreneur

"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson is a modern self-help book that challenges conventional positivity-driven advice. Instead, Manson advocates for embracing life’s challenges, accepting limitations, and focusing only on what truly matters to you. The book's central message is that you have limited time and energy, so you must carefully choose what to care about. True happiness comes not from avoiding problems but from solving meaningful ones aligned with your values. Top Takeaways: Embrace Responsibility: Life is full of problems, but instead of avoiding them, focus on solving the ones that matter most. Taking responsibility for your choices leads to empowerment and growth. The Value of Struggle: Problems and challenges are unavoidable, but they give life meaning. Choosing worthwhile struggles is more important than seeking constant happiness or comfort. Be Selective About Your "F*cks": You can’t care about everything, so focus your attention and energy on what aligns with your values. Let go of superficial concerns and societal expectations. Happiness Requires Effort: Happiness is not something you achieve but something you experience by engaging in meaningful activities and pursuing personal growth. Accept Your Limitations: Growth begins when you accept that you are not extraordinary. Embracing your flaws and limitations helps you focus on improving what genuinely matters. The Importance of Values: Good values, such as honesty and personal growth, lead to lasting fulfilment. Poor values, like chasing status or avoiding discomfort, often result in dissatisfaction. Failure is Part of Growth: Manson emphasises the value of failure as a teacher. The willingness to fail and learn from mistakes is essential for improvement and success. Let Go of Control: You cannot control everything in life. Focus on what you can influence, and accept uncertainty and change as natural parts of life. "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" offers a refreshing take on self-help, encouraging readers to focus on what truly matters and accept life’s imperfections. By embracing responsibility, prioritising values, and letting go of unnecessary concerns, you can live a more meaningful, fulfilling life. #salesacademy #business #bookreviews #books #development #growth #learning #sales #marketing #leadership #businessowner #entrepreneur

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey is a self-development classic that outlines seven principles for personal and professional effectiveness. Covey's framework focuses on character development and cultivating habits that lead to meaningful, long-term success. The core message is that true effectiveness comes from aligning our actions with principles of integrity, responsibility, and proactive behaviour. Covey encourages readers to focus on character-building and proactive habits to achieve sustained personal and professional growth. Top Takeaways: Be Proactive: Take responsibility for your life rather than reacting to external circumstances. Proactivity involves making conscious choices aligned with your values and focusing on what you can control. Begin with the End in Mind: Define your goals and visualise your destination. By envisioning what you want to achieve, you can ensure your actions are purposeful and aligned with long-term objectives. Put First Things First: Prioritise tasks based on importance rather than urgency. This habit encourages you to focus on activities that align with your values and contribute to long-term goals, rather than merely reacting to immediate demands. Think Win-Win: Adopt a mindset that seeks mutual benefit in all interactions. This habit is about fostering cooperation, seeking solutions that satisfy all parties, and building strong, positive relationships. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood: Practice empathetic listening. Understanding others’ perspectives first allows for more effective communication and builds stronger relationships. Synergise: Value teamwork and collaboration. Covey highlights the power of combining strengths through collaboration, which can achieve outcomes greater than individual efforts. Sharpen the Saw: Maintain personal well-being by balancing physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. This habit is about continuous self-renewal, enabling you to stay effective over time. Covey’s "7 Habits" presents a structured approach to personal and professional effectiveness, advocating for habits that foster character, relationships, and long-term fulfilment. By focusing on proactive choices, prioritising purpose, and nurturing well-being, readers can cultivate a balanced, productive, and meaningful life. #business #books #education #selfdevelopment

"Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini explores the psychology behind why people say "yes" and how to use these insights to influence others ethically. Cialdini identifies six key principles of persuasion, drawn from psychology and behavioural science, that can be applied in business and personal interactions. Key Message: The book's central message is that people respond to certain psychological triggers, often unconsciously. Understanding these triggers allows you to guide behaviour and decisions more effectively, using ethical persuasion techniques. Top Takeaways: Reciprocity: People feel obliged to return favours. If you offer something first—like a free sample or helpful advice—others are more likely to give back in some way, whether through purchases or support. Commitment and Consistency: Once someone commits to a course of action, they tend to stick with it. For instance, if a person agrees to a small request, they are more likely to agree to larger requests later. Social Proof: People often look to others for cues on how to behave, particularly in uncertain situations. This is why testimonials, reviews, and endorsements are powerful—they show that others have had positive experiences, influencing potential customers. Liking: We are more likely to be persuaded by people we like. Factors such as physical appearance, shared interests, and receiving compliments all increase likeability and can enhance persuasive efforts. Authority: People tend to follow the advice of those they view as experts or authority figures. Displaying credentials, knowledge, or expertise makes others more receptive to your message. Scarcity: The fear of missing out drives action. When something is perceived as limited or exclusive, people are more likely to act quickly. Creating a sense of urgency can prompt faster decisions. "Influence" offers invaluable insights into the psychology of persuasion, presenting six principles—reciprocity, commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity—that can help guide others’ decisions. By applying these principles ethically, you can become more persuasive in both personal and professional contexts, leading to better outcomes in interactions.

"Selling the Invisible" by Harry Beckwith is a marketing guide focused on selling services rather than products. Beckwith highlights the unique challenges of marketing intangible services, offering practical advice on how businesses can stand out and succeed. Key Message: Selling services is about building trust, managing perceptions, and delivering a great customer experience. Since services can't be tested before purchase, how they're marketed and presented plays a crucial role in their success. Top Takeaways: Perception is Key: Customers’ perceptions of your service are more important than the actual service itself. Consistent messaging, branding, and customer interaction create the right impressions. Prioritise Customer Experience: How you deliver the service often matters more than the service itself. Since customers can’t see the service beforehand, they judge the experience from initial contact to delivery. Build Trust and Relationships: Trust is crucial in selling services. People buy from those they like and trust, so relationship-building is central to service marketing. Leverage Word-of-Mouth: Positive recommendations are invaluable in service industries. Great customer experiences lead to strong word-of-mouth and referrals. Compete on Service, Not Price: Competing on price alone is rarely effective. Instead, focus on delivering exceptional service to stand out in a competitive market. Keep it Simple: Your messaging should be simple and clear. Avoid jargon and focus on how your service solves customer problems. Highlight Tangible Benefits: Although services are intangible, you should focus on delivering clear benefits like convenience, expertise, or time savings to demonstrate value. Listen to Customers: Listening to customer needs and concerns helps tailor your service to their specific requirements, positioning it as the ideal solution. Continuous Improvement: The service industry is always changing. To stay ahead, businesses must continuously improve and adapt their services to meet evolving customer expectations. Marketing is Everywhere: Beckwith stresses that marketing is more than just advertising—it’s everything you do, from customer service to follow-ups, that shapes the customer’s perception of your business. "Selling the Invisible" is a valuable guide for service-based businesses, offering actionable insights into building trust, improving customer experience, and standing out in a competitive market. By focusing on relationships, simplifying messages, and constantly refining services, businesses can succeed in the service marketing landscape.

"The cycle of business is easy, but making it thrive requires intention." Building a business is not just about strategy and profit margins—it's about nurturing a cycle that makes growth sustainable and people-focused. The idea is simple: look after your team, the team looks after your customers, customers then care for the business, and ultimately, the business will take care of you. But how do you make this happen in practice? Here are 5 things you can do to keep this cycle alive and thriving: Prioritise Your People Your team is the foundation of everything. Treat them as partners, not resources. Listen, support, and encourage their growth—personally and professionally. A team that feels valued goes above and beyond without ever needing to be asked. Communicate with Clarity and Honesty Share your vision with your team openly. Let them understand the direction you’re heading and their role in getting there. Authentic communication fosters trust, and trust is what gets everyone moving in the same direction with passion. Create an Environment for Autonomy Micromanagement crushes morale. Empower your team by giving them the freedom to make decisions. Trust them to handle their responsibilities. Empowered employees are more engaged, motivated, and proactive—ultimately better for your customers. Make Customer Care a Core Value Customers who feel genuinely cared for become loyal advocates for your business. Encourage your team to approach every customer interaction with empathy and a solution-oriented mindset. It's not just about solving problems but about making people feel heard. Maintain Your Own Balance You are the pulse of the business. If you are burnt out, it affects everything else. Take care of your mental and physical health, know when to step back, and find support where you need it. A healthy leader makes for a healthy team and a thriving business. It's about building a virtuous cycle, where each part feeds into the other—creating momentum that benefits everyone involved. The business world might be tough, but when you take care of your people, the business eventually takes care of you. What’s something you do to make this cycle work in your business? #business #growth #people #caring #makingbusinessgreat #cycleofbusiness

"The E-Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber highlights why many small businesses fail and offers strategies for success. Gerber challenges the belief that being skilled in a trade is enough to run a business. He stresses the importance of working on the business, not just in it. Key Message: Small businesses fail because owners focus too much on technical work. To succeed, entrepreneurs must create systems that allow the business to run independently, enabling growth and scalability. Top Takeaways: The E-Myth: Being good at a skill doesn't guarantee business success. Running a business requires a different mindset. Three Roles: Business owners must balance being the Technician (doing the work), Manager (organising), and Entrepreneur (driving vision). Work on the Business: Focus on building systems and processes that can operate without you. Franchise Model Thinking: Design your business as if it's a franchise, ensuring it's scalable and not reliant on the owner’s presence. Turn-Key Operation: Create systems so that the business can function like a machine, without dependence on specific individuals. Documentation: Standardise and document processes to maintain consistency and efficiency across the business. System-Centric Approach: Systems should drive operations, ensuring quality and reducing dependency on individuals. Continuous Improvement: Regularly refine your systems to maintain growth and adaptability. "The E-Myth Revisited" advises entrepreneurs to focus on systems, shift from a technician to an entrepreneurial mindset, and build businesses that can scale without being overly reliant on them. #salesacademy #business #bookreviews #books #development #growth #learning #sales #marketing #leadership #businessowner #entrepreneur

On Friday, we go again. 👏 Our favourite day of the quarter, 'Strategic Planning'. Our take on 90 day planning. Where we invite our clients to come together for a day of ✅ Education ✅ Planning ✅ Sharing ✅ Awards ✅ Commitments and Focus. We run this event in person and online, it is hybrid and has been since lockdown. No excuses. Building a living, breathing, workable plan that enables you to focus on the important areas of your life and business in the next 90 days. You build your commitments, you transfer them to your 90 day plan and you break those commitments down into weekly activities, focus and review. We provide the accountability weekly, the coaching sessions monthly and the planning sessions quarterly. Why? 🇬🇧 Because you dont have to do it on your own. 🇬🇧 Business is simple, we as humans make it complicated. 🇬🇧 It isn't easy (simple and easy are not the same) because it takes effort. 🇬🇧 Accountability and focus works. 🇬🇧 Peer to peer business group with people who just 'get it'. 🇬🇧 Growth & Success is different for everyone, so this isn't prescribed, it's your life, your business, your plan! Get on board before Christmas Strategic Planning in December. We have Business Without Being a Bellend running in Bristol in November (whole day covering all aspects of business for existing and startup businesses). Strategic Planning runs every March, June, September & December and is available to all our clients regardless of which coaching programme you are on with us. In your corner. 👏👏 Photo credits: The Content Creators #business #sales #marketing #finance #planning #coaching #training #strategicplanning #businessplanning #90dayplanning #bethedifference #makingbusinessgreat

Stop Being the Leader with All the Answers! As business leaders, we often find ourselves in the role of the go-to problem solver, the fountain of all knowledge. It's a comfortable position, isn't it? But what if I told you that this approach might be holding your team – and your business – back? Richard Branson once said, "A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts." He didn't build a global empire by having all the answers himself. Instead, he focused on building a team of passionate, talented individuals who each brought their own unique perspectives and solutions to the table. In our latest video podcast episode, "Stop Being the Leader that has All the Answers," we delve into why shifting your mindset from 'know-it-all' to 'trust in your team' can transform your leadership and drive your business forward. Here’s why embracing your team’s collective wisdom is crucial: Empowerment: When you give your team the space to solve problems, you empower them to take ownership and initiative. This builds confidence and promotes a culture of innovation. Diversity of Thought: Great ideas can come from anywhere. By involving your team, you tap into a diverse pool of thoughts and perspectives that can lead to groundbreaking solutions. Sustainability: A business that relies solely on one person’s answers is vulnerable. Building a team that can think and act independently ensures long-term sustainability and resilience. Growth: Your role as a leader is to guide and support. When your team grows, so does your business. Invest in their development, and watch as they flourish and drive success. Remember, leadership isn't about having all the answers; it's about asking the right questions and listening. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Join us in this episode as we explore practical steps to transition from being the answer-giver to being a true facilitator of your team’s potential. Let’s lead with curiosity, trust, and a genuine belief in our team’s capabilities. After all, success is a team sport. #Leadership #Teamwork #BusinessGrowth #Empowerment #Innovation #Podcast #RichardBranson