Former middle school teacher and TEDx speaker Laura Briggs just released her first book, Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business, and she joins Sales for Nerds to demystify SEO for the busy small business owner. Learn:

• Why you don't need to spend thousands of dollars on SEO to get some traction.
• How to find out the right keywords.
• How to write for both humans and Google.
• How to fit all this into an already overloaded schedule.

VP of Sales and Marketing for National Association of Sales Professionals, so he's like an uber meta-sales person, but that's not how he started. He got a summer internship knocking on doors for a painting company. Learn about his journey, and hear Rick's insights on sales psychology.

Craig Elias goes from computer science degree to Canadian sales rock star and learns some things along the way, such as:

• How people end up in the Window of Dissatisfaction
• What they do when they get there
• How do be the first to know someone is in the window
• Why you need to analyze your wins more than your losses
• What kinds of words you need to use to sell

Terry Hansen was once on the verge of running away to join the circus. Literally. He's now an established sales trainer. It didn't happen overnight. In this interview, Terry shares his story, and how to prevent objections instead of trying to overcome them.

Plus, learn Terry's PIMAT shorthand to make sure you've got a strong deal that won't get sabotaged by last minute objections.

Michael Zipursky didn't mean to start consulting with giant Japanese corporations in his early 20s. It just happened. Hear how he pulled it off, and how he started multiple businesses, including his most recent venture helping consultants learn from his mistakes (this should sound familiar to long time listeners). Plus, learn to improve your results by improving your mindset, from the author The Elite Consulting Mind. In this episode, learn how:

• Michael set himself up for success in his early 20s before he got on a plane for  Japan. (He found a niche for helping Japanese companies market to the North American market.)
• Why he's fascinated with languages and cultures.
• Why people try to rush sales before relationships, and what to do instead (and a time Michael made a bad mistake in this area).
• How many consultants make the opposite mistake, and never try to actually sell anything. (“No one buys consulting, unless someone makes an offer.”)
• What's holding people back? Usually fear. Fear of making a mistake, the unknown, and being rejected.
  • The Catch-22 is that confidence and competence come from taking action, while people don't take action because they're afraid.
  • Taking action gives you the only feedback that really matters-- from the market.
• When we do "take action", a lot of the things that make you feel productive, because you’re spending time on them, are not actually moving your business forward. Drop those things, and spend more time on the smaller fraction of things that actually create lots of value. We often do things that are easy or comfortable, rather than the things that are hard and actually productive. For example, spend time to meet with people, or, at a minimum pick up the phone and have a two way conversation. Don’t fall into the trap of sending the quick email.
  • Think you don't have time? Follow the 80/20 rule. Document your process and pinpoint where you are really required. Offload repeated tasks (and your ego).
  • What you can’t outsource— marketing! You have to define your audience and your message.
• Bonus tip: If you really want to build a thriving practice, stay in touch and make introductions when you *don’t* have the solution they need right now. This is a great way to build trust.

"Author" is the root of "authority". In this episode, young media mastermind Rusty Shelton shares tips for gaining authority and control over your own marketing channels, moving beyond other people's social media platforms, plus mistakes people make with their marketing. Plus, he gets me to commit to write a book.

Consultant and consultant to consultant David A. Fields shares wisdom from his latest book, The Irresistible Consultant’s Guide to Winning Clients, including how to think "right side up", how to price deals, how he got started in sales, and more.