Episodios

  • The WhaleSale™

    The WhaleSale™
    Oct 23 2025
    SHOW NOTES: Strategic WhaleSale™ Approach- Alan and Lisa discussed the concept of "WhaleSales," which involves targeting large, high-value clients to maximize revenue and efficiency. Lisa shared her experience of landing a significant whale deal that transformed her company's growth and stability, emphasizing the importance of alignment with the C-suite and strategic goals. They highlighted that whale sales should be an intentional strategy for businesses and not an accident, with Lisa noting that her company made it a cultural standard to pursue such deals annually. WhaleSale™ Strategy Insights- Alan and Lisa discussed the concept of "landing a whale" in sales, emphasizing that it involves making friends and providing value rather than killing opportunities. Alan shared his experience of undervaluing a sale early in his career and highlighted the importance of changing one's philosophy to pursue larger deals. Lisa agreed and added that internal opportunities within existing client bases should also be considered. They discussed the need for relevance and preparation when targeting larger buyers, with Lisa emphasizing the importance of having relevant case studies and experiences. The conversation concluded with Lisa questioning why more people do not incorporate whale sales into their business planning. Value-Driven Career and Deal Making- Alan discussed his concept of career progression, from surviving to thriving, and emphasized the importance of building value rather than focusing solely on pricing to secure "whale deals." Lisa shared her experience of using whale deals to attract top talent and boost morale, while also highlighting the non-financial benefits of such deals. Both agreed that focusing on value and expertise, rather than just financial gain, is crucial for long-term success. Strategies for Lucrative Whale Sales- Alan discussed the three parts of a sale: the original payment, expansion business, and referral business, emphasizing that "whale sales" offer more lucrative opportunities due to larger suppliers and customers. He suggested focusing on creating more value in the marketplace rather than just increasing revenues, as this could lead to significant revenue growth.Lisa shared a personal anecdote about encouraging a friend to secure a corporate client to boost their small retail business, highlighting the strategy's potential for businesses of all sizes. Whale Sales Strategy Insights- Alan and Lisa discussed the concept of "whale sales," which involve large, infrequent, and long-lasting transaction. Alan emphasized the importance of meeting senior clients, preparing thoroughly, and facing fears to succeed in high-stakes sales. Lisa highlighted how whale deals can create a defensible moat and increase business value. They agreed to collaborate further, producing articles, videos, and other content to help others implement a whale sales strategy.
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    35 m
  • David McCullough

    David McCullough
    Oct 16 2025
    SHOW NOTES: My tribute to one of the greatest historians in our history. This is the speech he made in 1995 when receiving the hugely prestigious National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He was also awarded two Pulitzer Prizes among dozens of other awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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    5 m
  • The High and the Mighty

    The High and the Mighty
    Oct 9 2025
    SHOW NOTES: There was a song from the movie of the same name called The High and the Mighty, by Dimitri Tiomkin, nominated for an Oscar. It was about a trans-Pacific flight with critical engine problems and crew and passengers facing confrontations with death. It was probably the first of the major disaster films: 1954. We have the high and mighty today and they occupy.....Washington, DC: 2025, 70 years later. The Senators and Congressmen still get their salaries during a government shutdown. They go on "junkets," often with family, overseas. They don't stop at TSA. Many have served through generations of their constituents and they are shameless. They "gerrymander" openly, seeking unfair and wildly distorted districts to ensure local victories. They are hypocrites, with very weak people, such as Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who screams for term limits on the Supreme Court but not the Senate. He gives more speeches on climate change than anyone else, but his wife is a marine biologist consultant, and the subject of an ethics complaint last year because of his lobbying for climate investments and her potential to benefit from them. Neither party has a statesman, as they've both had in the past, who can create civility and collaboration. They each want the sandbox solely for themselves and threaten to destroy it—shut it down—rather than compromise on where the toy cars should be place. Jasmine Crockett is one of the most foul-mouthed, profane people in any profession I've ever heard, and she's a Representative. She's an embarrassment whenever in the media. They think they're the High and Mighty, but they make that emperor without the clothes seem fully dressed.
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    4 m
  • Why You May Never Be Happy

    Why You May Never Be Happy
    Oct 2 2025
    SHOW NOTES: •The lessons of the newspaper woman. •The causes of toxic workplaces, more often than not. •The 90-minute wrench. •It's not your mother's fault. •Distress and eustress. •The key to peak performance. •It's about how you awaken, and I don't mean "woke." •Putting it to bed.
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    8 m
  • Better Practices

    Better Practices
    Sep 25 2025
    SHOW NOTES: •Never talk to people who can say "no" but can't say "yes." •Treat the buyer as a peer, not a superior. • Have a conversation, don't make a presentation. •Language controls discussion, which controls relationships, which controls business. •No one is shooting at you, get rid of your fears and weak ego. •Gain conceptual agreement. •Money and time are priorities, not resources. •There are three elements to every sale. •Play into the buyer's "story." •Four objection areas, only one is legitimate. •Don't give off "deal vibes." •Have a "min/max." •Always conclude with TDA. •Think of TDTC. •Never settle for "best practices." •Don't be intimidated, change the frame (we never hire consultants). •Provide options. •Learn from every interaction.
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    9 m
  • Business Fads

    Business Fads
    Sep 18 2025
    SHOW NOTES: If you're in favor of this stuff, listen carefully to the audio. You're driving on the wrong side of the road. •servant leadership •holacracy •one-minute management •management by wandering around •management by objectives • total quality management •360° feedback •self-directed teams •open office (hoteling) •open book management •reengineering •JIT (just-in-time) •lean •matrix management •theory Z •flat organizations •matrix management •six sigma •open book management
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    7 m
  • Social Proof

    Social Proof
    Sep 11 2025
    SHOW NOTES: •This is an almost subliminal technique to create normative pressure psychologically. •It's pointing out what others are doing, or not doing, or what events, prove your point. •It's the use of profound analogies. •Listen to my examples about Amtrack's infrastructure, or the fallacies around Kodak. •If pictures are worth a thousand words, social proof is worth a thousand pictures. •Learn who was more important, Brady or Belechick. • Understand how breaking the rules can save lives. •Understand why coach does not arrive at the same time that first class does. •Use these techniques for assurances and probabilities. •Use them to accelerate your conversations toward your goals. •But social proof demands that you be well-informed. To learn how to develop and use Social Proof, go to my website or read below: THE PROOF BEHIND SOCIAL PROOF Has anyone ever asked you, "Give me an example of your point?" and you suddenly forgot how to speak? Or have you said, "Let me give you an example...," and then immediately gone into brain freeze without any ice cream? "Social Proof" comprises pragmatic examples that others can readily relate to which reinforce your point instantly. When you "open the hood" on social proof, beneath is actually a psychological dynamic which creates normative pressure assuring that the actions of others are appropriate and should be imitated. A desire to "fit in" is created. While testimonials and endorsements are a type of social proof, they are not as powerful as citing a headline, a major incident, or a famous example. (One problem with quotations, for example, is that for each one there is an opposite, equally true: "Haste makes waste" but "He who hesitates is lost.") Many people use "false social proof." Kodak was not hiring chemists while digital photography was taking over. Their executives simply thought they could wring a couple of more years of already-projected profits and underestimated the speed of the digital takeover. Join me for 90 minutes and fill your conversations, narrative, and collateral with social proof that will build your brand and fill your bank account. People ask what research I invest in for my success. I don't. Then they ask what my investigative habits are. I don't have any. "So what DO you do?" They ask. I look around. LEARN HOW TO LOOK AROUND TO DOMINATE CONVERSATIONS AND CLOSE BUSINESS: October 14, 2025 10:30 to noon, US eastern time Video and Zoom notes included Fee: $350 until and including Sept. 30, $500 thereafter. REGISTER HERE: https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/the-proof-behind-social-proof/
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    12 m
  • Value Follows Fees

    Value Follows Fees
    Sep 4 2025
    SHOW NOTES: •We think the higher the value, the more we can charge. •However, at a given point, people believe they get what they pay for and those lines cross. •The point at which they cross means your brand is strong. •No one needs a Bentley for transportation, a Brioni for attire, a Bulgari to tell the time. But they assign great emotional value in their association and display. •The wrench story. •Many people made money during the pandemic and rough economic times by raising fees. It's easier, of course, to lower them, and to go out of business! •Mercedes made a mistake going "downscale," then failed to go "upscale" with the Maybach. •At the outset, raise value to raise fees. When your brand is powerful, change the order.
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    4 m