ON AIR With Owen: Episode 83

Introducing our 83rd episode of ON AIR: With Owen – our podcast series for honest conversations about starting and scaling your own business, hosted by our Founder & CEO, Owen Richards, and his new co-host, Neil Finnie.

Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie

Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.

Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.

What to Expect in this Week’s Episode

  • Hear about Neil’s recent experiences working in vibrant Barcelona with NexGen Careers.
  • It’s Air’s first wedding! Owen and Neil dive into the dynamics of workplace relationships.
  • Navigating the current market landscape: Are businesses leaning towards optimism or pessimism for the remainder of 2024?
  • Tackling the tough topic of redundancy: Truthful stories about managing workforce downsizing.

Where and When to tune in

Catch new episodes every Wednesday:

Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.

Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.

Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.

Warning: Contains swearing

CALLING MASTERS | First Impressions: How to Engage on a Cold Call

 

Struggling to make a strong impact on calls with your prospects?

In this third episode of our Calling Masters series in partnership with Lead Forensics, we’ll equip you with the skills to craft powerful first impressions that turn cold calls into warm conversations.

You’ll learn:

  • How to bypass gatekeepers with powerful introductions that grab attention.
  • How to craft a personalized pitch that resonates with each prospect.
  • How to develop confident communication skills that instill trust and command attention.

Our panel features:
Marco Alfano-Rogers – Sales Director at Air Marketing
Maria Vanezi – Director at Ezicomms Marketing
Gracie-May Bryan – Campaign Operations Manager at Air Marketing

Host:
Joe Duccarreaux – Brand Awareness Manager at Lead Forensics

Who is it for?
Founders & CEOs
Sales & Marketing Leaders
Revenue Leaders
Sales & Marketing Managers
Sales Development Representatives (SDRs)
Business Development Representatives (BDRs)

Sync or Swim: Mastering Sales-Marketing Alignment

Discover the secrets to successful collaboration in Sync or Swim: Mastering Sales-Marketing Alignment, a practical guide to enhancing cooperation between sales and marketing teams for improved revenue and efficiency.

Contents:

  1. Sales and Marketing Teams: Unveiling the Colourful Characters of the Trade
  2. Bridging Brilliance Between Sales and Marketing Teams
  3. What Happens When Sales and Marketing Are Not Aligned?
  4. Syncing Success: Aligning Your Sales and Marketing Tech Stack
  5. Alignment in Action: Success Stories
  6. Building a Culture of Alignment
  7. Your Smarketing Checklist
Get your FREE copy of the E-Book by completing the form below.

CALLING MASTERS | Getting Connected: How to Improve Contact Rates

 

Struggling to connect with decision-makers on cold calls? Spending hours leaving voicemails that never get returned?

If your skills need sharpening on bypassing gatekeepers, leaving compelling voicemails and connecting with real people, then this webinar is for you.

In this second episode of our Calling Masters series in partnership with Lead Forensics, we’re discussing the key elements of getting connected with your prospects, so you can dramatically improve your contact rates.

You’ll learn:

  • How to identify and navigate common gatekeeper tactics to reach decision-makers directly.
  • How to support phone calls with multi-channel messages and the importance of personalization.
  • The importance of Active Listening and how you can use it to your advantage in the early stages of the call.

Our panel features:
Marco Alfano-Rogers – Sales Director at Air Marketing
Erik Pollitt – Training Consultant at Air Sales Academy
Amy Cooke – Global Development Director at Lead Forensics

Host:
Joe Duccarreaux – Brand Awareness Manager at Lead Forensics

Who is it for?
Founders & CEOs
Sales & Marketing Leaders
Revenue Leaders
Sales & Marketing Managers
Sales Development Representatives (SDRs)
Business Development Representatives (BDRs)

ON AIR With Owen: Episode 82

We’re excited to unveil the revitalised version of the ON AIR: With Owen podcast, now with a more fluid, engaging format that resonates with the ever-evolving business landscape. “Honest Conversations: The Real Truths About Starting and Scaling Your Own Business” aims to mesh the immediacy of real-world events with timeless business wisdom. This new style is not just a change; it’s an evolution aimed at making the podcast more organic, relevant, and influenced by external factors such as politics and current affairs – elements that profoundly impact real-world business operations and strategies.

Meet Your Hosts: Owen Richards and Neil Finnie

Owen Richards hails from Kent and began his sales career at Forrest Marketing Group in Sydney. After an 8-year stint, Owen returned to the UK and co-founded Air Marketing Group, growing it into a powerhouse offering specialist B2B sales and marketing solutions to businesses across the globe. Known for his relentless positivity and strategic foresight, Owen brings a wealth of experience and a knack for big ideas to the podcast.

Neil Finnie is your quintessential ‘wabi-sabi entrepreneur’ – flawed but beautiful in approach. With over 25 years of experience in nurturing businesses around his passions, from co-working spaces to professional development agencies, Neil’s unique perspective enriches our discussions, making each episode a treasure trove of insights.

What to Expect

Listeners can anticipate a series of engaging, thought-provoking episodes where honesty meets ambition. Whether you’re a startup enthusiast or a seasoned executive, our podcast will provide valuable insights into navigating business complexities with agility and foresight.

Where and When to tune in

Catch new episodes every Wednesday:

Watch: On YouTube or via Air Marketing’s Knowledge Hub.

Listen: On Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Deezer, and more.

Join us as we dive deep into the dynamics of running a business in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or practical advice, our podcast is your gateway to becoming more adept in the business arena.

Warning: Contains swearing

CALLING MASTERS | Pre-Call Research: How to Prep

 

Tired of wasting time on unqualified leads and getting stuck in voicemail jail?

If you want to increase your closing rate over the phone, you need to understand who you’re selling to. 

In this webinar, the first in our Calling Masters series in partnership with Lead Forensics, we’re discussing the key elements of pre-call preparation to ensure that you’ve packed out your cold call toolbox.

You’ll learn:

  • How to quickly gather relevant knowledge about your prospect’s business, their specific needs, and the key players you need to connect with.
  • Which essential tools will help inform your approach during your call to the prospect.
  • How to apply the information you find during your research on the cold call and ensure your sales success.

Our panel features:
Marco Alfano-Rogers – Sales Director at Air Marketing
Fran Hall – Account Director at Air Marketing
Jamie Beaumont – CEO and Founder of Playter

Host:
Joe Duccarreaux – Brand Awareness Manager at Lead Forensics

Who is it for?
Founders & CEOs
Sales & Marketing Leaders
Revenue Leaders
Sales & Marketing Managers
Sales Development Representatives (SDRs)
Business Development Representatives (BDRs)

How To Get Your Go-To-Market Strategy Right – What You Should Be Considering In Your Launch Plan

Every new product or service starts with an idea, an idea to disrupt the market and solve real-world problems. But these ideas can take a long time to come to fruition. Your idea will go through concept development and creation, through new product development (NPD) and research and development (R&D), and through rigorous testing, trials and feedback processes before the final product or service is ready to launch.  

But before you can successfully launch, you need to devise a well thought out go-to-market-strategy (GTMS). It’s imperative that you get your GTMS right, because it’s not just about having a great idea or a great product, it’s about creating the right plan to bring your product to the right people in the right way.  

Without a clearly defined GTMS on how you will deliver your new product to your audience – your launch will likely fail to gain traction in the market.  

There are many different components of a successful GTMS, let’s explore some of them below.  

Target Audience: 

Defining your Target Audience (TA) is the building block to a successful launch, because it is the core foundation of your GTMS.  

Undertake research into your TA to understand their pain points and challenges, what media and marketing they consume and where they spend their time. Develop your ideal customer profile (ICP) and create buyer personas to help you craft messaging and tailor your offering to their exact requirements. If you don’t understand and define your TA from the outset, you will miss opportunities to resonate with them. 

Setting Clear Objectives and Goals: 

Do you know what your objectives are for launch? Are you looking to build brand awareness or lead with sales straight away?  

Having clearly defined objectives and goals will help inform your ongoing activity and where best to place your efforts, they are fundamental to your GTMS. SMART objectives are the best framework to use for this. 

Once you have determined what your objectives are for launch, use this information to set benchmarks and KPIs that denote success. These can be tracked throughout launch and beyond to determine how your GTMS is delivering. 

Product Differentiation / USPs: 

To successfully launch a new product or service you need to identify what makes your offering unique, especially if you are operating in an already crowded marketplace. What does your product do better or differently to others on the market and why should your TA buy from you? 

Spend time upfront understanding what your USPs (unique selling points) are and what differentiates your product, so that you can craft unique messages and value propositions that will resonate with your TA and highlight why they should pick your product above others.  

Marketing Plan: 

Once you know your TA, your objectives and goals and what your USPs are you need to create a robust marketing plan with the information you have gleaned. 

Make sure you leverage the channels that you know your ICP / TA consume and use and you tailor your messaging and comms in a way that resonates with them. 

Consider the different stages in the buyer journey, from awareness to consideration through to purchase, and craft a strategy that resonates with your TA at every stage of their journey.  

Final Note:

A successful GTMS is all in the planning and research. It will help you to understand your audience and their perceived needs and interests in your product or service and the value they place on your offering. Allowing you to create a GTMS that directly answers that need.  

Remember to stay agile in response to market feedback – continually monitor, review and optimise your activity to ensure that the GTMS is successful and continues to be aligned with your TA’s needs.  

Want to position yourself for success in the marketplace? Get in touch with our marketing team to discuss launch plans for any new product or service in your offering!  

Opinion piece by Account Director, Jess House

A small rocket takes off from a laptop

Stock photo by Vecteezy