Listen to “#635 How to Get Your Customers’ Trust Back” on Spreaker.
On this episode of The Small Business Radio Show…
SEGMENT 1, starting at 0:00: Trust and credibility are under attack throughout our society and this cynicism hurts every small business, regardless of their industry. What can a small business do to counter this trend and build trust with their customers and prospects?
SEGMENT 2, starting at 18:30: Most small business owners are ill prepared for retirement. They expect selling their business will fund it, but unfortunately this often never happens. What should small business owners be doing to fund and prepare for retirement instead?
SEGMENT 3, starting at 37:00: The best bosses I have ever had were all women, but many women struggle with their leadership style – they think it has to be like their male counterparts in order to succeed. What can help women break out of that mindset?
More on each segment below.
Segment 1: Margot Bloomstein is one of the leading voices in the content strategy industry. She is the author of Trustworthy: How the Smartest Brands Beat Cynicism.
1:15 – How does a small business build trust and credibility with a new prospect?
3:00 – More content is not always the answer to build trust. Then what is?
5:30 – The key traits of organizations that persist and thrive (and the advantages small businesses have).
8:45 – What small businesses can do if they’ve lost consumer trust during the pandemic.
11:00 – Now is the perfect time to be vulnerable with your customers.
13:15 – Do consumers want businesses to take sides on political and social issues? Is this a good thing or bad thing for businesses?
Segment 2: Matt Franklin is a serial entrepreneur from Portland, OR. He’s run a one-man video production company since 2006 and he’s a part-time product developer. His most successful product landed him on Shark Tank in Season 4. Since his appearance, he’s talked to hundreds of entrepreneurs about launching new products and businesses. In doing so, one thing he discovered is that self-employed people are terrible about retirement planning and investing.
18:30 – What was your Shark Tank experience like?
22:30 – Why is it not a good idea to have the sale of your business fund your retirement?
24:30 – Entrepreneurs have a have high risk tolerance. How does this affect their retirement?
26:15 – When you start your business, you need to immediately start a second business, and that business is your retirement plan.
28:15 – The four big reasons entrepreneurs are so bad at retirement planning.
32:00 – What is the Rogue Retirement Lounge and how does it help small business owners and entrepreneurs plan for retirement?
Segment 3: Jenn Donahue is a leadership coach, engineer, and entrepreneur with 25 years as a member of the U.S. Navy. As founder of JL Donahue Engineering—She has worked with a wide-range of clients, including PG&E, Duke Energy, National Chevron Phillips, the city of Anchorage, The Tennessee Valley Authority, and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). Over the course of her career, Jenn has led operations around the globe—from building a bridge in the middle of an Iraqi war zone to constructing combat outposts in deserts filled with insurgents. Known as the “Earthquake Doc,” Jen has successfully spearheaded earthquake and tsunami reconnaissance missions in Samoa and Japan, designed the seismic plans for a bridge over the Panama Canal, and has served as the seismology expert at five nuclear power plants.
37:00 – Many women try to blend in with the boys’ club. When is it time to take off the camo?
39:30 – How do you balance being your authentic self with not wanting to stand out?
40:45 – You don’t have to be a “yeller” or lead “like a man” to command respect and loyalty from your team.
42:15 – Important characteristics of an effective leader, in the military and in business.
44:30 – What it’s like to be the only woman in the room—and how to deal with the pressure of high-performance expectations.
50:30 – How do we encourage more women to enter STEM fields?
Sponsored by AT&T Business
