The Cloud Consultants Show - Sales, Scale & Growth for Cloud Consulting Entrepreneurs Paul Higgins

You rely on your SaaS partner to provide projects, but they don’t always come when you want them.
You know, saying no to projects could, at best, lose your income and, at worst, stop you from getting future projects. 
So you take them on, knowing it will put pressure on your top talent. 
This can result in them feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and sometimes leaving. 
You can also be pulled back into working on the tools. 
So how can you save your top talent? 
In this solo podcast, I provide insights into using junior talent to support your top talent.
This allows your top talent to do what they love to do best. 
I have partnered with staffing companies to provide your talent for approximately 2% of their annual salary. 
Email me at paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com so I can understand your circumstances and direct you to the right partner.
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On LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter: @PaulHiggins555On Instagram: @paulhigginsmentoringEmail: paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com

Episode Overview
I can't remember who said it, but someone once said everything is negotiable. 
Therefore improving your negotiation skills is a plus.
And this is why I bought one of the world's leading experts on negotiation for you.
Mark dispels the myth that negotiation is about Win/Win. 
Then covers the 3 essential habits to be a better negotiator. 
Plan and prepare Role plays Debrief
I know this looks too simple, but Mark's knowledge behind each of these three is gold. 
Mark also shares great tips on how to negotiate on video.
Mark’s background
Mark Raffan is a serial entrepreneur and lover of marketing and thought leadership. 
Mark is an expert in negotiation, influence, and persuasion. He has coached executives and teams in some of the largest companies in the world, such as Zendesk, Nike, Citi Bank, The Sasha Group, Salesforce, The US Army, LinkedIn, and Humana.
Mark has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, Thrive Global, Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine (as a 2019 pro-to-know), and has appeared on dozens of podcasts, including Make it Happen Mondays, The Brutal Truth About Sales, and The Insider’s Guide to Finance.
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457 - Show NotesMark's websiteMark's LinkedInCloud Consultants CollectiveScaling BlueprintSendSparkJoin our newsletter
 
Connect With Paul
On LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter: @PaulHiggins555On Instagram: @paulhigginsmentoringEmail: Paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com

Episode Overview
Are you constantly getting pulled back into client work and quality control in your services business? 
Are you at the end of the escalation process for most things in your business? 
Well, you need to hear what Juliana has to say. 
In our interview, we cover three ways to work ON your agency. 
Hiring the right managersHaving the right systems in place Creating and monitoring scorecards
Juliana’s background
Juliana is a business operations expert, speaker, and founder of ScaleTime. 
With over 20+ years of experience across Wall Street, the nonprofit sector, technology startups, and family-owned businesses, she has served over 400+ digital agencies. 
She is featured on Forbes and Entrepreneur and helps uplevel businesses into lean, mean, profitable machines. 
On average, Juliana and her team create ways to free up at least 30 hours per week for her clients so they can have successful agencies that run without them. 
Founders can say, “I do what I want, how I want, whenever I want” - That is freedom.

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On LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter: @PaulHiggins555On Instagram: @paulhigginsmentoringEmail: Paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com

The other day, I was at the gym and wanted to move from supporter weights to free. I went and grabbed a personal trainer and asked her if she could help. She asked me what I wanted to achieve, what I was currently doing, and how committed I was to the training. And then she gave me one new exercise. She demonstrated it and then asked me to teach her how to do it. It is very similar to what I do as a mentor.
People ask me the difference between a coach and a mentor. I am a qualified coach and have mentored in my corporate life and myself. Here is an example to explain how I see the two:
Coach - Holds glass in different ways to see what liquid is inside. The liquid is owned by the coachee. A coach doesn't give advice - gets the coachee to see different perspectives.
Mentor - Knows what glasses to use for what occasions and shares experiences.
Both are used, but there is a difference. I like to mentor as I have built and sold a cloud consulting business, so I draw on those experiences.
Five steps 
Step one - Trust 
A mentor and mentee relationship is built on trust. To gain trust, it helps to see what is behind the guard. I ask questions and dig into what drives them and what will change their lives. Also good to know the family as they directly impact and benefit from the change.
Step two - Honesty corner 
Do a diagnostic to benchmark what is working, what isn't, and what can be added—Benchmark against the blueprint - Business model /Sales and marketing engine and High performing team. 
Two key areas of focus - Financials and ICP. Financials don't tell white lies - owners do. ICP is the hardest decision you make, and the rest follows.
Step three - Focus 
Set 90-day goals and strategies from the diagnostic. 
Step four - Accountability 
Weeky calls covering wins, new deals, Existing clients, plans, and 3 key action items. Notes taken and calls recorded.
Step five - Unfair advantage 
I know you're already busy and don't need more work. My team will help you. I've got frameworks, experts, and a network you can leverage. As an African proverb says - Go fast alone - go far together.
A mentor should help you make life-changing decisions based on their experience and considering your circumstances.
Like to experience a free strategy session, book a call at talkpaul.com 
Agree if it is right for you before proceeding.
Key actions from today:
Look for a mentor Book a call for me to help talkpaul.com 
Please follow me on Linkedin to get content specifically for Cloud Consultants.
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On...

Episode Overview
Learn the secrets of growing a full-service marketing agency and HubSpot partnership from a world-renowned mountaineer. 
Steve merged two agencies into one to service SMB businesses on the West Coast of Canada. 
In our interview on the Accelerate Sales Podcast, Steve lays out his strategic intent and why it makes everything easier. 
He also covers;
His disciplined approach to qualifying clients His success with Linkedin AdsBuilding a fantastic culture 
Finally, a must-listen is his learning of climbing 50 of the tallest mountains on earth  - including Mount Everest and how it helps him to scale his business (pardon the pun 😉). 
Steve’s background
Steve Whittington is President of Roadmap, an agency that drives the entire go-to-market function of small B2B enterprises.
Steve has over 25 years of executive experience and, as a result, calls himself a recovering executive. He has extensive board experience ranging from non-profits to NGOs, start-up advisory, and for-profit governance work.
Academically, Steve was an instructor of Project Management and held professional designations in Sales, Marketing, and Customer Experience.
Steve's first book Thriving in the Customer Age - teaches about the customer journey and provides a guiding framework spanning all stages of the customer experience.
But if you ask Steve who he is, the answer is simple:
Husband, father, leader, aging athlete, and lifelong learner.

Links
454 - Show NotesSteve's websiteSteve's LinkedInCloud Consultants CollectiveScaling BlueprintSendSparkJoin our newsletter
 
Connect With Paul
On LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter: @PaulHiggins555On Instagram: @paulhigginsmentoringEmail: Paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com

Episode Overview
You're in the business of growing your own business. 
Barry successively grew his business by 600%, and in this podcast interview, he shares his 3 most critical steps.
Value of picking a niche The three legs of the stool to a successful cloud consulting bizWhat marketing activities work 
Barry’s background 
Barry is a Leader in hi-tech consulting, staffing, services, and solutions who understands how to motivate multiple sales teams and develop rewarding client relationships. 
In ten years has grown his Microsoft Gold business by 600% and has plans to meet 1600% in 13 years. 
Has a direct team of 30 employees and 30 consultants. 
Canadian and has lived in Ottawa for 36 years, and is the fastest 62 old swimmer in any pool.
Links
453 - Show NotesBarry's websiteBarry's LinkedInCloud Consultants CollectiveScaling BlueprintSendSparkJoin our newsletter
 
Connect With Paul
On LinkedInOn FacebookOn Twitter: @PaulHiggins555On Instagram: @paulhigginsmentoringEmail: Paul@paulhigginsmentoring.com