ProfitSchool

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer. Today's topic is Mergers and Partnerships - Our Perspective After 12 Months. After 12 months of partnership, Jeff and Mercer share honest insights about their business merger, including the importance of pre-partnership relationships and testing compatibility through smaller projects. They emphasize how specialization has been key to their success, with clear divisions of responsibility allowing each partner to lead in their areas of expertise while remaining flexible in overlapping domains. Both partners acknowledge the challenging learning curve of their first year, including managing expectations, having difficult conversations, and creating new systems that work for everyone. The transition from individual thinking ('I') to collective decision-making ('we') proved essential, with both partners learning to understand and respect each other's perspectives. Creating a new brand rather than merging existing ones helped establish a fresh culture that combined the best elements from both partners' previous experiences. Continuous communication and expectation adjustment are crucial to maintaining a healthy partnership.  

Explore strategies to extend the sales window by creating multiple opportunities to engage with prospects. Learn how addressing objections and reframing offers can turn hesitations into valuable conversations. Discover the power of follow-up sequences and 'no buy surveys' that re-engage leads who may initially reject offers. Uncover the art of ethical downselling, guiding clients to affordable solutions while building trust. Embrace an abundance mindset and view sales interactions as chances to nurture long-term relationships.

Learn how to maximize efficiency in sales by effectively qualifying prospects. Discover key factors like interest, intent, and ability that can streamline the sales process. The importance of proactive pre-qualifying tools, such as application forms, is emphasized to filter out unsuitable leads. Warning signs of poor qualification, like high ghosting rates and price objections, are discussed. Gain insights on how to maintain professional relationships while redirecting unrealistic prospects to more suitable solutions.

Discover the dynamic DOP Framework that defines strategy, organizes tactics, and focuses on effective management. Learn how to keep systems at 90% completion for ongoing improvement and incorporate team integration instead of relying solely on project managers. Uncover self-correcting mechanisms that empower team members to uphold standards. Explore how to streamline and evolve systems like Offers, prioritizing user-friendliness over complexity. Lastly, grasp the synergy between systems and people for a flexible approach to operational efficiency.

Discussions center on ambitious growth plans for 2025, focusing on enhancing marketing through YouTube, targeting subscriber goals. They highlight product-led marketing, ensuring authenticity in content created from their offerings. Brand evolution is key, with MeasureU expanding into marketing optimization and ProfitSchool enhancing its coaching programs. The shift towards team-led operations fosters ownership in content creation, while continuous system refinement promises sustained improvement. Broad audience outreach is emphasized, tailoring solutions for freelancers and team managers alike.

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer today's topic is End of Year Recap. The Original Plan: Jeff and Mercer share their initial 2024 merger strategy: Q1 for internal combination, Q2 for public announcement, Q3 for ProfitSchool focus, and Q4 for expansion. Revenue Reality: Starting with an ambitious $1.8M target, they adjusted expectations to $1.1-1.2M as the year progressed, learning valuable lessons about realistic goal-setting. Quarter Progression: They outline the year's journey: Q1 (combination), Q2 (integration), Q3 (simplification), and Q4 (unlocking new opportunities). Brand Evolution: The creation of MeasureU emerged as a solution to managing multiple brands, bringing together their separate strengths under one unified vision. Key Learning: Supporting multiple brands and systems created unnecessary complexity; simplification led to better results and easier operations. Future Growth: The year's challenges and solutions created a stronger foundation for future growth, with streamlined systems and clearer direction for both brands.  

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer today's topic is Handling Conflict - I to We. From I to We: Jeff and Mercer share how they transformed personal perspectives ("I") into collaborative solutions ("We"), using their experience of merging separate brands into one unified company. Understanding Different Views: They explain how conflict often stems from different but equally valid perspectives, like their contrasting approaches to using "I" versus "We" in business communications. Market Feedback: External customer feedback helped guide internal decisions, showing how market response can help constructively resolve internal conflicts. Conflict as Process: Rather than viewing conflict as negative, they present it as a natural process where two different viewpoints or forces meet, creating an opportunity for growth. Growth Through Discussion: The hosts share how their perspectives make each other's ideas "10-20% better" through constructive disagreement and resolution. Solutions Focus: Instead of trying to prove who's right, they recommend focusing on the situation and finding common ground to create new, better solutions.  

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer today's topic is How to Price Your Products. Supply and Demand: Mercer and Jeff explain how pricing isn't just about charging more - it's about understanding market dynamics and finding the right balance between supply, demand, and profitability. The Profit Formula: They share a practical approach to pricing: calculate your costs, double it for unexpected issues, then multiply by 3-4x to create the necessary margin for marketing, taxes, team bonuses, and business growth. Value Communication: Price is a conversation between your company and the market about value exchange. Success comes from helping clients understand and agree with the value you provide. Market Alignment: Different markets expect different price points - the same service might need to be priced 10x higher for enterprise clients versus small businesses, simply because of market expectations. Recurring vs. Project Pricing: The benefits of recurring revenue models over one-time project fees, including the ability to recover from initial setup costs and build long-term profitable relationships. Price Increase Strategy: The importance of graceful price increase communications, with real examples of both successful and unsuccessful attempts at raising prices with existing clients.  

Welcome back to the ProfitSchool podcast Business Unfiltered with Mercer and Jeff Sauer today's topic is Keeping Great Team Members. Beyond Happiness vs. Engagement: Jeff and Mercer discuss how managers shouldn't focus on making employees "happy" (which they can't control) but rather on creating an engaging environment where team members can thrive and grow naturally. The Growth Factor: The key insight is that people stay with companies as long as they learn and grow. Creating an environment of continuous growth and development is crucial for retention, more than just high compensation. The Abundance Mindset: Success in retaining talent comes from adopting an abundance mindset rather than a scarcity mentality. This includes investing in team members through training, coaching, and professional development opportunities. Building the Inner Circle: Bringing valuable team members into the decision-making process and teaching them to think strategically helps create lasting engagement and loyalty, especially in small businesses where individual contributions matter more. Recognition and Results: The importance of celebrating successes publicly while handling challenges privately, creating an environment where team members feel supported even when facing difficulties.  Investment in People: Mercer and Jeff believe investing in team members through education, bonuses, recognition, and growth opportunities is crucial for long-term retention, especially in smaller businesses where institutional knowledge is vital.  

Dive into the dynamic world where information transforms lives and businesses! The hosts illustrate how mere facts lack value without actionable steps, likening them to batteries needing devices. They stress that successful businesses sell transformation, not just information. Small, manageable changes lead to significant outcomes—something they translate from fitness to business. Real-world examples show how guiding clients to implement systems can unlock true growth. Plus, discover the balancing act essential for sustained motivation!