Conquer Local Podcast

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯Go from 20% to 80% Agency margins, without hiring a single new person🎯In this episode, we sit down with Frans Riemersma, Martech legend, co-author of the Martech Landscape, and one of the sharpest thinkers on AI, composability, and the future of services to break down the new AI Agency Model that is quietly redefining how agencies build, deliver, and scale their work.Frans explains why we’re entering the golden age for agencies, not because of more tools, but because AI is turning services into software, unlocking product-level margins for businesses that previously sold labor.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Agencies Are Entering a Golden AgeHow AI shifts work from human execution → human orchestration, and why agencies with standardized knowledge stand to benefit the most.Service-as-a-Software: The Model Behind 80% MarginsWhy AI is unleashing a new category next to SaaS and how agencies can package expertise into repeatable, scalable, automatable outcomes.Where a 10-Person Agency Should StartHow to find your highest-value, most-repeatable outcomes, follow the money, and turn them into automations and AI-powered products.The Biggest Pitfall: Building Tools Before TestingWhy most agencies create tech they never use and Frans’ “Hack → Pack → Stack” method for validating before investing.Composability, Atomization & The New Martech StackWhy the future isn’t mega-suites or tool sprawl, it’s small, composable “Lego block” tools that integrate cleanly and keep your stack lean.The 12% RuleHow top performers identify the tiny percentage of features and tools that drive 80% of customer value and cut everything else.The Skills That Matter in the AI EraWhy the differentiator isn’t technical mastery anymore, it’s customer obsession, storytelling, distribution, and discovering viable ideas.Key concepts in this episode:AI Agency ModelService-as-a-Software80% Margin FrameworkAI-Powered Delivery SystemsStandardizing Agency KnowledgeHack → Pack → Stack MethodComposability & Martech ArchitectureAtomization of Tools & LaborAI Agents & Autonomous WorkflowsProductized Services for AgenciesLead Mining & Lead Intelligence AutomationCustomer-Centric InnovationFeature Bloat & Decommissioning StrategyFuture-Proof Agency SkillsAI + Services ConvergenceDistribution & Community MoatsIf you want your agency to escape the 20% margin trap, and build AI-powered services that scale like software, hit play.CONNECT WITH Frans Riemersma🌐 https://www.martechtribe.com/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/fransriemersma/CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCooW1kDrMUb1EORhDbmciOw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vendasta/ X: https://x.com/vendasta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vendasta/Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast… 💜💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn...VendastaVendasta is the leading AI software company for customer acquisition and engagement, helping businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our AI-powered platform unifies marketing, sales, and operational workflows, eliminating the need for fragmented tools and streamlining every stage of the customer journey. Powered by proprietary SMB data, intelligent automation, and AI assistants that handle repetitive tasks, Vendasta helps businesses attract, engage, and retain customers with unmatched efficiency.Our solutions empower digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs to scale operations, optimize campaigns, and drive long-term growth.Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Demo Availablehttps://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯What if your business is losing 60% of your deals after the first call?🎯In this episode, we sit down with Jason Kramer, founder of Cultivize and one of the leading voices on CRM-powered sales systems, to break down why most agencies and businesses bleed pipeline revenue and how AI + CRM automation can rescue lost deals you didn’t even know you had.If your team is still manually taking notes, chasing cold leads, or keeping the pipeline in the owner’s head, you’re leaving massive revenue on the table.In this episode, you'll learn:Why Most businesses Lose Deals After the Discovery Call: The #1 place where good prospects disappear and why speed-to-lead still wins deals.The Follow-Up Math That Changes Everything: Why 60%+ of prospects aren’t ready today but will buy and how 7–10 personalized steps increase conversions by 30%+How to Use AI to Rescue “Dead” Leads: Using AI signals to see who’s re-engaging, and how Jason closed deals from year-old prospects.The exact “good news or bad news?” email that gets same-day replies.Why your CRM Is Your Sales Brain: The data you must track, how to automate discovery-to-close workflows and why follow-up without a CRM is basically impossible today.Event & Trade Show Follow-Up (Done Right): How one business generated $1M from an event using his follow-up automation.Key concepts in this episode:AI-Powered Follow-Up SystemsCRM Automation for AgenciesPipeline Leakage & Lost DealsFollow-Up Email Templates That ConvertLead Nurturing & Intent SignalsSpeed to Lead (and Why It Matters)Personalized Multi-Step SequencesLinkedIn Automation for SalesEvent Follow-Up StrategySales Process PlaybooksData-Driven Sales PrioritizationAI + CRM IntegrationHow to Keep Leads Warm for 12+ MonthsAgency Sales Operations & SystemsIf your business is tired of losing deals that should have closed… hit play.CONNECT WITH Jason Kramer:🌐 https://cultivize.com/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleighkramer/CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta🐦 Connect on X: x.com/vendasta 📸 Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/vendastaThanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast… 💜💬 Leave a review on Apple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...🟢 Leave a rating on Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn...VendastaVendasta is the leading AI software company for customer acquisition and engagement, helping businesses get more customers—and keep them. Our AI-powered platform unifies marketing, sales, and operational workflows, eliminating the need for fragmented tools and streamlining every stage of the customer journey. Powered by proprietary SMB data, intelligent automation, and AI assistants that handle repetitive tasks, Vendasta helps businesses attract, engage, and retain customers with unmatched efficiency.Our solutions empower digital agencies, franchisors, and MSPs to scale operations, optimize campaigns, and drive long-term growth.Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Demo Availablehttps://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/Transcript

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯What if AI started deciding which businesses get discovered?🎯In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Holland, Director of SEO and one of the world’s leading voices on Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), to unpack why traditional SEO is collapsing and how local agencies are uniquely positioned to win in the age of AI search.Learn why keywords are dead, why AI is becoming the real “reader” of your website, and how agencies can rebuild their SEO services around revenue, positioning, and problem-space optimization instead of traffic and blog posts.In this episode, you'll learn:The Collapse of Traditional SEOKeywords Are Dead. Problem Spaces Are the Future.Why Local Agencies Will Win in AI SearchHow to Identify Problem Spaces for Local BusinessesPrompt-Ready Content vs. SEO ContentThe New Rules of Authority: Brand, Mentions & Mutual InformationHow AI Reads Your Website (and What It Looks For)Category Entry Points (CEPs)Key concepts in this episode:Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)Future of SEO in AI searchProblem-Space OptimizationCategory Entry Points (CEPs)AI Search BehaviourLocal SEO & Revenue-Driven SEOBrand Positioning for AI SearchAuthority Building (mentions, citations, PR)Search Without KeywordsAI-First Organic StrategyMutual Information SignalsContent Strategy for AgenciesUser Intent in AI SearchCollapse of Top-of-Funnel SEOIf you want your agency to survive (and thrive) as AI takes over search… hit play.-----------------CONNECT WITH Andrew Holland🌐 https://www. zoogly.co.uk 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-holland-seo/-----------------CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta🐦 Connect on X: x.com/vendasta 📸 Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/vendastaThanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast... 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...🟢 Leave a rating on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn...Vendasta is the leading AI software company for customer acquisition and engagement, helping businesses get more customers. And keep them. Our AI-powered platform unifies marketing, sales, and operational workflows—eliminating the need for fragmented tools and streamlining every stage of the customer journey. With proprietary SMB data, intelligent automation, and AI assistants that handle repetitive tasks, Vendasta helps businesses attract, engage, and retain customers with unmatched efficiency. Our solutions empower partners like digital marketing agencies, franchisors, and MSPs to scale operations seamlessly, optimize campaigns, and drive long-term growth.Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Demo Available https://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

​​​​▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯 Are CEOs ready for the 2026 acceleration🎯2026 is the year AI stops being optional. It’s the year your competitors’ AI advantage becomes your business problem.In this episode, AI adoption strategist Brett Schklar reveals the new CEO playbook for AI transformation, showing exactly how leaders can set the tone, accelerate efficiency, and prepare their organizations for what’s coming next.In this episode, you'll learn:🚀 AI-ifying the Pain: How to identify the daily tasks that waste your time and automate them with real AI tools you can deploy today.📈 Return on AI (ROAI): The six lenses to measure AI’s real impact🏗️ Creating a Safe AI Sandbox: How to set up a private AI playground for your team to experiment, fail safely, and innovate faster before going live.🧠 Prompting as the New Leadership Skill: How the best leaders are moving beyond “prompt engineering” to “AI conversation design” and training their teams to do the same.📞 Voice AI and ChatGPT for Business: Why customer-facing AI assistants are the new front line for customer experience and revenue.💬 The Trust-But-Verify Rule: Why CEOs should never delegate AI blindly and how to build systems that draft, learn, and improve alongside your team.🔥 Culture Before Code: The #1 mistake CEOs make when adopting AI, and how to unlock innovation across the company.Key concepts in this episode:AI transformation strategy for CEOsAI readiness auditReturn on AI (ROAI) metricsAI adoption roadmap 2026ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot integrationAI sandbox for business leadersAI change managementVoice AI and customer experienceAI automation in daily operationsLeadership in the age of AIHow to build trust and safety in AI systemsHow CEOs can lead AI innovationGenerative AI in business strategyAI productivity and automation toolsIf you’re a CEO preparing for 2026, this episode is your wake-up call.The leaders who win next year will be the ones who make AI a cultural movement, not just a technical upgrade.-----------------CONNECT WITH BRETT SCHKLAR:🌐 https://www.growpowered.com/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschklar/📩 brett@aifirstleadership.com-----------------CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta🐦 Connect on X: x.com/vendasta 📸 Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/vendasta​​Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast... 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...Leave a rating on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0KWXAOn...Vendasta is the leading AI software company for customer acquisition and engagement, helping businesses get more customers. And keep them. Our AI-powered platform unifies marketing, sales, and operational workflows—eliminating the need for fragmented tools and streamlining every stage of the customer journey. With proprietary SMB data, intelligent automation, and AI assistants that handle repetitive tasks, Vendasta helps businesses attract, engage, and retain customers with unmatched efficiency. Our solutions empower partners like digital marketing agencies, franchisors, and MSPs to scale operations seamlessly, optimize campaigns, and drive long-term growth.Transform Your Agency with Vendasta – Demo Available https://www.vendasta.com/request-demo/

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯Do businesses know how they are being represented by LLMs? 🎯If LLMs (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) are where buyers now begin, your job isn’t to just “rank in Google”. It is to be the #1 brand AI recommends. In this episode, SEO expert Steve Toth from the Notebook Agency, shows exactly how to win with AEO and make AI engines accurately represent and recommend your business, using his unique Framework and a practical playbook you can implement this week.In this episode, you'll learn:👉 Why LLMs are lying about your brand: Why AI Gets Your Business Wrong, why it misrepresents you, and what you can do about it.👉 The truth Pack: How to compare what LLMs say about you vs. your sales-grade answers, then close the gaps so AI gives the right recommendation.👉 Reverse-Interrogation Audit: The exact prompts to ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Google AI overview, to reveal your pricing, feature, fit, proof, and support gaps—and how to fix them.👉 Deal-Breaker Coverage: Use “Deal Breaker Detector” style prompts to surface ICP-critical questions (budget, team size, integrations, timelines) and ensure LLMs can cite accurate answers.👉 Create “Recommendation-Ready” Content: Build hyper-specific AI content fuels so AI can confidently match you to buyer constraints and get a canonical, up-to-date source.👉 Narrative Cleanup: Identify and retire outdated content sources that keep AI stuck in the past; consolidate and redirect to your current offer.👉 Off-page Reality Check: Monitor and update off-site assets to correct misinformation LLMs may retrieve.👉 From Volume to Velocity: Why smaller but highly qualified AI-assisted traffic converts better and how to message that shift to clients and stakeholders.Key Concepts covered:ChatGPT AEO strategyGemini AI and Google AI OverviewsPerplexity search and buyer decision-makingTruth Alignment Framework by Notebook AgencyLLM brand representation auditHACK: The "LLM Info" Page to Feed AI Correct InformationAI SEO vs. traditional SEODeal Breaker Detector (AI Notebook)Hyper-specific comparison content for LLMsHow to fix outdated reviews and Reddit narrativesHigh-quality traffic vs. high-volume traffic📈 If you want your brand to be confidently recommended by AI — not casually mentioned — this episode is your roadmap.CONNECT WITH Steve Toth:🌐 https://notebook.agency/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetothjr/📩 steve@seonotebook.comCONNECT WITH VENDASTA:YouTube:    / @vendasta  LinkedIn:   / vendasta  X: https://x.com/vendastaInstagram:   / vendasta  ​​Thanks for listening!

​​​​▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯 The $10M agency shortcut no one talks about 🎯In this episode, we sit down with Corey Quinn, former CMO of Scorpion and author of Anyone, Not Everyone, to uncover the exact strategies that helped scale Scorpion from $20M to $200M.Corey has advised 100+ agencies on breaking free from the generalist trap and shows how vertical specialization creates a flywheel of growth, retention, and profitability. If you’re an agency owner aiming for $10M+, this conversation is your shortcut.In this episode, you'll learn:👉 Why generalist agencies stall out and how to avoid the “iceberg problem”👉 The 3 filters every agency must apply before choosing a niche👉 How to find hidden vertical opportunities inside your current client list👉 The 3% Rule that shows why you only need a tiny slice of your market to build an 8-figure business👉 How deep specialization unlocks operational scale, higher retainers, and repeatable systems👉 The role of AI in verticalized agencies—and why niche focus makes AI even more powerful🔥 Soundbites you’ll hear in this episode:“If you are everything to everyone, you’re nothing to the market.”“1% of your vertical equals an 8-figure business.”“More deliverables don’t mean more revenue. We cut from 40+ to 5—and doubled client spend.”📢 If you’re tired of custom projects, shrinking margins, and constant churn, this episode will show you how to build a scalable, specialized agency that wins bigger deals and grows faster.-----------------CONNECT WITH COREY QUINN:🌐 https://www.agencygrowthscore.com/💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreyquinn/📩 corey@coreyquinn.com-----------------CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta🐦 Connect on X: x.com/vendasta 📸 Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/vendasta

▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯 The Biggest barrier to getting paid more REVEALED!In this insightful episode, we sit down with Casey Brown, founder of Boost Pricing, who has helped companies generate over $1 billion in profits by mastering pricing strategies. Casey shares actionable tips on how agency owners can:👉 Break free from fear-based pricing👉 Handle pricing objections with confidence👉 Use psychology to make clients want to pay more👉 Apply the 65% rule to determine if it’s time to raise your rates📢 Discover how to stop leaving money on the table, master your pricing conversations, and confidently charge what your services are worth.👉 If you’ve ever felt undervalued or underpaid, this episode will change how you approach pricing forever.🚀Transform Your Agency with Vendasta🚀 – Demo Availablehttps://bit.ly/3X1WGbl🌐Or checkout our website:https://www.vendasta.com/CONNECT WITH CASEY BROWN:🌐https://www.caseybrown.com/🌐https://boostpricing.com/💼https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseybrownboost/CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta

​​​​▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯 The 6-Week Work Cycle is Revolutionizing Agency Productivity 🎯What if you could boost productivity, cut burnout, and give your team more time off—all while improving results?Joe Martin, author of Six-Week Cycles, has helped agencies escape the daily grind and build a work schedule that fuels performance and happiness. His six-week work cycle is turning the traditional nine-to-five model on its head, and today, he’s sharing exactly how you can make it work for your agency.In this episode, you'll learn:👉 Why working harder isn’t the answer to burnout—and what to do instead👉 How a six-week cycle can supercharge productivity without sacrificing quality👉 The biggest mistake agencies make when trying to improve efficiency👉 How to get your team on board with a work model that prioritizes results and well-being📢 Ready to transform the way your agency works? Hit play now and discover why top agencies are embracing the six-week cycle!-----------------CONNECT WITH JOE MARTIN🌐 hijoemartin.com 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/hijoemartin/ 📩 me@hijoemartin.com -----------------CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta🐦 Connect on X: x.com/vendasta 📸 Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/vendasta

​​​​▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube🎯 Discover the Secret to Winning More Clients for Your Small Agency 🎯In this episode, we sit down with Jody Sutter, author of The Small Agency's Guide to Winning New Business, to uncover the secrets behind her proven approach to sales and business development for agencies. Jody has helped agency owners double their revenue and boost profits in less than a year — and she’s sharing exactly how she does it.In this episode, you'll learn:👉 Why your role in the sales process is more important than you think👉 The biggest mistake agency owners make when trying to scale their sales👉 When to step back from sales—and how to do it without risking revenue👉 Expert tips for winning new business consistently📢 Ready to unlock your agency’s growth potential? Hit play now and discover how to win more business without burning out.-----------------CONNECT WITH JODY SUTTER:🌐 https://www.thesuttercompany.com/💼 linkedin.com/in/jodysutter📩 jody@thesuttercompany.com-----------------CONNECT WITH VENDASTA:📹 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@Vendasta💼 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/vendasta🐦 Connect on X: x.com/vendasta 📸 Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/vendasta

Join us for a deep dive into the world of sales management with Alan Versteeg, a former engineer turned sales expert and Global Chief Revenue Officer at Growth Matters. Alan shares his unique insights on the importance of mindset, pipeline management, and coaching for sales success.In this episode, you’ll learn how a growth mindset can transform your sales team’s performance, the essential factors for a healthy sales pipeline, and how to effectively coach your sales team for optimal results.Tune in to discover how Alan’s unique blend of engineering and sales expertise can help you elevate your sales team to new heights!Conquer Local is presented by Vendasta. We have proudly served 5.5+ million local businesses through 60,000+ channel partners, agencies, and enterprise-level organizations. Learn more about Vendasta, and we can help your organization or learn more about Vendasta’s Affiliate Program and how our listeners (like yourself) make up to $10,000 off referrals.Are you an entrepreneur, salesperson, or marketer? Then, keep the learning going in the Conquer Local Academy.