The Fast Lane

High Velocity Radio 10/17/11: The Pink Plumber, FranConnect, Shedding The Corporate Bitch, Cathy Iconis, Afternoon In The Country with Atlanta Les Dames d’Escoffier International

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:47:00 +0000

Throughout the month, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we see many companies jump on the “pink bandwagon” simply for the month of October. Yet, about a year ago, one company in particular, The Pink Plumber, decided to change its entire corporate structure and devote its energy and financial resources to the cause. It’s now ingrained in the company and all of its employees, including many who have loved ones also affected by breast cancer to support this important cause.

CLICK HERE To Listen To Hear This And All The 10/17/11 High Velocity Radio Interviews

High Velocity Radio Monday 7/18

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:10:00 +0000

Yasmine Jandali with VR Business Brokers

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE: Monday 10am Eastern

Questions for our guests?

Tweet us during the show! @stonepayton and @leekantor

High Velocity Radio Monday 6/27

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Danny Broadway With YEPSER And Glam-Mother, Nellie Myers

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE: Monday 10am Eastern

Questions for our guests?

Tweet us during the show! @stonepayton and @leekantor

Business RadioX Lounge: Sponsor Opportunities

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:40:00 +0000

Business RadioX ^TMis building out a Lounge / Green Room to compliment our studio (Glenlake first, then Alpharetta).

Guests will hang out here pre and post show . . . enjoying Sponsored food, drink, and amenities.

We're wide open to your creative ideas about a Sponsor arrangement to meet your clients' needs. Just let me know a good time to talk it through, and we'll make it happen. stone@businessradiox.com 770.518.1412

In the meantime, we know we're prepared to accommodate:

1. Primary / Flagship Sponsor -- As in, "We were just talking about this before the show in the Dorito's Lounge . . ."

2. Major "In Kind" Sponsors

Wireless & WiFi
Food
Beverage
Furniture / Appliances
Art
Lounge Host
Other?

3. Awesome SWAG Sponsors

Sunglasses
Gift Baskets
Shirts
Hats
Treats
Gadgets
Tools
Services?

. . . Sky's the limit here -- come with your ideas.

First Come, First Serve . . . Good Luck !

- Stone

On Location Radio: Next Gen Trade Show Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 03:36:00 +0000

Well, we did it again -- and the results were phenomenal !

I'm talking about On Location Radio at a Trade Show. This idea is proving to be a stellar "Next Gen" Strategy for Trade Show Marketing . . .

You might recall that I've been on several of these On Location Trade Show excursions recently with ny good buddy and High Velocity Radio Show co-host, Todd Schnick . . . New Orleans, Orlando, here in Atlanta at the Concourse Athletic Club -- and we're headed back to Orlando soon for two more: CSIA Annual Meeting and the Extreme Business Makeover conference.

My latest On Location Radio adventure was just this past weekend in Knoxville, TN -- producing the incredibly popular Dr. Fitness & The Fat Guy Show. Read All About It And Listen In On a Couple Interviews With Our Friends At NuStep Right Here.

In the meantime . . . Here's some brief video showing Dr Fitness sweating up a storm while we interviewed Ginny Kappler, US Professional Sales Manager for NuStep and Wes Franks from Provision Physical Therapy .

For More Information About On Location Trade Show Radio -- shoot me a note or give me a call, and we'll talk it through.

770.518.1412
stone@businessradiox.com

See ya in the Fast Lane . . .

- Stone

January 2011 Business RadioX -- Informed & Inspired . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 15:15:00 +0000

1. New Business RadioX ^TMHost Terry Barber landed this interview with a gentleman some of you may recogmize, Ken Blanchard. Terry says. . .

One of the most fascinating interviews I have ever done with one of the most insightful and humble leaders on the planet. You will hear Ken's perspective on "duck behavior" versus "eagle behavior." You will also hear his passion and plea for business leaders to operate with golden-rule principles. We discuss his latest book, Lead with Luv, which he co-authored with President Emeritus of Southwest Airlines, Colleen Barrett. The interview is chocked full of Blanchard zingers, metaphors and stories and will leave you and your team with a desire to want to make the world a better place. Listen and you will agree, I am sure of it.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS CONVERSATION

2. Erik Wolf & Crew (Zero-g Creative) have come to market with a marvelous new service called Bloggernaut™ — the FIRST 100% authentic blogging solution for busy entrepreneurs and business managers!

•100% Authentic! We leverage YOUR words, YOUR expertise

•Requires less than an hour of your time every month
•Packages for 4 posts/month start at just $500!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THAT CONVERSATION

3. Dr. Fitness & The Fat Guy took their show on the road -- traveled to Knoxville for the Healthy Living Expo. All those interviews to be posted soon. In the meantime . . . Here's a brief video featuring NuStep, and illustrating just how fun On-Site Broadcasting can be:

Of course, there's a ton more. Just tap into the main Business RadioX ^TM site at your leisure 24/7/365.

Enjoy !

Open Call For Business Radio Appearance: Atlanta Area PR Pro and Your Client

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 05:05:00 +0000

Atlanta Business Radio ^TMis conducting a series of Roundtable Discussion episodes featuring Atlanta's leading PR professionals and their clients.

If you're an Atlanta area PR Pro interested in coming on the Atlanta Business Radio ^TM show with your Atlanta area Client to talk about what it really takes to build and sustain a practical, productive PR Provider / Client relationship, share more about your work, educate your market and promote your client . . .

Contact Stone: stone@businessradiox.com

*** Atlanta area In-Studio Guests Only (Sandy Springs and Alpharetta Studios). ***

Good Luck -- Look Forward To Some Insightful & Engaging Interviews !!!

- Stone

Got Platform?

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 05:50:00 +0000

One thing I absolutely LOVE about Business RadioX ^TM is how it gives our hosts a PLATFORM -- a fun, relaxed environment to meet the people they want to meet, a place to talk about the things they want to talk about, a venue to share their specialized expertise, a classroom to learn more about the things they want to know . . . and a vehicle to help others promote their business and / or gain support for their cause.

I'm reminded of this because: Just this week, I had the opportunity to wield my "platform" muscle * a little bit -- and maybe do some good.

* In addition to being a Managing Partner for Business RadioX ^TM, I also co-host my own show. So, I have my own platform.

While strolling through my Twitter community this week, I came across an impressive young man on a very important mission. His name is Ricky Springer, and we're going to have him on the show next month.

We're not gonna save the world through this episode, through the show, or even all the Business RadioX ^TM shows combined. But I gotta say -- It's pretty darned cool to have a platform like this at our disposal to support people like Ricky and the cause he represents. It's pretty darned cool to support people just like you and me too . . . hard working business folks simply trying to help more people and make more money.

What a blessing to have a platform that solves the prospecting problem, strengthens the relationship, educates the market, promotes the business, shrinks the sales cycle, supports the cause . . . and at the same time is SO MUCH FUN !!!

How About You -- GOT PLATFORM?

Click Here For More On Ricky Springer And "Racing For A Cause"

. . . and tune in Feb. 14 10am Eastern to hear his High Velocity Interview LIVE on Business RadioX ^TM

The High Velocity Lexicon (And Thinking Pattern)

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 03:05:00 +0000

I've been observing and cataloging Top Performer behavior for over 24 years now . . .

Top Performers THINK differently. Most of them TALK differently too.

I mention it because since the New Year began, I've been paying very close attention to the language patterns of some of the Top Performers I hang out with, and comparing their words / phrases with the words / phrases everyone else uses.

VERY interesting! So much so, we may very well decide to turn this into a real Research Project this year.

In the meantime . . . Here's a baker's dozen (13) of these words / phrases from the Top Performer lexicon (and Thinking pattern) I've captured so far . . . alongside their far more common counterparts expressed by the masses:

Snow Week In Atlanta: What You Missed

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:12:00 +0000

The weather is crazy here this week. Personally, I LOVE it . . .

I've caught up on a great deal of reading, spent more time with my kids, and knocked out a few year-end chores (like assembling all the $$$ data so BevAnn can close out the books).

My Fast Friends and I are going to miss out on a few things originally planned for this week though, including:

1. Ricky Steele speaking about The Heart Of Networking -- and unveiling the new edition of his book by the same name.

2. A stellar line-up for the Jan 10 High Velocity Radio Show. We were going to have Darcy Eikenberg, Susan Hyatt, and Angel Tucker . . . All On One Show !!!!

Fortunately, the Ricky Steele event was simply re-scheduled for Jan. 20.

Click Here For Details and Registration.

Re-scheduling the 3 ladies for The High Velocity Radio Show might prove a bit more difficult, and we probably won't be able to get them on the same show (two are not based in Atlanta, and we don't do call-ins on our show). We will work to get all 3 scheduled back in though, and in the meantime you can learn about each of them by clicking on their respective graphics below:

8 Keys To High Velocity Selling

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:01:00 +0000

1. Faster Really Is Better. Top Performers in every arena consistently Produce Better Results In Less Time – exercise just a handful of key disciplines that give them that slight extra edge.

2. Love Is A Tremendous Accelerator. Love equips you with a world view and thinking discipline perfectly designed to systematically increase the ratio of results to time invested.

3. Interruption Marketing Is A Dying Model, continues to produce diminishing returns (especially in the professional services arena), and it’s SLOW.

4. The Best Way To Market Your Service Is To Service Your Market

Do this consistently . . .

- Before they become a client . . . and your sales cycle will shrink dramatically

- While they’re a client . . . and your revenue will skyrocket

- After they’re a client . . . and you’ll expand your business exponentially

- Even if they’re never going to be a client . . . and you’ll have more referrals than you can handle

- For your vendors . . . and you’ll have “reach” that no budget, no process, no expertise could ever produce

- For your competitors . . . and you won’t have any

5. Forget The Funnel

- It just doesn’t jive with the buying process anymore (probably never did) -- requires linear movement in a non-linear environment.

- It Leaks (a lot), requires binary response (Yes or No?, In or Out?) in a market full of choices.

- It’s not how Top Performers go to market, and not what they do when they get there.

- There’s a better way.

6. Focus On The Pre-purchase And Post-Purchase Experience

Make the experience of engaging with you and your organization what the gurus call “signature” . . . something your competitors are unable or unwilling to replicate, something your market can’t get somewhere else and they become less and less willing to do without.

Don’t wait till they buy, Don’t stop after they buy.

7. Teach Me How To Buy From You

Aligning your sales process with the prospect’s buying process is a credible idea – but far more applicable to hard goods, non-discretionary services, and commodity items – products and services for which most organizations have an established buying process.

The more unique your service is (like specialized expertise, for example), the less
likely your prospects have an established buying process that will properly facilitate your interests or theirs . . . and the more energy you need to invest in teaching them how to buy from you.

8. Solve My Problem

Help me get exactly what I need and want – whether you and your company provide it or not.

High Velocity Radio 2010 Greatest Hits -- Kristin Parker: Junior Achievement

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:39:00 +0000

Here's another one of my personal favorites from the 2010 season on High Velocity Radio featuring Kristin Parker with Junior Achievement of Georgia.

Brief Excerpt

Full Interview

Using hands-on experiences, JA of Georgia brings the real world to over 100,000 students each year, opening their minds to their full potential by bridging the business and education communities. The hallmark of JA is its unique use of local business and community volunteers who come into the K-12 classroom or host middle and high school students for JA Job Shadow, delivering JA programs in the areas of financial literacy, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking, and global workforce readiness. The dynamic interaction between students and volunteers with practical business experience promotes active learning and brings theory to life, while also allowing students to see a real-world model of someone who can demonstrate the value of business on a first-hand basis. These learning experiences establish the foundation on which young people can build the skills and attitudes necessary to succeed in a fast-paced world.

Core Values:

• Belief in the boundless potential of young people

• Commitment to the principals of market-based economics and entrepreneurship

• Passion for what we do and honesty, integrity, and excellence in how we do it

• Respect for the talents, creativity, perspectives, and backgrounds of all individuals

• Belief in the power of partnership and collaboration

• Conviction in the educational and motivational impact of relevant, hands-on learning

CLICK HERE to receive email notifications of the latest High Velocity Radio Show podcasts!

OSCAR NIGHT® AMERICA – ATLANTA

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:12:00 +0000

OSCAR NIGHT® AMERICA – ATLANTA

Feb 27, 2011

Cobb Energy Center

Just got the announcement via e-mail today. We went last year and had a blast. You will not find a better night out for $25 a piece, and this event supports such a wonderful organization -- The Center For Family Resources.

Join Us . . .
* Bonus: See Stone in a Tux !

Here's a little video footage from last year . . .

High Velocity Radio 2010 Greatest Hits -- Jill Konrath: SNAP Selling

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:46:00 +0000

As we're gearing up for yet another stellar year on High Velocity Radio, we thought you might enjoy some brief excerpts from a few of the interviews Todd Schnick and I found particularly memorable from 2010 -- like this one with Jill Konrath discussing her new book, SNAP Selling.

Meet Ricky Steele: Atlanta January 13

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 14:17:00 +0000

THE HEART OF NETWORKING….PART DEUX
RICKY STEELE, CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
HUNTER TECHNICAL RESOURCES

January 13, 2011
7:30am - 9:00am
King & Spalding

Ricky Steele is the ultimate Rainmaker. Steele has a long history of developing new business, expanding the brand, marketing, public relations, and community engagement for clients across many industries. Today, Ricky is the Chief Development Officer for Hunter Technical Resources, one of Atlanta’s premier staffing and recruiting companies.

Please join us as the IEI Entrepreneurial Forum kicks off its twelfth year of breakfast programs with an insightful and entertaining presentation by Ricky Steele.

Ricky wrote The Heart of Networking in 2004 distilling his rich experience in forging relationships that generate business. In practical, straightforward, and real-world language, The Heart of Networking reveals the secrets of building your own business network. Steele teaches how to build a business environment that enables and promotes your own success by creating satisfaction among clients, customers, colleagues, bosses, investors, and the community.

Ricky has just completed a revised and expanded version of his classic book. The release of the second edition of The Heart of Networking fortuitously coincides with IEI’s meeting on January 13th. This new edition of The Heart of Networking updates timeless principles of building professional relationships by exploring the effective use of social media tools for networking; tools that were not available when the book was first written.

So please register and join us on Thursday morning, January 13th, for this illuminating presentation, when Ricky Steele will share insights, tips, techniques, and nuggets of wisdom on developing effective business relationships. It’s a program you can’t afford to miss.

Steele is a native of Atlanta and served as Director, Emerging Growth Technology Practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he was instrumental in helping PwC take the dominate position among the Big 5 within emerging growth companies.

Mr. Steele has been profiled and cited in numerous local business publications and several national technology publications including The Wall Street Journal. The Atlanta Business Chronicle has named Mr. Steele one of the “Who’s Who in Technology” during his employment at both PwC and Korn/Ferry International.

A life long entrepreneur, Steele received the Georgia Small Business Person of the Year Award in 1986. He was hired as a consultant by BETA, SSA, and WIT to study the various technology associations in Georgia which produced the original business plan for The Technology Association of Georgia.

Mr. Steele has had a passion for serving the needs of his community throughout his career. Steele was a Founder and the first Chairman for both Atlanta’s Table, part of The Atlanta Community Food Bank and Hospitality Helping Hands. Steele has also served on the Board of Trustees for Leadership Atlanta and The Ron Clark Academy. He is also active with High Tech Ministries. Mr. Steele is an Alumnus of Leadership Atlanta (1986) and Leadership Georgia (1987).

BONUS!! BONUS!!

All pre-registered attendees will receive a free copy of Ricky’s new book: The Heart of Networking (second edition), which he will personally sign following the meeting. The new book will retail for $19.95.

High Velocity Radio 12/20/10: Teisha Shelby-Houston

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:37:00 +0000

Download

CLICK HERE to receive email notifications of the latest High Velocity Radio Show broadcasts!

The Gratitude Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 04:24:00 +0000

How Cool Is This?

All I know to say is . . . THANKS !

For Over 24 Years . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 05:16:00 +0000

I was just asked to submit my BIO for an upcoming speaking engagement. I've been catching a lot of flak lately from my closest friends and even some of my clients about the dated headshot . . . you know, the one where I still have black hair.

So, I decided to update the BIO with my new cartoonized radio headshot and quikly scan the text for any needed changes as well. That's when it hit me. While re-crafting the very first line of my BIO, it suddenly dawned on me . . . I've been doing this for almost a quarter of a century !

Time really does fly when your having fun, and every day truly is precious. So please -- Take it from someone starting to get a little "long in the tooth" . . . Live This Day As If It Were Your Last.

High Velocity Radio 12/13/10: David Meerman Scott & Laura Biering

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:12:00 +0000

Download

CLICK HERE to receive email notifications of the latest High Velocity Radio Show broadcasts!

Dead At Midnight . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Stone) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 03:42:00 +0000

This sounds like the single best piece of counsel I've come across all year !

I'm gonna try it starting right now, Sunday December 12, 2010 -- and promise to periodically report as objectively as I possibly can . . . If / How this discipline really does help one produce Better Results In Less Time.