Episode 406: 📈 The Evolution of Marketing in the AI Era 📉

WEBVTT

00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:03.250
Welcome everyone to another episode of Dynamics Corner.

00:00:03.250 --> 00:00:05.266
What is thought leadership?

00:00:05.788 --> 00:00:09.109
Brad, I'm your co-host, Chris, and this is Brad.

00:00:09.109 --> 00:00:12.368
This episode was recorded on February 5th 2025.

00:00:12.368 --> 00:00:15.686
Chris, Chris, Chris, what is thought leadership?

00:00:15.686 --> 00:00:20.809
That's an interesting question and with that question comes an interesting conversation.

00:00:20.809 --> 00:00:24.466
We had the opportunity to speak with a wonderful member of the community that has a lot of experience and knowledge about thought leadership and many other topics conversation.

00:00:24.466 --> 00:00:29.157
We had the opportunity to speak with a wonderful member of the community that has a lot of experience and knowledge about thought leadership and many other topics.

00:00:29.157 --> 00:00:29.899
With us today.

00:00:29.899 --> 00:00:31.762
We had the opportunity to speak with John Rivers.

00:00:31.762 --> 00:00:54.494
Good morning, sir.

00:00:54.494 --> 00:00:54.914
How are you?

00:00:54.954 --> 00:00:55.195
doing.

00:00:55.215 --> 00:00:55.375
Morning.

00:00:57.957 --> 00:00:59.137
John, doing good, doing good.

00:00:59.718 --> 00:01:00.597
Excellent, excellent.

00:01:00.597 --> 00:01:01.784
I'm looking forward to speaking with you.

00:01:01.784 --> 00:01:03.206
Thank you for taking the time to talk with us.

00:01:03.206 --> 00:01:07.572
I love the bus, the Volkswagen.

00:01:11.141 --> 00:01:12.608
I love the Volkswagen to myself.

00:01:13.381 --> 00:01:14.185
Do you have one of those?

00:01:15.921 --> 00:01:16.966
I don't have the bus.

00:01:16.966 --> 00:01:18.814
It's on the list to get at some point.

00:01:18.814 --> 00:01:21.248
But I do have an old Volkswagen car.

00:01:21.939 --> 00:01:23.165
Oh, nice, nice.

00:01:24.001 --> 00:01:26.647
Yep, I have a convertible common gear.

00:01:26.647 --> 00:01:37.251
Wow common, common deer, common gear oh, let me see see if I can get a rough idea.

00:01:37.251 --> 00:01:38.293
Hang on a second.

00:01:38.293 --> 00:01:42.465
You don't see the, but that will give you sort of, maybe, an idea.

00:01:43.867 --> 00:01:44.308
Oh, okay.

00:01:44.870 --> 00:01:46.733
See, I could picture John cruising the beach.

00:01:46.733 --> 00:01:52.465
Yeah, top down, cruising the beach, palm trees, it's like the Volkswagen bus and it's nice.

00:01:52.465 --> 00:01:55.611
Yep, yeah, definitely that's the way to live.

00:01:55.611 --> 00:01:56.534
That's the way to live.

00:01:57.001 --> 00:02:05.072
You know it's interesting, that Volkswagen bus right there when I bought this house, when I was going through, you know, the whole place right.

00:02:05.072 --> 00:02:06.585
And then there's a shop.

00:02:06.585 --> 00:02:12.086
And when I went through the shop I was like man, this is amazing, I'm excited because there's a shop for me.

00:02:12.086 --> 00:02:17.590
And then I went to go look, there was a covered car vehicle.

00:02:17.590 --> 00:02:18.985
At that time I didn't know what it was.

00:02:18.985 --> 00:02:22.524
I pulled it down just to look at a peek.

00:02:22.524 --> 00:02:30.114
You know, I'm sure that the owner would have said no, but I took a peek anyway and it was a red Volkswagen bus.

00:02:30.114 --> 00:02:32.123
I thought it was gonna come with the house.

00:02:32.123 --> 00:02:33.229
I actually asked for it.

00:02:33.229 --> 00:02:35.920
Hey, does this come with the house?

00:02:35.920 --> 00:02:36.223
And he goes.

00:02:36.223 --> 00:02:37.407
Oh, no, no, no, no.

00:02:38.372 --> 00:02:41.442
I don't think someone would remodel that thing from scratch.

00:02:41.461 --> 00:02:42.403
It's like okay.

00:02:42.403 --> 00:02:46.832
That's like are sure, I was trying to haggle the guy to see if he'll leave it.

00:02:47.721 --> 00:02:48.609
Depends on what it is.

00:02:48.609 --> 00:02:51.567
Some of the buses nowadays can be pretty expensive.

00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:54.883
Yes, I'm sure it was pristine.

00:02:54.883 --> 00:02:56.165
They should bring them back.

00:02:56.165 --> 00:02:58.442
They do, they are bringing them back.

00:02:58.461 --> 00:02:58.883
They have.

00:02:58.883 --> 00:03:03.646
They've brought back an ID which is sort of an electric bus.

00:03:03.646 --> 00:03:07.389
You either love them or you hate them.

00:03:07.389 --> 00:03:10.920
If you're a Volkswagen fan, you're either one side.

00:03:10.920 --> 00:03:11.945
You're not in between.

00:03:11.945 --> 00:03:13.826
It's a hate or a like.

00:03:14.181 --> 00:03:15.606
They have the electric version.

00:03:16.602 --> 00:03:17.686
Bratz, that's all it is.

00:03:17.686 --> 00:03:18.969
Yeah, yeah, the electric.

00:03:20.741 --> 00:03:21.586
I'd have to try it.

00:03:21.586 --> 00:03:28.830
I'm stuck on the Teslas at this point just maybe because I haven't driven any other electric vehicles.

00:03:28.830 --> 00:03:32.950
Maybe I should try some of the other electric vehicles to see how they work.

00:03:34.060 --> 00:03:38.092
Yeah, I mean the bus is I don't know, it's all full electric.

00:03:38.092 --> 00:03:46.031
I mean my daughter is my older daughter loves hanging out when I go to the meets and stuff and actually wants an old bus.

00:03:46.031 --> 00:03:59.033
She said why would I pay like $70,000, $80,000 to get an electric bus and it doesn't look that great, where I could have an older one and probably have it all totally done out and for less money?

00:03:59.300 --> 00:04:09.028
I'd want a bus with one of the campers at the top, like the whatever they pop up or whatever they call Vehicles back then, so much different than they are today.

00:04:09.028 --> 00:04:13.831
But, mr Johnstarr, we appreciate you taking the time to speak with us.

00:04:13.831 --> 00:04:15.447
Been looking forward to it, as I had mentioned.

00:04:15.447 --> 00:04:19.127
Before we jump into the conversation, would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself?

00:04:20.600 --> 00:04:21.103
Who am I?

00:04:21.103 --> 00:04:21.786
Who am I?

00:04:21.786 --> 00:04:23.507
Well, I'm John Rivers.

00:04:23.507 --> 00:04:32.925
I co-own a marketing company called Marketeery with my business partner, diane Sager.

00:04:32.925 --> 00:04:37.074
We focus on the ERP and CRM side of the fence.

00:04:37.074 --> 00:04:41.646
When it comes to marketing, we're a full-blown agency.

00:04:41.646 --> 00:04:48.002
We help from everything from messaging, websites, seo, content, development, all those things that's.

00:04:48.423 --> 00:04:53.783
That's a little bit about, should we say, the business side, which, hey, I'm not going to try to talk too much more about that.

00:04:53.783 --> 00:05:09.127
People can work it out, what we do and who we are myself personally and I'm going to give because I know you said to me this could be as long as it needs to be but, um, I think I was on another podcast and it's like okay, let me, let me give you a little bit of history.

00:05:09.127 --> 00:05:10.591
Where did I start?

00:05:10.591 --> 00:05:11.521
Where did I come from?

00:05:11.521 --> 00:05:13.964
Um, I'm actually.

00:05:13.964 --> 00:05:21.906
I actually trained as a developer and probably a lot of people don't, some people probably starting to get that but I actually trained as a developer.

00:05:21.906 --> 00:05:30.829
I trained on cobalt assembly and I didn't do too much on pascal, but I did a little bit on that, some c++.

00:05:31.971 --> 00:05:47.213
That's where I started and I realized quickly that that was not what I wanted a little fun fact pascal is where I got started as well, but I did take assembly language and cobalOL in school when I was growing up.

00:05:47.213 --> 00:05:47.392
Right.

00:05:47.392 --> 00:05:50.410
So, Chris, do you remember those languages?

00:05:51.440 --> 00:05:53.168
That's how I started is actually COBOL.

00:05:53.168 --> 00:05:56.048
I worked in a data center and their whole thing was on COBOL.

00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:58.084
And I got introduced to that.

00:05:58.105 --> 00:06:01.747
I'm like ooh and then I moved on.

00:06:02.860 --> 00:06:06.149
Assembly was great with the move and the shift and keeping track of that.

00:06:06.149 --> 00:06:06.670
That was all.

00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:33.208
Yeah, I had some fun when I was doing a work experience when I was at school and I ended up going into a company that actually built basically the navigation devices for boats more personal boats and stuff like that and they just let me loose on playing around with the assembly because that's what they were using to actually control the controls.

00:06:33.208 --> 00:06:38.672
They said do what you want, build your own device and write your own code.

00:06:38.672 --> 00:06:40.646
So that was a lot of fun back then.

00:06:42.125 --> 00:06:42.369
I'm sorry.

00:06:42.369 --> 00:06:43.040
I didn't mean to cut you off.

00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:44.305
We can continue with who you are.

00:06:44.305 --> 00:06:47.028
You struck a nostalgic moment for me.

00:06:48.661 --> 00:06:49.512
No, it's actually.

00:06:49.512 --> 00:06:50.420
I'd add to that.

00:06:50.420 --> 00:06:57.353
It's like, yes, I may be getting older, but at the same time I think my college was a little bit behind at the time.

00:06:57.353 --> 00:07:03.045
So if I'd been one year earlier in college it would have been punch tape that's going to show you back.

00:07:03.045 --> 00:07:04.526
Thank God it would have been punch tape that's gonna show you.

00:07:04.526 --> 00:07:07.992
Thank god I didn't have to do punch tape, because that would have been a nightmare.

00:07:07.992 --> 00:07:11.644
I know a friend of mine who actually did do it and it simply wasn't fun.

00:07:12.425 --> 00:07:14.391
Um, roll forward.

00:07:14.391 --> 00:07:16.536
Um, I actually got more into consulting.

00:07:16.536 --> 00:07:18.802
That's where I started really.

00:07:18.802 --> 00:07:23.249
Um, I actually work for a company that specialized in fonts.

00:07:23.249 --> 00:07:27.795
That's where I probably got a little bit of my design concept.

00:07:27.795 --> 00:07:40.189
But I actually ran a division that actually created fonts and if anyone remembers the days of laser printers, we used to have a cartridge that used to plug in with fonts.

00:07:40.189 --> 00:07:49.704
If anyone remembers that, we were the main supplier of those cartridges around the world.

00:07:49.704 --> 00:07:55.043
So, yeah, so we were the ones who actually did all that development, put them together anyway.

00:07:55.043 --> 00:07:56.708
Roll forward from there.

00:07:57.168 --> 00:07:58.952
I continued consulting.

00:07:58.952 --> 00:08:04.351
I actually got more into the I would say the ERP side of the fence.

00:08:04.351 --> 00:08:08.723
So it was more consulting at that time it was JD Edwards.

00:08:08.723 --> 00:08:15.625
We I was working for an ISV at that time that had a solution that bolted on to JD Edwards.

00:08:15.625 --> 00:08:23.588
World software stayed with them through their one world and she was, like I said, consulting, did some help desk.

00:08:23.588 --> 00:08:38.466
I then migrated over to the US because I was asked to come over and actually help run their East Coast division, run all the consulting and help desk team, which is what I did and just kept on doing that.

00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:54.130
And then suddenly we went through the time where PeopleSoft decided they were going to buy JD Edwards but then Oracle came in and squashed everything and that really killed pretty much killed the business we were in.

00:08:54.130 --> 00:08:56.100
It just changed everything.

00:08:56.100 --> 00:09:13.163
I mean, we still kept going but we knew we had to find another ERP and that's where Microsoft came into it and I was part of a team that actually went out to start investigating and then actually helped the dev team or what dev team?

00:09:13.163 --> 00:09:17.724
Actually it wasn't even a dev team, it was one guy that was part-time given to me.

00:09:17.724 --> 00:09:19.714
We had to go out and try to integrate.

00:09:19.714 --> 00:09:26.711
First of all we were looking at GP or Great Plains as it was back then, but instead I said, look, that's not going to work for us.

00:09:26.711 --> 00:09:27.234
It's too low.

00:09:27.234 --> 00:09:28.565
It's too low price.

00:09:28.565 --> 00:09:31.721
We ended up working with Xapta Good old.

00:09:31.802 --> 00:09:32.325
Xapta.

00:09:32.325 --> 00:09:39.092
Wow, xapta 2.5 is where I've started changing my tune of how long I've been in the industry.

00:09:39.092 --> 00:09:41.923
I'm going to do it by versions of software now.

00:09:41.923 --> 00:09:45.990
So I hit the dynamic space in Zapda 2.5.

00:09:46.049 --> 00:09:57.009
See great minds think alike, because this is what I say to everybody that Microsoft changes the names of the products on purpose.

00:09:57.009 --> 00:10:00.768
Because that's how you know how long someone has been working in that space.

00:10:00.768 --> 00:10:05.365
Because if you call it Navision, we know that you started back when Navision was popular Microsoft Dynamics Nav.

00:10:05.365 --> 00:10:14.947
If you look at all the names that space because if you call it Navision, we know that you started back when Navision was popular Microsoft Dynamics Nav if you look at all the names that change Yammer becomes Veeva, engage, entra ID was Active Directory.

00:10:14.947 --> 00:10:22.145
So whomever's speaking, I have a sense of okay, so you've been working this long with the product, so I like that philosophy.

00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:26.621
Yeah, so that's where I'm gonna go, because maybe it seems like I'm not as old as I am.

00:10:26.642 --> 00:10:29.188
Well, you're talking punch tapes.

00:10:29.188 --> 00:10:30.192
I'm sorry, that gives it away.

00:10:30.192 --> 00:10:40.447
I'm not trying to to say anything without saying anything, but the reality is, I think maybe I should keep that one out of the conversation next time.

00:10:41.269 --> 00:10:49.804
Um, so with that we we worked, I worked on it, got into, also bought a little bit of my dev experience in it, worked with them.

00:10:49.804 --> 00:10:55.803
I actually did write some X++ back then was actually implementing.

00:10:55.803 --> 00:10:56.706
I could even implement.

00:10:56.706 --> 00:11:10.293
Back then I could implement Xaptor no issues myself, Got that solution into the marketplace, actually built it out, got more into pre-sales working with the partners as we were trying to onboard that into the partners.

00:11:10.293 --> 00:11:20.315
For anyone that wants to know what was that product, it was actually originally called Crateform, which was then taken over by Bottom Line Technologies later on.

00:11:21.179 --> 00:11:27.653
So I continued working on that, really staying in consulting, implementation, pre-sales.

00:11:27.653 --> 00:11:33.052
I started to realize I really want to get into managing the partners.

00:11:33.052 --> 00:11:36.067
I was sort of doing it but I was not doing it.

00:11:36.067 --> 00:11:37.633
Should we say it wasn't my official job?

00:11:37.633 --> 00:11:42.847
So I actually left that ISV and joined another ISV called Data Mations.

00:11:42.847 --> 00:11:45.332
Some people may know who they are.

00:11:45.332 --> 00:11:51.846
I was probably I think I was talking about like the 23rd employee when I joined them.

00:11:51.846 --> 00:11:55.508
I joke, now I'm still recovering.

00:11:55.508 --> 00:11:58.148
I think I've nearly recovered from all the EDI doctors.

00:11:58.148 --> 00:12:00.926
I nearly got those out of my head.

00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:10.908
EDI wow, the most standard non-standard on the planet exactly that is true, like they say edi is a standard.

00:12:10.908 --> 00:12:34.674
I'm gonna keep cutting you off just because we're going down memory lane here I don't even know why we use edi today in the sense of the way edi works, because the the whole premise of edi with charging by the kilo character and consolidation of characters to reduce transmission, back when you had 200 baud modems like it's 2025.

00:12:34.674 --> 00:12:40.991
I understand technology and systems need to change, but over the years it's still not changed.

00:12:41.552 --> 00:12:44.308
It doesn't like that I mean some areas have evolved, but it's still there.

00:12:44.308 --> 00:12:45.032
Yeah, I's still out there.

00:12:45.032 --> 00:12:46.620
I mean some areas have a bulb, but it's still there.

00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:48.325
Yeah, I don't understand it.

00:12:48.325 --> 00:12:49.227
I try but.

00:12:49.528 --> 00:12:49.730
Yeah.

00:12:49.730 --> 00:12:54.792
So I joined them to actually help run their channel, so got in.

00:12:54.792 --> 00:12:58.770
I mean, they were a little heavier at that time in the AX side.

00:12:58.770 --> 00:13:07.442
Now we're going to change the names right, names right.

00:13:07.442 --> 00:13:14.559
So I had she helped them build out their division nav, ax, f&o whatever words we're going to use that and also GP practice and grew that.

00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:16.988
I left a little bit later.

00:13:16.988 --> 00:13:20.879
I know now that they got sold right back to SBS.

00:13:20.879 --> 00:13:22.563
I think I was somewhere just shot they.

00:13:22.563 --> 00:13:24.708
They were shy of about 100 people when I left.

00:13:24.708 --> 00:13:29.469
At that time I decided to change directions.

00:13:29.469 --> 00:13:31.485
That's when I went out into the marketing world.

00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:34.903
It's like so how the hell did he get from dead to?

00:13:36.221 --> 00:13:36.722
marketing.

00:13:36.722 --> 00:13:39.205
I had to At Data Masons.

00:13:39.205 --> 00:13:39.908
We didn't have.

00:13:39.908 --> 00:13:41.346
We had a part-time marketeer.

00:13:41.346 --> 00:13:46.168
I had to do a lot of stuff myself, got into a lot of social media.

00:13:46.168 --> 00:13:58.832
It was probably the key I built out my LinkedIn network of massive at that point of everyone I could find that I could influence to actually come and get that product at that point.

00:13:59.995 --> 00:14:00.716
That's interesting.

00:14:00.716 --> 00:14:01.865
What a journey that you have.

00:14:02.081 --> 00:14:03.283
What a journey that you have.

00:14:03.304 --> 00:14:09.191
So you've been around, you've seen a lot and it is interesting to see the shifts of how people get somewhere.

00:14:09.191 --> 00:14:20.423
And I think you know, as you progress through your career you start off wanting to do all that crazy coding type stuff and then, as you get older, you want to do other creative type stuff that doesn't require as much work.

00:14:20.423 --> 00:14:22.168
I think More relationship.

00:14:22.890 --> 00:14:23.172
It is.

00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:27.504
You know less much work, I think more relationship it is.

00:14:27.504 --> 00:14:36.312
You know less coding and well, I think psychologically you want to get back, give back in a sense, so you want to be able to talk with people and help people and interact with people, versus sit and just do this cool, great build type thing.

00:14:36.312 --> 00:14:42.153
I think as we mature and through life you know not to talk about psychology, I think sometimes I do have that.

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.549
I sort of like think, oh, I could go back and do that.

00:14:45.549 --> 00:14:56.248
At the end of the day it's like I look at I don't know, let's just take some like a power automate, right, I like the concept of that.

00:14:56.248 --> 00:15:00.288
I think, ooh, I think I could probably do that, right.

00:15:00.288 --> 00:15:04.950
But at the same time it's like, okay, I really want to get delved into that again.

00:15:04.950 --> 00:15:15.807
But I think even in our everyday of what we do, we're dealing with technology and marketing.

00:15:15.807 --> 00:15:18.732
I mean, we can put the word AI into the conversation that's evolving.

00:15:18.732 --> 00:15:25.333
So I think having a technical mind at the moment is actually helping understand what's evolving in there.

00:15:25.333 --> 00:15:32.720
And I think you have to, in marketing, have that mindset, especially when you're working with the clients that we're working with.

00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:38.572
Yeah, you're utilizing a lot more technology in the marketing space because, I mean, you've got to adjust too right.

00:15:38.572 --> 00:15:55.985
The industry is going specifically the areas of your focus and then in having to utilize different tools to reach the audience you're looking for, um and what you're targeting, so that's right that must be a crazy time for you.

00:15:55.985 --> 00:16:03.267
Then, with all this uh ai coming out and it's like how, how do you, you know, how do you integrate that with your day-to-day stuff?

00:16:04.529 --> 00:16:12.687
It's challenging, right, because what you think is today, it's not tomorrow, right At the end of the day, and it keeps changing.

00:16:12.687 --> 00:16:17.448
So, yeah, so it's finding how do we?

00:16:17.448 --> 00:16:22.969
I think sometimes, I think at the early stage was like how do we battle it?

00:16:22.969 --> 00:16:31.538
Right, from a marketing company, because we don't want our prospective customers using it to actually take away business from us.

00:16:31.538 --> 00:16:55.464
Right, that was probably the first mindset you had, and over the time, it's like no, we've got to encompass it and support it and find ways how we can use it to be more efficient, but at the same time, be not scared that, hey, some of the prospective people out there are going to be using it as well, and that's okay.

00:16:56.807 --> 00:16:58.491
But it's not the finished result.

00:16:58.491 --> 00:17:00.466
I think it's going to simplify it, right?

00:17:00.466 --> 00:17:05.230
Yes, you may have it write a blog, but you can't just publish that blog.

00:17:05.230 --> 00:17:09.306
As it's right, you got to do some work on top of that.

00:17:09.306 --> 00:17:19.394
You got to humanize it, you've got to go through and make sure that um ai didn't go and reference something that isn't true.

00:17:19.394 --> 00:17:21.121
Right at the end of the day.

00:17:21.121 --> 00:17:27.847
It can do that and I think if you don't go through it and you don't know your information, it can really take you down the wrong path.

00:17:27.847 --> 00:17:32.605
So what I'm saying is we've got to encompass it, and I'm constantly looking at it.

00:17:34.060 --> 00:17:48.846
Next week I'm going to be at the Tampa local chapter meeting for the Tampa Roadshow for Dynamics Communities, right, and I'm going to be talking about AI prompts for co-pilot, so we're going to go through some of that.

00:17:48.846 --> 00:18:02.753
So at the end of the day, I was looking at I mean, I've done a similar one of that session before, but I'm already starting to look at it and say, okay, I probably need to refresh some of those prompts, because those prompts back then were probably what we thought.

00:18:02.753 --> 00:18:10.942
But hey, we can probably tighten them up and make them more efficient today based on what we've learned with everything changing, you do have to refresh that.

00:18:10.961 --> 00:18:28.924
But I think you do bring a great point in that conversation that it's embracing technology and using technology where it fits within an organization and not feeling like you have to use the latest and greatest all the time.

00:18:28.984 --> 00:18:32.381
I think that's the challenge with many that I've been speaking with lately.

00:18:32.381 --> 00:18:44.050
Your point is great because you're coming from the marketing point of view and your client base will most likely use AI because AI, in some fashion, is everywhere.

00:18:44.050 --> 00:18:54.400
So you're not going to compete with the AI, so it's embracing the technology, incorporating into your workflow how you could add the business value or that relationship value.

00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:17.463
It goes back to what I think is a big part of this whole AI space is the relationships become more important versus just being able to churn out assembly line type stuff right, I think also, I think on top of that as well, right, I think it's um, what you know up here right at the end of day, um, ai doesn't?

00:19:17.565 --> 00:19:19.909
I mean ai only knows what it's being given.

00:19:19.909 --> 00:19:25.207
Um, the analogy I like to use is hey, what are we coming up?

00:19:25.207 --> 00:19:46.763
We're getting very close to April when we're going to see wave one right for the Dynamics products come out At the end of the day, if no one has put that out in the interweb, how is AI going to get that information right If none of the new features and functions which are going to be there have been shared online?

00:19:46.763 --> 00:19:50.451
And then AI has sucked that in to what I like to call.

00:19:50.451 --> 00:19:51.453
It is like it's data bank.

00:19:51.453 --> 00:19:57.531
If it's not sucked it in, it can't tell you anything about wave one, the 25.

00:19:57.791 --> 00:19:58.173
I laugh.

00:19:58.173 --> 00:19:58.693
It just can't.

00:19:58.693 --> 00:20:01.220
I laugh at that because I think of that sometimes.

00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:12.632
I'm like with everybody using Copilot to generate content right when is the point where there is no more content to be used because copilot's creating all of the content?

00:20:12.632 --> 00:20:26.354
The new content it's, it's just, it's that you know, never-ending cycle for me, because copilot creates more and more content based on content that it knows, so people are using that to publish content.

00:20:26.354 --> 00:20:29.970
So somebody has to have the original content somewhere to put into this.

00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:42.109
And that's the person that's going to be out in the front right, and I think that's the one that's going to change everything, because they're the ones who are writing the original content that hasn't been talked about before.

00:20:42.109 --> 00:20:46.030
I think, over time, they're the ones who are going to stand out and be those experts.

00:20:47.042 --> 00:20:48.267
They have to be, because we'll have.

00:20:48.267 --> 00:20:51.226
Yeah, unless AI starts creating its own information.

00:20:52.169 --> 00:20:52.810
Well, there is that.

00:20:53.760 --> 00:20:57.208
Where it will be able to do its own tests, its own analysis and talk to itself.

00:20:57.208 --> 00:21:00.601
I'm waiting for the time where I can just sit and have a full-blown conversation with it.

00:21:00.601 --> 00:21:03.584
I know you can do that in partial now, but you'll never need to leave the house.

00:21:04.384 --> 00:21:07.807
Well, as long as it puts a paycheck in my bank account, I don't have an issue.

00:21:08.188 --> 00:21:09.769
Yeah, Mailbox money.

00:21:09.990 --> 00:21:10.210
Brad.

00:21:10.730 --> 00:21:12.571
Exactly, it's called mailbox money.

00:21:13.272 --> 00:21:16.154
It's a way that you get to that too.

00:21:16.154 --> 00:21:16.935
It's a challenge.

00:21:16.935 --> 00:21:28.411
So from the marketing point of view, who is your target that you market?

00:21:28.432 --> 00:21:30.557
What's your typical customer or target audience?

00:21:30.557 --> 00:21:32.622
So we really focus in on erp and crm partners and isx.

00:21:32.622 --> 00:21:39.694
That's where we've really focused in, with a very strong focus in the dynamic space.

00:21:39.694 --> 00:21:43.125
Now, does that not include the power platform?

00:21:43.125 --> 00:21:43.926
Yes, it does.

00:21:43.926 --> 00:21:45.730
It does, I think to me.

00:21:45.730 --> 00:21:56.153
I still lump and if I'm right or wrong, I still lump the power platform into the dynamic space or into the ERP space, right, and CRM, because it's interconnectable.

00:21:56.153 --> 00:22:04.409
I know you could use it elsewhere, but I think that really becomes and that's an area that we really focus on is the dynamic space.

00:22:04.409 --> 00:22:06.949
I mean, most of our customers are there.

00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:10.727
You're probably going to ask well, okay, there's a lot of different size partners.

00:22:10.727 --> 00:22:12.266
We work from all different.

00:22:12.266 --> 00:22:32.162
I mean, for some partners who may be small shops of a couple people, we're their complete department for marketing, right, we are their marketing team and we do everything for them, from their website all the way through their content creation to analyzing and all that stuff, and then share that back.

00:22:32.162 --> 00:22:42.761
We could go to the next step where we're starting to get to a hybrid version of that, where we're doing some of the work and they have internal people that do some of the other work.

00:22:42.761 --> 00:23:00.311
Or we may go to a bigger organization where and again, this is just a couple of new clients we took on recently where they're breaking more and more into the dynamic space but they don't have an understanding of the products inside that space.

00:23:00.311 --> 00:23:05.451
They understand maybe Acumatica or the Sage or those products.

00:23:05.451 --> 00:23:13.794
So what we're also bringing is our understanding of how the dynamics world is working for them.

00:23:13.794 --> 00:23:23.449
We bring that into the equation because we have a deep understanding based on our history of the ecosystem.

00:23:23.449 --> 00:23:29.336
So again, if you go back, I can lean on if we're working with an ISV.

00:23:29.336 --> 00:23:34.270
I can lean on how we built some of our relationships with partners.

00:23:34.270 --> 00:23:36.483
We can actually help them in a marketing way.

00:23:36.483 --> 00:23:39.712
How are we going to market to we're a new ISV in the space?

00:23:39.712 --> 00:23:44.469
What do we do to get that ISV product into the partner community?

00:23:44.469 --> 00:23:46.574
We know that because we've done it.

00:23:47.760 --> 00:23:51.211
I probably should add into my business partner Diane Sager.

00:23:51.211 --> 00:23:54.769
She has got a good history as well.

00:23:54.769 --> 00:24:03.625
I mean she was actually with Western Computers, western Computer way back in time when they were a small shop and helped them build up.

00:24:03.625 --> 00:24:08.794
She was actually their VP of sales and marketing back then and helped them grow.

00:24:08.794 --> 00:24:12.568
And now I mean they're a big ship out there, right there.

00:24:12.568 --> 00:24:17.088
They're one of the cruise liners which are going around picking up clients.

00:24:17.088 --> 00:24:27.951
And then later on she ended up going and working for jet reports as they're working on the marketing team, so I think she was VP of marketing for them.

00:24:27.951 --> 00:24:37.182
So again, and she was there through that they already had good growth.

00:24:37.182 --> 00:24:44.307
But she was there when they went through the growth of getting their product JetReports as an inside the NAV product at the time and then just snowballed from there.

00:24:44.307 --> 00:24:50.446
So again, a lot of experience from the community we can get into the community side.

00:24:50.839 --> 00:24:52.507
Definitely want to get into the community side.

00:24:52.507 --> 00:24:55.945
That was the perfect lead-in to what I wanted to ask you about.

00:24:56.880 --> 00:24:57.080
Yeah.

00:24:57.080 --> 00:25:00.767
So the community comes a big play into us being right.

00:25:00.767 --> 00:25:04.865
So again, I think that gives you an idea of probably our ideal customer.

00:25:04.865 --> 00:25:15.048
I think it's really down to, at the end of the day, if you're struggling with the eco because you don't know it and you need content, we help a lot with that.

00:25:15.048 --> 00:25:21.044
If you're new to space, or even if you've been out there is making sure you're messaging right.

00:25:21.044 --> 00:25:28.565
So we went through a good phase where we still do it's like where and we still I probably laugh about this.

00:25:28.565 --> 00:25:30.691
Sometimes there's still a lot of partners out there.

00:25:30.691 --> 00:25:33.991
You go to their websites and it feels like they're still trying to sell on prep.

00:25:33.991 --> 00:25:37.404
They're not talking anything to do with cloud right.

00:25:37.404 --> 00:25:42.800
We can see some smiles there and at the end of the day, we're there.

00:25:42.800 --> 00:25:48.874
We're helping those partner transition themselves to that different messaging that needs to be done for the client.

00:25:48.874 --> 00:25:53.590
So we go through a lot of that with partners as well and it's still happening today.

00:25:53.880 --> 00:25:55.807
I think messaging is extremely important.

00:25:55.807 --> 00:26:00.971
I'd love to get into the community because I know you've been a big part of the community as well too.

00:26:00.971 --> 00:26:05.840
The community as well too.

00:26:05.840 --> 00:26:13.082
But to bring back, I understand now the focus of your marketing is you help individuals primarily partners or ISVs be able to market the product that they're the product suite.

00:26:13.082 --> 00:26:17.071
I will say that they're looking to work with to their target audience.

00:26:17.071 --> 00:26:42.825
And it does become more important now because I think, generationally, the target audience of their customers is different, because people now do a lot of research before they reach out, whereas before it was Chris, I'm looking to do an ERP software product, what do you have for me?

00:26:42.825 --> 00:26:54.846
And then Chris would would explain business central, demonstrate business central, sell business central, where now I'm seeing the shift of hey, chris, I'm buying business central, what can you do for me?

00:26:55.528 --> 00:27:00.971
yeah, it's to me it seems to be there's a shift of mentality, of approach with the decision makers.

00:27:00.971 --> 00:27:16.472
With all the information that's available online even more so with ai goes to your point, to having the proper message out there that a lot of the research is already done beforehand and what somebody is really looking for is the relationship to help guide them through the journey.

00:27:17.982 --> 00:27:25.477
I 100% agree with that, but at the same time, getting that messaging correct right, because, yes, we, we go back.

00:27:25.477 --> 00:27:28.587
But I think the ERP let's just talk ERP, right.

00:27:28.587 --> 00:27:35.449
Erp space is so much more crowded today than it was even 10 years ago or 20 years ago.

00:27:35.449 --> 00:27:37.375
Right, you could probably kept.

00:27:37.375 --> 00:27:44.747
I mean, I'm gonna get beaten up here, I know well, but you probably could hypothetically count the number of ERP systems on one hand.

00:27:44.747 --> 00:27:46.500
Right Now.

00:27:46.500 --> 00:28:00.894
You probably need your hands, your feet and God knows what else, because at the end of the day, there are folks out there and we could probably say, okay, yes, it might be BC under the hood, but they're not promoting it as BC, they're promoting it as a vertical product.

00:28:00.914 --> 00:28:01.861
Correct, yes, which?

00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:04.346
makes it look like there's even more ERP solutions.

00:28:04.346 --> 00:28:09.670
See, EDI came into it, but ERP solutions.

00:28:09.710 --> 00:28:10.652
I sense your trauma.

00:28:12.340 --> 00:28:13.744
So, at the end of the day, it's still.

00:28:13.744 --> 00:28:15.250
It gets complicated.

00:28:15.250 --> 00:28:18.109
So, at the end of the day, it's how do we get out there in front of the noise, right?

00:28:18.109 --> 00:28:19.666
But I think you're right there, brad.

00:28:19.666 --> 00:28:28.934
There is so much opportunity for researching now that the buyer is a lot more intelligent about where they're going to go.

00:28:28.934 --> 00:28:31.446
And let's roll it back to AI.

00:28:31.446 --> 00:28:34.630
Ai is even going to play into that as well, right?

00:28:34.630 --> 00:28:38.164
I just wrote an article about hey partners and ISVs.

00:28:38.164 --> 00:28:43.953
Are you starting to think about how do you get yourself as a source on AI?

00:28:43.953 --> 00:28:44.795
Right?

00:28:44.795 --> 00:28:46.386
Because it comes back with sources.

00:28:46.386 --> 00:28:51.644
You've got to start looking at it, because that's going to change the search process as well over the next few years.

00:28:51.644 --> 00:29:01.328
I mean, I know from default on my machine when I go to search, it doesn't default to Google or Bing, it defaults to an AI tool for search.

00:29:01.579 --> 00:29:01.820
Yes.

00:29:02.644 --> 00:29:03.827
Yep and then from there.

00:29:05.102 --> 00:29:05.643
And a lot of us.

00:29:05.643 --> 00:29:07.970
Then, from there, the, the, we could go off on a tangent forever.

00:29:07.970 --> 00:29:08.611
What time is this?

00:29:08.611 --> 00:29:20.450
But it's true, and I I listened to some podcasts obviously I listened to this one sometimes as well, and it it is changing.

00:29:20.450 --> 00:29:21.771
It's you.

00:29:21.893 --> 00:29:25.877
You now search, even if you go, even if you do go, to Google, you search for something.

00:29:25.877 --> 00:29:31.092
It gives you a summary at the top and then you find the sources, where, and then it'll also list the pages.

00:29:31.092 --> 00:29:43.561
But I use that more now as I'll read the summary, see the points, see the sources and then, based on the point that it shows me or the paragraph that it gets from the source, I'll click that source link Versus.

00:29:43.561 --> 00:29:52.763
Sometimes I will scroll down if the information that I have isn't quite what I was looking for, for whatever reason, which again could be the way that I'm searching.

00:29:52.763 --> 00:29:58.045
Not to say that the tool is not proper, it's did I use the tool properly and I'll see the link.

00:29:58.045 --> 00:30:09.954
But most of my searches, the sources that I go to, will come from that top bracket, bracket, or even typing into Copilot a question and it will give me some sources.

00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:15.111
The behaviors change right, not just from a client side, but also from partners.

00:30:15.111 --> 00:30:23.070
Like you said, john, you're having maybe smaller partners that wants to get into the space, or an ISV that's getting into space.

00:30:23.070 --> 00:30:49.444
You're guiding them through not only from your experience, but what you're also seeing from the behavior of like, how prospects are now looking at buying a solution, and so it's really more important than ever to use data behind that using and from your gathering data in terms of like, the behavior of how people now buy products.

00:30:49.444 --> 00:31:07.190
It's certainly shifted um in the last at least the last five years of how this ecosystem of example business central is change, because now you have your marketplace right, your app source, and that's how people buy stuff and how do you market that and how do you?

00:31:07.190 --> 00:31:14.109
How do you target those prospects there's so many moving pieces that you have to consider.

00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:18.810
It's like, yeah, I mean, there's so many different places you could be.

00:31:18.810 --> 00:31:27.289
It's like, well, okay, where do we start when we only have this small of a budget, right, and it's just doing it through a piece?

00:31:27.289 --> 00:31:46.030
I mean we're working with Microsoft and a well-known distributor at the moment on a lot of migration, so helping partners with that migration from either GP and or SL or NAV to BC, because that's a big area that Microsoft is focused on.

00:31:46.030 --> 00:31:50.373
So there's funding that we get that helps the partners.

00:31:50.373 --> 00:31:54.689
We're working through that distributor to actually help with that migration.

00:31:54.689 --> 00:32:09.682
So making sure that we're writing content that actually starts to bring that partner that really, in some cases, has not been doing any marketing for the last X number of years now trying to bring them to the forefront or at least try to focus on that.

00:32:09.682 --> 00:32:12.431
They've got a group of customers themselves.

00:32:12.431 --> 00:32:14.708
How do we get those pulled over?

00:32:14.708 --> 00:32:21.027
We've got to put stuff aside publicly but we're really using that to actually talk to their existing customer base.

00:32:21.027 --> 00:32:28.868
So, yeah, there's a lot of moving parts and I think, again, we could pull this back as well.

00:32:28.909 --> 00:32:32.205
To like the community it's like being so entrenched in the community.

00:32:32.205 --> 00:32:35.964
We get to hear because we're working every day.

00:32:35.964 --> 00:32:44.971
Yes, we're hearing what the customers we're seeing what's working, but we're also entrenched in the community, which gives us a good feel of what is happening.

00:32:44.971 --> 00:32:50.712
It's like, hey, I mean, I've talked to you guys, but at the same time, what are you seeing right?

00:32:50.712 --> 00:32:56.653
Okay, do we not that we want to steal and take away what's been successful for you guys?

00:32:56.653 --> 00:32:57.662
But how can we?

00:32:57.662 --> 00:33:02.333
Because at the end of the day, it's how can we maybe take advantage of some of that ideas and bring that in?

00:33:02.333 --> 00:33:10.644
But the bottom line is that the more that we can make if we're focused on dynamics, the more that we make dynamics the number one, it's going to help everyone.

00:33:10.644 --> 00:33:19.145
Even if we hypothetically stolen an idea that someone else is finding successful, that's helping in the long run.

00:33:19.145 --> 00:33:20.308
It's not stealing.

00:33:20.670 --> 00:33:21.461
It's not Well.

00:33:21.461 --> 00:33:22.707
There's a couple of points there.

00:33:22.707 --> 00:33:26.547
One I agree with you when I say it over and over you can listen to many episodes.

00:33:26.547 --> 00:33:29.011
If the product does well, we all do well.

00:33:29.712 --> 00:33:31.080
And your second point.

00:33:31.561 --> 00:33:37.635
No, it's true because the ERP space is large because of the need.

00:33:37.635 --> 00:33:44.691
It's small because of the products which there are a wide range of products and if you can define and call what you would call ERP.

00:33:44.691 --> 00:33:55.184
But if you want Business Central, if Business Central is your core or the power platform, I'll just say the D365 stack for the sake of the conversation.

00:33:55.184 --> 00:34:04.762
If that is your core, if there's a lot of exposure to it, go back to the AI searches where the product will come up for those that are looking for it.

00:34:04.762 --> 00:34:07.107
Then they need to find someone to source it for them.

00:34:07.189 --> 00:34:30.728
If it's a successful invisible product, you have more opportunity to have that customer move over to use your services and you will never be the only one to know or do something, Because if you do something well and it's successful, others will try to replicate that in some fashion.

00:34:30.728 --> 00:34:33.592
We have look at all the automakers we have.

00:34:33.592 --> 00:34:35.465
You don't just have one automaker.

00:34:35.465 --> 00:34:56.246
You don't have just one truck maker, because somebody made a truck and everyone said, oh, a truck looks cool, let's make a truck of our own with a slight variation or a slight difference from the other one, and it takes a lot for people to accept the fact that you will never be the only one, and if you are, it will not be long.

00:34:58.021 --> 00:35:03.527
Well, yeah, I mean you can take that down into a lot of things we end up liking certain brands, right?

00:35:03.527 --> 00:35:06.561
I mean, take a pair of sneakers.

00:35:06.561 --> 00:35:16.469
Right, some people are gonna like this brand over this brand because they like the brand or because it's connected to some sports person or or whatever, right?

00:35:16.469 --> 00:35:28.929
So the end of day is, even if the two things hey, they keep my feet dry or they let me run, I don't know right, they let me walk they still do the same thing, but they're just different.

00:35:28.929 --> 00:35:32.548
I mean, it is what it is, but again, it's a lot more crowded today.

00:35:32.548 --> 00:35:38.166
We've just got to get out there and stand out from that crowd, and that's one of the things we try to do.

00:35:40.123 --> 00:35:52.668
So let's say, for example, as a new partner or ISV that's getting into the dynamic space, one of the things that you had mentioned earlier is that they have limited budget.

00:35:52.668 --> 00:35:54.652
So what is what would be the?

00:35:54.652 --> 00:36:03.628
Where would I put that money for someone that's small, that's trying to get into the dynamics community like where do you, where should they focus?

00:36:07.920 --> 00:36:12.068
It's a hard one to fully answer, but I would say I like to take them down.

00:36:12.068 --> 00:36:19.405
To be honest, down the thought leadership side, I really think in a day, thought leadership is really key.

00:36:19.405 --> 00:36:28.690
I think that's one area that we tap in a lot, and it's not just writing a blog, but writing it more from a thought leadership concept.

00:36:28.690 --> 00:36:33.206
Now, because we've produced that piece of content, now we can use it in multiple places.

00:36:33.226 --> 00:36:34.269
Define thought leadership.

00:36:38.764 --> 00:36:40.409
So one is really talking.

00:36:40.409 --> 00:36:47.724
I would say it's like talking about the problems that a client is having and showing your expertise in that space.

00:36:48.586 --> 00:36:48.907
Excellent.

00:36:48.927 --> 00:36:53.422
How you're solving it, not talking about BC.

00:36:53.422 --> 00:36:57.452
I mean, there's no harm in doing it, but don't write a sales piece.

00:36:58.172 --> 00:36:58.775
I understand.

00:36:58.775 --> 00:37:01.244
So you're not talking about BC's functionality.

00:37:01.405 --> 00:37:08.971
You're talking about your expertise to solving problems cc's functionality you're talking about your expertise to solving problems utilizing business central correct and you may bring a little bit in.

00:37:08.971 --> 00:37:13.326
It's like this is how it can do it, but not in a sales way.

00:37:13.326 --> 00:37:14.108
I understand.

00:37:14.108 --> 00:37:15.230
I think it's it's.

00:37:16.192 --> 00:37:27.384
I'm repeating it in brad speak just because if I can absorb it then at least I understand it and hopefully it helps those that may not understand it, but everybody else probably does and it's just me.

00:37:27.384 --> 00:37:28.768
But right it's.

00:37:28.768 --> 00:37:34.416
It's explaining how you use the tool, what the tool can do, but how are you going to use the tool to solve the problem?

00:37:34.737 --> 00:37:39.985
it's right, it's, yeah, it's really there's a challenge out there.

00:37:39.985 --> 00:37:44.110
Right, there's a common issue.

00:37:44.110 --> 00:37:54.710
We're going to go out there and explain how we've solved that issue in more of an educational piece than a sales piece.

00:37:54.710 --> 00:37:58.347
Right, and taking it deeper.

00:37:58.347 --> 00:38:05.067
At the end of the day, it's not just writing one article talking about multiples right, you could talk about thought leadership.

00:38:05.067 --> 00:38:06.306
It's like let's just take mig multiples right, you could talk about thought leadership.

00:38:06.306 --> 00:38:09.052
It's like let's just take migrations right.

00:38:09.179 --> 00:38:11.445
At the end of the day is, what are you missing?

00:38:11.445 --> 00:38:15.534
Right from moving from GP to BC?

00:38:15.534 --> 00:38:20.146
Right, I mean, we could tap into that.

00:38:20.146 --> 00:38:34.994
There is less and less possibly ransomware happening when the product's in the cloud compared to when it's on-prem, and right, so you can get a little bit more into the security side and the benefits there and how that had.

00:38:34.994 --> 00:38:53.713
If a client had moved from and they had done it in a timely manner or Then the other day, they probably wouldn't have got a ransom attack on their on-prem if they'd done that, but as soon as they moved they were able to, they kept getting, still getting attacked, but they never.

00:38:53.713 --> 00:38:55.505
No one got in because it was in the back.

00:38:55.505 --> 00:39:00.344
Just trying to think of a good example there or right.

00:39:00.364 --> 00:39:11.016
So it's that talking way, or there is something in manufacturing, right, if you're going again this, I think this is the change we're starting to see as well.

00:39:11.016 --> 00:39:18.817
If we go back right in time, when we used to sell ERP, we didn't care so much yes, we did, but we didn't care so much.

00:39:18.817 --> 00:39:25.094
Yes, we did, but we didn't care about the vertical that we were attaching it to, right?

00:39:25.094 --> 00:39:32.815
So the end of the day is a lot of clients who, historically, they may have a lot of verticals within.

00:39:32.815 --> 00:39:36.262
They don't have tons of people in one vertical.

00:39:36.262 --> 00:39:44.641
They seem to be all over the place, right, it was really just take, I've got some customers in healthcare, I've got some in financial, I've got some in manufacturing, some in distribution.

00:39:44.641 --> 00:39:47.838
That's changed in the model we do today.

00:39:47.838 --> 00:39:53.014
If we're really focused on professional services, we don't want to talk about manufacturing.

00:39:53.014 --> 00:39:58.534
We got to talk about how we're solving those problems in the professional services side.

00:39:58.556 --> 00:40:20.132
Okay, just to circle back, just to close the loop on where your money should be going, based on your budget, is really to spend time on the thought leadership component, where you're putting content, you're solving problems, not primarily just focusing on your product that you're just selling.

00:40:20.132 --> 00:40:24.396
Selling this product is being part of that conversation.

00:40:24.396 --> 00:40:35.911
In this case, maybe going to a community event where you may be speaking to get your name out there and then at that point, to get some visibility.

00:40:35.911 --> 00:40:51.902
To me, I think that's important, as someone that may be starting into the dynamic space is joining these community events and trying to get some speaking sessions as a starting point, depending on your budget that you have.

00:40:52.309 --> 00:40:57.931
Yeah, I think there's one other area on that, chris, that I would add as well, and I probably should have said it first before.

00:40:57.931 --> 00:41:00.858
I said thought leadership is your foundation.

00:41:00.858 --> 00:41:02.851
What is your foundation?

00:41:02.851 --> 00:41:04.333
Your website is.

00:41:04.333 --> 00:41:14.791
Your foundation, right At the end of the day, is you can write all this thought leadership, but their event, the client, prospective client is at some point going to go and research you.

00:41:14.811 --> 00:41:17.096
And, let's put it polite, If you have a crap website, it's probably going to turn them off.

00:41:17.096 --> 00:41:19.740
Especially, again, let's go back to verticalization.

00:41:19.740 --> 00:41:21.826
If you have a crap website, it's probably going to turn them off.

00:41:21.826 --> 00:41:24.373
Especially, again, let's go back to verticalization.

00:41:24.373 --> 00:41:31.516
If you have nothing talking about professional services on there, you're probably not going to bring them in.

00:41:31.516 --> 00:41:41.360
So it's making sure that foundation is right in the first place, and there's a lot of sites out there that are not like that and we tend to.

00:41:41.360 --> 00:41:43.563
Historically, we could get away with that.

00:41:43.563 --> 00:41:46.518
Now you really need to do that.

00:41:47.152 --> 00:41:59.173
I think of one client we were working with and then they took some stuff in-house and they went off and did a Google ad campaign and then they wondered.

00:41:59.173 --> 00:42:06.318
They came back to us and said well, can you analyze this, because it's not producing any leads directly.

00:42:06.318 --> 00:42:12.072
They were getting people to the site, but it wasn't converting.

00:42:12.072 --> 00:42:23.179
So the ad was really good, but the messaging once they got them to their site did not match up to what they were trying to say.

00:42:23.179 --> 00:42:25.163
They were doing no right.

00:42:25.163 --> 00:42:27.778
The customer left or the prospect left at that point.

00:42:27.778 --> 00:42:31.610
So, at the end of the day, your website is your foundation.

00:42:31.610 --> 00:42:39.224
And again, if we go back to searching searches, at the end of the day Google and even AI they're searching out there.

00:42:39.224 --> 00:42:51.800
And if that foundation, foundation, that website, is not correct I'm thinking of a better word, I can't think of it yet but if it's not there and it's not built correctly, it's not going to come up with the searches either.

00:42:51.800 --> 00:42:53.610
Well, I appreciate you bring that up.

00:42:53.791 --> 00:42:54.914
Yeah, sorry, brad.

00:42:54.914 --> 00:43:01.722
Uh, I appreciate you bring that because people don't realize that, like you said, you know you're speaking about, about a problem and you have a solution.

00:43:01.722 --> 00:43:05.016
They're going to research you and remember the behavior changed.

00:43:05.016 --> 00:43:10.019
Now it's no longer you know, they're going to research you and look you up and get all the information.

00:43:10.019 --> 00:43:11.103
That's weird.

00:43:11.103 --> 00:43:13.277
And look at all the information.

00:43:13.769 --> 00:43:15.911
Chris, you need to shut that off when you're doing these things.

00:43:15.911 --> 00:43:16.831
I do need to shut that off.

00:43:16.851 --> 00:43:34.559
I have to do like, maybe just do a thumbs up there, but because if you don't have that foundation you made a good point, john is that co-pilot and AI is going to look at your stuff in a way for you to be another avenue to be found at the same time.

00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:35.739
So it has to match.

00:43:35.739 --> 00:43:37.840
You're right, it goes back to.

00:43:37.860 --> 00:43:43.844
You have to have a proper representation of who you are and what you are and you're saying on your website.

00:43:43.844 --> 00:43:50.387
So that's what it is is your message has to match who and what you are, instead of thinking that people just know who I am.

00:43:50.387 --> 00:43:54.108
But I take it a bit further and it draws back to the community.

00:43:54.108 --> 00:44:01.989
I think you also need to have a presence elsewhere other than just your website, so you have the visibility.

00:44:01.989 --> 00:44:04.094
Presence elsewhere other than just your website, so you have the visibility.

00:44:04.114 --> 00:44:09.978
I try to use the analogy all the time and Chris has heard me say it probably countless times he needs more than his hands and his toes and probably the trees in his backyard.

00:44:09.978 --> 00:44:14.652
People have a need and a problem they're trying to solve.

00:44:14.652 --> 00:44:27.036
You're not going to create the problem for them, and what I mean by this is I need a plumber when I have a problem with my plumbing, who am I going to call?

00:44:27.036 --> 00:44:29.119
I'm going to call.

00:44:29.119 --> 00:44:50.931
Probably I'm going to look it up, I'll find someone's name, but I'll also remember the truck that I saw driving down the street every time I went to the store, because subconsciously, that name's going to be there, because I'm going to feel that I see them everywhere, so I'm going to feel that they have a presence that they're all over the place and they're servicing people because they're all over the place.

00:44:51.012 --> 00:44:54.021
So I take it they're driving around.

00:44:54.905 --> 00:44:56.329
Right, well, they're driving.

00:44:56.329 --> 00:44:58.251
Well, exactly, I mean, they're going to places.

00:44:58.251 --> 00:45:06.856
So I think many discount in 2025 and take it back to the community having some sort of presence.

00:45:06.856 --> 00:45:09.117
Elsewhere people will go.

00:45:09.117 --> 00:45:13.081
Oh, I saw John, he talked about this.00:45:13.081 --> 00:45:15.121


I have a problem with that.00:45:15.121 --> 00:45:17.242


I'm going to call him versus.00:45:17.242 --> 00:45:21.606


I'm looking at John's website and it says that he implements software.00:45:21.606 --> 00:45:24.367


But okay, he implements software, but how does that help me?00:45:24.367 --> 00:45:35.021


It's almost figuring out a way to articulate and demonstrate you can solve and help someone's problem, because I am not calling an electrician to fix my toilet.00:45:36.170 --> 00:45:40.422


So I'll give you an example of myself to do with what you just said.00:45:40.422 --> 00:45:47.976


Give you an example of myself to do with what you just said.00:45:47.976 --> 00:46:03.233


So there is being I've been trying and it's a lot of it's based on the stuff I'm writing at the moment is being, for the last couple years, trying to change the perception of people thinking that all I do is social media and let's take that I'm an expert in social media.00:46:03.434 --> 00:46:04.615


Oh, you can help me out.00:46:04.615 --> 00:46:05.536


I have some questions.00:46:05.536 --> 00:46:06.237


Can you help me out?00:46:06.396 --> 00:46:06.577


Right.00:46:06.577 --> 00:46:09.960


So, yeah, I can help you out, but let's take it back.00:46:09.960 --> 00:46:11.601


How did I get there, right?00:46:11.601 --> 00:46:13.403


So let's roll back to that.00:46:13.403 --> 00:46:18.271


And this goes and it goes into the community as well here how did we get there?00:46:18.291 --> 00:46:26.257


So, when I joined Data Masons to run their channel, I started realizing, hey, I've just put myself in a situation.00:46:26.257 --> 00:46:27.277


I don't like cold calling.00:46:27.277 --> 00:46:34.905


It's not my thing, I don't like it At the end of the day, today I could probably do it, but back then I just couldn't do it.00:46:34.905 --> 00:46:37.027


So I turned to LinkedIn.00:46:37.027 --> 00:46:40.215


So we're talking now when I left them.00:46:40.215 --> 00:46:42.322


Them was over 10 years ago, so prior to that.00:46:42.322 --> 00:46:44.313


So we're talking about 14, 15 years ago.00:46:44.313 --> 00:46:48.521


I turned to LinkedIn as my way.00:46:48.521 --> 00:46:59.335


And LinkedIn back then everyone thought of it as more as a resume board and that's all it was Prior to even that catch word that we use today social selling.00:46:59.335 --> 00:47:10.463


I was doing that 14, 15 years ago and I used LinkedIn to build my reputation up and get Data Masons name out through that as well.00:47:10.463 --> 00:47:12.634


Where did that lead to for?00:47:12.634 --> 00:47:13.436


Into the community.00:47:13.536 --> 00:47:16.572


And it goes back to your pieces of being out there and talking.00:47:16.572 --> 00:47:27.599


Yeah, data Masons was getting sessions to talk about EDI, but that was because they were sponsoring, not because they were getting picked to talk about it.00:47:27.599 --> 00:47:38.389


But I was getting picked to actually go and talk about social media to other partners to say hey, or ISVs to say you need to start looking at it.00:47:38.389 --> 00:47:41.481


So we started sharing what?00:47:41.481 --> 00:47:47.726


Basically education about what was working for us and how to be successful with it.00:47:47.726 --> 00:47:49.574


You can argue and say why didn't you do that?00:47:49.574 --> 00:47:51.039


It was outside of what you did.00:47:51.039 --> 00:47:57.253


It brought in someone warm because they trusted me so I could bring in a partner.00:47:57.253 --> 00:47:58.797


I could bring in, say, the two of you.00:47:58.817 --> 00:48:01.952


You were back then right, what is he doing?00:48:01.952 --> 00:48:02.635


How is he using LinkedIn?00:48:02.635 --> 00:48:03.159


I don't want to.00:48:03.159 --> 00:48:05.630


I want to go and listen to how he's using it to drive business.00:48:05.630 --> 00:48:11.286


Right Now, I've got you, you hooked into trusting me.00:48:11.286 --> 00:48:17.297


Maybe now we can have a conversation about EDI, right, and how you guys could sell it right For us through your customers.00:48:17.297 --> 00:48:19.342


Anyway, trying to get.00:48:19.342 --> 00:48:32.896


But then that snowballed into Microsoft, then catching on to it and having me speak at events like the WPC Inspire event and keep on going with that.00:48:32.896 --> 00:48:36.057


I mean convergence, I mean so there we go back in time, right.00:48:36.057 --> 00:48:38.237


So some of the old conferences which are around.00:48:38.771 --> 00:48:39.934


I remember convergence.00:48:40.456 --> 00:48:53.489


Yep, I was invited to go and talk about how to use social to drive business through either an ISB or a partner, how to find customers, but I took it to another level.00:48:53.489 --> 00:49:03.585


So when I got to places like Inspire and WPC, I was out there also actively I'd sit in a keynote.00:49:03.585 --> 00:49:06.559


I don't do it today because I think I just exhausted myself.00:49:06.559 --> 00:49:18.181


Back then I would sit in a keynote and I would basically tweet every single message I saw come up on the screen that whoever was speaking was talking about.00:49:18.181 --> 00:49:22.278


This is one of my claims to fame.00:49:22.278 --> 00:49:26.918


I love Multiple inspires.00:49:27.230 --> 00:49:42.014


I got shut down by Twitter because it thought I was a spammer, because the volume of messaging I was putting out in the time period was so great and it was basically it was all manually Like I said it was.00:49:42.014 --> 00:49:50.139


When I look back to it, it's like gee, they would shut me down for like 10, 15 minutes and even Microsoft tried to talk to.00:49:50.139 --> 00:49:56.619


This was before the Elon days was trying to talk to Twitter and say can we not have this person shut down because they're better?00:49:56.619 --> 00:49:59.096


Anyway, roll on a little bit to that.00:49:59.096 --> 00:50:12.485


Within the conferences and we've seen this right they had a leader board to do with social media of what was being said For two, three years in a row and they kept trying to change their algorithm to give others.00:50:12.505 --> 00:50:15.452


I was always start at top of that leader board, right?00:50:15.452 --> 00:50:19.179


And what that was a way was to stay top of mind.00:50:19.179 --> 00:50:23.304


I've always believed that you have to stay top of mind.00:50:23.304 --> 00:50:28.460


It goes back to leadership as well writing content, just keeping that mindset.00:50:28.460 --> 00:50:30.954


And Brad, you bring up that good point, right.00:50:30.954 --> 00:50:36.514


If I keep seeing that plumber truck when I do need a plumber, I'm probably going to think about that.00:50:36.514 --> 00:50:38.440


I think of it in a different way, right.00:50:38.440 --> 00:50:40.114


I'm thinking of buying a new car.00:50:40.114 --> 00:50:42.320


Do I buy a BMW or an Audi or whatever?00:50:42.320 --> 00:50:47.119


If I keep seeing more about the Audi, I'm probably going to lean to that.00:50:47.119 --> 00:50:55.661


It doesn't matter how much it's, just it gets into our psyche and you also start comparing all others to that Audi.00:50:57.211 --> 00:51:17.481


It's a strange psychology that many don't understand, because even without doing anything, for lack of air quotes I love air quotes, everybody loves air quotes but even not doing anything, besides having good advertising driving down the street, in essence, at some points you can become the de facto standard that people compare against.00:51:17.481 --> 00:51:27.815


Even if you get the deal or not, you still get brought into there when people weigh you as something, this whole social media presence.00:51:27.815 --> 00:51:30.038


I have so many questions for you about that.00:51:30.038 --> 00:51:31.976


We'll have to have next Tuesday.00:51:31.976 --> 00:51:33.019


Is it next Tuesday?00:51:34.213 --> 00:51:35.402


We're going to skip a session.00:51:35.875 --> 00:51:49.556


We're going to skip a session and we're going to have a private conversation, because I have some questions and struggles and it's just the way that I think about some of the social media stuff and I'm going to pick your brain.00:51:49.556 --> 00:51:50.179


I'm just letting you know.00:51:50.530 --> 00:51:51.211


Now really quick.00:51:51.211 --> 00:52:00.413


Then it sounds to me that you know, based on just the story you've given John, so you know, people start to trust you, right, because you're talking about a problem and you have a solution that may not be.00:52:00.413 --> 00:52:03.197


You know people start to trust you, right, because you're talking about a problem and you have a solution that may not be.00:52:03.197 --> 00:52:03.838


You know you're talking about.00:52:03.838 --> 00:52:10.349


You had a speaking session about social media, but then you're doing EDI solution, right?00:52:10.349 --> 00:52:23.043


So is it more important now, from a relationship aspect, to have your own personal brand at the same time, right, because you're speaking, you're talking about other things.00:52:23.043 --> 00:52:29.596


But then, like, I'm going to trust John, I'm going to trust Brad, because I've seen him speak about something and then I happen to have something.00:52:29.596 --> 00:52:32.619


I'm going to ask him hey, is this something that you can help, because I trust you?00:52:32.619 --> 00:52:35.257


So I'm curious about your take on that.00:52:35.257 --> 00:52:38.128


Is that important now that you have a personal brand?00:52:38.590 --> 00:52:42.992


Let's define right now that you have a personal brand, let's define right.00:52:42.992 --> 00:52:51.615


Let's define because we know there's a lot of companies out there that struggle with having someone that becomes a personal brand with inside their organization and takes in their minds.00:52:51.615 --> 00:52:58.572


Right, senior management takes away from the organization that they're working for.00:52:58.572 --> 00:53:00.237


There there is a conflict.00:53:00.237 --> 00:53:12.423


I would say I probably did go through that at some point with Data Masons, because I know that people thought I was actually a co-owner for a period of time but I never was.00:53:12.423 --> 00:53:18.541


To me today, I think there is a balancing act.00:53:18.570 --> 00:53:19.909


I thought it was your company at one point, just to be honest.00:53:19.909 --> 00:53:20.708


I wish it was when they sold for $100 million.00:53:20.708 --> 00:53:21.952


I thought it was your company at one point, just to be honest, I wish it was.00:53:22.170 --> 00:53:24.318


When they sold for $100 million, I wish it was.00:53:24.318 --> 00:53:27.898


But even that, I would have taken just a million and I'd be happy.00:53:30.510 --> 00:53:31.353


I would have taken a penny.00:53:32.237 --> 00:53:33.081


Yeah.00:53:33.081 --> 00:53:53.635


So I think, at the end of the day, chris, I think it is important to find and have and let people that can be out there and help you from a voice, and we want to call that thought leader, whatever you want to call it Right, I think it's beneficial to have.00:53:53.635 --> 00:53:55.201


It gets you out there.00:53:55.201 --> 00:54:01.472


I think what I like is also is it sometimes opens the door up to the soft approach, right?00:54:01.472 --> 00:54:10.704


I mean mean even things like this podcast right at the end of the day, me talking is that really directly helping your business?00:54:10.704 --> 00:54:14.778


You can argue and say, well, we put a lot of time in it.00:54:14.778 --> 00:54:16.362


Does it really indirectly?00:54:16.362 --> 00:54:18.632


It probably does, because it brings attention.00:54:18.632 --> 00:54:22.882


It brings people in that want to listen to the conversation and start to trust you.00:54:22.882 --> 00:54:25.277


So I think trust comes in a different ways.00:54:25.277 --> 00:54:37.043


It's not always about it goes back to that thought leadership and what I said about let's not always try to keep selling the product, to sell our expertise and what we're talking about and things like that.00:54:37.469 --> 00:55:00.201


So, yes, I believe it is important, but there is a balance as well to look at and I think some and again I'll probably get slapped, but they're probably never gonna be my customers anyway, some of the partners out there or some execs who don't believe in it, start looking at changing your tune because it really will help you in the long run.00:55:01.010 --> 00:55:06.157


If you've got someone that's willing to go out there, support them because I think in the long run it will help.00:55:06.157 --> 00:55:18.902


And then, going back to that content development, whenever we go in and we want to do a thought leadership with the organization that can be, we work with them and say, okay, who is going to be that thought leader?00:55:18.902 --> 00:55:30.476


Is that going to be you as the CEO, or is it going to be this other person that's the VP of sales, or is it the VP of technology or someone else?00:55:30.476 --> 00:55:40.280


Right, who is the person that we need the customers, prospective customers or even customers to trust, who they can relate to?00:55:40.280 --> 00:55:42.994


So I think, at the end of the day, it is in.00:55:42.994 --> 00:55:47.978


I think in this day and age, we have to do that, but balance it.00:55:48.780 --> 00:56:11.371


Yeah, and I agree there is a fine balance there, because when you say thought leadership, that comes to my mind about okay, well, you know you're putting that content together, you know, and it's you, that's your kind of your personal perspective, and you're putting content about thought leadership and things like that.00:56:11.371 --> 00:56:19.295


So, yeah, I think it's a fine line, but at the end of the day, you are the one that's putting that effort into it.00:56:19.295 --> 00:56:21.099


It does carry you.00:56:21.500 --> 00:56:38.960


it does carry with you as you move on to something else right, but if you're, you're and I also look at that is people leave because of a reason thank you, right, thank you because they're unhappy with where they are.00:56:38.960 --> 00:56:50.971


Can you repeat that people leave because of a reason, because they're probably unhappy, not because of what, because they want to go out there and be topped off at the end of the day?00:56:50.971 --> 00:57:00.411


Is you continue, you will reap the benefit from it, from an organization that that is so important it's I.00:57:00.512 --> 00:57:05.317


I love what you're and I could talk with you about this for hours, and that is an important message.00:57:05.317 --> 00:57:14.905


A lot of times, individuals may have a different approach, thinking I want to hold someone so they can't leave, and it's better to have a beneficial or friendly relationship.00:57:14.905 --> 00:57:16.706


Keep people happy.00:57:16.706 --> 00:57:23.590


They'll stay happy.00:57:23.590 --> 00:57:23.951


They'll stay.00:57:23.951 --> 00:57:30.072


They will not leave because if they feel, if they're happy with whatever it is it products, service, relationship if they feel they're getting something from it right, selfishly in a sense.00:57:30.112 --> 00:57:34.331


I mean, ultimately, all relationships come down to what can I get from it.00:57:34.331 --> 00:57:43.601


And what can I get from it Doesn't have to be what are you giving me, because you could also be giving me enrichment, you could be giving me happiness, because our conversations are enlightening.00:57:43.601 --> 00:57:44.463


So that's what.00:57:44.463 --> 00:57:56.217


When I say getting something from a relationship, it doesn't have to be financial or in the sense of using, but everybody's relationship, even your personal relationship.00:57:56.217 --> 00:58:12.248


You're getting something from it either, whether it's even down to joy, but that's one of the most important things with building relationships People will stay with you employees, customers, whatever you call them if they're happy with you, regardless of what's out there.00:58:12.248 --> 00:58:15.677


And people will call them, they'll come up with searches, they'll see other things.00:58:15.677 --> 00:58:19.940


Trying to hold them will build animosity, because then they'll figure out can I leave?00:58:19.940 --> 00:58:21.585


Oh, they're trying to keep me in.00:58:21.585 --> 00:58:25.414


They're not letting me leave because people want that freedom to choose.00:58:25.414 --> 00:58:30.865


It's, it's part of who we are, you know right, I like to.00:58:31.086 --> 00:58:34.298


I like to put it another way as well, brandon.00:58:34.298 --> 00:58:35.463


People buy from people.00:58:35.463 --> 00:58:37.208


They don't buy physical products.00:58:37.208 --> 00:58:48.996


Right, they want to build that trust and the the other day having someone there, I take it back and if she does listen to this, maybe Mary Myers would like this analogy.00:58:48.996 --> 00:58:51.298


Right, and I'm going to put it back as I think I love Mary.00:58:52.199 --> 00:58:55.460


Right, I think she's doing an amazing job out there as well.00:58:55.460 --> 00:59:05.807


And, at the end of the day, as I look at it, I think back in the days we used to do a ton of business on the golf course right, it didn't go away, but it slowed down a lot.00:59:05.807 --> 00:59:07.351


It was not used.00:59:07.351 --> 00:59:17.179


I look at this as what we're doing is like the old days, but electronically right, using tools like LinkedIn maybe, or whatever.00:59:17.179 --> 00:59:23.711


At the end of the day, you building relationships, which is all trust, right, and that was happening.00:59:23.711 --> 00:59:25.936


It didn't matter about what the products it's.00:59:25.936 --> 00:59:29.693


It sort of goes back to is who you know or what you know.00:59:29.693 --> 00:59:31.518


It's not always what you know, it's who you know.00:59:31.518 --> 00:59:34.315


It's how you got to where it is and we're trying to get that out.00:59:35.460 --> 00:59:36.664


Um, so I put it down.00:59:36.664 --> 00:59:39.952


But I think the golf course is coming back and there's a ton of businesses going on there.00:59:39.952 --> 00:59:46.204


But I do look at like LinkedIn sometimes as the electronic version of the golf course.00:59:46.204 --> 00:59:55.476


I'm going to put myself as just out there, right, why did I reach out to you guys to be on your podcast and luckily, hey, you got me on here.00:59:55.476 --> 00:59:58.474


It's because I felt over that.00:59:58.474 --> 01:00:05.570


I look back at the last couple of years and thinking, yeah, I try to stay top of mind, but I need to be in other places.01:00:05.570 --> 01:00:16.175


So I'm going to put my hands up and be selfish and say, and guys, well, maybe I won't put this one out there because he's just admitted what he wants to be on here, but because I needed to put.01:00:16.916 --> 01:00:17.797


We'll edit that out.01:00:17.797 --> 01:00:20.983


So keep telling us, we'll just edit it out, right.01:00:21.623 --> 01:00:36.130


It's to elevate, it's to back to what I used to do and I feel like, for me personally, I've dropped off a little bit of being out there as, I'll say, a top dog because of some things I've done.01:00:36.130 --> 01:00:38.759


But then I also could look back.01:00:38.759 --> 01:00:45.612


It's like I retired off of the directions board last year after being on there for 10 plus years.01:00:45.612 --> 01:00:49.621


So the end of the day is that had me.01:00:49.621 --> 01:00:57.512


I suppose you could argue and say, okay, I didn't look at it like this personally, but it elevated me right all the time because people would see me there.01:00:57.512 --> 01:00:58.554


I was part of the board.01:00:58.554 --> 01:00:59.478


I was always at the front.01:00:59.478 --> 01:01:02.242


I'd be up on the stage when they introduced who were the volunteers right that, or I was part of the board.01:01:02.242 --> 01:01:02.478


I was always at the front.01:01:02.478 --> 01:01:05.235


I'd be up on the stage when they introduced who the volunteers right that, or I was on their website.01:01:05.235 --> 01:01:06.259


That is not happening.01:01:06.259 --> 01:01:08.489


So you have to look at these things and evolve.01:01:08.489 --> 01:01:27.059


But going back to where we were going is 100% is if you've got someone inside the organization is willing to be your top dog and being willing to go out there and do a podcast or whatever, as long as it doesn't take away 100% of their day-to-day job.01:01:27.059 --> 01:01:31.476


So if they're generating business, don't squash it.01:01:31.476 --> 01:01:36.521


Look at supporting it and maybe, yeah, help it in a way.01:01:37.750 --> 01:01:39.532


I was trying to think of another example.01:01:39.532 --> 01:01:47.085


Years ago there was a partner that I was talking to, the CEO.01:01:47.085 --> 01:01:52.221


It's like we're struggling to get the team to write blogs.01:01:52.221 --> 01:01:52.963


Right.01:01:52.963 --> 01:01:54.195


We know we need to write them.01:01:54.195 --> 01:01:55.474


Marketing can't do all of it.01:01:55.474 --> 01:02:06.103


We want the team internally to write, but we've got some great minds minds but they don't want to write because they're being told that they have to make their billable hours.01:02:06.103 --> 01:02:21.503


So instead we came up with the plan is like why don't we include into the billing billable hours that if they write a blog, that counts to their billable hours?01:02:21.503 --> 01:02:27.597


So, hypothetically, if they write a blog, it checks off two hours of their billable hours.01:02:27.597 --> 01:02:41.559


They've got to do that week and what they found is that that changed the mindset and they ended up actually getting one person on the consultant team who ended up writing all the time and they didn't want to lose him from the billables.01:02:41.559 --> 01:02:42.742


He still doing the billables.01:02:42.742 --> 01:02:48.260


He was actually billing more because he was writing as well.01:02:48.280 --> 01:02:54.264


Take it all the way back to a couple points, but it is to the point you're saying, because, also, that same person that's doing that content is also learning more.01:02:54.264 --> 01:03:06.014


Because if they're writing content, yes, and that doesn't have to be the content, that's the latest and greatest, most complicated it could be another way to use customers and ship to addresses and business central, for example, to bring it back.01:03:06.014 --> 01:03:16.380


To go back to your golf course it's another thought that I say to people and the reason why this is Brad psychology, one-on-one on how I can claim to think that I just know things.01:03:16.380 --> 01:03:24.456


But the golf course is a good place and a lot of business happens at golf course, just like at the networking events at some of these conferences.01:03:24.456 --> 01:03:32.431


And it's not because of the networking event, because you're having a drink, because some people go to those events and do not drink.01:03:32.431 --> 01:03:33.755


You know we had one.01:03:33.775 --> 01:03:36.472


We were together recently, I had mocktails and I was talking with everybody.01:03:36.472 --> 01:03:39.025


But what it is is everyone's in a different environment.01:03:39.025 --> 01:03:40.090


They feel more relaxed.01:03:40.090 --> 01:03:41.998


They don't feel like it's a sales pitch.01:03:41.998 --> 01:03:56.001


I feel like I'm sitting in there talking with John as a person about my problems, about what he can do, about what he's done, what he's seen, and it's not a sales pitch and it's not an environment where I want your business.01:03:56.001 --> 01:03:56.269


It's.01:03:56.269 --> 01:04:00.880


Hey, let me just build trust, because relationships all come down to trust.01:04:00.880 --> 01:04:15.532


I'm going to build trust through that conversation because we're in a relaxed environment, we're open to be more receptive and now I want to work with John because I now have trust in him, because I get to know him as a person.01:04:15.532 --> 01:04:23.173


I feel, in my opinion, I feel in this world of AI, go back to what we said before, say it a different way, to sort of repeat ourselves.01:04:23.173 --> 01:04:30.965


I think relationships are going to be the most crucial part of business, even with AI doing all these other things.01:04:31.230 --> 01:04:35.929


Because, we are a communal species and we still will need to have that connection.01:04:35.929 --> 01:04:42.681


As much as we think we can do everything alone, you still need that external stimulation from another person.01:04:43.724 --> 01:04:51.302


Right and I mean I and I'll get a little personal here I deep down, I'm a very shy person.01:04:51.302 --> 01:04:53.423


People are going to laugh now.01:04:53.423 --> 01:04:55.632


It's like, damn, he's not a shy person, he's out there.01:04:55.632 --> 01:04:58.108


But I am Back in the days.01:04:58.228 --> 01:05:06.293


I'd be that person that if someone said, hey, you're going to go to a conference, I'd go and stand in the corner or find a way to get out of the door as quick as I could because I don't want to go and mix with people.01:05:06.293 --> 01:05:13.032


But over the years I changed that Social actually helped that because it built trust and et cetera, et cetera.01:05:13.032 --> 01:05:19.235


But at the end of the day is, yeah, I mean conferences really help At the end of the day.01:05:19.235 --> 01:05:23.074


I've gone through and I've sort of tried to coach people as well.01:05:23.074 --> 01:05:35.731


It's like, hey, at the end of the day I always looked at it as being I want to be the last man standing or the last person standing let's get this politically correct but last person standing in the room because you don't know what's going to happen.01:05:35.731 --> 01:05:36.932


But it gives me an opportunity.01:05:36.952 --> 01:05:41.599


I think you can say last man standing now in the United States, yeah okay, that's right.01:05:41.619 --> 01:05:44.492


Good, hey, but I'll still say last person.01:05:44.532 --> 01:05:45.215


No, I understand.01:05:45.215 --> 01:05:47.889


I just had to throw that in there just because it's who I am.01:05:48.693 --> 01:05:51.351


Yep, so it's building that, as I said.01:05:51.351 --> 01:06:02.188


Look, it's not also about going out there and getting from.01:06:02.188 --> 01:06:02.891


The plotly shitfest in the day is.01:06:02.891 --> 01:06:09.380


I know that I remember closing or basically getting a massive opportunity at like one o'clock in the morning because I sat there.01:06:09.380 --> 01:06:20.610


But I've been talking to that person on and off over a period of time at different conferences and we just happen to sit in the bar together talking and suddenly it just came out they said okay, we want to work with you.01:06:22.585 --> 01:06:26.777


But I mean tying in it's like I've always believed in the community.01:06:26.777 --> 01:06:32.438


I mean to tie back into that a little bit is when did I get involved in the community?01:06:32.438 --> 01:06:34.793


That's probably a good question I'll ask myself.01:06:34.793 --> 01:06:37.228


Right, and it goes back to the data.01:06:37.228 --> 01:06:40.336


So we all know about Summit Dynamics Communities.01:06:40.336 --> 01:06:44.405


I know there's other events, like DynamicsCon, which I believe in.01:06:44.405 --> 01:06:45.969


I believe in all the community stuff.01:06:45.969 --> 01:06:47.434


Have I been to everything?01:06:47.434 --> 01:06:53.108


No, it's challenging, it's a big expense to try to be everywhere, but I actually was at the.01:06:53.108 --> 01:06:58.934


I always say it was at the real first ever Dynamics Community Summit.01:06:58.934 --> 01:07:20.512


Technically there was one before where they sat around a table to work out how it was going to pull together as a small group but I went to the first ever one that was out in I think it was Bellevue, out that way in the Seattle area and I remember being there with no, it wasn't with data masons, it was with bottom line technology, with the Crankform product.01:07:20.893 --> 01:07:30.369


We were there and I remember as if someone we were in the hallway, if someone was talking to you and then on the other opposite table someone was talking as well.01:07:30.369 --> 01:07:33.835


It was a struggle to get through that's back.01:07:33.835 --> 01:07:37.130


So that's how long I sort of been going, I think.01:07:37.130 --> 01:07:41.719


Out of all the summits I've only ever missed two because of personal reasons.01:07:41.719 --> 01:07:48.985


So I've pretty much been to every single one.01:07:48.985 --> 01:07:50.688


I will give a shout out.01:07:50.688 --> 01:08:04.927


I know he's not involved anymore, but I'll give a big shout out to Andy Hafer, because when I did leave Data M's I was in transition and that was right around summit and I was talking to him and said, look, I'm probably not going to make it.01:08:04.927 --> 01:08:07.054


I'm in transition, I don't have the funds.01:08:07.054 --> 01:08:07.795


And now I look back.01:08:07.795 --> 01:08:11.750


I was like I should have put that as a priority, but I didn't look at it.01:08:11.750 --> 01:08:12.891


I'm still working out.01:08:12.891 --> 01:08:14.213


Am I going out on my own?01:08:14.213 --> 01:08:15.275


Am I going somewhere else?01:08:15.275 --> 01:08:19.081


And he turned around and said to me hey, you are coming.01:08:19.081 --> 01:08:22.810


He said, don't worry about the cost, I'm picking up your hotel.01:08:22.810 --> 01:08:24.773


I'm picking up, just pick up your flight.01:08:24.773 --> 01:08:26.390


Basically, everything else is paid.01:08:26.390 --> 01:08:34.328


You just do a few hours for me on the because I was helping him a little early on with their social media, trying to get that working for them.01:08:34.328 --> 01:08:35.850


So I gave them a lot of advice.01:08:35.850 --> 01:08:37.814


So it was a trade-off Basically.01:08:37.814 --> 01:08:38.895


We traded some time.01:08:38.895 --> 01:08:51.509


So I always give them credit and that really elevated at the time being there, helped me build my business.01:08:51.529 --> 01:08:52.190


But the community is really a key.01:08:52.190 --> 01:08:54.541


I mean you go back both of you talked about especially Chris, you were talking about being a speaker.01:08:54.541 --> 01:09:03.873


I've always tried to look at being a speaker at every event and trying to bring a topic that makes sense, that the audience wants to hear about.01:09:03.873 --> 01:09:05.890


But it's not always about.01:09:05.890 --> 01:09:09.230


To me it's not selling, it's about educating.01:09:09.230 --> 01:09:10.173


That comes number one.01:09:10.173 --> 01:09:14.472


So many people say to me all the time it's like you don't talk about yourself or what you do.01:09:14.472 --> 01:09:23.887


I'm not there for that, I'm there to teach and that becomes my priority.01:09:23.908 --> 01:09:24.631


Um, so I probably did on your podcast.01:09:24.631 --> 01:09:29.786


I did a little bit more selling with myself than I probably normally do, but community is really important.01:09:29.786 --> 01:09:33.351


Um, I said I've been on the board for directions for over 11 years.01:09:33.351 --> 01:09:35.694


I mean, that was when I started.01:09:35.694 --> 01:09:45.935


We were down in the 500s, um, lower than 500 attendees, and when I left we're like 1200 plus people, I mean, and a massive event.01:09:45.935 --> 01:09:50.770


Um, I'm, I mean, I'm proud of the community.01:09:50.770 --> 01:09:53.636


It wasn't just me, but the whole community came together.01:09:53.716 --> 01:09:57.555


That event is amazing, um, and I think it can grow.01:09:57.555 --> 01:10:05.310


I mean, if this community keeps on growing as it should, it could easily be a 2,000 person event.01:10:05.310 --> 01:10:08.747


But at the same time, it doesn't feel like that when you're there.01:10:08.747 --> 01:10:12.266


There is so much involvement with people.01:10:12.266 --> 01:10:20.430


And if we take like Summit last year, I remember making an effort, didn't want to count, I went and sat on a lunchtime.01:10:20.430 --> 01:10:28.747


I sat down at the table, happened to be all NGUs and somehow we got talking and I started asking the question did you migrate to BC or you're on BC?01:10:28.747 --> 01:10:30.310


Yes, did you migrate there?01:10:30.310 --> 01:10:33.726


No, we were new and I learned of all the people I met.01:10:33.726 --> 01:10:38.358


There was actually more BC cells than there was migration happening.01:10:38.358 --> 01:10:41.654


So again, community is really key.01:10:42.064 --> 01:10:46.431


It's such a large community, but it's so small at the same time.01:10:46.431 --> 01:10:49.731


And to go back to your point, I don't take this as you selling yourself.01:10:49.731 --> 01:10:58.135


I take it as you sharing your experience and knowledge so others can learn and maybe take a look at what they're doing.01:10:58.135 --> 01:11:05.698


And we learn by experience, either hearing and listening to others' experience or by our own.01:11:05.698 --> 01:11:09.614


It's how we learn and we go through.01:11:10.586 --> 01:11:17.439


It's giving back because I've shared this story in the past where, you know, I was on that other side.01:11:17.439 --> 01:11:22.658


I was the one that was sitting in the very back listening to a speaker and sharing their experience.01:11:22.658 --> 01:11:30.519


And you know, as I progressed with my career, I want to give back because I learned so much from others.01:11:30.519 --> 01:11:32.011


I learned so much from the community.01:11:32.011 --> 01:11:39.828


You know, the one thing I can do is give my time back and so speaking and just educating and that's the focus which education?01:11:39.828 --> 01:11:41.752


I'm not trying to sell myself, sell anything else.01:11:41.752 --> 01:11:52.086


I just want to share what I've learned throughout my career and hopefully somebody that's sitting back there could feel the same way and it kind of repeats that cycle and hopefully seeing them up there in in teaching.01:11:52.466 --> 01:12:04.125


You know a session and going back to the community, it's importance of communities that you brought up directions and you know fun fact I'm I'm working with mary on the marketing side.01:12:04.125 --> 01:12:08.635


You know I'm I'm coming from a tech background, so similar to you, john.01:12:08.635 --> 01:12:10.746


You know I'm shy, I'm a person.01:12:10.746 --> 01:12:29.935


I think every tech person, every it person, I don't know a little bit more shy, but you know, being part of that, seeing it come together, is impressive and now we have directions in Las Vegas coming up, so that is going to be fun and we're looking to see everybody joining us there.01:12:29.935 --> 01:12:42.756


Especially for smaller partners or ISVs that are getting to the space, this is the event to go, because then you get to see how everyone's doing it and learning from everybody and how to market yourself.01:12:42.944 --> 01:12:57.649


And I think I've got a good analogy as well on directions right At the end of the day is when the partners, when the competing partners because technically they're still competing right they're all trying to close maybe BC business.01:12:57.649 --> 01:13:04.929


As soon as they walk through the doors of the hotel for that event they are no longer competitors.01:13:04.929 --> 01:13:08.176


Everyone there is to share with everyone else.01:13:08.176 --> 01:13:18.676


It goes back to a comment we made earlier on Brad right, which was at the end of the day, is the more we share with each other, the greater this community can be, the greater we can drive more business.01:13:18.676 --> 01:13:22.595


At the end of the day that truly happens at that event.01:13:22.595 --> 01:13:30.030


I'm not saying it doesn't at other events, but the whole competitive thing goes out of the window as soon as we go out the door.01:13:30.070 --> 01:13:32.497


At the end of the event we're competitors again.01:13:32.497 --> 01:13:37.761


But while we're in that few days we're there, we are not.01:13:37.761 --> 01:13:41.073


We're all sharing and I think that is really the key.01:13:41.073 --> 01:13:49.621


So the other day I would say to anyone it's too late now, but go out there, try, go and put a session out there.01:13:49.621 --> 01:13:50.926


People want to hear.01:13:50.926 --> 01:14:07.432


I mean, I sat on running the, the sessions, basically the content, for a few years with directions and I was always looking for new voices because, yes, I want to hear, it's great to hear Brad and Chris.01:14:07.432 --> 01:14:08.689


They've got great stuff.01:14:08.689 --> 01:14:10.332


They're always bringing fresh content.01:14:10.332 --> 01:14:16.725


But there's God knows other people out there that also have knowledge and experience.01:14:17.025 --> 01:14:20.292


Let's bring them to the did you just say don't go to my sessions?01:14:20.453 --> 01:14:22.922


no, I wasn't saying don't go to your session.01:14:22.922 --> 01:14:24.127


I'm looking for that.01:14:24.127 --> 01:14:30.011


I can't go to your session next week because it's all at the same time as mine, so that's what I meant.01:14:30.091 --> 01:14:30.953


I understand what you meant.01:14:30.953 --> 01:14:33.086


I listen, I have to throw some of that stuff in there.01:14:33.105 --> 01:14:39.729


It's just part of how I am with the conversation but, yeah, go out there, um be it, but support it.01:14:39.729 --> 01:14:42.515


I mean I'd love to be at every single event.01:14:42.515 --> 01:14:57.319


I mean I I just at the end of the day as a business owner, and I'm sure many others is, we only have so much of a budget right at the end of the day is do I feel a benefit to be at all the events I could think of?01:14:57.319 --> 01:14:59.332


Let's just call out three main events.01:14:59.332 --> 01:15:04.886


I think of right Directions from a partner, isd standpoint, doug.01:15:04.886 --> 01:15:08.434


Right Dynamics Con, that's going to be in what's it?01:15:08.434 --> 01:15:12.613


May, which is going to be a mix range users and partners.01:15:12.613 --> 01:15:14.992


And then we've got Summit later on.01:15:14.992 --> 01:15:19.371


Yes, there's the roadsh and there's the regionals and the local meetings that happen.01:15:19.371 --> 01:15:22.292


It's tough to be at all those places.01:15:23.046 --> 01:15:23.287


It is.01:15:23.306 --> 01:15:24.427


So you have to pick and choose.01:15:24.427 --> 01:15:26.567


I mean I'd love to be at DynamicsCon this year.01:15:26.567 --> 01:15:32.927


I just can't put it in the budget and plus there's a lot of other stuff we've got going on internally.01:15:32.927 --> 01:15:39.527


We just can't be there and we'd love to be there.01:15:39.527 --> 01:15:44.970


For many years I've always wanted to go out to directions, and yet it keeps getting put off because other things come up.01:15:46.207 --> 01:15:55.777


It is a challenge of picking which event to go to because of what you had mentioned, it's sometimes not financially feasible, but also time-wise and logistically.01:15:55.777 --> 01:15:56.525


I'm with you.01:15:56.525 --> 01:16:02.925


I've been trying to get to Europe for several years, but some of these events take more to go through.01:16:02.925 --> 01:16:10.673


So it is a challenge sometimes to pick the one that you feel will provide you the most valuable value.01:16:10.713 --> 01:16:40.072


Excuse me, but it's also important to understand and accept that you can't go to the mall and I like your notion of going out and presenting, speaking and doing sessions and if you can't make it to one of the larger sessions, there's the road shows and the meetup type sessions that are a smaller, local, one day, half day type events that, if they're in your area, give it a shot Because it's same type of people but a smaller crowd and maybe a little less pressure.01:16:40.072 --> 01:16:48.756


But also one thing I know is I've been into many sessions with as first time speakers and everyone who's in the sessions with our wonderful community support everybody.01:16:48.756 --> 01:17:02.194


Even if they see they're nervous or if they feel that there's a challenge, many others will just jump in and help and engage to help bring some lightness to the room and also help drive to make sure it's an effective session.01:17:02.194 --> 01:17:02.775


So I'm with you.01:17:02.775 --> 01:17:04.067


I think everybody should do it.01:17:05.149 --> 01:17:07.815


And I think it's the end of the day, let's not just limit that right.01:17:07.815 --> 01:17:18.127


And at the end of the day, I'm sure there's going to be end users that end up listening to your podcast right At the end of the day is.01:17:18.127 --> 01:17:18.889


Also, think about being speakers.01:17:18.889 --> 01:17:22.436


You actually, as an end user, bring a lot of knowledge from a different perspective.01:17:22.436 --> 01:17:28.255


It's great and I really respect every partner ISV that puts their time and effort.01:17:28.255 --> 01:17:31.993


But I think we need to have a little bit more end user.01:17:31.993 --> 01:17:34.305


I know we see that a little bit more in the end user stuff.01:17:34.305 --> 01:17:38.777


We won't see it at directions because end users are not allowed into the event.01:17:38.777 --> 01:17:53.588


But at the end of the day, I think coming from the end user community really gives another perspective on things Because again, you can talk back.01:17:53.588 --> 01:18:22.730


If you're a discrete manufacturing company that's gone through some challenges, through maybe implementation, or you have to do something with VC to do what you got for your business, I'm positive there are other end users in your same, in discrete manufacturing, maybe not making the same things as you who want to listen to how you solve those problems, because I guarantee they're also in those having those issues as well.01:18:22.730 --> 01:18:24.550


So it does help.01:18:24.845 --> 01:18:30.395


And again, community community right At the end of the day is just support it.01:18:30.395 --> 01:18:35.987


And community we also I don't know, sometimes I feel like I mean you've got.01:18:35.987 --> 01:18:39.186


The other side of it is MVPs, right At the end of the day.01:18:39.186 --> 01:18:42.315


Mvps is another avenue on the community side.01:18:42.315 --> 01:18:52.520


I think there's been a little bit of a I'm going to personally say what I hear out there is there's been a little bit of a bad rap, I think, on some of the MVPs recently.01:18:52.520 --> 01:18:58.597


But again, at the end of the day, there is an opportunity for others to be out there who have the knowledge as well.01:18:58.597 --> 01:19:00.730


So, mvps, I support you.01:19:00.730 --> 01:19:05.979


I think you bring a lot and I know you guys he's also there as well.01:19:05.979 --> 01:19:13.215


But at the end of the day, there are others out there who don't have their titles and know a lot of stuff and we need them to share as well.01:19:13.215 --> 01:19:15.234


And it's not because they need to be an MVP, they just need to share as well.01:19:15.234 --> 01:19:17.104


And it's not because they need to be an MVP, they just need to share.01:19:18.204 --> 01:19:18.726


I like that.01:19:18.726 --> 01:19:19.307


I like that.01:19:19.307 --> 01:19:30.958


Well, mr John, I'd love to talk to you more about the community, so I think we'll have to follow up, but I do have a couple questions for you as we wrap this up.01:19:30.958 --> 01:19:44.063


If you could give one or two tips for someone to help with their social media presence and I'm going to call you after because I'll send you a message I'm struggling on- something.01:19:44.082 --> 01:19:45.006


I'm going to write this down.01:19:45.927 --> 01:20:11.735


You should write it down, but if you could give one or two your choice tips of how someone could effectively increase their social media presence successfully oh my god put you in the spot it's funny because I'm just thinking about how I need to increase my social presence.01:20:13.309 --> 01:20:14.310


That's all I'm thinking.01:20:14.310 --> 01:20:18.890


It's like mine's dropped off because you get busy, I think it's.01:20:18.890 --> 01:20:31.952


I mean my number one is like anything right is blocking time out on the calendar and do not go and replace it with something else.01:20:31.952 --> 01:20:41.537


So hypothetically, say, okay, Friday afternoon between 4 and 5, I'm going to write my messages for the next week.01:20:41.537 --> 01:20:45.864


So hypothetically, say, okay, Friday afternoon between four and five, I'm going to write my messages for the next week and then schedule them all.01:20:45.864 --> 01:20:48.390


Right, I think at the end of the day there's that piece.01:20:48.411 --> 01:20:49.756


I think we don't do that enough.01:20:49.756 --> 01:20:54.789


I mean I know that I'm beating myself up, trying I've got to do more.01:20:54.789 --> 01:20:57.586


I mean I do write, but again I've got to do more.01:20:57.586 --> 01:20:57.956


I know I've got to do more.01:20:57.956 --> 01:20:58.518


I mean I do write, but again I've got to do more.01:20:58.518 --> 01:21:01.885


I know I've got to do more and I used to do more, but we get busy.01:21:01.885 --> 01:21:08.137


But I think as soon as I put stuff on the calendar I tend to get better because it locks that time.01:21:08.137 --> 01:21:11.408


Now, probably for the first, I'm going to say period of time.01:21:11.408 --> 01:21:14.795


You're going to keep canceling that, but over time.01:21:14.795 --> 01:21:16.037


Try not to do that.01:21:16.858 --> 01:21:17.219


Who was I?01:21:17.219 --> 01:21:21.418


I think it was someone outside the community.01:21:21.418 --> 01:21:32.073


They basically put everything they do to the point of I get up in the morning and my calendar from the morning to I go to bed is what I use.01:21:32.073 --> 01:21:36.266


It's like I'm going to the gym between 7 and 8.01:21:36.266 --> 01:21:40.686


I'm going to put that on my calendar From this to this.01:21:40.686 --> 01:21:58.235


At 12 o'clock noon I'm walking the dog for 15 minutes just so I get away from my computer, Lock it down on the calendar and I think at the end of the day it puts you in that mode that you have to do that task in it.01:21:59.237 --> 01:22:00.859


I like that and it becomes a habit.01:22:01.085 --> 01:22:15.448


And once it becomes a habit, it becomes easier, as you had mentioned I think that's important and also I think others need to respect other people's calendars, even if they put some of those events on there just to remind them, Because I know I do that on some of my things and I'll put down.01:22:15.448 --> 01:22:18.211


Like you said, I put down lunch.01:22:18.211 --> 01:22:21.994


I'll put down different things because I want to make sure I take a break.01:22:21.994 --> 01:22:25.658


For example, the scheduling of the post is a great tip.01:22:25.658 --> 01:22:28.622


I appreciate that, and then focusing and taking the time to do that.01:22:28.622 --> 01:22:41.850


I have a follow-up question to that, because I appreciate that feature on both LinkedIn and Twitter.01:22:41.850 --> 01:22:44.796


Do you think that those platforms treat the content?01:22:45.939 --> 01:22:48.342


that's scheduled differently as how it may appear to the audience.01:22:48.342 --> 01:22:50.668


So I heard you use the word Twitter.01:22:50.668 --> 01:22:53.497


First of all, I'd say to you don't even bother anymore with Twitter.01:22:54.926 --> 01:22:55.145


Okay.01:22:55.466 --> 01:22:56.509


It doesn't help our business.01:22:56.509 --> 01:23:11.505


I've run so many analytics for the last few years on that no one is getting any traction on it that makes sense to even bother to post on it, I think.01:23:11.505 --> 01:23:12.969


Going back to the schedule, how do you do the scheduling?01:23:12.969 --> 01:23:15.896


There are plenty of tools out there Hootsuite, buffer and all that that could schedule.01:23:15.896 --> 01:23:21.176


I think what you'll find is that doing those tools will definitely downgrade you.01:23:21.176 --> 01:23:32.659


I have not seen data to say that using LinkedIn's direct scheduling tool actually downgrades you.01:23:32.659 --> 01:23:38.039


But again, what does it take to actually go in post, right?01:23:38.039 --> 01:23:41.592


So again, put it on your calendar doesn't mean you can't write it ahead of time.01:23:41.592 --> 01:23:43.600


Set yourself like it.01:23:43.600 --> 01:23:43.942


Probably.01:23:43.942 --> 01:23:46.268


You could probably put that message on in five minutes.01:23:46.268 --> 01:23:50.478


So the end of day is test it, see how it works, you get better.01:23:50.478 --> 01:24:07.101


But I, I, I we do a lot of scheduling for a lot of our clients, but we have started moving away from the scheduling tools and logging in directly to the account and scheduling there Excellent.01:24:08.206 --> 01:24:08.947


So I think it's that.01:24:08.966 --> 01:24:12.171


But I think I go back to the other pieces.01:24:12.171 --> 01:24:16.539


Brad on messaging is Brad on messaging, don't just think about.01:24:16.539 --> 01:24:27.015


If you're going to talk about a topic about acceptance testing, right, go and write it, not just one message.01:24:27.015 --> 01:24:30.314


Write enough for maybe the next three months.01:24:30.645 --> 01:24:31.989


Oh boom, I'm writing that down.01:24:31.989 --> 01:24:34.055


See, see, right, this is good.01:24:34.125 --> 01:24:38.194


Because what you also got to remember is what we saw today.01:24:38.194 --> 01:24:47.557


If I saw a message from you today, okay that's great, but if I didn't see you pop on my feed with that message, I've never seen it.01:24:47.557 --> 01:25:00.177


So it doesn't matter if you repeat I mean, I don't always like to repeat for Bidum, but it doesn't matter, you could bring it back if it's still a sense you can repeat.01:25:00.177 --> 01:25:01.421


So what I'd like?01:25:01.421 --> 01:25:41.391


So sometimes what I'd like to do with our clients is take a topic and write a handful of messages for that same topic and then we can start to schedule out and over time you're gonna see your schedule is getting full because you're going down further, but at the same time make sure you're tracking that in some spreadsheet or something so you know what slots you filled I love this and there will always be the first time for somebody to see everything and, as ed, you had mentioned correct, they won't always see it at the same time, and that even goes with content and sessions.01:25:41.431 --> 01:25:45.460


Just to bring it back before we do wrap here, it's okay.01:25:45.460 --> 01:25:51.524


It doesn't have to be a complicated topic either Because, as you had mentioned, you sat and talked with members of Summit.01:25:51.524 --> 01:25:57.557


There are always new team members joining an organization that are new to Business Central.01:25:57.557 --> 01:26:06.337


There are always organizations that are new to Business Central, so someone always is in a spot where they need to learn how to enter a sales order, for example.01:26:06.337 --> 01:26:18.426


So just because you may have been doing it for 20 years or you think that everybody already knows how to use it, there is somebody else that's in their journey that hasn't learned that yet or doesn't know of all the features that they could have.01:26:18.527 --> 01:26:23.728


So I appreciate everything you just said that this last couple minutes was powerful for me.01:26:23.768 --> 01:26:27.541


My mind is blown again and what you just said about sessions.01:26:27.541 --> 01:26:39.125


It was a really hard thing when I was running the sessions on direction right, the content, because the end of the day we'll see that session happening at all these other meetings.01:26:39.125 --> 01:26:43.055


It's like, do we really want that session at directions as well?01:26:43.055 --> 01:26:46.492


And you make a good point, is not everyone probably saw it?01:26:46.492 --> 01:26:53.171


But at the same time we're trying to look for fresh content and it's a hard balance.01:26:53.171 --> 01:26:56.485


Sometimes it's like and I even have that it's like.01:26:56.485 --> 01:27:04.315


Sometimes it's like, okay, do I really want to see that same here, that same session being at five different events?01:27:04.315 --> 01:27:13.639


But sometimes the audience is different, that's okay, yeah but I think you've got as content decision makers.01:27:13.719 --> 01:27:14.988


You've got to know your audience.01:27:14.988 --> 01:27:23.587


If you are getting a lot of overlap, then start to think about that.01:27:23.587 --> 01:27:25.331


May not be the right thing, but I do think sometimes there is a little bit.01:27:25.331 --> 01:27:32.204


I mean, I'll just put it bluntly there is sometimes that certain speakers constantly get chosen, but at the end of the day there is a lot out there.01:27:32.204 --> 01:27:39.587


So let some of the newbies in there as well, because they can bring another insight or a better idea.01:27:39.587 --> 01:27:51.748


Put them together with that other speaker thank you, topic I love yes, I love when you have more than one speaker.01:27:51.908 --> 01:27:58.800


make it if it's a panel or having technically, let's just make you both happy.01:27:58.800 --> 01:28:04.051


Have Chris and Brad together, right, doesn't need to be just Brad on his own, just Chris.01:28:04.051 --> 01:28:05.095


Bring the two together.01:28:05.095 --> 01:28:05.626


I know Chris.01:28:05.626 --> 01:28:07.833


You've done sessions with others as well.01:28:07.833 --> 01:28:08.354


I know Brad.01:28:08.354 --> 01:28:11.092


At the end of the day, it benefits right.01:28:11.092 --> 01:28:18.698


For the first time ever, I submitted a session with Mary Myers this year Excellent Right for directions.01:28:18.698 --> 01:28:25.774


Now we'll see if it gets selected now because there is a hook, we could see something and it's like, okay, let's try a different approach.01:28:25.774 --> 01:28:31.631


A lot of the sessions I put into directions were not just me on my own, they were with other people.01:28:31.631 --> 01:28:33.016


That's awesome.01:28:33.016 --> 01:28:38.889


That's more powerful, because now we just used the two of you and I know we want to close up.01:28:38.889 --> 01:28:40.632


Here is Brad.01:28:40.632 --> 01:28:42.658


You may have one perspective on the topic.01:28:42.658 --> 01:28:44.271


Chris, you have another perspective.01:28:44.271 --> 01:28:45.609


I can listen.01:28:45.609 --> 01:28:50.676


When I have the two of you, I get the two sides and you have the audience's perspective.01:28:50.676 --> 01:28:53.113


So now you have multiple perspectives.01:28:53.265 --> 01:28:55.252


This is just one person, it's one sided.01:28:55.372 --> 01:28:56.234


Can't agree with it.01:28:56.845 --> 01:28:58.248


Yeah, I can't agree more.01:28:58.309 --> 01:28:58.930


Yeah, I can't agree more.01:28:58.930 --> 01:29:07.587


No, I am a fan of co-presenting and if you listen to all the conversations I have with these committees and with other people, I would prioritize co-presenting for many reasons.01:29:07.587 --> 01:29:10.453


One you had just mentioned a few points.01:29:10.453 --> 01:29:21.640


One the dynamic in the room is often different because you have different perspectives, different personalities that can bring more out from the attendees.01:29:22.225 --> 01:29:32.175


Two a lot of times they look at the session presenters saying, well, they're a seasoned presenter, with the assumption that maybe they're more comfortable, they know how to do it, they have experience.01:29:32.175 --> 01:29:36.784


It's one of those things Everybody wants somebody with experience, but nobody wants to give someone with experience.01:29:36.784 --> 01:29:49.350


So then, going with the co-presentinging, if you have somebody who's new, that may be a little nervous or apprehensive about trying it, put them with someone else that has done it and they can mentor them and coach them through it.01:29:49.350 --> 01:29:51.076


Then you have two people in there.01:29:51.076 --> 01:29:56.975


So even if they're not comfortable and they can do a small portion of it, they get the experience of doing those presentations.01:29:56.975 --> 01:30:05.692


And that is why I think that you should almost anybody who's on a planning committee on any of these conferences that are worldwide.01:30:05.692 --> 01:30:12.956


I would weigh those more as far as something we want because of those reasons and it brings more people in Totally.01:30:13.356 --> 01:30:26.712


Yes, the only challenge you've got and this is the challenge and being on the other side of the fence and seeing it as an organizer the challenge you then have is how are we I'll use the word compensating the speakers, right?01:30:26.712 --> 01:30:28.997


Some events give you a free pass.01:30:28.997 --> 01:30:31.887


A free pass cost that vent money.01:30:31.887 --> 01:30:33.711


Right, it's not cheap.01:30:33.711 --> 01:30:42.578


I mean, some of the past directions was like just to have someone come in free was over a thousand dollars by the time you add.01:30:42.578 --> 01:30:44.323


And that's just the ticket alone.01:30:44.323 --> 01:30:49.757


Because of all the food and stuff like that, it it's crazy amount of money when you really look at it.01:30:49.757 --> 01:30:52.470


So now you bring in two, do I give them free?01:30:52.470 --> 01:30:55.856


Now I've doubled my money, right, double cost to have.01:30:56.238 --> 01:30:58.784


So there is a balancing act it's a struggle.01:30:58.784 --> 01:31:15.583


I I agree it's a struggle but at the end of the day, me personally, I would probably I mean, I love free tickets to get an event but I probably would say, hey, I'm okay paying half the tip price of ticket instead of the full if I can have and see more pounds but there's also the I.01:31:15.663 --> 01:31:16.747


I understand the balance of it.01:31:16.747 --> 01:31:18.774


I do understand there's a cost to it because the event.01:31:18.774 --> 01:31:28.244


I know the cost that go into some of these events because people think a cup of coffee I could buy down the street for a buck, but in these events they're going to charge you $100 for a pot of eight cups.01:31:28.244 --> 01:31:36.371


I understand the markup on it, but also you have better speakers and a better journey.01:31:36.371 --> 01:31:39.514


See, I'm going to keep going back to this I'm all on this journey kick.01:31:39.875 --> 01:31:44.198


Give an attendee a journey that they can follow, they feel they can get something out of it.01:31:44.198 --> 01:31:46.201


You'll have more people who want to attend.01:31:46.201 --> 01:31:51.347


So you build a they will come type thing in some essence.01:31:51.347 --> 01:31:51.689


And I understand.01:31:51.689 --> 01:31:55.658


I'm thankfully not involved in worrying about any compensation and nor am I saying any should be given.01:31:55.658 --> 01:31:56.823


Thankfully not involved in worrying about any compensation and nor am I saying any should be given.01:31:56.823 --> 01:32:05.110


I'm just saying from a presentation point of view, two presenters often yeah, I just wanted to put that out.01:32:05.284 --> 01:32:06.588


Is it the other side of?01:32:06.588 --> 01:32:11.372


The challenge that these organizers have, but I think we're all in agreement.01:32:11.372 --> 01:32:14.324


Right, more panels, bring more speakers together.01:32:14.484 --> 01:32:16.993


Let's share this wealth well for knowledge.01:32:16.993 --> 01:32:21.112


I love the panels too, because it people can ask the questions.01:32:22.033 --> 01:32:25.547


Solve my problem, I want to get well, it becomes a conversation right.01:32:25.547 --> 01:32:28.654


That makes it easier for people to just, you know, listen in.01:32:29.256 --> 01:32:30.746


I could talk about this stuff for days.01:32:30.746 --> 01:32:34.675


But, mr john, we'll have to schedule another conversation to follow up on this.01:32:35.197 --> 01:32:38.032


But we do appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today.01:32:38.032 --> 01:32:42.515


Time that's spent we don't get back, and time is valuable.01:32:42.515 --> 01:32:48.948


So anybody that spends time with us and shares their information with us, we're greatly appreciative, and we say that sincerely.01:32:48.948 --> 01:32:59.556


In the meantime, if anyone would like to get in contact with you to learn more about the marketing services that you offer or anything else that you are doing within the community, what's the best way to get in contact with you to learn more about the marketing services that you offer or anything else that you are doing within the community?01:32:59.556 --> 01:33:00.899


What's the best way to get in contact with you?01:33:02.127 --> 01:33:06.314


go look us up on our website, marketeeringcom.01:33:06.314 --> 01:33:07.636


That's one place to look at it.01:33:07.636 --> 01:33:10.247


Or just come and find me on linkedin.01:33:10.247 --> 01:33:15.356


Excellent john with j-o-n and not the H.01:33:15.356 --> 01:33:16.998


That's another story for another day.01:33:17.826 --> 01:33:19.552


Oh, we'll put that on the next one, that's not my full name.01:33:20.845 --> 01:33:22.712


I shortened it and there is no H.01:33:22.712 --> 01:33:24.832


If you put a H in it, you'll never find me.01:33:24.832 --> 01:33:26.771


But just find me on LinkedIn.01:33:26.771 --> 01:33:28.811


I mean, it's pretty easy enough to find me there.01:33:29.052 --> 01:33:37.448


Excellent, and we do have guest bio pages now, so we'll put all of that information linked to this episode as well, so that it doesn't get in contact with you Again.01:33:37.448 --> 01:33:38.309


I look forward to seeing you soon.01:33:38.309 --> 01:33:41.109


I'll see you next week and I will pick your brain.01:33:41.109 --> 01:33:41.489


Be ready.01:33:42.591 --> 01:33:45.512


I'll be ready, all right, thank you so much have a good day, ciao, ciao.01:33:45.693 --> 01:33:46.693


Catch you later Take care Bye.01:33:46.693 --> 01:33:55.358


Thank you, chris, for your time for another episode of In the Dynamics Corner Chair, and thank you to our guests for participating.01:33:55.677 --> 01:33:57.219


Thank you, brad, for your time.01:33:57.219 --> 01:34:00.740


It is a wonderful episode of Dynamics Corner Chair.01:34:00.740 --> 01:34:04.182


I would also like to thank our guests for joining us.01:34:04.182 --> 01:34:09.916


Thank you for all of our listeners tuning in as well.01:34:09.916 --> 01:34:26.167


You can find Brad at developerlifecom, that is, d-v-l-p-r-l-i-f-e dot com, and you can interact with them via Twitter, dprlife.01:34:26.167 --> 01:34:35.136


You can also find me at matalinoio, m-a-t-a-l-i-n-o dot i-o, and my Twitter handle is matalino16.01:34:35.136 --> 01:34:38.761


And see, you can see those links down below in the show notes.01:34:38.761 --> 01:34:40.130


Again, thank you everyone.01:34:40.130 --> 01:34:41.690


Thank you and take care.