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The Pitchwerks Podcast

Want to know how the best sales & marketing people think? Looking for another perspective on a problem? Dreaming of a new career or a startup? Learn everything from startup sales and initial marketing to account management and advertising. Subscribe to The Pitchwerks Podcast. Scot MacTaggart has been a sales rep, a marketer, a manager, a consultant, an executive and an advisor for over 20 years.  He created Pitchwerks to help you to reach your business goals by learning from the experiences of others. Each week, Scot and his extensive network of contacts provide unique insights and examples that can help anyone - from the newbie to the veteran. Learn to present your ideas, explain your value and build your business.  Subscribe NOW.
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Now displaying: Page 6
Jul 5, 2017

Pitchwerks host Scot MacTaggart has an emotional relationship with the English language, and this week’s guest Alan Houser comes into the Epicast Network studios to balance things out with a more analytical approach.  Alan is a technical writing consultant.  His firm, Group Wellesley, helps companies to create, edit, translate and just generally manage the very important documents that businesses depend on.  

 

Alan has a successful consulting practice, and is a past president of the Society for Technical Communication, and the two men spend some time discussing the sales and marketing efforts that success was built on.  

 

Sure, we know you’re not a technical writer, but this week’s show is about more than that.  MacTaggart and Houser discuss the very nature of business communication, and their analysis turns up interesting insights throughout the show.

Jun 28, 2017

If you’ve ever doubted yourself at work, be sure to listen to this week’s show.  Mike Neilson’s fields of expertise before setting out on his own were business software and marketing.  Two years ago, he launched a product called Switcheroo (switcheroo.com), and it required very different expertise - electrical engineering, intellectual property, industrial design, manufacturing, distribution and retailing.  

 

Mike’s story is a great one, perfect for The Pitchwerks Podcast.  It’s about making a plan and sticking to it - adapting when necessary - until all the tasks on the list have been checked off, and you’re finally satisfied.  

Jun 21, 2017

Mike Stafiej, the president of PICLIF, knows that a lot of disruptive young B2B companies start off with the assumption that they will continually need to check in on their clients over a period of time - a model where a lot of “account managers”, “customer success” people, and “client satisfaction” staff need to be hired.

 

Mike set PICLIF up to be different.  Together with his trusted advisors, Mike set PICLIF up to grow quickly.  The company uses a B2B technology sales model to sell to funeral homes, but rather than pinning their hopes of success onto a large scale field team’s ability to upsell and after-sell, they are working a high-speed market penetration strategy instead.

Jun 14, 2017

GIS Associates is a government-relations firm, and vice president Peter Madaus has been there for 18 years.  If you don’t know what that means, or what he does, you’re not alone.  Apparently a lot of people have this problem, so it’s good we’re doing a show about it.  

 

Like a lot of lobbyists and government consultants, Peter doesn’t enjoy prospecting and selling.  He’s totally comfortable working with representatives and senators, but when it comes to approaching prospects and seeking out new work, he’s just like the rest of us.  Peter and Scot talk about using a “referral first” strategy for initial conversations, and also spend time discussing how entrepreneurs might use government relations services.  

Jun 7, 2017

This week, Scot goes to San Francisco to chat with Jason Putorti, a well-known and respected interface designer & civic technology innovator.  Several of his past projects have been aimed at solving issues in civic engagement, but his latest one is creating a nationwide buzz.  

 

Resistbot (text RESIST to 50409) connects you to your elected officials as soon as the mood strikes.  It’s different from Jason’s past civic tech projects, in that there’s no app or specialized interface - Resistbot works on whatever SMS chat app you already have on your phone.  For bonus points, it works on Facebook Messenger and Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices too.  

May 31, 2017

For some reason, everyone loves talking about money.  They want to hear how to save it, how other people spend it, how to make more of it.  Time is another question though.  You start telling people how to save time - or how you spend your own because you can’t make any more of it - and they roll their eyes at you.  

 

So, FINE.  This week’s guest is David Oshlag.  He’s a successful marketer, product manager and consultant who has mastered the art of saving both money and time.  About five years ago, David and some friends started W5 Templates (W5Templates.com), an offshoot business that gave small teams and businesses some easy, dashboard-y CRM and project management tools to save time and money.

May 24, 2017

This week, Samantha Bute Hartzman from Invest in Her (weinvestinher.org) stops into the Epicast Studios for a fun show with good chemistry.  The two talk about the pitch competition Invest in Her is known for, the problem it is intended to solve, and how people get ready.

 

Sam and Scot talk about Sam’s top frustration - women thinking they aren’t ready to pitch their businesses - at length.  It’s a fun, frank, collaborative conversation where the host and the guest pull no punches as they try to find ways to help Invest in Her and address its core mission.

May 17, 2017

Old friend and past guest Krystle Nirschel was on the show about three months ago, and apparently caught the entrepreneurial bug during her visit.  Originally invited on to talk about selling and producing marketing videos, Krystle has since gone out on her own, offering video, social media and ad buying services.  

 

Two weeks into her new venture, Krystle already has three clients - and the company doesn’t even have a name yet.  Krystle comes into the Pitchwerks to talk a little bit about naming her company, crafting her new pitch, and planning for the future.


Oh, and if you’re from GrubHub, she wants to talk to you.  Mostly about food it seems.

May 10, 2017

Just like comic books, podcasts sometimes have crossover events.  This is one of those.  Ed Bailey and Day Bracey - better known as the Drinking Partners from Pittsburgh’s favorite podcast of the same name - bring their stand-up superpowers into the studio to share what it looks like when THEY have to give a presentation for work!


Whatever you’re looking for in a Pitchwerks episode - sales, marketing, entrepreneurial thinking - this one has it.  Self-confidence?  Check.  Presentation advice?  Yup. Product testing strategy?  You know it.  And a social media prize giveaway too!  

May 3, 2017

Want to know how hard it is to earn big grants?  Ever want to look under the hood of the Pittsburgh startup scene?  Are you able to detect a subtle South Park reference?  Then this week’s show is for you.  


Josh Lucas is the founder of Work Hard Pittsburgh, co-founder of Academy Pittsburgh, and as of this week he’s also received a Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund (CITF) grant that will allow these organizations to expand into 9,000 square feet of new space as they continue their mission to build a sustainable co-op for startups and doers in Pittsburgh

Apr 26, 2017

MIGHTY is on track to release a disruptive new product at the end of the summer, and thanks to an extensive testing campaign, CEO Jen Yosef has a great deal of confidence that the product will satisfy its intended market.  


The story of that testing - confirming that the market is there - is helping to make MIGHTY a standout startup months before the live launch.  This week, Jen and Scot talk about this market validation, about how MIGHTY is pitching to angel investors, and who the product is really aimed at.  (Hint:  It’s real estate agents.)

Apr 19, 2017

Sierra Experts is an established regional IT services firm with 10+ years of history, and a solid track record.  A couple of years ago, they came across an opportunity to disrupt media technology, and had to make a choice:  should they stick with what they knew, or take a chance on a new line of business outside their area of expertise?


They chose the second option, and Sierra Media Services was born.  Aaron Brown, the new company’s CTO, stopped in to the studio to talk about how the young subsidiary developed its product and pitch, and what other companies can learn about disruptive thinking.  

Apr 12, 2017

If you’ve been to a TechShop, you already know that they open a lot of doors for people.  The company had the same effect on Olga Pogoda as an employee.  She started out working the front desk a few years ago, and has since expanded her role into building new markets and serving as the the company’s liaison to the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy and the Department of Defense.


Olga and her daughter Poppy came into the Epicast Studios to talk a bit about what is working in TechShop’s pitch, what needs some additional refinement, and her personal experiences in the company she loves.  

Apr 5, 2017

At Robert Morris University, the Massey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation awaits any student with a vision to build something and the drive to see it through.  The Massey Center is like a library or a tennis court - it’s offered to all students that might wish to make use of it.


Eliada Griffin-El is the Director of the RMU’s Massey Center, and she brings a nuanced understanding of international business and how entrepreneurial behaviors fit into a larger worldview - even for those that aren’t considered traditional entrepreneurs.  She and Scot MacTaggart sit down for the longest episode of The Pitchwerks Podcast to date, discussing the African continent as a market, the mission of the Massey Center, and interfacing with hesitant parents and prospective students.

Mar 29, 2017

This week:  an honest and laid back discussion about delays and reluctance in asking for the sale.  Lots of reps feel this hesitation.  Perhaps it’s anxiety, or a desire to overstuff the buyer with information.  


Scot and Lisa Davidson (TheOutsourcedSalesManager.com) offer outside perspectives from a diverse array of experiences, in the hopes of helping the Pitchwerks audience to close more regularly, more confidently, and early enough to prevent the rep and the buyer from needlessly wasting any time or resources.

Mar 22, 2017

News media has the ability to make and break businesses and organizations of all types and sizes, yet many of the people in those organizations don’t really understand how newsrooms work, or the appropriate ways to be heard.  


We decided the best way to find out was to ask questions of a local expert.  Before Mila Sanina became the executive director of the non-profit PublicSource(.org), she worked at CNN, PBS NewsHour and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  She came by the Epicast Studios this week to speak with Scot about accuracy in reporting, advertiser influence, and best practices in submitting press releases.

Mar 15, 2017

Remember Lisa Davidson of The Outsourced Sales Manager?  She was last in the Epicast Studios for our two-parter with BoXZY in Pitchwerks #7 & #8.  Today, Lisa drops in to talk about prospecting - the art of finding new customers.  


Lisa and Scot talk LinkedIn, gatekeepers, and the right mix of ingredients needed for a cold call to go well.  Whether you’re just getting started, or want to learn the new fundamentals, this episode will help you to fill your funnel and close more deals!

Mar 8, 2017

Consultant John Seiffer of CEOBootCamp.com likes to say that he helps businesses through “puberty” - a period where they are becoming what they will ultimately become.  This week, John steps behind the mic to talk about making success predictable - and while his specific area of expertise is in guiding companies, many of his observations are valuable for individuals too.  


When he’s not working with clients, John spends time as an engaged member of the Pittsburgh Entrepreneurs Forum (pghef.com) and its various events.

Mar 1, 2017

Who knows high-stakes pitching better than a decorated trial lawyer?  Jason Matzus, a “PA Super Lawyer” and instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, was kind enough to drop in and spend some time in the Epicast Network studios to talk pitchcraft.


When you present your ideas in a personal injury case, there’s little room for interpretation on how it went.  The outcome is clear and the jury’s not looking to protect the lawyer’s feelings.  Attorney Matzus offers “clear, cogent and concise” advice for making a successful case.

Feb 22, 2017

The Pitchwerks Podcast holds special respect for sales pros like Krystle Nirschel, who actually sells the sales pitches that brands need to make their case.  Krystle handles both sales and production for Cold Spark Media, meaning that she is bringing in new clients and then overseeing the creation of the videos and other media that they’ve commissioned.


Krystle and Cold Spark used the company’s early success in winning political campaigns as a springboard to win new accounts in more traditional arenas.  For this, the 20th episode of The Pitchwerks Podcast, Krystle visits Scot and The Pitchwerks Podcast at the Epicast studios to talk about what it takes to sell - and then construct - winning media campaigns.

Feb 15, 2017

Whether you’re starting a new manufacturing company or coding an app as a side hustle, you’re probably not an expert on taxation or finance.  So do you really know the implications of the decisions you’re making?  


28-year-old CPA and entrepreneur Shawn Giewont drove 150+ miles from Brink & Giewont HQ in Erie, PA to the Epicast Network studios in Pittsburgh.  Shawn sits down with Scot to kick off Tax Season 2017, talking about common mistakes, 1099s and the genius of coworking.

Feb 8, 2017

You have never heard of Kelevra Ideas, because even though they’re a marketing firm, they don’t really market themselves.  Kelevra co-founder Bill Fletcher visited Scot MacTaggart and The Pitchwerks Podcast at the Epicast studios to talk about how he and his partner Marcus Miller earned a reputation for social media and digital marketing among some of the largest non-profits and charitable organizations in the country.


Bill and Scot discuss the Kelevra’s history, their “6X ROI” approach, and how exactly they built their startup into a name brand in just six years.

Feb 1, 2017

Last week, we talked to Yvonne Campos about her new women-oriented angel investment group, the Next Act Fund.  This week, Scot helps us all to get to know her a little better - from the nationally renowned market research firm that bears her name, to the Women President’s Organization and how things are changing for our daughters.  


Like many of our guests, Yvonne is kind enough to provide her email address to the Pitchwerks audience, and offers assistance to those that might need it.

Jan 25, 2017

Did you know that 99% of venture capitalists and 86% of angel investors are male?  Believe it.  Today’s guest is Yvonne Campos, and before she started the Next Act Fund, she ran her own successful market research firm for 30 years.  She knows numbers and how to read them, and those figures are the only explanation she can come up with when asked why so many good female-run firms aren’t getting enough investment dollars.

 

Yvonne and her partners aren’t saying that there’s a conspiracy or anything, they’re just acting on the data.  The Next Act Fund is by women and for women - and it invests in opportunities that others sometimes don’t see.   


(We may look like marketing geniuses for releasing this right after last weekend’s widely popular Women’s Marches, but it’s just a lucky coincidence. This episode was scheduled a month in advance!)

Jan 18, 2017

As the former CEO of a nationally ranked electrical contracting firm, Fred Sargent knows quite a bit about the various facets of American business thinking.  Over the past 25 years, Fred has built and explored a deep passion for the service industry, and how it can improve our businesses and our collective future.


Fred’s visit to the Epicast studios includes some of the pitches for his newest venture, Great Service Forums, and to discuss how the service or support department of your business may be the secret to that next big sale you have your eye on.

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