The daily briefing
Fails and Prevails
This is a daily briefing of the highs and lows of being in sales and marketing. Fails and Prevails is released daily as Alistair Neal, our VP of Americas interviews guests to have a laugh and give a boost for everyone in sales or marketing.
If you’ve got a fail or prevail story you’d like to share or you’d like to connect, please drop Alistair a note via his social links below!
Catch-up on the episodes so far...
Episode #1 Ducks In Rows
Welcome to the first episode of Fails and Prevails, a daily brief with a laugh and a boost for everyone in #sales. In today's episode I'm joined by Rick Girard, owner of Stride Search Inc. and host of Hire Power Radio, who shares a fail about why ducks should be in rows, and a prevail of value over price.
Episode #2: Horton Replied to WHO?
I am joined by Sean Horton of JobsInTrucks.com who shares a story of the importance of hitting ‘forward’ instead of ‘reply’ when talking smack about a pestering client (we’ve all been there!), and a win about how clients want to buy, not be sold.
Episode #3: Worse Than a Pocket Dial!
I am joined by Christopher Johnson of B2Linked and Process and Results (link in 1st comment) who shares a fail involving the importance of locking one's phone before putting it in a pocket, and a win tale of using a ‘love letter’ to a client.
Episode #4: Rescheduling Can Be Wise
I am joined by Alex Somers of Staffing Future: Staffing Websites & Recruitment Technology who tells a tale of why rescheduling might be your best option, and a win about bypassing a gate-keeper.
Episode #5: Sales Ales
I am joined for a hilarious episode by Maren Hogan, CEO of Red Branch Media | Marketing and Advertising , who shares a fail of the devil being in the details, and a win to 👢
Episode #6: Rut... or Groove?
I am joined by Chad Sowash, cohost of Chad n Cheese, the most downloaded, most dangerous HR podcast out there (link in first comment) who shares a fail tale about mistaking a rut for a groove, and a win a of the importance of team. Let Chad drop some wisdom to start the day -- new intro music even!
Episode #7: Shiverrrr Me Prospects
Today's daily laugh and boost is brought to you by Katy Byrtus of Cinder. A classic email fail (and a way to avoid it) and a proper win story about using a second language to land a client: pirate speak. Lastly, I drop one hell of a Freudian slip.
Episode #8: Sales Superstitions, Silly or Serious?
Lauren B. Jones 🐐 from Leap Consulting Solutions joins the podcast to talk about what actually caused a fail (spoiler alert, it wasn't the superstition) and how 'saying yes we can do it' is always beat by 'this is how we do it.' (Now enjoy having that song stuck in your head the rest of the day)
Episode #9: A Fail Worth $10 Million+
Today's fail, brought to you by Sean Fahey, CEO of VidCruiter, has a very valuable take away. I won't say too much, just that it is certainly worth 5 minutes of your time and worth resharing.
Episode #10: Damn your baby is ugly
Tracey Parsons, of Parsons Strategic Consulting, joins to share some fail tales and winning advice. If someone's got an ugly baby, don't tell them right out of the gate, but come prepared with baby make-up (it is a metaphor folks. All babies are cute). "The fastest way to stay in the inbox longest, is to give them something valuable, and something that they can't get somewhere else."
Episode #11: How to Live Rent Free for 20 Years in a Sales Person's Head
Five minutes of good times in this episode, with special guest Len Adams, CPC,CTS, Founder and CEO of ACG Resources. Len shares a 'fail' of how a prospect has been in his head for quite some time, and a chat about what to do when a prospect says "no".
Episode #12: Loose Lips!
If you are like me, you aren't a fan of loud talkers in coffee shops. I mean, c'mon, I'm over here trying to write my screenplay and I don't want to hear it. Neither did Mary Ellen Slayter (she/her), but tune in to hear what she did over heard at a coffee shop near a client site. She also drops some knowledge about asking the right questions in the Win segment. Mary Ellen is CEO of Rep Cap Media -helping B2B marketers power their content marketing with an agile, data-driven strategy you can start executing — today, not next year.
Episode #13: Mac snobs > PC
My guest today is Jason Putnam of PandoLogic , who shares a fail tale that I suspect more than one of us has experienced (let me know below if you've been there!) and a sales win story about how to overcome a client that has ghosted you. Can't wait to put this one into practice myself (not that I've ever been ghosted by a prospect)
Episode #14: First Call Close?
Come for the laugh and stay for some knowledge. I don't know a single soul who's first sales call went well. Today Donnie Gupton, of The Relevant Recruiter recalls his first sales call, an all-out-guns-blazing experience fresh out of sales training, and a win tale about how to coach people through a decision. (Opportunity cost gets pricey real quick.)
Episode #15: Breakfast of Champions
Candidates can be tricky things to 'sell' sometimes, because you think you know them at least a little bit.... then they show up for an interview! Great to have Ken Lubin on the show today to talk about some surprising interview fails, and a chat on the win side around how 'what you do for fun' is a great way to connect with people.
Episode #16: Night at a Round Table
From the #marketing world, I have the pleasure of guest Meghan Ford of WilsonHCG who shares a CRM fail (that could potentially be a double fail) and a win about providing value to prospects when sales aren't on anyone's mind.
Episode #17: The Suspense is Killing Me
Excellent guest Ryan Durst weaves a story of almost placing the perfect candidate... almost. He then shares a win tale about how an SDR choosing not to sell after finally getting a hold of a decision maker led to, you guessed it, a sale. Don't skip ahead on the fail story, the suspense is worth it.
Episode #18: Skin in the Lame
I my humble opinion, he ought to change his name to William Dollarjar, because everything William Tincup does brings value. Heyoooo, give this episode a listen if you want to know: Is having skin in the game a good thing? Why you need to ask yourself the question 'is this a good deal if I'm three times as successful' and what fail William framed for his wall. Due to time constraints, I cut off his plug, so here it is in written form: "Go over to RecruitingDaily.com every once in a while and check them out."
Episode #19: Ice Breaker or Eye Breaker
One of the side benefits of doing this series is that I get to catch up with friends I'd normally see at conferences. One of those is Doug Kerken of HireClix, who stops by to share a fail from the days of conference swag, and a win story about simplifying technical jargon.
Episode #20: Wardrobe Malfunctions
Pop in for a few minutes to start your week off right as Pam Bratton of Meador Staffing Services shares one of the funniest fail stories yet, and a win story about a Friday habit that turned into business!
Episode #21: Know It All (Eventually)
Setting up a job board is easy, right? Job.com founder and CEO Arran Stewart brings a fail story about his first job board back when online recruiting was first taking hold. While Job.com (win!) is bringing some incredible, disruptive tech to the industry, his first job board was... not as successful. I'm sharing the LinkedIn friendly version of the tale -- if you want to hear the full one you should reach out to him directly, it is a wild ride.
Episode #22: Suns Out
Joined today by the Founder of Great Recruiters Adam Conrad. We finish with a more serious discussion about the difference between Happy Customers and Successful Customers, but of course, he starts off with a fail story where he knew he had lost the deal, so he went out guns blazing. Paiger has some pretty excellent things coming in the near future with Great Recruiters -- stay tuned or reach out to one of us for the inside scoop.
Episode #23: Primp My Plane
He's been a leader in the space since before I joined the TA industry: Craig Fisher brings an expensive fail about wrong airports, and a hilarious win tale about how he got recruited for his own employer branding job. He finishes the show with a chat about Knack.io - improving the job board game for #developers and #engineers by coming at it from their point of view, not the employers. Craig is a very busy gentleman (probably why he uses Paiger) and when he's not donating his time to doing my show, he is CEO of Knack.io, runs TalentNet Media as well as one of my favorite conferences, https://talentnetlive.com/
Episode #24: What Would Belichick Do?
Richard Branson follows the philosophy of saying 'yes,' and then figuring it out later. This often works, but not alway, as was the case with my guest from Triple Crown Founder and COO David Smith. He brings a story from his early days of the time a prospect dropped a killer zinger at the end of a meeting. TripleCrown is a premier nationwide agency for tech talent, and Triple Crown On Demand is a great app for both talent and employers. Their goal is no downtime for consultants, unless they want it.
Episode #25: SaaS is a Fad
My friend Laura Fuller of cube19 tells a fail tale of a prospect that thought SaaS was a fad (how'd that work out), and a win tale about a $2 million dollar cigarette. cube19 is a premium Bullhorn partner as well as an integrated partner of Paiger, if you run a #staffing agency, check them out.
Episode #26: Love to win < Hate to lose?
Which sticks with you more, the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat? In today's show, SVP and MD Angie Salmon of CBIZ tells of a crushing defeat... for now. She also brings a win tale about not responding to the ask in an RFP, but bringing a whole new plan to the table. I finish off with what might be the worst pun in history, but that I do not regret. If you want to chat about anything that an HR department might need, reach out to the delightful Angie!
Episode #27: A checkbox is worth 2,400 hours
Staffing Future CEO & Founder Jack Copeland brings a story about a devilish detail that wasted thousands of man-hours, and a #win story of a sassy cold call that went south as the prospect started swearing, being quite rude to Jack, and hanging up. How is this a win story? Well, give it a watch. StaffingFuture, integrated partner of Bullhorn, provides industry leading staffing agency websites that leverage built in automation and third party integration to drive and convert leads, and of course is an integrated partner of Paiger as well.
Episode #28: Experience < Excitement
Experience has value, no doubt, but sometimes fresh perspectives and passion beat the routine that often comes with regurgitated sales pitches. Alex Churchill of Gamesmith (think IMDB for game developers and recruiters) tells a combo win/fail story with two key takeaways: -If you're a passionate salesperson with ideas and enthusiasm, crack on, and -If you're a sales leader, perhaps it's best to leave your ego at the door and let a young sales person run with an account they've opened, regardless of size. Don't underestimate enthusiasm. Rote pitches have no place in sales. In you're in the video game industry, then you best check out GameSmith.
Episode #29: Two Weeks Notice
Pleased to be joined by Gregory Burlak of Checkr, Inc., who tells a fail about leaving a voicemail that ended up being circulated, a BONUS fail about over negotiation, and a win story featuring a dozen internal champions -- you can never have too many champions. Checkr uses AI-powered technology to help our customers run their background checks so companies—big or small—can make safer, more informed hiring decisions in less time. If you want to check out a new background screening vendor, check out Chekr.
Episode #30: Check please!
Fresh from boiling water in frigid Austin, Phil Rodriguez of iCIMS, host of The Red Jacket Report and The Red Jacket Red Wine Roundtable (say that 5 times fast!), tells a mortifying tale of taking some prospects out for a lovely lunch at the ole Dine n Dash Cafe, and a win story about bringing clients together for wine tasting. If you're an HR Practitioner, he is worth the follow.
Episode #31: Blogging for Dummies
James Hornick of Hirewell is one of the best follows on LinkedIn, and I felt pretty honored to get a slice of his time to have him on the show to chat #marketing fails and prevails: -Is blogging dead? -He also brings a win story of how content marketing leads to an increase in referrals. If you are a #content creator, check out the Slack channel we discuss for like minded folks. Link in the first comment.
Episode #32: This meeting could have been an email!
Pleased to be joined by Kelli Schutrop💡 of Parqa Digital Marketing Agency. Today is another Marketing Fail episode, where Kelli shares a fail tale of an unnecessary meeting about a rebrand, and a win story about how giving value for free pays off in the long run. If you want to 'nerd out about marketing, nerd out about staffing, or have a good time in life', reach out to Kelli.
Episode #33: @#^& you to &%@$ yes
Lisa Rangel of Chameleon Resumes joins this week to tell a story of receiving an angry, critical email after hosting a webinar. Instead of writing it off or even worse, responding in kind, she chose the route of humanity - always a win. Then, a story of an 800 attendee webinar gone wrong. How do you get 800 people on a webinar? You'll have to give it a watch. If you are a staffing agency and want to send great candidates with poor resumes to the right place, send them to Chameleon. Link in the first comment.
Episode #33: Return to Sender
Two start-ups ago, Amber Ferrari of Jobvite tells a marketing fail of sending out holiday chocolates, but most of the packages were returned. I've never heard of chocolate being returned. We then chat a win about removing biased language from job descriptions. It's not as obvious as you think. Link in the comments. Lastly, you'll notice I've included autogenerated captions. I'm thirty two episodes late on it, but I can thank my friends over at the DIY content creators slack channel for pointing me in the right direction. I encourage you to sign up with the link in the first comment. How do you get 800 people on a webinar? You'll have to give it a watch. If you are a staffing agency and want to send great candidates with poor resumes to the right place, send them to Chameleon. Link in the first comment.