Roger Edwards on Body Combat, writing a marketing book, and achieving a balanced life – MAF200

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To celebrate the milestone 200th edition, I’ve invited a special guest onto the show to interview me.

It’s a warts and all look behind the scenes, and we chat about Body Combat, fighting complexity, writing a marketing book, and finding the right balance in life.

Welcome to episode 200 of the Marketing and Finance Podcast.

Roger Edwards on Body Combat, writing a marketing book, and achieving a balanced life - MAF200

For 200 episodes I’ve been asking my guests what makes them tick. Now my special guest, Chris Marr, asks the same question of me.

What you’ll hear about in this episode

  • How Roger became a Body Combat instructor alongside his day job as marketing director in big corporate
  • The development of a career-long obsession with keeping things simple
  • Why marketing sometimes fails to engage with customers and what to do about it
  • The genesis of Roger’s soon to be published book and a world exclusive preview reading
  • Why family is so important in a business world driven by “hustle”

Who is special guest interviewer, Chris Marr?

Chris runs the Content Marketing Academy (CMA Community) and first appeared on the Marketing and Finance Podcast back in episode 80. Since then we’ve become good business buddies and close friends.In 2017, I appeared on stage at Chris’s CMA Live event in Edinburgh and we’ve both been working to develop our speaking careers.

The World-Class Communication initiative Chris runs alongside US speaker, Marcus Sheridan, has helped my craft my speaking style and get myself on stages across Europe.

Summary of our chat

Chris was keen to interview Roger with a view to getting behind the scenes. To find out more about his motivations and philosophies. Even though they are close friends, much of that friendship revolves around business. This was an opportunity for Chris to dig a little deeper. To find out more about the man behind the marketing persona.

Roger was working long hours in his corporate role.  Travelling extensively and eating and drinking far too much. His wife dragged him (literally) along to a fitness class called Body Combat. After enjoying the class Roger went onto take a fitness diploma and became a Body Combat instructor. He soon started teaching classes all over Edinburgh and followed by training in Body Balance.  And then a diploma in teaching Yoga. Teaching up to 9 sessions a week created a unique balance in Roger’s work life.

When he was still a young marketing assistant, Roger attended a corporate strategy away week. He discovered the joys of people overly complicating strategy and littering it with management speak and gobbledegook. This was the beginning of a career-long obsession with keeping marketing simple. Roger became known as a customer champion in the companies he worked for. He tried to fight back against the complexity and to make the companies see the benefits of a true customer focus.

Chris was keen to explore why marketing often fails the customers. And why it can become too complicated. Roger feels that marketing doesn’t work in some companies because they do not focus enough on the customer. Profit might be the key driver and the customer takes second place. The reality is that a true customer focus and an obsessive understanding of the customer can mean happier customers and more profit in the long term. But some people don’t seem to get this. 

Also, some marketers focus entirely on the communications aspects. They again miss out on the benefit of customer understanding and the other parts of the marketing mix. 

Roger’s book is going to weave stories collected over 25 years into his simple method for putting together a marketing strategy. He’s almost completed the narrative and now intends to add real-life case studies to complete the book. Then the editing process will begin with publishing following after that. Soon after becoming a fitness instructor, Roger and his wife, Trisha, adopted a little boy. This was another turning point in his life and another moment that contributed to leaving corporate life to set up in business as an independent consultant. He explains how he achieved a balanced life as a result and how important family is. 

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Adam Harris on networking, referrals and the “Check-In Strategy” – MAF199

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My guest this week is speaker and author, Adam Harris.

We chat about networking and referral techniques and how he came up with the “Check-in Journal”, which helps companies with goal setting and accountability.

Welcome to episode 199 of the Marketing and Finance Podcast.

What you’ll hear about in this episode

  • Adam’s unusual presenting style
  • What Adam has learned about networking
  • Why you need to be clear on your target market
  • How to approach people without appearing salesy
  • The inspiration for Adam’s book
  • Why businesses need to set clear goals

Who is Adam Harris?

Adam started off working as Sainsbury’s at 16, qualifying as a butcher and baker.

Ready for a change after a couple of years, he attended university before setting up an IT recycling company, then other IT business. 10 years ago, following the merger of another IT company he owned, he found himself at a loose end. He asked trusted friends what he was good at, and they said he excelled at making introductions and asking great questions.

Today, he helps senior staff make connections to leverage better opportunities. He’s a coach for CEOs and MDs, supporting them to become better leaders by giving them the right tools to get the most out of their teams.

Summary of our chat

When Adam speaks on stage he responds to the energy in the room, making his presentations an exploratory process. He challenges the audience and encourages them to think differently. He gets them to participate by asking them to work in groups or play games.

Adam developed his skill at making connections at networking events into a framework for individuals to get themselves in front of the right people. He says regular networking with like minded people does work, so long as the group you’re in includes members of your target market.

To get clear on your ideal customer, look at your current client base. Work out where they’ve come from and who are the top 20% who make up the bulk of your business. Take time to understand them, and use that information to ask for referrals and grow your company.

To approach people the right way, Adam says you should think about the methodology you use. If you’d be annoyed by the style of approach, don’t do it. You should be focused and narrow your target. Be specific when you ask someone to make an introduction.

Adam noticed that people agree action points during meetings which they rarely follow up on. He found a personal development journal, but realising there wasn’t a business equivalent, was inspired to create one. His “Check-in Strategy Journal” can be used in companies to support goal-setting, developing focus and being accountable.

Adam says that businesses often set goals they think they should have, rather than what they want. Goals can and should be reviewed and changed. It’s also important to balance the ambitions of employees and the organisation to benefit both and encourage growth

One Thing Adam Would Like Listeners to Take Away

In Nando’s restaurants, there is a wooden cockerel on the table. After the food has been served, the staff come back to check if everything is ok. If it is, they take the rooster away, and if it isn’t, they deal with the issue.

Adam implemented a similar system in his IT business, where they followed up with customers twice. This allowed customers to raise any problems and have them resolved. We don’t like to complain in the UK, but giving customers the opportunity to get their feelings off their chest is a great touchpoint to have in place.

A Marketing Campaign or Product Which Grabbed Attention

Adam offers advice to people who aren’t happy with their situation: If something isn’t working, speak, understand, challenge, get the support and find a way of doing something for yourself.

He often sees people who are stuck in a fear cycle. Our bodies and minds will often take the path of least resistance, but if you want to do something different and be challenged, you have to get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes people can do this themselves, but often they can’t, and need support to bring about change.

A marketing campaign that grabbed Adam’s attention

In Nando’s restaurants, there is a wooden cockerel on the table. After the food has been served, the staff come back to check if everything is ok. If it is, they take the rooster away, and if it isn’t, they deal with the issue.

Adam implemented a similar system in his IT business, where they followed up with customers twice. This allowed customers to raise any problems and have them resolved. We don’t like to complain in the UK, but giving customers the opportunity to get their feelings off their chest is a great touchpoint to have in place.

Recommended Business Book

Adam recommends Radical Candor by Kim Scott, which talks about the ability to be open, honest, vulnerable and challenging to the people in your life. If you’re holding back, you’re not doing yourself or them justice. It’s appropriate for using in your work and personal life, as she gives advice on how to be challenging without being aggressive, to help you improve relationships and deal with problems.

And this is the Check-in Strategy Journal – Adam’s book.

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Lisa Conway-Hughes on the Miss Lolly blog and writing a money book – MAF198

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My guest this week is Lisa Conway-Hughes, a financial adviser and author.

We chat about why she started the Miss Lolly blog and how this led to a book publishing deal with Penguin.

Welcome to episode 198 of the Marketing and Finance Podcast.

Lisa Conway-Hughes on the Miss Lolly blog and writing a money book - MAF198

What you’ll hear about in this episode

  • What motivated Lisa to become a financial adviser
  • Why Lisa set her website up
  • How Lisa simplifies complex financial terms
  • Why financial advisers use jargon
  • The feedback on the Miss Lolly blog
  • How her book came about
  • The process for writing her book

Who is Lisa Conway-Hughes?

Lisa started working for a financial advice firm after university before sitting exams to fellowship level. Joining Westminster Wealth Management in 2012, she decided to sort out her own finances when she had children.

Lisa runs a website called Miss Lolly, offering smart financial advice for women. She says that organising her own money was easy, but she wanted to give support to people who can’t or don’t want to pay for advice. Lisa is also writing a book called “Money Lessons”, how to Manage Your Finances to Get the Life You Want.”

Summary of our chat

Initially, Lisa got into finance because it was the first job offer she got after university. Once in the industry, she realised she’d developed a passion for it. She says there’s more to it than just pensions and tax. It’s about digging into people’s lives and building relationships. She finds it rewarding.

Lisa’s women’s networking group encouraged her to create an alter ego to stand out among the greyness of financial advice. Miss Lolly started as a Twitter account, helping people understand their finances and make the right choices. It grew from there, gaining press coverage and giving her speaking opportunities.

Early in her career, Lisa the company sent Lisa out to employers to explain how company pensions and benefits worked. She realised one of her talents was explaining complex financial products in simple terms. She uses the same tone of voice on her the website, so people could easily understand her explanations.

Lisa thinks the finance industry uses jargon like a safety blanket: “If we use it and our client looks mystified, it makes us feel us intelligent. They’re never going to leave us, they need us.” In fact, customers struggle to engage with jargon, and it’s better to communicate on their level.

When Lisa sent a survey out to her website users, she learned that she’s made a difference to people who wouldn’t normally seek financial advice. It was heart-warming to get feedback and not just a ‘thank you for answering.’ She learned that 25% of her blog readers are men, suggesting they also like her style.

Asked on a podcast what her plans were for 2018, Lisa spontaneously said she wanted to write a book. Penguin, the book publisher, then contacted her and asked to write a book for them. They helped her write for a younger market than she has for Miss Lolly and she learned what makes millennials tick.

Lisa said she had a short deadline to complete her book, and had to do a lot of rewriting to make sure she was giving the right information to the audience. She wrote on her way to work on the train and did research on the way home. She often worked all night or all weekend.

One Thing Lisa Would Like Listeners to Take Away

Lisa said when she first joined financial services, it felt like a different industry to how it feels now. She thought it was moulding her into what the industry had been, and not what it would be.

She’s pleased that she didn’t give in. Keeping her identity in an industry which might not have been a natural fit for her and succeeding in it as well.

A Marketing Campaign or Product Which Grabbed Attention

Lisa says she loves what Fidelity and Scottish Widows are doing with research into women and money. It’s creating media interest and encouraging them to write about these topics more often.

She also likes the John Lewis advert which talks about how they run as a partnership and that having skin in the game means you’ll go the extra mile and well beyond expectations.

Recommended Business Book

Lisa says the book that really stands out for her is, “The Automatic Millionaire” by David Bach. She loves the way he talks about doing small things regularly to have a big impact on your life.

It reminds her that that’s what she needs to ram home to clients and it’s not about getting the £1m but more about doing the little things every day that will make a difference.

Links

If you enjoyed – Lisa Conway-Hughes on the Miss Lolly blog and writing a money book – please leave a comment or a review on iTunes.

And if you know anyone who would enjoy the show – please share it with them. You can use the buttons below to share on social media.

Don’t miss an episode of the MAF Podcast – subscribe now.

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