* This article was originally published here
Sunday, August 3, 2025
The Future of Affiliate Marketing: Trends To Watch in 2025 - I by IMD
The Future of Affiliate Marketing: Trends To Watch in 2025 I by IMD
* This article was originally published here
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* This article was originally published here
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Friday, August 1, 2025
Reddit Posts Significant Revenue Increase in Q2
Though Reddit’s user growth has slowed.
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, July 31, 2025
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Free Affiliate Marketing Consulting at Affiliate Summit East
Affiliate Summit is one of the oldest and largest conference events in the affiliate marketing industry. The first one that AM Navigator attended took place in Miami in July of 2007. Since then, we’ve been to twenty-seven Affiliate Summits, and I’ve personally taught affiliate program management insights at 25 of […]
The post Free Affiliate Marketing Consulting at Affiliate Summit East appeared first on Affiliate Marketing Blog by Geno Prussakov.
* This article was originally published here
Monday, July 28, 2025
Meta Is Banning Political Ads in Europe Due to New EU Regulations
New EU political advertising requirements are unworkable, Meta says.
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Saturday, July 26, 2025
US TikTok Ban To Be Upheld if a Deal Isn’t Finalized by Current Deadline
We could be in the last days for TikTok in the U.S.
* This article was originally published here
Friday, July 25, 2025
7 Ways You Should be Using AI for Content Marketing in 2025
Your buyers want straight answers and an easy next step.
Point AI at those moments and you’ll be able to move faster than most teams that are still guessing on how they want to use AI in their workflow.
These 7 practical AI plays are grounded in the principles of the Endless Customers System™ and lean on The Big 5 topics (Cost, Problems, Comparison, Reviews and Best Of)
1. Turn Customer Questions into a 90-Day Content Plan
Start with what your prospects are already asking.
Drop a handful of recent sales, service or customer support call notes/transcripts into ChatGPT and prompt:
“Act like a content strategist. Below are real customer questions.
- Find and list each question once.
- Tag it as Cost, Problems, Comparisons, Reviews, or Best of
- Rate urgency 1-5 (5 = must answer before purchase).
- Suggest the best format (blog, video, calculator, etc.) and a plain-language title.
Return a table with: Category | Question | Urgency | Format | Title
Limit to 25 rows.
Next, propose a 12-week publishing order starting with the highest-urgency items.”
Run this prompt whenever you collect a new batch of questions, and your next 90 days of Big 5-aligned content will build itself. In four minutes, you’ll have a 12-week calendar sorted by urgency to present to your team and get after.
2. Use AI for First Drafts, Humans for the Finish
AI will quickly fill a blank page, but it can’t sound like you without help. It needs your stories, voice and proof points.
Give the model your style guide, a high-performing article as a sample, and a tight brief. Cap its drafting time at 15 minutes. Then let your team’s writer polish the tone, drop in real examples, and add relevant links that build trust.
Allow the machine to clear the blank page and your team to add the heart.
This combination turns a long draft that takes all day into something publishable before lunchtime. AI gives you speed; humans supply the story, nuance, and trust signals that buyers need. Keep that division of labor clear and you’ll be able to publish faster without sounding like everyone else on the internet.
3. Help People Find You, No Matter How Search Changes
As search evolves and buyer habits shift, the job is still the same: show up with honest answers your audience is looking for.
AI makes that easier by sifting through live search data and surfacing the exact phrases your prospects use, whether they’re typing into Google, talking to a voice assistant, or skimming an AI-generated answer.
Once a month, pull a 30-day query report from Google Search Console.
Drop the top 100 phrases into ChatGPT, and prompt it to: “cluster these by buyer intent and flag any queries that didn’t exist three months ago.”
Use that output to refresh headlines, add missing sub-topics, and revise relevant examples for clarity. Keep doing this on a consistent cadence and your content not only stays visible, but is useful, and (most importantly) trustworthy.
Do this monthly and you’ll never wonder which headline to tweak first.
4. Improve Accessibility and Inclusivity
AI tools can automatically generate captions, alt text, and translations, making your content accessible to broader, diverse audiences. This not only expands your potential market but also enhances your brands’ reputation by demonstrating commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility.
Add the following 2 items to your publish checklist:
- Auto-caption every video before you hit publish.
- Write descriptive alt text for each image as you upload it.
A quarterly review of your pages will help keep you honest and avoids any regulation change that may catch you off guard.
5. Automate Content Distribution
Use AI tools to identify the perfect audience, optimal platforms, and ideal timing for distributing your content. No more guessing.
AI helps your content reach exactly who it needs to, when it matters most. AI not only identifies the right distribution channels but can continuously monitor and adjust campaigns based on performance, ensuring your distribution strategy stays effective over time.
6. Sharpen Your Analytics
Most teams are swimming in metrics, unsure of what to tackle first.
To sharpen your analytics, you’re going to need help. You can ask ChatGPT to interpret report screenshots, but if you have HubSpot, start utilizing the built-in AI found across the platform. From out-of-the-box templated dashboards that surface what is working to predictive models that, when set up properly, can flag the issues that may come up in the future.
Depending on your subscription, that means:
- Marketing gets content and campaign analytics that point to next-best actions.
- Sales sees AI-driven lead and deal-scoring, plus pipeline forecasts that are realistic.
- Service leaders watch ticket trends and resolution predictions updated in real time, so they can stay ahead of demand.
Not a HubSpot expert, but still need deeper insights? The new HubSpot - ChatGPT deep research connector allows any authorized user to ask in plain-language questions, allowing your data mining to be conversational. Questions like: “Which blog posts generated the most SQLs last quarter?” or “What percentage of leads that download our latest e-book turned into SQLs within 30 days, and which traffic source contributed the most?” will yield near-instant answers based on your live CRM data. FYI: Permissions do carry over, so your team will only see what they’ve been granted access to and your data will not train external models.
The payoff is real: in 2025, 92% of top-performing marketing teams credit AI-powered analytics for their competitive edge and companies using AI in three or more marketing functions report a 32% jump in ROI year-over-year.
Data is only useful when it helps you determine what to do next. AI that is built into your platforms does exactly that, turns your raw metrics into clear priorities so your team is ready to move faster.
7. Quickly Convert Your Learning Center into a Two-Way Conversation
Integrating conversational AI and chatbots on your website or social media platforms boosts user engagement by instantly answering questions, guiding visitors to relevant content, and nurturing leads.
AI-driven chatbots can offer personalized recommendations and capture valuable insights about user needs and preferences, turning casual visitors into engaged followers and customers.
One of the fastest ways to accomplish this, if you’re a HubSpot user, is HubSpot’s Customer Agent. You can train your new agent on articles, PDFs, and even public URLs that live in your Learning Center. This AI-assistant/agent then keeps that knowledge fresh with a weekly re-crawl. After training, place the agent wherever your buyers hang out, live chat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger etc. Now, every “What’s the warranty?” Or “How do I compare plans?” gets an instant, informed and source-linked answer.
But wait, it gets better.
This agent isn’t set-it-and-forget-it functionality, it shows where queries were resolved, deflected and most importantly, where the knowledge gaps occur. Not sure what to write about next? Check your agent for where you should focus first. Ultimately, you will end up with fewer hand-offs, faster response times and higher satisfaction scores without adding headcount, or burning out your team.
Stay Ahead with AI
AI is the new baseline and the teams that use it the best will be the clear winners. Use these seven plays and you’ll spend less time guessing and more time educating,
Feeling overwhelmed with AI? We can help.
We work with businesses to help them improve their sales and marketing — and part of that is knowing how and when to use AI to improve your outcomes.
Talk to a member of our team to get started.
Author: wsmith@impactplus.com (Will Smith)
* This article was originally published here
Thursday, July 24, 2025
How LV Collective Is Using Social Media to Build Trust, Not Followers
About This Episode:
When CEOs ask how to make social media actually matter for their business, this episode answers it in full.
Social media today is crowded, noisy, and often feels like a chore. So how do you stand out and actually connect?
That’s exactly what we unpack in this conversation with Kendall Guinn, Chief Marketing Officer at LV Collective, and Bob Ruffolo, CEO of IMPACT.
LV Collective isn’t just another real estate development company. They’ve built a brand people recognize and trust by showing up differently online. Kendall walks us through how their team uses social media not as a promotional tool, but as a trust-building asset.
Real stories.
Real people.
Real conversations.
This episode pulls back the curtain on what it means to be human as a brand in a world of likes, shares, and endless scrolling.
The takeaway? Brands that show up authentically and consistently on social media are the ones that win. It’s about showing the people, process, and purpose behind the business.
What makes LV Collective's social media strategy different
Kendall didn’t walk into LV Collective looking to blend in. Her background is in sales, and she brought that perspective to marketing from day one.
"At my core, I’m a salesperson," Kendall said. "So when I took over marketing, I wanted us to stop thinking like a brand and start thinking like a buyer."
For LV Collective, that meant social media couldn’t just be a branding exercise. It had to be a trust engine. Every post, video, or caption needed to reflect what their buyers genuinely wanted to know, not just what the company wanted to say.
This shift meant rethinking everything. Instead of focusing on corporate polish, Kendall pushed for clarity. Instead of worrying about fitting into a grid, her team focused on storytelling that actually served their audience. Instead of outsourcing their voice, they brought it in-house.
Here’s what that looked like:
- Sharing behind-the-scenes content from job sites: Because people want to see how the sausage is made. Even the messy parts.
- Featuring team members and their stories: To highlight the real humans behind the buildings and deals.
- Talking openly about pricing, process, and even challenges: Because buyers don’t trust what feels too perfect.
- Prioritizing storytelling over slick promotions: Because connection beats conversion-focused fluff every time.
This wasn’t just a tactical decision. It was a cultural one.
"Social media is the front door to your brand," Kendall explained. "If you want people to walk in, you have to make it feel like there are real people inside."
And it worked. Engagement grew. Conversations got more real. Prospects came in with fewer questions because they’d already seen the answers online.
What happens when you humanize your brand online
At IMPACT, we’ve coached hundreds of businesses on how to stop sounding like robots online. This episode is one of the best examples we’ve seen of that principle in action.
LV Collective’s content doesn’t try to impress. It tries to connect.
"We had this idea that the brand had to be sleek, serious, buttoned-up," Kendall said. "But then we started showing the team, the process, and just being ourselves, and engagement skyrocketed."
The lesson? People don’t fall in love with logos. They fall in love with people. When a brand opens up and shows what really goes on, whether that’s in a team meeting or on a job site, it becomes relatable. Trustworthy. Even likable.
The shift wasn’t about abandoning professionalism. It was about adding personality. And when that happened, the metrics followed. More likes. More shares. More meaningful comments from people who wanted to talk, not just scroll by.
That shift did more than earn likes. It built trust.
And that trust? It started to show up in the sales pipeline.
"People were referencing our content in meetings," she said. "They’d say, ‘I saw your video about what happens during development, and it made me want to work with you.’ That’s when we knew it was working."
In other words, the content wasn’t just being seen. It was being remembered. And more importantly, it was being used by potential buyers to make decisions. That’s the real ROI.
This is the power of being human on social. It changes the conversation. It changes the relationship. And it changes the outcome.
How purpose-driven social media converts leads
There’s a misconception that social media is about going viral. Kendall couldn’t disagree more.
"We’re not trying to be influencers," she said. "We’re trying to be helpful. We’re trying to be known."
At LV Collective, social media isn’t a marketing afterthought. It’s a purposeful way to serve their audience before they ever pick up the phone or fill out a form.
That purpose drives every content decision. The question is always: "What do our buyers want to know? What would help them understand us better?"
As a result, their content strategy is:
- Educational: They break down complicated parts of the real estate and development process, explaining things like financing, timelines, and approvals in plain language.
- Relatable: Day-in-the-life videos from construction crews and office staff give followers a real sense of who makes the magic happen.
- Transparent: They answer pricing questions, outline project risks, and talk candidly about lessons learned.
- Community-driven: Resident features and local highlights help connect their brand to real people and real places.
And the best part? It all comes from inside the company. The voices, the videos, the stories, they’re created by the people doing the work. That authenticity is impossible to fake.
"Your audience can tell when content is written by someone who doesn’t get your business," Bob added. "That’s why we always push for in-house content creation."
It’s not just more effective. It’s more believable.
This kind of purposeful content doesn’t just get attention. It builds understanding. And when people understand what you do, why you do it, and who’s doing it, they trust you enough to say yes.
How to stay consistent with your brand's voice on social media
One of the hardest parts of social media is keeping it going. Kendall didn’t sugarcoat that.
"It’s easy to get discouraged," she said. "You post something you worked hard on, and it doesn’t perform. But if you stay consistent, the results compound."
That consistency doesn’t happen by chance. At LV Collective, they’ve built a system where content is a shared responsibility. It’s not just the marketing department pushing out messages. Everyone from leadership to construction teams contributes ideas, photos, and stories.
It’s more than a workflow. It’s a mindset.
"You can’t scale authenticity from a silo," Kendall explained. "It has to be everyone’s job to show up."
They hold regular content meetings to gather ideas, spotlight internal stories, and brainstorm new ways to highlight their people and projects. When new hires come onboard, they’re introduced to the role content plays in the company. Everyone understands that what happens inside the company can, and should, be shared outside.
This collaborative approach keeps the voice real, the tone grounded, and the content consistent. And when that consistency is sustained, it builds trust over time.
And trust, as Kendall and Bob both know, is the foundation of every deal.
Why transparency on social media builds trust
Kendall also talked about how the Endless Customers System™ helped her team get comfortable being radically transparent.
"We talk about things most companies hide," she said. "Cost. Delays. Mistakes. But people respect honesty. They don’t expect perfection."
Transparency isn’t just a buzzword at LV Collective. It’s a standard. That openness shows up across their entire marketing ecosystem, from their website and emails to what they post on Instagram.
They treat transparency as a form of service. If someone is thinking about working with them, that person can find out what it costs, what could go wrong, what timelines look like, and how decisions are made. No hiding behind vague messaging. No passing the tough questions to sales.
This kind of clarity makes buyers feel more confident. And confident buyers are far more likely to convert.
That mindset shift, toward openness and education, turned social media into a true business asset.
Now, their channels:
- Attract better-fit leads who are already well-informed
- Help close deals faster because trust is built earlier
- Support hiring and recruiting by showcasing the team and culture
- Position LV as a thought leader in the real estate space
Not bad for platforms most companies treat like a side hustle.
Authentic social media drives better leads
This conversation was about the shift in mindset that happens when a company starts treating social media like a conversation, not a campaign.
The lesson? Stop trying to sound like a brand. Start sounding like a human. Share your stories. Talk openly about the stuff most people avoid: costs, problems, and the process behind your product or service. Stay consistent, even when it feels like no one’s watching.
And most of all, make it everyone’s job. When people across your business are involved in creating and sharing content, what you publish becomes more honest, more helpful, and a lot more interesting.
If people can’t see who you are online, why would they trust you in person?
That’s the shift. That’s what social media is for.
Ready to start showing up more human and turning your content into a lead-generating asset? Learn how the Endless Customers System™ helps your whole team get aligned and create content that actually drives revenue. Talk to us today to see how it works.
Connect with Kendall Guinn
Kendall is the driving force behind LV Collective’s marketing machine and an innovator in the commercial and residential real estate marketing space.
As CMO, Kendall oversees the firm’s go-to-market strategy, including all corporate and property marketing. Kendall’s deep background in branding and digital and inbound marketing for real estate gives LV and its investors a cutting-edge advantage over the competition.
Prior to joining LV, Kendall served as Chief Marketing Officer for AQUILA Commercial, where she directed all corporate marketing, communication, and market research efforts for the commercial real estate services firm. At AQUILA, Kendall led the creation of the industry’s most-read resource for commercial real estate services information and Austin market data in the country. This pioneering content marketing initiative drove an influx of leads, new business, and revenue.
Check out LV Collective
Connect with Kendall Guinn on LinkedIn
FAQs
How can I make my business feel more human online?
Show the faces behind your brand. Use short videos to introduce your team, explain what you do, and answer questions. Speak in a way your audience actually talks, not like a press release.
We don’t know what to post. What do we even talk about?
Start with the questions your buyers are already asking. What’s confusing? What do they wish they knew sooner? Then post real answers. Behind-the-scenes clips, FAQs, team spotlights, those are gold.
Is it really okay to talk about our pricing or mistakes?
Yes. Transparency builds credibility. Your prospects are already Googling this stuff, or asking ChatGPT. When they hear it from you first, you earn their trust, and likely their business.
We’re a small team. Can we actually pull this off?
You don’t need a media department. Start small with someone who’s good with a camera and someone who knows your customers. LV Collective did it with just a content lead and a videographer.
Where do we even begin?
Pick five questions your sales team hears every week. Answer them on camera or in simple posts. Publish consistently for 90 days. That’s how the shift begins. And if you want a proven framework, that’s what the Endless Customers System™ is built for.
Keep Learning
- Watch: Why Winning New Customers Is Harder Than Ever (And How to Fix It)
- Read: Why Buyers Now Control the Sales Process (And What You Should Do About It)
- Free Assessment: How Does Your Sales and Marketing Measure Up?
Author: awinter@impactbnd.com (Alex Winter)
* This article was originally published here
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
LinkedIn Shares Brand Building Tips for B2B Marketers
Short-form video and influencer marketing are key considerations.
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Study Shows Teens Are Increasingly Relying on AI Chatbots for Social Interaction
Are we pushing too fast, too soon on AI companions?
* This article was originally published here
Monday, July 21, 2025
Sales Training: How Much Does It Cost?
Every year, it gets more and more expensive to run your business. To keep up, you expect your team to increase sales so you can meet your business goals.
Many business leaders look to improve the performance of their sales team by investing in a sales training program. These sorts of training initiatives are big business: U.S. companies spend more than $15 billion on sales training each year.
With a limited training budget, you need to know that the dollars you spend on training are going to come back to your business as increased revenue.
With that in mind, let’s look at some sales training options and what you can expect to spend on them.
Remember, sales training comes in all shapes and sizes — from free online options to AI training tools to fully customized training programs for enterprise-level teams. Below, I’ll break down some different options and what you (and your team) can expect to spend on each. I’ll cover:
- The price range of sales training
- Representative options for every budget
- Some pro tips to improve the effectiveness of any training you do
Why you should invest in sales training
A business cannot prosper without sales, and there are graveyards littered with organizations that wasted away because they couldn’t get prospects to buy.
Whether you’re a solopreneur or a company of thousands, sales success is vital to your growth. The better your sales conversations go, the better your bottom line.
But sales is hard. In 2023, only about a quarter of sales professionals exceeded their quota.
Improving these numbers takes time. In addition to sales training for your frontline sales reps, you should audit your entire sales process, including prospecting, sales enablement, pipeline management, and communication.
Sales performance depends on a dizzying number of variables, and the more you can improve each one, the more you’ll see your team sell.
For this reason, sales training is a crucial investment for companies of all sizes and types.
For the most successful sales teams, ongoing training is part of their culture. Sales reps are reviewing calls with their managers, practicing role-plays with their colleagues, regularly attending online workshops, and reading books to stay on top of their game.
If organizations don’t create a training budget and invest in their teams, their sales performance will suffer.
At the same time, just throwing money at a problem won't solve it. Sales success depends on both the desire to improve and the resources to learn how.
The cost of sales training
So, what should you expect to spend on sales training? You probably won’t be surprised to learn that sales training runs a wide spectrum in terms of cost. There are free options, and there are options that cost tens of thousands of dollars.
In general, what you’re going to pay will vary based on a few factors, all of which are pretty obvious:
- The amount of personal feedback: In general, the more individual attention you get, the more you’ll pay.
- The “prestige” of the teacher: The more well-known, the more you’ll pay.
- Program duration and number of participants: The longer the training and smaller the cohort, the higher the cost.
- The degree of customization: If you want your sales training content catered to your business or industry, expect to pay more.
While the costs can vary widely, you can expect to pay between $400 and $3,000 for a reputable sales training program. However, there are numerous free (and cheap) options for those with smaller budgets, as well as high-end options for larger teams.
One final note: This is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of the best sales training programs. There are literally thousands of options and hundreds of companies out there that promise to help you improve your selling. The examples below merely represent a range of price points.
Now, let’s dive in, starting with free options.
Free sales training options
Don’t look down your nose at free sales training programs. These are resources that you can consume on-demand, and some grant certifications as well.
Online training
- HubSpot Academy: Inbound Sales Certification
For those of you in the inbound space (and let’s be honest, everyone wants to be in inbound these days), this free, three-hour course (plus exam) offers a great overview of how you can use inbound principles to enhance your sales skill set.
- IMPACT+: Masterclass: The Fundamentals of Endless Customers
This free course offers a new approach to sales that focuses on buyer education and trust. Marcus Sheridan explains how savvy sales reps are using his framework to shorten the sales cycle and improve close rates. From there, you can take free courses that focus on prospecting, 1:1 video techniques, and sales enablement.
- Coursera: Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
There are hundreds of sales and marketing courses on Coursera. This one, put on by the University of Michigan, offers 17 hours of instruction on several sales-related topics. It’s free to enroll, but to earn the certificate at the end you’ll need to pay about $100. - Sales Scripter: SMART Sales System Training Program
This is another example of a great free resource out there. In 13 hours, you’ll receive instruction in a range of sales skills, from writing sales scripts to how to prospect on LinkedIn.
Books and podcasts
Each year, there are whole libraries of new books written about sales — and weeks’ worth of podcast content. While these resources don’t offer you the interactivity of traditional training, they can be a vital supplement to learning you do through other pathways.
- Gap Selling by Keenan challenges traditional sales techniques so salespeople can break through and close more deals.
- Baseline Selling by Dave Kurlan uses baseball as an analogy for sales success. His deep focus on building relationship and emphasis on the buyer's problems makes this an essential read.
- The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson explains how great salespeople build the right relationships with their customers.
- The GTM Now Podcast puts out weekly episodes with top business luminaries who share their stories and advice.
- Sales Logic Podcast seeks to build your confidence by addressing the most challenging questions in sales. Episodes drop weekly.
- Endless Customers Podcast helps you win trust and close more sales by focusing on buyer education.
Pro tip: Want to multiply the learning you get from a book or online course? Take it with a friend or form a book group. Research shows that when you discuss ideas and engage with concepts, you’re more likely to retain what you learn.
Mid-level options: Certificates and courses ($400-$6,000)
There are thousands of online and in-person options for sales training, so picking the right one will come down to your budget, time frame, and area of focus.
Major universities offer sales certificate programs to enhance your skills and build your resume.
- For example, check out this option from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business: Mastering Sales: A Toolkit For Success. This 10-week online course includes live lectures, activities, and homework. Those who enroll can expect to dedicate 4-6 hours each week, and the cost is $2,470.
- Cornell offers an online Sales Growth certificate that can be completed in three months, with 3-5 hours of work required each week. For a total cost of $3,900, students learn from professors, peers, and learning modules.
- If you’re not interested in the university route, you can work with a reputable sales training company like Dale Carnegie. Their Dale Carnegie Sales Training: Winning with Relationship Selling program offers franchised learning opportunities all over the world. Three full-day sessions (or eight shorter ones) will run you $2,195. You’ll get hands-on instruction from certified trainers to help you develop and implement a sales strategy.
Pro tip: Many of these options offer online communities and forums for connecting with other sales professionals just like you.
Make use of these!
Network with your peers and see if anyone will be willing to practice what you’ve learned. When you do low-stakes role-plays, you maximize your learning.
High-end sales training cost: Customized group instruction ($10,000 and up)
At the top end of the sales training pyramid are customized learning experiences. These could occur on site at your location or online, but you’re paying a premium for a personalized training program.
This type of training prices out most buyers, so it’s specifically for corporate group training and high-earning individuals who are looking for that extra edge to advance. At this level, price is highly customized based on the needs of the client and the number of participants.
Organizations like Hoffman and Rain Group offer programs for teams to reach the next level. Here, a Rain Group spokesman explains one of its training options.
If you’re in the market for this kind of tailored program, talk to your network to try and get a recommendation. See what options have been most impactful for others. Then reach out and negotiate. If you’re a high-end client, firms will fight to win you, so take advantage of that position.
Note: You’ll be expected to pay travel costs if you’re looking to have an on-site training program.
Pro tip: You can make the best sales training even better by actively incorporating it into your company culture after the training ends.
Before your training starts, form an “accountability pact” with your team that helps you keep practicing what you learn. During the training ask for materials and recommendations for bringing what you learn into long-term practice
AI training tools
AI-powered sales training represents an exciting horizon. Need a late-night role-play session before a big pitch? Want feedback tailored to your specific field? An AI tool can be that tireless sparring partner that's training on company data.
- Yoodli has basic free plans, with their advanced plan coming in at $20/user per month, which offers unlimited roleplays with tailored feedback. Here's a quick video explaining how it works.
- Hyperbound goes a bit farther, analyzing calls you win and calls you lose to customize roleplays to your own development. Although pricing is not available on Hyperbound's website, some internet sleuthing suggests you'll pay over $10,000 per year for a company license.
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Find the training you need
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there are over 13 million salespeople in the country. That’s over 8% of the total labor force in the United States.
But recently, that number has been shrinking as salespeople play a smaller and smaller role in customer purchases. Today, buyers are looking to self-educate, only reaching out to a sales rep when they are in the final stages of their buying journey — if they reach out at all.
In such a competitive marketplace, it’s imperative that sales teams stay on top of their game, sharpening their skills with regular training and self-study.
The options above can help you do just that.
At IMPACT, we know that marketing, when done right, can dramatically enhance your sales efforts. We've guided hundreds of businesses to sales and marketing success using our Endless Customers System™. If you're ready to finally get your team all pulling in the same direction, talk to us to see what's possible.
Author: jbecker@impactbnd.com (John Becker)
* This article was originally published here
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Research Shows That Snapchat Delivers Better Results for E-Commerce Brands
The data also shows that apparel brands see the best results.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, July 19, 2025
5 Perfect Examples of IMPACT Client YouTube Channels
Picture the last time a prospect peppered your sales rep with rapid‑fire questions about cost, quality, and “Is this really right for me?” Did your team send a tidy three‑minute video that nailed every answer, or did they type a novella in email and hope for the best?
The first scenario is standard operating procedure for the five IMPACT clients you’re about to meet. Each has built a media‑company‑quality YouTube channel that feeds marketing, accelerates sales, and turns skeptical researchers into eager buyers. They’re living proof of the Endless Customers mantra:
“Will this induce more trust?”
When the answer is yes, you hit record.
Let’s unpack how Sheffield Metals, Len’s Cove Marina, CSI Accounting & Payroll, Anderson Trucking Service, and Fire & Ice Heating & Air turn videos into revenue—and how you can copy them.
1. Sheffield Metals
Why it’s perfect
- 47.3 K subscribers and 569 videos keep buyers binging
- 60 + qualified leads per week land in the CRM (per client data)
- Videos double as assignment‑selling assets, slashing call prep time
- Entirely in‑house production—proof a manufacturer can think like a studio
Sheffield’s secret is radical transparency. Type “metal roof problems” or “standing‑seam vs shingles” and you’ll find cost, problems, comparisons, reviews, and best‑of—The Big 5—in clear, search‑friendly titles. Their 8‑minute “How Much Does a Metal Roof Cost?” clip arms reps for every pricing conversation.
“Video lets salespeople clearly communicate cost and value—even when they aren’t there in person.” — Endless Customers (Chapter 12)
Steal this
- Build an 80 % video that answers the seven questions you answer on every sales call.
- Hire or upskill an internal videographer so product experts stay on camera, not agencies.
- Add CTAs that push viewers to design‑your‑roof calculators—Sell in ways others aren’t willing to sell.
2. Len's Cove Marina
Why it’s perfect
- 69.9 K subscribers and 190 + videos prove a marina can out‑publish media companies
- Owner Sean Wallace stars in most episodes—SME authority with a dockside smile
- Thumbnails scream curiosity (“$10K Boating Mistake!”) while titles front‑load keywords
Every upload tackles the worries that keep boat buyers awake: cost of repowering, insurance pitfalls, and the best family pontoons. By “saying what others won’t say,” Len’s Cove grabs Google and YouTube rankings for virtually every Big 5 query in their niche. Their videos then appear in follow‑up sales emails, nudging prospects to schedule a personalized Boat Chat.
Steal this
- Put your owner or GM on camera—buyers crave real expertise, not spokes models.
- Bundle related clips into playlists so your channel feels like Netflix, not a junk drawer.
3. CSI Accounting & Payroll
Why it’s perfect
- 836 subscribers and 460 videos in a “boring” industry
- Animated explainers turn tax code into plain English
- Weekly cadence builds an always‑fresh library for sales and customer success
CSI proves that complexity is a content gold mine when you focus on buyer confusion. Some videos have become mandatory pre‑call homework for new leads. No surprise their average sale price jumped 39.7 % after adopting Assignment Selling (see Chapter 18 of Endless Customers).
Steal this
- Use Loom or Descript to overlay graphics on talking‑head footage—visuals beat jargon.
- Turn FAQs into short‑form vertical videos for quick wins on LinkedIn and Shorts.
- End every video directing your viewers to a self‑pricing tool buyers love.
4. Anderson Trucking Service
Why it’s perfect
- 8.4 K subscribers, 463 uploads, and a content library built to recruit and educate
- Dozens of drivers, recruiters, safety pros, and execs rotate being on camera—faces, not logos
- A video podcast repurposes long‑form interviews into Shorts, increasing reach without extra lift
ATS doesn’t just recruit—they educate. Their YouTube channel doubles as a full-service resource for the entire trucking industry. The standout? Beyond the Road (BTR)—a monthly video podcast breaking down the latest shifts in trucking. From fuel prices to regulatory changes, BTR helps logistics pros plan smarter and react faster. It’s industry intel straight from the front lines, delivered by a company that moves the freight.
Then there’s the ATS Learning Hub—a comprehensive playlist covering everything from “Supply Chain 101” to deep dives into niche verticals like hospitality logistics and food & beverage shipping. It’s like a masterclass in freight, free to anyone who wants to level up.
But ATS doesn’t stop at one channel. Their Over the Road channel shares in-depth interviews, career growth tips, and real talk from drivers who’ve lived it all. Meanwhile, Anderson Trucking Service Careers focuses squarely on life at ATS—what it’s like to apply, train, work, and grow. From recruiter Q&As to orientation footage, it’s a transparent window into the driver experience.
Steal this
- Launch a monthly podcast that doubles as a video series—efficiency meets authenticity.
- Film real employee stories on‑site; polished sets are optional, sincerity isn’t.
- Use chapter timestamps so prospects can jump to the questions they care about.
5. Fire & Ice Heating & Air
Why it’s perfect
- 13.4 K subscribers and 320 + videos educate homeowners
- “What It’s Like to Work with Us” playlist pre‑answers process questions, boosting conversion
- Shorts tackle micro‑learning moments: “3 signs your AC is failing” in less than a minute
Fire & Ice nails the Show What Others Aren’t Willing to Show pillar. Transparent review videos pit their own brand against competitors, while walk‑throughs of real installations prove craftsmanship. The result: fewer price shoppers, more value‑minded buyers.
Steal this
- Record a candid walkthrough of your onboarding process—buyers fear the unknown more than price.
- Repurpose every long‑form explainer into at least three Shorts (Make Them Click, Make Them Stick).
- Embed customer‑journey videos on proposal pages to reinforce social proof at decision time.
Ready to build your own lead-generating channel?
These five companies are running full-fledged media operations inside their businesses. Each one proves that when you publish consistently, speak directly to buyer questions, and put real people on camera, trust follows. Leads follow. Sales follow.
Now it’s your turn.
Whether you’re just getting started or looking to sharpen your strategy, you don’t need a Hollywood budget—just a commitment to showing what others won’t.
Build your Learning Hub. Answer The Big 5. Launch your Selling 7. Turn your YouTube channel into the hardest‑working salesperson on your team.
At IMPACT, we coach businesses just like yours in the Endless Customers System™–a proven approach that puts video at the heart of your sales and marketing. We’ll help you build a YouTube presence that educates buyers, builds trust, and drives real revenue.
If you're ready to stop guessing and start growing with YouTube, let’s talk.
* This article was originally published here
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