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Published: April 26, 2017, 3:09 p.m.

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

Good Morning, Onward Nation and welcome to Episode 480 \u2013 this week\u2019s solocast.

And I am so fired up for this discussion \u2013 that I can hardly wait to share a major win from one of our Predictive ROI clients and avid listeners!

No hyperbole \u2013 this win is really off-the-charts amazing.

Here\u2019s a brief backstory.

Many Onward Nation listeners are business owners whose primary focus each day is to drive business development for their company. To drive new revenue, from new customers, and within new markets.

All of that is consistent with the small business revenue data we consistently see\u2026that points to how 43 percent of owners are cite growing revenue as the top challenge within their company \u2013 so \u2013 winning at biz dev needs to be at the forefront of an owner\u2019s vital priorities.

And breaking down the 43 percent for a second \u2013 that number \u2013 43 percent \u2013 represents over 12 million business owners in this country who are concerned about growing revenue.

One of the proactive and super successful biz dev strategies proactive business owners have implemented is to put a podcast out in front of their core business \u2013 and then \u2013 to use their show as I like to call, a Trojan Horse of Sales \u2013 meaning \u2013 their podcast drives new client revenue into their core business by opening up biz dev relationships with the guests they interviewed for their show. Very smart and my Predictive ROI team are experts at helping owners of business-to-business professional services firms drive hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in new revenue into their companies, through our Podcasting for Profit System. It is awesome.

If you haven\u2019t started your own podcast \u2013 but \u2013 you like the sound of having a Trojan Horse of Sales out in front of your business \u2013 then I encourage you to go back to Episode 445 of Onward Nation for the full recipe \u2013 in complete transparency \u2013 so you can take and apply all of the step-by-step ingredients.

And then, a couple weeks ago, I took our biz strategy even deeper during Episode 460 by taking you on a deep dive into how to get a $10,000 to $100,000 sponsor for your podcast.

But \u2013 I want to make sure I am very clear here \u2013 the recipe I shared in Episode 460 was not my recipe. It is a recipe I learned directly from the brilliant and super talented Linda Hollander. Linda is one of today\u2019s leading authorities on how to sell sponsorships to top tier sponsors \u2013 and \u2013 our incredible guest on Onward Nation and she was kind enough to let me pick her brain for Chapter 16 of my upcoming book. Thank you, Linda \u2013 you are a rock star!

Now, Linda\u2019s sponsorship recipe is not just any recipe \u2013 it\u2019s a recipe that can help you sell a $10,000 to $100,000 sponsorship for your business.

Again, no hyperbole. It is truly that awesome.

Here\u2026I\u2019ll prove it.

Dave Mammano, a three-time guest here at Onward Nation, host of the Avanti Entrepreneur Podcast, and one of our Predictive ROI clients\u2026decided to sit down and really study Episode 460. He wanted to learn from Linda all about how to get a sponsor \u2013 and then \u2013 what did he do?

He immediately\u2026and I do mean immediately, Onward Nation\u2026he immediately applied what he learned. He went to work creating what Linda calls the \u201cSponsorship proposal.\u201d

He then emailed me the draft and I could see that he had applied Linda\u2019s insights and wisdom exactly as she had recommended.

He wrote his story \u2013 he shared insights into the good \u2013 the challenges along the way \u2013 and all of those things that make Dave the amazing, awesome, and incredible business owner he is today.

He talked about his previous company that he recently sold and the story behind his latest venture. All in brilliant storytelling form.

Dave\u2019s proposal also included details about his podcast, his YouTube channel, and all of the other ways he communicates with his growing nation of true fans within in his community.

And when he was all done \u2013 he went out and started to sell it.

Then Dave called me a few days later and let me know that he sold a $30,000 sponsorship to the company called, Paychex.

Yes, Onward Nation \u2013 Dave sold a $30,000 annual sponsorship that stretched over his podcast, YouTube channel, all of the other properties within his business.

Definitely an incredible result outcome for Dave \u2013 but \u2013 it is also a real testament to the community, purpose, and high-quality content his Avanti Entrepreneur team are building.

And one of the most incredible aspects of the sales process is that the negotiations with Paychex were never about monthly downloads, website traffic, social media shares, or email optins.

Instead, the focus was about aligning the Paychex brand with Dave\u2019s content and his ever-growing nation of true fans because both companies serve the same customers.

So Onward Nation, your ability to sell your own $30,000 or even a $50,000 sponsorship, or a $100,000 sponsorship rests solely on you creating \u201cproperties\u201d that attract the prospects and customers who your sponsor wants to be doing business with \u2013 and \u2013 that you create the type of culture a prospective sponsor wants to be aligned with.

That should be your biz dev strategy, Onward Nation.

And of course, it\u2019s exciting to think about building a YouTube channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers or a super popular Instagram account.

But for most small business owners\u2026becoming Internet famous\u2026is not what is going to move the needle\u2026and it shouldn\u2019t be your vital priority.

To be clear\u2026I am not saying credibility on social media doesn\u2019t matter\u2026but\u2026what I am saying is that just because you don\u2019t have a million followers, doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t build an incredible core business where sponsors will absolutely want to pay you $50,000 to be part of the special relationship you are building with your customers and nation of true fans.

What you do need above anything else is the confidence to know that it is possible.

That you can do it.

That you can be successful.

That you can deliver value to a sponsor.

That you have built an audience, a customer base, a loyal following \u2013 no matter the size \u2013 who value you, who love you, who appreciate your opinion, your insights, and they look to you for guidance. How amazing is that, right? You have so much to be grateful for.

Okay, let\u2019s bring Dave\u2019s success, and how you can do it too, back into focus.

I didn\u2019t want to get you all fired up \u2013 and encourage you to go out there and start selling \u2013 without taking an opportunity to arm you with even more strategy and step-by-step process.

Yes, the recipes provided in earlier episodes will provide you with the right tactical ingredients \u2013 but in addition to Dave\u2019s success story \u2013 I also received feedback from other listeners who felt they needed more detail. In fact\u2026they wanted a lot more detail.

When I shared Dave\u2019s story with them\u2026they encouraged me to ask him to come back to the show and take us step-by-step through each and every detail that he experienced along the way.

Great push back, Onward Nation \u2013 thank you.

So I asked Dave \u2013 and \u2013 he agreed to come back and share each and every step\u2026all the granular detail.

How he wrote his story.

What he decided to include or exclude.

How he designed the Pitch Deck or the visual format of his proposal.

How he presented it to Paychex.

And every detail in between.

Dave is going to share his story with you in full transparency because hearing his words may help move past any of the reservations \u2013 any of the hesitancy \u2013 any of the fear you may be feeling \u2013 that may be holding you back.

And we are going to air that interview two weeks from today, Onward Nation\u2026Episode 490 on Wednesday, May 10th. Be sure to listen\u2026download it\u2026share it with other business owners who you think can benefit from the recipe\u2026this biz dev strategy could be a game changer for your business and my hope is you will take advantage of it right away.

So, Onward Nation, here\u2019s what I want to leave you with today.

The key to success with this biz dev recipe, or any of the biz dev recipes we share here, is to get out of your own head, to allow yourself to study this recipe, and to give yourself the opportunity to apply it.

Who cares if the first prospective sponsor you approach says no?

So then you make some revisions to your proposal and you keep right on going.

Just think about all of the studios and production companies that told George Lucas no \u2013 that his idea for Star Wars wasn\u2019t going to go anywhere.

Or, the many editors from many publishers who told JK Rowling that her story about a young boy, a wizard named Harry, didn\u2019t have what it took to be successful.

Well, billions and billions of dollars in sales later, and we all know what happened when the creators of Star Wars and Harry Potter believed enough in their purpose and vision \u2013 amazing things!

Will your business enjoy similar success?

I don\u2019t know \u2013 but the point is \u2013 the only way you will know for sure is if you get out there and try.

Some sponsors will say no \u2013 but all you need is 1 to say yes.

Be sure to listen to Episode 490 that will air two weeks from today \u2013 May 10th \u2013 and you will get the exact roadmap \u2013 the exact recipe from Dave Mammano\u2019s success.

So with that said\u2026I want to say thank you.

Thank you for being here and for making Onward Nation what you listen \u2013 what you study \u2013 and maybe what you take with you on your morning run \u2013 or your daily commute.

However we fit into your compressed schedule \u2013 I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable time with me today.

And I encourage you to listen to tomorrow\u2019s episode with Mark Stoner, who built and scaled his business from a one-man operation to now being featured in the primetime television show Blue Collar Millionaires on CNBC.

You will not want to miss, Mark, Onward Nation. He is rock solid awesome!

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Until then \u2013 onward with gusto!