SOFTWARE AND TOOLS TO HELP YOU GROW YOUR BUSINESS
All of the tools below I've tested, used, and succeeded with! I love helping my clients set up their software and systems so they don't even have to think about it. I'm a sales coach, who's a secret nerd, and just loves to play with the tools, so you don't have to.
Here's what I know from coaching clients and seeing the MESS of software, misinformation, and vendor-overpromises:
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Learning how to use software or tools is HARD
The learning curve for most software is pretty daunting. You don't want to spend countless hours trying to figure out something - you just want it to work, so you can get back to work. The promo videos always make it look soooo easy!
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Knowing what software to use is HARDER
With the endless options out there, it's almost impossible for anyone to know what to use. And I've seen many people "try" tools and never get them to work. Plus, each business is unique. As a sales coach and consultant, I have seen it all. Legacy systems that no longer work, tools that don't fit the business model, or systems that no one has ever logged into.
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Getting all your tools to work together is the HARDEST
There is no one-size-fits all solution and, in fact, there shouldn't be. Each business can take advantage of excellent features of a handful of products that, when integrated together, should create a machine that supports your business quickly and easily.
The best way we have described it was when a client said she was feeling "overwhelmed." We don't want her to feel even "whelmed" by technology. In fact, your systems should work so seamlessly, you should feel "underwhelmed."
NOTE: Most of the links below are affiliate links, so that when you click them and end up purchasing one of these products, I get a small piece of the action and will appreciate you for it. If you decide to buy, please clear your browser cookies, or open in a private window before you click, so nobody else steals my cash.
Bonus: If you purchase software through me, I am happy to help you walk through initial setup. You can email me at joe@changegrowachieve.com or book a call using the button below. My mission is to help you have fun and get stuff done.
TECH STACK FOR SERVICE PROFESSIONALS
Active Campaign: Email marketing and automation (CRM too)
Active Campaign is the backbone of many of my projects, for myself and clients. I've helped implement many different email marketing tools, like Infusionsoft, Mailchimp, Sharpspring, you name it. It is so easy to use, intuitive, and actually fun to play with. The automations are drag and drop, you can run many lists, offers, and have great reporting on the backend. From small businesses like my sisters Goat Farm to large million person lists like we built with Deliveryslip. Price point is solid and I am happy to help you implement.
Book Like a Boss: So much more than just a calendar app, this can be your next big campaign tool
I cant stress how solid of a tool, Book Like a Boss is. And especially how awesome it's been to collaborate with the owner, Nachum. He's personally helped me launch a handful of clients into their software. I've been using it for years as my primary booking tool embedded on my contact page and have had my own landing page. It integrates directly with Zoom, so when you book an appointment, it auto-creates the zoom link. I simply get an email with all the meeting details, and so does my client. You can create paid products, services, offers, you name it.
Recently, clients have come to me and we've used it in some unique ways:
1) Mike is a successful financial planner and needed a quick way to allow his clients to easily connect with him and set up Zoom meetings. We set up his page in a day, then set up Webinarjam to do a series of education webinars that had a call to action to book an appointment with him using his new page. We connected it all with Active Campaign and now the machine just works for him.
2) Steven used it to send out his booking link to his current customers to set up Zoom testimonial meetings and within a day, booked about twenty of them.
3) We set up my sister's goat farm to be able to people to pay to have Goats in Zoom meetings. Within 24 hours, we built the page, set up payment gateways, did a promo video, and forwarded the custom domain of ZoomGoats.com to the site. Started booking paid clients immediately.
4)My wife, Ursula, is a ballerina and because of the changes in the world decided to start teaching ballet online. We used Book Like a Boss to forward her domain of OnlineBalletTraining.com and start offering paid classes and class packages the next day. We used the group booking feature to create classes and everyone who registered got a zoom link and just had to show up. We connected it with Active Campaign to start building her list right away. This allowed us to fast track revenue to build her online membership site in Kajabi.
Book Like a Boss is my go-to, fast action tool from idea to cashflow in a day. Let's get creative.
Webinarjam & Everwebinar: Presentation software for live events, with marketing tools built in.
I've run a ton of webinars over the years, and have recently been doing some Zoom webinars. I've tried a number of software options, but always come back to Webinarjam. I just helped a client, a financial planner, set up his first webinar within a day and run a campaign to his Book Like a Boss page. Now, all he has to do is send traffic to the webinar registration page, deliver a great presentation, and the leads book right in his calendar with a video call.
You can get really creative with this and run a series of events, recurring presentations, paid events, you name it. The system integrates seamlessly with Active Campaign and has solid analytics built right in. It give you beautiful template options for registration pages, thank you pages, and has the email messaging built right in with done-for-you templates. CRazy easy.
Everwebinar is the next evolution for you. Once you nail a good presentation that converts well, you can turn it into an evergreen webinar that you just send traffic to and it runs on it's own. Very cool.
Zoom: The best video conferencing tool - I use every day
If you've been under a rock, you might not have heard of Zoom by now. I've been using it for years and it is essentially an extension of me by now. The world now is all much more comfortable on video, but there is power when you learn to master this software. I even had a staff of a client in Germany who came running up to me at an event and hugged me because they thought we knew each other. We didn't. They had watched my recorded zoom sessions with the rest of the team and felt such a strong connection through video across the world that they thought we had already hung out. Get good at your video connections and you can scale quickly.
I've been travelling the world from my home office for years, and have no need for pants.
Note: I have no affiliate links with zoom, but LVRG has a crazy good Zoom deal for enterprise plans with webinars at $30/mo. That's where I got MY plan.
OFFER: Service Professional Tech Stack Setup
Financial planners, sales professionals, insurance, or anyone who wants to automate client acquisition.
If you are trying to automate your customer process, like booking video calls, building your email list, marketing or presentations, and having it all work seamlessly, let's talk. I will show you exactly how to build your stack and make it so you don't even have to think about it. You simply send people to one place and they end up on your calendar with all the tools working in the background.
Save your time, money, and migraines. Let me show ya how.
My preferred set up:
- Book Like a Boss: Easy landing page for booking, embedding on your own site, creating custom products, and auto-creating zoom meetings (click the button below to see it in action)
- Zoom: Video calls (easiest for customer user experience)
- Active Campaign: List building, email marketing and automations
- Webinar Jam: Online presentations and lead gen
- Zapier: Software that integrates all the tools together seamlessly
- Salesforce: Or any other CRM you are already using...
ALL IN ONE COURSE, MEMBERSHIP, AND MARKETING PLATFORMS
Kajabi: An all-in one course, marketing, and membership platform
Kajabi is the number platform for course creators and for hosting a membership site. I made the mistake years ago trying to be too smart and build everything in wordpress for my SalesHeroAcademy site. Yes, it's great to have it all on your own platform where you control everything, but at what cost? I spent countless money, time, and energy trying to get my Optimizepress, Active Campaign, Memberpress, Affiliate Royale, and a crazy amount of plugins just to get it to work. By the time I got this all to work, I was too tired to create content and grow my membership.
With a tool like Kajabi, you spend a bit more money, but it's all in one place and you can simply focus on creation, which is the goal, right? Worried about the cost? Sign up for the free trial, build a short course or membership landing page and PRE-SELL people into it to take the money off the table. Get 10 founding members at $20/mo and you cover all your costs and get to work. Buy using my link, and I'll help you get up and running.
Kartra: All-in-one marketing & automation membership platform
I've tried both Kartra and Kajabi, and here's the scoop: they're both solid. Where Kajabi is really focused on building courses and structuring the user experience, Kartra is built by marketers to drive campaigns. You can actually use them together if you want. What I like about Kartra is that they have pre-built campaigns for a variety of business types that include the landing pages, automations, email templates, funnels, offers, etc. You could one-click set up your membership funnel, high ticket coaching funnel, or a number of others. Worth checking out the free trial. It's built by the same team that created Webinarjam, so it works really well together.
Kajabi also has beautiful 1-click pre-built campaigns and funnels that look amazing and they have been tested by very successful people like Brendron Burchard and others.
DropFunnels: A fully featured marketing system that is a great alternative to Clickfunnels
At $49/mo for their starter plan, this is a great option if you want to dive in and start building funnels, landing pages, use the CRM, take payments, build courses, membership, etc. The guys who built it are solid and are totally committed to their customers.
Definitely worth checking out.
VIDEO & GRAPHIC EDITING TOOLS
Camtasia: Video editing software that has loads of features, but is simple to use - no matter your skill level.
I've been using Camtasia for many years and it's always been the perfect tool for me to edit videos quickly and easily. I create them for my Youtube channel and all my video courses. It has a screen and webcam recording function built right in, so you can do tutorials easily. You can use it to record your powerpoints as presentations, you can add overlays, effects, animations, opening and ending bumpers, you name it. I've created some really cool animations that I can use as part of my library of templates I build, so that I can simply record a new video and put it in my own template. Others will tell you that you need to get much fancier tools, but Camtasia is a killer software that does what you need.
I also show newbies how to produce their first videos in a day and get their video game off and running. In a simple way. (I've got some tutorials on my channel that show you exactly how to use it).
Viddyoze: Graphics and animations to use alongside your graphics software
I love working in Camtasia and building my own custom animations, like lower thirds, intro bumpers, and overlays to make my videos POP! When I discovered Viddyoze, I was pumped because they have a ton of templates for a crazy good price, even at the starter pack level. I was able to play with some really fun animations, and get creative with some projects I was delaying. Also, I recommend this for new video editors as a way to add punch to their videos and not have to learn the hard way to do it. Create your intros and outros in Viddyoze, load them into Camtasia and you're all set. We built my wife's promo video in under an hour.
They also have a membership plan that would give you lots of options if you wanted to create more videos, even sell them as a service for clients...
Audio Jungle: Huge selection of licensed audio tracks to amp up your brand
Music can make or break your video or podcast. By just changing the audio, you instantly alter the feeling of what you create. I love the hip hop and rock collections they have and I always find something to use for my projects. I found the perfect one for my Sales Hero Podcast and Sales Hero Academy that creates a totally unified brand.
Tip: They give away fee stuff every month - just scroll down the page and you'll find the free ones. I've been doing it for five years and have a huge library.
Warning: when you first check out Audio Jungle, you will spent a ton of time exploring the insane amount of music to choose from.
Graphic River: Get your own design templates, especially powerpoint
I paid a designer $500 to design an ebook for me when I first started my business. When I discovered Graphic River, I found that I could grab some highly designed, pre-made powerpoint templates, edit them, export them as PDFs and build an unlimited amount of nicely branded assests. Quickly. Many of the powerpoints have animations as well, so I would do a screen record using Camtasia and create an animated promo video crazy fast. You can also get posters, logos, and a lot of other graphics. Great resource.
OFFER: Video Editing & Content Strategy
Coaches, personal trainers, small business owners, or anyone looking to build their company or personal brand
You know video is a huge opportunity for your business, but it seems overwhelming. Let me help you not only make a video marketing plan, but show you the basics (or advanced ways) to create videos for your brand. This is something I love to help you do. Hopefully, you will need the software I've recommended and clicked the appropriate affiliate links. If you're not sure what to use yet, we can go through that on our call.
My goal is to help you get up and running quickly, and I decided to focus more on affiliate revenue for software to help keep your coaching costs low. Normally, my coaching calls are between $500-$1000 per hour. This seems more fun for both of us.I have additional resources I will share with you as well, so you have everything you need to rock and roll, from videos, to templates, documents, and strategy guides. No excuses.
In 90 Minutes, you will have a clear game plan and off to the races!
My preferred set up:
- Camtasia: Excellent video editing software
- Viddyoze: Intro and outro videos, animations, and overlays made for you
SOFTWARE & TOOLS DEALS SITES
LVRG: Awesome deals from an awesome team with a great cause
I was introduced to these guys when they first launched using a Facebook group for entrepreneurial deals and discounts. Sylvania and Cam did a wonderful job engaging their community and seeking out some amazing software deals. I use them for both my Active Campaign and Zoom plans. You pay a yearly fee and they give you exclusive access to some amazing tools. And they continue to grow and engage their customers. Well worth it.
Plus they support the charity "Feed a Billion" and they donate 20% of their membership profits.
Appsumo: ALWAYS follow these guys. The lifetime deals they get are insane.
If you do ONE THING on this page, join Appsumo's list. It doesn't cost anything and they are constantly getting software deals, especially new ones where they get lifetime access. I have purchased so many from them for like $40 for life, not knowing if I'd even use the tool. But, if you do end up using it, then you have no monthly fees.
Some examples I've bought:
- Book Like a Boss: I got it when they launched in 2017 for life versus $30/mo now and it has been a core of my business. Now, I've purchased three other full plans for other projects because the system is deadly.
- Restream.io: Allows me to livestream to multiple places at once. I bought it before I even knew how to stream. I am now diving into it, and am not paying the $30/mo because of the lifetime plan.
- Depositphotos: When this deal is on, grab it! You get an account with access to tons of high quality stock images and vectors for about a fifth of the price.
Appsumo is always a fun adventure...and you can earn credits if you promote the stuff you purchase.
WEBSITE DESIGN TOOLS & SOFTWARE
Optimizepress: Drag and drop website builder, landing pages, and what I've used to build about ten sites with.
I've used Optimizepress for many years to set up all my sites and a number of client sites as well. It is super simple to use, is drag and drop, has tons of features, and allows you to be in total control of your site. It's a great option if you want to build your site the way you want it without paying an expensive monthly fee.
Studiopress: Solid set of WordPress themes using the Genesis framework
There are tons of options for WordPress themes, but I built most of my sites using Studiopress for many years. Simple to use, solid framework, and access to some pretty awesome themes. There is also great training inside your account to help you set up fast. They help you install the demo sites so you can start by editing something already pre-designed. It was helpful when I was a beginner for sure.
Theme Forest: A huge collection of custom themes and elements for your site
Theme forest has so many options, I would suggest you start by searching by "highest rated" to get started. If you have a specific vision for your brand, Theme Forest should have what you need. Do your research, read the reviews, ensure the sellers are reputable, and build your dream site. I've used this resource a ton.
BUSINESS SOFTWARE
Better Proposals: An awesome way to write...better proposals
One of the hardest things to do for many business owners, coaches, consultants, or humans...is write proposals. I met the founder, Adam, a few years ago and he showed me this system that is absolutely awesome. An online tool that creates beautiful proposals with templates, and a wicked user experience for customers. Integrates with your CRM and payment gateways, and makes you look very polished.
Proposal writing just got easier, and you're clients will love it.
Freshbooks: Invoicing and accounting made simple
As a consultant, I want to get paid easily and make it dead-simple for my customers to pay me. Invoicing is the name of the game, whether it is a one-off, or a recurring bill, no problemo. I can also have clients add their credit cards for automatic payments - beauty. The reporting is solid, it connects automatically to your bank and credit cards so you don't need to do a ton of expense management. I run workshops and can send invoices to easily pay by credit card, and everything just connects to my bank. Love it.
G Suite: Get your custom domain email address and many other apps
For your business, at the very least, you need your own email address like "name@yourcompany.com" and not "yourbusiness@gmail.com" which I see alot. GSuite not only makes that super simple to set up for $10/mo, but gives you access to a ton of apps, storage, and extra features. Hangouts, Calendar, cloud storage - I run my entire business on Google Drive.
Use my link below and get 20% your first year using these promo codes:
- G Suite Basic Plan PDFVVRPWAYJPEN3
- G Suite Business Plan 4DDUMAUJUFXCX7Q
Check out some of our Youtube content in our Software and Tools playlists that walk you through how set things up. How can I make this easier for you?
I am working on training videos for all the software listed above, so keep checking back. Let me know what topics you would like to see, comment on the videos, buy software though my links, and let's win this thing together. Boom!
C'mon, let's talk about your biz and make things happen! You know you wanna...Who else you gonna call?We can drink whiskey and solve problems.
Raffaela Rein Career FoundryJoe worked remotely with my team in Berlin and helped them grow sales by $1 million. They loved working with him and building processes together.
Diego Lugo Convert.comWe have had so much fun building our sales playbook and in the first few sessions we were able to double the number of people responding to us and booking calls.
Asmaa Methqal Maestra MarketingWhen I came from the corporate world, I needed help branding myself and my high ticket offer so my potential customers could see the value. This process was invaluable in landing my first big clients.
Emilio & Samantha KW Professional OrganizersWe were feeling overwhelmed and lacked direction on how to take our small business to the next level. Building a sales plan made our lives so much easier and was actually fun!
Kelly Darwin Seriously CreativeJoe helped us define who our perfect client was and how to find them and that is what we've been doing ever since, and it has worked. I highly recommend Joe Girard, I consider the sessions and the time we spent with him our “Secret to Success”.
Asmaa Methqal Maestra MarketingWhen I came from the corporate world, I needed help branding myself and my high ticket offer so my potential customers could see the value. This process was invaluable in landing my first big clients.
Kirk Stinchccombe, Co-Founder, EconicsJoe helped us develop a complete sales system from basically scratch, covering everything from the prospecting phase through to closure. We now have a completely standardized, multi-stage sales process in place that takes all the guesswork out of what to do next. Joe’s advice was instrumental in landing our first WaterWorth® sale in the Fall, and we are now up to 20 customers and counting across eight states. We’ve fully documented the process in a sales handbook, and are about to hire a Sales Development Representative. We really consider him a part of our team, and he has been critical in taking our business to the next level.
Codie McQuay, Owner, Human ArchitectureJoe has taught me how to develop a sales process for any market and not be tied to a script. He focuses on practical skills and easy to apply techniques by using lots of different methods, which makes it is easy to find the language and approach that works best for you. Joe sees each problem as an opportunity to refine a process or learn something new.
Since working with Joe I feel more confident and assertive, not just in sales but in all areas of my life. One of the most important things I have learnt from Joe was the ability to adapt and adjust in my sales process as things evolve.