Expert In Demand Podcast With Dean Seddon

My first business failed because I never decided who I was selling to. I tried different offers, different tactics, different marketing. None of it worked. I ran out of clients, ran out of money and moved back in with my parents. When I built my second business around one specific customer, Christian organisations needing print, I sold it. When I applied the same thinking to Maverrik, I scaled it to $2 million. In this episode I walk you through: How to choose your best fit customer using your past clients and experience How to validate they actually have the problem you solve using Reddit and Answer the Public How to find them online in enough volume to build a real pipeline If your marketing isn't working, it usually traces back to this one thing. This episode shows you how to sort it out.

Everyone is telling you AI will transform your business. 95% of AI projects deliver no value. The outreach it generates is spotted a mile away. And the tools you're paying for are losing money just to keep you subscribed. In this episode I give you my honest take on AI after testing tools, watching the hype, and deciding where I'm actually placing my bets. You'll hear: Why AI is the average of the internet and what that means for you The outreach patterns that are killing people's reputations right now Why the AI business model is broken and what happens next The two types of people AI will sort out, and which one you want to be Where the real opportunity sits as AI adoption grows This is not an anti-AI rant. I use it every day. But if you're making business decisions based on what you see in the feed, you need to hear this first.

I published a book in 2024 with Wiley. It got into Waterstones and Barnes and Noble. It didn't become a bestseller. My book: https://amzn.eu/d/09IOKbLt Here's what I got wrong, and what you need to know before you create a book, course, or any low-ticket product you're planning to sell. In this episode I cover: Why the cover, title, and back description do more selling than you think The cold audience problem most authors never consider Why organic social will not save a low-ticket product launch When to sell a book and when to give it away free The one strategy that makes a short book work harder than a full one If you're thinking about writing a book, launching a course, or selling anything at volume, this episode will save you a serious amount of time, money, and frustration.

If your pipeline is empty and you don't know where to start, this episode gives you three things you can do this week to change that. Most business owners live on referrals until they dry up. Then they panic. Set massive outbound targets. Hate every minute of it. Get nothing back. Quit within a fortnight. Paul Owen knows this pattern well. He was broke at 32. Earning £8k a year doing data entry. £30k in credit card debt. Sleeping on a mate's bedroom floor. Three years after getting his first sales job, he was debt free and building the business he runs today, training sales teams across the world. In this episode, Paul shares the three things he tells every business owner who needs to fill their pipeline now. Why the first step has nothing to do with picking up the phone. The weekly number that makes outbound feel doable instead of draining. And why most people never build the one thing that takes someone from "sounds interesting" to "here's my money."

I was crippled by content creation for years. Staring at blank pages. Searching for something original that nobody had ever said before. It nearly stopped me putting anything out there at all. Then I cracked it. Three frameworks that give me hundreds of ideas from a handful of topics. In this episode I'm sharing my APE framework, the TASTE formula, and how I split content into attract, nurture and convert so every post has a purpose. The same system I use with my clients at Salesforce, Microsoft and Citibank. You'll never stare at a blank page again. Hit play.

Response rates on cold outreach have dropped to 0.02%. Sales teams are sending 70% more messages than ever. And results are getting worse, not better. In this episode, I break down why the "more volume" approach to sales outreach has hit a wall, and share what's filling pipeline right now instead. You'll hear: Why your prospects spot automated outreach instantly, even when it mentions their name, company and latest LinkedIn post The real numbers: how 5 ultra human outreaches are outperforming thousands of automated messages How one of my clients hit a 30% response rate by going one to one Why salespeople who rely on automation are putting their careers at risk The simple maths behind booking 3 meetings a day in 90 minutes What driverless taxis in Phoenix taught me about the future of sales roles If you're a salesperson, sales leader or business owner who feels like outreach is getting harder, this episode explains why and gives you the fix.

Most LinkedIn creators think more followers and more engagement equals more money. It doesn't. In this episode I walk through the full maths behind my $1M year on LinkedIn, including my offer stack, the four client paths I run every week, and why I only need 20 clients and 60 meetings to hit my number.

I sat down with Kris Ward who went from working 16 hour days to six, and built a business that runs without her. She was pulled away from her business for two years to care for her husband during his cancer journey. When she returned, her clients had no idea she'd been gone. That's when she realised what she'd built was different. One of her clients quadrupled her income while cutting her hours after her cortisol levels had got so high she needed medication. Within a year, that same client took a month off in Costa Rica with no WiFi and her VA ran the business without her. In this episode, you'll learn why your to-do list is draining you even when you're not working. Why writing instructions for your VA gets you lost and what to do instead. The hidden problems with VA agencies that nobody tells you about. Why are you doing 10 dollar tasks when you should be doing 1000 dollar work. And the simple screen recording method that works better than any 52 page manual. If you've ever thought it's quicker to just do it myself, this conversation will change how you think about getting help.

Discover why most LinkedIn marketing and B2B sales outreach fails - and how to fix it. In this episode, we break down the #1 mistake consultants, coaches, and B2B professionals make: talking about root causes instead of observable problems their buyers actually see. Learn why expertise can hurt your marketing, how to craft messaging that resonates, why going niche beats staying broad, and the difference between treating symptoms vs. solving problems in your sales approach. We discuss why experts overthink their messaging to death, the vital difference between observable problems and root causes (the "burnout vs. overworked" example that transformed my coaching), and why 22-year-olds with basic knowledge often outmarket 20-year veterans.

In this episode, I sit down with Steve Radford to unpack what selling actually looks like in the real world - especially when you’re early in your sales career, hate cold calling, or feel uncomfortable “being salesy”. Steve has spent years building sales apprenticeships and training teams, and this conversation goes deep into the mindset shifts that make selling feel more human and far more effective. We talk honestly about why so many people fear contacting prospects, why discovery calls feel overwhelming, and how sales models can sometimes get in the way of genuine conversations. Steve explains why sales isn’t about persuasion or pressure, but about helping people make informed decisions - and how reframing selling this way changes everything from cold outreach to closing deals. We also explore conversational selling in practice: how to prepare without over-preparing, how to know when you’ve uncovered the real problem (not just the surface one), and why talking too early about your solution is one of the most common mistakes - even for experienced salespeople. Steve shares practical ways to simplify questioning, stay present in conversations, and build trust without trying to “perform”. Beyond technique, we get into how AI is reshaping sales roles, why bad SDRs are at risk, and what actually makes a salesperson valuable in a world full of automation. We finish by discussing why sales is becoming more complex - not less - and why human judgement, curiosity, and empathy are the skills that will future-proof your career. If you’re in sales, running a business, or simply trying to get more comfortable selling yourself and your ideas, this episode will change how you think about selling.

In this episode, I sit down with James to talk about the realities of running a small business when margins are tight and costs keep creeping up. If you’re a business owner or solopreneur, this conversation is all about protecting your profitability without feeling like you’re constantly firefighting. We dig into where profits are often lost without anyone really noticing — things like insurance, mobile contracts, waste, subscriptions, and supplier price increases that start to feel “normal” in an inflationary market. James explains why many of us have become numb to rising costs, and why that mindset can seriously damage the bottom line. One of the key points we explore is that just because prices are going up everywhere, it doesn’t mean you should stop challenging them. We also talk about why the businesses that save the most money aren’t usually the ones in trouble. They’re the calm, well-run companies that regularly review their costs and look for small, meaningful improvements before problems appear. James shares how specialist benchmarking and expert insight can quickly show whether you’re paying a fair price or overpaying without realising it. Beyond costs, we get into the mindset shift from employee to business owner — especially the uncomfortable move into sales and putting yourself out there. I share my own experience with LinkedIn, webinars, and content, and how focusing on being genuinely useful, rather than salesy, changed everything. We wrap up with an honest discussion about AI, what it can realistically help with today, and why human judgement still matters more than ever.

I’ve always said that increased competition is basically a tax you pay for not being unique enough. If you feel like you’re constantly shouting into a void or defending your prices to people who don't "get" your value, it’s time to stop playing the mass-market game. In this episode, I’m sharing my framework for building a Micro-Monopoly. This isn’t about being the next Amazon; it’s about becoming a "Category of One" in your own corner of the market. I’m breaking down why the "bigger is better" mindset is a trap that kills margins, and how shrinking your target audience can actually be the fastest way to grow your revenue. What I’m diving into today: My "Big Fish, Small Pond" Strategy: Why I’d rather own a market of 2,000 people than get lost in a market of 2 million. The Competition Tax: How to stop paying it by embracing your "uncopyable" uniqueness. The Ultra-Human Moat: My take on why being high-touch and specialized is your best defence against the AI revolution. The Rolex Lesson: Why I use pricing as a filter to attract the right clients and protect my time. If you’re a coach, consultant, or small business owner tired of being treated like a commodity, this episode is your roadmap to standing alone and charging what you're worth.

How do you grow an online coaching business when referrals run out? In this video, Dean explains how to grow an online coaching business from scratch using clear, practical steps. No funnels, no ads, no hype. You will learn: How to grow an online coaching business by picking one clear problem Why most coaches struggle to stand out online How to build an offer people actually understand and buy How to find the right audience (and where to find them) How to create a message that feels like it is “talking to me” A simple system to get leads, calls, and clients consistently This video is for coaches who want to grow an online coaching business without over-complicated marketing, paid ads, or pretending to be someone they are not. If you are asking how to grow an online coaching business sustainably, this video gives you the foundations that actually matter.

We’re in a trust recession. Buyers aren’t cynical, but they are cautious. Big promises feel cheap. Engagement can be faked. Testimonials can be bought. Even five-star reviews raise suspicion. So how do you win clients when people don’t trust what they see anymore? In this episode, I break down what’s really killing trust online - and what actually rebuilds it in 2025 and beyond. We talk about why confidence no longer converts, why “just book a call” repels the right buyers, and how consistency, relevance, and restraint now matter more than persuasion. You’ll learn: Why trust is no longer created in a single post or conversation How to build credibility without over-explaining or sounding desperate The 11-touchpoint reality every expert must understand Why being specific beats being broad every single time How small “breadcrumbs” outperform big claims Why trying to convince people quietly destroys trust If you sell your experience, expertise, or know-how - and you’re tired of competing with people who look louder but aren’t better - this episode will change how you show up.