Digital-First Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

Nancy Harhut is one of my favorite people to talk to. She wrote Using Behavioral Science in Marketing, a book my wife reads on vacation and my daughter was reading on maternity leave. When I tell you this woman's work validates everything I've been teaching about how people make decisions online, I mean it.

In this conversation, we got into some territory I don't usually cover on the show. Nancy explained why behavioral science isn't manipulation — it's motivation. That distinction matters, especially when you're a salesperson trying to figure out why your connection requests get ignored 98% of the time.

She shared a technique I love. Instead of asking someone, "Can we connect?" try "Would you be willing to connect?" That tiny shift changes the question from preference to character. People don't just accept — they respond with "Of course, absolutely" because now they're making a statement about who they are.

We also talked about what happens when buyers put their decision-making on autopilot and then hand that autopilot over to AI. Nancy called it becoming "the great disintermediary." If an AI summary is doing the first pass on whether you get noticed, your content better answer the exact questions your audience is asking. Depth beats frequency every time.

I couldn't help myself — I walked Nancy through how LinkedIn's algorithm now reads your About section, your work history, your comments, and your posting behavior before deciding who sees your content. I even read her own About section back to her, and she laughed because it sounded like a resume. We've all been there.

If you want to understand why people say yes, why they ignore you, and what to do about it in a world where AI is standing between you and your customer, this is the episode.

Nancy Harhut — hbtmktg.com — find her on LinkedIn. Everything she posts is worth saving.

Career bets shouldn’t hinge on hopeful demos. We sit down with enterprise sales veteran Leon Treffler to examine why the traditional software deal stacks the deck in favor of the seller, leaving buyers to absorb the delivery risk, the politics, and the career fallout. From RFP theater to pocket vetoes, Leon breaks down the quiet mechanics that turn a straightforward purchase into a political campaign—and why so many projects slip, overrun, or stall completely.

We dig into the missing half of the “win-win”: how the seller gets a commission while the buying committee gets only their regular paycheck, plus the reputational risk of a failed implementation. Leon argues for flipping the script with a blueprint-first model that delivers certainty of outcome and ties the statement of work directly to that blueprint, creating certainty of cost and higher odds of success. We talk about how AI can model processes, validate requirements, and expose risks before contract signature, giving stakeholders real evidence rather than slideware and giving champions the artifacts they need to overcome skepticism.

Along the way, we map the frozen middle and the internal competitor—those quiet forces that slow change to protect territory. Leon shares practical ways to read the political base behind the org chart, build coalitions, and give buyers a visible stage to claim their win through measurable results and public case stories. The payoff is more than a smoother implementation; it’s a fair value exchange where buyers gain career momentum and organizations gain reliable outcomes.

If you care about enterprise software that actually lands value, this conversation offers a clearer path: replace promises with proof and turn risky bets into predictable wins. If the ideas resonate, follow the show, share with a colleague who signs big checks, and leave a quick review to tell us what shifted your thinking.

In this episode of Digital-First Leadership, Richard’s guest is Jeff Tarran, the COO of Gunderson Direct, one of the US's largest independent direct mail agencies. For over 25 years, he's helped businesses of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, start and grow successful mail programs. Today's discussion with a co-author of The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever emphasizes crafting compelling offers and calls to action and optimizing landing environments for customer research. They also explore the unique advantages of direct mail, such as its engagement of eye-hand coordination and its ability to complement digital media to make products feel more real. Tune in to this episode of Digital-First Leadership to hear Jeff Tarran's expert insights on the power of personalized direct mail.

Jeff wrote chapter 21 of The Best Marketing Book Ever, called Building Your Business With Direct Mail

Host: Richard Bliss
Guest: Jeff Tarran

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Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

On this episode of Digital-First Leadership, host Richard Bliss welcomes award-winning Corporate Communications and Marketing Innovator, Dan Nestle. Dan emphasizes the importance of companies becoming a publisher and being able to tell their own stories, as traditional PR methods of getting media coverage are becoming less effective and costly. By focusing on publishing their own stories through owned media channels, companies can gain more validity and attract interest from others. Dan and Richard have known each other for a while and recently met in person while working together on a book called "The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever." Dan leads communications for a Japanese manufacturing and retail company in North America and hosts a biweekly podcast called "The Dan Nestle Show." Tune in to this episode of Digital-First Leadership to learn more about the power of becoming a publisher, crisis management, fostering trust, and the intersection of technology and communication.

Dan wrote chapter 26 of The Best Marketing Book Ever called Strategic Communications: Trust Can Be Your Competitive Advantage

Host: Richard Bliss

Guest: Dan Nestle

The Dan Nestle Show Podcast is available here, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

In this episode, Richard is joined by Giuseppe Fratoni & Al Boyle, who co-authored a chapter in The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever in collaboration with Richard and other experts in marketing. Giuseppe and Al wrote Chapter 13: Create a Powerful Marketing Message to Grab Your Ideal Client's Attention. Their chapter covers the differences and similarities between copywriting and messaging with actionable steps to improve your marketing. Listen in as Richard, Giuseppe, and Al discuss key messaging factors, like the importance of pointing out your customer's pain points, crafting your messaging to tell your customer exactly how you solve their problem,  and using language your customer understands.

Host: Richard Bliss
Guests: Giuseppe Fratoni & Al Boyle

Purchase The Most Amazing Marketing Book Ever

Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

In this episode, Richard Bliss is joined by Patricia Fripp. Patricia, the author of “Deliver Unforgettable Presentations,” specializes in turning brilliant executives, engineers, and experts in all fields into corporate rock stars.

As Patricia says in the interview, “The most important part is building your confidence that you are a charismatic speaker. You cannot expect to be good at any skill that you haven't focused attention on. And if anybody says, "I'm not a good speaker," I say, No, that isn't true. You are an untrained speaker. We are all untrained until we learn what we have to know. Don't focus on what you can't do. Focus on the magnificent speaker we are uncovering.”

Host: Richard Bliss  at https://blisspointconsult.com

Guest: Patricia Fripp at Fripp.com

Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

In this episode of Digital-First Leadership, Keith Gilbert joins Richard. Keith is a specialist in sales enablement. One of the things that leaders find challenging today, particularly in this selling environment, is how to teach their team to find their customers, engage with them, and talk to them.

There are three key elements for companies to build a comprehensive sales enablement program, and Richard and Keith deep dive into each of these three areas: build trust and credibility with the sales and marketing teams you’re training and coaching, reinforce the training, and set up ongoing coaching for the sales teams.

Catch this episode today to improve the overall performance of your sales teams, increase win rates, and achieve higher quota attainment.

Host: Richard Bliss

Guest: Keith Gilbert

Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

If you want to find a platform to share your message with the world, look no further than Podcast Hawk, co-founded by the dynamic Stewart Townsend, who joins me today on Digital First Leadership. While LinkedIn is an excellent platform for sharing your ideas, nothing beats having a genuine conversation with your audience, and that's exactly what a podcast offers. Whether you're a solopreneur, an author, a public speaker, or an executive, getting your message in front of the right people can be daunting. Fortunately, PodcastHawk.com has you covered. Their SaaS service promotes you as a guest on hundreds of podcasts without the hassle of doing it all yourself. With a simple subscription fee, you'll have access to around 2.5 million active podcasts and a captive audience eager to hear what you have to say. Tune in and discover the secrets to becoming an exceptional podcast guest.

Host: Richard Bliss

Guest: Stewart Townsend

Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

In this episode, Richard Bliss and Richard van der Blom announce a soon-to-be-released book they are co-authoring. It will be packed with immediately useable strategies to use LinkedIn effectively. LinkedIn is not just a platform for finding jobs. There is so much untapped potential on LinkedIn for social selling, finding and connecting with prospects, finding buyers, as well as finding hires. This book will go beyond the LinkedIn algorithm and have all the information that both Richards teach and train large corporations -- all in one place.

Host: Richard Bliss
Guest: Richard van der Blom
Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

Susanne Tedrick is my guest in this episode of Digital First Leadership. She advocates for women of color entering the tech industry and helps make the transition less intimidating. Susanne is the author of Women of Color in Tech and will soon publish another book, Innovating for Diversity, in April 2023.

Richard and Susanne discuss how women of color can prepare for these careers and discuss some of the challenges they tend to face, like bias,  mental health, and imposter syndrome. If you are considering a career in tech, know that tech is one of a few fields that you can break into without having a traditional degree or from an expensive school.

Host: Richard Bliss
Guest: Susanne Tedrick
Podcast Manager: Kimberly Smith

Follow Richard Bliss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bliss/
Find Susanne Tedrick on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susannetedrick/