SmallBizPod #93 – interview with Brad Burton of 4Networking

An outrageously entertaining interview with the inimitable Brad Burton of 4Networking on sales, networking, motivation and GOYA.

By Alex Bellinger
26th November 2009 at 3:23 pm

This week SmallBizPod #93, the small business podcast, features an interview with the energetic and extraordinary Brad Burton, founder of 4Networking on networking, sales, the loneliness of the small business owner and getting off your arse.

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Show Notes

Summary

Intro:

● Alex on what’s coming up in this week’s podcast and a big welcome to Uncle Spats.

Features:

●Thanks to XLN Telecom for sponsoring. As specialists in the small business telecoms and broadband market, they have some great deals for your business and focus on superb customer service too.

●Thanks too to Audible.co.uk for their sponsorship of SmallBizPod and don’t forget to download your free copy of All Marketers Are Liars by the legend that is Seth Godin using the offer for SmallBizPod readers and listeners to claim a free audio book.

Features:

● Interview with the tidal wave of energy and insight that is Brad Burton, founder and MD of 4Networking. Definitely one of the biggest entrepreneurial characters around in the UK at the moment. This interview first appeared on the SmallBizPod Sales edition hosted by the inimitable Uncle Spats, so please head over there and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes if you enjoy this one. Spats and Brad talk about the benefits of networking, sales and lead generation, overcoming the challenges of low and no sales and the loneliness of the first time small business owner and much more in an outrageously entertaining interview.

● Don’t forget to let us have your feedback on what topics you’d like to see covered in the SmallBizPod Sales podcast. If you have five minutes, please let us know in this quick survey on sales.

●Music Ana Popovic
“Get Back Home to You”
from “Blind for Love”
(Eclecto Groove Records)

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  1. I liked Brad’s metaphor for being a small business owner true in every sense (although maybe crude to some) its one of the best I have heard.

  2. I agree Damian. Lots of food for thought and great quotes from Brad in the interview. I particularly enjoyed:

    “It’s great being a small business owner – you can choose which 18 hours a day you work”.

  3. Lee Stevens says:

    What a great interview!

    After being in the “box room” situation myself, (no sales and hiding from the wife!) I had to go and get a job but kept Aardvark going, knowing that I will be able to return.

    I also really like how he has described all the other business networking groups that fail to actually help small businesses.

    Listening to Brad and also Duane Jackson the other week has really inspired me to get back on track with Aardvark and I shall certainly be joinging 4Networking.!

  4. Ed Stivala says:

    SmallBizPod normally sets a really high standard with high quality guests, interesting insights and valuable content. But I have to say that I was hugely disappointed and irritated by edition #93.
    In fact if this had been my first encounter with the podcast I would certainly have filed it under “waste of time” and then unsubscribed.
    IMO far from providing food for thought, I felt this gentleman put forward some very questionable advice and a thinly disguised sales pitch for yet another networking group.
    I’m sure that the normal high quality of this otherwise brilliant podcast will return in the next edition.

  5. Hi Ed, sorry to hear you didn’t like the interview.

    I know lots of people enjoyed it greatly, but suspect Brad’s a bit like marmite!

  6. Ed Stivala says:

    I agree he probably is…
    But I shall refrain from drawing analogies between Marmite / content being spread very thinly 😉

  7. Brad Burton says:

    Ed you state that i offer questionable advice. What in particular do you find questionable? Brad

  8. Glenn Harris says:

    Brad is right, people need other people around them.

    However it is not always to be doing business with, it could just be to socialise within a business context. Sharing advice/ideas.

    To Ed, I listened to the same podcast as you and I got food for thought and understand exactly where Brad is coming from. You would have to be really closed minded to think that anyone who does these podcasts are not disguising any sales pitch for what they do. That is the whole point of people doing these in the first place, in your business I would have thought that would be more than expected?

  9. Dave Breese says:

    I agree with Glenn’s comments that almost every interview on the majority of podcasts are basically a pitch for a website or a book.

    I thoroughly enjoyed Brads interview… he’s obviously followed his PR manual by mentioning the fastest growing networking business etc. about 3 or 4 times during the interview… that’s what the so called Pro’s tell you to do.

    I will hopefully be attending either the Birmingham or Manchester Thrive Event… Is there a chance that Brad may be a panelist at either of these events?

    Cheers 🙂

  10. Brad’s currently scheduled to be on the panel at our Bristol event. More details on speakers for Thrive coming very soon.

  11. Brad Burton says:

    Alex.. bring it on baby, i’d love to get involved with what you guys are doing up and down the UK.

    Glenn, Dave thanks for the kinds words.. In danger of being edited check out the 50+ reviews for my book here>> http://www.getoffyourarse.biz/reviews/

    Ed it appears you are in the minority.

  12. Paul says:

    I listened to the podcast and wanted to know which bit was questionable (please see Eds comment) and then I saw that Brad had asked the same thing!

    I liked it Brad, hope to meet up with you soon.

  13. Mark Cooper says:

    Ed Stivala proves business pomposity and cufflinks are alive and well.

    GOYA is, quite frankly, essential reading for anyone setting up an owner-managed business, or still puzzling over what ‘Networking’ is all about.

    The real-world, no BS pearls of wisdom just keep on coming, delivered with empathy, genuine warmth and an honesty that would grace any business.

    It is the most refreshing business book I have ever read. Simple as that.

    I have no axe to grind, no vested interest, just admiration for a man of our times; someone who ‘gets it’.

    Mark

  14. Ed is no cufflinker. Everybody is entitled to their opinion. Strong characters prompt strong reactions.

    That’s one of the reasons Brad is successful and one of the reasons Ed is successful.

    Business is personal.

    Meanwhile, keep the comments and controversy coming, it’s doing SmallBizPod’s pageviews a world of good 😉

  15. Uncle Spats says:

    It’s great to see so many comments = thank you to you all for taking the time.

    I would just like to say that I really enjoyed interviewing Brad – it was a lot of fun and I thought the advice was spot on for many small business owners, although I absolutely respect Ed’s points too

    I hope we can stir up just as good response with the next podcast – an interview with Professor Neil Rackham, creator of the SPIN Selling methodology.

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