The One Thing Business Podcast

[PODCAST] On Selling - Pete Primeau

Pete Primeau is a seasoned leader in the furniture and mattress industry, bringing over 44 years of hands-on experience, innovation, and insight to his work. Throughout his career, he has built a reputation for deep industry knowledge, strategic thinking, and a commitment to helping businesses grow and adapt in a changing marketplace. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Pete is the author of two books, where he shares practical expertise and perspectives drawn from decades in the field. He also hosts The Pete Primeau Show, a weekly live podcast that features industry discussions, trends, and interviews, further solidifying his role as a trusted voice and thought leader in the home furnishings space.

The Secret to Higher Conversions: Why Trust Beats Price in Every Business - Part 2

This episode picks up where Episode 1 left off, shifting from the psychology of trust and conversion into the practical application of podcasting as a strategic business tool. My guest Tom Runfola and I explore how a podcast, when done right, is not just content, but a positioning mechanism that educates prospects, builds trust, and sets the stage for the sales process before a conversation ever takes place. We introduce the concept of the “Deep Dive Podcast,” a long-form, strategically engineered asset designed to showcase a business owner’s thinking, philosophy, and expertise in a way that separates them from competitors who rely on surface-level marketing . Tom explains that the power of a Deep Dive lies in its combination of AI technology and human-driven marketing strategy. While AI can assemble content, it is the research, experience, and strategic insight behind it that creates true authority. The episode emphasizes that prospects don’t buy based solely on features or credentials, they buy based on trust. By using a third-party, interview-style format, the Deep Dive lowers resistance and increases credibility, allowing prospects to be confident in their decision before ever engaging directly with the business . We also highlight how this type of podcast becomes a long-term marketing asset rather than a one-time piece of content. It can be used across multiple platforms, from pre-call qualification and sales presentations to lead generation, follow-up, and client onboarding. Tom further explains that if he and MJ had this tool while running their childcare centers, it would have elevated their positioning, increased conversion rates, filtered out non-prospects, and ultimately increased the overall value of the business. The key takeaway: a well-researched, developed, and executed Deep Dive doesn’t just attract attention, it manufactures authority and transforms how a business competes in its market.

The Secret to Higher Conversions: Why Trust Beats Price in Every Business - guest Tom Runfola (Episode 1)

In this episode of the One Thing Business Podcast, I open by addressing what many people are calling an “affordability crisis,” challenging small business owners to look beyond media narratives and instead adopt the mindset of leaders who rely on data, proof, and clear thinking. He explains that we are now operating in what he calls a “proof economy,” where customers demand reassurance, testimonials, case studies, and clear processes before making decisions. This shift sets the stage for a discussion about the growing role of podcasting as a business tool, not simply as entertainment, but as a powerful form of relationship marketing that educates prospects and builds trust before the sales conversation ever begins  Joining me is serial entrepreneur Tom Runfola, who shares insights from more than four decades of building and selling businesses across multiple industries, including early childhood education. Tom recounts how he and his wife MJ built and successfully exited a multi-location childcare company by positioning themselves not as the biggest or the cheapest option, but as the trusted authority in their category. Their success, he explains, came from understanding that business growth is not about having the best product alone,  it’s about controlling perception, building trust, and eliminating doubt before prospects ever reach the point of making a decision  The conversation then dives into the psychology behind customer decisions, using the childcare industry as a case study. Tom explains that parents make decisions emotionally first and logically second, and that the real challenge is not generating demand but dissolving uncertainty. By engineering a structured “tour” process that addressed parents’ fears before they were even expressed, Tom and MJ were able to dramatically outperform competitors with conversion rates as high as 80 percent. The lessons extend far beyond childcare: every business, regardless of industry, must understand the emotional drivers of its customers and design its sales process to move prospects from uncertainty to confidence.

Phone Skills Revealed - Heather Nottingham

If there’s one indispensable tool and skill in business, it’s mastering the telephone. The more a business tries to shy away from leveraging both inbound and outbound phone calls, the more it diminishes its chances of success. No matter how much technology evolves, personal connection and genuine customer service remain irreplaceable. The phone serves as the lifeline of success for any business. Even as communication technology advances and mass communication channels multiply, the one-on-one phone call between a prospect and a salesperson remains the gold standard for effective selling.  Heather Nottingham is the Co-Founder and VP of Training for All-Star Dental Academy, a top online coaching, and training company for dental practices.  Before dentistry, she was a former retail sales trainer and manager for retail giants such as Bloomingdale’s and Kate Spade.  She then became a top dental new patient coordinator and took her practice from $1 million to $2.4 million in less than 18 months. Heather has over 24 years’ worth of customer service, training, and phone experience. She designed the All-Star Phone Success Course, Customer Service Course, as well as the GREAT Call® Process, a trademarked process of handling phone call intake using a service-based approach to convert callers to appointments.

Pete Lillo - Multiple Streams of Income

Pete Lillo, widely known as “Pete the Printer,” is a veteran of the direct response marketing world with decades of hands-on experience helping entrepreneurs, marketers, and business owners turn ideas into high-converting printed promotions. His nickname comes not just from his trade, but from his deep understanding of how print fits into the greater marketing strategy, a skill originally honed as an insurance agent selling policies for Prudential straight out of his service in the U.S. Navy. In his career, Pete worked closely with and printed campaigns for Gary Halbert, one of the most influential copywriters in direct marketing history, gaining rare insight into what makes a promotion not just good, but wildly profitable. He’s a longtime business partner and friend with Dan Kennedy, printing and helping bring to life some of Kennedy’s most impactful programs.  Originally in the printing business, his client roster included work on campaigns with Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, helping shape print communication that maintained the personal, hometown feel the brand was known for, even on a national scale. Long since owning and running a print shop, Pete Lillo has become a connector, a behind-the-scenes strategist, and a trusted ally to the biggest names in marketing. His stories, experiences, and insights into what makes direct mail and printed marketing succeed are unmatched, and he continues to be a valuable resource to the next generation of response-driven marketers.