SEO Podcast: The Unknown Secrets of Internet Marketing
Episode: Maximize AI Adoption and Upskilling with Proven AI Training with John Munsell
Release Date: March 10, 2025
Host: Matt Bertram
Guest: John Munsell, Founder of Ingrain AI
Introduction
In this enlightening episode of the SEO Podcast: The Unknown Secrets of Internet Marketing, host Matt Bertram engages in a deep dive conversation with AI expert John Munsell from Ingrain AI. The discussion centers around the strategic adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within businesses, emphasizing the importance of upskilling and fostering an AI-first culture to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
AI Adoption in Marketing and SEO
Matt Bertram opens the conversation by highlighting the critical role AI plays in modern marketing strategies. He underscores the urgency for businesses to integrate AI to either gain market share or risk being left behind:
“Based upon what y'all have said, we've, we are going to make some more changes... we are going to make some more changes. So just be looking out for that... I'm bringing in all kinds of movers and shakers and the experts in the industry.”
[00:16]
John Munsell shares his extensive experience in digital marketing and the transformative impact AI has on SEO:
“SEO is really starting to get serious... And I think we're going to start rolling out AI initiatives that are going to impact the bottom line.”
[02:07]
The Crawl, Walk, Run Approach to AI Integration
John introduces a structured methodology for AI adoption, likening it to the natural progression of learning to crawl, walk, and then run:
“You got to crawl, walk, run... a lot of people are still, they haven't even addressed the crawl stage.”
[05:41]
Crawl Stage: Focuses on mastering AI prompting techniques to ensure quality outputs.
“They just ask AI to write them a blog post and they get something that sounds like AI... you need to back down and figure out how do you actually prompt the AI.”
[05:08]
Walk Stage: Involves building custom AI models (like custom GPTs) tailored to specific business needs, such as generating blog posts or social media content.
“Once you've got it to build the blog post, you can also have it write LinkedIn posts and other social media posts based on your blog post.”
[07:05]
Run Stage: Entails integrating multiple AI agents to create a seamless workflow, automating complex tasks like content optimization and publication.
“And then you can start linking all this stuff together and then even chat.GBT just came out for 200 bucks a month... this is moving really, really fast.”
[09:55]
Building Custom GPTs for Business Processes
John elaborates on creating specialized GPTs that understand and execute specific business functions, ensuring high-quality and personalized outputs:
“By creating the GPT the right way, it does it in sections. So you don't want it to try to write it in one fell swoop, you want it to write it first, create an outline and then create the sections.”
[07:05]
He emphasizes the importance of integrating proprietary data to enhance AI performance and maintain competitive advantage.
“Cloning your knowledge into the AI and that's where you really are going to crush it. Because when AI can recall your ideas faster than you can, you're dominating.”
[61:48]
AI in Sales and Customer Engagement
The conversation shifts to the application of AI in sales, where John shares innovative strategies to enhance sales processes:
“Every day you're supposed to call today and you got a solid briefing on them before you make any dial. And it tells you exactly what pains, problems and frustrations they may have that you can solve. That's Powerful.”
[34:39]
John discusses how AI can analyze sales calls, generate customized proposals, and even simulate prospect personas to preemptively address objections:
“We have the GPT assume that personality and read our proposal. And then we have it come up with the objections that the Persona would come up with and the questions it had.”
[31:24]
Establishing an AI-First Culture
A significant portion of the discussion revolves around cultivating an AI-first culture within organizations. John outlines the necessity of leadership buy-in and structured training to ensure successful AI integration:
“We try to just go, okay, look, I'm not going to teach you the history of LLMs... What I am going to teach you to do is use AI tonight and do something.”
[42:11]
He highlights the role of executive training in setting the foundation for widespread AI adoption across various departments:
“Once you have AI oversight in the right hands with the right mindset, now I can get all the people on board and they're actually excited when they go, oh, this is going to make my job easier.”
[50:14]
Case Studies and Examples
John shares compelling case studies demonstrating the tangible benefits of AI adoption. One notable example involves a chemical engineer who leveraged AI to streamline patent applications, significantly reducing costs and time:
“He terminated a $15,000 a year software application, and instead of spending three to five thousand dollars per patent in legal fees, he's paying now about 800 to a thousand dollars in legal fees.”
[46:48]
Another example showcases AI-driven sales proposals that dynamically address prospect objections, enhancing the likelihood of closing deals.
Challenges in AI Adoption
The conversation also delves into the common hurdles businesses face when integrating AI, such as lack of executive support and insufficient AI governance:
“The biggest challenge I've seen... doesn't come from lack of tools, but lack of buy-in from the top.”
[40:44]
John advises that successful AI integration requires a strategic approach, emphasizing governance frameworks that enable innovation without compromising security.
“We want to create AI governance that has some rules, but a lot of guidelines and we want to have oversight that's not handcuffing but empowering.”
[50:14]
Key Takeaways
- Structured AI Integration: Adopt a crawl, walk, run methodology to systematically incorporate AI into business processes.
- Customized AI Solutions: Develop specialized GPTs tailored to specific business functions for optimized performance.
- Leadership and Governance: Secure executive buy-in and establish robust AI governance to facilitate seamless AI adoption.
- Enhanced Sales Processes: Utilize AI to personalize sales engagements, anticipate objections, and generate customized proposals.
- AI-First Culture: Foster an organizational mindset that prioritizes AI in decision-making and daily operations.
Notable Quotes
-
Matt Bertram:
“SEO is the language of AI in a lot of ways... you're just trying to better communicate with the large language model and it creates a feedback loop.”
_[02:07]_ -
John Munsell:
“The key is knowing what problem you solve and being able to articulate it as a problem. And when you know how to articulate the problem in your prospect's mind that you solve that unlocks your marketing.”
_[60:02]_ -
John Munsell:
“An AI First Company is where every employee is thinking, how do I get AI to help me do this faster?... you have to have the right person overseeing it.”
_[26:58]_ -
Matt Bertram:
“The AI is only good as good as the operator and the knowledge in the operator's head on how to get to the right answer.”
_[61:33]_
Conclusion
This episode offers invaluable insights into the strategic adoption of AI within businesses, emphasizing the need for structured integration, leadership buy-in, and the cultivation of an AI-first culture. John Munsell's expertise provides listeners with actionable strategies to harness AI's full potential, driving growth and maintaining a competitive edge in the digital marketplace.
For those eager to delve deeper into AI integration strategies, John Munsell recommends accessing his AI Strategy Canvas and joining the Ingrain AI community for comprehensive training and support.
Connect with John Munsell:
- Website: ingrainai.com
- LinkedIn: John Munsell
- Corporate Training: BazookaBiz.com
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