Dr. Bill Lampton on Communication and the Leap from Academia (The Price and Value Journey, Episode 151)
For expert-service pros, communication is not polish; it is how work gets won. In this conversation, Dr. Bill Lampton, “The Biz Communication Guy,” shares practical habits that help professionals be understood the first time, steer tough moments, and stop undercutting themselves on price. Bill traces his path from teaching at the University of Georgia to launching Championship Communication, including the six months of cold calls that went nowhere, the mentors and mastermind groups that changed his trajectory, and the lesson that too-low pricing tells buyers you are not ready yet.
Bill and John get specific. They talk about Stanislavsky’s “illusion of the first time” to keep repeat talks fresh, a short prep routine that settles nerves without turning you into a script reader, and why short video reps two or three times a week sharpen delivery while creating proof buyers can see. They cover how to host a podcast without making yourself the star, how to ask for referrals and public reviews right after a win, and why executives should treat board updates, deal discussions, and internal briefings as real presentations. John closes by underscoring a core point: clients do not buy credentials; they buy outcomes.
Listen if you want workable steps you can use this week and a clear path for turning reputation into revenue, whether you are already consulting or moving from campus to clients.
The Price and Value Journey is presented by John Ray and produced by North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of the Business RadioX® podcast network.
Key Takeaways You Can Use from This Episode
- Price with self-respect. Too-low pricing signals “not ready” and slows deals.
- Keep repeat talks fresh with the “illusion of the first time.” Relive the message, do not recite it.
- Use a two-part prep: one page of message bullets, then one minute of breath work before you speak.
- Post short videos two or three times a week. The reps improve delivery and give buyers visible proof.
- Ask for referrals and public reviews immediately after a win, and make it easy for clients to post.
- Treat board updates, sales calls, and deal conversations as presentations. Prepare and review them.
- If you are leaving academia, stop leading with courses and credentials. Translate expertise into outcomes buyers want.
Topics Discussed in this Episode
00:00 Introduction and Welcome to Dr. Bill Lampton
01:38 The Power of Communication
03:31 Early Passion for Communication
06:11 Dramatic Roles and Lessons Learned
13:04 Transition from Academia to Business
15:48 Challenges and Strategies in Consulting
24:06 Importance of Pricing and Value
27:55 Advice for Academics Entering Consulting
31:07 The Importance of Referrals
32:49 Building a Compelling Internet Presence
34:59 The Power of Video Shorts
42:45 Hosting a Podcast: Why and How
44:28 Common Mistakes Podcast Hosts Make
46:19 Communication Skills for Executives
49:06 The Value of Professional Coaching
53:23 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
Dr. Bill Lampton, The Biz Communication Guy
Bill Lampton, Ph.D., known as The Biz Communication Guy, coaches executives to say what matters, listen for what is missing, and run meetings that lead to decisions. He earned his Ph.D. at Ohio University, taught speech communication at the University of Georgia, and then spent two decades in senior management in higher education and health care. In 1997 he started Championship Communication, where he speaks, coaches, and consults.
His clients include the University of Georgia Athletic Association, Georgia Power, Oceania Cruises, Ritz-Carlton Cancun, the Missouri Bar, Gillette, and Procter & Gamble. He works with CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and CIOs in business, healthcare, higher education, and nonprofits. He coaches the moments that decide outcomes: board updates, investor and media conversations, M&A discussions, sales presentations, and internal briefings.
Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter
John Ray, Host of The Price and Value Journey
John Ray is the host of The Price and Value Journey.
John owns Ray Business Advisors, a business advisory practice. John’s services include business coaching and advisory work, as well as advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their pricing. John is passionate about the power of pricing for business owners, as changing pricing is the fastest way to change the profitability of a business. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, consultants, coaches, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is a podcast show host and the owner of North Fulton Business Radio, LLC, an affiliate of Business RadioX®. John and his team work with B2B professionals to create and conduct their podcast using The Generosity Mindset® Method: building and deepening relationships in a non-salesy way that translates into revenue for their business.
John is also the host of North Fulton Business Radio. With over 900 shows and having featured over 1,300 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in its region like no one else.
John’s book, The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices
John Ray is the author of the five-star rated book The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices, praised by readers for its practical insights on raising confidence, value, and prices.
If you are a professional services provider, your goal is to do transformative work for clients you love working with and get paid commensurate with the value you deliver to them. While negative mindsets can inhibit your growth, adopting a different mindset, The Generosity Mindset®, can replace those self-limiting beliefs. The Generosity Mindset enables you to diagnose and communicate the value you deliver to clients and, in turn, more effectively price to receive a portion of that value.
Whether you’re a consultant, coach, marketing or branding professional, business advisor, attorney, CPA, or work in virtually any other professional services discipline, your content and technical expertise are not proprietary. What’s unique, though, is your experience and how you synthesize and deliver your knowledge. What’s special is your demeanor or the way you deal with your best-fit clients. What’s invaluable is how you deliver outstanding value by guiding people through massive changes in their personal lives and in their businesses that bring them to a place they never thought possible.
Your combination of these elements is unique in your industry. There lies your value, but it’s not the value you see. It’s the value your best-fit customers see in you.
If pricing your value feels uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, this book will teach you why putting a price on the value your clients perceive and identify serves both them and you, and you’ll learn the factors involved in getting your price right.
The book is available at all major physical and online book retailers worldwide. Follow this link for further details.
Scott Phelan has over 20 years of financial advising and planning experience. As Executive Vice President/Wealth Management, Financial Advisor, his focus is helping build wealth for high net worth individuals and corporate clients. His core competencies include estate, retirement, insurance and income tax planning strategies. Scott has a long and distinguished career in the financial services industry having held leadership positions at Edward Jones, The Hartford, and New England Financial. Most recently, he was a Senior Vice President, Wealth Management, Financial Advisor/Senior Portfolio Management Director at Morgan Stanley. Scott began his career at the New England Financial Group where he developed and implemented employee 401(k) programs.
