the Evan Carmichael show i am your host
Evan Carmichael I believe in
entrepreneurs I believe in you I want
you reach the success that you’re after
I know you’re working hard I know you’re
pouring everything you’ve got into your
business and it’s time to get some
results this is a really important show
today the content on this show could
change your business and your life
forever I just got back from a two-week
trip in Europe have a great time was on
board a carnival cruise ship line but I
came back to be with you guys we got a
great show lined up today on the agenda
what I’m talking about here it is number
one don’t rip off your client’s number
to use social media strategically number
three don’t be average and number four
eliminate the words I can’t from your
vocabulary now let’s kick things off
don’t rip off your client if you want to
have success if you want to get people
coming back to your business telling
their friends giving you referrals
spreading the word about you you don’t
want to rip off your clients and I know
it’s tempting you got somebody in the
door you want to sell them as much as
you can because that’s money today that
goes in your pocket but you got to think
bigger picture you got to think about
the long-term you have to think about
the lifetime value of the client owes on
carnival and overall the cruise ship
that’s a great deal you know I visited
nine cities in 10 days and to do is on
my own think about travel airfare you
know transportation hotel costs all that
stuff would be a lot of money let’s
break value but once you get on board
the ship everything is a ripoff it’s all
it up sell and it’s a ridiculous ripoff
just a quick example I want to get
online want to go on into it you want to
get online on a cruise ship it’s going
to cost you upwards of a dollar per
minute for slow as molasses internet
nobody signs up for that thinking hey
this is great value at carnivals
providing me with everybody is upset the
pissed off because they’re getting
ripped off and I saw that fine
I’m to connect I said forget this I’m
voting with my wallet and I’m choosing
not to spend money with carnival instead
what I did was I looked in each port
that I landed first starbucks because i
knew starbucks had Wi-Fi and what did i
do when i got to the starbucks i spent
money there i bought a drink i bought
some food this is a really important
point of differentiation don’t be
carnival be starbucks i chose purposely
to avoid carnival because i thought it
was getting ripped off and decided to
seek out a starbucks i’m on vacation and
i’m looking to try to find a starbucks
taking time out of my vacation because i
know that they provide value you
provided what i was looking for that’s
the power of that brand and you need to
do the same thing for your business
every experience with your business
should be amazing every time somebody
walks away from interacting with you or
anybody at your company it should leave
them feeling overwhelmingly happy you
want them not just satisfied but you
want them to be grateful for having met
you grateful to spend money with you and
that comes from over delivering like
crazy and giving them way more value
than they ever expected another example
from carnival they have what they call
shore excursion and this is where they
take you on a tour so we landed in
Florence you want to go to foreign
they’ll give you a bus ride cost you 90
euros over a hundred bucks for a bus
ride to get into town I did the same
thing on my own for nine bucks are you
kidding me what kind of rip off is this
and the thing is what’s what’s the
lasting impression that I have with
carnival it’s not a great one am I going
to say great things about them no am I
going to tell my friends about them no
am I going to think twice about going
back on board their ship absolutely it’s
so important that you leave a positive
impression
all the time with your clients and look
for ways to consistently over deliver
like crazy there’s a number of ways to
do it and it comes from stop being
average is going to be something we talk
about later on in the show but think
about every single offering that you’re
giving your client what are they paying
you for and what are they not paying you
for think about the service experience
it should be an experience working with
your company it needs to be they need to
walk away feeling better about
themselves better about their life
feeling like they have a solution
through a huge pain point because they
met you for me that wasn’t carnival so
look at every single offering you have
and look at how can you make it better a
couple ways to do this number one you
know you should be an expert in your
field ideally you were one of your
potential customers before you know what
you’re talking about and you look for
opportunities to make things better
number to talk to your customers and
don’t ask them you know you want to buy
my product just sit down have an
informal chat and learn about their
daily life learn about what makes them
tick learn about the biggest problems
that they’re facing right now in their
business and their life and see if
there’s a way that you can make things
easier for them it’s stepping up and
going beyond what you’re currently
offering to make something amazing stop
ripping off your client I know again
it’s tempting you want that money in the
door it’s quick cash but you have to
think about the long-term relationship
you have with your customers and really
focus in on adding as much value as you
can I want to get to the calls I’ve got
Laura on the line Laura where are you
from and how can I help hi Evan yes hi
I’m from the Natural Area and I have a
little bit different question if you’re
trying to improve officer your
presentation of in terms of being more
articulate and when you do a face to
face you know as you said it’s very
important to sit with your client
it was just informally dosti where he or
she is coming from and what they desire
Shh how do you keep yourself because
you’re here you sort of concentrate it
touched rates so much I’m making a sale
you know making the money you can get
your petty keep your nerves in check
that was the second part of the question
first what we’re rocking right yeah yeah
the great sorry they can very very hard
to come in especially when you really
need to deal right it correct connection
but yeah I feel could make the
difference between sinking or making
your business that’s true you’re like
really favor all right right there’s so
many expenses today so I thought you
know what oh my god man you might think
the company Micah ones are and I know
that’s stressful here’s what helped me
and if you want to make more sales try
not to think about this thing try to
think about how you’re helping the
customer like these guys have a big pain
point and you’re here to help them
you’re here to provide value and you
should be able to do that right you’re
an expert in your field you should be
able to do that and tap into your
passion for why you started this
business now you started this company to
make a difference if you serve it just
to make money then you’re in the wrong
during the wrong industry you got to
change but you started this business or
a reason i remember when i first started
helping big companies they came to me
Microsoft Google tons of huge companies
came to me asking for help and I was
nervous like well this is Microsoft them
doing with this not just some small
entrepreneur here and I was really
nervous at the start but what helped me
get through it is realizing that hey
these guys are company for a reason I
really know what I’m talking about and I
can help them and I just focused the
whole time on helping them instead of
trying to sell myself and when you do
that you have a lot stronger chance of
be able to close sale right nobody wants
to be sold to show off your expertise
make it credible and and passionately
believe in what you’re doing and I’ll
dramatically increase the chances of you
being over the clothes of sale so
anytime I get nervous even sometimes now
you know I’m thinking about the radio
show
what I’m going to talk about I want to
have an impact again instead of getting
nervous about it I just think I’m going
to be myself I’m going to tap into my
passion for helping entrepreneurs I want
to see you guys succeed and that flows
through it flows through in my thinking
that makes me more confident and it
makes me do a much better job but why
that’s your business apply to sales
process you have a lot more welcome back
we have in carmichael show– i want to
see you how success in your business and
stop struggling and peridot comes from
having a smart social media strategy
will get this wrong a lot of people
don’t use their social media
strategically and have no idea what
they’re doing now the first time I got
on Twitter I thought it was a big waste
of time we’re talking about their calves
would be for lunch so I were a huge
waste of time I’m spending my time
building my business why should I waste
it here and then I found people were
talking about my company I did a search
for my name and some people were
mentioning me and so I wasn’t part of
that conversation and step 1 if you’re
just getting started with Twitter it’s
just monitor don’t go on there and start
blasting out promotions and crap that
nobody is going to pay attention to that
one is just follow the conversation
that’s happening around your company if
you put up your twitter account on your
website you will get people who will
start the right to you okay night you
know don’t expect a huge flood at the
start but you will get people who are
actively looking to connect with you on
Twitter before I went on my cruise I
tweeted the carnival a look at their
accounts like carnival list I’m coming
on board in three days I’m excited going
on vacation looking forward to your new
boat and you know what the response was
nothing nothing I was shocked it’s like
customers calling in to you and you
don’t pick up the phone and never call
them back are you kidding me the whole
point of social media this year to be
social and at least at the very least I
was expecting a hope you enjoy the trip
welcome aboard have fun instead carnival
there’s nothing these guys don’t get it
if it were me I would at least say thank
you but on top of that I try to find a
way to thank the person give them a free
dinner upgrade give them some free
internet time because we’re ripping them
off anyway this stuff doesn’t cost them
anything and instead of me ripping on
them for how bad they are at social
media I’d be praising them to be getting
free publicity for me going out there
saying how great carnival is it’s so
important I know it’s hard you got a
million things to do in your plate but
look at carnival okay they have 90,000
something followers they have a team of
people who manage their account and they
can’t write back to somebody i have
200,000 followers almost i respond to
everybody who writes to me and i do it
personally it’s not my team doing if
it’s me so step one before you start
blasting out a bunch of spam and some
people aren’t going to care about just
follow the conversation around your
company and recognize the people who are
talking about you recognize your
champions because they feel good about
it they’re going to keep promoting your
business for you I want to get to the
calls I have Danielle on the line then
yeah what’s going on where you from and
how can I help hi yeah I am some chicago
and i am trying i’ve been working in
restaurants for a very long time irish
years and surveying managing all the
things and my husband is a chef and we
want to open our own restaurant but so
he knows how to cook and I know how to
manage the floor but we don’t really
know anything about business wise how to
sort of begin a venture like that I’m
kind of looking for some some guidance
on what to look out for and like where
are those initial steps and connect
ourselves sure absolutely no why why do
you want to do this why don’t you just
want to be happy with you know you know
running the floor and him being the chef
what makes you one of it to your own
business you know we want to keep
growing if you get to a certain point
you’re like okay we’ve done everything
we’ve done it for other people and we
think we’ve got some pretty good ideas
in terms of what we want to do he’s
talented I’m you know I’m great at what
I do and I think and just be like an
incredible
sure if I don’t won’t be fun the whole a
survey a lot of work but it’ll be an
incredible adventure to see if we can to
make it on our own and especially in a
city where there’s so much competition
in the culinary industry it’s like how
do we stack up and where you know going
to like the competition you know now is
your time yes that’s exciting ok so the
restaurant business is a high failure
rate of any business in America also
it’s definitely great to do your pine
before getting into it and a big reason
is the people who have started these
businesses one don’t have anything
that’s really different about them but
they’re me to product and to don’t have
the financial backing and understanding
of financial systems that you need to
further business so let’s start with the
first one what’s different about you
guys what’s going to be special about
this restaurant that nobody in Chicago
has ever seen we do we’ve come from a
couple of really good restaurants I
can’t talk about it right now solar
plexus always listening by we come from
a really supportive background of very
talented people so we have association
going with sewing for us we’re not doing
anything crazy in terms of actually out
there exclude but Mike my husband just
family is originally from Cuba and it’s
like you should Cuban food scheme but
we’re going to do Latin food and we’re
going to do it on a on a higher and
scale not inaccessible but I’m we’re
also going to play into whatever the you
knows that it can’t trends local fees no
it’s really important to a lot of people
in the city who value where this comes
from so our restaurants in Chicago
aren’t already doing that there are
restaurants in Chicago who are already
doing that another reason I don’t I
don’t need to be valid one respondent
does that one thing and and that’s I
understand that that’s like oh why not
but at the same time we know we’re good
at we want to play to our own strengths
instead of getting wild and outside of
our abilities yeah and I mean you have
to be exceptional as something with your
business and it doesn’t have to be
playing to the flavor of the month but
maybe it’s about the service you know
like maybe you see a lot of things that
are wrong with service in the restaurant
business and what your company stands
for is radically different than current
standard in
absolutely and that is always important
person as a manager I definitely have a
great resource my servers but it’s also
we everywhere that I’ve worked it’s
always been very important to make
everyone feel very welcome and also you
know when I was growing I grew up in a
very small town and I worked for a
restaurant that was for my first jobs
and they put such a huge emphasis I’m
not doing too much marketing but doing a
lot of word of mouth and and just kind
of letting this everything speaks for
itself knowledge that looks better in a
small town but i do want to sort of send
people away with this idea like you have
to come to this restaurant based like so
well the moments are wonderful invest in
the customer experience and not in the
marketing right people walk away and
want to tell their friends are you
trying to raise money for this but you
have the funds yourself oh we have some
funds that we’ve accumulated over the
years certainly not enough to completely
go solo but I do have some mentors from
my my ears coming up in the industry who
have expressed interest so I want to go
to them with a solid business plan
before I say okay what about your basic
30 checkbook I architect no absolutely
and I would really encourage you to hone
your pitch I mean I saw thousands of
deals come across my decimals in the
venture capital business now you’re
definitely more the angel level but you
got to have a clear message as to what
the opportunity is here and what’s going
to be different about your restaurant I
think you have it it’s just not being
articulated so if its service or if it’s
the Cuban food or like what makes most
restaurants terrible and how can yours
be amazing Frank I think it’s going to
be very for a lot of people to invest in
the business that has the highest
failure rate in America now I think you
guys can do it welcome back and every
time I go show I believe in you and
I want to see you get some results from
the hard work that you’re putting in and
it starts by not being average they
average being average being just okay is
a recipe for failure you’re not going to
build a great company by being average I
went on the Carnival cruise ship and on
our last day sitting around having our
last meal and it was thinking what was
the best food that we had on board this
ship you know he had ten days on the
boat what was favourite food and nothing
came to mind yeah nothing was terrible i
think it’s food poisoning I didn’t you
know get sick but nothing was great it
was just okay it was average so then we
expanded thought okay well find that the
food wasn’t great but what about the
ship you know what about the ship was
there anything gray what was the memory
flash memory from the ship and again
nothing came up it was okay you know we
didn’t have a mechanical meltdown no
major problems but it was just okay I’ve
been on a dozen different cruises before
I’m a big fan of the industry and a
great way to travel but there’s nothing
special about this boat compared to the
other boats I was off it was just okay
and the result of this is I don’t talk
about it at least in a positive way but
I’m not telling people you have got to
go on this boat because it’s amazing the
food was amazing the features were
amazing there’s nothing great to talk
about and so you’re forgettable we
expanded the search and started thinking
about the entire trip all the businesses
that we saw all the different
entrepreneurs that we visited you know
ten ten days nine different cities every
day I got off went to visit different
entrepreneurs different shop went to
talk to them learn to both their
businesses and for the most part almost
everybody was the same thing average
just okay no lasting memories
the one guy who had an impact on me was
the shop owner in Florence and this guy
had a leather goods store he was selling
jackets and purses and while is anything
you wanted to do with leather and when
it came to the store he greeted me and
my child’s little rusty but he worked
with me and he told me about the city he
told me about the history told me about
the bike race that was happening that
day the asking arose from and I’m sad
that I didn’t really like anything in
his store didn’t buy anything but he
left a lasting memory with me as I was
walking out of the store he said this is
to you I hope you have a great vacation
and so he was a guy was left a mark and
he’s somebody will talk about and refer
people to and again I wish that I like
some of the stuff in his store but of
all the businesses that I met of all the
entrepreneurs that I came across he was
the only one who really stood out now
going around Europe this is happening
everywhere and this presents a humongous
challenge for you but also a massive
opportunity it’s a problem because
you’re probably average the things you
do are average business is just average
it’s okay there’s nothing great about it
it’s not bad you know you’re not
angering your customers hopefully but
it’s not great there’s nothing memorable
there’s no reason for people to talk
about you welcome to the world of you
know the eighty percent this is
everybody and it’s ariz my most
businesses fail eighty percent of
businesses will fail it’s a huge number
it doesn’t have to be that way but if
you just keep doing the same thing that
everybody else is doing in your industry
those guys are going to fail to you have
to find a way to stand out and be
different this is where the opportunity
comes in there’s a huge opportunity
because your competition is average to
they’re not doing anything memorable
they’re not doing anything in stand out
there may be slightly better than you
and so customers go to them just because
there’s no other great option you need
to give people a reason to talk about
you to be great do something that really
stands out and puts you on the map when
we’re talking to the last caller about
the restaurant in Chicago there’s tons
of restaurants in Chicago and it sounds
like she has a great experience great
background years in the business and her
fiance the shaft it’s a killer
combination but again there’s nothing
great in her pitch at least I believe
there’s something great in each of us
you got to let that come out if you
don’t then you make it hard for people
to talk about you you make it hard for
your customers to tell their friends
about you because you’re just by
carnival you’re okay it was ok it was
average nothing special but your
homework today is to start thinking
about how you can really make your
business stand out how you can really
add a ton of value to your customers and
give them something worth talking about
a guy recent wrote in to me and he has a
he want to start a flower shop and again
flower shop lift mr. competitive
business it’s hard to sort of flower
shop the margins aren’t great you got to
love the flower business to do well in
it and he’s got tons of competition and
you know welcome to the world of
business we all have turned the
competition there’s not a lot of
industries that have no competition so
you’re fighting and so I asked and
listen what is different about your
business why do you want to start this
thing and he said because flowers make
him call when he’s around flowers he
calms down he has a hectic life he
carries a lot of stress with him and
being around all these flowers makes him
out of that feeling of pop and I said
this is fantastic this is what you need
to build your whole business around
because there’s tons of people will feel
the same way they want to feel calm they
have stressed out live the whole
business should be about being calm and
you should bring in the flowers that
feel that make you feel calm you should
have a logo a company name signage that
make you feel calm the whole display of
your store the music that you play the
staff that you hire everything should be
about being calm and the people who will
come to you are the ones who want to
become those are your ideal clients
because they’re the people who can
relate to what your message is you
believe in the same thing that you do
you have to pour more of yourself into
your business think about what you stand
for think about what you believe in
that’s the unique differentiator this is
how you stand out this is how you go
beyond being average beyond being just
okay and get people to talk about you I
have a mechanic who fixes my Vespa his
name is George and George is an amazing
guy he believes in family he treats
everybody like they’re part of his
family that should be part of his brand
that’s what makes him stand out I pass
people on to his business I I
recommended my father but go see him
because George treats everybody like
family the problem is in his business
his staff doesn’t treat you like family
they’re good they’re just average
they’re okay this store set up like any
other store his website is like any
other website there’s nothing unique
about the entire business except George
and if George poured more of himself
into his business and encapsulated that
family concept that he believed in and
treated everybody like family and had
his staff did everybody like family you
would attract customers wanted to do
that way you want to be treated like
that then you walk into Georgia shop
he’ll give you an espresso they’ll ask
you how you’re doing they’ll chat with
you I’ll talk to you about your bike
they’ll teach you it treats you
basically like earring
cousin and that’s why i recommend the
people on to him your business has to
have that differentiate the people would
want to recommend their parents to you
just like I did and the answer doesn’t
have to be that difficult the answer
already lies within you it’s something
that you believe passionately in that
you can apply to your business if I look
at George and his family beliefs
whatever business George starts if it’s
mechanic or something else is always
going to believe in family is always
going to treat his customers like family
whether he so choose whether you shall
bike whether you sold cars anything you
sort of the website company he would
treat people like family that’s his core
belief you have to find yours and start
applying it your business think about a
word or a concept that touch to your
core so it’s not just about your
business it’s not what your business
stands for it’s what you stand for and
when you understand what that is it’ll
be so much easier to bring on a team to
raise money to get ideal clients coming
in to you to get media attention because
you’re giving people a message that is
easy to spread you’re giving them
something that’s unique that’s different
that means something and they’ll get
people excited it’s so important it’s so
important because most businesses don’t
do that most businesses shut down and
fail because of it so that’s your
homework for tonight think about the one
thing that you stand for and how you can
apply your business to help you stand
out and not be average welcome back see
Evan Carmichael show I want to see you
how to master your business and one way
to do it is to remove the words I can’t
from your vocabulary when you say I
can’t you close down worlds of
opportunities that can help take you to
the next level when I was on the
Carnival cruise ship I got on board I
went on the elevator I started going
down and the DJ for the boat popped on
the same elevator is me and I was
excited
love Latin music I’m an investor in a
salsa dancing company here in Toronto
and spend maybe 20 hours a week dancing
d Jane and I wanted to hear some music
so I talked to the guy and say hey do
you have any kizomba music he’s almost a
new dance that we started teaching I
wanted to practice and the first thing
he said was I can’t and right there I
thought this guy doesn’t get it how hard
would it have been to say let me go back
to my cabin I’m going to spend some time
I’ll go online find the song and play
for you tonight it would have taken five
minutes out of his day to make a
customer happy and he didn’t do it
better yet you should have said hey you
know what I don’t usually play kizomba
music but what’s your favorite song I
don’t play it for you tonight one track
that would have made my day it would
have given me something to talk about I
would have gone to see him every night
because he believed in service and it’s
not so much him that I blame it’s
carnival right they are not hiring and
training people to provide great service
to their customers that’s what it’s all
about you have to look at ways to think
outside the box and provide great
solution for your customers sometimes
that may even mean leading them on to a
competitor because you can’t help them
but instead of ripping them off and
selling them a solution they don’t need
you’re really helping them and the next
time they have a problem they’re going
to come back to you don’t say I can’t
think about it think about some solution
that you can help them with to make an
impact because that’s going to make all
the difference in the world for them
whether they buy for you or not whether
it a refer business on to you or not I
want to get to the calls I have Tatiana
on the line but China where are you from
and how can I help hi Evan thank you so
much for taking my call um so I’m
originally from Brazil but I’ve been
knitting in the States for about 12
years I have a settlement but it’s
coming to me pretty sure and by my
entire the entire time that I’ve been
here and the states have been in the
restaurant business
and I was trying to be in fashion one
because I know so many people in the
industry okay um and I but if I know
that it’s a very iffy business but I
don’t have a whole lot of money to open
a whole new restaurant and I don’t want
the responsibility to be day in and day
out they just funning bash that money
sure you as a business person you know
what’s the best way to invest something
that you have that it’s not going to
come all the time it’s one big
investment that I want so I I have a
little bit of security so either that or
because I have a lot of friends or you
know in a in a portfolio or like just
put it away what’s your what’s your
advice okay this is important because
this is your nest egg right mm-hmm I
don’t want you to lose your life savings
on the wrong investment that’s what I’m
afraid of right now the restaurant
business is I talked with their last
caller the highest failure rate of any
company they are not yeah right now that
does not meant to scare you it’s just to
say hey these are the facts with your
investing I mean I always encourage
people as much as possible to invest in
themselves so I don’t know if you ever
have plans to start your own business if
it’s rust or related or not but if
you’re going to give money to somebody
else if you’re going to become a partner
in the business it’s got to be something
that you really believe in like
fundamentally to your core and you get
along really well with the people in
that business mm-hmm right it’s like
getting married you have to make sure
you really love the person and what they
stand for and what’s going to happen
with the company because if you guys
start the fight it’s going to get ugly
and that’s your whole life saving mm-hmm
I would really you know as much as I
like entrepreneurship and opportunity
I’m scared for you to put that money
into another business and let somebody
else run with your life savings mm-hmm I
was really honestly look at how can I
invest that money into something safer
until you’re ready to do something on
your own and that paper route what would
that be
would you say bond or butter ballina
portfolio for a couple of years and then
just make some money out of that or will
I Archer Coe’s are my choices yeah I
mean you wanted something that you feel
is safe for you it depends on what your
risk tolerance is but for me I put my
extra money into stocks and I’m not a
gamble in the stock market I put a lot
of money but the risk money I put into
myself because I feel like I can deliver
better results than any other investors
i’m going to i understand but the money
on top of that you talking about my you
know retirement savings funds that’s
that’s in a mix of different stocks if
you’re going to be retiring soon you
want to have something a little safer so
you can get into some bonds and if you
talk to an investment professional they
can help guide your decision and how
much risk tolerance you have okay
investing in another company is is a
huge risk okay so doc will only make
that a part of your part of your overall
budget but I would still if it were me I
would love guys doing something for
myself mm-hmm looking at a way that I
might be able to start a business at
some point maybe you’re not ready yet
maybe its release the restaurants near
Petros there’s something totally
different man using that money as your
fallback you know usual money is your in
your retirement plan because I still
want to make sure when you when you get
to that age you have something there and
okay it’s often easy for us to get
greedy and see these opportunities
coming to us and people pitching us and
so we want to jump on board it quick
quick money making opportunity they
rarely work out okay thank you so much
heaven for your advice I will definitely
look into it no problem believe thank
you thank you guys everybody else is
facing the same thing if you are looking
at putting money into an operation make
sure that you could bring something more
than just money
you’ve got to be able to bring expertise
contact experience and I don’t want you
to lose your life statements I hate
spending money until I make you money so
invest in yourself first and if you’re
going to start your business the great
way to do it but make sure you have that
nest egg that you’re growing too there’s
something there for your retirement I’ve
had a great show with you guys I hope
you’ve enjoyed I’m going to be back in
two weeks I want to thank the producers
had a great time here Fernanda and Steve
you guys are awesome lining everything
up for me this is a summary guys
remember we’re not ripping off our
clients are using social media
strategically we are not being average
and you’re limiting the words don’t I
can’t from your vocabulary you guys into
week have a great time building a
business
Evan Carmichael I believe in
entrepreneurs I believe in you I want
you reach the success that you’re after
I know you’re working hard I know you’re
pouring everything you’ve got into your
business and it’s time to get some
results this is a really important show
today the content on this show could
change your business and your life
forever I just got back from a two-week
trip in Europe have a great time was on
board a carnival cruise ship line but I
came back to be with you guys we got a
great show lined up today on the agenda
what I’m talking about here it is number
one don’t rip off your client’s number
to use social media strategically number
three don’t be average and number four
eliminate the words I can’t from your
vocabulary now let’s kick things off
don’t rip off your client if you want to
have success if you want to get people
coming back to your business telling
their friends giving you referrals
spreading the word about you you don’t
want to rip off your clients and I know
it’s tempting you got somebody in the
door you want to sell them as much as
you can because that’s money today that
goes in your pocket but you got to think
bigger picture you got to think about
the long-term you have to think about
the lifetime value of the client owes on
carnival and overall the cruise ship
that’s a great deal you know I visited
nine cities in 10 days and to do is on
my own think about travel airfare you
know transportation hotel costs all that
stuff would be a lot of money let’s
break value but once you get on board
the ship everything is a ripoff it’s all
it up sell and it’s a ridiculous ripoff
just a quick example I want to get
online want to go on into it you want to
get online on a cruise ship it’s going
to cost you upwards of a dollar per
minute for slow as molasses internet
nobody signs up for that thinking hey
this is great value at carnivals
providing me with everybody is upset the
pissed off because they’re getting
ripped off and I saw that fine
I’m to connect I said forget this I’m
voting with my wallet and I’m choosing
not to spend money with carnival instead
what I did was I looked in each port
that I landed first starbucks because i
knew starbucks had Wi-Fi and what did i
do when i got to the starbucks i spent
money there i bought a drink i bought
some food this is a really important
point of differentiation don’t be
carnival be starbucks i chose purposely
to avoid carnival because i thought it
was getting ripped off and decided to
seek out a starbucks i’m on vacation and
i’m looking to try to find a starbucks
taking time out of my vacation because i
know that they provide value you
provided what i was looking for that’s
the power of that brand and you need to
do the same thing for your business
every experience with your business
should be amazing every time somebody
walks away from interacting with you or
anybody at your company it should leave
them feeling overwhelmingly happy you
want them not just satisfied but you
want them to be grateful for having met
you grateful to spend money with you and
that comes from over delivering like
crazy and giving them way more value
than they ever expected another example
from carnival they have what they call
shore excursion and this is where they
take you on a tour so we landed in
Florence you want to go to foreign
they’ll give you a bus ride cost you 90
euros over a hundred bucks for a bus
ride to get into town I did the same
thing on my own for nine bucks are you
kidding me what kind of rip off is this
and the thing is what’s what’s the
lasting impression that I have with
carnival it’s not a great one am I going
to say great things about them no am I
going to tell my friends about them no
am I going to think twice about going
back on board their ship absolutely it’s
so important that you leave a positive
impression
all the time with your clients and look
for ways to consistently over deliver
like crazy there’s a number of ways to
do it and it comes from stop being
average is going to be something we talk
about later on in the show but think
about every single offering that you’re
giving your client what are they paying
you for and what are they not paying you
for think about the service experience
it should be an experience working with
your company it needs to be they need to
walk away feeling better about
themselves better about their life
feeling like they have a solution
through a huge pain point because they
met you for me that wasn’t carnival so
look at every single offering you have
and look at how can you make it better a
couple ways to do this number one you
know you should be an expert in your
field ideally you were one of your
potential customers before you know what
you’re talking about and you look for
opportunities to make things better
number to talk to your customers and
don’t ask them you know you want to buy
my product just sit down have an
informal chat and learn about their
daily life learn about what makes them
tick learn about the biggest problems
that they’re facing right now in their
business and their life and see if
there’s a way that you can make things
easier for them it’s stepping up and
going beyond what you’re currently
offering to make something amazing stop
ripping off your client I know again
it’s tempting you want that money in the
door it’s quick cash but you have to
think about the long-term relationship
you have with your customers and really
focus in on adding as much value as you
can I want to get to the calls I’ve got
Laura on the line Laura where are you
from and how can I help hi Evan yes hi
I’m from the Natural Area and I have a
little bit different question if you’re
trying to improve officer your
presentation of in terms of being more
articulate and when you do a face to
face you know as you said it’s very
important to sit with your client
it was just informally dosti where he or
she is coming from and what they desire
Shh how do you keep yourself because
you’re here you sort of concentrate it
touched rates so much I’m making a sale
you know making the money you can get
your petty keep your nerves in check
that was the second part of the question
first what we’re rocking right yeah yeah
the great sorry they can very very hard
to come in especially when you really
need to deal right it correct connection
but yeah I feel could make the
difference between sinking or making
your business that’s true you’re like
really favor all right right there’s so
many expenses today so I thought you
know what oh my god man you might think
the company Micah ones are and I know
that’s stressful here’s what helped me
and if you want to make more sales try
not to think about this thing try to
think about how you’re helping the
customer like these guys have a big pain
point and you’re here to help them
you’re here to provide value and you
should be able to do that right you’re
an expert in your field you should be
able to do that and tap into your
passion for why you started this
business now you started this company to
make a difference if you serve it just
to make money then you’re in the wrong
during the wrong industry you got to
change but you started this business or
a reason i remember when i first started
helping big companies they came to me
Microsoft Google tons of huge companies
came to me asking for help and I was
nervous like well this is Microsoft them
doing with this not just some small
entrepreneur here and I was really
nervous at the start but what helped me
get through it is realizing that hey
these guys are company for a reason I
really know what I’m talking about and I
can help them and I just focused the
whole time on helping them instead of
trying to sell myself and when you do
that you have a lot stronger chance of
be able to close sale right nobody wants
to be sold to show off your expertise
make it credible and and passionately
believe in what you’re doing and I’ll
dramatically increase the chances of you
being over the clothes of sale so
anytime I get nervous even sometimes now
you know I’m thinking about the radio
show
what I’m going to talk about I want to
have an impact again instead of getting
nervous about it I just think I’m going
to be myself I’m going to tap into my
passion for helping entrepreneurs I want
to see you guys succeed and that flows
through it flows through in my thinking
that makes me more confident and it
makes me do a much better job but why
that’s your business apply to sales
process you have a lot more welcome back
we have in carmichael show– i want to
see you how success in your business and
stop struggling and peridot comes from
having a smart social media strategy
will get this wrong a lot of people
don’t use their social media
strategically and have no idea what
they’re doing now the first time I got
on Twitter I thought it was a big waste
of time we’re talking about their calves
would be for lunch so I were a huge
waste of time I’m spending my time
building my business why should I waste
it here and then I found people were
talking about my company I did a search
for my name and some people were
mentioning me and so I wasn’t part of
that conversation and step 1 if you’re
just getting started with Twitter it’s
just monitor don’t go on there and start
blasting out promotions and crap that
nobody is going to pay attention to that
one is just follow the conversation
that’s happening around your company if
you put up your twitter account on your
website you will get people who will
start the right to you okay night you
know don’t expect a huge flood at the
start but you will get people who are
actively looking to connect with you on
Twitter before I went on my cruise I
tweeted the carnival a look at their
accounts like carnival list I’m coming
on board in three days I’m excited going
on vacation looking forward to your new
boat and you know what the response was
nothing nothing I was shocked it’s like
customers calling in to you and you
don’t pick up the phone and never call
them back are you kidding me the whole
point of social media this year to be
social and at least at the very least I
was expecting a hope you enjoy the trip
welcome aboard have fun instead carnival
there’s nothing these guys don’t get it
if it were me I would at least say thank
you but on top of that I try to find a
way to thank the person give them a free
dinner upgrade give them some free
internet time because we’re ripping them
off anyway this stuff doesn’t cost them
anything and instead of me ripping on
them for how bad they are at social
media I’d be praising them to be getting
free publicity for me going out there
saying how great carnival is it’s so
important I know it’s hard you got a
million things to do in your plate but
look at carnival okay they have 90,000
something followers they have a team of
people who manage their account and they
can’t write back to somebody i have
200,000 followers almost i respond to
everybody who writes to me and i do it
personally it’s not my team doing if
it’s me so step one before you start
blasting out a bunch of spam and some
people aren’t going to care about just
follow the conversation around your
company and recognize the people who are
talking about you recognize your
champions because they feel good about
it they’re going to keep promoting your
business for you I want to get to the
calls I have Danielle on the line then
yeah what’s going on where you from and
how can I help hi yeah I am some chicago
and i am trying i’ve been working in
restaurants for a very long time irish
years and surveying managing all the
things and my husband is a chef and we
want to open our own restaurant but so
he knows how to cook and I know how to
manage the floor but we don’t really
know anything about business wise how to
sort of begin a venture like that I’m
kind of looking for some some guidance
on what to look out for and like where
are those initial steps and connect
ourselves sure absolutely no why why do
you want to do this why don’t you just
want to be happy with you know you know
running the floor and him being the chef
what makes you one of it to your own
business you know we want to keep
growing if you get to a certain point
you’re like okay we’ve done everything
we’ve done it for other people and we
think we’ve got some pretty good ideas
in terms of what we want to do he’s
talented I’m you know I’m great at what
I do and I think and just be like an
incredible
sure if I don’t won’t be fun the whole a
survey a lot of work but it’ll be an
incredible adventure to see if we can to
make it on our own and especially in a
city where there’s so much competition
in the culinary industry it’s like how
do we stack up and where you know going
to like the competition you know now is
your time yes that’s exciting ok so the
restaurant business is a high failure
rate of any business in America also
it’s definitely great to do your pine
before getting into it and a big reason
is the people who have started these
businesses one don’t have anything
that’s really different about them but
they’re me to product and to don’t have
the financial backing and understanding
of financial systems that you need to
further business so let’s start with the
first one what’s different about you
guys what’s going to be special about
this restaurant that nobody in Chicago
has ever seen we do we’ve come from a
couple of really good restaurants I
can’t talk about it right now solar
plexus always listening by we come from
a really supportive background of very
talented people so we have association
going with sewing for us we’re not doing
anything crazy in terms of actually out
there exclude but Mike my husband just
family is originally from Cuba and it’s
like you should Cuban food scheme but
we’re going to do Latin food and we’re
going to do it on a on a higher and
scale not inaccessible but I’m we’re
also going to play into whatever the you
knows that it can’t trends local fees no
it’s really important to a lot of people
in the city who value where this comes
from so our restaurants in Chicago
aren’t already doing that there are
restaurants in Chicago who are already
doing that another reason I don’t I
don’t need to be valid one respondent
does that one thing and and that’s I
understand that that’s like oh why not
but at the same time we know we’re good
at we want to play to our own strengths
instead of getting wild and outside of
our abilities yeah and I mean you have
to be exceptional as something with your
business and it doesn’t have to be
playing to the flavor of the month but
maybe it’s about the service you know
like maybe you see a lot of things that
are wrong with service in the restaurant
business and what your company stands
for is radically different than current
standard in
absolutely and that is always important
person as a manager I definitely have a
great resource my servers but it’s also
we everywhere that I’ve worked it’s
always been very important to make
everyone feel very welcome and also you
know when I was growing I grew up in a
very small town and I worked for a
restaurant that was for my first jobs
and they put such a huge emphasis I’m
not doing too much marketing but doing a
lot of word of mouth and and just kind
of letting this everything speaks for
itself knowledge that looks better in a
small town but i do want to sort of send
people away with this idea like you have
to come to this restaurant based like so
well the moments are wonderful invest in
the customer experience and not in the
marketing right people walk away and
want to tell their friends are you
trying to raise money for this but you
have the funds yourself oh we have some
funds that we’ve accumulated over the
years certainly not enough to completely
go solo but I do have some mentors from
my my ears coming up in the industry who
have expressed interest so I want to go
to them with a solid business plan
before I say okay what about your basic
30 checkbook I architect no absolutely
and I would really encourage you to hone
your pitch I mean I saw thousands of
deals come across my decimals in the
venture capital business now you’re
definitely more the angel level but you
got to have a clear message as to what
the opportunity is here and what’s going
to be different about your restaurant I
think you have it it’s just not being
articulated so if its service or if it’s
the Cuban food or like what makes most
restaurants terrible and how can yours
be amazing Frank I think it’s going to
be very for a lot of people to invest in
the business that has the highest
failure rate in America now I think you
guys can do it welcome back and every
time I go show I believe in you and
I want to see you get some results from
the hard work that you’re putting in and
it starts by not being average they
average being average being just okay is
a recipe for failure you’re not going to
build a great company by being average I
went on the Carnival cruise ship and on
our last day sitting around having our
last meal and it was thinking what was
the best food that we had on board this
ship you know he had ten days on the
boat what was favourite food and nothing
came to mind yeah nothing was terrible i
think it’s food poisoning I didn’t you
know get sick but nothing was great it
was just okay it was average so then we
expanded thought okay well find that the
food wasn’t great but what about the
ship you know what about the ship was
there anything gray what was the memory
flash memory from the ship and again
nothing came up it was okay you know we
didn’t have a mechanical meltdown no
major problems but it was just okay I’ve
been on a dozen different cruises before
I’m a big fan of the industry and a
great way to travel but there’s nothing
special about this boat compared to the
other boats I was off it was just okay
and the result of this is I don’t talk
about it at least in a positive way but
I’m not telling people you have got to
go on this boat because it’s amazing the
food was amazing the features were
amazing there’s nothing great to talk
about and so you’re forgettable we
expanded the search and started thinking
about the entire trip all the businesses
that we saw all the different
entrepreneurs that we visited you know
ten ten days nine different cities every
day I got off went to visit different
entrepreneurs different shop went to
talk to them learn to both their
businesses and for the most part almost
everybody was the same thing average
just okay no lasting memories
the one guy who had an impact on me was
the shop owner in Florence and this guy
had a leather goods store he was selling
jackets and purses and while is anything
you wanted to do with leather and when
it came to the store he greeted me and
my child’s little rusty but he worked
with me and he told me about the city he
told me about the history told me about
the bike race that was happening that
day the asking arose from and I’m sad
that I didn’t really like anything in
his store didn’t buy anything but he
left a lasting memory with me as I was
walking out of the store he said this is
to you I hope you have a great vacation
and so he was a guy was left a mark and
he’s somebody will talk about and refer
people to and again I wish that I like
some of the stuff in his store but of
all the businesses that I met of all the
entrepreneurs that I came across he was
the only one who really stood out now
going around Europe this is happening
everywhere and this presents a humongous
challenge for you but also a massive
opportunity it’s a problem because
you’re probably average the things you
do are average business is just average
it’s okay there’s nothing great about it
it’s not bad you know you’re not
angering your customers hopefully but
it’s not great there’s nothing memorable
there’s no reason for people to talk
about you welcome to the world of you
know the eighty percent this is
everybody and it’s ariz my most
businesses fail eighty percent of
businesses will fail it’s a huge number
it doesn’t have to be that way but if
you just keep doing the same thing that
everybody else is doing in your industry
those guys are going to fail to you have
to find a way to stand out and be
different this is where the opportunity
comes in there’s a huge opportunity
because your competition is average to
they’re not doing anything memorable
they’re not doing anything in stand out
there may be slightly better than you
and so customers go to them just because
there’s no other great option you need
to give people a reason to talk about
you to be great do something that really
stands out and puts you on the map when
we’re talking to the last caller about
the restaurant in Chicago there’s tons
of restaurants in Chicago and it sounds
like she has a great experience great
background years in the business and her
fiance the shaft it’s a killer
combination but again there’s nothing
great in her pitch at least I believe
there’s something great in each of us
you got to let that come out if you
don’t then you make it hard for people
to talk about you you make it hard for
your customers to tell their friends
about you because you’re just by
carnival you’re okay it was ok it was
average nothing special but your
homework today is to start thinking
about how you can really make your
business stand out how you can really
add a ton of value to your customers and
give them something worth talking about
a guy recent wrote in to me and he has a
he want to start a flower shop and again
flower shop lift mr. competitive
business it’s hard to sort of flower
shop the margins aren’t great you got to
love the flower business to do well in
it and he’s got tons of competition and
you know welcome to the world of
business we all have turned the
competition there’s not a lot of
industries that have no competition so
you’re fighting and so I asked and
listen what is different about your
business why do you want to start this
thing and he said because flowers make
him call when he’s around flowers he
calms down he has a hectic life he
carries a lot of stress with him and
being around all these flowers makes him
out of that feeling of pop and I said
this is fantastic this is what you need
to build your whole business around
because there’s tons of people will feel
the same way they want to feel calm they
have stressed out live the whole
business should be about being calm and
you should bring in the flowers that
feel that make you feel calm you should
have a logo a company name signage that
make you feel calm the whole display of
your store the music that you play the
staff that you hire everything should be
about being calm and the people who will
come to you are the ones who want to
become those are your ideal clients
because they’re the people who can
relate to what your message is you
believe in the same thing that you do
you have to pour more of yourself into
your business think about what you stand
for think about what you believe in
that’s the unique differentiator this is
how you stand out this is how you go
beyond being average beyond being just
okay and get people to talk about you I
have a mechanic who fixes my Vespa his
name is George and George is an amazing
guy he believes in family he treats
everybody like they’re part of his
family that should be part of his brand
that’s what makes him stand out I pass
people on to his business I I
recommended my father but go see him
because George treats everybody like
family the problem is in his business
his staff doesn’t treat you like family
they’re good they’re just average
they’re okay this store set up like any
other store his website is like any
other website there’s nothing unique
about the entire business except George
and if George poured more of himself
into his business and encapsulated that
family concept that he believed in and
treated everybody like family and had
his staff did everybody like family you
would attract customers wanted to do
that way you want to be treated like
that then you walk into Georgia shop
he’ll give you an espresso they’ll ask
you how you’re doing they’ll chat with
you I’ll talk to you about your bike
they’ll teach you it treats you
basically like earring
cousin and that’s why i recommend the
people on to him your business has to
have that differentiate the people would
want to recommend their parents to you
just like I did and the answer doesn’t
have to be that difficult the answer
already lies within you it’s something
that you believe passionately in that
you can apply to your business if I look
at George and his family beliefs
whatever business George starts if it’s
mechanic or something else is always
going to believe in family is always
going to treat his customers like family
whether he so choose whether you shall
bike whether you sold cars anything you
sort of the website company he would
treat people like family that’s his core
belief you have to find yours and start
applying it your business think about a
word or a concept that touch to your
core so it’s not just about your
business it’s not what your business
stands for it’s what you stand for and
when you understand what that is it’ll
be so much easier to bring on a team to
raise money to get ideal clients coming
in to you to get media attention because
you’re giving people a message that is
easy to spread you’re giving them
something that’s unique that’s different
that means something and they’ll get
people excited it’s so important it’s so
important because most businesses don’t
do that most businesses shut down and
fail because of it so that’s your
homework for tonight think about the one
thing that you stand for and how you can
apply your business to help you stand
out and not be average welcome back see
Evan Carmichael show I want to see you
how to master your business and one way
to do it is to remove the words I can’t
from your vocabulary when you say I
can’t you close down worlds of
opportunities that can help take you to
the next level when I was on the
Carnival cruise ship I got on board I
went on the elevator I started going
down and the DJ for the boat popped on
the same elevator is me and I was
excited
love Latin music I’m an investor in a
salsa dancing company here in Toronto
and spend maybe 20 hours a week dancing
d Jane and I wanted to hear some music
so I talked to the guy and say hey do
you have any kizomba music he’s almost a
new dance that we started teaching I
wanted to practice and the first thing
he said was I can’t and right there I
thought this guy doesn’t get it how hard
would it have been to say let me go back
to my cabin I’m going to spend some time
I’ll go online find the song and play
for you tonight it would have taken five
minutes out of his day to make a
customer happy and he didn’t do it
better yet you should have said hey you
know what I don’t usually play kizomba
music but what’s your favorite song I
don’t play it for you tonight one track
that would have made my day it would
have given me something to talk about I
would have gone to see him every night
because he believed in service and it’s
not so much him that I blame it’s
carnival right they are not hiring and
training people to provide great service
to their customers that’s what it’s all
about you have to look at ways to think
outside the box and provide great
solution for your customers sometimes
that may even mean leading them on to a
competitor because you can’t help them
but instead of ripping them off and
selling them a solution they don’t need
you’re really helping them and the next
time they have a problem they’re going
to come back to you don’t say I can’t
think about it think about some solution
that you can help them with to make an
impact because that’s going to make all
the difference in the world for them
whether they buy for you or not whether
it a refer business on to you or not I
want to get to the calls I have Tatiana
on the line but China where are you from
and how can I help hi Evan thank you so
much for taking my call um so I’m
originally from Brazil but I’ve been
knitting in the States for about 12
years I have a settlement but it’s
coming to me pretty sure and by my
entire the entire time that I’ve been
here and the states have been in the
restaurant business
and I was trying to be in fashion one
because I know so many people in the
industry okay um and I but if I know
that it’s a very iffy business but I
don’t have a whole lot of money to open
a whole new restaurant and I don’t want
the responsibility to be day in and day
out they just funning bash that money
sure you as a business person you know
what’s the best way to invest something
that you have that it’s not going to
come all the time it’s one big
investment that I want so I I have a
little bit of security so either that or
because I have a lot of friends or you
know in a in a portfolio or like just
put it away what’s your what’s your
advice okay this is important because
this is your nest egg right mm-hmm I
don’t want you to lose your life savings
on the wrong investment that’s what I’m
afraid of right now the restaurant
business is I talked with their last
caller the highest failure rate of any
company they are not yeah right now that
does not meant to scare you it’s just to
say hey these are the facts with your
investing I mean I always encourage
people as much as possible to invest in
themselves so I don’t know if you ever
have plans to start your own business if
it’s rust or related or not but if
you’re going to give money to somebody
else if you’re going to become a partner
in the business it’s got to be something
that you really believe in like
fundamentally to your core and you get
along really well with the people in
that business mm-hmm right it’s like
getting married you have to make sure
you really love the person and what they
stand for and what’s going to happen
with the company because if you guys
start the fight it’s going to get ugly
and that’s your whole life saving mm-hmm
I would really you know as much as I
like entrepreneurship and opportunity
I’m scared for you to put that money
into another business and let somebody
else run with your life savings mm-hmm I
was really honestly look at how can I
invest that money into something safer
until you’re ready to do something on
your own and that paper route what would
that be
would you say bond or butter ballina
portfolio for a couple of years and then
just make some money out of that or will
I Archer Coe’s are my choices yeah I
mean you wanted something that you feel
is safe for you it depends on what your
risk tolerance is but for me I put my
extra money into stocks and I’m not a
gamble in the stock market I put a lot
of money but the risk money I put into
myself because I feel like I can deliver
better results than any other investors
i’m going to i understand but the money
on top of that you talking about my you
know retirement savings funds that’s
that’s in a mix of different stocks if
you’re going to be retiring soon you
want to have something a little safer so
you can get into some bonds and if you
talk to an investment professional they
can help guide your decision and how
much risk tolerance you have okay
investing in another company is is a
huge risk okay so doc will only make
that a part of your part of your overall
budget but I would still if it were me I
would love guys doing something for
myself mm-hmm looking at a way that I
might be able to start a business at
some point maybe you’re not ready yet
maybe its release the restaurants near
Petros there’s something totally
different man using that money as your
fallback you know usual money is your in
your retirement plan because I still
want to make sure when you when you get
to that age you have something there and
okay it’s often easy for us to get
greedy and see these opportunities
coming to us and people pitching us and
so we want to jump on board it quick
quick money making opportunity they
rarely work out okay thank you so much
heaven for your advice I will definitely
look into it no problem believe thank
you thank you guys everybody else is
facing the same thing if you are looking
at putting money into an operation make
sure that you could bring something more
than just money
you’ve got to be able to bring expertise
contact experience and I don’t want you
to lose your life statements I hate
spending money until I make you money so
invest in yourself first and if you’re
going to start your business the great
way to do it but make sure you have that
nest egg that you’re growing too there’s
something there for your retirement I’ve
had a great show with you guys I hope
you’ve enjoyed I’m going to be back in
two weeks I want to thank the producers
had a great time here Fernanda and Steve
you guys are awesome lining everything
up for me this is a summary guys
remember we’re not ripping off our
clients are using social media
strategically we are not being average
and you’re limiting the words don’t I
can’t from your vocabulary you guys into
week have a great time building a
business
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