I’m a new company I’m really interested
in learning more about what you do and I
and I I’m hoping please if you will you
give me an hour of your time so I can
ask you some questions okay I had
someone who’s working my company who
said you know I’d have to be friends
with my clients and my friends media
professional not my company was not a
Fanta yeah right and and yeah there’s a
place for being professional disrude
friends but when I was able to actually
look them around like six months and
been coaching a coaching potion oh wow
no I was totally is a value to caring
about people and getting to know people
and spending time with them and all of
those things we are doing a 10 part
series on how to build a million-dollar
plus agency marketing agency with my
friend mark Drager from Fanta in this
video we are talking about this is
episode 5 if you want to watch the other
ones go back episode 5 we’re talking
about how to find the ideal customer for
your business mark what’s your advice
so first now that you’ve worked through
all those other things we talked about
you understand who you are you
understand the value drive you
understand your market you understand
your competition and everything else it
starts with knowing the certain sounds
so boring
I’m listing this all off and I’m like oh
my goodness it’s so boring it’s like
it’s really not rocket science okay it’s
what type of companies do you want to
work with okay what value can you drive
for them okay and who’s the person the
company who’s actually gonna make it to
say okay so how do I figure out what
type of company well it’s based on your
motivations and your skills okay right
like we use the example last time if you
if you love working with the local
contractor the local construction owner
okay like you know you just love tools
and so you love working with people who
work with tools okay there’s an affinity
there right you’re gonna have great
relationships great conversations and
then you work with those people okay you
want to do something that’s really
stylized that has a lot of eyes on it
then you’re gonna want to work with a
big brand or b2c company or maybe a
start-up that’s doing an app and you’re
like okay I want to get into this market
or this thing but but that sounds like
your motivations the type of company you
want to work with because you didn’t
passion and you bring skill and
what-have-you but the real thing is to
understand who in that company you’re
trying to sell to okay
who has the budget yeah who’s making the
decision who has the final word on it
and you need to meet those people okay
so a lot of us when we’re starting we
overlook things like internal
communications right we think marketing
okay right marketing means that I have
to help this business with advertising
right but there are lots of companies
who need to be better at at winning over
culture and communicating to their staff
and speaking to clients who are already
clients like through inside sales okay
so this is a great way to get in through
HR okay to get in through internal
communications if it’s a publicly traded
company through shareholder relations
okay and you can get into these places
and you can start to still do good work
okay be a little square or conservative
but you’d start to do good work you can
win over the clients because there’s
less people going after them okay and
then when you do really great work there
they were for you into marketing they’re
free and communications they were free
to outbound things so but you can only
do that if you know the type of company
you want to go after and you could know
how you are going to get in front of
them like where are they are they at
networking events are they online are
they reading certain things are they
listening to certain podcasts okay where
are they where are these people okay
you’re gonna knock on their door yeah
and then knowing that if you are gonna
go to HR communications what do they
care about
if you’re going to marketing what do
they care about if you’re going to the
business owner the entrepreneur yeah
what does she or he care about right and
and so the customer is important to know
who are these people the type of company
in the role but I keep saying what do
they care about yeah right like it’s
like that value you drive them what they
want to do what they want to accomplish
so okay so it was so from the top if I’m
looking at trying to find an ideal
customer do I start around shared
interests is that what I’m hearing you
say iíve always found that in my in my
selling style yeah which is to like try
to be friends with my clients do you
can’t care a lot about what they have to
do I find that I have a lot of shared
interests a lot of people so so the two
ways could be either one like I love
chainsaws and so I want to go work with
a change Ella company still great
jegs.com right or some other company
right Husqvarna I’m not a big fan of
them but
now if you’re watching I totally works
so but that’s one way or I love playing
hockey and there is there’s there
sitting on the bench and with somebody
who does it right all your kids are
playing hockey but their business may
not be one that I super care about maybe
maybe you just like that person right
okay so either/or
I find it’s very helpful for me to
actually be interested in the in the
industry in the business okay so so like
so like as a company we have tended for
whatever reason yeah like like I like
cars I like mechanics I like all those
things yeah
so every chance we get to work with
automotive yeah I like yeah I enjoy it
okay now my maybe my team doesn’t yeah I
don’t know yeah I love entrepreneurs so
we love working with you know the term
we use is like owner-managed or
entrepreneurial or mission-driven yeah
like because these companies that like
they have a purpose they pay homage yeah
there’s like an energy I love it
okay I like working with nonprofits
what’s she eating hey you are eating
something that you’re not supposed to
eat no I’m so used to my dog eating
everyday okay you’re gonna stay here now
okay so so if I want to get into
automotive other souza I want to go into
outer water I want to be the agency for
automotive I’m not gonna just join a
bunch of hockey teams and hope that
somebody on my bench works out
automotive no right or no okay if you
just put it out there you’d be surprised
okay great so so I want to get it over
with my strategy okay so do you want to
work for a dealer think about how many
dealers think about how many people work
in dealerships okay right and if you
know I go to church and I happen to be
like I go to church with a guy who’s
responsible for detailing and cleaning
every nissan vehicle at a Nissan
dealership ok Nissan’s owned by infinity
yeah I can get into that dealership
they’re usually dealer networks once you
get into one you can get into two once
again it’s Union 10 and then once Nissan
is doing a suddenly Volkswagen because
they hold multiple brands yeah so if
that’s my version of automotive I like I
really want to work with service centers
I really want to work with the dealers I
really want to be part of that business
yeah that can be automotive yep
automotive those also aftermarket it’s
also technology it’s also tires it’s
also
parts centers it so like like if you
like being around car people yes it is a
custom motorcycle shop that to me is
still in that world is that is a car
restoration yeah right so if if you are
looking for these people they are
everywhere okay and yeah they’re there
maybe your church or friends of friends
there maybe on Facebook but the other
thing you can do is most of these places
have dealer associations yeah if you
have if you really want to get into like
if you want to be the king of automotive
maybe take a trip and happen to go down
to Vegas when the big thing is you don’t
have to have a booth you don’t do those
things and walk the floor you know spend
the six or seven hundred bucks to try
and get there really cheap you know do a
cheap when you’re there and yeah walk
the floor and meet some people and hand
out a few cards or what-have-you but but
if you think about automotive is
everything related to aftermarket
everything related to Auto Sports so any
kind of auto racing if you think about
MX like dirt biking yeah or motorcycles
or anything related to that because I
love mechanics and I can get into it you
think about airplanes yeah do you think
about rockets like to me it all lives in
the same world I think it’s super cool
these people are everywhere and one
relationship turns into two turns into
three turns into four so what if I’m
hearing you’re right it’s figuring out
what you have a passion on that you
would love to be in that world of and
now you’re gonna bring your marketing
agency knowledge to you’re gonna start
by looking at who your current contacts
are who are in that space but then maybe
even saying to your friends hey I’m I’m
looking for people in the automotive
space for sure I want to connect with
someone because when somebody says the
owned American agency so this is the bra
this is the big big thing right yeah I
know like I like working with nonprofits
and charities okay because I like the
good work that they do
right I’m a trek to the mission I like
nervous I’m attractive the mission yeah
I like automotive because it interests
me yeah like custom furniture making I
think that’s cool like I think a lot of
working with your hands and stuff school
we happen to work with a lot of
financial institutions a lot of
insurance companies a lot of banks a lot
of pension plans a lot of unions I’m not
super passionate about that but but
we’re good at it
and we have a lot of contacts there and
we do a lot of good work there
and that kind of comes from we used to
and we still are but we used to be more
passionate about the work then about the
industry we were in so that’s another
way to look at it like like if you love
design and you love the creative process
of design I don’t know if you really
care who you’re working with if you have
the opportunity to do great design okay
right now you might want to work with
like like a drink company or you might
want to work with that I mean gosh like
there’s great they think about American
Standard
they make toilets and sinks okay level
of a design is impeccable okay all right
like like there’s great design in every
industry so if you love design then try
to find that people who love design too
if you love a certain industry you try
to find the people who have who are in
the same industries here if you love
horseback riding and you’re gonna go
hang out at the stables with other
people who happen to have money and are
into horseback riding they own
businesses maybe maybe you’re sure
connection is I like Jim Wright or
Barbara who happens to ride horses and
like like it’s it’s it there’s no right
way to go about this you just have to
find what works for you and start doing
it right and and no question that you’re
doing it wrong right like this that’s
the big thing so as I hear you so once
you identify ideally the market if
you’re going after a market then it’s
one using your current connections and
your current resources and the people
you know and telling people at your
church or hockey team or whatever and
then to try to be involved in the
organizations and the events to be
around like-minded people that’s a great
way and and then when you have that con
this is all to get to the conversation
right right once you have the
conversation think about what they want
and need okay so if you’re speaking with
a business owner they probably care
about revenue profitability they care
about lead generation all right they
want to make money
yeah if you’re speaking to someone in
communications they care
probably about not being misunderstood
about following process mm-hmm about
speaking to the the rational side of
things but also maybe some emotion if
you’re speaking to someone in marketing
they care about the brand they care
about the feeling they care about
probably still lead generation other
things you’re speaking someone in HR
they care about people all right how do
these people know this how do they
understand it how do we do health and
safety how do we recruit people how do
we keep people so there are all these
different departments they have all
these different needs and it’s always
the same
system no matter what you want to tweak
what you’re saying and how you’re
approaching it and you can ask them if
you don’t know you don’t want it don’t
don’t say what is keeping you up at
night right all right I don’t say like
what are you worried about okay
ask them what areas of their business
need help okay all right if you’re
speaking to someone in HR and they say
we really need help like we’re losing a
lot of staff turnover is really hard
there’s a problem at a marketing company
a really smart agency just better
communications you can help them with
that
right you can help them with that
challenge by recruiting that are people
that will even fix their culture by
helping them draft better copy to
recruit better people mm-hmm
potentially communicating more
internally like it might be just like go
have more of company barbecues well what
role is that of a marketing agency to
tell someone to have better company
barbecues but if that’s the problem
they’re having and even if I’m not an
event company and even if I’m not gonna
make any money off that’s the answer and
I should give them that answer because
then they can try it and then they will
trust me and then I will be a partner
and then I can help them with other
business right I’ve got an expression
called the chief goal officer oh I like
that
and you have to be the chief goal
officer if you understand their goals
and you know how you can help them yeah
this is your first part of understanding
what are their goals be the chief goal
officer first I don’t even know though
if most people know how to articulate
their goals because the goal is the
cancer and what they know is the problem
and I do this with my team okay let’s
talk about cuz you’re not gonna say hey
what are your goals and how can I help
like that’s not a great start challenges
okay so so why don’t you like three
questions how do I get this how do I get
that understand somebody’s goals with
somebody was in my market it could be an
ideal customer for me what am I asking
them so this isn’t my question and I
don’t even know if I really use this
because I was changing my wording okay
I’m talking to you but here’s the
essence of it yeah is I didn’t invent
this I heard this stuff from someone
else who’s really smart what is
something that should be easy but is it
okay in your business in your business
yeah you can ask this as a manager you
can ask us to anyone right okay well
it’s something that should just be like
really really easy to do okay but it
isn’t Yeah right that’s something that
can be fixed okay that’s one is
something holding you back from being
the company
that you should be okay yeah I don’t ask
that but I ask a bunch of questions for
it I say like what do you stand for and
okay and and what are you fighting for
and what are you fighting against or
they believe in and like I ask all these
general questions but that’s not gonna
do essence of it is is really like
what’s holding you back from being the
company you should be okay not the
company you want to be that’s
aspirational and that’s fine now the
company you are today mm-hmm the type of
company you need to be the type of
company you should be what’s holding you
back if there’s a challenge there and
that might be marketing communications
staffing operations lack of funds lack
of money it could be anything but
something is there it’s always there
yeah I think the third question and I
usually coach my clients on this that
change is hard okay so the question I
have asked my contacts is is the company
actually willing to and ready to do what
have to do to change right and you
because if I’m working with the business
owner mm-hmm then it’s actually their
team or their company or their
circumstances holding back yeah be
really hard to change yeah do you want
to lead this do you want in the next 18
months or a year or whatever it is doing
it yeah and if it’s someone mid-level or
kind of junior it’s like is or the
people above you really willing to
actually do this hmm we work with so
many people who are like on fire right
like I can’t wait to come in there and
change the company and then and they
have all these big ambitious plans and
we quote all these things out and we
plant all these things no I didn’t get
approved or it never went up or or it
gets watered down because no one really
actually wants to change okay I like to
work with companies that want to change
yeah
all right because I can help them like
please just let me help you do what like
let me do what I do and I’m gonna help
you and if I’m not helping you then
you’re you’re not gonna work with me
you’re gonna fire me
right so just let me come in and help
you please please let me help you that’s
what we do most of the time so I know it
sounds funny like I’m like begging but
but really you need to be courageous you
need to be willing to make change you
really really need to work at it so will
they do that and whatever no I like
they’re like it I’m thinking about the
process and there’s one piece that feels
missing which I want to ask you about it
so you know from the beginning I’m
thinking about what I love what
interests I love the time to work with
so I pick automotive awesome my next
step is I’m going to ask everybody in my
network
see if anybody is involved in automotive
somehow or ask if they know anybody in
automotive and I’m gonna go to any local
automotive events and try to participate
so I’m known when I have a conversation
I’m asking those three questions to
learn more about them once I found the
ideal yeah there is a middle step that
you are missing which is which is okay
so so if I’m asking the people what
their challenges are yeah
I’m assume I they have invited me in to
talk about business right right now
what if they haven’t invited means
exactly what if what if the person in my
church says yeah you should really talk
to Frank yeah I’m gonna connect the two
of you guys you have a great
conversation yeah but even bringing it
up that this is what I do
like you find a person in your church in
the community who is in that industry
and we Narmada
let’s grab coffee so so so how does that
work let’s grab coffee we should talk
but here’s why what why here’s what I do
Oh I’m super interested in what you guys
are doing okay I have a few questions
I’d really love to run by you and are
you talking about what your business is
no I’m saying that these these are the
excuses okay not excuses these are the
reasons oh okay so yeah there has to be
a reason for some of your time so I’m a
new company I’m really interested in
learning more about what you do and I
and I and I’m hoping please if you will
we give me an hour of your time so I can
ask you some questions okay so if that’s
the case then you go in and you don’t
sell them you just ask them really smart
questions and yeah
and this has happened to me by the end
they’re like wow I’ve even thought of
those things that’s great you should we
should totally get together and that’s
fine or hey we should grab coffee
because some for me because I’m very
relationship based I’m like you seem
like the type of person that I actually
want to be friends with okay I tell
people that like okay you never met
someone where you’re like this person is
pretty cool yeah I would just like to
learn more about them so just go meet
that person all right I had someone who
used to work in my company who said you
know I don’t have to be friends with my
clients I have enough friends I need a
professional to them okay I’m like not
my company was not a Fanta Yeah right
and and yeah there’s a place for being
professional please being friends but
when I was able to actually flip them
around like six months of me coaching a
coaching coaching they’re like wow okay
no there is a value like I was totally
wrong before there is a value to caring
about people and getting to know people
and spending time with them and all of
those things okay so so if you know that
Susan is that your church
you don’t really know her you kind of
know her face but she’s in the
automotive business and could be a
potential client for you walk up to
Susan and be like hi Susan it’s like at
church I think you’re gonna find her
yeah and I’d be like I feel like I just
found out that you’re in automotive yeah
I think that’s really really cool what
did what I’m sorry from famishing you
what do you do right oh cool your senior
VP of blah blah blah or whatever yeah
like that’s that’s really cool doesn’t
come out of nowhere can I take you out
for coffee okay I know this seems weird
but I’m a new company I’m getting into
this area I’m super passionate about
this stuff I’ll try and sell you
anything can I take you out for a cup of
coffee and ask you a few questions okay
all right nobody says no to that right
like if they say no to that then I would
be like okay I don’t probably isn’t
someone I want to work with that’s
awkward right sure you’re in church
right or you’re at the hockey game or
your or your wherever you are or it’s
Aunt Betty happens to be the nephew of
someone who’s this or that right that’s
how life works I love it I think the
thing the only thing is now maybe
running through people’s minds are I
don’t want to say my new company I don’t
want I’m gonna show them I’m serious
race it now totally embrace it yes but
explain why it’s so I agree but yeah
when I started my company I was six
months in and I was about to go bankrupt
and I hired a business coach and the
greatest thing that my business coach
ever said to me it was just a bit of a
confidence boost
he’s like you’re really likable guy mark
I was like I am like I kind of think I’m
a jerk and I’m very black-and-white and
I’m very blunt and he’s like no like
you’re like you’re likable like like
people like you they want to help you
they want to work with you and he said
go take this client that you just got so
at the time we got referred from a
friend into Canada’s largest bank one
tiny person at one tiny part of Canada’s
largest bank and we only got it because
of a friend gave it to me like a gift
you knew we were going bankrupt he’s
like here here’s something for you my
coach said take that person out for
lunch and explain your situation explain
you just are to your company you have a
life you have a kid who’s four months
old you really just want to help people
out is there any way that they could see
to refer you to anyone else in the
company and so I was like I was super
nervous I called them up shaking I asked
them out for lunch and they’re like yeah
we you totally grab lunch together and
then I Drive although it’s like an hour
way I Drive all the way there we’re
going out for this like Swiss Chalet
lunch you know anyway so I take them up
for lunch and I and I basically it’s
very awkward we go through the lunch
meeting and finally I say listen the
reason I want to take you out new
company right this is this is my journey
this is what I want to do with people I
would really appreciate you know forget
anyone else and I said oh we’ll see what
we can do and this and that they were
being very polite but then two weeks
later they refer me to someone named
Greg Skinner who was kind of downtown
Toronto and that person was my client
for 10 years but so you also asked a
referral in that meeting if they know
anybody but if you know that they could
do it then they were already my client
all right like I’d done one really took
everything for them and but but I went
out for lunch
I admitted where I was I try to pretend
to be anyone I also I was I still I
still had to go pitch that right person
I still had to win the business would
you do that in the first meeting with
Susan that your church we can have a
little pearl totally okay so so if I got
it you find a shared interest what you
love doing you love cars awesome now I’m
gonna ask everybody my local network who
knows somebody who’s in cars or is in
cars and we’re gonna go to every local
event around cars to be a part of the
community and expose myself to if I find
somebody I’m gonna ask them for coffee
I’m gonna say my new business I want to
pick their brain you’re not kind of
picture anything you just trying to get
to know them better because I want to
work with friends at the meeting I’m
gonna ask the three questions that we
went over we’ll show them on screen
because I forgot them but they were
great and at the end and then at the end
I’m asking if my business sounds like
anything interesting is there somebody
you know who might be a fit for what I’m
doing if you’re comfortable you can
always do that after ok like it you’re
starting relationship okay I like a
window all right so afterwards you sent
me mail say thank you so much for the
conversation I really thought about it
was really meaningful me yeah and always
gonna show up you totally changed myself
by the way if you could see clear
doesn’t refer anyone to me it would be
so much to me got it right like always
thank you right what what what is our
issue with asking people I don’t like to
ask people for stuff yeah I don’t wanna
be bothersome dude yeah so I had to get
over that yeah I didn’t I also didn’t
use the want to ask for the business
eventually you have to say are we
getting started on this project or how
much will it cost
Gregor how much is your budget or like
we have to get comfortable asking how
much will you ask in this in the meeting
itself versus – thank you email after it
depends on the way the conversation is
going but I typically I show up to these
meetings and don’t talk at all and I
just listen look listen and then I walk
out no I and then I walk out I’m like I
lost my opportunity right like someone
who’s a little bit more direct would
have said perfect now let’s talk
business
and you’re the direct guy I know I know
and and I suppose matter how hard some
people watching did I know then do it
but I watched someone do it mmm and let
me just like I know I know we’re going
really long here but I watched someone
do it once where I was sitting in a
meeting with them and we were having
this coffee and then and and literally
the person said and this is this is
someone was working for me she goes
we’re a really good company we’re just
shifting into this stuff and we’re still
figure some stuff out yeah we really
care right and everybody who’s working
with us right now is the one we care so
much about yeah cannot afford to lose
them okay and so I want to know in the
next few months how we can work together
more okay what have you got coming up
okay and I was like and they’re like oh
wow I guess we have these three or four
things you’re a talk she’s like yeah
let’s talk okay and so and and that’s
stuck with me I would never had the guts
right to do that and but you know now
I’m willing to say like what’s what’s
the worst thing they’re gonna say like
we are in if I’m asking the person out
to ask them some questions yeah I
wouldn’t do that right alright but would
you might into thank you email thank
youi know or I might even phone them up
afterwards and say I’m sorry I might be
taking too much of your time okay what I
like to do is I like to share my
intentions okay all right we just want
to help people okay might want more
clients in your industry right let us
help them right we think that the
industry is really broken and weird
right why are people wasting so much
money right right and like I I ask them
these questions that get them thinking
right and it may apply to them or may
not yeah and then by the end if if we’re
comfortable for follow-up coffee I might
say do you think I need a referral to
someone your company do you think you
would be the right person to talk to
about these types of things if we were
to make it work together do you think
your company has budget for the type of
stuff that I’m talking about I don’t
really know if they do right these are
also very soft question right right and
ultimately it’s okay to ask them you
if you ask over the line and you’re
being too direct yeah for selfish
reasons it’ll kind of turn them off but
it’s still not the end of the world okay
like I always think it’s better to just
ask great just ask I love it
someone says no it’s like no right like
if you’re asking for the right reason
right just that and a soft is in the
email out there and if you could work
your way up to in the meeting itself
okay so this part of a ten-part series
next up is building a brand that gets
noticed how to do that the link to watch
that videos right next to us we’ll see you there
in learning more about what you do and I
and I I’m hoping please if you will you
give me an hour of your time so I can
ask you some questions okay I had
someone who’s working my company who
said you know I’d have to be friends
with my clients and my friends media
professional not my company was not a
Fanta yeah right and and yeah there’s a
place for being professional disrude
friends but when I was able to actually
look them around like six months and
been coaching a coaching potion oh wow
no I was totally is a value to caring
about people and getting to know people
and spending time with them and all of
those things we are doing a 10 part
series on how to build a million-dollar
plus agency marketing agency with my
friend mark Drager from Fanta in this
video we are talking about this is
episode 5 if you want to watch the other
ones go back episode 5 we’re talking
about how to find the ideal customer for
your business mark what’s your advice
so first now that you’ve worked through
all those other things we talked about
you understand who you are you
understand the value drive you
understand your market you understand
your competition and everything else it
starts with knowing the certain sounds
so boring
I’m listing this all off and I’m like oh
my goodness it’s so boring it’s like
it’s really not rocket science okay it’s
what type of companies do you want to
work with okay what value can you drive
for them okay and who’s the person the
company who’s actually gonna make it to
say okay so how do I figure out what
type of company well it’s based on your
motivations and your skills okay right
like we use the example last time if you
if you love working with the local
contractor the local construction owner
okay like you know you just love tools
and so you love working with people who
work with tools okay there’s an affinity
there right you’re gonna have great
relationships great conversations and
then you work with those people okay you
want to do something that’s really
stylized that has a lot of eyes on it
then you’re gonna want to work with a
big brand or b2c company or maybe a
start-up that’s doing an app and you’re
like okay I want to get into this market
or this thing but but that sounds like
your motivations the type of company you
want to work with because you didn’t
passion and you bring skill and
what-have-you but the real thing is to
understand who in that company you’re
trying to sell to okay
who has the budget yeah who’s making the
decision who has the final word on it
and you need to meet those people okay
so a lot of us when we’re starting we
overlook things like internal
communications right we think marketing
okay right marketing means that I have
to help this business with advertising
right but there are lots of companies
who need to be better at at winning over
culture and communicating to their staff
and speaking to clients who are already
clients like through inside sales okay
so this is a great way to get in through
HR okay to get in through internal
communications if it’s a publicly traded
company through shareholder relations
okay and you can get into these places
and you can start to still do good work
okay be a little square or conservative
but you’d start to do good work you can
win over the clients because there’s
less people going after them okay and
then when you do really great work there
they were for you into marketing they’re
free and communications they were free
to outbound things so but you can only
do that if you know the type of company
you want to go after and you could know
how you are going to get in front of
them like where are they are they at
networking events are they online are
they reading certain things are they
listening to certain podcasts okay where
are they where are these people okay
you’re gonna knock on their door yeah
and then knowing that if you are gonna
go to HR communications what do they
care about
if you’re going to marketing what do
they care about if you’re going to the
business owner the entrepreneur yeah
what does she or he care about right and
and so the customer is important to know
who are these people the type of company
in the role but I keep saying what do
they care about yeah right like it’s
like that value you drive them what they
want to do what they want to accomplish
so okay so it was so from the top if I’m
looking at trying to find an ideal
customer do I start around shared
interests is that what I’m hearing you
say iíve always found that in my in my
selling style yeah which is to like try
to be friends with my clients do you
can’t care a lot about what they have to
do I find that I have a lot of shared
interests a lot of people so so the two
ways could be either one like I love
chainsaws and so I want to go work with
a change Ella company still great
jegs.com right or some other company
right Husqvarna I’m not a big fan of
them but
now if you’re watching I totally works
so but that’s one way or I love playing
hockey and there is there’s there
sitting on the bench and with somebody
who does it right all your kids are
playing hockey but their business may
not be one that I super care about maybe
maybe you just like that person right
okay so either/or
I find it’s very helpful for me to
actually be interested in the in the
industry in the business okay so so like
so like as a company we have tended for
whatever reason yeah like like I like
cars I like mechanics I like all those
things yeah
so every chance we get to work with
automotive yeah I like yeah I enjoy it
okay now my maybe my team doesn’t yeah I
don’t know yeah I love entrepreneurs so
we love working with you know the term
we use is like owner-managed or
entrepreneurial or mission-driven yeah
like because these companies that like
they have a purpose they pay homage yeah
there’s like an energy I love it
okay I like working with nonprofits
what’s she eating hey you are eating
something that you’re not supposed to
eat no I’m so used to my dog eating
everyday okay you’re gonna stay here now
okay so so if I want to get into
automotive other souza I want to go into
outer water I want to be the agency for
automotive I’m not gonna just join a
bunch of hockey teams and hope that
somebody on my bench works out
automotive no right or no okay if you
just put it out there you’d be surprised
okay great so so I want to get it over
with my strategy okay so do you want to
work for a dealer think about how many
dealers think about how many people work
in dealerships okay right and if you
know I go to church and I happen to be
like I go to church with a guy who’s
responsible for detailing and cleaning
every nissan vehicle at a Nissan
dealership ok Nissan’s owned by infinity
yeah I can get into that dealership
they’re usually dealer networks once you
get into one you can get into two once
again it’s Union 10 and then once Nissan
is doing a suddenly Volkswagen because
they hold multiple brands yeah so if
that’s my version of automotive I like I
really want to work with service centers
I really want to work with the dealers I
really want to be part of that business
yeah that can be automotive yep
automotive those also aftermarket it’s
also technology it’s also tires it’s
also
parts centers it so like like if you
like being around car people yes it is a
custom motorcycle shop that to me is
still in that world is that is a car
restoration yeah right so if if you are
looking for these people they are
everywhere okay and yeah they’re there
maybe your church or friends of friends
there maybe on Facebook but the other
thing you can do is most of these places
have dealer associations yeah if you
have if you really want to get into like
if you want to be the king of automotive
maybe take a trip and happen to go down
to Vegas when the big thing is you don’t
have to have a booth you don’t do those
things and walk the floor you know spend
the six or seven hundred bucks to try
and get there really cheap you know do a
cheap when you’re there and yeah walk
the floor and meet some people and hand
out a few cards or what-have-you but but
if you think about automotive is
everything related to aftermarket
everything related to Auto Sports so any
kind of auto racing if you think about
MX like dirt biking yeah or motorcycles
or anything related to that because I
love mechanics and I can get into it you
think about airplanes yeah do you think
about rockets like to me it all lives in
the same world I think it’s super cool
these people are everywhere and one
relationship turns into two turns into
three turns into four so what if I’m
hearing you’re right it’s figuring out
what you have a passion on that you
would love to be in that world of and
now you’re gonna bring your marketing
agency knowledge to you’re gonna start
by looking at who your current contacts
are who are in that space but then maybe
even saying to your friends hey I’m I’m
looking for people in the automotive
space for sure I want to connect with
someone because when somebody says the
owned American agency so this is the bra
this is the big big thing right yeah I
know like I like working with nonprofits
and charities okay because I like the
good work that they do
right I’m a trek to the mission I like
nervous I’m attractive the mission yeah
I like automotive because it interests
me yeah like custom furniture making I
think that’s cool like I think a lot of
working with your hands and stuff school
we happen to work with a lot of
financial institutions a lot of
insurance companies a lot of banks a lot
of pension plans a lot of unions I’m not
super passionate about that but but
we’re good at it
and we have a lot of contacts there and
we do a lot of good work there
and that kind of comes from we used to
and we still are but we used to be more
passionate about the work then about the
industry we were in so that’s another
way to look at it like like if you love
design and you love the creative process
of design I don’t know if you really
care who you’re working with if you have
the opportunity to do great design okay
right now you might want to work with
like like a drink company or you might
want to work with that I mean gosh like
there’s great they think about American
Standard
they make toilets and sinks okay level
of a design is impeccable okay all right
like like there’s great design in every
industry so if you love design then try
to find that people who love design too
if you love a certain industry you try
to find the people who have who are in
the same industries here if you love
horseback riding and you’re gonna go
hang out at the stables with other
people who happen to have money and are
into horseback riding they own
businesses maybe maybe you’re sure
connection is I like Jim Wright or
Barbara who happens to ride horses and
like like it’s it’s it there’s no right
way to go about this you just have to
find what works for you and start doing
it right and and no question that you’re
doing it wrong right like this that’s
the big thing so as I hear you so once
you identify ideally the market if
you’re going after a market then it’s
one using your current connections and
your current resources and the people
you know and telling people at your
church or hockey team or whatever and
then to try to be involved in the
organizations and the events to be
around like-minded people that’s a great
way and and then when you have that con
this is all to get to the conversation
right right once you have the
conversation think about what they want
and need okay so if you’re speaking with
a business owner they probably care
about revenue profitability they care
about lead generation all right they
want to make money
yeah if you’re speaking to someone in
communications they care
probably about not being misunderstood
about following process mm-hmm about
speaking to the the rational side of
things but also maybe some emotion if
you’re speaking to someone in marketing
they care about the brand they care
about the feeling they care about
probably still lead generation other
things you’re speaking someone in HR
they care about people all right how do
these people know this how do they
understand it how do we do health and
safety how do we recruit people how do
we keep people so there are all these
different departments they have all
these different needs and it’s always
the same
system no matter what you want to tweak
what you’re saying and how you’re
approaching it and you can ask them if
you don’t know you don’t want it don’t
don’t say what is keeping you up at
night right all right I don’t say like
what are you worried about okay
ask them what areas of their business
need help okay all right if you’re
speaking to someone in HR and they say
we really need help like we’re losing a
lot of staff turnover is really hard
there’s a problem at a marketing company
a really smart agency just better
communications you can help them with
that
right you can help them with that
challenge by recruiting that are people
that will even fix their culture by
helping them draft better copy to
recruit better people mm-hmm
potentially communicating more
internally like it might be just like go
have more of company barbecues well what
role is that of a marketing agency to
tell someone to have better company
barbecues but if that’s the problem
they’re having and even if I’m not an
event company and even if I’m not gonna
make any money off that’s the answer and
I should give them that answer because
then they can try it and then they will
trust me and then I will be a partner
and then I can help them with other
business right I’ve got an expression
called the chief goal officer oh I like
that
and you have to be the chief goal
officer if you understand their goals
and you know how you can help them yeah
this is your first part of understanding
what are their goals be the chief goal
officer first I don’t even know though
if most people know how to articulate
their goals because the goal is the
cancer and what they know is the problem
and I do this with my team okay let’s
talk about cuz you’re not gonna say hey
what are your goals and how can I help
like that’s not a great start challenges
okay so so why don’t you like three
questions how do I get this how do I get
that understand somebody’s goals with
somebody was in my market it could be an
ideal customer for me what am I asking
them so this isn’t my question and I
don’t even know if I really use this
because I was changing my wording okay
I’m talking to you but here’s the
essence of it yeah is I didn’t invent
this I heard this stuff from someone
else who’s really smart what is
something that should be easy but is it
okay in your business in your business
yeah you can ask this as a manager you
can ask us to anyone right okay well
it’s something that should just be like
really really easy to do okay but it
isn’t Yeah right that’s something that
can be fixed okay that’s one is
something holding you back from being
the company
that you should be okay yeah I don’t ask
that but I ask a bunch of questions for
it I say like what do you stand for and
okay and and what are you fighting for
and what are you fighting against or
they believe in and like I ask all these
general questions but that’s not gonna
do essence of it is is really like
what’s holding you back from being the
company you should be okay not the
company you want to be that’s
aspirational and that’s fine now the
company you are today mm-hmm the type of
company you need to be the type of
company you should be what’s holding you
back if there’s a challenge there and
that might be marketing communications
staffing operations lack of funds lack
of money it could be anything but
something is there it’s always there
yeah I think the third question and I
usually coach my clients on this that
change is hard okay so the question I
have asked my contacts is is the company
actually willing to and ready to do what
have to do to change right and you
because if I’m working with the business
owner mm-hmm then it’s actually their
team or their company or their
circumstances holding back yeah be
really hard to change yeah do you want
to lead this do you want in the next 18
months or a year or whatever it is doing
it yeah and if it’s someone mid-level or
kind of junior it’s like is or the
people above you really willing to
actually do this hmm we work with so
many people who are like on fire right
like I can’t wait to come in there and
change the company and then and they
have all these big ambitious plans and
we quote all these things out and we
plant all these things no I didn’t get
approved or it never went up or or it
gets watered down because no one really
actually wants to change okay I like to
work with companies that want to change
yeah
all right because I can help them like
please just let me help you do what like
let me do what I do and I’m gonna help
you and if I’m not helping you then
you’re you’re not gonna work with me
you’re gonna fire me
right so just let me come in and help
you please please let me help you that’s
what we do most of the time so I know it
sounds funny like I’m like begging but
but really you need to be courageous you
need to be willing to make change you
really really need to work at it so will
they do that and whatever no I like
they’re like it I’m thinking about the
process and there’s one piece that feels
missing which I want to ask you about it
so you know from the beginning I’m
thinking about what I love what
interests I love the time to work with
so I pick automotive awesome my next
step is I’m going to ask everybody in my
network
see if anybody is involved in automotive
somehow or ask if they know anybody in
automotive and I’m gonna go to any local
automotive events and try to participate
so I’m known when I have a conversation
I’m asking those three questions to
learn more about them once I found the
ideal yeah there is a middle step that
you are missing which is which is okay
so so if I’m asking the people what
their challenges are yeah
I’m assume I they have invited me in to
talk about business right right now
what if they haven’t invited means
exactly what if what if the person in my
church says yeah you should really talk
to Frank yeah I’m gonna connect the two
of you guys you have a great
conversation yeah but even bringing it
up that this is what I do
like you find a person in your church in
the community who is in that industry
and we Narmada
let’s grab coffee so so so how does that
work let’s grab coffee we should talk
but here’s why what why here’s what I do
Oh I’m super interested in what you guys
are doing okay I have a few questions
I’d really love to run by you and are
you talking about what your business is
no I’m saying that these these are the
excuses okay not excuses these are the
reasons oh okay so yeah there has to be
a reason for some of your time so I’m a
new company I’m really interested in
learning more about what you do and I
and I and I’m hoping please if you will
we give me an hour of your time so I can
ask you some questions okay so if that’s
the case then you go in and you don’t
sell them you just ask them really smart
questions and yeah
and this has happened to me by the end
they’re like wow I’ve even thought of
those things that’s great you should we
should totally get together and that’s
fine or hey we should grab coffee
because some for me because I’m very
relationship based I’m like you seem
like the type of person that I actually
want to be friends with okay I tell
people that like okay you never met
someone where you’re like this person is
pretty cool yeah I would just like to
learn more about them so just go meet
that person all right I had someone who
used to work in my company who said you
know I don’t have to be friends with my
clients I have enough friends I need a
professional to them okay I’m like not
my company was not a Fanta Yeah right
and and yeah there’s a place for being
professional please being friends but
when I was able to actually flip them
around like six months of me coaching a
coaching coaching they’re like wow okay
no there is a value like I was totally
wrong before there is a value to caring
about people and getting to know people
and spending time with them and all of
those things okay so so if you know that
Susan is that your church
you don’t really know her you kind of
know her face but she’s in the
automotive business and could be a
potential client for you walk up to
Susan and be like hi Susan it’s like at
church I think you’re gonna find her
yeah and I’d be like I feel like I just
found out that you’re in automotive yeah
I think that’s really really cool what
did what I’m sorry from famishing you
what do you do right oh cool your senior
VP of blah blah blah or whatever yeah
like that’s that’s really cool doesn’t
come out of nowhere can I take you out
for coffee okay I know this seems weird
but I’m a new company I’m getting into
this area I’m super passionate about
this stuff I’ll try and sell you
anything can I take you out for a cup of
coffee and ask you a few questions okay
all right nobody says no to that right
like if they say no to that then I would
be like okay I don’t probably isn’t
someone I want to work with that’s
awkward right sure you’re in church
right or you’re at the hockey game or
your or your wherever you are or it’s
Aunt Betty happens to be the nephew of
someone who’s this or that right that’s
how life works I love it I think the
thing the only thing is now maybe
running through people’s minds are I
don’t want to say my new company I don’t
want I’m gonna show them I’m serious
race it now totally embrace it yes but
explain why it’s so I agree but yeah
when I started my company I was six
months in and I was about to go bankrupt
and I hired a business coach and the
greatest thing that my business coach
ever said to me it was just a bit of a
confidence boost
he’s like you’re really likable guy mark
I was like I am like I kind of think I’m
a jerk and I’m very black-and-white and
I’m very blunt and he’s like no like
you’re like you’re likable like like
people like you they want to help you
they want to work with you and he said
go take this client that you just got so
at the time we got referred from a
friend into Canada’s largest bank one
tiny person at one tiny part of Canada’s
largest bank and we only got it because
of a friend gave it to me like a gift
you knew we were going bankrupt he’s
like here here’s something for you my
coach said take that person out for
lunch and explain your situation explain
you just are to your company you have a
life you have a kid who’s four months
old you really just want to help people
out is there any way that they could see
to refer you to anyone else in the
company and so I was like I was super
nervous I called them up shaking I asked
them out for lunch and they’re like yeah
we you totally grab lunch together and
then I Drive although it’s like an hour
way I Drive all the way there we’re
going out for this like Swiss Chalet
lunch you know anyway so I take them up
for lunch and I and I basically it’s
very awkward we go through the lunch
meeting and finally I say listen the
reason I want to take you out new
company right this is this is my journey
this is what I want to do with people I
would really appreciate you know forget
anyone else and I said oh we’ll see what
we can do and this and that they were
being very polite but then two weeks
later they refer me to someone named
Greg Skinner who was kind of downtown
Toronto and that person was my client
for 10 years but so you also asked a
referral in that meeting if they know
anybody but if you know that they could
do it then they were already my client
all right like I’d done one really took
everything for them and but but I went
out for lunch
I admitted where I was I try to pretend
to be anyone I also I was I still I
still had to go pitch that right person
I still had to win the business would
you do that in the first meeting with
Susan that your church we can have a
little pearl totally okay so so if I got
it you find a shared interest what you
love doing you love cars awesome now I’m
gonna ask everybody my local network who
knows somebody who’s in cars or is in
cars and we’re gonna go to every local
event around cars to be a part of the
community and expose myself to if I find
somebody I’m gonna ask them for coffee
I’m gonna say my new business I want to
pick their brain you’re not kind of
picture anything you just trying to get
to know them better because I want to
work with friends at the meeting I’m
gonna ask the three questions that we
went over we’ll show them on screen
because I forgot them but they were
great and at the end and then at the end
I’m asking if my business sounds like
anything interesting is there somebody
you know who might be a fit for what I’m
doing if you’re comfortable you can
always do that after ok like it you’re
starting relationship okay I like a
window all right so afterwards you sent
me mail say thank you so much for the
conversation I really thought about it
was really meaningful me yeah and always
gonna show up you totally changed myself
by the way if you could see clear
doesn’t refer anyone to me it would be
so much to me got it right like always
thank you right what what what is our
issue with asking people I don’t like to
ask people for stuff yeah I don’t wanna
be bothersome dude yeah so I had to get
over that yeah I didn’t I also didn’t
use the want to ask for the business
eventually you have to say are we
getting started on this project or how
much will it cost
Gregor how much is your budget or like
we have to get comfortable asking how
much will you ask in this in the meeting
itself versus – thank you email after it
depends on the way the conversation is
going but I typically I show up to these
meetings and don’t talk at all and I
just listen look listen and then I walk
out no I and then I walk out I’m like I
lost my opportunity right like someone
who’s a little bit more direct would
have said perfect now let’s talk
business
and you’re the direct guy I know I know
and and I suppose matter how hard some
people watching did I know then do it
but I watched someone do it mmm and let
me just like I know I know we’re going
really long here but I watched someone
do it once where I was sitting in a
meeting with them and we were having
this coffee and then and and literally
the person said and this is this is
someone was working for me she goes
we’re a really good company we’re just
shifting into this stuff and we’re still
figure some stuff out yeah we really
care right and everybody who’s working
with us right now is the one we care so
much about yeah cannot afford to lose
them okay and so I want to know in the
next few months how we can work together
more okay what have you got coming up
okay and I was like and they’re like oh
wow I guess we have these three or four
things you’re a talk she’s like yeah
let’s talk okay and so and and that’s
stuck with me I would never had the guts
right to do that and but you know now
I’m willing to say like what’s what’s
the worst thing they’re gonna say like
we are in if I’m asking the person out
to ask them some questions yeah I
wouldn’t do that right alright but would
you might into thank you email thank
youi know or I might even phone them up
afterwards and say I’m sorry I might be
taking too much of your time okay what I
like to do is I like to share my
intentions okay all right we just want
to help people okay might want more
clients in your industry right let us
help them right we think that the
industry is really broken and weird
right why are people wasting so much
money right right and like I I ask them
these questions that get them thinking
right and it may apply to them or may
not yeah and then by the end if if we’re
comfortable for follow-up coffee I might
say do you think I need a referral to
someone your company do you think you
would be the right person to talk to
about these types of things if we were
to make it work together do you think
your company has budget for the type of
stuff that I’m talking about I don’t
really know if they do right these are
also very soft question right right and
ultimately it’s okay to ask them you
if you ask over the line and you’re
being too direct yeah for selfish
reasons it’ll kind of turn them off but
it’s still not the end of the world okay
like I always think it’s better to just
ask great just ask I love it
someone says no it’s like no right like
if you’re asking for the right reason
right just that and a soft is in the
email out there and if you could work
your way up to in the meeting itself
okay so this part of a ten-part series
next up is building a brand that gets
noticed how to do that the link to watch
that videos right next to us we’ll see you there
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