WEBVTT
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Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
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Connections, the show where meaningful relationships
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become lasting opportunities, leadership shapes
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influence, and communication drives growth. Wow,
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I really screwed that up. Okay, I'm your host,
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Michael Foreman. When people hear the word sales,
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they often picture persuasion, pressure, or closing
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techniques. But the best sales professionals
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I've ever met have something else in common.
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They build trust. They ask better questions.
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They create confidence. And they understand that
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every sale is simply the outcome of a relationship
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that was built the right way. Today's guest brings
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a unique perspective on winning more customers,
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building business systems that create freedom,
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and making smarter decisions that lead to substantial
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growth. But beneath all of that is a bigger conversation.
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How leadership values and international, I'm
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sorry, intentional relationships shape the way
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we do business. Because great businesses aren't
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built by chasing every opportunity. They're built
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by creating systems that allow people to focus
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on what matters most, serving others well, and
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building relationships that stand the test of
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time. If you're ready to think differently about
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sales, about leadership, and the kind of business
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you really want to build, this episode is for
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you. I'd like to welcome to my podcast today,
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Mitchell. Mitchell, who is going to expand on
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everything I was just talking about, and he's
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a professional. So if you don't mind, first,
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welcome, Mitchell. Welcome to the podcast. And
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just give me, give us the cliff notes on how
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you got where you are today. Hi, Greg. Thanks
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for having me on, Michael. As I mentioned before,
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so I'm sitting in New Zealand right now for all
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your listeners out there, top of the South Island.
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so today my business is coach birds and we help
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sme businesses simply make more money and get
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more freedom in their business but how i got
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to where i am today look taking me all back when
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i was a teenager my parents they had a business
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and unfortunately they went bankrupt that affected
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me my family quite a lot and i was just sitting
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here thinking how did i why did i go into business
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after that after seeing that but i think It came
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back to really seeing how it could be done a
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better way or make sure it didn't happen to me
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and now to other people. My career, I started
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off in the bank and I got a really good grounding
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in sales in that direction. And I guess I was
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the golden boy and moved up pretty quickly through
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the bank. Selling mortgages was where it was.
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So there was sort of presentations, ways that
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we could actually sell to people there. And that
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took me through to a finance company that I started
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up. alongside a car yard. And once again, that's
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where I learned to basically implement some of
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the systems that I'd learned from other businesses
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to bring into that, but of also sales as well.
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When I was doing that finance, especially for
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the car yards, I was very good at sales, probably
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too good for my own belief system in terms of
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what we were selling in terms of some of the
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insurance products and that went with those car
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sales that quite frankly, ended up being people
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paying more for those than they would for their
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car, which maybe didn't necessarily sit right
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for me. So we had to pull that back a little.
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And then I basically, I maybe had a little bit
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of a burnout there, but took a year off my early
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retirement, as I call it. Still, I don't know,
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maybe in my 20s there. But I was able to afford
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that at that stage and went away overseas to
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Europe, came back. and i said look i don't know
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what i'm going to do but worst case scenario
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i'll be a real estate agent and of course worst
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case scenario came along and that's what i become
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so i started in real estate sales i can tell
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you the first couple of years were pretty pretty
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rough and when i say rough i was working a lot
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of hours probably those hours i was doing not
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the right things And just making probably under
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minimum wage when it worked out to be. But then
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something clicked. And from that point on, everything
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came together. I was able to become number one
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salesperson for my company in the country. I
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opened up my own real estate firm under another
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brand. I built up a team. So my team was number
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one. I was number one. We were doing things really
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right. At that point, I was working. I was working
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really hard. And then I had a family. My son
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came along and I actually saw all these other
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agents that were older than me in the position
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where I thought I would be. And they were all
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divorced, never seen their family on Christmas
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and all the rest. And I just decided then and
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there, I don't want to be that. And so I was
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able to sell that business. And I started another
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business in a completely different industry,
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which was a gym. I have no idea why I started
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there. I looked at the business model. I'd never
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been into a gym before in my life, but I was
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able to use those sales skills, use the system
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skills that I learned to actually build up that
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business in a completely unknown industry to
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me, to again, be at least the best in the region
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with multiple studios going around. And once
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again, I was able to sell that business for seven
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figures again. From my career in terms of building
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up businesses, understanding sales, which was
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probably key to be able to some of these businesses,
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get them up faster than what I thought. That's
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what led me to today, helping other people do
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the same thing. So small, medium businesses,
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service -based businesses, that's my jam. Anywhere
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up to maybe 10 million in revenue is what we're
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talking about. And that's what led us to talk
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here today, Michael. How about that? That's fantastic
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because I believe we speak the same language.
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Right. Because that's what I teach. That's what
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I coach on. I go around the country and I coach
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for the very same thing. OK, so let me get a
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few questions for you. Many people treat networking
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and sales as separate skills. Do you believe
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the best sales professionals are simply the best
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relationship builders? And why or why not? While
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they're, I guess, in the similar bucket, we can
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classify, yes, I want to do some networking on
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and sales could be slightly separate, but they
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do bring the same skill set. And when you were
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on your intro before, one of those things you
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said, they listen. And I think being a good networker
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is really listening as well, which people forget.
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They go into a room and they pull out their business
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card and they try and shake some people's hands
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and that's great. But to actually listen is building
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those connections to really be interested in
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people. And I think if you can do that in the
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networking environment, and if you can do that
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in the sales environment, whether you're one
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-to -one, be that online or in the living room
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or in the store, or one -to -many, which is a
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little bit harder when it comes to listen one
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-to -many, but it's really figuring out what
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they're saying. I believe when it comes to sales,
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Michael, Gone are the days where you're a sleazy
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salesman trying to sell something. Look, I don't
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agree with that. That's not the approach, I think,
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to winning. But I do think the approach is, one,
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listening, finding out what their needs are,
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presenting, hey, this is what I can do. So you
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do need to still ask that. So when you're networking,
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hey, Michael, great to meet you. What are you
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into? Hey, you know what? I actually am into
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the same thing. How about we connect? And that's
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the kind of sense that I'd go down in terms of
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the networking. So really listen. In the networking
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world, there's an 80 -20 rule. The other person
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speaks 80 % of the time and you speak 20 % of
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the time. A, because you're listening to what
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they have to say, but the 20 % that you are required
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to speak of, you're figuring out questions to
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ask him about his 80%. Okay, so it's always about
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the other person. It's always your listening
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skills, listening intentionally, listening intently,
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because you're thinking about what he is saying,
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not the next thing you want to talk about, but
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what he is actually saying to you. Okay, winning
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customers is often viewed as closing a deal.
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How has your definition of winning changed as
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you've grown as a business leader? First of all,
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just a story comes to mind in terms of I was
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listening to and this person was one of the best
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car salesmen in their industry and what they
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were. And someone was trying to figure out what
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is it that they're doing differently? And the
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difference that they had was when they approached
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that customer, their goal was not to close the
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deal. Their goal was to make sure that they close
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that customer's next deal, their next car. Now
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by doing that, they weren't just trying to push
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something on them today, they were just trying
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to give them the best service that they could.
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So if that particular car wasn't the one for
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them today, they sure damn right are going to
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come to them for their next sale. So I think
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that's a really good sort of mantra to go by
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that if you're just trying to close the sale
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today, great, it's exciting and all the rest.
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But you know what? If you do just a good job,
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then the sales will come. And for me personally,
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when I was heavily selling in terms of real estate,
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when that was the case, I never really chased
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the sale or the win of any particular deal. Or
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we'll go, hey, that's another 20 grand, 10 grand
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in the bank. It was always just do the job. And
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at the end of the week or at the end of the month,
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that's how much I got paid. It was never related
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to one particular sale. That's so true. And you're
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right on so many points. Everybody wants to be
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the problem solver. That's a played out term.
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Oh, I'm a problem solver. I'll solve all your
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problems. What I teach. basically is they have
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a problem here. You don't want to meet them here.
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You want to meet them here, right? So you're
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going to solve their problem and walk with them
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forward, right? So you're always with them. You're
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always helping them. You're there as an ear,
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right? If you want to listen to them. So you
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want to be a cohort. You want all of that. So
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if you're just solving the initial problem, yeah,
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it helped them, but it's not helping both of
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you. So that's what I say. Okay. The marketplace
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is filled with automation and AI. What human
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qualities still create the strongest customer
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relationships, even when technology handles much
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of the process? Okay. I like what you said at
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the end there, that technology handles the process.
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The connection, I believe, still should be a
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human connection. Okay. So I am all for systemization.
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I'm all for AI. to a point there still needs
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to be a point in your system where that human
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connection takes place i last saturday i went
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to a new burger joint in town and hey i turned
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up there and it was busy there are lots of seats
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and everything and that there was a little window
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to the kitchen but there was no counter even
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and i'm like oh this is unique there was a little
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ipad thing and i just went up to the ipad i ordered
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my burger and i thought oh okay everyone looks
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happy there's cold it's pretty systemized there's
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no people to stuff things up but then i thought
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oh it probably would have been nice just to ask
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someone about hey what do i think is a good or
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best now in the end with that process a human
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being brought that burger to my table I guess
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there could have been a robot for that nowadays,
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but she had a smile on her face. She said, hey,
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thanks for coming, really enjoy these burgers.
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She made the difference to that experience as
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well. So they had it systemized. The burgers
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were amazing, but it wasn't totally, I think
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that last touch that came involved made me feel
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good. So I think with any business, yep, definitely
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systemize it, as they probably did. The human
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interaction is what's going to trump anything.
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I don't want to be sitting here on this podcast
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speaking to an AI. I want to be speaking to you,
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Michael. You're more interesting. I'd like to
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think so anyway. You have to realize we're human
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beings, right? Human beings have a need to reach
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out and touch another human being. If in that
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whole automated process, if there was somebody
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in the beginning of the order, as well as the
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end of the order, it may have made your time
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there spent a little bit better. Because you
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can ask a question, how do you like this? Or
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is that really this? You can't ask all those
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questions. You have to just read it and accept
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it. It could have been that there could have
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been one person that greeted people at the door
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to answer the questions floating around the room.
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That could have been something as well. Instead
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of just taking my order, just some presence that
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there is some staff around here. Okay. You help
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businesses build systems that create more freedom.
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How do strong systems actually allow leaders
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to become more present in their relationships
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instead of more distant? so first of all i just
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want to qualify what more freedom is because
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some people just think freedom is more time and
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maybe yes it could be but in terms of your business
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i really think it's allowing the business to
00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:56.600
rely on you less is what freedom is okay having
00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:59.000
that choice to turn up to the office and all
00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:04.149
the rest now when you've got less choices to
00:15:04.149 --> 00:15:07.570
make less decisions to make it can actually mean
00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:10.370
that you're actually more present with your team
00:15:10.370 --> 00:15:13.750
it can mean that you can choose to be more present
00:15:13.750 --> 00:15:17.049
with customers and actually allow that communication
00:15:17.049 --> 00:15:20.049
allow yourself to look into the business and
00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:23.269
go how can we improve that like we just talked
00:15:23.269 --> 00:15:25.429
about that you know burger business before we
00:15:25.429 --> 00:15:27.090
can sit there and actually have a look and go
00:15:27.090 --> 00:15:30.159
what can we do differently By building these
00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:33.539
systems into your business, likes of your automation
00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:37.600
and your AI to free things up, once we do that
00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:40.759
and look at the processes in place, it is one
00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:42.519
less thing that you need to do as a business
00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:46.220
owner. When you delegate to your team and have
00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:48.460
the right team and they have the authority to
00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:50.840
make those decisions that you've put the guardrails
00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:53.519
in place to be able to do, it's another thing
00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.820
that you need to think about less. It is early
00:15:56.820 --> 00:15:59.419
here, but I've still read some news today. And
00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:02.100
one of those articles was about decision making.
00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.559
And they were saying from some study, less decisions
00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:10.659
are better for us in our brain for whatever reason.
00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:12.240
I can't quote the study. It was something I read
00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:15.379
this morning. And someone said, I used to buy
00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:19.559
30 t -shirts of the same color because I liked
00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:23.820
them. I thought that was great. Each morning,
00:16:23.860 --> 00:16:25.919
it's just another decision that he had to make.
00:16:27.139 --> 00:16:30.919
And the study proved that when people have less
00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.639
to choose from, they ordered more. This was in
00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.379
terms of, I think it was still clothing related,
00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:39.320
but it got me thinking maybe that's the same
00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:41.139
with restaurants as well. I go into a restaurant
00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:43.379
and there's 50 million things on the menu. I
00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:45.440
can't decide. Just give me a smaller menu maybe.
00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:50.100
That would be very true. Yeah, so I guess. Coming
00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:51.899
back to that business owner and that freedom
00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:53.639
and stuff, the less decisions that you have to
00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:57.419
make in the day, the better. I believe Jeff Bezos
00:16:57.419 --> 00:17:00.320
was his business in Amazon. He just expects his
00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:02.679
top executives just to make that one decision
00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:05.460
that's needed, usually in the morning, any more
00:17:05.460 --> 00:17:08.279
than that, and it's too much. And so if you can
00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:10.940
get your business to a space where it is systemized,
00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:14.799
where you have more freedom, then you can either
00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.640
make better decisions or connect. connect more
00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.059
and this is don't get me wrong we're talking
00:17:21.059 --> 00:17:23.200
about big business here with those one decisions
00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:27.799
a day but the same can be done with sma businesses
00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:31.420
and whatever you're doing yeah that's very true
00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:35.619
i'm a former restaurant owner and i can tell
00:17:35.619 --> 00:17:39.960
you that when you have a menu with 50 items or
00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:44.059
you have a single menu front and back with items
00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:47.809
There's no question about it. The smaller menu
00:17:47.809 --> 00:17:51.670
wins because they will order more off the smaller
00:17:51.670 --> 00:17:54.730
menu than off the larger menu. Oh, my theory
00:17:54.730 --> 00:17:58.690
was right. How about that? Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:01.809
And people with less choices, some people say,
00:18:01.930 --> 00:18:04.269
that's it. That's all you got. But you know what?
00:18:04.430 --> 00:18:06.559
They'll sit there and they'll pick. They'll pick
00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.160
the main course. They'll pick the appetizer,
00:18:09.220 --> 00:18:12.359
the dessert, a drink, and everything else. Whereas
00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:15.099
for the bigger menu, they may not order all that.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:18.819
So it goes without saying. And I learned something
00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:22.640
from my mom a long time ago. She was a director
00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:26.660
in a big housing authority. And she ran that
00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:30.599
office so well that if she went on vacation for
00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:35.059
a week, it would still go on. Right. So she would
00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:36.740
have that running so well. She would have to
00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:38.480
come back and take care of problems, of course.
00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:41.880
But she wouldn't have to worry about leaving
00:18:41.880 --> 00:18:44.799
for a certain amount of time. If I left and my
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.799
small business would stop, you have to make it
00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.700
at that point. So that's a very good point that
00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:53.099
you were making. And I just wanted to say that
00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:55.460
I have lived through everything that you're talking
00:18:55.460 --> 00:18:59.000
about. So it's absolutely correct. One of our
00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.579
challenges for our boardroom members is actually
00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:06.299
the 100 -day challenge, which is to take 100
00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:10.720
days off and come back to a business that is
00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.619
still running and flourishing, like growing and
00:19:14.619 --> 00:19:18.220
the rest. So I love that challenge. It's scary.
00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:22.339
Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is. I can imagine. But
00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:27.450
it's doable, yeah. Okay. Okay, we'll see about
00:19:27.450 --> 00:19:30.970
that. When you meet a business owner, what behaviors
00:19:30.970 --> 00:19:34.029
immediately tell you that they're building a
00:19:34.029 --> 00:19:40.730
business around values rather than just chasing
00:19:40.730 --> 00:19:44.150
revenue? First of all, I love the fact that someone's
00:19:44.150 --> 00:19:47.549
building it around values rather than just chasing
00:19:47.549 --> 00:19:52.430
it. I really respect that. I was in Wellington
00:19:52.430 --> 00:19:54.819
last week. So it's the capital of New Zealand
00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:58.779
and they've got a beautiful waterfront. And it
00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:00.720
was early in the morning. We're walking along
00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.420
the pier and I was really hanging out for a coffee.
00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:06.460
And it's the first coffee shop that came along
00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:09.119
into the building. I went in there and I looked
00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:10.700
at their cups and everything on there. And he
00:20:10.700 --> 00:20:12.200
goes, oh, I said, oh, have you got a takeaway
00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:15.339
cup? And he's like, oh, we've got the recyclable
00:20:15.339 --> 00:20:18.920
ones there on the wall that you can use and you
00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:21.470
need to bring them back. And I said, oh, that's
00:20:21.470 --> 00:20:23.349
not going to work for me because I'm out of town.
00:20:23.410 --> 00:20:25.049
I'm heading that way. I'm not going to be coming
00:20:25.049 --> 00:20:28.009
back here. And he's like, sorry. You know what?
00:20:28.849 --> 00:20:30.930
Didn't really annoy me. I actually respected
00:20:30.930 --> 00:20:34.569
his values for doing it. Whether it's a smart
00:20:34.569 --> 00:20:37.450
business financial decision, maybe not. Who knows
00:20:37.450 --> 00:20:39.630
in the long run, you may have the built up of
00:20:39.630 --> 00:20:42.150
those customers. But I can tell you that business
00:20:42.150 --> 00:20:45.130
owner that I met just then, values were key to
00:20:45.130 --> 00:20:48.720
him. okay yeah yeah and that would be detrimental
00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:52.539
for me i'm an avid coffee drinker and if they
00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:56.319
don't have a to -go cup as we would say it then
00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.339
it gets me in my hands i need coffee i need something
00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:03.400
and if they said sorry i would be very upset
00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:05.839
so you took it a lot better than what i would
00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:08.000
have taken it you know what i just from that
00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.680
question i respected that he put his values above
00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:14.880
everything what you will find though is People
00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.140
that do have the right values, especially when
00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:21.000
it comes to maybe selling, that they don't promise
00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:25.619
just plain out lie. There are some people out
00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:27.460
there that will just do anything for a sale.
00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:31.039
I don't respect that one bit. I believe that
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:33.099
if you do the right job, it'll come back. And
00:21:33.099 --> 00:21:35.140
as we were saying before, even if you don't sell
00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:38.240
them on that day, it'll come back to you. They
00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.660
will, their friends will, whoever else. That's
00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:43.839
true. If you're operating with a servant's heart,
00:21:44.410 --> 00:21:47.089
and you're trying to make it better for everybody
00:21:47.089 --> 00:21:49.730
else, there's no doubt that they'll come back
00:21:49.730 --> 00:21:52.630
or the majority of people will come back. Leadership
00:21:52.630 --> 00:21:57.309
requires making difficult decisions. How do your
00:21:57.309 --> 00:22:01.410
personal values guide you through when growth
00:22:01.410 --> 00:22:04.269
and integrity seem to pull in different directions?
00:22:05.069 --> 00:22:08.490
I guess in terms of that value, okay, coming
00:22:08.490 --> 00:22:11.190
back in integrity, that is something that, you
00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:14.589
know, I like to play by the rules. and i would
00:22:14.589 --> 00:22:16.569
like to think that there's a whole lot of integrity
00:22:16.569 --> 00:22:19.210
that becomes behind it you know how i told you
00:22:19.210 --> 00:22:21.250
that story this is many years ago when i worked
00:22:21.250 --> 00:22:24.069
at the the doing the finance for the cars okay
00:22:24.069 --> 00:22:27.109
and i could get the finance i remember getting
00:22:27.109 --> 00:22:30.369
finance for someone and the deal at the time
00:22:30.369 --> 00:22:32.049
was probably going to put five thousand dollars
00:22:32.049 --> 00:22:34.970
in my pocket which was pretty big at that time
00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:38.769
for one deal but it was like a younger couple
00:22:38.769 --> 00:22:43.930
they were buying a car that was Just a racy car
00:22:43.930 --> 00:22:46.390
that you knew they were going to crash and all
00:22:46.390 --> 00:22:49.089
this kind of stuff. Their jobs weren't that great,
00:22:49.170 --> 00:22:52.849
but I was able to do my job to get that finance.
00:22:54.630 --> 00:22:58.329
But I had to sit there and I said, before we
00:22:58.329 --> 00:23:01.730
sign the paperwork, I pushed it aside. And without
00:23:01.730 --> 00:23:05.589
the boss or anyone knowing, I said, look, we
00:23:05.589 --> 00:23:08.150
can actually do this. All we need to do is sign
00:23:08.150 --> 00:23:12.240
this paperwork. However. I strongly recommend
00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:16.319
you do not do this. This is way too expensive
00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:20.680
for you guys, and you will regret it after the
00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:26.079
case. That was something that I validated at
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.880
the time. All the way back then, I would have
00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:29.599
been young. I'll tell you what, though. They
00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:32.599
still signed it. Okay. That was my question.
00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:35.579
That was my next question. Did they buy the car?
00:23:38.260 --> 00:23:40.900
Okay. You can bring a horse to water, but you
00:23:40.900 --> 00:23:42.880
can't make him drink. Yeah. But at least I did
00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.940
the right thing. Okay. So you need to put some
00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:46.720
values in there. And like I said, it doesn't
00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.480
mean you're going to lose anything. They could
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.440
have told 10 friends, you know what? Hey, this
00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:53.779
guy was really good to us. And, or it could have
00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:56.799
been slightly. So the money shouldn't be the
00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.039
goal. The helping people should be the goal.
00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:03.579
The thing is the people in this world, these
00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:08.420
people that help. More people make more money.
00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:13.200
Absolutely. That's what it comes down to. Yep.
00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:16.240
As a business becomes more efficient through
00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:20.019
technology, do you think empathy, curiosity,
00:24:20.099 --> 00:24:24.039
and emotional intelligence will become even more
00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:30.799
valuable, and why? Yes. Look, as technology is
00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.410
taking over, So many things, okay? And we're
00:24:34.410 --> 00:24:36.670
saying, look, technology is not going to be taking
00:24:36.670 --> 00:24:39.269
over trades jobs. And then I look on my feed
00:24:39.269 --> 00:24:42.309
yesterday and there was some robot doing some
00:24:42.309 --> 00:24:44.589
manual labor work and I thought, oh my gosh.
00:24:44.750 --> 00:24:47.890
But when it comes down to it, that empathy, what
00:24:47.890 --> 00:24:50.569
we have as human beings, we need to be the director
00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:53.950
of these things, okay? And so it is going to
00:24:53.950 --> 00:24:57.470
be more and more important to do this as some
00:24:57.470 --> 00:25:00.380
of these... skills, some of these jobs, some
00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:03.759
of these tasks that traditionally we would have
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:09.180
had to do are getting taken over by these tools.
00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:12.480
But it's happened throughout all the case. We
00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:15.180
went from fax machine to email and then the internet.
00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.339
Can you imagine life without the internet now?
00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:21.079
I will tell you, we would not be having this
00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:24.160
conversation. So it has opened up opportunities
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:27.670
as well. So I do believe that there'll just be
00:25:27.670 --> 00:25:29.809
more opportunities. We do need to stay aware
00:25:29.809 --> 00:25:32.990
and conscious of what they could be and just
00:25:32.990 --> 00:25:35.549
go towards those opportunities. But look, these
00:25:35.549 --> 00:25:38.470
are tools. They're better tools in some case.
00:25:38.690 --> 00:25:43.130
So use them. But of course, okay, if we are using
00:25:43.130 --> 00:25:45.049
these tools, what does the future look like and
00:25:45.049 --> 00:25:47.170
how are we going to use them ourselves? And if
00:25:47.170 --> 00:25:50.809
you look at AI just as a tool in your toolbox,
00:25:51.250 --> 00:25:54.930
then you'll be fine. Just like when the car...
00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:58.380
first came around and yet all the horses and
00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:01.960
all the everybody shooing the horses, all those
00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:05.000
people lost their jobs when the car came around,
00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:08.200
but then they created different jobs. You have
00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:10.880
to look at it that way. Okay, so let's bring
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:14.480
this podcast full circle. If a listener wanted
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:17.319
to build a business that created both financial
00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:21.039
success and a lasting reputation over the next
00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:24.640
decade. What daily habit would you tell them
00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:29.759
to develop first? First of all is actually creating
00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:34.799
those habits and doing them. A lot of business
00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:39.420
success comes from doing the boring stuff consistently.
00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:45.759
Habits are key. Motivation, mindset is great.
00:26:45.819 --> 00:26:49.859
We need that to kick us off. But motivation is
00:26:49.859 --> 00:26:53.180
only going to take us so far. Okay, you're going
00:26:53.180 --> 00:26:54.839
to wake up in the morning one day and you're
00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:58.019
like, oh my gosh, not again. Or, oh, I'm just
00:26:58.019 --> 00:27:01.940
not feeling it today. But if we have the habits
00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:04.660
in place, and these habits are going to be different
00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:08.720
for different businesses. For example, one habit
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:11.680
could be for some kind of business is to make
00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:14.920
networking you talked about. So it could be,
00:27:14.920 --> 00:27:17.900
you know what, I'm going to reach out to at least
00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:22.779
one new person a day to network with them. As
00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:26.960
an example. So that could be a habit. But I just
00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.099
want to hone down that point, that consistency
00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:33.779
of that habit is what actually matters most.
00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:38.579
That it's not just one and done. Do that year
00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:42.039
upon year, build those year upon year. I spoke
00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:44.819
about this morning in a Chamber of Commerce meeting,
00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:49.660
consistency and persistence. Two big factors
00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:53.160
that you have to, once you get that down, once
00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:56.480
you are consistent in your message and you're
00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:01.079
persistent until the person says no, but consistency
00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:04.799
and persistence will get you through so much
00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:07.440
before you get bogged down with something else.
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:10.369
Mitchell, I gotta tell you, you're a great. You're
00:28:10.369 --> 00:28:13.630
a great guest. You answered everything. You expanded
00:28:13.630 --> 00:28:16.470
on everything. I loved listening to your stories.
00:28:16.809 --> 00:28:19.890
If somebody wanted to get hold of you, wanted
00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:22.069
to be mentored by you, buy something from you,
00:28:22.170 --> 00:28:25.250
or just call you to say hi, what's the best way
00:28:25.250 --> 00:28:28.220
for them to get hold of you? Hey, look, you're
00:28:28.220 --> 00:28:30.420
going to find all our details at coachbirds,
00:28:30.579 --> 00:28:34.299
all one word, so coachbirds .com. We do offer
00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:36.940
a free breakthrough session. We'll have a chat
00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:39.220
together and really just figure out whether we
00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:42.200
can help or how we can help. If not, we'll definitely
00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:43.640
point you in the right direction as well. So
00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:46.460
coachbirds .com, it's going to have everything,
00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:49.660
free tools and links to LinkedIn and all the
00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:53.359
rest of that as well. Perfect. Perfect. Today's
00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:56.140
conversation reminds us that business growth
00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:58.960
isn't about getting more customers. It's about
00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:02.160
becoming the kind of leader people want to follow,
00:29:02.299 --> 00:29:05.140
the kind of company that people want to work
00:29:05.140 --> 00:29:08.200
with, and the kind of professional people that
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:11.210
they're proud to recommend. The best systems
00:29:11.210 --> 00:29:14.470
don't replace relationships. They protect them.
00:29:14.630 --> 00:29:17.789
They create the freedom to listen more closely,
00:29:18.049 --> 00:29:21.190
serve more consistently, and spend more time
00:29:21.190 --> 00:29:24.609
with people that matter most. Here's your challenge
00:29:24.609 --> 00:29:28.069
this week. Don't just ask yourself, how can you
00:29:28.069 --> 00:29:33.109
make your business more efficient? Ask yourself,
00:29:33.369 --> 00:29:36.690
does this create a better experience for the
00:29:36.690 --> 00:29:40.299
people I serve? because the strongest systems
00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:43.519
are built around people, not just processes.
00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:46.259
If you found value in today's episode, make sure
00:29:46.259 --> 00:29:48.759
you like, subscribe to Network Unleashed, building
00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:51.640
profitable connections so you continue getting
00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:54.740
practical insights on networking, communication,
00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:57.680
leadership, and business growth. And if this
00:29:57.680 --> 00:30:00.279
conversation challenged you the way you think
00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:03.079
about sales and success, share it with a business
00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.359
owner, a sales leader, or entrepreneur in your
00:30:06.359 --> 00:30:08.880
network. If you're looking for a keynote speaker,
00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:12.420
executive communication coach, or workshop leader
00:30:12.420 --> 00:30:14.960
to help you organize, strengthen communication,
00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:19.259
build trust faster, and turn conversations into
00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:23.579
a measurable business result, visit michaelaforman
00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:27.599
.com. So until next time, remember this, the
00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:30.819
strongest businesses don't win because they have
00:30:30.819 --> 00:30:34.329
the best pitch. They win because they build trust,
00:30:34.509 --> 00:30:37.369
lead with integrity, and create relationships
00:30:37.369 --> 00:30:41.069
that people choose to return again and again.
00:30:41.490 --> 00:30:44.210
Mitchell, I want to thank you again. You're just
00:30:44.210 --> 00:30:46.950
a great guest on the podcast. Thanks very much,
00:30:46.950 --> 00:30:51.309
Michael. A huge thank you to our guests for sharing
00:30:51.309 --> 00:30:54.549
such incredible insights today. And of course,
00:30:54.549 --> 00:30:57.490
a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners,
00:30:57.710 --> 00:31:00.390
for tuning in and spending your time with us.
00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:03.960
If you're interested in my digital courses, being
00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:06.700
coached or having me come and talk to your company,
00:31:06.940 --> 00:31:10.380
just go to Michael and fill out the request form.
00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.200
Remember, networking isn't about being perfect.
00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:17.480
It's about being present. So take what you've
00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:20.319
learned today, get out there and make some meaningful
00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:23.259
connections. If you've enjoyed this episode,
00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:26.400
please don't forget to subscribe. Leave us a
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:29.029
review. and share it with someone who could use
00:31:29.029 --> 00:31:32.150
a little networking inspiration. Let's keep the
00:31:32.150 --> 00:31:35.150
conversation going. You can find me on Apple,
00:31:35.289 --> 00:31:40.109
Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or my website, foreman
00:31:40.109 --> 00:31:42.529
.com slash podcasts.
00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:18.199
Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
00:00:18.199 --> 00:00:21.260
Connections, the show where meaningful relationships
00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:26.519
become lasting opportunities, leadership shapes
00:00:26.519 --> 00:00:30.859
influence, and communication drives growth. Wow,
00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:33.380
I really screwed that up. Okay, I'm your host,
00:00:33.539 --> 00:00:37.100
Michael Foreman. When people hear the word sales,
00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:41.460
they often picture persuasion, pressure, or closing
00:00:41.460 --> 00:00:45.210
techniques. But the best sales professionals
00:00:45.210 --> 00:00:48.450
I've ever met have something else in common.
00:00:48.609 --> 00:00:52.229
They build trust. They ask better questions.
00:00:52.369 --> 00:00:55.869
They create confidence. And they understand that
00:00:55.869 --> 00:00:59.049
every sale is simply the outcome of a relationship
00:00:59.049 --> 00:01:02.649
that was built the right way. Today's guest brings
00:01:02.649 --> 00:01:05.590
a unique perspective on winning more customers,
00:01:05.909 --> 00:01:09.250
building business systems that create freedom,
00:01:09.329 --> 00:01:12.750
and making smarter decisions that lead to substantial
00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:16.189
growth. But beneath all of that is a bigger conversation.
00:01:16.430 --> 00:01:20.090
How leadership values and international, I'm
00:01:20.090 --> 00:01:23.969
sorry, intentional relationships shape the way
00:01:23.969 --> 00:01:28.069
we do business. Because great businesses aren't
00:01:28.069 --> 00:01:31.260
built by chasing every opportunity. They're built
00:01:31.260 --> 00:01:34.359
by creating systems that allow people to focus
00:01:34.359 --> 00:01:38.219
on what matters most, serving others well, and
00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:41.019
building relationships that stand the test of
00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:43.840
time. If you're ready to think differently about
00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:46.920
sales, about leadership, and the kind of business
00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:49.799
you really want to build, this episode is for
00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:52.819
you. I'd like to welcome to my podcast today,
00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:56.379
Mitchell. Mitchell, who is going to expand on
00:01:56.379 --> 00:01:58.980
everything I was just talking about, and he's
00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:01.439
a professional. So if you don't mind, first,
00:02:01.659 --> 00:02:04.420
welcome, Mitchell. Welcome to the podcast. And
00:02:04.420 --> 00:02:08.039
just give me, give us the cliff notes on how
00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:10.740
you got where you are today. Hi, Greg. Thanks
00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:12.860
for having me on, Michael. As I mentioned before,
00:02:12.979 --> 00:02:15.479
so I'm sitting in New Zealand right now for all
00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:17.419
your listeners out there, top of the South Island.
00:02:18.139 --> 00:02:21.120
so today my business is coach birds and we help
00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:25.340
sme businesses simply make more money and get
00:02:25.340 --> 00:02:28.419
more freedom in their business but how i got
00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:32.479
to where i am today look taking me all back when
00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:34.879
i was a teenager my parents they had a business
00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:38.240
and unfortunately they went bankrupt that affected
00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:41.199
me my family quite a lot and i was just sitting
00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:43.840
here thinking how did i why did i go into business
00:02:43.840 --> 00:02:47.439
after that after seeing that but i think It came
00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.680
back to really seeing how it could be done a
00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:53.259
better way or make sure it didn't happen to me
00:02:53.259 --> 00:02:56.479
and now to other people. My career, I started
00:02:56.479 --> 00:02:59.139
off in the bank and I got a really good grounding
00:02:59.139 --> 00:03:02.340
in sales in that direction. And I guess I was
00:03:02.340 --> 00:03:04.199
the golden boy and moved up pretty quickly through
00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:07.060
the bank. Selling mortgages was where it was.
00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:09.400
So there was sort of presentations, ways that
00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.219
we could actually sell to people there. And that
00:03:12.219 --> 00:03:14.780
took me through to a finance company that I started
00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:18.819
up. alongside a car yard. And once again, that's
00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:22.139
where I learned to basically implement some of
00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:25.080
the systems that I'd learned from other businesses
00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.219
to bring into that, but of also sales as well.
00:03:28.699 --> 00:03:31.180
When I was doing that finance, especially for
00:03:31.180 --> 00:03:34.599
the car yards, I was very good at sales, probably
00:03:34.599 --> 00:03:37.860
too good for my own belief system in terms of
00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:40.080
what we were selling in terms of some of the
00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:42.800
insurance products and that went with those car
00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:46.810
sales that quite frankly, ended up being people
00:03:46.810 --> 00:03:48.770
paying more for those than they would for their
00:03:48.770 --> 00:03:51.289
car, which maybe didn't necessarily sit right
00:03:51.289 --> 00:03:53.949
for me. So we had to pull that back a little.
00:03:54.069 --> 00:03:57.830
And then I basically, I maybe had a little bit
00:03:57.830 --> 00:04:00.530
of a burnout there, but took a year off my early
00:04:00.530 --> 00:04:03.289
retirement, as I call it. Still, I don't know,
00:04:03.310 --> 00:04:05.949
maybe in my 20s there. But I was able to afford
00:04:05.949 --> 00:04:09.430
that at that stage and went away overseas to
00:04:09.430 --> 00:04:12.710
Europe, came back. and i said look i don't know
00:04:12.710 --> 00:04:14.509
what i'm going to do but worst case scenario
00:04:14.509 --> 00:04:18.389
i'll be a real estate agent and of course worst
00:04:18.389 --> 00:04:20.990
case scenario came along and that's what i become
00:04:20.990 --> 00:04:24.829
so i started in real estate sales i can tell
00:04:24.829 --> 00:04:27.170
you the first couple of years were pretty pretty
00:04:27.170 --> 00:04:30.569
rough and when i say rough i was working a lot
00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:34.329
of hours probably those hours i was doing not
00:04:34.329 --> 00:04:39.379
the right things And just making probably under
00:04:39.379 --> 00:04:42.120
minimum wage when it worked out to be. But then
00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:46.660
something clicked. And from that point on, everything
00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:50.240
came together. I was able to become number one
00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.839
salesperson for my company in the country. I
00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:57.560
opened up my own real estate firm under another
00:04:57.560 --> 00:05:00.420
brand. I built up a team. So my team was number
00:05:00.420 --> 00:05:03.120
one. I was number one. We were doing things really
00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.279
right. At that point, I was working. I was working
00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:11.259
really hard. And then I had a family. My son
00:05:11.259 --> 00:05:14.220
came along and I actually saw all these other
00:05:14.220 --> 00:05:17.000
agents that were older than me in the position
00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.000
where I thought I would be. And they were all
00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:22.180
divorced, never seen their family on Christmas
00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:24.120
and all the rest. And I just decided then and
00:05:24.120 --> 00:05:27.579
there, I don't want to be that. And so I was
00:05:27.579 --> 00:05:29.899
able to sell that business. And I started another
00:05:29.899 --> 00:05:32.040
business in a completely different industry,
00:05:32.139 --> 00:05:35.139
which was a gym. I have no idea why I started
00:05:35.139 --> 00:05:37.199
there. I looked at the business model. I'd never
00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:39.620
been into a gym before in my life, but I was
00:05:39.620 --> 00:05:43.500
able to use those sales skills, use the system
00:05:43.500 --> 00:05:45.420
skills that I learned to actually build up that
00:05:45.420 --> 00:05:47.500
business in a completely unknown industry to
00:05:47.500 --> 00:05:50.639
me, to again, be at least the best in the region
00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:52.819
with multiple studios going around. And once
00:05:52.819 --> 00:05:55.240
again, I was able to sell that business for seven
00:05:55.240 --> 00:05:58.879
figures again. From my career in terms of building
00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:02.259
up businesses, understanding sales, which was
00:06:02.259 --> 00:06:04.100
probably key to be able to some of these businesses,
00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:06.240
get them up faster than what I thought. That's
00:06:06.240 --> 00:06:09.279
what led me to today, helping other people do
00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:11.600
the same thing. So small, medium businesses,
00:06:11.980 --> 00:06:14.759
service -based businesses, that's my jam. Anywhere
00:06:14.759 --> 00:06:17.759
up to maybe 10 million in revenue is what we're
00:06:17.759 --> 00:06:20.240
talking about. And that's what led us to talk
00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:24.879
here today, Michael. How about that? That's fantastic
00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:27.819
because I believe we speak the same language.
00:06:28.439 --> 00:06:31.100
Right. Because that's what I teach. That's what
00:06:31.100 --> 00:06:34.899
I coach on. I go around the country and I coach
00:06:34.899 --> 00:06:37.240
for the very same thing. OK, so let me get a
00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:40.680
few questions for you. Many people treat networking
00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:44.639
and sales as separate skills. Do you believe
00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.779
the best sales professionals are simply the best
00:06:47.779 --> 00:06:53.410
relationship builders? And why or why not? While
00:06:53.410 --> 00:06:56.230
they're, I guess, in the similar bucket, we can
00:06:56.230 --> 00:06:58.389
classify, yes, I want to do some networking on
00:06:58.389 --> 00:07:01.110
and sales could be slightly separate, but they
00:07:01.110 --> 00:07:04.389
do bring the same skill set. And when you were
00:07:04.389 --> 00:07:06.709
on your intro before, one of those things you
00:07:06.709 --> 00:07:11.589
said, they listen. And I think being a good networker
00:07:11.589 --> 00:07:14.970
is really listening as well, which people forget.
00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:18.829
They go into a room and they pull out their business
00:07:18.829 --> 00:07:20.910
card and they try and shake some people's hands
00:07:20.910 --> 00:07:24.910
and that's great. But to actually listen is building
00:07:24.910 --> 00:07:27.269
those connections to really be interested in
00:07:27.269 --> 00:07:29.550
people. And I think if you can do that in the
00:07:29.550 --> 00:07:32.110
networking environment, and if you can do that
00:07:32.110 --> 00:07:35.589
in the sales environment, whether you're one
00:07:35.589 --> 00:07:38.170
-to -one, be that online or in the living room
00:07:38.170 --> 00:07:42.709
or in the store, or one -to -many, which is a
00:07:42.709 --> 00:07:44.269
little bit harder when it comes to listen one
00:07:44.269 --> 00:07:46.649
-to -many, but it's really figuring out what
00:07:46.649 --> 00:07:50.209
they're saying. I believe when it comes to sales,
00:07:50.290 --> 00:07:53.600
Michael, Gone are the days where you're a sleazy
00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:57.519
salesman trying to sell something. Look, I don't
00:07:57.519 --> 00:07:59.740
agree with that. That's not the approach, I think,
00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:02.860
to winning. But I do think the approach is, one,
00:08:02.899 --> 00:08:04.759
listening, finding out what their needs are,
00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:09.879
presenting, hey, this is what I can do. So you
00:08:09.879 --> 00:08:11.920
do need to still ask that. So when you're networking,
00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.759
hey, Michael, great to meet you. What are you
00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:17.100
into? Hey, you know what? I actually am into
00:08:17.100 --> 00:08:19.930
the same thing. How about we connect? And that's
00:08:19.930 --> 00:08:22.410
the kind of sense that I'd go down in terms of
00:08:22.410 --> 00:08:26.189
the networking. So really listen. In the networking
00:08:26.189 --> 00:08:30.490
world, there's an 80 -20 rule. The other person
00:08:30.490 --> 00:08:34.169
speaks 80 % of the time and you speak 20 % of
00:08:34.169 --> 00:08:36.970
the time. A, because you're listening to what
00:08:36.970 --> 00:08:41.070
they have to say, but the 20 % that you are required
00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:45.509
to speak of, you're figuring out questions to
00:08:45.509 --> 00:08:50.720
ask him about his 80%. Okay, so it's always about
00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.279
the other person. It's always your listening
00:08:53.279 --> 00:08:57.259
skills, listening intentionally, listening intently,
00:08:57.379 --> 00:09:00.399
because you're thinking about what he is saying,
00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:03.379
not the next thing you want to talk about, but
00:09:03.379 --> 00:09:07.559
what he is actually saying to you. Okay, winning
00:09:07.559 --> 00:09:10.879
customers is often viewed as closing a deal.
00:09:11.480 --> 00:09:15.919
How has your definition of winning changed as
00:09:15.919 --> 00:09:21.090
you've grown as a business leader? First of all,
00:09:21.149 --> 00:09:24.570
just a story comes to mind in terms of I was
00:09:24.570 --> 00:09:28.629
listening to and this person was one of the best
00:09:28.629 --> 00:09:32.950
car salesmen in their industry and what they
00:09:32.950 --> 00:09:35.950
were. And someone was trying to figure out what
00:09:35.950 --> 00:09:39.750
is it that they're doing differently? And the
00:09:39.750 --> 00:09:43.070
difference that they had was when they approached
00:09:43.070 --> 00:09:46.830
that customer, their goal was not to close the
00:09:46.830 --> 00:09:51.230
deal. Their goal was to make sure that they close
00:09:51.230 --> 00:09:55.190
that customer's next deal, their next car. Now
00:09:55.190 --> 00:09:57.570
by doing that, they weren't just trying to push
00:09:57.570 --> 00:10:00.350
something on them today, they were just trying
00:10:00.350 --> 00:10:02.509
to give them the best service that they could.
00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:06.750
So if that particular car wasn't the one for
00:10:06.750 --> 00:10:09.210
them today, they sure damn right are going to
00:10:09.210 --> 00:10:12.659
come to them for their next sale. So I think
00:10:12.659 --> 00:10:14.700
that's a really good sort of mantra to go by
00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:17.960
that if you're just trying to close the sale
00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:19.700
today, great, it's exciting and all the rest.
00:10:19.820 --> 00:10:22.679
But you know what? If you do just a good job,
00:10:22.879 --> 00:10:26.559
then the sales will come. And for me personally,
00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:29.419
when I was heavily selling in terms of real estate,
00:10:29.500 --> 00:10:33.139
when that was the case, I never really chased
00:10:33.139 --> 00:10:36.440
the sale or the win of any particular deal. Or
00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:38.960
we'll go, hey, that's another 20 grand, 10 grand
00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:43.019
in the bank. It was always just do the job. And
00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:45.139
at the end of the week or at the end of the month,
00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:47.679
that's how much I got paid. It was never related
00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:51.360
to one particular sale. That's so true. And you're
00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:54.539
right on so many points. Everybody wants to be
00:10:54.539 --> 00:10:58.519
the problem solver. That's a played out term.
00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:00.960
Oh, I'm a problem solver. I'll solve all your
00:11:00.960 --> 00:11:04.429
problems. What I teach. basically is they have
00:11:04.429 --> 00:11:06.970
a problem here. You don't want to meet them here.
00:11:07.389 --> 00:11:09.970
You want to meet them here, right? So you're
00:11:09.970 --> 00:11:12.409
going to solve their problem and walk with them
00:11:12.409 --> 00:11:16.450
forward, right? So you're always with them. You're
00:11:16.450 --> 00:11:19.049
always helping them. You're there as an ear,
00:11:19.269 --> 00:11:21.830
right? If you want to listen to them. So you
00:11:21.830 --> 00:11:24.269
want to be a cohort. You want all of that. So
00:11:24.269 --> 00:11:27.690
if you're just solving the initial problem, yeah,
00:11:27.909 --> 00:11:31.129
it helped them, but it's not helping both of
00:11:31.129 --> 00:11:34.649
you. So that's what I say. Okay. The marketplace
00:11:34.649 --> 00:11:38.990
is filled with automation and AI. What human
00:11:38.990 --> 00:11:42.169
qualities still create the strongest customer
00:11:42.169 --> 00:11:46.149
relationships, even when technology handles much
00:11:46.149 --> 00:11:49.629
of the process? Okay. I like what you said at
00:11:49.629 --> 00:11:52.110
the end there, that technology handles the process.
00:11:52.250 --> 00:11:56.409
The connection, I believe, still should be a
00:11:56.409 --> 00:12:00.029
human connection. Okay. So I am all for systemization.
00:12:00.289 --> 00:12:05.590
I'm all for AI. to a point there still needs
00:12:05.590 --> 00:12:09.870
to be a point in your system where that human
00:12:09.870 --> 00:12:14.629
connection takes place i last saturday i went
00:12:14.629 --> 00:12:18.769
to a new burger joint in town and hey i turned
00:12:18.769 --> 00:12:21.470
up there and it was busy there are lots of seats
00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:24.889
and everything and that there was a little window
00:12:24.889 --> 00:12:26.809
to the kitchen but there was no counter even
00:12:26.809 --> 00:12:29.309
and i'm like oh this is unique there was a little
00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:33.539
ipad thing and i just went up to the ipad i ordered
00:12:33.539 --> 00:12:36.419
my burger and i thought oh okay everyone looks
00:12:36.419 --> 00:12:38.600
happy there's cold it's pretty systemized there's
00:12:38.600 --> 00:12:41.639
no people to stuff things up but then i thought
00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:43.340
oh it probably would have been nice just to ask
00:12:43.340 --> 00:12:46.480
someone about hey what do i think is a good or
00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:50.580
best now in the end with that process a human
00:12:50.580 --> 00:12:53.980
being brought that burger to my table I guess
00:12:53.980 --> 00:12:55.440
there could have been a robot for that nowadays,
00:12:55.639 --> 00:12:59.539
but she had a smile on her face. She said, hey,
00:12:59.720 --> 00:13:02.059
thanks for coming, really enjoy these burgers.
00:13:02.440 --> 00:13:06.059
She made the difference to that experience as
00:13:06.059 --> 00:13:08.519
well. So they had it systemized. The burgers
00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:13.059
were amazing, but it wasn't totally, I think
00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:15.919
that last touch that came involved made me feel
00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:19.419
good. So I think with any business, yep, definitely
00:13:19.419 --> 00:13:23.980
systemize it, as they probably did. The human
00:13:23.980 --> 00:13:26.759
interaction is what's going to trump anything.
00:13:27.320 --> 00:13:30.200
I don't want to be sitting here on this podcast
00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:35.200
speaking to an AI. I want to be speaking to you,
00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:38.320
Michael. You're more interesting. I'd like to
00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.480
think so anyway. You have to realize we're human
00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:46.940
beings, right? Human beings have a need to reach
00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:50.399
out and touch another human being. If in that
00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:53.679
whole automated process, if there was somebody
00:13:53.679 --> 00:13:56.440
in the beginning of the order, as well as the
00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:58.980
end of the order, it may have made your time
00:13:58.980 --> 00:14:01.700
there spent a little bit better. Because you
00:14:01.700 --> 00:14:04.059
can ask a question, how do you like this? Or
00:14:04.059 --> 00:14:06.919
is that really this? You can't ask all those
00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:10.220
questions. You have to just read it and accept
00:14:10.220 --> 00:14:12.789
it. It could have been that there could have
00:14:12.789 --> 00:14:15.809
been one person that greeted people at the door
00:14:15.809 --> 00:14:18.250
to answer the questions floating around the room.
00:14:18.409 --> 00:14:21.049
That could have been something as well. Instead
00:14:21.049 --> 00:14:23.629
of just taking my order, just some presence that
00:14:23.629 --> 00:14:28.009
there is some staff around here. Okay. You help
00:14:28.009 --> 00:14:32.090
businesses build systems that create more freedom.
00:14:32.529 --> 00:14:35.950
How do strong systems actually allow leaders
00:14:35.950 --> 00:14:38.529
to become more present in their relationships
00:14:38.529 --> 00:14:42.220
instead of more distant? so first of all i just
00:14:42.220 --> 00:14:44.059
want to qualify what more freedom is because
00:14:44.059 --> 00:14:46.139
some people just think freedom is more time and
00:14:46.139 --> 00:14:49.059
maybe yes it could be but in terms of your business
00:14:49.059 --> 00:14:52.519
i really think it's allowing the business to
00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:56.600
rely on you less is what freedom is okay having
00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:59.000
that choice to turn up to the office and all
00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:04.149
the rest now when you've got less choices to
00:15:04.149 --> 00:15:07.570
make less decisions to make it can actually mean
00:15:07.570 --> 00:15:10.370
that you're actually more present with your team
00:15:10.370 --> 00:15:13.750
it can mean that you can choose to be more present
00:15:13.750 --> 00:15:17.049
with customers and actually allow that communication
00:15:17.049 --> 00:15:20.049
allow yourself to look into the business and
00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:23.269
go how can we improve that like we just talked
00:15:23.269 --> 00:15:25.429
about that you know burger business before we
00:15:25.429 --> 00:15:27.090
can sit there and actually have a look and go
00:15:27.090 --> 00:15:30.159
what can we do differently By building these
00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:33.539
systems into your business, likes of your automation
00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:37.600
and your AI to free things up, once we do that
00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:40.759
and look at the processes in place, it is one
00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:42.519
less thing that you need to do as a business
00:15:42.519 --> 00:15:46.220
owner. When you delegate to your team and have
00:15:46.220 --> 00:15:48.460
the right team and they have the authority to
00:15:48.460 --> 00:15:50.840
make those decisions that you've put the guardrails
00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:53.519
in place to be able to do, it's another thing
00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.820
that you need to think about less. It is early
00:15:56.820 --> 00:15:59.419
here, but I've still read some news today. And
00:15:59.419 --> 00:16:02.100
one of those articles was about decision making.
00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:07.559
And they were saying from some study, less decisions
00:16:07.559 --> 00:16:10.659
are better for us in our brain for whatever reason.
00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:12.240
I can't quote the study. It was something I read
00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:15.379
this morning. And someone said, I used to buy
00:16:15.379 --> 00:16:19.559
30 t -shirts of the same color because I liked
00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:23.820
them. I thought that was great. Each morning,
00:16:23.860 --> 00:16:25.919
it's just another decision that he had to make.
00:16:27.139 --> 00:16:30.919
And the study proved that when people have less
00:16:30.919 --> 00:16:34.639
to choose from, they ordered more. This was in
00:16:34.639 --> 00:16:37.379
terms of, I think it was still clothing related,
00:16:37.500 --> 00:16:39.320
but it got me thinking maybe that's the same
00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:41.139
with restaurants as well. I go into a restaurant
00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:43.379
and there's 50 million things on the menu. I
00:16:43.379 --> 00:16:45.440
can't decide. Just give me a smaller menu maybe.
00:16:46.299 --> 00:16:50.100
That would be very true. Yeah, so I guess. Coming
00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:51.899
back to that business owner and that freedom
00:16:51.899 --> 00:16:53.639
and stuff, the less decisions that you have to
00:16:53.639 --> 00:16:57.419
make in the day, the better. I believe Jeff Bezos
00:16:57.419 --> 00:17:00.320
was his business in Amazon. He just expects his
00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:02.679
top executives just to make that one decision
00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:05.460
that's needed, usually in the morning, any more
00:17:05.460 --> 00:17:08.279
than that, and it's too much. And so if you can
00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:10.940
get your business to a space where it is systemized,
00:17:11.019 --> 00:17:14.799
where you have more freedom, then you can either
00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:18.640
make better decisions or connect. connect more
00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:21.059
and this is don't get me wrong we're talking
00:17:21.059 --> 00:17:23.200
about big business here with those one decisions
00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:27.799
a day but the same can be done with sma businesses
00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:31.420
and whatever you're doing yeah that's very true
00:17:31.420 --> 00:17:35.619
i'm a former restaurant owner and i can tell
00:17:35.619 --> 00:17:39.960
you that when you have a menu with 50 items or
00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:44.059
you have a single menu front and back with items
00:17:44.990 --> 00:17:47.809
There's no question about it. The smaller menu
00:17:47.809 --> 00:17:51.670
wins because they will order more off the smaller
00:17:51.670 --> 00:17:54.730
menu than off the larger menu. Oh, my theory
00:17:54.730 --> 00:17:58.690
was right. How about that? Absolutely. Absolutely.
00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:01.809
And people with less choices, some people say,
00:18:01.930 --> 00:18:04.269
that's it. That's all you got. But you know what?
00:18:04.430 --> 00:18:06.559
They'll sit there and they'll pick. They'll pick
00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:09.160
the main course. They'll pick the appetizer,
00:18:09.220 --> 00:18:12.359
the dessert, a drink, and everything else. Whereas
00:18:12.359 --> 00:18:15.099
for the bigger menu, they may not order all that.
00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:18.819
So it goes without saying. And I learned something
00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:22.640
from my mom a long time ago. She was a director
00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:26.660
in a big housing authority. And she ran that
00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:30.599
office so well that if she went on vacation for
00:18:30.599 --> 00:18:35.059
a week, it would still go on. Right. So she would
00:18:35.059 --> 00:18:36.740
have that running so well. She would have to
00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:38.480
come back and take care of problems, of course.
00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:41.880
But she wouldn't have to worry about leaving
00:18:41.880 --> 00:18:44.799
for a certain amount of time. If I left and my
00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.799
small business would stop, you have to make it
00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.700
at that point. So that's a very good point that
00:18:50.700 --> 00:18:53.099
you were making. And I just wanted to say that
00:18:53.099 --> 00:18:55.460
I have lived through everything that you're talking
00:18:55.460 --> 00:18:59.000
about. So it's absolutely correct. One of our
00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:02.579
challenges for our boardroom members is actually
00:19:02.579 --> 00:19:06.299
the 100 -day challenge, which is to take 100
00:19:06.299 --> 00:19:10.720
days off and come back to a business that is
00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.619
still running and flourishing, like growing and
00:19:14.619 --> 00:19:18.220
the rest. So I love that challenge. It's scary.
00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:22.339
Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is. I can imagine. But
00:19:22.339 --> 00:19:27.450
it's doable, yeah. Okay. Okay, we'll see about
00:19:27.450 --> 00:19:30.970
that. When you meet a business owner, what behaviors
00:19:30.970 --> 00:19:34.029
immediately tell you that they're building a
00:19:34.029 --> 00:19:40.730
business around values rather than just chasing
00:19:40.730 --> 00:19:44.150
revenue? First of all, I love the fact that someone's
00:19:44.150 --> 00:19:47.549
building it around values rather than just chasing
00:19:47.549 --> 00:19:52.430
it. I really respect that. I was in Wellington
00:19:52.430 --> 00:19:54.819
last week. So it's the capital of New Zealand
00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:58.779
and they've got a beautiful waterfront. And it
00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:00.720
was early in the morning. We're walking along
00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:03.420
the pier and I was really hanging out for a coffee.
00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:06.460
And it's the first coffee shop that came along
00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:09.119
into the building. I went in there and I looked
00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:10.700
at their cups and everything on there. And he
00:20:10.700 --> 00:20:12.200
goes, oh, I said, oh, have you got a takeaway
00:20:12.200 --> 00:20:15.339
cup? And he's like, oh, we've got the recyclable
00:20:15.339 --> 00:20:18.920
ones there on the wall that you can use and you
00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:21.470
need to bring them back. And I said, oh, that's
00:20:21.470 --> 00:20:23.349
not going to work for me because I'm out of town.
00:20:23.410 --> 00:20:25.049
I'm heading that way. I'm not going to be coming
00:20:25.049 --> 00:20:28.009
back here. And he's like, sorry. You know what?
00:20:28.849 --> 00:20:30.930
Didn't really annoy me. I actually respected
00:20:30.930 --> 00:20:34.569
his values for doing it. Whether it's a smart
00:20:34.569 --> 00:20:37.450
business financial decision, maybe not. Who knows
00:20:37.450 --> 00:20:39.630
in the long run, you may have the built up of
00:20:39.630 --> 00:20:42.150
those customers. But I can tell you that business
00:20:42.150 --> 00:20:45.130
owner that I met just then, values were key to
00:20:45.130 --> 00:20:48.720
him. okay yeah yeah and that would be detrimental
00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:52.539
for me i'm an avid coffee drinker and if they
00:20:52.539 --> 00:20:56.319
don't have a to -go cup as we would say it then
00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.339
it gets me in my hands i need coffee i need something
00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:03.400
and if they said sorry i would be very upset
00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:05.839
so you took it a lot better than what i would
00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:08.000
have taken it you know what i just from that
00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:10.680
question i respected that he put his values above
00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:14.880
everything what you will find though is People
00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.140
that do have the right values, especially when
00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:21.000
it comes to maybe selling, that they don't promise
00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:25.619
just plain out lie. There are some people out
00:21:25.619 --> 00:21:27.460
there that will just do anything for a sale.
00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:31.039
I don't respect that one bit. I believe that
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:33.099
if you do the right job, it'll come back. And
00:21:33.099 --> 00:21:35.140
as we were saying before, even if you don't sell
00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:38.240
them on that day, it'll come back to you. They
00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:41.660
will, their friends will, whoever else. That's
00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:43.839
true. If you're operating with a servant's heart,
00:21:44.410 --> 00:21:47.089
and you're trying to make it better for everybody
00:21:47.089 --> 00:21:49.730
else, there's no doubt that they'll come back
00:21:49.730 --> 00:21:52.630
or the majority of people will come back. Leadership
00:21:52.630 --> 00:21:57.309
requires making difficult decisions. How do your
00:21:57.309 --> 00:22:01.410
personal values guide you through when growth
00:22:01.410 --> 00:22:04.269
and integrity seem to pull in different directions?
00:22:05.069 --> 00:22:08.490
I guess in terms of that value, okay, coming
00:22:08.490 --> 00:22:11.190
back in integrity, that is something that, you
00:22:11.190 --> 00:22:14.589
know, I like to play by the rules. and i would
00:22:14.589 --> 00:22:16.569
like to think that there's a whole lot of integrity
00:22:16.569 --> 00:22:19.210
that becomes behind it you know how i told you
00:22:19.210 --> 00:22:21.250
that story this is many years ago when i worked
00:22:21.250 --> 00:22:24.069
at the the doing the finance for the cars okay
00:22:24.069 --> 00:22:27.109
and i could get the finance i remember getting
00:22:27.109 --> 00:22:30.369
finance for someone and the deal at the time
00:22:30.369 --> 00:22:32.049
was probably going to put five thousand dollars
00:22:32.049 --> 00:22:34.970
in my pocket which was pretty big at that time
00:22:34.970 --> 00:22:38.769
for one deal but it was like a younger couple
00:22:38.769 --> 00:22:43.930
they were buying a car that was Just a racy car
00:22:43.930 --> 00:22:46.390
that you knew they were going to crash and all
00:22:46.390 --> 00:22:49.089
this kind of stuff. Their jobs weren't that great,
00:22:49.170 --> 00:22:52.849
but I was able to do my job to get that finance.
00:22:54.630 --> 00:22:58.329
But I had to sit there and I said, before we
00:22:58.329 --> 00:23:01.730
sign the paperwork, I pushed it aside. And without
00:23:01.730 --> 00:23:05.589
the boss or anyone knowing, I said, look, we
00:23:05.589 --> 00:23:08.150
can actually do this. All we need to do is sign
00:23:08.150 --> 00:23:12.240
this paperwork. However. I strongly recommend
00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:16.319
you do not do this. This is way too expensive
00:23:16.319 --> 00:23:20.680
for you guys, and you will regret it after the
00:23:20.680 --> 00:23:26.079
case. That was something that I validated at
00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:27.880
the time. All the way back then, I would have
00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:29.599
been young. I'll tell you what, though. They
00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:32.599
still signed it. Okay. That was my question.
00:23:32.839 --> 00:23:35.579
That was my next question. Did they buy the car?
00:23:38.260 --> 00:23:40.900
Okay. You can bring a horse to water, but you
00:23:40.900 --> 00:23:42.880
can't make him drink. Yeah. But at least I did
00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:44.940
the right thing. Okay. So you need to put some
00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:46.720
values in there. And like I said, it doesn't
00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.480
mean you're going to lose anything. They could
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:50.440
have told 10 friends, you know what? Hey, this
00:23:50.440 --> 00:23:53.779
guy was really good to us. And, or it could have
00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:56.799
been slightly. So the money shouldn't be the
00:23:56.799 --> 00:24:00.039
goal. The helping people should be the goal.
00:24:00.420 --> 00:24:03.579
The thing is the people in this world, these
00:24:03.579 --> 00:24:08.420
people that help. More people make more money.
00:24:10.099 --> 00:24:13.200
Absolutely. That's what it comes down to. Yep.
00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:16.240
As a business becomes more efficient through
00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:20.019
technology, do you think empathy, curiosity,
00:24:20.099 --> 00:24:24.039
and emotional intelligence will become even more
00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:30.799
valuable, and why? Yes. Look, as technology is
00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.410
taking over, So many things, okay? And we're
00:24:34.410 --> 00:24:36.670
saying, look, technology is not going to be taking
00:24:36.670 --> 00:24:39.269
over trades jobs. And then I look on my feed
00:24:39.269 --> 00:24:42.309
yesterday and there was some robot doing some
00:24:42.309 --> 00:24:44.589
manual labor work and I thought, oh my gosh.
00:24:44.750 --> 00:24:47.890
But when it comes down to it, that empathy, what
00:24:47.890 --> 00:24:50.569
we have as human beings, we need to be the director
00:24:50.569 --> 00:24:53.950
of these things, okay? And so it is going to
00:24:53.950 --> 00:24:57.470
be more and more important to do this as some
00:24:57.470 --> 00:25:00.380
of these... skills, some of these jobs, some
00:25:00.380 --> 00:25:03.759
of these tasks that traditionally we would have
00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:09.180
had to do are getting taken over by these tools.
00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:12.480
But it's happened throughout all the case. We
00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:15.180
went from fax machine to email and then the internet.
00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.339
Can you imagine life without the internet now?
00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:21.079
I will tell you, we would not be having this
00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:24.160
conversation. So it has opened up opportunities
00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:27.670
as well. So I do believe that there'll just be
00:25:27.670 --> 00:25:29.809
more opportunities. We do need to stay aware
00:25:29.809 --> 00:25:32.990
and conscious of what they could be and just
00:25:32.990 --> 00:25:35.549
go towards those opportunities. But look, these
00:25:35.549 --> 00:25:38.470
are tools. They're better tools in some case.
00:25:38.690 --> 00:25:43.130
So use them. But of course, okay, if we are using
00:25:43.130 --> 00:25:45.049
these tools, what does the future look like and
00:25:45.049 --> 00:25:47.170
how are we going to use them ourselves? And if
00:25:47.170 --> 00:25:50.809
you look at AI just as a tool in your toolbox,
00:25:51.250 --> 00:25:54.930
then you'll be fine. Just like when the car...
00:25:55.160 --> 00:25:58.380
first came around and yet all the horses and
00:25:58.380 --> 00:26:01.960
all the everybody shooing the horses, all those
00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:05.000
people lost their jobs when the car came around,
00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:08.200
but then they created different jobs. You have
00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:10.880
to look at it that way. Okay, so let's bring
00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:14.480
this podcast full circle. If a listener wanted
00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:17.319
to build a business that created both financial
00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:21.039
success and a lasting reputation over the next
00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:24.640
decade. What daily habit would you tell them
00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:29.759
to develop first? First of all is actually creating
00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:34.799
those habits and doing them. A lot of business
00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:39.420
success comes from doing the boring stuff consistently.
00:26:40.759 --> 00:26:45.759
Habits are key. Motivation, mindset is great.
00:26:45.819 --> 00:26:49.859
We need that to kick us off. But motivation is
00:26:49.859 --> 00:26:53.180
only going to take us so far. Okay, you're going
00:26:53.180 --> 00:26:54.839
to wake up in the morning one day and you're
00:26:54.839 --> 00:26:58.019
like, oh my gosh, not again. Or, oh, I'm just
00:26:58.019 --> 00:27:01.940
not feeling it today. But if we have the habits
00:27:01.940 --> 00:27:04.660
in place, and these habits are going to be different
00:27:04.660 --> 00:27:08.720
for different businesses. For example, one habit
00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:11.680
could be for some kind of business is to make
00:27:11.680 --> 00:27:14.920
networking you talked about. So it could be,
00:27:14.920 --> 00:27:17.900
you know what, I'm going to reach out to at least
00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:22.779
one new person a day to network with them. As
00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:26.960
an example. So that could be a habit. But I just
00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:29.099
want to hone down that point, that consistency
00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:33.779
of that habit is what actually matters most.
00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:38.579
That it's not just one and done. Do that year
00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:42.039
upon year, build those year upon year. I spoke
00:27:42.039 --> 00:27:44.819
about this morning in a Chamber of Commerce meeting,
00:27:44.920 --> 00:27:49.660
consistency and persistence. Two big factors
00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:53.160
that you have to, once you get that down, once
00:27:53.160 --> 00:27:56.480
you are consistent in your message and you're
00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:01.079
persistent until the person says no, but consistency
00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:04.799
and persistence will get you through so much
00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:07.440
before you get bogged down with something else.
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:10.369
Mitchell, I gotta tell you, you're a great. You're
00:28:10.369 --> 00:28:13.630
a great guest. You answered everything. You expanded
00:28:13.630 --> 00:28:16.470
on everything. I loved listening to your stories.
00:28:16.809 --> 00:28:19.890
If somebody wanted to get hold of you, wanted
00:28:19.890 --> 00:28:22.069
to be mentored by you, buy something from you,
00:28:22.170 --> 00:28:25.250
or just call you to say hi, what's the best way
00:28:25.250 --> 00:28:28.220
for them to get hold of you? Hey, look, you're
00:28:28.220 --> 00:28:30.420
going to find all our details at coachbirds,
00:28:30.579 --> 00:28:34.299
all one word, so coachbirds .com. We do offer
00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:36.940
a free breakthrough session. We'll have a chat
00:28:36.940 --> 00:28:39.220
together and really just figure out whether we
00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:42.200
can help or how we can help. If not, we'll definitely
00:28:42.200 --> 00:28:43.640
point you in the right direction as well. So
00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:46.460
coachbirds .com, it's going to have everything,
00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:49.660
free tools and links to LinkedIn and all the
00:28:49.660 --> 00:28:53.359
rest of that as well. Perfect. Perfect. Today's
00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:56.140
conversation reminds us that business growth
00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:58.960
isn't about getting more customers. It's about
00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:02.160
becoming the kind of leader people want to follow,
00:29:02.299 --> 00:29:05.140
the kind of company that people want to work
00:29:05.140 --> 00:29:08.200
with, and the kind of professional people that
00:29:08.200 --> 00:29:11.210
they're proud to recommend. The best systems
00:29:11.210 --> 00:29:14.470
don't replace relationships. They protect them.
00:29:14.630 --> 00:29:17.789
They create the freedom to listen more closely,
00:29:18.049 --> 00:29:21.190
serve more consistently, and spend more time
00:29:21.190 --> 00:29:24.609
with people that matter most. Here's your challenge
00:29:24.609 --> 00:29:28.069
this week. Don't just ask yourself, how can you
00:29:28.069 --> 00:29:33.109
make your business more efficient? Ask yourself,
00:29:33.369 --> 00:29:36.690
does this create a better experience for the
00:29:36.690 --> 00:29:40.299
people I serve? because the strongest systems
00:29:40.299 --> 00:29:43.519
are built around people, not just processes.
00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:46.259
If you found value in today's episode, make sure
00:29:46.259 --> 00:29:48.759
you like, subscribe to Network Unleashed, building
00:29:48.759 --> 00:29:51.640
profitable connections so you continue getting
00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:54.740
practical insights on networking, communication,
00:29:55.039 --> 00:29:57.680
leadership, and business growth. And if this
00:29:57.680 --> 00:30:00.279
conversation challenged you the way you think
00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:03.079
about sales and success, share it with a business
00:30:03.079 --> 00:30:06.359
owner, a sales leader, or entrepreneur in your
00:30:06.359 --> 00:30:08.880
network. If you're looking for a keynote speaker,
00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:12.420
executive communication coach, or workshop leader
00:30:12.420 --> 00:30:14.960
to help you organize, strengthen communication,
00:30:15.480 --> 00:30:19.259
build trust faster, and turn conversations into
00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:23.579
a measurable business result, visit michaelaforman
00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:27.599
.com. So until next time, remember this, the
00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:30.819
strongest businesses don't win because they have
00:30:30.819 --> 00:30:34.329
the best pitch. They win because they build trust,
00:30:34.509 --> 00:30:37.369
lead with integrity, and create relationships
00:30:37.369 --> 00:30:41.069
that people choose to return again and again.
00:30:41.490 --> 00:30:44.210
Mitchell, I want to thank you again. You're just
00:30:44.210 --> 00:30:46.950
a great guest on the podcast. Thanks very much,
00:30:46.950 --> 00:30:51.309
Michael. A huge thank you to our guests for sharing
00:30:51.309 --> 00:30:54.549
such incredible insights today. And of course,
00:30:54.549 --> 00:30:57.490
a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners,
00:30:57.710 --> 00:31:00.390
for tuning in and spending your time with us.
00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:03.960
If you're interested in my digital courses, being
00:31:03.960 --> 00:31:06.700
coached or having me come and talk to your company,
00:31:06.940 --> 00:31:10.380
just go to Michael and fill out the request form.
00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.200
Remember, networking isn't about being perfect.
00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:17.480
It's about being present. So take what you've
00:31:17.480 --> 00:31:20.319
learned today, get out there and make some meaningful
00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:23.259
connections. If you've enjoyed this episode,
00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:26.400
please don't forget to subscribe. Leave us a
00:31:26.400 --> 00:31:29.029
review. and share it with someone who could use
00:31:29.029 --> 00:31:32.150
a little networking inspiration. Let's keep the
00:31:32.150 --> 00:31:35.150
conversation going. You can find me on Apple,
00:31:35.289 --> 00:31:40.109
Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or my website, foreman
00:31:40.109 --> 00:31:42.529
.com slash podcasts.
