Ever wondered how to create a business that thrives on its own, or why building a genuine connection with your customers can lead to staggering success? Join Michael Morrison as he sits down with Joe Rockey, the entrepreneurial guru behind Elite Business Conversations, to uncover the secrets of sales and business management that can revolutionize the way you operate. In this insightful discussion, Joe shares his journey from battling a recession to becoming a master coach, revealing how emotional connections and a deep understanding of your own experiences can shape a more autonomous and successful business.
Diving into the mechanics of business growth, Joe and Michael tackle the often-feared concept of delegation, introducing the delegation quadrant as an essential tool for any business owner who wants to scale without burning out. They break down the three pillars of a successful company – marketing, sales, and operations – and how each requires a different mindset, with the overall health of the business reliant on the balance and strength of these functions. This episode promises not just theory, but actionable strategies that help you shape a robust support system and sharpen your sales skills, which, as Joe points out, are indispensable in any entrepreneurial toolkit.
But it's not all about spreadsheets and strategies; at the heart of any business are relationships. Joe reflects on his own nail-biting entrepreneurial experiences and how the casino floor became an unlikely classroom for understanding the power of authentic connections over transactional interactions. Joe and Michael delve into the outdated sales methods that have overstayed their welcome, and how embracing vulnerability can transform the way you engage with clients and lead to a business that's not just profitable, but also profoundly human. So tune in, as they lay out the roadmap for a business legacy built on real relationships and smart delegation, ensuring your business venture stands the test of time.
Ever wondered how to create a business that thrives on its own, or why building a genuine connection with your customers can lead to staggering success? Join Michael Morrison as he sits down with Joe Rockey, the entrepreneurial guru behind Elite Business Conversations, to uncover the secrets of sales and business management that can revolutionize the way you operate. In this insightful discussion, Joe shares his journey from battling a recession to becoming a master coach, revealing how emotional connections and a deep understanding of your own experiences can shape a more autonomous and successful business.
Diving into the mechanics of business growth, Joe and Michael tackle the often-feared concept of delegation, introducing the delegation quadrant as an essential tool for any business owner who wants to scale without burning out. They break down the three pillars of a successful company – marketing, sales, and operations – and how each requires a different mindset, with the overall health of the business reliant on the balance and strength of these functions. This episode promises not just theory, but actionable strategies that help you shape a robust support system and sharpen your sales skills, which, as Joe points out, are indispensable in any entrepreneurial toolkit.
But it's not all about spreadsheets and strategies; at the heart of any business are relationships. Joe reflects on his own nail-biting entrepreneurial experiences and how the casino floor became an unlikely classroom for understanding the power of authentic connections over transactional interactions. Joe and Michael delve into the outdated sales methods that have overstayed their welcome, and how embracing vulnerability can transform the way you engage with clients and lead to a business that's not just profitable, but also profoundly human. So tune in, as they lay out the roadmap for a business legacy built on real relationships and smart delegation, ensuring your business venture stands the test of time.
Getting inside of their emotions and their souls and their real meetings is how you create successful sales.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to Small Business Pivots, a podcast designed for small business owners. I'm your host, michael Morson, a small business coach and founder of Boss, where we make business ownership simplified for success, offering professional business coaching, business loans and much, much more. To learn more, go to businessownershipsimplifiedcom. Our guest today is Joe Rocky, the driving force behind elite business conversations, career spanning the highs and lows of economic landscapes. Joe shares invaluable insights into the art of steering your business towards autonomy.
Speaker 2:
From weathering the storm of financial advisory during the recession to guiding businesses through the challenges of the pandemic, joe's entrepreneurial journey serves as a blueprint for navigating uncertain times. He emphasizes the profound impact of upbringing and past experiences on shaping an entrepreneur's sales mindset, highlighting the legacy left behind when business owners transitioned. By dissecting core functions like marketing, sales and operations, he underscores the necessity of building a team to scale effectively, whether it's virtual assistants or marketing directors. By addressing our inner struggles head on, joe inspires greater fulfillment, both personally and professionally.
Speaker 2:
Last thing, before we get to our guest, make sure to hang around to the end of this episode for my recap and coach's corner, where I share applicable action steps that will help you grow your business. Let's get to our guest now and explore his strategies that could help you redefine your business and perhaps your life. All right, welcome to another small business pivots, where we are here to help small business owners create a business that runs without them. And today we have a very special guest, and I have learned that guests can pronounce their name and company better than I can, so introduce yourself, even though I know you.
Speaker 1:
Well, I am Joe Rocky of Elite Business Conversations and I absolutely just love the focus of your business. Working without you, I mean, oh, there are so many hard times that it makes you put yourself on an island, like, do I really want to do this? Like the relationship I thought I was going to be making with this business isn't what I wanted it to be, and how can we make this better? And that's the real answer, regardless, how you get to it is, you're not having to be in it every second of every day, and I just love the fact that your show focuses on that and that's why I'm so excited to be on it.
Speaker 2:
Well, we're excited to have you because you offer a service that is critical to the heartbeat of any business, and that is sales. But before we get to that, I know a lot of business owners. When we grew up, we had some trials and tribulations. I also know business owners I'm a business coach so when we work with business owners, we know that most of the time, in the top three challenges that they have, it's all mindset and it's usually something that they grew up with or they were told all their life, or maybe they weren't studious like myself. What were some of the things? What was your upbringing like?
Speaker 1:
Um, yeah, yeah. So for me, I my first job job was in sales and I got connected in the commission on a lifestyle and I knew from that point on I was going to be selling. And what got me into making my own business was I came out of college during the last recession with an accounting and finance degree, when the entire economy was blaming banks and accountants. If you remember, at the time, obama said you guys don't even know how to credit things. Right, you get the score I tell you to get.
Speaker 2:
Right.
Speaker 1:
Totally legit. Um, anyway, that's. That's what the environment was. So banks were cutting people, accounting firms were getting cut in half, so they weren't bringing anyone new in. So I ended up going into the financial advisor route and what I found during that 3 years despite the fact the 1st year I was rookie of the year, 2nd year was underclassmen of the year and the 30 year left was I need to control my product. So that's what led me into this journey in 2011 that now I have built 17 businesses later that I've gone through Great. I've been bought out of many of them, but I've gone through it now and as a result of COVID, is actually where my coaching business and solency really took off, mostly dealing with exactly what you're talking about here.
Speaker 1:
My number one client is someone who says my relationship, my business, is shot. I'd rather just walk away than try to fix it Kind of like that moment we all had with any other relationship when it's a breakup, I don't really care what happens with you after I'm gone. I'm never calling you again and what I say is there's nothing wrong with wanting to retire, move on with life or anything like that, but let's do it in a way where employees don't lose their job, where your customers are still satisfied and, most of all, all of the sacrifice that you put into making this business happen doesn't die in vain. And that's really our wheelhouse. We live in here and as I'm giving this answer here, I realized I didn't actually answer your question, so I apologize for that.
Speaker 2:
Hey, you're on a roll.
Speaker 1:
I think the best way I can answer that question rather than what happened because I don't really think that's going to be appealing, more so than how I fixed it and I got an exercise that literally anyone can do right now that will help you get out of any limitations you have or perceive in your life, which, let's face it, a lot of us business owners see the problems first and foremost, and this is something that's going to help you with your business, but it's going to help you with every other relationship in your life. So if you want me to save that till the end, I can do it at the end. If you want me to do it no, let's do it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, let's get to the meat.
Speaker 1:
So, as you're listening to this, it's easier if you're not driving.
Speaker 1:
Please, actually don't do this if you're driving, because it requires you closing your eyes and getting into a very calm state, and that's why I invite you to do so. Once you get to your office or whatever, try to put yourself in a spot that is not sensory overloaded In fact, actually, you're trying to get a sensory deprived as possible. The only noise you hear is your heating or cooling system going off in the background. Close your eyes, minimal light, all the rest of it. Calm is the goal, and I want you to think about all of the various attributes and skills that you possess and either hear them rolling around you and just spinning around your head or see them. An analogy that people have said it's kind of like that scene from Jurassic Park with the DNA stretching all the way around the screen. Yeah, think of that when said of it being DNA kernels, every single attribute and skill that you have and that you are glad that you have, and whether it be something you use every day or something that you just did once, when you were eight year old, like I, knew how to whittle All of these various things. Think of them all. Think of them all and see them as they are going around your mind, hear what they are and now what you need to do is figure out, of all of those things, what are the three to six that you love the most? And, as they are rolling around and spinning around in your head, allow all of the other ones to calmly land on the ground. So there are only those three to six things that you love the most about yourself. Those are in the air now and when you get to a spot of limitations or you feel like a problem is too big, those are your three to six half ways to victory. And these are going to be attributes, right. So not to give you your answer, because everyone's going to be different, that's what makes people great. But things like I like listening to people, I like solving this type of problem, I like being able to do this, that or the other, and the thing that you will realize is that all of those things, again limited at six, are free, and not only that. There are things that you enjoy and things that you like doing. And once you have concretely figured out what those three to six things are and I get that this might sound basic, but this is also something most people have never done before or even thought of doing Once you have those three to six things. You no longer see limitations. You see opportunities to utilize my most passionate attributes.
Speaker 1:
I like solving people's problems. I like being able to dive into them. So how do I get that, and why need more information to know what the problem is so I can put myself in a position to solve it? I like being able to be curious and to learn more stuff. Well, how do I bring that more in my day to day life?
Speaker 1:
Well, rather than telling my employees what to do, I listen to them and then what you'll see is a radical transformation in the way that you attack the world. That will change yourself fully and will change the way your system is around you. It also will very clearly identify what are some situations that are my blind spots, for instance, and if I'm a constantly go, go, go energetic spot, there's a blind spot where I might be missing stuff. I need to have that kind of person in my world that that's going to compliment me in the other areas that I'm not, because one of the biggest things that burn business owners out and salespeople out, for that matter is trying to do something that's not in your wheelhouse. It needs done.
Speaker 1:
I mean don't get me wrong, it needs done, but what you need to do is find someone that loves that stuff and newsflash that most of us don't do because we're stuck inside our own heads. We don't even think there's a possibility someone would like the crap we hate. But really there's tons of people that do and this exercise will change everything. Again, it's not really complicated. The end goal what are the three to six most important attributes that I can do that I love and I have a passion about? And if you reorient your life in ways of being able to exploit those, every single relationship in your life will improve. In your life by default, skyrockets. Because if you really look at the value of your life, it's not the size of your bank account, it's not the size of your balance sheet, it's the quality of your net relationships. So I love giving that to people on podcasts, especially in one where we're dealing with business owners that are dealing with problems.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah, that's powerful. We have what we call a delegation quadrant. That's on our website and it's similar, where we have business owners and it's free to download, but where business owners can write down the things they love to do, like to do, dislike and hate, and in those same boxes it's great at, good at, horrible at and just absolutely suck at. So these down here we're going to take off your plate Like those are the first things you should delegate, which is kind of like what you're saying, because, as a business owner, we feel like we have to do it all. We're the only ones that can do it, and I know those things that you're talking about, those things you're not good at, those things you hate. Hey, they're not going to get done, you're going to procrastinate and you're not going to do it very good, and there are people out there, just like you said, that can do it and they love doing it. So just give it up.
Speaker 1:
That's exactly it. That's exactly it. So you take any business and they're all the same, and I get that. You're pretty little babies, unique and special. I get that they're all the same because they all have to do the same three functions. You have to get prospects to know who you are and have a desire to come get you. Once they are with you, you have to have the ability to have a conversation that results in them giving you resources normally money in exchange for a promise of your product. And then your product or service has to be amazing. Most business owners live in that final space. I have an awesome product and service.
Speaker 1:
I know how to do that, and that is a completely different mindset than the other two required funnels to make a business work. It just is. It doesn't make you a bad person, it does not make you an incomplete person. It makes you a human, because that's the reality. There is no personality type that can do all three of those very different fundamentals.
Speaker 1:
This is why the solo ignore, when you do it truly by yourself, is really hard, if not impossible, to last the long run, because more commonly put those in the words marketing, sales and operations. They're so different and they're such a different mindset that goes into them and if you don't structure how to do them correctly, because you don't like it, you won't. You end up with just chaos because ultimately your business will sag to the worst of those three departments. If you hate marketing or prospector or whatever you call it in your world, your business will never grow because there'll be no one to buy it. You hate trying to actually do sales because you hate the way that sales have been done forever, which is the 1960 sales method, and you should hate that.
Speaker 1:
We all hate being sold. That way you you're not going to be able to have enough revenue to grow your operations. I mean, it's straight forward that your lowest point is where you will be capped at and it's okay that you're not great at all three things, because it's actually impossible to be created all three things and going in with the expectation that you are ain't going to work. So you know, I start that with just some some honesty up front, because it's one of the things I deal with a lot with clients in my space. Yeah, no, honesty is authenticity.
Speaker 2:
Honesty. All those things are very important for the show to help business owners, because there are so many people out there with false information 10X your business and one day grow a $10 billion business as a solopreneur. You know, I've got news for those people not the ones that sell it, but the ones that are listening to it. You can be a solopreneur and make a lot of money, but you still have to have support, like whether it's a VA, a marketing director, maybe you don't have an employee, but you can't build. I'm not gonna say can't because that's a pretty tough word, but it's almost impossible to build a massive empire without people.
Speaker 1:
Yes, well, it's impossible to sustain one. It is true, you can get lucky and build something, maybe you just really, at the end of the day, you didn't do what the true definition is. So you had someone you already had a relationship that came and bought your product. All right, that's not really what marketing is. Marketing is someone who's completely cold and never heard of you before and now they're a client.
Speaker 1:
So, with that being said, I put that out there and I think where this whole pushing of solopreneurs? Because when I started, that term didn't exist. That was only what 12 years ago, 13 years ago, whatever it was, people get the mindset that if they're not a W9 employee, they're not mine, and that's not the way it is at all. Like, just because you're hiring a website company to build the website for you and they have their own company brand and all that, they're still part of your team. So, yeah, on paper you're a solo peanor, but you need that website guide to work. You need whoever is supplying your product, that if you're a resale business or your supplies for your service business, they need to be, functional, even if it's as simple as a long care company where I go buy the seed and the soil from Home Depot.
Speaker 1:
Home Depot is still one of your partner's dash employees, and I think that this pride that people give from solo peanorism really can hold them back, because it reduces the connections and relationships that you need to be building. And I know the reason people do it. People don't want to be seen as the man. I don't want to be the bad guy telling people no. Well, the reality is you need to if you're going to be as successful at business, and you definitely need to be able to do it if you're gonna be successful in sales which oh, by the way, if you're not good at sales, you don't really have a business.
Speaker 2:
What were some of the things that you did at the very first of your business that got you unstuck Cause? As you mentioned, and I mentioned all the time most business owners get stuck at some point and they just they plateau. They can't get over that hump, they're out of bandwidth. So how did you overcome that part building all these businesses?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so I'll give you the one I wrote my book about. I guess that's easy to solve.
Speaker 2:
Fantastic. Let's talk about it.
Speaker 1:
So when I first started my first business in 2011, it was a real estate business that really didn't reinvent the wheel. We bought houses that were broken, we fixed them up and then we resold them not really complicated and again I used we because while the contractors and the crews were not W2 employees, I hired a contracting firm to do them. If they didn't do it right, going off the way I said before, I was failed. So they were my employees. I did manage them that way, even though there was an intermediary in between.
Speaker 1:
So I was there mid-20s, all of my friends had come out and they got the normal salary sell my time for money type jobs and they're like, hey, let's go to Vegas. And I got money. I was like, all right, cool, let's do that. I made my head because I'm me. I just assumed this project I was working on would have well-send sold. I'd have a ton of money, wouldn't really be an issue. Well, like many business owners get themselves into, things started going sideways and I thought I would be able to buy myself out of the problem. So that's what we did. We fully leveraged this animal. I had literally 500 bucks worth of credit left to my name and 500 bucks in my pocket the day I got on that plane.
Speaker 2:
I guarantee people can relate to that. Yeah, we've all been there?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, exactly. So I look at myself realistically as soon as we land, they all go. Yeah, I mean, have you ever been to Vegas? You go buy those shows and the kiosks immediately, at least for people who don't plan ahead like we do, you just do them immediately. And I look at the money they're spending. I'm like I'm gonna run out of money like eight hours. What are we gonna do?
Speaker 1:
So I literally just looked around and said the only opportunity I have to try to make money is to walk through that casino door, a place where everybody knows the house always wins and if you stay there long enough, you will lose everything. And I have to figure out how to make that opposite of that truth happen. How can I do that? And, long story short, that's what I did. I've done that every single time, hence why it's a proven system. And really what I did was I took my sales system and I took it to the extreme hard mode and proved it worked. And then over the next decade, I kept refining and figuring out why it worked there and there. And while obviously it does work in casinos, the reason it works is because it's not a. It's not a. You do this, you do this, you do this. While there's certainly components of that, it's relationship game.
Speaker 1:
So I'm sitting there and I had to do the same thing that every business does. I had to figure out who would my ideal client be. Where should I go to try to do this investment? Where, how do I interact with people there? Do I even pick one that has people? All of these different questions that how I dealt with the casino was that, but they're all applicable to sales. Do I wanna go in front of a committee? Do I wanna go in front of the whole board? Don't wanna go in front of the assistant. How do I figure out this game plan of who the ideal client is, why they should be my ideal client? Mom man, I spent so much time on how ideal clients are taught wrong to this day because of the 1960 sales method to the max, so I feel like I drifted away from your question there. So, god you know the direction you wanna take me, but that's where I was.
Speaker 1:
I was in Vegas and I mean, do you talk about the fear and the panic of I'm here for three days? I know what my return flight is, at least I prepaid, the hotel, got that part done. But what am I gonna do? And like all these different thoughts once around my mind is like I can just put like a dollar in and just stand around and have them give me free drinks at the slot machine and hopefully they don't catch me. That doesn't really sound fun. But I could do it Like how can we make this work? And that's ultimately where, like I said, testing the sales system and how to make it work really came to be.
Speaker 1:
And the real revelation that the 1960 sales method misses and in fact it actively avoids is the way you do this right is you build better relationships and essentially that's been the focus of everything. Again, like I said, you need to have a system, you need to have a structure, but that's only 40% of it. And when you look at most of these guys of saying 10 extra business or whatever, it's 90% of it. And just as anyone out there who's trying to work out in life and you lose weight, you can have the greatest exercise planning you want in the world, if you don't eat right, you can't out exercise a bad diet If you want to truly lose weight. It's about 15% of the effort, 75% of the effort is eating right. So why would we do something that only focuses on 15% of the solution and misses the whole boat? And ultimately, that's what I proved in that casino floor and what I help people with now.
Speaker 1:
Because the 1960s sales method is you only get out of this call if I get what I want as the salesperson. You're leaving this car lot with a car, whether you like it or not. You know you're ending this cold call by me getting an appointment with you. Like it's all that way. And something that every person out there knows from a consumer standpoint is it's okay to lie to salespeople. You're all told that, right, like, oh, we're topped up from the beginning because salespeople are trying to trap us and use us and no person wants to be used, regardless of the circumstances. And that's what the 1960s sales method forces on people. We're gonna use these prospects to become clients and we're gonna extract money from them.
Speaker 1:
So what did clients learn? Step one you lie to them. But then we deal with the reality of step two I am on this car lot because, like, I wanna get a car. So I'm gonna like just get information and just steal what information I can get with the least amount of input or commitment as possible. And then step three I'm not giving you a decision, like maybe I'll get back to you. And then step four you disappear.
Speaker 1:
So that's been the model we've all been taught from our grandparents and it's a horrible way to sell. But when you look at that, joe, how can you build a relationship with? The first step is someone lying to you. Well, you gotta sell differently. You gotta sell correctly and do it right. And when you do do it right, sales will heal the world. And it is such a 180 from the way that sales have been done are still done. The legacy of them. It's a night and day shift. And what started me down that road was people still teach how your ideal client should be wrong. They teach it through that mindset. And I gotta tell you, if you are looking at personas, avatars, whatever term you use you're doing it wrong.
Speaker 1:
And you're gonna be doing a disservice to your company and to yourself, your prospects and everyone else involved.
Speaker 2:
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Speaker 2:
Yeah, it's interesting, or actually kind of funny, that you mentioned a car lot. It's the first thing that came to mind was cars, car sales, and I just dread the cars. When I need a car, I will find anyone in my family that's looking to upgrade their car so I can buy their car, because I just hate going to dealerships so much I just it's not worth it to me. But you know, it's interesting. You talk, it's not just. You said the 1960s, I think there's even a lot of sales training programs out there that people teach that are very well known and some of those I've been through and there's some good elements.
Speaker 2:
But to follow those like literally step by step, word for word, is not ideal and it doesn't work. Because I just asked a question not too long ago, just a legit question. I didn't even think about where I heard it from, where I learned it from, and they were like, did you go through blank blank I'm not even gonna mention it, blank blank training? And I was like, yeah, why? Well, when you asked that question, I was like I kind of felt like I was being sold to you know. So even those sales trainings sometimes get labeled because there's certain key points or questions or wording, and so what you're talking about it's about the relationship.
Speaker 1:
That's absolutely it. So when people hear those questions, and obviously the words you use matter, I mean, that's a fact of life. But the starting point is the intent, and when your intent is I'm going to use this person, which is the 19th, and I use the term 1960s methods because that's where it originated from it also is incredible prevalent to this day, and the reason is is because, as an employee or whatever, I can't get in trouble if I'm doing what everyone else is doing. So therefore, it's their safety in the familiar, even if the familiar is horrible, and this is a direct example of that. So, yes, there certainly are times you need to know specific information. If you're out there solving problems, which we all are, I need no specific information.
Speaker 1:
So, like you're hungry, you want to eat something. I sell pizzas. What do you want on it? That is not a stupid question. What topics do you want on your pizza? It's just in some context. You ask it right, you do it right, you do it wrong. The order you ask it, like if you're a pizza place and you sell multiple different things at the first question, instead of it being delivery or pickup, is what do you want on your pizza? Well, that's just wrong. Now I feel like you're trying to force me to buy a pizza whenever I wanted a ogie. So there is just some legitimate. We got to do things in the right order. But you're right, it comes down to building a relationship, and one of the this is sale specific.
Speaker 1:
Now, one of the things that really tie people up is that if you're gonna build a relationship correctly no matter what relationship it is with your kids, with your spouse, with whatever it requires vulnerability and, in that being said, no one is comfortable putting all of themselves out there without any form of reciprocation you just won't do it. It's like a seesaw All right, I gave you everything. Now I'm just hanging up here in the air like I am involved. Well, if you don't give anything, it's gonna be weird and awkward and then we're gonna walk away Like no Every person knows that instinctually inside themselves. Like I put myself out there, I was vulnerable and I did not get any feedback, and actually getting no feedback is more horrifying for people than getting negative feedback. You know, like if you go out there, say you're going to a football game and you're wearing the other team's jersey, sure, the Cowboys fans do not wanna see giants, people. They never do. But at least you're getting an interaction. You're talking about something you care about. The worst is like you would just complete utter ignoring, and that's the way it is. So put that in the context of your world and realize that fundamental background fact.
Speaker 1:
The problem with the 60s mindset is I have a passion, I wanna get a convertible and this guy's only absorbing my energy so he can spin it and use it against me later. If that's the starting mindset, you have no opportunity. But if you're coming in with the mindset of wanting to be hey, I know my product helps you, I know it's going to help you and, yes, you're gonna help me because now I'm gonna have more money to give to someone else so I can make more of it, that's a different mindset. Sure, everyone wins in that process, including commissions. But the objection and the actual physical problem is most people don't know how to become vulnerable correctly with strangers. They don't. And there is God knows how much coach and course. I've thought about that.
Speaker 1:
But that's the real issue. Because when we start with, why do you wanna buy a convertible? It doesn't have anything to do with the horsepower. That's the surface level question. I wanted this many seats, this many colors or whatever. But the real reason I want a convertible is because it reminds me of the car my dad had when we grew up. Well, now you start having conversation about that, you're at a different level of vulnerability than just the safety of talking about wheels and an engine. Now it's. I wanna talk about this.
Speaker 1:
But see, the thing is, as a consumer, you don't readily go to those vulnerable spots of. I had fun with my dad in this car whenever I was eight years old Unless you feel safe and that the other person's willing to go there. And to do that, you have to be comfortable going within your own deep well of emotions, swimming around in your own personal ocean, and most people are totally unwilling to do that. I don't know how long we are in this episode, so I don't wanna go too long, but I have exercised the people doing that, which make you yourself more comfortable in your own skin, which then makes it more inviting, because it's a lot easier to be with a guy who you feel has been here, done that, and when that's the case, there's just a natural ease.
Speaker 1:
There's less walls and barriers, and this comes with experience, certainly, but when you get better at understanding your own emotions and being comfortable in them, even in the big scary spots that you hide in the back of your mind. It becomes so much easier for a client to get there. And now, all of a sudden, we're on a journey through the client's memory about getting ice cream and then gunning it with the convertible down and feeling all the wind in your hair. Yeah, you're walking off this lot with four wheels and a key, but what you really bought was I get to share that with my kid, and because you, as the salesperson, took me through that exercise, I'm gonna do it with you. That is the complete and utter difference of the way of selling, from the 1960s method of strangling them, trying to upsell them into something more expensive and using them, versus you get to be eight years old again and share this with your kids and grandkids.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's great advice and I know a lot of business owners will follow up. So how would I start that conversation and I know this kind of gets really deep and we don't have much time left that's a big question. But I know for a lot of business owners they're like well, I'm trying to get to know people in their DM, I'm trying to do this, and nobody replies, and so how do they start that conversation?
Speaker 1:
Well, the first starting point is gonna be you have to clear yourself out, and I get that defragging is not a thing with modern computers anymore, but those are sort of older for a member. I'm essentially gonna teach you quickly here because he's so running out of time how to do that with yourself, so you can become more comfortable diving in your own emotions, because as you do this and get more proficient, this is a regular practice I'm gonna give you. By the way, the more you do this, the more apparent it will be. You are different and people will become comfortable. You also will inherently learn the words yourself. So there is no script on this. This is part of why scripts don't work.
Speaker 1:
But again, I want you to go to a sensory deprived place, sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes and then just think about events in your past that did not go the way that you wanted them, whether they be big time didn't go your way or relatively minor, but an event that didn't go your way. Close your eyes and visualize it and look through them, through your older eyes of today that you're at, and, first off, look at the interaction that is taking place, taking as much emotion of yourself out of it as possible, just saying person A and person B. Is that interaction between those two people correct, given the parameters? Obviously, a employee-employer relationship is different than a child and son relationship. But is it correct, given the parameters or what the relationship should be? And then gently sit in yourself and go what would I wish would have been different? Granted, you might have been able to control it you might not have been able to control at the time but what would have been different? And that doesn't mean it's going to change the past. I don't even want to try to apply that because it doesn't. But what it changes is seeing if this would have been said or if this action would have taken place, it would have turned out better.
Speaker 1:
And again, start this with little events and eventually be gentle and calm with yourself to take on bigger, scary ones, because this is a scary process. You're gonna be diving into things and memories that you have put away and not wanted to address. But as you go through this process of gently observing, saying what could have been different and why, and what could have a different outcome, look like your mind will reorient itself. The more you do this exercise, your mind will reorient itself, so that at the end of the day, after you do this daily, or at least work daily for a month or two months you won't ask that question. You started with what do I say? You'll just know because you will go through your previous experiences enough and say what could I have done differently? And yeah, it will be scary to address the personal, scary ones of your life, but once you can overcome them, that is how you go deeper in your own ocean of emotions, and the more confident someone across from me is that you can scuba dive down to that depth, the more comfortable they are to have them take you to their depths. And that is the key Getting inside of their emotions and their souls and their real meanings is how you create successful sales. So that's really how you do it.
Speaker 1:
It's an exercise that you're gonna give yourself time. Give yourself at least 20 minutes. Every time you do this, with your eyes closed, you are going to feel a lot of different feelings. That's okay and good. Have the courage to stay with it. You know, be realistic, but also be nurturing with yourself. This is what happened, this is what should have happened, this is what could have happened, and something is gonna happen in your childhood, when you could have actually done zero about this. But at least you'll know now what the correct way was and, like I said, that reorientation, a defragging of your mind, will rebuild something where you will never have to worry about what should I say? You might have to still know the order, but in terms of how do I say this with this person in front of me, you won't have to worry about it. And the thing is is you'll say it differently each time depending upon the person across from you, because your ability to build better relationships has just become refined.
Speaker 2:
Those are some golden exercises and I know you have many more. So before we log off, how would somebody contact you, follow you, learn more about you and your business?
Speaker 1:
Yeah. So the easiest way is to lead business conversations. On there. You'll be able to see all kinds of different things about me. So, from a personal standpoint, that's there. The various talks that I give at people's and corporate's events are there.
Speaker 1:
Newsflash, this is some of them. So, and then you also can obviously find the book at casino salesmaster, at casino salesmastercom, which also comes with the possibility I'm not saying it comes with it, because the book doesn't come with it but you can purchase a coaching course that you can have for life. That is, I'm still making it, but it's already eight hours long and I'm adding to it regularly. So, in terms of getting exercises that you need, that's what we do and I try to put them into bite size, bites per topic, but that's what it is. It's training that I can watch and still in my life and have a better sales process. And yes, casino salesmaster is strictly about the sales process itself. It's not necessarily about my relationship with my business is done, and if you're feeling that the relationship with your business is shot, that's on the website Elite Business Conversations. Click the box and then either myself or a member of the team will have a conversation about your business and where you're at.
Speaker 2:
Fantastic. Well, I appreciate your time You've been. Oh goodness, just the knowledge and the exercises is gonna help a lot of people. Any final words that you would like to tell a business owner that may not be where you're at?
Speaker 1:
yet Do not be afraid to be real, and this whole authentic thing has been like the catch word of like the last four years or whatever. But what I just walked through is the difference between being Facebook authentic and actually being real. Be willing to go inside your emotions, where you're at, and in that exercise, in the beginning of knowing the things you're passionate about curiosity, courage, things of that nature never be afraid to use them, because you will see a correlation Like if I would have used this attribute how to listen better, whatever it may be. This is what makes every person different and unique, but also why we're perfect for each other, why we need each other. Listen to yourself.
Speaker 1:
On that note, I don't wanna go hoping the long thing again, but if you're waking up with regular pain, particularly back pain or neck pain, it's almost always because there's something in the back of your brain you're not listening to and the only way your mind can get your body to pay attention is to put yourself in pain, and that is proven by psychology. So if there's someone in your life that you wish your relationship was better with, call them. Don't tweet them or whatever. Just actually call them. It's gonna be weird, it's gonna be awkward and it might not even be a good conversation, but it will make your life better. So do not procrastinate on things that your mind and body are telling you to do.
Speaker 2:
Fantastic. Well, Joe, appreciate you again. Thank you for your time, Wish you continued success and we'll catch you over on all the channels and stay in touch.
Speaker 1:
Perfect. Well, thank you very much, All right.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to the Recap in Coaches Corner. Recapping today's conversation with Joe, we've learned the importance of steering our businesses towards autonomy. Joe's journey from weathering economic storms to coaching others through uncertainty underscores the power of delegation and the impact of genuine connections on business success. Delegation is one of the most powerful actions a business owner can implement to create a business that runs without them. For our Coaches Corner, take a moment to assess your task list and identify one core function that you can delegate to lighten your load, whether it's marketing, sales or operations. Pinpointing one area where you can enlist support will free up valuable time and energy for strategic growth. Remember, building a team is not a sign of weakness but a smart move towards scalability and sustainability. If you need help understanding where you can delegate your action items, go to businessownershipsimplifiedcom and download our free resource called Delegation Quadrant. It will help you delegate the right things in the right order.
Speaker 2:
Thank you for listening to Small Business Pivots. Don't forget to subscribe and share this podcast. If your business is stuck or you need help creating your business to run without you, go to businessownershipsimplifiedcom and there schedule a free consultation to learn why business success starts with boss. If you have a guest or topic, suggestion for our podcast or just want to talk anything small business related? Email me at michael at michaldmorsencom. We'll see you next time on Small Business Pivots.