WEBVTT 00:00:17.320 --> 00:00:21.719 Hello, and welcome to Networking Unleashed, building 00:00:21.719 --> 00:00:24.760 profitable connections. Welcome to the show, 00:00:24.780 --> 00:00:28.059 folks. I'm your host, Michael Foreman, and you're 00:00:28.059 --> 00:00:30.679 listening to the podcast where networking is 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:33.500 more than just awkward handshakes and bad coffee. 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:37.179 It's an art and a talent. But here's the twist. 00:00:37.380 --> 00:00:40.700 It's an art and talent you can actually learn. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.219 Yes, even if you're the person hiding in the 00:00:44.219 --> 00:00:47.119 corner at every event, pretending to check your 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:50.579 emails. Networking isn't just a nice skill to 00:00:50.579 --> 00:00:54.340 have. It's a game changer. And when you get good 00:00:54.340 --> 00:00:57.200 at it, you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner. 00:00:57.719 --> 00:01:02.140 More connections, more opportunities, more profits. 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:06.579 It's like unlocking a cheat code for life. So 00:01:06.579 --> 00:01:09.120 whether you're the life of the party or the just 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.950 let me stay at home and text type, We've got 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:15.730 something for you. Stick around. Let's turn those 00:01:15.730 --> 00:01:20.930 awkward small talk moments into big wins. Hello, 00:01:20.989 --> 00:01:24.370 everybody. Now, I have an exciting guest. His 00:01:24.370 --> 00:01:28.069 name is Swire Ho. And he was born and raised 00:01:28.069 --> 00:01:31.209 in Hong Kong, but he immigrated to Los Angeles 00:01:31.209 --> 00:01:36.049 in 1996. And he's done so much. He has such a 00:01:36.049 --> 00:01:38.909 vast background that I would do it an injustice. 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:42.980 if I tried to tell you. So let me just introduce 00:01:42.980 --> 00:01:45.640 you. Swire, how are you? And welcome to the show. 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:47.939 I'm doing well, Michael. Thanks for having me 00:01:47.939 --> 00:01:51.980 on your show. Good. I'm glad you're here, first 00:01:51.980 --> 00:01:53.939 of all. Why don't you tell us a little bit about 00:01:53.939 --> 00:01:58.819 yourself? My name is Swire, and thanks for the 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:03.920 introduction. I came to LA in 1996. I originally 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:07.159 wanted to be in entertainment, but I don't play, 00:02:07.299 --> 00:02:09.819 I don't act, I'm not good looking. But I wanted 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:11.900 to be in the entertainment industry, so I studied 00:02:11.900 --> 00:02:15.400 and became a recording engineer. So I worked 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:19.319 there for a couple of years. Fast forward a little 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:21.860 bit on the day of my honeymoon, I found out that 00:02:21.860 --> 00:02:23.919 the company that I worked for at the time went 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:26.840 out of business. So that started my entrepreneurial 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:30.379 journey. So started first in the CD, DVD replication 00:02:30.379 --> 00:02:32.840 business. If you're old enough like me, back 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:34.740 in the days, people still buy a lot of this. 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.000 I'm in the right place at the right time. So 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.840 did that for about 10 years. In 2013, we sold 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:44.840 the business to a competitor in LA. So hindsight, 00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:48.300 that was very good timing. So got into. promotional 00:02:48.300 --> 00:02:51.500 product business. And now I call myself the promo 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:54.560 guy and have been in the promo industry for about 00:02:54.560 --> 00:02:58.460 12 years now. Good, good. Wow, that's great. 00:02:58.520 --> 00:03:01.259 And seems like your timing was perfect in just 00:03:01.259 --> 00:03:04.620 about everything that you've done. But let's 00:03:04.620 --> 00:03:08.020 switch this around a little bit. How has strategic 00:03:08.020 --> 00:03:12.060 networking played a role in your ability to turn 00:03:12.060 --> 00:03:16.300 creative ideas into successful business projects? 00:03:17.210 --> 00:03:21.509 I wish I know more about networking. Like when 00:03:21.509 --> 00:03:25.110 I was younger, like I love networking. This is 00:03:25.110 --> 00:03:28.099 what I do. This is how I find business. But for 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:31.620 example, now my son is a sophomore in college 00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:34.939 right now. So my advice to him at this point 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:37.800 will be you should network with the alumni, with 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.780 your professors, with other students, friends 00:03:40.780 --> 00:03:44.039 that you have. Because I tell him, he always 00:03:44.039 --> 00:03:46.300 complained to me that the job market is tough, 00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:48.039 right? There's a lot of people who want the same 00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.960 job. But I told him most positions, like even 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.039 the executive positions, are taken before they're 00:03:54.039 --> 00:03:56.650 even on the market. Why? Because people network, 00:03:56.870 --> 00:03:59.569 people know who is up and coming, who they want 00:03:59.569 --> 00:04:02.050 to work with, who they want to be on the team. 00:04:02.150 --> 00:04:05.409 So those dream position actually might not be 00:04:05.409 --> 00:04:07.569 on the market, but you're able to get through 00:04:07.569 --> 00:04:09.930 them through networking. So I think that could 00:04:09.930 --> 00:04:12.229 relate to business as well. Like the best deal 00:04:12.229 --> 00:04:15.590 out there are not in the open for request for 00:04:15.590 --> 00:04:18.529 quote. It's already given through handshakes, 00:04:18.529 --> 00:04:21.029 networking, and then people working from behind 00:04:21.029 --> 00:04:24.779 the scenes. You're absolutely right. And let's 00:04:24.779 --> 00:04:26.939 just go back a little bit. You said your son 00:04:26.939 --> 00:04:30.079 was in college and you told him that networking 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:33.699 was so important. I can't begin to tell you how 00:04:33.699 --> 00:04:38.680 right you are, because even today where I have 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:43.060 friends in. high places, they network through 00:04:43.060 --> 00:04:47.600 their college buddies and they do work. One guy 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:50.759 goes hunting and invites all of his college buddies 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:54.360 with him and they talk business over hunting. 00:04:54.620 --> 00:04:57.879 Everything is networking. Networking is so crucial. 00:04:58.019 --> 00:05:04.779 And what goes with that is the trust. The trust 00:05:04.779 --> 00:05:08.060 factor is so big and so important that when you 00:05:08.060 --> 00:05:10.600 go to college with these guys, you have that 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:13.579 built in. So half your battle has been fought 00:05:13.579 --> 00:05:18.360 already. Okay, so what are some key strategies 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:21.959 you use to build and maintain strong business 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:26.079 relationships that lead to profitable collaborations? 00:05:27.019 --> 00:05:30.420 I think one of the key to success, if I can use 00:05:30.420 --> 00:05:33.319 that word, is I like to... follow up with my 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:35.720 customer? Because think about, listener can think 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:37.759 about your experience right now. When is the 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:40.439 last time that a sales rep or a representative 00:05:40.439 --> 00:05:43.079 checked in with you after you purchased from 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:46.660 them? Chances are not that often, but if you 00:05:46.660 --> 00:05:49.100 are in business development, if you are a business 00:05:49.100 --> 00:05:51.980 owner, why don't you check in with your customer? 00:05:52.180 --> 00:05:55.480 Ask them a few questions. Are you happy with 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.240 the product and services that we provided? And 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.550 then you listen. Sometimes they will give you 00:06:00.550 --> 00:06:02.889 concern. Sometimes they will complain a little 00:06:02.889 --> 00:06:05.329 bit. I wish you could deliver on Thursday instead 00:06:05.329 --> 00:06:07.910 of Wednesday. If this is something that you could 00:06:07.910 --> 00:06:11.709 solve or do quickly, do that without them asking 00:06:11.709 --> 00:06:15.509 you again. So you'll be surprised how you could 00:06:15.509 --> 00:06:17.930 build on your customer loyalty that way just 00:06:17.930 --> 00:06:21.620 because you listen. Most big companies don't 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:24.620 listen. Or if you try to complain, they have 00:06:24.620 --> 00:06:27.579 a whole department just listen to you, but then 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:30.439 that they're not going to do anything. You're 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:33.379 absolutely right. And the follow -up, I'm jumping 00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:35.500 ahead like towards the end of the podcast already, 00:06:35.620 --> 00:06:39.980 but the follow -up is so crucial and so important 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:44.360 with your customer base. What system do you use 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:49.029 for follow -up and how do you follow up? I have 00:06:49.029 --> 00:06:51.569 a plan that works for me. So obviously, everyone 00:06:51.569 --> 00:06:53.910 is in different business and do different things. 00:06:54.050 --> 00:06:56.910 Actually, I think the best one that I have learned 00:06:56.910 --> 00:06:59.850 is from a financial planner. So what he does, 00:06:59.870 --> 00:07:02.750 obviously, the cycle that he signed up a client 00:07:02.750 --> 00:07:05.329 is longer than when you buy promotional product 00:07:05.329 --> 00:07:08.050 is faster transactional. But what he would do 00:07:08.050 --> 00:07:11.339 is he actually set up for customer loyalty and 00:07:11.339 --> 00:07:13.860 his referral. He has this planner. So before 00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:16.259 he signed up a client, he would tell them, we're 00:07:16.259 --> 00:07:18.399 going to work together. We're very excited. If 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:20.699 all goes well, if I'm able to provide what you're 00:07:20.699 --> 00:07:23.160 looking for, would you be willing to refer me 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:25.600 to your friends or colleagues or family member? 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.660 So he already set that in place. A couple months 00:07:28.660 --> 00:07:31.720 during the time worked together, they... check 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:33.699 in, make sure that they're happy. And then he 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:36.300 go ask for that questions again. So the amount 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:38.519 of referral that he could receive as a financial 00:07:38.519 --> 00:07:41.639 planner, that skyrocket. So there are different 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:43.959 ways that we could do that. For me, I'll ask 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:47.139 my customer if I know that they work in a larger 00:07:47.139 --> 00:07:49.459 organization, the same question, do you have 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:51.939 any colleagues that could use promotional product? 00:07:52.180 --> 00:07:55.420 Would you mind to introduce me to them? That's 00:07:55.420 --> 00:07:58.420 how I'm able to build my relationship. You think 00:07:58.420 --> 00:08:01.279 it's slow, but... one at a time, one at a time, 00:08:01.360 --> 00:08:04.540 then what if you never lose any customer? Then 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:07.019 how is your business going to grow in five years 00:08:07.019 --> 00:08:11.199 or 10 years? Absolutely. I used to be a mortgage 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:15.300 banker. And we did almost the very same thing 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:19.000 for referrals. Now, they said you should ask 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.720 for referrals when you're just starting out, 00:08:21.800 --> 00:08:25.319 when you first start with that customer or client. 00:08:25.819 --> 00:08:28.279 But I didn't do that. I waited until we were 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.300 about halfway through and said, are you happy 00:08:31.300 --> 00:08:34.960 so far? And they would, of course, say yes. I 00:08:34.960 --> 00:08:37.419 would ask for a referral. And at the end, when 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:39.879 they were so happy, I would ask for a referral. 00:08:40.059 --> 00:08:43.889 So I would ask twice. in the sales cycle. And 00:08:43.889 --> 00:08:46.850 it came back to me very well. What communication 00:08:46.850 --> 00:08:51.029 techniques do you use to gain trust and influence 00:08:51.029 --> 00:08:55.549 in a corporate setting? I think the way it's 00:08:55.549 --> 00:08:57.669 changing right now, and you mentioned it in the 00:08:57.669 --> 00:09:00.350 beginning of the show, Michael, like there are 00:09:00.350 --> 00:09:02.429 a generation now, they don't like to speak over 00:09:02.429 --> 00:09:04.590 the phones anymore. Some of my clients, I can 00:09:04.590 --> 00:09:07.509 never get them over the phone. Email maybe, but 00:09:07.509 --> 00:09:10.769 they do text and they will be available. a lot 00:09:10.769 --> 00:09:13.950 longer if I text them. So I try to adapt, I try 00:09:13.950 --> 00:09:16.409 to accommodate, right? So maybe they only do 00:09:16.409 --> 00:09:19.570 LinkedIn DM. Maybe they only do text messages 00:09:19.570 --> 00:09:23.529 after 4 .30 PM. So I make notes in my CRM system, 00:09:23.769 --> 00:09:26.509 what they like to do and how I'm able to reach 00:09:26.509 --> 00:09:29.509 them. Some of them still available before 8 AM, 00:09:29.629 --> 00:09:32.330 before the madness start, as people call it. 00:09:32.389 --> 00:09:36.409 So I learn how people like to communicate. I 00:09:36.409 --> 00:09:39.720 learn, adapt to the style. that they like to 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:42.200 do things. Some people are more straight on point. 00:09:42.440 --> 00:09:45.139 Some people like to see a lot of options. So 00:09:45.139 --> 00:09:49.340 as networking, you got to be open to everyone. 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:53.320 There's not one style for networking. It's just 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:55.399 when you go to different situation, different 00:09:55.399 --> 00:09:57.559 networking groups, there are different dynamics. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:00.600 You might have to shift what works for you at 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:05.720 other locations. Do you network in any way, person 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:09.299 to person anymore? I do. I still go to a lot 00:10:09.299 --> 00:10:11.580 of in -person networking. I think those actually 00:10:11.580 --> 00:10:14.299 works for me better. A lot of buyers, they would 00:10:14.299 --> 00:10:16.480 normally don't answer my email, don't take my 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:19.460 phone call. If I see them face to face, at least 00:10:19.460 --> 00:10:21.679 I'll get a face time for a couple of minutes 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:24.320 to make an impression. So I think if you are 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:28.100 targeting larger account, if you know the buyer 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:30.460 or the decision maker is going to be there, you 00:10:30.460 --> 00:10:34.529 should be there. Absolutely. Listen, I am a firm 00:10:34.529 --> 00:10:38.450 believer in networking face -to -face. Networking 00:10:38.450 --> 00:10:41.250 so when you walk into a room, you feel the vibe 00:10:41.250 --> 00:10:43.389 of the room, you feel the vibe of the person, 00:10:43.490 --> 00:10:46.970 and you see a lot more of what he does or she 00:10:46.970 --> 00:10:50.450 does and how they do business, and you can do 00:10:50.450 --> 00:10:54.809 business the very same way. Okay, so when presenting 00:10:54.809 --> 00:10:58.070 a new idea or project, How do you communicate 00:10:58.070 --> 00:11:01.590 its value in a way that resonates with corporate 00:11:01.590 --> 00:11:05.809 leaders and stakeholders? Then you have to do 00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:08.429 your research. So I think we're fortunate versus 00:11:08.429 --> 00:11:11.950 back in the days in the CD business that we are... 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:14.139 Having fingertips, a lot of the information, 00:11:14.279 --> 00:11:17.600 the bio, what people have done or what the corporation 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:20.340 has done. So when you actually speak to them 00:11:20.340 --> 00:11:23.279 in person or via virtual meeting, you know a 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.440 lot about them already. So with the rise of AI, 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:28.980 it's actually easier. You could, if there are 00:11:28.980 --> 00:11:31.820 someone, if you do a search, something's got 00:11:31.820 --> 00:11:35.799 to pull up. So if you don't know your client 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:38.279 or the company or what the project is going to 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:40.519 be out, when you walk into a meeting, you lost 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:43.519 the account. So people want to be known, people 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.299 want to see, show me that you know me, right? 00:11:46.379 --> 00:11:48.879 So when we talk to someone, if we could relate 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:52.700 to them, if we can build a rapport quickly, then 00:11:52.700 --> 00:11:55.299 the chances of them opening up for our question 00:11:55.299 --> 00:11:59.019 to answer things that we know is a lot higher. 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:01.809 But when you see someone... It seems like you 00:12:01.809 --> 00:12:04.509 have not been preparing and you don't know nothing 00:12:04.509 --> 00:12:07.590 about their project or their pain point. Then 00:12:07.590 --> 00:12:09.870 you probably get shut out or that meeting is 00:12:09.870 --> 00:12:13.649 going to end pretty quickly. It's true. There's 00:12:13.649 --> 00:12:16.830 a mantra in networking. If they know you, like 00:12:16.830 --> 00:12:19.549 you and trust you, they'll do business with you 00:12:19.549 --> 00:12:22.970 and know you and like you. That's pretty easy. 00:12:23.070 --> 00:12:25.269 Look, you're a nice guy. You're a good looking 00:12:25.269 --> 00:12:28.169 guy. Everything goes all right. But that trust 00:12:28.169 --> 00:12:32.980 factor is so important. And I stole this idea, 00:12:33.100 --> 00:12:36.360 by the way, but I have a system. It's called 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:41.240 FORM, F -O -R -M, Family, Occupation, Recreation, 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:45.039 and a Message. And you get the person to talk 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:47.840 about themselves because people love to talk 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:50.779 about themselves. And the more that they talk 00:12:50.779 --> 00:12:53.700 about themselves, that wall comes down a little 00:12:53.700 --> 00:12:57.860 and the trust factor goes up. It's very integral. 00:12:59.129 --> 00:13:02.649 It's very important that you gain the trust and 00:13:02.649 --> 00:13:05.029 that you have them talk about themselves so that 00:13:05.029 --> 00:13:08.350 all that comes together at the same time. What 00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:11.490 are some of the most effective ways you expand 00:13:11.490 --> 00:13:14.649 your professional network with the right people 00:13:14.649 --> 00:13:19.549 who can turn your ideas into reality? I think 00:13:19.549 --> 00:13:22.009 going tied to the previous point that you make, 00:13:22.090 --> 00:13:25.980 right? So people love to work with experts. So 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:29.460 how can you make yourself become an expert in? 00:13:29.980 --> 00:13:32.500 You don't necessarily have to be the best, but 00:13:32.500 --> 00:13:34.879 then if you're the most well -known or if you 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:37.539 appear to be an expert in your industry, people 00:13:37.539 --> 00:13:40.379 will likely get that conversation with you better. 00:13:40.539 --> 00:13:44.360 So actually, again, I learned from a PR expert. 00:13:44.500 --> 00:13:47.419 Her title was, she asked me, how do you become 00:13:47.419 --> 00:13:49.820 the go -to expert in your industry? So you think 00:13:49.820 --> 00:13:52.740 about that, listener. If you have, when I mentioned 00:13:52.740 --> 00:13:55.039 coffee, when I mentioned luxury watches, when 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:58.159 I mentioned vacation, you already have. some 00:13:58.159 --> 00:14:00.980 brand or some places in mind, why would they 00:14:00.980 --> 00:14:04.639 come up like that? So in your industry, how can 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:07.639 you become that person or that few person people 00:14:07.639 --> 00:14:10.159 will mention when they mention your industry? 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:13.379 So I think if I'm able to do that, and if listener 00:14:13.379 --> 00:14:16.700 can able to get to those point, so the conversation 00:14:16.700 --> 00:14:20.779 will be a lot easier, right? So if you're the 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:22.840 expert, you could probably afford to charge more. 00:14:23.259 --> 00:14:26.639 than people who are regular. So it's my continued 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.000 journey, try to become the expert. That's why 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:32.200 I'm doing the podcast. I love doing podcasts. 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:36.139 Because if you people get the perception that 00:14:36.139 --> 00:14:38.659 if you could talk about what you do, you probably 00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:43.309 know what you're talking about. Sometime. That's 00:14:43.309 --> 00:14:47.110 good. That's good because your goal is to be 00:14:47.110 --> 00:14:50.370 the expert in your field and all of this is part 00:14:50.370 --> 00:14:53.450 of it. But I'm sure that you've made mistakes 00:14:53.450 --> 00:14:57.730 in the past. Okay. So just give me a general 00:14:57.730 --> 00:15:00.710 idea of the mistakes you've made and how did 00:15:00.710 --> 00:15:04.769 you overcome them? i'm not good at small talking 00:15:04.769 --> 00:15:07.470 not at all like you mentioned in the beginning 00:15:07.470 --> 00:15:10.710 as well trying to hide in the corner and pretend 00:15:10.710 --> 00:15:13.690 i'm doing email i do that still nowadays like 00:15:13.690 --> 00:15:18.090 even after almost 20 years now so what i overcome 00:15:18.090 --> 00:15:21.240 those mistakes because i get nervous when I walk 00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:24.259 into a room with sometimes 100 people that I 00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:27.480 don't know, I follow my routine, I need to warm 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:31.399 up. So I normally will actually go to the magnet, 00:15:31.519 --> 00:15:34.559 right, the alpha in the in the meeting or in 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:37.500 the event itself. I don't talk to anyone, right? 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:39.679 They they're welcoming there. They know everybody. 00:15:39.799 --> 00:15:43.029 So I know by talking to him. or her, they will 00:15:43.029 --> 00:15:45.629 give me a lot of energy. They will ask me a lot 00:15:45.629 --> 00:15:47.370 of questions because they know what they're doing. 00:15:47.509 --> 00:15:50.509 And after the conversation, I'll ask them to 00:15:50.509 --> 00:15:53.470 introduce me to people that I might want to know. 00:15:53.750 --> 00:15:58.730 I wanted to tell them who I'm trying to meet, 00:15:58.870 --> 00:16:01.129 what kind of company works for me, and maybe 00:16:01.129 --> 00:16:03.570 what I'm here for. A lot of times they will point 00:16:03.570 --> 00:16:06.340 me to the right direction. So I think... I need 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:09.600 to work on my small talk, but I'll continue to 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.860 do my warm -up talk so that I become better after 00:16:12.860 --> 00:16:16.519 I warm up in networking. That's very good. And 00:16:16.519 --> 00:16:20.440 it's really important that you do that warm -up 00:16:20.440 --> 00:16:23.860 and that you practice because this is a skill 00:16:23.860 --> 00:16:27.320 like anything else, okay? The more you practice, 00:16:27.559 --> 00:16:30.860 the better you get. And I do a whole thing when 00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:34.779 I go on stages and I coach people. whether they 00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:38.179 are introverts or extroverts. If they're introverts, 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:41.940 it's not much different than an extrovert. I 00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:45.059 have what's called a wingman and I'll go into 00:16:45.059 --> 00:16:47.379 that later on. It's really not much different, 00:16:47.419 --> 00:16:49.559 but you're doing the right thing because you're 00:16:49.559 --> 00:16:53.220 practicing to get to be better. And once you're 00:16:53.220 --> 00:16:55.940 better, you become the expert in your field and 00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:59.840 then everything opens up for you. Okay. Can you 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:04.089 share a time? when a connection helped you overcome 00:17:04.089 --> 00:17:09.289 a challenge and open doors, an unexpected opening 00:17:09.289 --> 00:17:12.490 of the doors? Yeah, actually a recent example. 00:17:12.650 --> 00:17:16.349 So I'm not going to name names, but I went to 00:17:16.349 --> 00:17:19.829 a conference for a hospital organization last 00:17:19.829 --> 00:17:22.970 year. So I met all the buyers, all the important 00:17:22.970 --> 00:17:25.349 people. So there were a lot of people, big events. 00:17:25.410 --> 00:17:28.069 So I talked to the main buyer of a hospital group. 00:17:28.150 --> 00:17:31.410 They have about... 20 ,000 employees in LA. So 00:17:31.410 --> 00:17:33.809 bigger count for me potentially. But as those 00:17:33.809 --> 00:17:35.349 type of meeting, a lot of people are jumping 00:17:35.349 --> 00:17:38.609 onto the person as well. So I actually get maybe 00:17:38.609 --> 00:17:41.990 two minutes of FaceTime. Nothing happened. I 00:17:41.990 --> 00:17:44.869 checked in. I do all my email. He's busy. But 00:17:44.869 --> 00:17:47.970 I met him again in November, right? At another 00:17:47.970 --> 00:17:51.869 separate event. So he remember we met. So we 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:54.410 continue to talk. Still nothing happened until 00:17:54.410 --> 00:17:58.359 about two months ago. I email him and I keep 00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:00.440 following up with him. And he said, OK, actually, 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:03.400 do you have an opportunity for you? And we get 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:06.740 connected. And now we are getting little orders 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:09.980 from that big hospital group. So I think the 00:18:09.980 --> 00:18:13.420 challenge and then for a lot of us is we're all 00:18:13.420 --> 00:18:16.900 busy. Right. Do you ever forget your follow up? 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:20.160 How often do you follow up? Like at what point? 00:18:20.680 --> 00:18:23.380 Do you give up? A lot of us give up after maybe 00:18:23.380 --> 00:18:26.759 a couple of tries, maybe five tries. I think 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.480 like the longest I follow up with a person and 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:34.619 open up door, I think it was five years. That's 00:18:34.619 --> 00:18:37.059 a long time. That's a long time. It's really, 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:41.099 there's in the sales force, you have to reach 00:18:41.099 --> 00:18:45.569 out and touch somebody. touch their email, talk 00:18:45.569 --> 00:18:49.130 to them, whatever, like six to 12 times before 00:18:49.130 --> 00:18:52.470 they would respond to you. So you have to put 00:18:52.470 --> 00:18:55.349 a lot of work into this while you're not getting 00:18:55.349 --> 00:18:58.970 any response, but you have to keep at it. Now, 00:18:59.029 --> 00:19:03.589 I emailed somebody about seven months ago. It 00:19:03.589 --> 00:19:05.910 was an event planner that I wanted to talk at 00:19:05.910 --> 00:19:10.309 this show. And nothing, crickets, nothing for 00:19:10.309 --> 00:19:14.390 seven months. Last month, she emailed me and 00:19:14.390 --> 00:19:16.910 talking as if we were talking for the entire 00:19:16.910 --> 00:19:21.309 seven months. So it's mind blowing. But once 00:19:21.309 --> 00:19:25.349 you extinguish your options with a potential 00:19:25.349 --> 00:19:28.410 client, let's say, because I have a secret sauce 00:19:28.410 --> 00:19:32.210 for following up. And after all of that, if they 00:19:32.210 --> 00:19:35.869 still don't want to talk to me, I put them onto 00:19:35.869 --> 00:19:39.089 my drip campaign. In other words, they're emailed 00:19:39.089 --> 00:19:41.910 once a month just to keep me in front of them 00:19:41.910 --> 00:19:46.029 and keep me top of mind. Okay, so never give 00:19:46.029 --> 00:19:49.569 up. Practice, but never give up. If someone wanted 00:19:49.569 --> 00:19:52.390 to strengthen their business communication and 00:19:52.390 --> 00:19:55.910 networking skills, what's the first step that 00:19:55.910 --> 00:19:59.170 they should take? They should definitely learn 00:19:59.170 --> 00:20:02.809 more about their ideal client, meaning that we 00:20:02.809 --> 00:20:05.190 all have our ideal client. One that will spend 00:20:05.190 --> 00:20:07.730 the most money with you, one that will pay you 00:20:07.730 --> 00:20:10.250 full price, and you love working with them. So 00:20:10.250 --> 00:20:12.549 if you have not figured out who your ideal clients 00:20:12.549 --> 00:20:15.430 are, you should definitely do that. And after 00:20:15.430 --> 00:20:17.910 you know who your ideal clients are, think about 00:20:17.910 --> 00:20:20.569 their demographics. Think about what they like 00:20:20.569 --> 00:20:22.950 to do. Are they golfers? Are they going to be 00:20:22.950 --> 00:20:25.650 at the gym? Are they going to be at a corporate 00:20:25.650 --> 00:20:29.029 retreat? And once you identify all those things, 00:20:29.170 --> 00:20:32.210 you got to be there. So if they're a soccer game, 00:20:32.309 --> 00:20:34.450 you go to a soccer game. If they are only hanging 00:20:34.450 --> 00:20:37.529 out at a country club, you got to get a membership. 00:20:37.829 --> 00:20:40.230 So I think these are very important questions. 00:20:40.710 --> 00:20:43.569 A lot of us sometimes run in circles. We attend 00:20:43.569 --> 00:20:45.930 a lot of meetings, and then we complain that 00:20:45.930 --> 00:20:48.890 it's not good for us because you're not going 00:20:48.890 --> 00:20:52.109 to the right event, even though an event might 00:20:52.109 --> 00:20:55.289 cost you, let's say, $1 ,000 to attend. If your 00:20:55.289 --> 00:20:57.869 ideal clients are going to be there, there is 00:20:57.869 --> 00:21:01.130 really you should consider doing that. Yes, free 00:21:01.130 --> 00:21:03.289 meeting is good. Virtual meeting, no cost, not 00:21:03.289 --> 00:21:05.609 good. But are you finding your ideal clients 00:21:05.609 --> 00:21:08.109 there? So I think if you can answer the question 00:21:08.109 --> 00:21:11.529 for who your ideal clients are, the rest of what 00:21:11.529 --> 00:21:14.829 you're looking for will follow. Very good. Very 00:21:14.829 --> 00:21:17.869 good. And so let's bring this full swing. All 00:21:17.869 --> 00:21:20.890 right. Tell me, Swire, what is your favorite 00:21:20.890 --> 00:21:23.809 marketing tactic that you would employ today? 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:30.880 I would still find people where they are, especially 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:35.740 I will find an industry that none of my competitors 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:38.480 are there. Because if you think about in my industry 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:40.299 and promotional product, people think it's a 00:21:40.299 --> 00:21:43.259 commodity. But then if I talk to the right people, 00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:46.460 which has the right pain point that I can solve, 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:49.619 then it will be easier. It's a no brainer conversation. 00:21:49.940 --> 00:21:52.240 You know, going back to what I just said, to 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.599 find out my ideal clients, no more. about them 00:21:56.599 --> 00:21:59.079 than they know about themselves. If you can do 00:21:59.079 --> 00:22:02.160 that, then you are in a good point. If they only 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:04.579 hang out in a certain place, really, you should 00:22:04.579 --> 00:22:07.279 go there. Or if they only play, if they all play 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.480 pickleball, for example, or if they all do running, 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:13.079 you got to take up the hobby. So I think really, 00:22:13.140 --> 00:22:16.740 if you are strategic, and you wanted to make 00:22:16.740 --> 00:22:19.160 best use of your time, knowing where they are, 00:22:19.220 --> 00:22:22.059 what they like, and then do and meet them there. 00:22:23.970 --> 00:22:26.450 Great. Okay. So let me ask you a question. So 00:22:26.450 --> 00:22:30.710 if you were to give me one idea that my listeners 00:22:30.710 --> 00:22:33.269 could take away from everything you've said, 00:22:33.430 --> 00:22:36.069 they could take away and they could employ it 00:22:36.069 --> 00:22:39.769 today or tomorrow, what would you suggest that 00:22:39.769 --> 00:22:43.400 would be? I think I'm going to put in technology 00:22:43.400 --> 00:22:46.019 in there as well. Assume that your ideal client, 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:48.420 or even if you are new in business, you don't 00:22:48.420 --> 00:22:50.619 know who your ideal client are. Do you dream 00:22:50.619 --> 00:22:53.339 of the perfect client, right? One that pay you 00:22:53.339 --> 00:22:55.460 full price. You're happy to work with them and 00:22:55.460 --> 00:22:58.059 they buy, they love buying your product or services, 00:22:58.200 --> 00:23:02.140 right? And then you go in and ask AI, act as 00:23:02.140 --> 00:23:05.279 your industry. I'm trying to target these are 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:09.710 my client. Where are they mostly located? What 00:23:09.710 --> 00:23:11.859 kind of events do they hang out? What kind of 00:23:11.859 --> 00:23:14.119 magazines do they read? What kind of social media 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:17.799 platform are they most likely to be on? And then 00:23:17.799 --> 00:23:20.599 learn, at least in a general sense, AI can give 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:23.319 you that feedback. And then now you can do your 00:23:23.319 --> 00:23:26.500 own research to confirm, are the ideal client 00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:28.980 really on those platforms? Are they really at 00:23:28.980 --> 00:23:31.940 those events? Then do yourself a favor to go 00:23:31.940 --> 00:23:34.420 to those events, sign up for maybe their conferences, 00:23:34.519 --> 00:23:37.019 and be on the social media platform that they 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:39.339 have, and then engage conversation with them. 00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:43.460 That's great. Swire, if somebody wanted to get 00:23:43.460 --> 00:23:46.619 hold of you, either they wanted to buy your services 00:23:46.619 --> 00:23:49.339 or they just wanted to talk to you, what's the 00:23:49.339 --> 00:23:51.920 best way that they would get hold of you? I'm 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:54.720 most active on LinkedIn. So you could go on LinkedIn, 00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:57.740 just type in Swire Ho. You'll find me and happy 00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:01.259 to connect with everyone. I think in order to 00:24:01.259 --> 00:24:04.880 be an expert, another point that the PR expert 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:07.880 told me. A lot of time nowadays after the conversation, 00:24:08.140 --> 00:24:10.319 a client would definitely Google your name and 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:12.920 Google your company. What would they see when 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:16.019 they type in your name or your company? Are they 00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:18.319 good things or are they the bad reviews that 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:20.880 people have been living behind you? Try my name, 00:24:20.940 --> 00:24:23.759 Swirehole, hashtag the promo guy and to see what. 00:24:23.799 --> 00:24:27.750 So if you could plan. even on social media and 00:24:27.750 --> 00:24:31.289 on web search about the content or the material 00:24:31.289 --> 00:24:33.549 that you want people to see. And then people 00:24:33.549 --> 00:24:35.490 will start thinking you as the expert because 00:24:35.490 --> 00:24:37.769 it's why it's not just on the web, on social 00:24:37.769 --> 00:24:40.130 media, talking about cooking, talking about his 00:24:40.130 --> 00:24:43.170 backyard hobbies. He's talking about his industry. 00:24:43.410 --> 00:24:45.890 So yeah, he has been in industry for a while. 00:24:45.950 --> 00:24:49.549 So I encourage everyone to try that and see if 00:24:49.549 --> 00:24:53.220 that works for you. That's great. Swire, I can't 00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:56.500 thank you enough. This was a great podcast. And 00:24:56.500 --> 00:24:58.980 thank you for coming on my show. Thanks, Michael. 00:25:01.180 --> 00:25:04.359 Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. Let 00:25:04.359 --> 00:25:06.559 me just read a few of our sponsors that we have. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:09.940 Struggling to reach success? Maybe it's time 00:25:09.940 --> 00:25:14.049 to quit. 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Revved 00:25:55.329 --> 00:25:58.509 Up Kids is on a mission to protect children and 00:25:58.509 --> 00:26:02.349 teens from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. 00:26:02.609 --> 00:26:05.250 They provide prevention training programs for 00:26:05.250 --> 00:26:08.920 children. teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:13.779 to revvedupkids .org. That's R -E -V -V -E -D 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:20.980 -U -P -K -I -D -S .org. Well, that's a wrap, 00:26:21.039 --> 00:26:23.900 folks. A huge thank you to our special guests 00:26:23.900 --> 00:26:27.259 for sharing such incredible insights today. And 00:26:27.259 --> 00:26:30.619 of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing 00:26:30.619 --> 00:26:33.579 listeners, for tuning in and spending your time 00:26:33.579 --> 00:26:37.450 with us. Remember, networking isn't about being 00:26:37.450 --> 00:26:40.789 perfect. It's about being present. So take what 00:26:40.789 --> 00:26:43.369 you've learned today, get out there and make 00:26:43.369 --> 00:26:46.369 some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this 00:26:46.369 --> 00:26:49.329 episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us 00:26:49.329 --> 00:26:51.970 a review and share it with someone who could 00:26:51.970 --> 00:26:55.269 use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep 00:26:55.269 --> 00:26:58.970 the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, 00:26:59.109 --> 00:27:03.759 Spotify, YouTube or my website. Michael A. Foreman, 00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:07.720 remember, until next time, keep practicing, keep 00:27:07.720 --> 00:27:10.299 connecting, and keep building those relationships. 00:27:10.740 --> 00:27:13.880 This is Michael A. Foreman signing off. Take 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:15.500 care and happy networking.