WEBVTT 00:00:17.420 --> 00:00:20.660 to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:23.679 Connections. I'm your host, Michael Foreman. 00:00:23.780 --> 00:00:26.800 Today, we're exploring the powerful crossroads 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:30.480 of technology and trust. How small businesses 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:35.320 can leverage both to and not to just survive, 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:39.880 but thrive. My guest is a business process automation 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:43.119 expert who's helped the company's streamlined 00:00:43.119 --> 00:00:47.320 operations, boost productivity, and turn chaos 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:51.020 into clarity. But what sets him apart is this. 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:54.560 He understands that the right systems and the 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:57.840 right relationships are the real power combo. 00:00:58.539 --> 00:01:01.520 So if you're a business owner, entrepreneur, 00:01:01.759 --> 00:01:06.760 or team leader wondering how to get more done, 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:10.159 stay competitive, and make better connections 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:13.680 in the digital age, this episode is built for 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:17.799 you. So we're talking practical automation, strategic 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:22.340 networking, and how to make technology work for 00:01:22.340 --> 00:01:27.200 you, not replace you. So let's get into it. My 00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:30.500 guest today is Sri Kalu, and I would like to 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:33.239 introduce him, have him give you a little bit 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:36.200 of his background, and just listen. Welcome to 00:01:36.200 --> 00:01:40.840 the podcast, and tell us about yourself. Michael, 00:01:40.859 --> 00:01:42.879 thank you very much for having me on this show. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.400 I am honored. As you mentioned, my name is Sri 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:50.239 Kaluva. I was born and raised in India, came 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.359 to the United States as an IT consultant. I started 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:55.900 working for a large corporation, but I'm not 00:01:55.900 --> 00:01:59.700 completing enterprise -level software systems. 00:02:00.799 --> 00:02:04.739 But then in 2008, it bugged me and taught me 00:02:04.739 --> 00:02:09.060 that my skill set doesn't make a dent for large 00:02:09.060 --> 00:02:15.060 companies. make any more happiness to me at all. 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:20.340 And my passion and my joy is... So it's primarily 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:27.319 because my father... So my heart was with small 00:02:27.319 --> 00:02:30.460 business. So I started Unique Solutions of Advanced 00:02:30.460 --> 00:02:33.060 Technologies, which is an IT support and software 00:02:33.060 --> 00:02:37.199 development company. And we were working with 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:39.680 a lot of small businesses all around the US, 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:43.580 Canada, everywhere. While I am working with them 00:02:43.580 --> 00:02:46.680 for the last 15 years or so, then it gave me 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:49.800 a hint that they are a company, that they are 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:56.060 using custom IT systems. But at the same time, 00:02:56.060 --> 00:03:00.180 my passion continued on without helping small 00:03:00.180 --> 00:03:02.699 businesses on putting the IT systems together. 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.580 I'm not really following my passion. That gave 00:03:07.580 --> 00:03:13.469 me to invent my work belt. My WorkMelt is a software 00:03:13.469 --> 00:03:18.270 platform that one or maybe a team of 25 people, 00:03:18.449 --> 00:03:21.650 30 people, they can write to it. It basically 00:03:21.650 --> 00:03:26.009 acts as a business operating system, which has 00:03:26.009 --> 00:03:29.530 multiple modules. This is the concept that came 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:33.069 from large corporations. So ever since, I am 00:03:33.069 --> 00:03:36.229 continuing helping small businesses. My key to 00:03:36.229 --> 00:03:40.920 success is the triple P formula, B. Positive, 00:03:40.920 --> 00:03:43.860 be persistent, and certainly you can see the 00:03:43.860 --> 00:03:47.939 results. Okay, that sounds great. Thank you for 00:03:47.939 --> 00:03:50.680 giving me your background. Okay, so let's jump 00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:54.500 right into the questions. You help small businesses 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:59.139 use automation to survive and grow. How can strategic 00:03:59.139 --> 00:04:22.759 networking amplify that impact? So I would not 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:25.139 go that route. So I'm talking about purely business 00:04:25.139 --> 00:04:28.500 networking, right? Now, when you are in the business 00:04:28.500 --> 00:04:31.259 networking, when you go to a networking event 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:33.860 or when you are consistently going to a specific 00:04:33.860 --> 00:04:36.660 event or go to one of the event for, or sometimes 00:04:36.660 --> 00:04:41.860 you're going. fund -raising, whatnot. We'll be 00:04:41.860 --> 00:04:46.939 making, and you will be creating a lot of contacts. 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:52.000 And there are two things that you have to observe. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.819 The impacts pure that you are creating and developing 00:04:55.819 --> 00:05:00.959 over the period of time is your power in growing 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:08.389 and thriving. Best you can use this. Just simply 00:05:08.389 --> 00:05:13.730 draw an old -fashioned Rolodex, which I don't 00:05:13.730 --> 00:05:17.050 believe anybody uses anymore. They don't mean 00:05:17.050 --> 00:05:20.470 anything, right? So you have to make the advantage, 00:05:20.689 --> 00:05:22.449 you have to take advantage of the technology, 00:05:22.610 --> 00:05:26.709 how to harness the power of the network that 00:05:26.709 --> 00:05:29.250 you are creating. And technology will help you 00:05:29.250 --> 00:05:32.670 do it. And there are multiple tools that can 00:05:32.670 --> 00:05:37.339 be applied in order to take advantage. But having 00:05:37.339 --> 00:05:41.100 a right dialogue with your consultants or whoever 00:05:41.100 --> 00:05:45.379 the IT or marketing support that you have, of 00:05:45.379 --> 00:05:48.540 course, it comes together. And if you don't have 00:05:48.540 --> 00:05:51.399 anybody, by all means, I'll be here to help anybody. 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:58.399 Good. What common bottlenecks do small businesses 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:03.040 face that automation can solve? And how can networking... 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:08.980 the right solutions or partners. See, in small 00:06:08.980 --> 00:06:11.779 business network, small business community, I 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:15.740 noticed the primary bottleneck is the business 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:20.860 owner. It may be ouch, but that's the truth, 00:06:21.019 --> 00:06:25.100 right? But what my experience says, Michael, 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:28.139 most of the business owners, they accept it, 00:06:28.259 --> 00:06:33.550 which I'm actually very happily. when I hear 00:06:33.550 --> 00:06:36.750 that from my community. But that comes in that 00:06:36.750 --> 00:06:40.470 they don't take any action after they accepting 00:06:40.470 --> 00:06:44.589 that they are the bottleneck. So in that case, 00:06:44.649 --> 00:06:48.170 in order to leave from that bottleneck, your 00:06:48.170 --> 00:06:51.930 business to grow and to survive and thrive is 00:06:51.930 --> 00:06:55.009 that business owners have to have an open mind 00:06:55.009 --> 00:07:00.670 to delegate what they are working on. Now, delegation 00:07:00.670 --> 00:07:06.779 can be done. You can delegate a task to a person. 00:07:08.660 --> 00:07:13.420 But the other hand is that you can delegate the 00:07:13.420 --> 00:07:18.279 task, a technology, and have the technology take 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:21.980 over and do the task. That's where automation 00:07:21.980 --> 00:07:30.019 comes in. A combination of human and technology. 00:07:30.860 --> 00:07:34.959 which is even more powerful. So when you put 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:38.060 the systems and software and technology tools 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:42.360 together, that complements the dream, you're 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.980 actually elevating the confidence of the employees, 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:50.560 and you're actually helping them to be empowered. 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:56.040 Now they are going to work and produce the results 00:07:56.040 --> 00:07:58.199 that are beyond your expectations, and that will 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:04.800 blow your mind. So something like for the growth 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:12.920 of any organization is truly with. Okay, great. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:16.220 All right. Let me ask you a question. How does 00:08:16.220 --> 00:08:21.040 relationship building play a role in implementing 00:08:21.040 --> 00:08:30.760 technology or selling automation services? create 00:08:30.760 --> 00:08:35.379 automation process in your organization. The 00:08:35.379 --> 00:08:40.759 relationship that building these networking activities 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:47.539 do play a key role. How do I say that? See, when 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:51.559 you want to delete a certain task, that skill 00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:55.840 set needed within the organization may not be 00:08:55.840 --> 00:09:03.350 available. two or 20 or so, but you need a specific 00:09:03.350 --> 00:09:06.029 skill set in order to open the door for you, 00:09:06.070 --> 00:09:08.350 in order to have a growth in your organization, 00:09:08.570 --> 00:09:11.730 or in order to create a brand new service or 00:09:11.730 --> 00:09:14.190 a product together, or in order for you to do 00:09:14.190 --> 00:09:16.769 some research. That skill set may not be available 00:09:16.769 --> 00:09:19.490 within the organization, but the relationship 00:09:19.490 --> 00:09:23.529 that you're creating will have that skill set, 00:09:23.649 --> 00:09:26.370 most likely, unless you will not create that 00:09:26.370 --> 00:09:30.500 relationship. advantage of the relationship and 00:09:30.500 --> 00:09:33.240 couple with the IT system that you're in place 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:40.620 and create a completely new avenue for the growth 00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:45.059 of your organization or to relieve the organization 00:09:45.059 --> 00:09:48.679 from the party. Is that right? That's right. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:52.120 And very well said, I might tell you. Have you 00:09:52.120 --> 00:09:55.580 seen any networking strategies that's helped 00:09:55.580 --> 00:09:59.879 a small business break through the Tech overwhelm 00:09:59.879 --> 00:10:09.019 and adopt smart systems? The adopting smart technology 00:10:09.019 --> 00:10:15.000 overwhelming is certainly overwhelming for some 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.440 people. And some people may shy away from the 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:25.600 technology. And some people may embrace it. Depends 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:31.399 on the... open mind that they have for any change 00:10:31.399 --> 00:10:36.539 in the organization. And at the same time, you 00:10:36.539 --> 00:10:39.200 don't have to. I mean, we all know that. How 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:42.179 do you eat an elephant? You just take one bite 00:10:42.179 --> 00:10:46.659 at a time. And you don't have to make your organization 00:10:46.659 --> 00:10:51.299 into a technology -driven organization overnight. 00:10:55.299 --> 00:10:57.220 Fundamentally, business owners, they have to 00:10:57.220 --> 00:11:00.820 do, what is my business process? Draw that into 00:11:00.820 --> 00:11:04.139 a flow diagram or just a bunch of blocks or gears, 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:09.679 right? Where is a prospect coming in? Who is 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:12.820 attending that prospect? How is the sales process 00:11:12.820 --> 00:11:16.039 going? And once the closing is done, how is that 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:20.139 handed over to the operations or then project 00:11:20.139 --> 00:11:22.960 management, whoever? And how is that project 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.620 management or operation team is delivering it? 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.379 And who is supervising all that? So put these 00:11:28.379 --> 00:11:31.840 all into your proper blocks. And now you pick 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:37.059 one of those manually intensified work and look 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:39.820 for a technology solution that can complement 00:11:39.820 --> 00:11:44.120 the person who is doing that. Now, once you succeed 00:11:44.120 --> 00:11:47.960 in one element of your business, then you're 00:11:47.960 --> 00:11:50.240 automatically going to put it into the other 00:11:50.240 --> 00:11:54.379 elements of your business. Once you're comfortable. 00:11:54.419 --> 00:11:57.519 So that's how you do it. But don't try to do 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:00.700 everything at once. Just like anything else. 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:05.039 Just like anything else. Okay. Someone is tech 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:09.679 savvy, but not people savvy. How can they improve 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:14.059 their communication to collaborate better? Oh, 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:16.379 that's a wonderful question. Wonderful question, 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:21.570 Michael. That actually brings my past into my 00:12:21.570 --> 00:12:25.289 core front of the memory. See, when I started 00:12:25.289 --> 00:12:30.889 business back in 2006 and 2007, 2008 meltdown 00:12:30.889 --> 00:12:35.090 and all that, I was a technician turned business 00:12:35.090 --> 00:12:40.350 owner, and I quickly realized I am the best in 00:12:40.350 --> 00:12:43.409 one thing and the worst in a dozen other things, 00:12:43.590 --> 00:12:48.340 right? There are so many technology -turned -business 00:12:48.340 --> 00:12:53.340 owners are in the market. It's not uncommon at 00:12:53.340 --> 00:12:58.059 all. And the most important part for me is that 00:12:58.059 --> 00:13:03.159 at that time, I have to accept the fact that 00:13:03.159 --> 00:13:07.679 my communication is more into a technical jargon 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:14.980 and less of a human language. Once I accepted 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:20.159 it, once I observed it, and it changed, it made 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.639 a world of difference. Because now I can learn 00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:29.440 how to change my dialogue, how to suppress some 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.580 of the technical terms coming out of my mouth. 00:13:31.720 --> 00:13:35.039 And it's a completely different language, right? 00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:38.100 Although it's all in English, but you're speaking 00:13:38.100 --> 00:13:41.289 in a completely different language. with the 00:13:41.289 --> 00:13:43.549 business people that you're interfacing with. 00:13:43.889 --> 00:13:47.110 So the first thing is you have to observe how 00:13:47.110 --> 00:13:49.590 is the other people are reacting to your dialogue. 00:13:50.070 --> 00:13:54.289 Are they going quiet all of a sudden? Are they 00:13:54.289 --> 00:13:58.049 smiling, nodding, but no response? That means 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:01.169 they're not understanding. Now you can ask them 00:14:01.169 --> 00:14:03.850 a feedback. Hey, did you understand what I'm 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:06.970 saying? Or are you able to follow me? Some sort 00:14:06.970 --> 00:14:09.570 of a simple words that will say, hey, I get it, 00:14:09.590 --> 00:14:13.700 I get it. But really, do they? No. That just 00:14:13.700 --> 00:14:17.480 simply some surface level question doesn't give 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:20.480 you enough feedback. But you can be diplomatic 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:25.460 enough to ask more questions and have a clarity 00:14:25.460 --> 00:14:28.879 whether they really understand you or not. That's 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:32.000 the foundation for making a change. That's so 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:35.720 true because people would either nod or just 00:14:35.720 --> 00:14:37.820 say yes. Do you understand? Oh, sure. Yes. Yes, 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:41.259 I do. They really don't. And in everything you're 00:14:41.259 --> 00:14:43.960 saying to them, it falls on deaf ears because 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:46.100 they weren't listening to you. They were thinking 00:14:46.100 --> 00:14:48.240 about something else because they don't understand 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:51.080 what you're saying. So why not think about something 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:54.600 else? So that's very good. Another part is also, 00:14:54.659 --> 00:14:59.639 Michael, the technical people, they generally 00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:03.799 don't have a direct eye contact. Not that they're 00:15:03.799 --> 00:15:06.360 bad people or anything. It's just lack of those. 00:15:07.060 --> 00:15:10.539 When you are communicating with somebody, have 00:15:10.539 --> 00:15:13.720 a direct eye contact with them. What does it 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:18.399 do? It really creates a bond. And that bond of 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.480 clear communication paves the path for clarity 00:15:22.480 --> 00:15:25.840 in the dialogue. And that also makes the other 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:27.759 person comfortable to say, hey, tell me one more 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:29.399 time. I don't understand what you're talking 00:15:29.399 --> 00:15:32.080 about. That's so true because that's one of the 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:35.700 things that I speak about. It's the eye contact. 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:38.080 You know, when you go up and you shake somebody's 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.259 hand, you don't shake it like a dead fish, right? 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.620 You shake your hand firmly. And when you talk 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:46.320 to them, you're not talking to them with your 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.559 body as like a skew with them. You have to be 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:54.139 dead on with them and look them in the eye, talk 00:15:54.139 --> 00:15:59.240 to them, but more than not, enunciate and speak 00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:01.600 slow enough, not too slow because they'll think 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.340 you're a little slow, but speak slow enough. 00:16:04.669 --> 00:16:07.110 where you'll have a conversation. Yeah, don't 00:16:07.110 --> 00:16:09.789 just tell them in a whole paragraph. Just stop. 00:16:10.110 --> 00:16:13.309 Say, okay, how about this? So that's very important. 00:16:13.409 --> 00:16:16.110 The eye contact is the beginning of everything 00:16:16.110 --> 00:16:19.990 else. Yeah, so you're so right. Thank you. Can 00:16:19.990 --> 00:16:23.230 you share an example of a time when a strong 00:16:23.230 --> 00:16:26.730 business connection directly led you to a successful 00:16:26.730 --> 00:16:31.799 automation project or breakthrough? Oh, that's 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:35.080 actually very common in my life, actually, because 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:38.480 I do a lot of business networking. And when I 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:41.240 did the business networking, you interface with 00:16:41.240 --> 00:16:45.980 business owners and then you turn it into a problem 00:16:45.980 --> 00:16:50.080 discussion. And once you identify, OK, this is 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:52.240 the problem, then it is easy to put an automation 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:55.600 together. One of my customers, like my good friend, 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:59.809 Shari. And she is the vice president of a local 00:16:59.809 --> 00:17:04.730 beverage distributing firm. And when we were 00:17:04.730 --> 00:17:07.549 having just a friendly dialogue and thinking, 00:17:07.650 --> 00:17:10.809 hey, how is your business going? What's going 00:17:10.809 --> 00:17:14.710 on? And she said, Sri, we are sending our trucks 00:17:14.710 --> 00:17:17.630 to distribute our product, but we really don't 00:17:17.630 --> 00:17:21.970 know how effective and how efficient it is. And 00:17:21.970 --> 00:17:25.190 there is always room for improvement in any. 00:17:25.630 --> 00:17:29.369 operation but unless you measure it you don't 00:17:29.369 --> 00:17:32.710 have a clue where you can improve it upon so 00:17:32.710 --> 00:17:36.289 we understood we took the data of the distributing 00:17:36.289 --> 00:17:39.589 activities that they are going through and then 00:17:39.589 --> 00:17:42.690 we immediately realized they are using telematics 00:17:42.690 --> 00:17:45.970 and the telematics is giving you the data how 00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:49.250 is the distribution is going on and then we put 00:17:49.250 --> 00:17:53.009 the automation together to make it effective 00:17:53.009 --> 00:17:57.849 and efficient in this Boom. Within three months 00:17:57.849 --> 00:18:01.349 of a period after we implemented it, 30 % of 00:18:01.349 --> 00:18:05.789 their time back into their pocket. Instead of 00:18:05.789 --> 00:18:08.529 going three times a week, you only go two times 00:18:08.529 --> 00:18:11.349 a week to distribute your product. Now one trip 00:18:11.349 --> 00:18:14.650 to that customer is back into your product. Once 00:18:14.650 --> 00:18:17.829 it's back into your pocket, you have room for 00:18:17.829 --> 00:18:21.009 increasing your business. So with the same equipment, 00:18:21.269 --> 00:18:25.359 same number of people. Now they are able to add 00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:30.660 30 % more business. So that is the growth that 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:34.160 is already in your hands. That's the power of 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:39.380 automation. All right. And I can see it. And 00:18:39.380 --> 00:18:42.420 there are many people that are in logistics and 00:18:42.420 --> 00:18:46.039 everything else that this AI or the platform 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:49.559 that you're bringing forth brings it all together. 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:53.759 And you can very easily find out, where they're 00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:56.400 making money, where they're spilling out money, 00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:59.599 and where they can save. So after you're finished 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:02.380 with them, with the customer, you can actually 00:19:02.380 --> 00:19:05.319 streamline their product so that if they use 00:19:05.319 --> 00:19:08.160 the same amount of, in this case, the trucks 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.759 and everything else, using the same information, 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:15.380 they can expend on it without having to pay for 00:19:15.380 --> 00:19:19.019 anything. Exactly. That 30 % increase in their 00:19:19.019 --> 00:19:22.359 business is pure profit. That's incredible. Because 00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:26.220 if you told a business owner, listen, I can increase 00:19:26.220 --> 00:19:29.599 your profits by 30 % without you spending any 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:33.140 money, he would jump in. Okay. So that's what 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:36.599 your service is so invaluable. Thank you. Yes. 00:19:36.740 --> 00:19:40.059 What advice would you give to a small business 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:44.319 owner who is hesitant to digitize their business 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:51.000 because of cost, complexity, or even trust? That's 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:54.819 a great question. This is very common. This challenge 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:59.980 is very common. But my suggestion to those business 00:19:59.980 --> 00:20:04.160 users, those business owners, look at their personal 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:10.980 life. And if they have moved from flip phone 00:20:10.980 --> 00:20:15.440 to a smartphone in their life, they have already 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:21.410 made a huge leap of faith on technology. And 00:20:21.410 --> 00:20:23.609 if they have continued on using the smartphone 00:20:23.609 --> 00:20:28.549 opposed to the old flip phones, it means they 00:20:28.549 --> 00:20:32.049 already embraced the technology and they've already 00:20:32.049 --> 00:20:35.250 accepted the advantages that technology is bringing 00:20:35.250 --> 00:20:39.369 into their personal life. Now, then they can 00:20:39.369 --> 00:20:42.049 just simply ask the question back themselves 00:20:42.049 --> 00:20:44.910 standing in front of the mirror. Why can't I 00:20:44.910 --> 00:20:49.049 do the same thing in my business and embrace 00:20:49.049 --> 00:20:54.829 the technology? Now, at the same time, we go 00:20:54.829 --> 00:20:58.130 back to the previous point. Changing the entire 00:20:58.130 --> 00:21:01.150 business into a digital transformation overnight 00:21:01.150 --> 00:21:06.049 is going to be a very huge risk. However, consistently 00:21:06.049 --> 00:21:09.869 take one task at a time or one step of the business 00:21:09.869 --> 00:21:14.470 at a time and turn that into an automation or 00:21:14.470 --> 00:21:18.230 apply information technology systems will help 00:21:18.230 --> 00:21:23.470 them to grow. Furthermore, and importantly, you 00:21:23.470 --> 00:21:25.730 also have to recognize that if you're wanting 00:21:25.730 --> 00:21:31.509 to exit and if your business is a dinosaur, do 00:21:31.509 --> 00:21:35.750 you think anybody will buy it? First of all, 00:21:35.829 --> 00:21:38.410 you did not make your business a desirable business. 00:21:40.190 --> 00:21:43.490 Second of all, even if somebody takes it, they 00:21:43.490 --> 00:21:45.980 will know. They can implement the technology 00:21:45.980 --> 00:21:49.079 and they can embrace the technology and take 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:51.339 it into the new heights. But are they going to 00:21:51.339 --> 00:21:54.759 pay you dollar to dollar? They're going to show 00:21:54.759 --> 00:21:58.180 that disadvantage as a risk and they're going 00:21:58.180 --> 00:22:02.960 to ask for a 50 cents. So you're losing a lot 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:06.980 of money on the table. Yes, you are. Yes, you 00:22:06.980 --> 00:22:11.079 are. Very well put. Thank you. Okay. How can 00:22:11.079 --> 00:22:14.380 networking help business owners? Choose the right 00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:18.700 automation tools and avoid being sold the wrong 00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:25.599 ones. When you are doing the networking, you 00:22:25.599 --> 00:22:28.619 are building the relationship. And what does 00:22:28.619 --> 00:22:31.440 that mean? You are developing a trusted advisory 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:35.740 board. You may not be calling that as a trusted 00:22:35.740 --> 00:22:37.900 advisory board, but these are all your trusted 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:43.410 people, right? Now, when you ask somebody, demonstrate 00:22:43.410 --> 00:22:47.930 a problem, and they will bring certain solution. 00:22:49.670 --> 00:22:54.829 And take a second opinion. Not that you are mistrusting 00:22:54.829 --> 00:22:58.450 the trusted advisor you have, but taking a second 00:22:58.450 --> 00:23:03.349 opinion will open the mind to have a different 00:23:03.349 --> 00:23:06.529 perspective about that solution. And then you 00:23:06.529 --> 00:23:08.549 go back to the same person who is suggesting 00:23:08.549 --> 00:23:12.779 a solution, and, hey, how about this? What do 00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:16.700 you think of this perspective? And allow them 00:23:16.700 --> 00:23:21.000 to explain it because you trust them. If you 00:23:21.000 --> 00:23:23.940 trust them, it means you'll be able to have a 00:23:23.940 --> 00:23:29.599 direct, open, honest communication. If you're 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:31.599 not making the direct, open, honest communication, 00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:33.460 it means you're not trusting them. So you might 00:23:33.460 --> 00:23:36.059 as well not do business with them. There is a 00:23:36.059 --> 00:23:40.029 mantra for networking. If they know you, if they 00:23:40.029 --> 00:23:43.210 like you and trust you, they'll do business with 00:23:43.210 --> 00:23:46.910 you. Now, know you, well, everybody's going to 00:23:46.910 --> 00:23:50.829 know you're a nice guy. Now, know you, like you, 00:23:50.930 --> 00:23:53.549 that kind of narrows down the field just a little 00:23:53.549 --> 00:23:56.029 bit because everybody isn't going to like you. 00:23:56.230 --> 00:23:59.809 But trust you, that's the crucial factor. Once 00:23:59.809 --> 00:24:03.930 you gain somebody's trust, that's gold because 00:24:03.930 --> 00:24:06.589 nobody's going to buy from you if they don't 00:24:06.589 --> 00:24:09.519 trust you. That's correct. You always have to 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:13.619 remember, people love to buy, but they hate to 00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:17.539 be sold to. You always have to remember that. 00:24:17.700 --> 00:24:21.519 Okay. All right. So let's see. What are some 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:25.259 underrated ways business owners can use technology 00:24:25.259 --> 00:24:29.680 to build relationships, not just automate tasks? 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:35.099 Building relationships is, as you just mentioned, 00:24:35.849 --> 00:24:39.430 How do you trust somebody? You trust somebody 00:24:39.430 --> 00:24:43.410 when somebody gives you or demonstrate a selfless 00:24:43.410 --> 00:24:49.349 act, right? Now, you may say that, okay, I may 00:24:49.349 --> 00:24:52.589 be giving them a book or I may be giving them 00:24:52.589 --> 00:24:56.410 an advice or I may be doing something. But one 00:24:56.410 --> 00:25:00.670 of the simple techniques that I have used is 00:25:00.670 --> 00:25:06.039 creating a valuable content. No marketing. No 00:25:06.039 --> 00:25:11.660 sales, no fluff. Pure, valuable content. An example, 00:25:11.700 --> 00:25:17.920 in my work belt, we created business tips. And 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:22.579 each week, we send a business tip to our circle 00:25:22.579 --> 00:25:28.579 of friends. When they read those tips, they will 00:25:28.579 --> 00:25:32.539 be clearly... articulated in a way that the reader 00:25:32.539 --> 00:25:35.339 can take advantage of it and apply it in their 00:25:35.339 --> 00:25:40.160 business. Not necessarily that, hey, we are selling 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:44.279 you this and you use it at the end. No. It's 00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:50.000 a purely educational media. Now, many people, 00:25:50.220 --> 00:25:56.559 they embrace it. Why? There is no selling. But 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:01.279 that improves the trust. Because you're not trying 00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:05.839 to push them around to give you a dollar. You 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:09.799 are purely trying to educate them. And some of 00:26:09.799 --> 00:26:12.119 those, they may use it, they may not use it, 00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:15.920 but you have to be okay with it. And you are 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:18.799 coming with a pure heart for educating the other 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:21.400 person, which naturally builds trust. That is 00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:24.299 one technique that I use, right? But it can be 00:26:24.299 --> 00:26:26.720 many. If you wanted to build trust with somebody, 00:26:26.819 --> 00:26:30.579 you can give them... value -added advices to 00:26:30.579 --> 00:26:34.599 them. Or you can invite them for having a one 00:26:34.599 --> 00:26:38.180 -on -one meetings with you. And then most importantly, 00:26:38.380 --> 00:26:41.619 be aware who they are, what they are, where they 00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:44.859 come from, and what is their family, and what 00:26:44.859 --> 00:26:47.940 is their interest beyond giving you a dollar 00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:51.880 as a business transaction. And now you're creating 00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:55.319 a trusted relationship with them. And that happens 00:26:55.319 --> 00:26:58.759 automatically. You're speaking... like a successful 00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:02.319 business owner. So we must have come through 00:27:02.319 --> 00:27:06.099 all the years. What was your biggest mistake 00:27:06.099 --> 00:27:11.460 you made and how did you overcome it? The biggest 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:15.160 mistake in the business, early on in the business 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:21.759 I made, is committing something without clarity. 00:27:24.420 --> 00:27:29.430 So what I mean by that? is when you agree to 00:27:29.430 --> 00:27:33.109 do something or when you agree to deliver something, 00:27:34.130 --> 00:27:39.130 you should not be quick to commit. You have to 00:27:39.130 --> 00:27:44.329 ask meaningful questions and you have to define 00:27:44.329 --> 00:27:48.789 the set expectations. A simple example, Michael, 00:27:48.890 --> 00:27:53.490 you and I, we talked previously and we both agreed 00:27:53.490 --> 00:27:55.970 that we are going to meet on so -and -so date. 00:27:56.650 --> 00:27:59.230 and time and we're going to get onto the zoom 00:27:59.230 --> 00:28:03.869 call we're going to record this right now if 00:28:03.869 --> 00:28:06.069 we didn't have a clarity on that communication 00:28:06.069 --> 00:28:09.210 what is the date what is the time and on what 00:28:09.210 --> 00:28:13.769 platform we are meeting we will have failed to 00:28:13.769 --> 00:28:17.789 do what we are doing today right now once we 00:28:17.789 --> 00:28:21.430 have the clarity then deliverable becomes easy 00:28:21.430 --> 00:28:25.890 and there is no misunderstanding And the experience 00:28:25.890 --> 00:28:29.829 on both parties will become more memorable than 00:28:29.829 --> 00:28:33.250 anything else. And early on, when I started the 00:28:33.250 --> 00:28:36.009 business, I didn't have an understanding of clear 00:28:36.009 --> 00:28:38.589 expectations, setting up a clear expectations 00:28:38.589 --> 00:28:42.529 between both parties. And I made mistakes. And 00:28:42.529 --> 00:28:45.630 once I made mistakes and I learned, I actually 00:28:45.630 --> 00:28:48.109 went back to the customer. I said, hey, where 00:28:48.109 --> 00:28:52.869 did I mess it up? I didn't have any intention. 00:28:53.690 --> 00:28:58.369 give you something wrong, but then the feedback 00:28:58.369 --> 00:29:01.589 that I've gathered is that it's not that I did 00:29:01.589 --> 00:29:05.109 something wrong, it's the fact that I did not 00:29:05.109 --> 00:29:09.329 know what I was committing for, or the other 00:29:09.329 --> 00:29:13.009 party did not know what I'm delivering. The clarity 00:29:13.009 --> 00:29:19.630 is missing. So from there on is that have a clear 00:29:19.630 --> 00:29:23.519 expectations set between both parties. before 00:29:23.519 --> 00:29:25.420 you say you are going to deliver. Fantastic. 00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:29.259 And you're really talking about under -promising, 00:29:29.339 --> 00:29:33.640 but over -delivering, right? So whatever you're 00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:36.460 promising, you want to deliver just that much 00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:41.099 more. Be clear in all of the expectations, but 00:29:41.099 --> 00:29:43.619 you always want to give that much more. And that 00:29:43.619 --> 00:29:45.700 will always say... You think that different way, 00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:49.460 Michael. You don't need to over -deliver. Nobody 00:29:49.460 --> 00:29:52.640 expects you to over -deliver. No, nobody does. 00:29:52.640 --> 00:29:56.599 It's a business environment. When you over -deliver 00:29:56.599 --> 00:30:01.599 it, you're actually creating a wow factor, which 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:05.740 is great for your business. But certainly, what 00:30:05.740 --> 00:30:08.619 you're committing needs to be clear. At least 00:30:08.619 --> 00:30:10.680 you deliver what you're committing with the clarity. 00:30:11.460 --> 00:30:15.940 Now, if you go one mile more, great. But there 00:30:15.940 --> 00:30:17.720 are times that we may not be able to go a mile 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:20.759 more. Absolutely. Nothing wrong with it. No, 00:30:20.900 --> 00:30:24.960 no, but that's... I have seen some of the business 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:27.319 owners, they kill themselves because they couldn't 00:30:27.319 --> 00:30:30.819 go a mile more. You have to forgive yourself. 00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:38.220 Right? Not necessarily going a mile more will 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:44.680 be practical all the time. Okay. Understood, 00:30:45.019 --> 00:30:48.380 understood. But I always try to do that, go that 00:30:48.380 --> 00:30:51.539 extra mile. I always try to over -deliver because 00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:56.980 in my business, I always do more than what they 00:30:56.980 --> 00:31:00.000 ask me. Always, just without even thinking. I'm 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:02.099 not dismissing that. I'm not discouraging anybody 00:31:02.099 --> 00:31:06.519 to do it. But be aware in doing so, don't lose 00:31:06.519 --> 00:31:11.000 your shirt. Absolutely. Absolutely. Okay, let's 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:14.339 bring this podcast full circle. And looking ahead, 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:17.839 how do you see the intersection of human connection? 00:31:18.509 --> 00:31:22.549 and automation evolving in small businesses over 00:31:22.549 --> 00:31:27.809 the next five to 10 years? Oh, this is going 00:31:27.809 --> 00:31:32.690 to be a beautiful era for interconnection between 00:31:32.690 --> 00:31:37.549 human beings and technology. We are in the infancy 00:31:37.549 --> 00:31:41.190 stage of artificial intelligence. I know it's 00:31:41.190 --> 00:31:44.210 a buzzword these days in the market. But trust 00:31:44.210 --> 00:31:46.690 me, being in the information technology industry 00:31:46.690 --> 00:31:51.750 for over 20 years, nearly 25 years, I've seen, 00:31:51.970 --> 00:31:55.950 done, been there, done that. Only part that I'm 00:31:55.950 --> 00:32:01.789 concerned is some of the small businesses, they 00:32:01.789 --> 00:32:06.349 have inertia in embracing the change coming in. 00:32:06.990 --> 00:32:11.759 Now, if the business owners, if they are... I 00:32:11.759 --> 00:32:14.039 hope I'm not coming across as a discriminatory, 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:17.319 but younger generation, they are born with the 00:32:17.319 --> 00:32:20.660 technology in their hand and they are comfortable 00:32:20.660 --> 00:32:24.420 with it. But those who are one generation before 00:32:24.420 --> 00:32:30.000 that have a kind of a shyness or kind of a challenge 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.500 to accept delegating their tasks to the technology. 00:32:35.460 --> 00:32:42.529 And those who embrace that. And using the technology 00:32:42.529 --> 00:32:47.349 will shine and thrive. Next five years is going 00:32:47.349 --> 00:32:50.769 to be a very joyful ride. And if any small business 00:32:50.769 --> 00:32:55.170 owners are not looking into that, I would highly 00:32:55.170 --> 00:32:59.250 recommend them to look into it. And we are actually, 00:32:59.430 --> 00:33:02.529 interestingly, we are actually developing a software 00:33:02.529 --> 00:33:05.250 product for one of our customers right now. It's 00:33:05.250 --> 00:33:10.509 called AI Receptionist. Sure. So the artificial 00:33:10.509 --> 00:33:14.390 intelligence will pick up your call, and it will 00:33:14.390 --> 00:33:18.730 speak in your voice, and the other party don't 00:33:18.730 --> 00:33:21.190 feel bad I'm talking to a machine or anything. 00:33:21.609 --> 00:33:25.049 So your voice is mimicked in the artificial intelligence 00:33:25.049 --> 00:33:28.690 system. And when they pick up the call, hey, 00:33:28.769 --> 00:33:32.250 I wanted to talk to Michael in artificial intelligence. 00:33:32.329 --> 00:33:34.690 Okay, thank you very much, and let me put you 00:33:34.690 --> 00:33:37.289 to Michael. Simple. And then the call will be 00:33:37.289 --> 00:33:39.950 forwarded to Michael. They will pick up and talk 00:33:39.950 --> 00:33:42.210 to whatever the way you want. Just simply you 00:33:42.210 --> 00:33:47.509 are removing that human interface, but replacing 00:33:47.509 --> 00:33:50.789 that with technology, it gives you a great deal 00:33:50.789 --> 00:33:54.069 of advantage. Now you have a 24 by 7 receptionist 00:33:54.069 --> 00:33:58.269 opposed to receptionist only 9 to 5. Think about 00:33:58.269 --> 00:34:02.369 how advantageous is it. I'm just giving that 00:34:02.369 --> 00:34:04.890 as a one simple example, but there is numerous 00:34:04.890 --> 00:34:07.700 business cases out there. that small businesses 00:34:07.700 --> 00:34:10.860 need to be open -minded to embrace the technology 00:34:10.860 --> 00:34:14.079 coming into the market. They do. And Sri, I've 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:16.340 got to tell you, we can probably go on for two 00:34:16.340 --> 00:34:20.659 more hours talking about this. Okay, but time 00:34:20.659 --> 00:34:24.219 constraints. Listen, if somebody would like to 00:34:24.219 --> 00:34:26.900 contact you, how could they do it? Either to 00:34:26.900 --> 00:34:32.099 be coached by your platform or what have you, 00:34:32.179 --> 00:34:35.199 how can they get hold of you? The simple thing 00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:40.920 that they can do is go into myworkbelt .com and 00:34:40.920 --> 00:34:44.599 we have all the information to contact me. There's 00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:46.539 an email address, there's a phone number, and 00:34:46.539 --> 00:34:49.579 they can fill up the contact form anywhere. And 00:34:49.579 --> 00:34:52.559 if they can look for Sri Kaluva or Sridhar Kaluva 00:34:52.559 --> 00:34:55.519 on LinkedIn, they will find me everywhere. So 00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:57.239 I'm not hiding in the bushes. As long as they 00:34:57.239 --> 00:34:59.320 know my name, it's very easy for them to reach 00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:02.699 me. And I'm more than happy to mentor them. I'm 00:35:02.699 --> 00:35:04.880 more than happy to give them my expert advice 00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:08.440 that they can take it. I expect no business in 00:35:08.440 --> 00:35:12.679 return. And I sincerely mean it. And I'm happy 00:35:12.679 --> 00:35:15.099 to help them. I quit corporate job to help the 00:35:15.099 --> 00:35:18.679 small businesses. Great. That's great. Sreej, 00:35:18.780 --> 00:35:21.179 thank you so much for coming on the podcast. 00:35:21.539 --> 00:35:25.599 You made this a great podcast. Michael, I'm so 00:35:25.599 --> 00:35:28.280 glad to be on this. And thank you very much for 00:35:28.280 --> 00:35:30.420 giving me opportunity to share my thoughts with 00:35:30.420 --> 00:35:33.239 your community. And it's been a pleasure experience. 00:35:34.239 --> 00:35:37.940 Great. All right. Bye -bye. Bye -bye, Michael. 00:35:38.599 --> 00:35:41.739 Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. Let 00:35:41.739 --> 00:35:43.920 me just read a few of our sponsors that we have. 00:35:44.760 --> 00:35:47.320 Struggling to reach success? Maybe it's time 00:35:47.320 --> 00:35:51.420 to quit. In Quit Your Way to Success. by Rodney 00:35:51.420 --> 00:35:55.300 Davis. This reveals 27 steps to breaking bad 00:35:55.300 --> 00:35:58.360 habits that hold you back. This powerful book 00:35:58.360 --> 00:36:02.079 helps you rewire your mindset, take control of 00:36:02.079 --> 00:36:04.820 your actions, and turn setbacks into stepping 00:36:04.820 --> 00:36:08.039 stones. With real -life examples, motivational 00:36:08.039 --> 00:36:12.119 quotes, and actionable lessons, especially for 00:36:12.119 --> 00:36:14.340 sales professionals, you'll gain the tools to 00:36:14.340 --> 00:36:17.619 quit what's stopping you and start winning. Transform 00:36:17.619 --> 00:36:20.929 your future today. So Quit Your Way to Success 00:36:20.929 --> 00:36:25.849 by Rodney Davis, available now on Amazon. And 00:36:25.849 --> 00:36:29.429 this is a nonprofit called Revved Up Kids. This 00:36:29.429 --> 00:36:32.690 is something I believe in wholeheartedly. Revved 00:36:32.690 --> 00:36:35.889 Up Kids is on a mission to protect children and 00:36:35.889 --> 00:36:39.730 teens from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. 00:36:39.969 --> 00:36:42.630 They provide prevention training programs for 00:36:42.630 --> 00:36:46.300 children. teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:36:46.300 --> 00:36:51.159 to revvedupkids .org. That's R -E -V -V -E -D 00:36:51.159 --> 00:36:58.340 -U -P -K -I -D -S .org. Well, that's a wrap, 00:36:58.420 --> 00:37:01.280 folks. A huge thank you to our special guests 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:04.619 for sharing such incredible insights today. And 00:37:04.619 --> 00:37:08.000 of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:10.940 listeners, for tuning in and spending your time 00:37:10.940 --> 00:37:14.809 with us. Remember, networking isn't about being 00:37:14.809 --> 00:37:18.150 perfect. It's about being present. So take what 00:37:18.150 --> 00:37:20.750 you've learned today, get out there, and make 00:37:20.750 --> 00:37:23.730 some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this 00:37:23.730 --> 00:37:26.710 episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us 00:37:26.710 --> 00:37:29.329 a review, and share it with someone who could 00:37:29.329 --> 00:37:32.630 use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep 00:37:32.630 --> 00:37:36.349 the conversation going. You can find me on Apple, 00:37:36.469 --> 00:37:40.809 Spotify, YouTube, or my website, Michael. Remember. 00:37:41.369 --> 00:37:44.750 Until next time, keep practicing, keep connecting, 00:37:44.869 --> 00:37:48.050 and keep building those relationships. This is 00:37:48.050 --> 00:37:51.250 Michael signing off. Take care and happy networking.