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Raising $ & Sales
Inside each of us is the seed of an idea just waiting for us to water it.
You have such an idea in you — that business or startup that the world must experience. You’ve mocked out the plans, come up with the name, branding and website. Everyone loves it. But do you know how to fund it? It turns out seed watering isn’t cheap.
Real talk. I haven’t laughed this hard or wanted to steal so many one liners on the podcast before. I really shouldn’t be surprised because my guest is SamParr, CEO & Founder of TheHustle.co. Sam is just about as quirky, funny, and strangely poignant as his site and newsletter.
For those of you that aren't signed up for my Monday Slay Newsletter.. Here is a sample edition!his is my rant edition.. 5 bullets, no apps, all gold.
It hurts my heart, like literally makes it feel constricted in my chest. Do you know that feeling of tightness? What hurts me? Watching people I love, hell and people I don't know, meander unhappily through life. It is the norm not the exception. So many of us have every opportunity but for some reason stuff just doesn't seem to go out way, we don't get what we want, we're unhappy, and we eventually just settle into it. Wtf. So let's pretend you already know what you want (start small). A new job, more money, a crazy kinda love, or just a new car. How to get it? First - always always always always ask for what you want. BUT that is not enough it's in how you ask.
Before I ever ask for something, I give. I abide by the 10x principle. I attempt to give 10x the value of anything I take. How to apply? Play the long game. Your next meeting/email with your husband, boss, potential employer bring something to them. Aka instead of... I'd like you to hire me email, do a little research on them and their company or an opportunity. If you want a gig at a salon, research their kind of ideal customer, put together a plan on how you are going to go after hipsters, with tattoos, between ages of 25-35 by partnering with a local tattoo shop in a hip neighborhood with a referral program, as well as through customer before and after client pics with mustache cutouts and props like you see at weddings, that you'll tag on your blog and Facebook with your hysterical sense of humor. You're giving the salon a solution to a growth problem. How many others do that? NONE. I'd hire that hair stylist.
“Before I ever ask for something, I give. I abide by the 10x principle. I attempt to give 10x the value of anything I take.”
I'm not a big deal at all, and Even I get about 3-5 emails a day asking for help. Which I love. But if your email says, can you help me be successful, can you mentor me, can you teach me how you got to where you are. I'm calling you out. Why? It is SO not specific and all of our time is limited. Ask me instead something like, "I'm a writer I want to get published, where would you start?"
I have no idea what it means to be a mentor except to do your thinking for you. You could say I'd love to meet for coffee for 20min to get your opinion on how to better build my personal brand. I might still say no if you haven't given me something first. So better yet, come to me with an idea on how you can help me, that's how you actually get a mentor.
“Ask me instead, I’m a writer I want to get published, where would you start? I have no idea what it means to be a mentor except to do your thinking for you. ”
I have this magical tool that is so powerful it can do almost anything for you with one click.
Want me to share? It's called Google. (Hehe sarcasm apparent?) Before your meeting, google it. I just turned down two people who want to work on my team, why? I told them to come to me with a proposal on why I should hire them and they went to one of my team members to ask them for all the answers. Lazy and stupid. Of course, my employee is going to tell me. Surprise me with your intel, try to show me you actually want to work, don't just bother me or the person you want something from with "hey just checking in." Uh ok. Thanks? Instead send them intel they might not have. Prove your worth not your ability to pester.
“ Surprise me with your intel, try to show me you actually want to work, don’t just bother me or the person you want something from with “hey just checking in.””
Colton (are you reading?). Nothing like calling out your bro via email. I challenged him to try to schedule a meeting with one interesting random person a week. That's how I met Gloria Estefan, the President of Spain, was on Tv for Telemundo & People, hung w/ Wimhoff and Orlando Jones, more CEOs than I can name and the list goes on. I'm not special just process oriented.
Finally - when opportunity strikes be the first to end the convo. Always. It's like a hot chick at the bar, leave her wanting more.
Love you animals,
Codie
““Make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them.””
As you all know I love nothing more than a super actionable breakdown from an expert in their space, not to mention I like telling the future. Well Tom Jamieson Co-founder of Slidebot kind of does just that. Slidebot is AI for powerpoints. Just imagine NEVER having to put together a powerpoint again (I kid you not I am using it right now). You see, Tom and his brother Ned have seen their fair share of presentations, think in the tens of thousands. #deathbypowerpoint
“There are 20 million powerpoint presentations created a day, I beat 19.9 million of them are awful. ”
So if you are looking to perfect your pitch, want to nail your next presentation or have your eye on a Ted Talk this bad boy is for you. Since I'm told most people fear #1 public speaking and #2 death.. this will be a great fear conquering activity for you.
- Pictures of eyes correlate to higher retention rates
- People remember visual content 65% better than verbal content
- Facts are 20x more likely to be remembered if they are part of a story
If you just want to hear his prediction that blew my mind fast forward to the end. Mind blown.
So my dears without further ado - I hope you dig this episode with Tom Jamieson of Slidebot!
www.slidebot.io
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
Written by Codie Sanchez
As a saleswoman at heart, having @KimOrlesky on my podcast, the ultimate saleswoman, who has been able to land names on her podcast like Grant Cardone, Guy Kawasaki, Nathan Chan was like unleashing a nerdy teenager at a Comic festival. Kim has made a living out of teaching others, particularly entrepreneurs, how to take their ideas and turn it into actual cash flow. You see the funny thing that most business people realize after they get out of marketing classes and into the game of marketing, is that nothing really sells itself. As I've said before if you build it, they will not come. You have to go find them and drag them in despite themselves. Consumers are drowning in a sea of choice and confusion. As a salesperson or a business owner, understanding how to create a sales pipeline, which CRM (client relationship management) software is best, how to define the right prospects, how to create a sales funnel, or when to take No as a No and walk away, is akin to finding the holy grail.
Because as my favorite CEO says, without sales there is nothing. Without sales there are no taxes for accountants to account on, no legal work for legal to attorney away for, no administration for administrators to, well you get the deal. First you get the sales, then you get the lifeblood pumping through the organization. Enough from me, let's hear it from the Master Kim Orlesky on straight closing.
1. Her favorite sales funnels and how to close the deals that matter
2. How to sell anyone on anything
3. The easiest mistakes to avoid as a salesperson that you never thought of
4. The one thing you can do now, to increase your sales
“If we use the prospect’s personal belief, and tie it into where they want to be: that ideal state or how much better their life will be when they purchase your product or service, you will be able to capture the prospect’s attention better.”
So without further ado I hope you dig deep into this podcast with Kim Orlesky.
Her books:
Finding (My)Self (Love): One Girl's Journey of 17 Countries Across 4 Continents in 6 Months
How to Be a Nomad: Go from Business Suit to World Backpacker
Read her articles here
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? But hen making it profitable, --> Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
Written by Codie Sanchez
By Codie Sanchez, Entrepreneur & Speaker (www.codiesanchez.com)
Twitter: @codie_sanchez Instagram: @codiesanchez Facebook @Codie Sanchez Baker
It’s a noisy and crowded world. But you have an idea that is going to break through. You’re a creative, an inspirer, a doer on a mission to share your why with the world. You have the website, you obviously have the skills, your mom LOVES the ideas and your business cards are on point. The only problem? You open the doors, send out your mass mailing announcement and… crickets. All the people who said they loved your idea just may love it, but not enough to pay for it. At least not right now they tell you; later, soon, they promise. You aren’t alone. For anyone that has started a business believe me, we understand. There are no overnight successes and for most people talk is cheap. So how do we get our elusive minx of paying clients to come knocking on our doorstep? Because the thing is if you are a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, you know that you do in fact have to sell if you want your creative hobby to become profitable.
“You have the website, you obviously have the skills, your mom LOVES the ideas and your business cards are on point. The only problem? You open the doors, send out your mass mailing announcement and… crickets. ”
Well we can do it the old-fashioned way, but I don’t meet many humans who love making cold calls, sending mailers, pushing email campaigns and all around hard core selling. That is one way to grow. So is there another way?
Maybe. That is why I partnered with Verlocal (check out my interview with a Verlocal Insider here). I believe in leverage. Archimedes said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” So you have the option of venturing out in the world and self-creating website traffic, mastering SEO, posting like crazy on social media, or you can use someone else who has already created traffic and eyeballs to their website as your lever. I like option 2. Let’s talk Verlocal numbers: Facebook – 50,000+ likes, Twitter: 2,000+ followers, Wesbite Traffic – Thousands of unique monthly viewers. How does that compare to your brand? It’s pretty tough to grow to that, so why not leverage what is built already?
“You have the option of venturing out in the world and self-creating website traffic, mastering SEO, posting like crazy on social media, or you can use someone else who has already created traffic and eyeballs to their website as your lever.”
Now with Verlocal you have an audience. You are on a platform with views and people actively looking to purchase what you offer. The only hiccup is there are hundreds of others. So you need to look different. You need to pique interest. That is where the art of storytelling comes in. People buy things less because they have a need, and more because they have a want. They want to feel something, learn something, be something. Make them feel and you will make them buy. That means, you need visuals that feel intimate (no stock photos!), that draw them in and capture your why. Start there. Then make sure the sentiment in those photos translates to your blog/website/social media. People connect with people not brands, so show them you and the humans who are your clients. See how I do this below.. I talk about building businesses on my platform but I’m also a human. How boring if I just showed spreadsheets?! I interweave who I am into my content. Try it.
My Twitter Storytelling: @codie_sanchez
My Instagram Storytelling: @codiesanchez
We are social creatures. We go to restaurants that our friends recommend us, we see movies (or don’t see them) based on what others say, and we buy services because someone referred us. Mark Zuckerberg said a trusted referral is the holy grail of advertising. He was right. So make sure on your website and your Verlocal site you have endorsements, testimonials, happy customers who can do the bragging for you. Also – three rules to live by; be brief, be good and don’t be boring. Check out my testimonial examples. Think interesting soundbites.
“Mark Zuckerberg said a trusted referral is the holy grail of advertising. He was right. ”
My endorsements page: www.codiesanchez.com
It’s the eternal law, give before you receive and you shall receive tenfold in return. Trust it. I have no data to prove it except that my life seems to be infinitely richer and success infinitely closer when I give. Thus, I keep a rule of thumb. I try to provide 10x the value for anything I ask for. I never tit for tat. If I am asking someone to pay $100 for something I try to give them something worth $1000. I give value in two ways:
Giveaways: First, I never do a giveaway worth less than $200, I strive to have the giveaway be worth more than $1000 and I am cautious about what I give away. An ipad is cool, but what is the story there. Second, I tie the giveaway to a very small ask that is not monetary, aka an email subscription or a follow. You are looking for touchpoints not immediate sales. Here’s how I setup my giveaways… (Get $200 to Verlocal free.. click here)
These are downloadable guides on subjects that would be useful for my readers. These serve two purposes; first they give me email addresses for my newsletter and second they allow me to send them when someone asks me a question about how I do something. Instead of repeating myself continuously I can direct them to a pre-made resource that has a step by step process. Time is money too. For the customers they give inside information that is relevant. It’s free mental goods.
Want more? Give me a shout…
Codie
www.codiesanchez.com
Twitter: @codie_sanchez
Instagram: @codiesanchez
Facebook @Codie Sanchez Baker
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click on the icon above, or click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
Written by Codie Sanchez Baker
Today is a fun one. If you are interested in angel investing, startups, entrepreneurship, investments, closing big huge deals, then this is the dude for you. Adam Sadiq is Managing Partner of International private placement firm New World Capital Advisors. Which means that he goes around Europe, the Middle East and Asia and finds investment opportunities for the big boys from Private equity, to hedge funds, to real estate. Adam and I go way back to our days together at one of the world’s largest asset managers. I was heading up Latin America and Adam in Europe and the Middle East. I brought Adam on to talk to us about everything from how we sell, how to close big deals, how to get into investments and finance, how to climb the corporate ladder and how to transition from corporate America to building your own company. Below are some of my favorite quotes from Adam (by the way how much do you guys love his accent!).
On Youth and Inexperience: “Sometimes being 23 and knowing nothing is the best part. I like to open doors through naivety and use ignorance to find success.”
On Taking the Initiative: How he closed his first deal by buying his own plane ticket and asking for forgiveness later. “I knew if I asked permission I wouldn’t get the answer I was looking for, so I didn’t ask.”
“If I had followed the internal process I would have never closed my first $100 million dollar deal.”
Go to Markets with Dislocation: “If you are operating in conventional markets like Europe, the UK, the US, business is very systematic. If you follow the process you’ll get a share of the pie. If you start moving to emerging markets it is a different story, it is based on relationships and visibility.” ** I love this one ** working in emerging markets is a game changer.
“Many relationships come to you by chance, but what you do with that relationship as a next step is what changes it all. Ultimately it can change your life.”
Being Different: “My standpoint is to be against the grain of commoditization. I try to be ahead of the market and whenever everyone is doing one thing I try to go the other way.”
“You need to think about being niche. Not being everything to everyone.”
So without further ado I hope you enjoy this conversation with Adam Sadiq.
Ciao,
Codie Sanchez
Find Adam Sadiq Here:
Twitter: @Adam_Sadiq
IG @adamsadiq
To stream and subscribe on iTunes, click here. Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
CLICK THE PICTURE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE GUIDE:
Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
“If you find yourself doing what everyone else is doing, you might want to take a pause.”
You have product, you want to sell said product, but you need to get your incredible product noticed in order to sell it. That's marketing 101, right? Here’s the problem, marketing is crowded, noisy and confusing. So how do you quiet the noise and trumpet your ideas like a supersonic blast? How do your blog posts and paid endorsements not drown in the sea of sameness? We are going to talk about one marketing industry vet's ideas for how to jumpstart marketing right off the OR table.
We’re going to talk about if traditional marketing is dead and social marketing has won the game? We are going to talk about where to spend your hard earned money? How do you use the right channels and why? And the man leading us today has a killer perspective as a long time traditional marketing content specialist. Jim Knapp (@jim_knapp) is a media man… 45 minutes with him is like a shot of marketing adrenaline straight to the heart. Jim leads marketing business development for Bonneville Phoenix, KTAR and Arizona Sports, he’s spent thirty years crafting the pitches of companies who want to touch us all through the airwaves.
Why do I have him on here instead of some blonde 20 something blogger talking about shoppable links and S4S? Well h*ll I’ll probably have one of those on here too BUT I firmly believe that when everyone is crowding one space you need to think long and hard about why you two are pushing through the crowds, remember; what if it was easy?
What are most people doing wrong with social media and traditional marketing?
Talk to me about the differences between the two?
Who is doing traditional media really well? Who is combining the two well?
How do you judge returns and reach?
For someone who is building a business or brand what advice do you have for them in how to engage in marketing?
When do ads make sense, where and what are the keys to doing this right?
How do you narrow down your audience (the mad men story)
What are the biggest mistakes happening in marketing right now?
What is the one thing any person looking to sell something should do now?
Hope you enjoy! Ciao!
Codie Sanchez
Stream and subscribe on iTunes click here.
Want to hear another podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on Girl Power Hour Radio. Here I talk about 5 steps to finding what you want and then executing.
Written by Codie Sanchez Topics: The Struggle Isn't Real
In partnership with Chase, I spent the day in Houston speaking with hundreds of Latino business owners and professionals about the hurdles to self-starting, funding, and all around bringing in the business. That is the American dream, right? That si se puede (yes you can), be Self Made. Which happened to be the book title of as my interview subject Nely Galan (see interview here). This former Trump Apprentice, Emmy winner, President of Telemundo, author, media mogul and self-made Latina, was honest and transparent about the challenges that faced her and how she overcame them in business. If you are like me, banking, and funding is one of the most intimidating parts of business (I like these tools from Chase). We have so many ways to finance but, while you are busy working on how to bring in sales and the infrastructure of your business, it’s difficult to focus on the monetary side.
When I first started my business, ThreadsRefined, I had access to quite a bit of capital to debt mechanisms and leverage, but I chose to use a business credit card. Full disclosure, I do bank at Chase, as I only talk about items I’ve used personally. The most frequent card I’ve seen used from them is Chase Ink, click here for more on the rewards system. I’m pretty much a rewards junkie, I mean who doesn’t like free stuff?
So why did I finance that way? First, if I personally am not prepared to put my own money in my business, why should anyone else? OPM (other people’s money) is a beautifully capitalistic thing, but I like skin in the game. Don’t kid yourself if you get OPM first and fail, your reputation is seriously sullied. Free capital is never free. Second, I believe in business the reason most businesses don’t survive is that they over lever themselves, aka spend, spend, spend. They get too much capital, they pay too much instead of doing trade for items or negotiating, they don’t bootstrap, and the small costs pile up like papers in an abandoned driveway. For me to test my business I wanted to keep a keen eye to costs (aka have to pay them off each month). However, it’s important to separate your business expenses from your personal. Which is why I wanted a business credit card like Chase Ink.
“OPM (other people’s money) is a beautifully capitalistic thing, but I like skin in the game. Don’t kid yourself if you get OPM first and fail, your reputation is seriously sullied. Free capital is never free. ”
Once we understand the funding side, the question then becomes which provider. When I am analyzing any vendor I like to think about it like a life partnership. This is someone I want to travel through time with. I want them vested in my business, I want to grow with them. I don’t want to re-learn processes and hop around for the lowest cost provider. Sometimes you get what you pay for. It all eventually goes back to the humans you engage with, even when you are choosing large providers. I loved this example. Nely Galan when she was building up her business (as the creator of the show the Swan), needed capital and to professionalize the financial side of her business. So she strutted (she does definitely strut like us Latina’s do), into her bank and looked around for someone who looked like her. She found herself a fellow Latina and now says, “A Latina banker changed everything in my business.” She’s right.
At the end of the day I have two philosophies in business;
1) Cash is king - without it you are a charity not a business
2) Networks = your net worth.
So you need some rock stars in your tribe, your own personal business board if you will.
I consider my rock stars in my tribe; my attorney, my accountant, my banker, my assistant, and my executive board. I certainly wasn’t alone among the panelists when they spoke about their tribe, check out an interview here and here with two Chase Ink users, CEO’s, and fellow change makers talking about the importance of their network. At the end of the day, keep it simple. Start with as small initial investment as you can, surround yourself with the best humans you can and focus on the cash flow.
Also – let your voice be heard! Use #ChaseNegocios for their answers and give them a follow at the sites below.
CHECK THEM OUT HERE:
Adelante,
Codie Sanchez
Stream and subscribe to my podcast on iTunes click here.
Want to hear a podcast about how to find your why and passion? — Listen to my broadcast on How To Follow Your Passion. Here with another business entrepreneur about how to take what fuels you and make money doing it.
