Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Allan Ngo and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker

Transcript

Networking Unleashed: An Interview with Allan Ngo and Michael A Forman, Professional Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

0:16
Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
0:20
Connections, the show where connection turns
0:23
into momentum. I'm Michael Foreman, and today's
0:26
episode is for every solopreneur who's tired
0:30
of feeling like networking only works if you're
0:33
everywhere, talking nonstop, and working the
0:36
room like a politician. My guest proves something
0:41
powerful. Real relationships don't come from
0:44
being the loudest voice. They come from three
0:47
things done well. Service, personal attention,
0:51
and reputation. We're talking about how to build
0:55
strong professional ties without living at events.
0:59
How small personal touches open big doors. What
1:04
it really means to be known for showing up the
1:07
right way, not the noisy way. So if you want
1:12
results from your network without turning into
1:15
someone you're not, You're in the right place.
1:18
And listen, I would love to introduce Alan to
1:21
the podcast. He's got an incredible background.
1:25
And so, Alan, welcome to the podcast. And why
1:28
don't you tell me a little bit about yourself
1:29
and how you got here? Thank you, Michael. It's
1:34
a pleasure to speak with you and to be in front
1:37
of your audience. Yeah, I'm Alan. I'm thousands
1:40
of miles away. I'm actually from Asia and the
1:42
Philippines. And I got started into solopreneurship.
1:45
Basically, I'm a big believer in education. For
1:49
us, our biggest export is actually our talent,
1:53
our manpower. And we get these opportunities
1:56
through education, through our ability to speak
1:59
English, through our skills. And I believe that
2:02
with knowledge comes independence, power, and
2:05
upside potential. I started off really as, I
2:10
studied accountancy. I'm a CPA by training. But
2:15
I graduated around the time when Robert Kiyosaki
2:18
had this book like Christiane Pourlan. It made
2:21
me think of how I would like to pursue my career.
2:23
So I was on the path of being an accountant.
2:26
I started the franchise business at an early
2:28
age. Got overwhelmed doing both things. I eventually
2:32
worked in a bank while running the franchise
2:34
business. Got me a bit overwhelmed. And I got
2:38
confused because employment didn't work for me.
2:42
Entrepreneurship, the easy kind, the franchise
2:43
kind, didn't work for me. So I felt like I was
2:47
becoming an educated bum. Both avenues aren't
2:50
working for me. And that's when I explored, that
2:55
was around the time, early 2010s, where the internet
2:58
business was starting to boom. And that's when
3:01
I dipped my toes into it. So I started off as
3:05
an affiliate marketer using emails to sell products.
3:09
And emails seemed to be a good fit for me because
3:12
as an accountant, even among accountants, I'm
3:14
somebody who works silently in a corner. And
3:18
email is my way to talk to a lot of people without
3:21
being with them, so to speak. That's right. That's
3:26
when I was able to sell my first affiliate product,
3:29
a digital product, an e -book. And made my first
3:32
$8 commission. That was January 2013. An $8 commission.
3:35
I couldn't forget that. And that told me that,
3:39
hey, you can make money educating others. You
3:43
can make money just by being yourself. And you
3:45
can do so while at home. And that started my
3:49
journey into selling digital products over the
3:52
years. And now I help people start this one person
3:55
digital product business sharing their expertise.
4:00
Good. All right. Thank you for that background.
4:04
I mean, that's really an incredible background
4:06
showing where you came from just as a single
4:10
little entity and how you flourished into what
4:13
you are today. So on that note, I am going to
4:18
ask you a few questions. Many people think networking
4:21
means showing up everywhere and talking the loudest.
4:26
Why is that idea so misleading? especially for
4:30
solopreneurs? I believe, especially with solopreneurs,
4:35
we're not big brands. A lot of it rests on our
4:40
shoulders. But the advantage that we have is
4:42
we can create that genuine connection. And for
4:46
me, it's not about being loudest or even being
4:49
near. One of the ways that I network is really
4:52
by being of service. For example, I'm part of
4:57
a Facebook group. And one of these Facebook groups
5:00
mentioned that, hey, I love you guys to network.
5:04
So leave in the comments what you do and people
5:08
will see you and reach out to you. But that group
5:11
has over 400 comments, I think over 600 comments.
5:14
So nobody's going to go through everything. So
5:17
what I did was I took a screenshot of all the
5:20
comments. I plugged them in AI and asked it to
5:23
categorize folks in parenting, folks in planting,
5:27
folks in gardening, so on and so forth. And I
5:29
shared it in the group as well. And I did it
5:33
for myself, for me to find people I would like
5:36
to connect with. But hey, since I have this,
5:38
I shared it in the group as well. And people
5:40
started commenting, hey, please add me to the
5:43
list. Then folks that I wanted to connect with.
5:46
I added them. They added me back because they
5:49
saw me as somebody who added value in the community
5:51
without me being noisy. It was just being of
5:55
service. And those are the opportunities that
5:58
I think are in line with who I am, being of service
6:02
rather than being loud. And that is, I think,
6:05
people can talk a lot, right? Anybody can claim
6:08
something. But if you can show up with action,
6:11
with service first, that would make people, that
6:15
would make you stand out. And those are some
6:17
of the ways that I think action can speak louder
6:20
when you don't want to be loud, to be noise.
6:24
Actually, within the networking world, there's
6:28
a certain thing that you have to follow. I've
6:30
learned over 35 years of sales, what you don't,
6:34
you and I based my whole business around that.
6:37
And I'll tell you that once you walk into that
6:41
networking event or meeting or something else
6:44
like that. You go in with what's called a servant's
6:48
heart. You go in looking to give, not receive.
6:54
And if you look to give, it takes all that pressure
6:58
off your shoulders. And I can enjoy myself. I
7:02
can have a good time. And I can help somebody
7:05
to boot. So that's a great way. That's great
7:08
philosophy. I believe in that wholeheartedly.
7:12
And you're right on track. You teach that service
7:16
comes first, which is a big thing. What does
7:20
service actually look like in a professional
7:23
relationship when it's done correctly? Just like
7:29
with sales, just with parenting, with relationships,
7:33
it's really understanding what you can give to
7:36
the other side or what they want in particular.
7:39
Because perhaps we can give so much. For example,
7:42
if somebody... I remember this one, I had this
7:46
guest in my community and he's very well off,
7:50
right? But I understand that he's really, so
7:53
what we do typically when we have guests is you'd
7:56
send them a simple gift, right? As a token of
7:59
appreciation. But this person is based in the
8:02
US, so it's pretty far. But I also know that
8:06
he's a big advocate of dog shelters. So there's
8:09
this one dog shelter that he is, he always supports,
8:12
he volunteers at. So as a thank you, we surprised
8:16
him by showing him a donation that we made on
8:19
his behalf for the dog shelter that he loves.
8:21
And I know he's very well off. He doesn't really
8:24
need anything. But when his face lit up, that
8:27
created a moment for them. And for me, that is
8:31
something that I would always be, I'm very worried
8:35
of. What would this person need? So for example,
8:38
to get noticed, sometimes... I know, Michael,
8:43
you do also have courses you teach, right? And
8:46
as educators, we love it when we get feedback
8:49
from our students. And I know that as well of
8:52
my mentors. And if I want to connect with them,
8:55
one of the things I would love to do is just
8:56
voluntarily give them a testimonial or write
9:00
a case study that they could use. And typically,
9:03
mentors have systems to get people to submit
9:07
those feedback. So for them to get something
9:10
voluntarily, They would love to give you attention.
9:15
So it's understanding what the other party would
9:18
need and being able to serve that. And it's not
9:21
even a one -to -one exchange. The ask could be
9:25
a year down the road. We really never know because
9:28
we're not giving these with the intention of
9:31
having a date, but really just giving it as part
9:35
of our process. Looking at it more as farming,
9:39
as planting, rather than as hunting. That's always
9:44
the best way to go is to be a farmer, not a hunter.
9:47
But one thing I've recently began teaching my
9:50
clients or my students, or I run a networking
9:54
group, weekly networking group, and everybody's
9:58
a problem solver. What problem do you have that
10:01
I can solve? That's great, but that's only the
10:04
first half. of what you should be looking at.
10:07
You should be looking at where are they going,
10:09
right? So if you solve that problem, then what?
10:14
Then where are they going? And that's where you
10:16
want to meet them. You don't want to just solve
10:19
their problem and say, oh, they want to say,
10:21
thank you very much. But you want to see where
10:24
they're going and meet them there, and you'll
10:27
get a lot more out of it. Okay. Okay. So personalization.
10:34
Sounds simple, yet most people skip it. What
10:39
small personal touch makes the biggest difference
10:42
in building trust? That's wonderful. That's a
10:47
great question. I've been, Michael, I've been
10:50
looking at my purchases, right? Like my own behavior
10:52
and people around me. And I noticed a bit of
10:56
a pattern. It's like when people discover, say,
10:59
like an influencer or a guru or a mentor. they
11:04
tend to do some background research, right? And
11:07
I noticed this about myself as well. And the
11:09
first rabbit hole that I get into are videos.
11:13
It seems like there's some, with all the AI,
11:16
with information, everything is gettable. But
11:19
when we see people, we hear them, just like with
11:22
you and your podcast, people hear your cadence,
11:25
what you stand for, how you deliver things. Those
11:29
matter. Like the same content delivered. by two
11:32
different people, it will attract different types
11:34
of folks as well. For me, knowing that, I try
11:39
to include videos. For example, when somebody
11:41
joins my, becomes a client of mine. Before, when
11:46
the internet wasn't as fast as it was now, I
11:48
would give them a phone call just to welcome
11:50
them personally. Now I would use tools like Bonjoro
11:54
or even just use a Zoom call. I would film a
11:58
Zoom clip, just send them a link to it just to
12:01
welcome them. personally. So I think those small
12:04
touches matter. From where I am, Christmas is
12:07
super big. So I would also invest in small gifts
12:11
for them just to let them know that, hey, I cherish
12:16
what you do. And I think that's also the advantage
12:18
now with the time of AI where things are commoditized.
12:22
Those relationships are things that we can double
12:25
down. And those are experiences. I think right
12:29
now with AI getting bigger, and networking there's
12:33
also an increased value in terms of relationships
12:37
and experience and those are the fundamentals
12:40
of life really and i think i like to double down
12:44
on things that don't change right with the world
12:47
that ever changing and i'm happy to say that
12:50
i've had my side even before pandemic that has
12:53
stuck with me through different different waves
12:56
of changes right and Funny enough, a couple of
13:00
days ago, I just had coffee with some of my longest
13:03
-term clients. And those are the things that
13:07
they mentioned. The big reliability, the honesty,
13:11
and it's funny enough, it's not being noisy,
13:15
but being remembered still. So that's the type
13:18
of business that they want, and that's the type
13:20
of business that I run. That's incredible. I
13:23
use the pandemic. You brought up the pandemic.
13:26
I use the pandemic as a line in the sand. Before
13:29
the pandemic, networkers, it used to be transactional.
13:34
And they used to say, okay, you have a widget.
13:37
I have $3. I'll give you that. You give me that.
13:39
Everything is fine. It's done. But ever since
13:43
the pandemic, networking has really been relational.
13:48
And it's more geared towards relationships. So
13:52
I would go to a networking event, networking
13:55
meeting or something. I was in a mortgage business,
13:58
and I used to do networking and come back with
14:01
a shoebox filled with business cards and say,
14:05
look how good I did. When in reality, I didn't
14:10
do well at all. But now I say, okay, when you
14:13
go, get 15 cards, max. right because there's
14:19
a whole series that you have to when you go up
14:21
you talk to them know them like them trust them
14:25
they'll do if they know you like you trust you
14:27
they'll do business with you so you have to go
14:30
through all that and everything but if you have
14:33
only 15 cards it means that you spoke with them
14:36
that you actually had a discussion with them
14:38
and i have a whole system for follow -up and
14:41
everything and what you write on the back of
14:43
their business card but it's a whole thing but
14:45
it's so relationship oriented that now that you
14:51
almost have to be that way for you to get ahead.
14:55
And one of the things that we value, so I call
15:00
my community effortless earners because we want
15:03
to, our main philosophy is the business should
15:06
support life rather than the other way around.
15:08
And one of the things that I like to focus on
15:12
are not really volume of transactions, but LTV,
15:16
lifetime value. But LTV can have a negative connotation
15:21
where it's like squeezing every penny out of
15:24
a person, right? But for me, I like LTV because
15:26
it challenges me to be better because people
15:30
only stay with you, repurchase and renew if they
15:35
got value from what they bought from you before.
15:38
So it challenged me to over -deliver. on their
15:41
first purchase, on their first experience with
15:43
me. And I feel that's more challenging than booking
15:46
somebody on a $7 low ticket offer on Facebook.
15:51
It's one thing to do that. It's another to make
15:53
them stay. And that forces me to level up, to
15:57
improve my quality, really look at them as people,
16:00
right? Because it's easy to look at transactions
16:03
as numbers, humans as numbers. But if your KPI
16:08
is making them stay. You look at them, okay,
16:11
what are they going through and how can I help
16:14
them out? Maybe it's in terms of deals, in terms
16:18
of terms, in terms of long -term discounts. It
16:21
makes me care more for people I'm with. And by
16:24
extension, that not just broadens my network,
16:28
but it deepens it as well. You have to realize
16:32
that even though we're on Zoom and you're in
16:36
the Philippines and I'm here, you know, you're
16:39
still a person behind the camera. So if I treat
16:44
you like a person, like I'm talking to you right
16:48
next to me, and I create that relationship, you'll
16:52
remember that relationship a whole lot more.
16:56
Okay, so you talk about being a poster boy. What
17:02
does that really mean in the context of reputation
17:06
and visibility? Being a poster boy in particular,
17:12
I'll circle back to what I said earlier about
17:14
being the best student for the mentor. So I have
17:19
this one student. His name is Jonathan. And he
17:23
would always do all his tasks well. And I would
17:27
interview him as a testimonial. Then we had this
17:30
small circle, right? And when I spoke with other
17:33
courses he enrolled in, I know the mentors, right?
17:38
He would always be the star student in all those
17:41
programs as well. And he would always be the
17:44
case study. That's why everyone notices him too,
17:47
because they know that this guy, this person
17:49
is serious. It's not just he buys a lot of stuff
17:53
from them, but he implements them. He makes them
17:55
look good. And I was thinking, hey, of course,
17:58
I'm a student of somebody else too. If I can
18:00
make them, I can be of service to them, maybe
18:03
as a case study, right? I'll be able to get into
18:06
their radar. Maybe build a relationship with
18:09
them. And who knows, we can help each other out.
18:12
That actually happened as well when I was on
18:15
a group coaching call and my mentor was looking
18:18
at using AI to create content. So this was last
18:21
year. And I shared him, hey, I did a workshop.
18:24
I gave you a copy. Were you able to see it? Then
18:27
he said, okay, I messed up. I got your message,
18:29
didn't see it. Would you mind sharing it now?
18:33
So I shared it in front of the group call. like
18:36
with other business owners. And ultimately, I
18:38
got invited to do a formal training in his community
18:41
and got me exposure. So it's really just being,
18:45
it's an extension of being of service, but in
18:48
a very particular avenue. So whenever we enroll,
18:53
I'll drop in the bucket, for example, of a course.
18:55
But if somebody volunteers a case study, gives
18:59
you a good review, that automatically shoots
19:02
you up in their radar. And that's where it's
19:05
easier when you reach out, it's easier to get
19:07
a response. It's so true and funny. You said
19:11
you wrote an article about it. I write an article
19:14
three times a week for two different publications.
19:19
And it's all about networking, all about AI introduced
19:22
into networking. And by doing so, somebody in
19:27
Las Vegas noticed me. And I'm working with them.
19:33
So it really, it just depends on how you do it.
19:37
Do it, you know, you don't have to go over and
19:41
above yourself. You don't have to speak loudly.
19:43
Just do your work. Do it calmly. And you'll be
19:47
noticed. If you do your work well enough, then
19:51
people will take notice. That's right. Okay.
19:57
If someone or for someone who dislikes big events
20:02
or crowded rooms, what's a smarter way to build
20:05
real professional relationships? And this, I'm
20:08
sure, is more towards introverts rather than
20:12
extroverts. You know what? That's a great question.
20:16
As we speak now, I'll actually be doing my first
20:21
test of Brazilian jiu -jitsu tomorrow night.
20:24
And one of my big decisions there was, okay,
20:28
it's one thing to attend a seminar, but with
20:30
jujitsu, I'm really going to grapple with a stranger.
20:33
And that was a consideration for me because,
20:35
ooh, that's too much for me. But it's funny because
20:39
for me with introverts, for me, I could only
20:43
share from my experience that one of the things
20:45
that I do is I look out for summits. So virtual
20:50
summits where, yes, it's an event, but... It's
20:54
virtual. It's still private, still a one -on
20:56
-one call. People will get contact there. But
21:00
the magic is, of course, we could build lists
21:03
there. People can watch our session during a
21:05
virtual summit and sign up to our list. But to
21:08
take it a step further, one thing I don't think
21:11
a lot of people do is, hey, you can reach out
21:14
to fellow summit speakers, right? Because it
21:19
doesn't end there. You already have something
21:21
in common. You can reach out to them. You can
21:23
ask the host to introduce you guys. So that's
21:27
one way to instantly network because in some
21:31
ways there's a kinship already because you both
21:33
spoke at the summit. You're also vetted by the
21:36
host. And for an introvert, that's easier in
21:39
the sense that I don't have to prove myself because
21:42
we're on an event playing field. The host already
21:45
vetted us. So it gives you an in. Secondly, One
21:51
thing that you can do as well, if you also have
21:53
extra funds for advertising, if somebody you
21:57
spoke at the summit, that summit typically has
22:00
a lot of fresh new leads. You can reach out to
22:03
the host and maybe ask them if, hey, can I buy
22:07
a solo ad? Can I pay you and you promote my newsletter
22:12
or my lead magnet or whatever? And that's also
22:15
another way. Of course, there's transaction blog.
22:17
You can swap. Solo ads, that would be fine as
22:21
well. But that's another way to get eyes to what
22:24
you do through an endorsement, which is an indirect
22:28
form of networking. It's not the traditional,
22:31
we're all here all at the same time. But you
22:33
have to understand that, hey, people are just
22:36
arriving in this person's list. They're fresh.
22:39
They're excited. This might be a good time to
22:42
put my name in front of them. And typically,
22:46
summits... would accept sponsorship because during
22:49
summits, they are actually selling sponsorship
22:51
packages. So if you offer, hey, can I pay you
22:55
X amount for you to promote my email list, then
22:59
that's an introvert's paradise. A way to network
23:02
with an in and a way to network without having
23:06
to talk to a lot of people through an endorsement.
23:09
Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I put on business
23:12
shows, business expos, and I'm having one in
23:16
March. And what you're talking about with the
23:18
sponsorships, I'm getting all these requests
23:21
of exactly what you're talking about. And mine
23:26
is an in -person expo. That's really not part
23:30
of it. But I see exactly what you're talking
23:33
about because I'm getting all the questions about
23:35
it now. And I'm like, okay, it doesn't pertain
23:39
to my expo, but I'm going to keep all this in
23:42
the back of my head because it may come out later
23:45
on. Okay. Where do solopreneurs waste the most
23:51
energy in networking and what should they focus
23:54
on instead? That's a wonderful question. I would
23:58
say looking at our, I was just checking our activities
24:03
and the leads that they generated. The best return
24:07
for our time, I would say, are doing guest presentations
24:12
for paid communities. You can get Maybe not the
24:16
volume, but the quality that you get are much
24:19
higher. They stay in your list longer and they
24:23
tend to buy more. So if you get that opportunity,
24:26
right? And that you don't necessarily get to
24:30
pay to play. Those are things that you build
24:33
through network. Because when I got those opportunities,
24:36
it's through knowing the mentor for a long time.
24:40
That's why I got invited to speak. So if you...
24:44
It's funny, we can tie all these together. So
24:46
if you're part of a course, then you use the
24:49
poster boy approach to get noticed, right? And
24:53
they will be, you will be in their radar once
24:55
they do like guest speakers, you'll be part of
24:58
that lineup, right? That's one opportunity that
25:01
I don't think a lot of people are taking advantage
25:04
of. Looking at just merely the networking events,
25:08
it's great to attend those. I think follow -ups.
25:13
It's an important next thing, you know, because
25:16
it's not just enough that you meet them, right?
25:20
Because there's that attrition, right? Among
25:22
all these people I met, maybe, what, 10, 5, 10
25:26
% would actually follow up. That's instant attention
25:30
for you, right? That's a high number. It's a
25:34
high number. Yeah, it's a high number. Because
25:38
most people thought... Most networking events,
25:42
the people who follow up on those events is about
25:45
2%. 2 % of the people do it properly. Yes. So
25:50
when you said 10 or 15, I'm like, no, that's
25:52
way high. Gotcha. Gotcha. So that even presents
25:57
an even bigger opportunity. That's wonderful.
26:00
And I think, yeah, it's not really the volume
26:03
as well. It's really the follow -up right after.
26:07
And that's where it will lead to opportunities.
26:09
And one more thing, it's really looking at the
26:11
timeline as well. If you're rushing things, like
26:16
people can feel that. If you're in here, if you
26:19
really look at the other person as a valuable
26:21
person rather than just a transaction, it's hard
26:25
to put into words, but what you say, the way
26:28
you say, the cadence when you say it, it's different,
26:31
right? It's just changing the horizon of the
26:34
relationship. It's not what you have to sell
26:40
or do or something else, but it's how you act,
26:44
how you dress, how you speak, how you, it's all
26:48
your body language. Everything is part of the
26:52
situation. You can have two people selling the
26:56
same thing. One person is relaxed and calm and
27:00
talking to you. And another person is a little.
27:04
nervous, but he's talking at you. And he's going
27:07
to say the next thing that he's trying to think
27:09
of instead of listening to you and responding
27:12
to what you're saying. Yeah. So it's very different,
27:16
but it's the same. Okay. What does meaningful
27:21
follow -up look like when you want to stand out
27:24
without sounding pushy or rehearsed? So it can
27:29
be in a few ways. So in terms of, for example,
27:33
sales, For me, I don't like, well, at least the
27:39
way we do it is I don't instruct my community
27:42
to use words like to circle back or following
27:46
up on this. So this in context of a sale, I would
27:50
rather have, hey, here's a deadline. And of course,
27:55
this stems from the belief that your service,
27:57
your offer will genuinely help the other person.
28:01
So I would like. Since there's a deadline, when
28:04
I follow up, it's really more of, I'm looking
28:07
out for you. Hey, this is going to end soon.
28:10
I don't want you to miss it. It ends in two days.
28:14
Shall we move forward? Do you have any questions?
28:18
That way, one, it comes from a position of power
28:24
as well. Because when you say, I'm circling back,
28:27
I'm following up. It's like you need something
28:30
from them and it can distort the balance of value.
28:35
For me, I don't want to feel that like I'm chasing
28:39
them because also that for me, it also turns
28:42
off the buyer. So I would love to come from strength
28:47
and confidence because they will feel that energy,
28:50
that we have confidence in our offer and thereby
28:53
they will have confidence that we can deliver
28:55
that. That's one meaningful way to follow up
28:59
in terms of a sales conversation. Now, in terms
29:02
of networking, for me, the way I do it, it's
29:07
not super systematic, but I would like to check
29:09
in at random times from them. I'm a big fan of
29:13
Zoom coffee chats, the same way I do in real
29:16
life. One of my criteria for having clients is
29:20
I would only like to work with clients that I
29:23
would love to hang out, have a coffee with. That
29:27
extends to online as well. So I'd like to hang
29:30
out with folks like I could have a Zoom conversation
29:33
with. So those are ways that I tend to help out.
29:37
I tend to have meaningful follow -ups and just
29:40
keeping them in mind. So there are some Facebook
29:43
groups where, hey, I need this person, a host
29:46
or a trainer, then I would just tag them there.
29:50
Once I tag them, I'll take a screenshot. I'll
29:53
send it to the person I tagged. And hey, I'm
29:55
not sure if you're part of this group, but I
29:57
tagged you here. Yada, yada, yada. So those are
30:00
things that I wouldn't even say they are follow
30:02
-ups, but it's really keeping them in mind and
30:06
being of service as well. And this is when I
30:10
would do this even if I was part of a business
30:12
networking group before. Even when I left that
30:15
group, I kept them in mind. I knew what their
30:19
business was. I still did that. That shows them
30:23
that it's not transactional and they could feel
30:25
that they're not transactional with me as well.
30:27
So that's how I put meaning into follow -ups
30:31
that puts you in a position of strength, not
30:34
weakness when you're following up. That's great.
30:38
And for you to remain in that position of strength.
30:43
instead of weakness, instead of looking for,
30:46
oh, please, I'm looking for your money. You're
30:48
in a position of power. So I understand that
30:51
completely. Okay. How does consistency beat charisma
30:56
when it comes to building a strong professional
30:58
circle? That's a wonderful question. I think
31:02
with, I remember this one friend, he mentioned
31:07
to me that, so this friend is a little more well
31:10
-off, right? And there's this one friend who,
31:14
his neighbor, who borrowed money from him. Him
31:18
knowing that this friend won't ever be able to
31:21
repay him, he still lent the money. He actually
31:24
gave the money to him. And his reasoning was,
31:27
yes, this guy may not ever pay me back, but he's
31:32
always there, whether in my ups or in my downs.
31:36
He's not just there because I'm doing well now.
31:39
He's always been there. So to your point about
31:42
consistency and charisma, it's really about,
31:44
that's why we are, I'm sure it's for yourself
31:48
as well, Michael, like we all keep our inner
31:51
circle to people that we truly trust in our lives,
31:54
because especially before we achieve anything
31:56
in life, they were there, right? And it's also
32:00
hard to find professional relationships, right,
32:03
as adults. So I think that consistency over the
32:07
years, and I would... Imagine when we attend
32:10
networking events and see the same people from
32:13
five years ago. There's that kinship that we
32:16
feel for them. That, hey, it's been a long while.
32:19
Although we're not family, we don't see each
32:21
other every day. How have you been? There's something
32:24
about seeing each other for years through time
32:29
that builds that bond. And of course, consistency
32:33
doesn't just mean showing up because if you can't
32:36
show up and you're annoying every year, they'd
32:41
rather not see you there. They hope you're not
32:43
consistent, but it's about being consistently
32:46
who you are and not changing whether you're big
32:50
time now or you're struggling. And I think that's
32:53
true, not just in business, but in life as well.
32:56
Being able to, it's seeing beyond. business but
33:00
seeing the person as who he is right and there's
33:03
an appreciation especially with business that
33:05
some people some business fold right and consistency
33:09
also shows discipline right it also shows hey
33:14
this person can survive this person went through
33:17
some difficulties and still here so there are
33:21
some messages that consistency communicate without
33:24
being loud about it it's not just they're always
33:27
here but being here also means every year there's
33:30
reasons not to be here so it shows character
33:34
and strength it does and being consistent is
33:39
so important and again i'm dealing with i'm coming
33:42
from a networking world and consistency if you're
33:47
consistent and people can rely on you being consistent
33:52
saying oh i i know alan's always going to be
33:55
there and i can always trust that I can always
33:58
ask Alan anything or ask him for a favor or something.
34:02
He'll always be there. But if you came up and
34:06
you were high there and you just have the charisma
34:09
of having the short term relationship, I would
34:13
take the consistency over that anytime. Anytime.
34:18
Yeah. What's one behavior that quietly builds
34:23
influence over time? even when no one is watching
34:28
that's great it ties back to what we said about
34:32
consistency i think it's about it ties back with
34:36
consistency in a way where if you don't see the
34:41
numbers but you're sticking to something it shows
34:45
that you have conviction to a cause right so
34:49
for example if you're putting out videos and
34:52
maybe you're not hitting the numbers that you're
34:55
getting, but you committed to do 100 videos first
34:58
before I stop doing something, right? And people
35:05
can see that. And one of those 100 videos would
35:10
hit, for example, and you look like an overnight
35:13
success. So what the sign and trait there is
35:18
just being added consistently because you have
35:20
a bigger vision. for what you do so for us it's
35:23
for example helping folks like build that business
35:26
around their lives so that's why if you notice
35:29
like behind of course for the audio listeners
35:32
behind me is a calendar for the whole year and
35:35
i already highlighted there like birthdays special
35:40
occasions right because i wanted to fill that
35:43
in first and my business will fit around that
35:47
right and i think Those are small convictions
35:52
that when applied to business, there's a reason,
35:56
for example, where I go quiet in my business
35:58
is because I value personal time. And I communicate
36:02
that through my audience. And it's not just another
36:06
piece of content. It's anchored in conviction.
36:09
So I think for a lot of folks, one of the things
36:13
that we do, I help clients out with is like world
36:17
building, like building. what are your convictions,
36:20
what do you believe in the world, then that's
36:23
also how you run your business, how you communicate
36:25
that. And that's something that when we see business
36:30
online, copy and paste tactics and strategies.
36:34
But we don't know how they anchor their truth,
36:39
their virtues, their values, because that shapes
36:42
how they run their business. If we just copy
36:45
them, you're not... You're just a version of
36:49
them. But if you study what really do I want,
36:53
how do I want to show up for my clients? For
36:56
example, we're speaking here, it's almost midnight
36:59
on my end. But for me, it's important that I
37:02
show up for this because one, I believe my message
37:07
should not be just contained in my locality.
37:12
Second, I also want to show for my community
37:15
that, hey, our... we are also citizens of the
37:19
world, right? That it is something that our message
37:23
can also be seen, not just locally, but worldwide.
37:26
And those are very important for me to show my
37:31
audience, even if, say, they don't necessarily
37:33
bring in the numbers, for example, just the fact
37:36
that I'm doing it is important for me, then numbers
37:40
would come afterwards. But somebody looking at
37:44
it outside may just look at it as a strategy.
37:47
And I feel that communicating that conviction,
37:51
the reason you're doing stuff, and if it's anchored
37:54
in a bigger truth, I think that would help with
37:57
how people perceive you, how you are seen as
38:00
a personal brand, and would add depth to your
38:05
decisions, whether you go with a trend or not.
38:09
People respect people with their original thought,
38:13
not just following a trend. I feel that's the
38:18
quiet thing that not a lot of people notice when
38:21
it comes to strategies where everyone copies
38:24
everyone else. So anchoring your business, your
38:27
strategy in your own decisions is very important.
38:32
Absolutely. Absolutely it is. Okay, so let's
38:35
bring this podcast full circle. And if a solopreneur
38:41
wants stronger partnerships this year, what single
38:45
habit? Should they start today? Wonderful. For
38:52
me, it's important to understand, especially
38:55
as solopreneurs, I'm thinking, of course, there's
38:58
limited time. There's limited energy, just like
39:00
anyone. But more so when you don't have somebody
39:03
to pass this to. I believe understanding, being
39:07
really clear on who you want to serve. It's really
39:11
important because once you understand who you
39:14
want to serve. then next is you'll know what
39:19
communities, what brands have these folks. So
39:23
I grew up in a traditional business where we
39:26
sell wholesale products, not retail. So the wholesale
39:29
thinking has been ingrained in me. So if, for
39:33
example, there are married women in their 40s,
39:37
then they follow, say, a certain brand. A brand
39:42
like Women's Journal, for example. Okay, so maybe
39:45
I can reach out to these folks, be of value to
39:47
them, or maybe pay for an ad to reach them, right?
39:51
That would be, I'll get them wholesale, right?
39:54
So that's one way I would look at it, right?
39:57
So find like 100 communities like this. If you
40:02
nail down 5%, get a partnership with five of
40:06
them, then five times if they have 500 people
40:10
in their community, right? So that's a lot of
40:12
people right away. And you don't have to go retail
40:17
necessarily. You don't have to go advertising
40:20
right away. So those are opportunities that I
40:24
would look at. And look, basically look wholesale.
40:29
And once you do that, keep doing it. Consistency.
40:33
And if you can, use AI, use GPT to even make
40:36
it faster. So that way you get more. get revenue
40:41
if you want to invest in advertising other platforms
40:44
whenever you generate money more opportunities
40:48
lined up for you so yeah try to look at it wholesale
40:52
and you'll be surprised with the results that
40:56
you get even at the low conversion rate That's
40:59
great. Alan, this was a wonderful podcast. I'm
41:03
so thankful that you took the time to come on.
41:07
If somebody wanted to get hold of you to either
41:10
hire you or pick your brain or anything, what's
41:14
the best way for them to get hold of you? Thank
41:17
you very much. I am also on LinkedIn, so you
41:20
can find me at Alan Ngoc. I also have a daily
41:23
newsletter where I share these insights that
41:26
we talked about. So it's digital solopreneur
41:29
.com slash Foreman. So easy to remember it. So
41:33
yeah, I send daily insights about this kind of
41:36
business and I respond to all the replies. So
41:39
if you get an email from me there, you want to
41:41
reach out to me, just reply to my newsletter
41:43
and I'll definitely see your message. It's great.
41:48
Thank you. That's what a smart connection sounds
41:51
like. Not louder, not busier, just better. When
41:57
you lead with service, people remember you. When
42:00
you add personal care, people trust you. When
42:04
your reputation speaks for you, doors open before
42:08
you knock. Take one idea from today and use it
42:12
in your next message, meeting, or follow -up.
42:15
Watch how different responses feel when you focus
42:20
shifts from being seen to being valuable. If
42:24
this episode helped you rethink how networking
42:27
really works, pass it along to another solopreneur
42:30
who's building something special. And make sure
42:33
you follow Networking Unleashed, building profitable
42:36
connections, so you never miss a conversation
42:38
that helps you grow real relationships. I'm Michael
42:43
Foreman. And remember, you don't need to be the
42:46
loudest voice in the room. to be the most remembered
42:49
one. Hit subscribe, hit follow, hit everything
42:53
you can. Follow me, follow Alan. Alan, I can't
42:57
thank you enough. Thank you for coming on to
43:00
my podcast. Thank you, Michael. It's been a pleasure.
43:07
Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. Let's
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44:03
for sharing such... insights today. And of course,
44:07
a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners,
44:10
for tuning in and spending your time with us.
44:13
If you're interested in my digital courses, being
44:16
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44:19
just go to Michael and fill out the request form.
44:23
Remember, networking isn't about being perfect.
44:27
It's about being present. So take what you've
44:30
learned today, get out there and make some meaningful
44:33
connections. If you've enjoyed this episode,
44:36
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44:39
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44:41
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44:44
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44:52
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