Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: S1E41 An Interview with Serge Wacka and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker

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Networking Unleashed: S1E41 An Interview with Serge Wacka and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

• 0:16
  Hello, and welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building
• 0:20
  Profitable Connections. Welcome back to the show,
• 0:24
  folks. I'm your host, Michael Foreman, and you're
• 0:26
  listening to the podcast where networking is
• 0:29
  more than just awkward handshakes and bad coffee.
• 0:32
  It's an art and a talent. But here's the twist.
• 0:36
  It's an art and talent you can actually learn.
• 0:39
  Yes, even if you're the person hiding in the
• 0:42
  corner at every event, pretending to check emails.
• 0:46
  Networking isn't just a nice skill to have, it's
• 0:49
  a game changer. And when you get good at it,
• 0:51
  you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner. More
• 0:54
  connections, more opportunities, more profits.
• 0:58
  It's like unlocking a cheat code for life. So
• 1:01
  whether you're the life of the party or the just
• 1:04
  let me stay home and text type, we've got something
• 1:06
  for you. So stick around and let's turn those
• 1:09
  awkward small talk moments into big wins. I've
• 1:14
  got a guest today. He's a very interesting guest.
• 1:17
  His name is Serge Walker, and he's an author
• 1:21
  of Book Sales Mastery Guide, Business Growth
• 1:25
  Strategist, and Servant Leader. So before I go
• 1:29
  any further into his background, Serge, why don't
• 1:32
  you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit
• 1:35
  about yourself? Hello, Michael. Thanks so much
• 1:39
  for having me here. First of all, I would like
• 1:41
  to, wow, the intro is really good. It's really
• 1:44
  good about networking. So just a few words about
• 1:47
  myself. I like to define myself as I'm still
• 1:50
  a child into my head. I'm a dreamer, a really
• 1:54
  dreamer since the moment I'm born. And until
• 1:57
  now, I'm still a dreamer. But again, yes, I'm
• 2:00
  an author just because I decide a bit. to change
• 2:04
  or to bring something into this life when it
• 2:07
  comes to selling because of some past experience,
• 2:11
  not good experience sometimes. Sometimes we remember
• 2:13
  stuff when they are not working properly. So
• 2:17
  I decided to do something about it. This is why
• 2:19
  I wrote that book, Sales Mastery Guy. But yes,
• 2:24
  I started as a normal person, young guy born
• 2:28
  in Cameroon in Africa, Central Africa. Where
• 2:32
  I had some challenge at the beginning to work
• 2:35
  because in every part of the world, I think people,
• 2:39
  they start working at one year old or maybe two
• 2:42
  maximum. But it took me four years to be able
• 2:46
  to even just stand up and start doing stuff.
• 2:49
  Start also playing with my siblings because I'm
• 2:53
  the fourth born of a family of five, right? Looking
• 2:58
  at the playing and all those stuff, it wasn't
• 3:00
  that easy. Then I've been successful to start
• 3:03
  working, going to school. Then my parents judged
• 3:07
  at a certain stage that it was good for me to
• 3:11
  go abroad to study. So I went to Italy where
• 3:14
  I took a diploma there. And I started working
• 3:19
  in a bank environment, then as a salesperson.
• 3:23
  And currently I'm consulting also several telecom
• 3:26
  companies, helping them. for topic related to
• 3:29
  strategies, sustainability, and all those things.
• 3:33
  Yeah, so this is where I am today. And yes. Very
• 3:37
  nice, Serge. Welcome. Welcome to the podcast.
• 3:40
  Okay, so let's jump right into it. Your book,
• 3:43
  Sales Mastery Guide, dives deep into the sales
• 3:46
  process. How do you see networking as a key factor
• 3:50
  in mastering sales? I would like even to say,
• 3:58
  that networking will be the number one priority
• 4:01
  in sales. Now, AI, people are saying AI is the
• 4:07
  net electricity, right? When we started internet
• 4:10
  a long time ago, 2020, 2000, or maybe a little
• 4:14
  bit before, everyone was jumping in and it changed
• 4:18
  the game completely. Now, AI is doing the same.
• 4:24
  pretty much we are still at the beginning but
• 4:25
  we never know where we are going to go how far
• 4:27
  we will go with this networking become essential
• 4:32
  people sell to people it's always a human connection
• 4:37
  first because yes you need to trust people to
• 4:43
  be able to do business with them people need
• 4:46
  to see you Before they start doing business with
• 4:50
  you, people sometimes will need to hear from
• 4:52
  you because before they start doing business
• 4:55
  with you, it becomes extremely important to really
• 4:59
  master it. You hit the nail right on the head
• 5:02
  with networking. Networking has a mantra. If
• 5:06
  they know you, if they like you, if they trust
• 5:08
  you, then they'll do business with you. And you
• 5:12
  just hit the nail right on the head. What are
• 5:16
  the top three networking strategies that have
• 5:20
  directly contributed to your business growth?
• 5:24
  I will say the first one, the most important
• 5:27
  one, is the capability, because it's something
• 5:31
  also that can be learned, the capability of someone
• 5:35
  to listen first. Because when you approach someone,
• 5:39
  even if you are good in asking questions, talking
• 5:42
  about yourself, You need also to be able to listen
• 5:46
  to that person. Listening. People sometimes,
• 5:48
  I like to quote, when I was into the bank industry,
• 5:52
  we love to say people look but they don't see.
• 5:55
  They hear but they don't listen. Right? You need
• 6:00
  to listen. Listening is extremely important.
• 6:03
  Then when you listen to someone, it's normal,
• 6:05
  empathy, all those type of quality are also extremely
• 6:09
  important. But being also able to ask genuine
• 6:13
  questions to people, right? A lot of people like
• 6:19
  to say, people like to talk about themselves,
• 6:20
  but sometimes not, because maybe you can be in
• 6:23
  front of an introvert person, but they have a
• 6:26
  lot to share. How do you make sure that person
• 6:31
  can really network with you, can connect with
• 6:35
  you, can, yes, it's extremely important also.
• 6:40
  to know how to ask your question to know how
• 6:43
  to connect with people in that angle also and
• 6:46
  again attending also to event right let's say
• 6:50
  in some events in industry or this type of things
• 6:54
  can really help to be able to network with people.
• 6:58
  It can be either into your industry or into different
• 7:01
  industries as soon as it can bring you some kind
• 7:04
  of value or you want to bring something to that
• 7:08
  environment. So, yes. Again, you hit the nail
• 7:12
  right on the head. I can probably talk to you
• 7:15
  for three hours about networking, but what you're
• 7:17
  talking about is active listening. And if you
• 7:22
  listen to the person you're talking with, They
• 7:25
  truly believe that you are paying attention to
• 7:28
  them and not to something else. So if you listen
• 7:32
  to them and then pause after you listen, that
• 7:36
  pause becomes so significant because you're actually
• 7:39
  listening to them and you respond to what they
• 7:43
  were saying, not the next thing that you wanted
• 7:46
  to say, but to what they were saying. So it goes
• 7:49
  a very long way. Many professionals struggle
• 7:52
  with follow -ups. What's your advice on turning
• 7:56
  a networking conversation into a long -term business
• 8:00
  relationship? Talking about follow -up first
• 8:04
  would be like, it's a bit like, I don't know,
• 8:08
  I like to use parallel stories. So let me use
• 8:11
  one related to a relationship, for example, between
• 8:14
  people. Or maybe that a young guy wants to date
• 8:18
  another young lady. The lady is cute, really
• 8:21
  cute. The lady gave him the chance to approach,
• 8:26
  right? To approach her. And he start, yes, he
• 8:30
  do his stuff well. Extremely well. So the lady
• 8:34
  want to see him again. Or probably there is an
• 8:37
  exchange of Instagram, WhatsApp, or those young
• 8:40
  guys use TikTok, or I don't know, something,
• 8:42
  a contact, a details. Then at a certain stage,
• 8:47
  the guy do not follow. What can happen after
• 8:53
  that? Nothing will happen, right? Because if
• 8:57
  you don't follow up on something, on an opportunity
• 8:59
  that has been on your table one week ago, two
• 9:04
  weeks ago, one hour ago, your chance reduce,
• 9:09
  right? To be able to achieve something. Follow
• 9:12
  -up are extremely important. Now, talking about
• 9:16
  networking in that sense. And following up within
• 9:24
  the networking, let me put it also in another
• 9:28
  angle. For example, in a networking environment.
• 9:32
  I don't know if it makes sense what I'm currently
• 9:34
  saying. In any case, you are going to cut some
• 9:35
  pages and add, no? You're going to mount, right?
• 9:39
  You're going to edit it. It makes perfect sense.
• 9:41
  You're making perfect sense. Okay. In networking
• 9:45
  environment, for example. How do people need
• 9:49
  to follow up or what will be? Oh, please repeat
• 9:51
  the question again. So I make sure that I'm really
• 9:54
  answering to what many professionals struggle
• 9:57
  with follow ups. And now I personally believe
• 9:59
  that the follow up is almost more important than
• 10:02
  actually making contact. But many professionals
• 10:06
  struggle with follow ups. What's your advice
• 10:08
  on turning a networking conversation into a long
• 10:12
  term business relationship? Okay, perfect. I
• 10:16
  can give some value to people based on my experience,
• 10:19
  especially into sales, especially into how you
• 10:22
  connect with people first. You use networking
• 10:25
  to follow up, but most importantly, why it's
• 10:30
  so important. In different environments, let
• 10:36
  me use an example for an international sales,
• 10:38
  for example. Someone, for example, living in
• 10:42
  Paris. doing business with someone in UK or maybe
• 10:47
  in Canada or in Germany, this type of example.
• 10:51
  Being able not only to make sure the person with
• 10:58
  whom you are talking can trust you, being able
• 11:02
  also to make sure that, again, following up on
• 11:08
  what you started. I helped to grow the business.
• 11:13
  I helped also to understand how stuff currently
• 11:18
  are. The type of services you were offering,
• 11:21
  for example, in the sales environment, the type
• 11:23
  of services I was offering. The follow -up is
• 11:27
  extremely important. How do customers feel about
• 11:31
  it? What type of feedback do I get from it? If
• 11:34
  it's a product, it's still the same. If it's
• 11:37
  just like a consultative selling, I'm your partner.
• 11:41
  I'm your advisor for this type of service or
• 11:44
  for what you're trying to do, for the type of
• 11:46
  strategy you're trying to put together. How's
• 11:50
  it going? What are your next step? Where do you
• 11:54
  still want to go? Again, you build confidence,
• 11:57
  you build trust, and for a long period of time,
• 12:02
  your customer, that prospect, become, let's say,
• 12:06
  the customer for your life. I like to call it,
• 12:08
  it's like, You serve people when you're doing
• 12:11
  that way. You help them. You nurture something
• 12:13
  that is going to last forever. You're always
• 12:18
  looking to give rather than receive. And if you
• 12:22
  go with that thought in mind, then you'll never
• 12:25
  fail. You'll never fail. But you've been successful
• 12:29
  to this point. What a networking mistake. that
• 12:35
  you see sales professionals make, and how can
• 12:39
  they fix it? The first one I will say is, the
• 12:47
  first one definitely, mistake that I, probably
• 12:52
  it cost me a lot of deals, is always linked to
• 12:58
  the fact that you don't listen. I was not listening.
• 13:04
  It's extremely important. So that one is the
• 13:07
  number one mistake. If you don't listen to the
• 13:12
  people close to you, in front of you, or the
• 13:14
  person you're calling partner today, or probably,
• 13:19
  I don't know, your customer, whoever, if you
• 13:21
  don't listen, it's the beginning of the end.
• 13:25
  Because you will go nowhere with that. Really
• 13:29
  nowhere. So folks, it's extremely important to
• 13:33
  listen. Listen, ask genuine questions, rephrase,
• 13:37
  do whatever you can so that people can understand
• 13:41
  that you care. You care about what they're telling
• 13:43
  you. You care about what they are asking you.
• 13:46
  And always provide value, right? Help provide
• 13:49
  value. It's extremely important. That one is
• 13:51
  the number one mistake that people need to avoid.
• 13:55
  And that one was my mistake. I was just pushing.
• 13:58
  In my earlier days, that was my number one mistake.
• 14:03
  I didn't listen. I heard them, but I wasn't listening
• 14:07
  to what they said. I was thinking about the next
• 14:09
  thing that I had to say and try to get my points
• 14:12
  across rather than listening to them. So that's
• 14:15
  very good. Can you share a personal story where
• 14:18
  a single networking connection impacted your
• 14:22
  career? Oh, yes. Back in 10 years ago, coming
• 14:28
  from, let's say, a finance environment. to another
• 14:32
  type of industry was like, Sergio, are you going
• 14:37
  to succeed to do that? What will be the challenge?
• 14:40
  What are the challenges that you are going to
• 14:41
  face? Are you sure? Are you certain that you
• 14:44
  are going to overcome this type of challenge?
• 14:46
  So I remember, I still remember extremely well,
• 14:48
  it was in Italy. We went to see, let's say, a
• 14:52
  top three of a company there. Let's say that
• 14:59
  meeting, that simple presentation, or during
• 15:03
  just the way the verbal, the non -verbal communication,
• 15:07
  everything happening into that room, I secure
• 15:11
  my seat into the company I was working for, let's
• 15:16
  say, a couple more years. How? We are talking
• 15:21
  about networking. We are talking about understanding
• 15:24
  the culture of people, understanding the way
• 15:27
  they behave, because it's extremely important.
• 15:29
  How you need to show respect, how you need to
• 15:32
  structure sometimes your argumentation, how you
• 15:36
  need to listen. Yet we all say it's extremely
• 15:38
  important to listen. How do we listen, right?
• 15:40
  How do we make sure? Because in France, in Germany,
• 15:44
  in Canada, in UK, and I don't know, in Africa,
• 15:48
  it's not the same. It's not the same way. That
• 15:52
  day, just because I understood a bit of culture,
• 15:56
  just because I was able to also communicate in
• 16:00
  a particular way, it changed my career forever.
• 16:05
  Because the person said, the CEO said of that
• 16:10
  company that day, finally, after 12 years, there
• 16:16
  is someone listening. There is someone who cares.
• 16:22
  I was just sitting on the table like that. Good
• 16:25
  job. It changed everything for me from that moment.
• 16:30
  Everything I'm still doing as of today, it's
• 16:35
  linked to that event. That's beautiful. That's
• 16:39
  a beautiful thing. And what a nice story. For
• 16:42
  somebody new to networking, how can they approach?
• 16:47
  high level decision makers without feeling intimidated.
• 16:54
  It's normal to feel intimidated. This is the
• 16:57
  first thing. And this is the first good news
• 16:58
  also, because the more you are going to be intimidated,
• 17:01
  probably you will think twice or you may want
• 17:07
  to get prepared first before doing anything.
• 17:10
  Because preparation is key in everything we do.
• 17:13
  It's extremely good to be well prepared. To give
• 17:16
  your best. Again, we are talking about giving
• 17:19
  your best also. To be able to approach that person
• 17:23
  and to make sure you can serve, you can give
• 17:27
  to that person one of the best that you have.
• 17:31
  Now, I still remember when I was young, in high
• 17:35
  school, there is always, you don't play basketball,
• 17:38
  you don't play football, you're an introvert,
• 17:40
  you're always on your side. And there is always
• 17:43
  that beautiful lady into the high school that,
• 17:45
  You would like also to date, right? To take to
• 17:48
  the promo. And you're like, no, why me? How can
• 17:55
  I do? She will be looking maybe for someone playing
• 18:00
  football or for someone at the highest level.
• 18:03
  How do I do it? Then you decide to do it and
• 18:08
  to be yourself, to be authentic. And you found
• 18:14
  out that she said yes. Again, that CEO, that
• 18:19
  top level, those C people, they are all human
• 18:23
  as we are. They have the same fear as we do have.
• 18:28
  It's just a matter of saying to yourself, I can
• 18:32
  do this. I can do this. And be authentic. Be
• 18:38
  yourself. Get prepared. Make sure you serve.
• 18:41
  Make sure you give. And you will see. Confidence.
• 18:45
  Confidence is key. And once you're confident
• 18:49
  with yourself, you can then go out to others
• 18:52
  and show your confidence. So that's a number
• 18:55
  one. That's a very important factor that I go
• 18:59
  across stages and companies and say confidence
• 19:02
  begins with you and then you bring to others.
• 19:07
  So you emphasize servant leadership. How does
• 19:13
  that philosophy shape the way you build and nurture
• 19:16
  your network? Approaching people with the idea
• 19:21
  of helping them is extremely good. It's not just
• 19:27
  doing something because you're expecting something.
• 19:32
  It's really being aligned with that. It's extremely
• 19:39
  important. Our customer, our people, the people
• 19:43
  we are networking with, they feel it. They feel
• 19:47
  if you are just playing a game or you are just
• 19:51
  doing like an act of Walt Disney or whatever,
• 19:54
  they feel it. Right? Be yourself. Be authentic.
• 19:59
  Serve. Help. Give value. This is why being a
• 20:05
  servant leader to me also means a lot. And I
• 20:08
  think we... It's something we should all, you
• 20:12
  can be at the top of the company or at the lowest
• 20:15
  level. The more you are at the top, the more
• 20:19
  servant you need to become for people to grow,
• 20:22
  for your company to grow, or for people also
• 20:24
  around you to feel like we are part of this,
• 20:29
  right? So it's extremely important. You have
• 20:33
  to let others grow. If you want to be an important
• 20:38
  leader, or a leader amongst leaders, you have
• 20:42
  to let others grow to become leaders. And then
• 20:46
  you, so you're always giving, you're never receiving.
• 20:49
  And so that's very important. What are some practical
• 20:53
  ways business leaders can provide value to their
• 20:57
  network without expecting immediate returns?
• 21:00
  What we were just talking about. I can give another
• 21:04
  example, but mostly linked, let's say. to marketing,
• 21:08
  right? Because it's something that is extremely
• 21:10
  used in marketing. Leaders may be, how do I do?
• 21:15
  Let me talk about myself because I'm not a good
• 21:17
  example, but I've seen some few things have succeeded
• 21:20
  in some of the fair, I don't know, but helping
• 21:26
  people. understand or helping the team or helping
• 21:30
  people you're networking with to understand the
• 21:33
  importance of being the first into the mind of
• 21:38
  someone else when they think about you what is
• 21:42
  the first word what is the first word coming
• 21:44
  into their mind what is that word it's extremely
• 21:48
  important everyone should have a first word when
• 21:52
  it comes to who is Serge when they hear about
• 21:55
  Serge What is that one word, right? In marketing,
• 22:00
  I know a lot of companies use this type of things,
• 22:03
  but if I can give, let's say, a practical thing
• 22:10
  to people listening, what is that one word that
• 22:16
  people define you with or how you want to be
• 22:20
  seen, perceived as? Work on it first. If that
• 22:25
  one word, It's like towards people, serving,
• 22:31
  helping, giving. For sure, they will always remember
• 22:35
  you in a good way. If that one word also is on
• 22:39
  the opposite, then for sure they are going to
• 22:42
  remember you in that sense also, right? But yes,
• 22:45
  work on that one word that you want to put in
• 22:49
  the mind of the people you're networking with.
• 22:51
  It's extremely important. It is extremely important
• 22:55
  and very well said. And just to wrap this up,
• 22:59
  if you had to give one golden rule for building
• 23:03
  profitable and meaningful connections, what would
• 23:07
  it be? Serve. One word. Serve. Serve people.
• 23:13
  To the sales environment and everything we do
• 23:16
  every day. matter of selling not only into companies
• 23:21
  but also as a human being right we always sell
• 23:24
  we always try to say to someone hey i have this
• 23:27
  for you you don't need it yet probably you will
• 23:30
  need it but serve this is the most important
• 23:35
  serve people serve and then you will sell later
• 23:38
  serve us give value help serve people this will
• 23:44
  be Very well said. Serge, I can't tell you how
• 23:48
  thankful I am that you have come on to the podcast.
• 23:53
  You enlightened me and hopefully all of my listeners.
• 23:57
  And where is the best way, if we wanted to get
• 24:00
  hold of you, whether they wanted you to coach
• 24:03
  or to work for them or whatever the case may
• 24:06
  be, where would they get hold of you? All the
• 24:10
  social media, especially Instagram, Strategies
• 24:12
  by Serge Wacker. I do share tips to help people
• 24:16
  succeed in business, succeed in sales from different
• 24:19
  industries. So every week I share some tips.
• 24:23
  Hey, if you're struggling to do this, just try
• 24:25
  this technique or this strategy or whatever.
• 24:28
  So in all the social media, Instagram strategies
• 24:31
  by Serge Wacker. They can find me there, definitely.
• 24:36
  Very good. Serge, thank you again. I had a great
• 24:40
  time listening to all of your insights. And just
• 24:44
  thank you again. I'll speak to you soon. Thank
• 24:47
  you. Thank you so much, Michael, for having me.
• 24:49
  Thank you for the amazing lesson. Also, I've
• 24:51
  learned talking to you with you today. Thank
• 24:54
  you. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere.
• 24:58
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• 25:46
  is something I believe in wholeheartedly. Revved
• 25:50
  Up Kids is on a mission to protect children and
• 25:53
  teens from sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.
• 25:57
  They provide prevention training programs for
• 26:00
  children. teens, and adults. To learn more, go
• 26:03
  to revvedupkids .org. That's R -E -V -V -E -D
• 26:08
  -U -P -K -I -D -S .org. Well, that's a wrap,
• 26:15
  folks. A huge thank you to our special guests
• 26:18
  for sharing such incredible insights today. And
• 26:22
  of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing
• 26:25
  listeners, for tuning in and spending your time
• 26:28
  with us. Remember, networking isn't about being
• 26:32
  perfect. It's about being present. So take what
• 26:35
  you've learned today, get out there and make
• 26:38
  some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this
• 26:41
  episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us
• 26:44
  a review and share it with someone who could
• 26:46
  use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep
• 26:50
  the conversation going. You can find me on Apple,
• 26:53
  Spotify, YouTube or my website. Michael A. Foreman,
• 26:58
  remember, until next time, keep practicing, keep
• 27:02
  connecting, and keep building those relationships.
• 27:05
  This is Michael A. Foreman signing off. Take
• 27:08
  care and happy networking.