Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: S1E23 An Interview with Kunal Desai and Michael A Forman
Transcript
- 0:00Hello and welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable Connections.
- 0:23Welcome to the show, folks.
- 0:24I'm your host, Michael Forman, and you're listening to the podcast where networking is more than just awkward handshakes and bad coffee.
- 0:33It's an art and a talent.
- 0:36Yet here's the twist.
- 0:38It's an art and talent you can actually learn.
- 0:42Yes, even if you're the person hiding in the corner at every event pretending to check emails, networking isn't just a nice skill to have.
- 0:53It's a game changer.
- 0:55When you get good at it, you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner.
- 0:58More connections, more opportunities, more profits.
- 1:03It's like unlocking a cheat code for life.
- 1:07So whether you're the life of the party or the let me just stay at home and text type, we've got something for you.
- 1:14Stick around and let's turn those awkward small talk moments into big wins.
- 1:21Now, my guest today, Kunal Desai.
- 1:26Is that, did I pronounce that correctly?
- 1:28All right.
- 1:29He has really, he's got such a broad background and so much experience that if I were to try to tell you, I'd butcher it.
- 1:38So Kunal brings over 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, working closely with restaurant owners.
- 1:48Now, this really comes in handy. I used to be a restaurant, restaurant owner.
- 1:53Okay. So I know exactly what you're talking about, but Kunal, welcome and why don't you tell us about your background.
- 2:01Michael, thank you very much for your welcome to ours, to your show and for the warm introduction.
- 2:07As Michael mentioned, my name is Kunal Desai.
- 2:09I'm one of the co-founders of this global marketplace we launched connecting restaurants and diners called meal deals.
- 2:17So by simply visiting mealdeals.app in any browser, you instantly connect and find all the local food and drink specials that restaurants are offering for that relevant day and time.
- 2:31So anybody logging on today, we're recording the show live on a Monday.
- 2:36So if anybody wants to go on to meal deals right now, so in Atlanta or Toronto, they would see everything for Monday lunch.
- 2:44If you were in California, everything you would see right now would be for Monday breakfast.
- 2:49If you're in Europe, everything you're seeing is for a Monday dinner.
- 2:53So it's really lovely where it doesn't matter where in the world you are, our algorithm automatically updates and filters and shows you relevant information that is useful to you.
- 3:04And since restaurants are location based businesses because they are short of food trucks, most of them tend to be fairly stuck or rigid in where they are because they have a storefront.
- 3:16The best customers that live that the best customers for a restaurant are those that live and work near them.
- 3:22So we wanted to build a hyper local messaging platform for restaurants specifically just for restaurants and hospitality.
- 3:30That would allow them to communicate to people that live and work near them saying, hey, this is the awesome stuff that we have that's available for you.
- 3:37And Michael, my journey has been a whirlwind of things culminating to this sort of final objective or purpose.
- 3:48And as you were so kind enough to say, I've had the luxury of a very dynamic background and experience.
- 3:55I have a message in financial economics from the Robin School of Management at the University of Toronto.
- 4:01I worked in capital markets for a little bit in investment banking and portfolio management.
- 4:07And then I got into the entrepreneurship journey.
- 4:09And then entrepreneurship as well.
- 4:11My first foray into entrepreneurship was in the food trading business, very high risk, given the perishable nature of the product, extremely financial loss making, but very educational.
- 4:23And along the way, I evolved into marketing as something that given my limited capital resources.
- 4:31Having recognized the failures from the food trading company, I was marketing with something that just I kind of sort of fell into by sheer luck.
- 4:42I guess I networked with some of my neighbors, told them that I was looking for something to do in my life.
- 4:47One of my neighbors happened to be connected with somebody in a telecom company in the marketing division.
- 4:53Next thing I know within an email within a week, I'm getting an email for a purchase order for five figures.
- 4:59And I'm going, hey, you know what, I can actually probably monetize this and make a living out of this.
- 5:05And it all started out of my willingness to just network and ask and connect with my neighbor who had it been me in a situation or in a setting where I may not have been this desperate.
- 5:17I perhaps may not have thrown that dart or taken a shot.
- 5:21That's that's absolutely wonderful.
- 5:24Now, you touched upon networking.
- 5:28Now, of course, you know, networking is the basis of this show, but you as an individual, you were just starting out as an entrepreneur.
- 5:36You started by that connection with your neighbor, with your networking.
- 5:42How do you network now?
- 5:44Now, we this is really a digital age, but what I profess is the one on one networking, the walking into a networking event, the networking between people.
- 5:58What do you do and how do you do it?
- 6:03You know, networking is like anything else in life. There's not just one dimension to it.
- 6:08It's an ongoing continuous process. I had there's a couple of key parts of some learnings that I've just taken away along the way.
- 6:17One is I always say this because like this is something that no offense any cat owners, but I remember I had a business partner one time, an older gentleman, and I'm sure you know what's coming.
- 6:26There's you always said you always told me, there's a lot of ways to skin a cat.
- 6:30And I wish they had a better saying for that.
- 6:33Because I always, every time I say that statement, I always say, yeah, no offense to cat owners because no one can get any cat.
- 6:40So I wish there was another way to say that in a similar transfer.
- 6:43So if you have any phrase, I would love for you to share that with me. Perhaps use a better example in the future.
- 6:49Well, no, well, I'm going to put that aside for right now.
- 6:52OK, because you're networking, you have to deal with your, listen, this is a mantra with networking.
- 7:01If they know you, if they like you, if they trust you, then they'll do business with you.
- 7:07Yes. And that's very important.
- 7:09Now, know you, well, everybody knows you because you're out there, right?
- 7:13And you've put yourself out there.
- 7:16Now, like you, that now is the field down a little bit because not everybody's going to like you.
- 7:22But that trust factor, that's so important.
- 7:25And you have what, 30 seconds, a minute, five minutes, 10 minutes.
- 7:30Sometimes a half an hour, you have to build that wall, that level of trust and have their wall come down before you can even start doing business with them.
- 7:41Because if they don't trust you, they're not going to do business with you.
- 7:46So with all of that in mind, do you have some key elements for effective marketing or networking?
- 7:58Yes. And, you know, the second part of the first part was there's a lot of ways to network.
- 8:04It doesn't take away from the fact that you still have to be genuine, trustworthy and have that personal like you.
- 8:09Those are the requirements for successful networking.
- 8:13What I was alluding to is a lot of ways to do it.
- 8:15And Michael, I actually have my own podcast called Subject Matter Pros, where I had the privilege of getting a US veteran on there by the name of Mr. Kevin Snow.
- 8:25And his, one of the coolest experiences he shared with me about networking, the way he looked at networking was not necessarily developing his own network, but just building networks.
- 8:38So even if that means connecting people that you know that may be benefiting or beneficial for the person you're communicating with.
- 8:47So even though you don't have direct benefit from that relationship, you just happen to know two individuals who could potentially leverage their knowledge or skills or understanding and help create some magic and improvement for overall growth.
- 9:02And that was a very big mind shift moment for me because typically, and it's commonplace where we because we're so self-centered and focused on how we can improve our well-being.
- 9:17We often view things through that lens of, okay, how is this directly assisting me or where do I stand to benefit from this?
- 9:26And that creates some transaction.
- 9:29Now, anytime you're thinking of benefits for yourself, unfortunately, most people or most of the world is designed or people use cleverness in a way where if somebody's winning, it comes at the cost of somebody losing.
- 9:45So that creates a little bit of mistrust and it's like, okay, if you're going to win, then what is it that I'm going to lose?
- 9:51Whereas if you understand that creation is about where the entire system wins.
- 9:56So if you can come up with building that understanding with your audience that, hey, listen, our goal here is to improve the system.
- 10:04And when the system wins, we all benefit and the results of those benefits are shared by us.
- 10:08Sure, the benefits may not be shared equivocally or equally across all the participants, but they all stand to benefit versus any one of them suffering negative consequences, completely shifts what the benefits are.
- 10:24And then in order to do that, you know, like anything else in life, so you hear about this all the time, people hear about things exposed over a long period of time.
- 10:33So sometimes in your networking, don't go into networking with how can I benefit from being in this room at this present moment?
- 10:39This more so, how can I add value to this room so that all the participants in the room can take away something better, whether or not it is directed to action with me or not?
- 10:48It's irrelevant. It's about enhancing the overall effectiveness of the room because I've had the privilege of being in so many rooms where the room has been so effective that by me being a player and participating in that room, I naturally get to pick up the signatures.
- 11:01So that was a very cool shift that was brought into my being as to what networking is.
- 11:07So now it's not just about connecting myself with other individuals.
- 11:11It's also about connecting people that I know with other people that I think may benefit.
- 11:17And then the second part to your question is how do you network in the digital age?
- 11:20And, you know, a network using and sales is networking of sorts because you're reaching out to people, try to convince them to do something.
- 11:28And there's every way from walking and talking so if somebody interacts with me, I'm one of those that I was joking about.
- 11:36Like, you make eye contact with me. You're going to know how you're going to get a hello from me, you know?
- 11:40So from in-person, the hellos to digital hellos, digital reach outs across all mediums.
- 11:46And just hoping that, you know, when you're consistent across all channels,
- 11:52because everyone reacts differently to different modes of communication, the goal being, OK, how can I connect with them?
- 11:58This person in a way where they may relate to the best.
- 12:02Then to the day after all of that is done. That's just the initial point of contact.
- 12:06After that, I do personally prefer either a verbal communication or a Zoom or in-person,
- 12:13depending upon the geographical constraints we're faced with,
- 12:16because that definitely helps enhance and optimize the reason for why people connect.
- 12:22I touch on so many different important aspects of networking and your networking.
- 12:29One thing I want to bring you back to is the act of giving and not receiving.
- 12:36In other words, when you walk into a networking environment, you're looking to say,
- 12:42what can I do for somebody else without even looking at what you can gain from it?
- 12:48So one thing that I do in my talks and speeches and my workshops, you know,
- 12:53I say, when you go to a networking event and you sit down with somebody,
- 12:58say, how can I make you more successful?
- 13:02How can I be a good referral source for you?
- 13:07And that usually blows the other person away.
- 13:10Like, what do you mean? You haven't even told me what you did yet.
- 13:13You know, I said, I know, but I like what you do. I like how you do it.
- 13:18How can I be the best referral source for you?
- 13:21And then they go on with the conversation.
- 13:23So that's one very important aspect of the network of the in-person meeting.
- 13:31You know, ever since the pandemic, people lost their minds.
- 13:35They don't know how to talk to one another.
- 13:36They don't know how to communicate.
- 13:38And all of this is the art of communication.
- 13:42And that's all how we speak to one another.
- 13:44Okay, so we went over all of your wonderful, good things that you do
- 13:53in networking and everything else.
- 13:55But what is, what mistakes have you made and how did you overcome them?
- 14:09My biggest mistake, I think, would be, and I'm still extremely guilty of this still today,
- 14:14it would be an unfair expectation of imposing the same level of urgency
- 14:24that I bring in my communication and expecting that from my counter parties.
- 14:28You know, networking is something where I've come across so many individuals
- 14:33who are in order of scale busier than I am, yet they always have time to respond.
- 14:40So responding to me is your decision of whether you want to prioritize an interaction
- 14:48or engagement with someone.
- 14:51It's not so much about you having the time, it's about you prioritizing it.
- 14:55And one of my biggest, and this is something where I'm just a very robust, passionate individual.
- 15:02So for me, the timing of things is very critical.
- 15:05Again, I work best with individuals who share that same reciprocity of urgency.
- 15:10And with networking oftentimes, especially when you're taking an indirect approach,
- 15:14like we shared where you're not necessarily tapping,
- 15:18you're not necessarily providing them the network benefits
- 15:21where you're allowing them to tap into your network for them to realize the benefits
- 15:24and using those long run relationships to see how you can grow synergistically.
- 15:29Because like you mentioned, when you have trust as a critical part of business relationships,
- 15:35when you can move that, do I trust you way before anything else?
- 15:39Because now if you've helped this individual and done something,
- 15:43it helps build up that little bit of report and trust before you've even done anything direct
- 15:48as far as commerce goes with said individual or business or party.
- 15:53That may help with the process.
- 15:55But I wish I was slightly more patient in the networking side of things
- 16:01because not everybody at networking events tends to be that robust in their communication.
- 16:08Not everybody goes there with the same intention.
- 16:11But then the flip side, I'm going, you know, if it's a law of large numbers,
- 16:15if I'm doing more events like this, then by what I really want also is to meet other passionate individuals
- 16:23who share the same enthusiasm about working together.
- 16:27It doesn't, if we don't have to work, our businesses don't have to have a natural fit.
- 16:31But it's about understanding that we both have that same passion for improving the system
- 16:34and what can we do with our skill set and our connections that we can use to improve the system?
- 16:39Because when the system wins, you are going to win.
- 16:43Absolutely. Absolutely.
- 16:45Okay, so what role does follow up?
- 16:51What types of ways do you follow up?
- 16:55And really, what's your system to follow up with, you know, your various contacts?
- 17:03Again, Omni Channel comes down to how we initiate a contact.
- 17:06That's one of the skills that I think I've been lucky enough to evolve through my time of leadership
- 17:12and entrepreneurship is understanding how different people like to be motivated.
- 17:18And again, that's the same thing where, you know, there's a lot of ways to skin the cat.
- 17:21That statement, you can apply that to so many use cases of life.
- 17:25And availability of information is another one too.
- 17:30Sometimes you may want to call up the person, but if you just don't have the phone number,
- 17:33you can't even pick up the phone and call them.
- 17:34So we are, you know, limited by what information is available to us.
- 17:38But personally, I love talking to people because I'm sure you identify in a short period of time
- 17:44and I hope your audience is enjoying my little soliloquies along the way.
- 17:49So if it was for me and I had the luxury to and I had the access to information,
- 17:53personally, I would just pick up the phone and dial.
- 17:56Then again, everyone is always busy and we're mobile on the go.
- 18:00There's a lot of priorities that need reallocation.
- 18:02So email follow up still becomes a useful way of just, you know,
- 18:07ensuring that there's a written, easily searchable documentation of any communication that may impact.
- 18:14What are your top three strategies for ensuring a networking interaction leads to an actionable result?
- 18:29That's a very great question.
- 18:31And that's very difficult to answer because that's why I ask it.
- 18:36I know.
- 18:38And we're so individual and unique in our being.
- 18:42I think, you know, the top three strategies, they would sort of almost align with what you
- 18:50what you say as far as networking goes, you know, where they like you, they'll listen to you,
- 18:54they'll trust you and they'll buy from you.
- 18:56So I think the first one is, you know, authenticity.
- 18:59I think you cannot, when there's a natural passion and authenticity to somebody's willingness to connect,
- 19:05that goes beyond the immediate short term financial or connection.
- 19:10And like I've been in rooms where I know that if I'm in a general networking space where there may be a lot of incumbents,
- 19:16sure, I have very strict boundaries because my time is limited and I have to interact with a lot of people.
- 19:23So I put up a big guard wall where, you know, I say, OK, if you don't understand meal deals or if you're not in my wheelhouse,
- 19:29I'm just going to shake your hand, wish you a wonderful evening and move on because I'm constrained by so many minutes
- 19:34and so many other individuals that we have to interact with.
- 19:37So that genuineness, I think, is something that really helps authenticity and genuineness shines through.
- 19:45The second thing is, I think that willingness for how can you enhance the system and not myself?
- 19:51And that goes to extension of the authenticity of, OK, how can I understand what it is that I'm able to offer this individual in terms of,
- 20:00because we're all, when I reflect on my life, I'm just a creature of all the wonderful teachers and professors and mentors and bosses
- 20:09that I've had along the way with poured wisdom into me.
- 20:11And all I am is just a mosaic of all of their knowledge.
- 20:15And I get to use it piecemeal based on the situations I'm in.
- 20:19So from a networking standpoint, how can I share some of those details with my, with the individuals I'm connecting with?
- 20:28We're hoping that some of this knowledge transfer may be beneficial to them without me directly being an intermediary in the application of such knowledge.
- 20:39Because now I've taken this network and I've reached it.
- 20:41And then the third part of that is an extension of this.
- 20:45It's like, how can you make this more than about yourself?
- 20:50So networking is about connecting.
- 20:54You don't have to necessarily be the core point of connection every time.
- 20:57If you can put together a few right people and connect them and have their network grow through, you'll be surprised at how who knows five years, ten years down the line.
- 21:07There'll be such a fond memory of the network that you've helped create in ways that you didn't even know you helped create.
- 21:12You could pick up, again, all kinds of tangible and intangible benefits from having created such wonderful connections.
- 21:21And good. Very good answer, by the way. See, it wasn't so difficult.
- 21:25OK, Hime, what's one essential tip that you would give somebody looking to help them with their networking or sales skills?
- 21:38Repetition and don't be shy.
- 21:40I know it's sort of like, there are two tips, but in my view, they go hand in hand.
- 21:45Just keep going.
- 21:45Like it's literally a numbers game.
- 21:48And the more you do it, the better you get at it.
- 21:50You're going to get nose anyways.
- 21:52You might as well solicit the nose or it brings you that much closer to the yes.
- 21:56And I know these are very heuristic sort of aphoristic things that I'm saying, almost aphorisms of sorts.
- 22:02Every no gets you closer to a yes, so on and so forth.
- 22:05But still, like, you know, it's just the truth that it is still a large numbers game.
- 22:10There's eight billion of us.
- 22:11Are we going to network with eight billion human beings?
- 22:13Mathematically, it's not possible.
- 22:15Well, our time on planet Earth will be seized before we'll end before we can physically connect with eight billion people.
- 22:21Right. So any factor in the limitations of how much time we have and how many people we can reach with,
- 22:26I think the goal should be just, you know, how can I maximize my outreach?
- 22:31OK, that's good.
- 22:32So with everything you've told me, everything you've said, what's your favorite marketing tip?
- 22:42Man, I love talking to people.
- 22:43So if I could just show someone, you know, and I love helping people to Michael, that's one of my core purposes in life.
- 22:49Our businesses built around helping restaurants and people.
- 22:55And if I can do anything surrounding, how can I help somebody?
- 23:04I'm winning. So for me, that's been like my number one sort of like motivator is that.
- 23:10As I mentioned earlier, I'm so lucky to have so many individuals
- 23:14share knowledge with me and connect me and rich enriching my life in so many ways that it's naturally like almost like a humble servitude.
- 23:22I haven't built into my core being where I must pass forward.
- 23:27So it becomes very easy for me.
- 23:28And then I love talking to people.
- 23:29So if I can, you know, just help someone in whatever way, shape and form,
- 23:34if I can make an idea of an improvement in their existing being, then that's my job.
- 23:38And, you know, I know I can do that on an ongoing active basis.
- 23:42So I take pride in trying to do it as many times as I want.
- 23:46It goes horribly wrongly sometimes.
- 23:48But say, sometimes, you know, even football stars and Super Bowl MVPs throw
- 23:53interceptions and fumble the ball. So that's just a part of life.
- 23:57It's true. That's true. OK, let's bring this full circle and just give me one takeaway
- 24:03that my listeners can use today. One takeaway.
- 24:07I think Michael, you alluded to that building a trust factor and that trust really is.
- 24:15Comes from relationships.
- 24:16So I think, you know, focus on networking as a relationship building tool.
- 24:21And you'll be amazed that, you know, how far you can go when you can truly
- 24:27leverage your network in that way, rather than just going through your
- 24:32Rolodex and saying, how can individual ABC help me?
- 24:37Trying to figure out, OK, how can a help z or how can x help v and so on and so forth?
- 24:43And again, it doesn't have to, you don't have to spend time coming up with those benefits,
- 24:47but through enough practice, eventually that'll just become second nature where
- 24:52because you're constantly connecting the right kinds of individuals and making
- 24:57marketplaces for ideas to sort of be born or be actualized.
- 25:04To repetition, that'll just become a natural skill.
- 25:09It's great. Great. Kunal, I can't tell you how excited and great this podcast was
- 25:16because we got to hear all about your experience, what you're doing, your energy
- 25:20itself, just to to put forth this extra business is just is incredible.
- 25:25How could somebody, how would somebody get in touch with you if they wanted to know
- 25:30more or invest or be coached by you?
- 25:34How could they get in touch with you?
- 25:36Thank you, sir. You know, we build meal deals to be a global marketplace.
- 25:41We're already in 53 countries.
- 25:43If there's any restaurant owners or folks who have friends that own
- 25:47restaurants that are listening to this and they would like to add their
- 25:50restaurants to meal deals, it's very easy.
- 25:52You just go to meal deals dot app forward slash register.
- 25:56So the URL is triple W dot meal deals with an S dot APP forward slash
- 26:03register. And it's a fully automated, simple to use solution that allows you
- 26:07to sign up your restaurant and start announcing anything you want to locals.
- 26:12And if anybody wants to get in touch with us, our email address is
- 26:15Hello at meal deals dot app.
- 26:18And yeah, we look forward to areas of suggestions for improvement.
- 26:22Enhancements, just any tips, anything that would help enhance and improve our
- 26:28ability to serve our users.
- 26:30We cherish and look forward to any of those suggestions and recommendations.
- 26:35Very good.
- 26:35Kunal. Thank you so much for coming on to the podcast.
- 26:41Pleasure to be on your show, Michael.
- 26:43Thank you for allowing me to be a guest.
- 26:46Well, hold on folks.
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- 28:03Well, that's a wrap, folks.
- 28:06A huge thank you to our special guests for sharing such incredible insights today.
- 28:11And of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing listeners,
- 28:15for tuning in and spending your time with us.
- 28:18Remember, networking isn't about being perfect.
- 28:22It's about being present.
- 28:24So take what you've learned today, get out there and make some meaningful connections.
- 28:29If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe,
- 28:32leave us a review and share it with someone who could use a little networking inspiration.
- 28:38Let's keep the conversation going.
- 28:40You can find me on Apple, Spotify, YouTube or my website, MichaelAForman.com.
- 28:48Remember, until next time, keep practicing, keep connecting and keep building those relationships.
- 28:54This is Michael A. Forman signing off.
- 28:57Take care and happy networking.