John Maggio and his sister Michelle are cofounders of Hawk Marketing and Networking in Annapolis. Hawk Marketing helps local businesses get more clients and gain dominance in their market.
Networking In Annapolis helps local entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and network marketers win on a local level with passion. Hosting 12-15 local networking events per month, John and Michelle present free workshops to local entrepreneurs. Join the conversation on Facebook in the private group, "Networking in Annapolis".
Podcast Highlights:
- You have to stand out as a brand in this competitive landscape
- Be a great referral source and people will refer you business
- To succeed stay focused on the job ay hand
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Ready to become fearless? We can help you become fearless in 60 days so you accomplish more in your career Schedule A 15 min Call with Umar[Podcast Transcript Using Artificial Intelligence]
Umar Hameed 0:06
Are you ready to become awesomer? Hello everyone. This is Umar Hameed, your host and welcome to the No Limits Selling Podcast, where industry leaders share their tips, strategies and advice on how to make you better, stronger, faster, get ready for another episode.
Umar Hameed 0:36
Today I have the privilege of having John Maggio. He is the leader of networking in Annapolis helping business owners connect and grow their businesses. John, welcome to the program.
John Maggio 0:47
Thank you so much for having me today.
Umar Hameed 0:49
You know, John, marketing is the easiest thing to do in the world. Badly, I know, I have the scars to prove it. And really difficult to get it right. And a lot of people try and do it themselves. And they do it badly. They waste money, and they weaken their brand. Why don't you tell us, you know, your philosophy on how to market and how to get people to actually engage with you and eventually become customers?
John Maggio 1:16
Well, you know that when we go to networking events, and when we're out and around town, there's a lot of people that do the same thing. For example, there's a lot of real estate agents, there's a lot of financial advisors
Umar Hameed 1:25
So the same kind of people?
John Maggio 1:26
The same type of bit. Yeah, same type of products and services that they sell.
Umar Hameed 1:30
Yes
John Maggio 1:31
A lot of peers, a lot of competitors. So in order to do that, you really need to work on some personal branding.
Umar Hameed 1:36
Absolutely.
John Maggio 1:36
And I think a lot of people are still stuck in that, that traditional advertising mode, where it's coupons, ads, when they really need to be talking about the the who they are not the what they're selling.
Umar Hameed 1:51
Absolutely, because I think everybody knows this, even the old school sales people knew that you buy from the person, it's not about the product, it's about the person. And we forget that when we go to do things and get caught up in it's all about the product. And if it's a commodity, you're dead.
John Maggio 2:07
Oh, I know. That's absolutely true. So we work on, I have a little, I have a book actually, that just came out. It's called a success with this called Success with Local Marketing. And it's a book that goes over very basic, not very basic, but everybody can do networking techniques.
Umar Hameed 2:29
And let me just pause you right there. If you take a look at a sports team that struggling in the new manager comes in, the first thing they always say is we're going back to the basics, because we need to get that right in order to achieve so yeah, you're talking about, you know, the basics of networking. So walk me through it.
John Maggio 2:46
But the way that we start our networking group is you know, some groups give you 30 seconds, some groups give you 60. You can take all day, if you like, but nobody's listening after eight seconds.
Umar Hameed 2:57
What was that?
John Maggio 2:58
Nobody? Just after eight seconds? I know right? But it's because it's true. A lot of people are so focused and worried about what they're going to say they're they're at home, perfecting their pitch. And what and what really needs to happen is we need to take action.
Umar Hameed 3:11
Yes.
John Maggio 3:12
You know, we need to get out there. And and practice there are no failures there's only experiences.
Umar Hameed 3:17
Like there was this one guy selling cemetery plots. And he gets up and he says, you know, my name is, let's say, John Smith, I sell permanent real estate, which is like, totally funny. And people remember, I don't remember the guy's face, but I remember his line. And it was personal branding, and it carried through
John Maggio 3:34
And sit right backdown. Yeah, because nobody remembers. So you know, you open with your name. You ask a question, a problem that you already know the answer to. You give a solution. You say your name again, and you sit down and you can do that in eight seconds. You can do that in eight seconds.
Umar Hameed 3:52
When I introduce myself at one of those events. I always just use my first name for a couple of reasons. Number one, that who cares about my last name anyway, unless you're a cop, in which case, I'm not guilty. And number two, if I become your friend, I hope you're gonna call me Umar and not Mr. Hameed. So, when people go, Hi, my name is Thurston Howell, the Third and they get really formal about it.
John Maggio 4:18
That's true. Right after I say nobody's listening, I tell people to save their breath for the coffee that you guys are going to have next week. And I encourage my entire group to have one on one coffees with each other not for fun, but for funds up, meaning every 10 or 15 coffees, they end up with a new lead, new generated business, or at least a new referral.
Umar Hameed 4:40
Absolutely.
John Maggio 4:40
And 15 great relationships.
Umar Hameed 4:42
And one of the things I think about is that a lot of times when people want to have coffee with you. One it helps the relationship get stronger. But often it's a waste of time because there is no purpose to the meeting. And sometimes I'm not sure this is the right advice or not, is, you know, if I've met you at a networking event, John, and I know the business you're in that you're putting on this great Expo coming up, then I have a good idea who you want to meet, and who would be useful for you to meet that I know. So one of the things I do is say, John, we should have coffee together. And by the way, I have three connections for you, they're going to help you grow your business. And that makes it worth your while to come. And it also allows me to be helpful. And I think that's one of the underpinnings of networking is not so much what you can do for me, obviously, want to grow our business, but if I can help you, I get brownie points from you and the person I connected you with.
John Maggio 5:44
Mm hmm. I agree with that. And, you know, we're trying to build pyramids here not towers, right, everybody's so fast a race to the top of the sales tower and be in that class office. But you know what, when you stand up straight, and your feet are really close together, you can be pushed over pretty easily, you know, but if you spread your legs a little bit, and take a good stance, and build referrals, build strong relationships around you and get ready for the impacts of the economy, you're going to outlast a lot of the sales people that were racing to the top.
Umar Hameed 6:11
I'm just going to come back to pyramids and towers, because I think it's important. I was at a meeting today. It's a gentleman by the name of Fred Diamond, he runs the Institute For Excellence In Sales.
John Maggio 6:20
Excellent.
Umar Hameed 6:21
And he was just talking about a referral. He had a bunch of people he met with on a regular basis. And he categorized them as the these people send me business. These people are just in the friendzone. Like, they're never gonna send me business, but I like them. And I like helping them and connecting with them. And one of the people from that list, eight years after he met her, and they'd have lunch, you know, once a month with the group. She gave him his biggest client he ever had, because he kept that relationship up. Without the what are you going to give me kind of attitude, it was more like I like you and what connecting and so sometimes that patience and collaboration, and just giving is huge.
John Maggio 7:00
One of the biggest complaints is how long it takes for networking to really work. And honestly, six to 12 months. Minimum.
Umar Hameed 7:08
Absolutely. And the question is, you know, what do you mean by for it to really work. And for some people, it's like, I want to go give as many business cards as possible and tell as many people about what I do. And you've seen those people in networking events. And it's like, if I had holy water, I would sprinkle it at that moment.
John Maggio 7:27
That's what I wrote the book for those people exactly. Because, you know, you got a lot of people that come in, and they're shot out of a cannon, but they fizzle out pretty quickly, because they're not getting any results. because nobody's really providing any step by step systems like a business card sales funnel, where you'd pick five piles of cards, you work every card from left to right. And every 10 or 15 cards end up with a new lead because you had coffee with them. And then if you had that go relationship. Now they're a part of your circle of influence. They go right on your email list. And you don't send them salesy stuff, you send them helpful information.
Umar Hameed 7:59
Absolutely. This guy, I'm not sure if he's still around, he's like, kick the bucket. His name's Alan Weiss, a very successful Consultant Speaker. And one thing is, he's operating that way higher level than me. But one of the things he would do is near his desk, he had a whiteboard. And he had, he would have the name of two or three people that he wanted to help that could help him. And so they were right in front of his face. It's like, "Oh, yeah, I can connect that person to this person." It was, you know, his way of giving. And by giving enough, he was certainly getting some really, really rich, consulting gigs out of it.
John Maggio 8:35
I think the number two complaint is that I referred somebody something and I never got anything back from them. And what you were touching on earlier is you have to refer selflessly, you have to refer to people that you know, are going to help you because you're giving them a leg up, you're helping them out and guess what the community members in your network are watching.
Umar Hameed 8:54
Yes.
John Maggio 8:55
And they see that. And the law of attraction says just to give, give, give out and you shall receive, it doesn't say you're going to get it back specifically from that person.
Umar Hameed 9:04
Absolutely. And the other thing to add to it is I'm not sure about you, but there are countless people's people that have helped me in the past that went out of their way to be generous and amazing and helpful. And by me giving to new people, I'm actually thanking them for what they did for me. So the people I'm helping will help somebody else along the way.
John Maggio 9:27
One of the dedication lines in my book to my friend Rusty Rocks was thank you for helping me in the countless times now I'm able to help so many.
Umar Hameed 9:34
You're sitting at this desk in the middle of my office, and this desk normally has Raven and Raven is my intern first intern ever. And one of the things I've been teaching her is, Hey, I am really stupid, a lot of stuff. But one of the things I do well is quickly execute on whatever I need to execute on and get the first draft done then I know If I need to think strategically, I can reach out to my friend, Sean Callahan. And he's gonna help me think strategically, if I need more of a business lens, I've got this other friend. So that network of people that you meet, whether through networking for business, or just life, you know who those people are, and when you need help, and I can just reach out to them and say, Hey, I'm thinking about this, what do you think and it moves me forward at a much faster rate, than if I was in a bubble, just drinking my own Kool Aid.
John Maggio 10:31
The biggest thing I took from that was that you, you, you went forward, you move you move without a perfect plan, you know, "An imperfect plan implemented today will always be a perfect plan tomorrow." I mean, that's a famous quote General Patton.
Umar Hameed 10:47
And iteration is like the best way to create awesome stuff it's like, but a lot of people get stuck in the, I want it to be perfect. When I go out networking, I want this to work perfectly as it is. And the only thing you need to know and correct me if this doesn't kind of align with your philosophy is to go out networking, and make those Heart to Heart connections with people just for the sake of human being to human being. And if it leads to business, all the better. And if you do it, right, it will lead to business. But if you go, I must get money, I must get a sale with every person that I meet, then it will end in bitterness and tears.
John Maggio 11:26
Yeah, you've got to look for little yeses to keep your motivation up, you know, you, you certainly have to think about every prospects paying you, you know, how much are you going to get if you make that one sale at the end, and then divide that out by how many attempts it takes to get that sale. And know that every time you go for coffee, and every time you you have a meeting, it has value. You know, in fact, if you're making $2,000, and it takes you 20 meetings to get a sale, put $100 bill in your pocket, touch it every time you walk into the sale, puts a smile on your face gives you a sense of accomplishment keeps your head up.
Umar Hameed 12:01
And my makeup how I'm built, like my purpose in life is to help people get to the next level. And so when I'm networking, that's what I'm doing is helping people and it just keeps the the passion alive.
John Maggio 12:16
Oh, I agree with that. I think back to what you're saying. I think a lot of people don't move. Or I get frozen because they're they're nervous. They have anxiety. Anxiety is huge. And a lot of people come up to me and they say, John, you know, you're doing this great. I said, Well, did you know I couldn't leave my house for 20 years? You know, because I was stricken with anxiety so bad that I couldn't go. This is the first time I've ever been to a house into my life.
Umar Hameed 12:41
You cannot tell when you see you. Except for that twitching your eye.
John Maggio 12:48
We suddenly had to start this company, Michelle and my sister and I, and my anxiety was so bad. I submitted myself to the hospital in Annapolis.
Umar Hameed 13:00
Well, I am proud of you for doing that. Because that should be an inspiration for people. Because that anxiety is not must go go. System anxiety you're made of stars. You're amazing. And all that stuff is bullshit. But because for the person going through it, it is more than real. For you just stepped through that and do it anyway, I think they've got a word for that. And that word is courage.
John Maggio 13:24
I appreciate that. It is very real, very physical. Buckle over pain occurs in your stomach. What ends up happening in an anxiety attack is your body starts to shut down. Yeah, to protect itself mentally. As if you're in a bad car accident. A lot of people say what can you remember now I can't remember. And one of the first things that happens you start dumping either you got to throw up you got to use the restroom. And eventually you'll hyperventilate and pass out. You know, but that's how the body starts
Umar Hameed 13:52
And it's not like it you think you're gonna die as you know you're going to die.
John Maggio 13:55
Yeah.
Umar Hameed 13:56
Which is a different level of kinesthetic experience. So leaving that behind. Let me ask you this question. Tell me about the dumbest mistake you made and what you learned from it. And it could be in the networking arena business arena.
John Maggio 14:14
Hmm.
Umar Hameed 14:15
Doing this podcast other than this, tell me what's the dumbest thing you've done.
John Maggio 14:20
I just to circle back to that health problem I was having is the I was misdiagnosed. I thought I had stomach problems. Yeah. And when I finally went to get help, it turns out I need a little teeny bit of Serotonin. And I'm not like the rest of us. You know. So I think one of the biggest mistakes that one could make is not moving your feet. You know, don't don't settle, don't stop. And they say make big goals. I'm just saying this go outside and do something because every time you get off the couch magic happens.
Umar Hameed 14:54
Absolutely. And I think one of the things that I teach is okay. When you fail, which we all will fail. And the reason I kind of brought up that, you know, tell me about a failure is when people see successful people, they always look at the accomplishment. And but behind that accomplishment is a lot of failure to get there. And the difference between people that are, you know, super successful and people that are not is the ability to rebound from that failure. And one of the ways to do that is soon as you brush yourself off, say, okay, where am I going? And what is the smallest step I can take in that direction. And if you say, those step, that's too difficult, what's the smallest step I could take? And just that little bit of movement, like you said, just step out of the house, is enough momentum to get to the next step and do the next step. And if you get scared on the 10th, step, and you come back, and that's okay, you did 10 steps. Tomorrow, you'll do 11.
John Maggio 15:49
It's very scary out there. As you know, you got to really watch out for distractions. And I'm going to circle right back to what you were saying about the failures. Even the first distractions or the kind are just like, negative thoughts. Stay away from negative people. Yeah. Another type of distraction
Umar Hameed 16:03
And yet still came see me
John Maggio 16:04
I know, right? Another type of distraction, if you will, if you don't appreciate it, like to take a moment, get off your phone. But another distraction is, people are always on their phones, Facebook, or they're distracted in conversation, and they're really avoiding the main purpose or their main goals. I write in a book here that the worst type of distraction, are the productive distractions, meaning. I'm doing social media, writing reports, I'm doing extra work for clients, but I didn't finish the book. You know, well, why didn't you finish the book? Well, you know, I'm doing this, I'm doing that. The real reason why I hadn't finished the book is because right after the book is a book tour. Right after the book tour is we're going to have the success with local marketing summit in Annapolis on November 6. So I think that the fear of the accomplishment was preventing me from focusing on the end goal. And I was being distracted and distracting myself and saying, Oh, well, this is good.
Umar Hameed 17:01
And rationalizing this decisions.
John Maggio 17:03
Yeah, this is good. This is Oh, look at this social media. Look at this website, look at these things that I've created rationalizing.
Umar Hameed 17:09
Actually, and then the words really brilliant. It's like this rationalize. Believable lies that we convince ourselves but just going back to writing a book. For those of you listening to this, that have not written a book, writing a book is is hard. The first time you get to an editor. They're ruthless, evil, satanic people. And it just crushes your soul. And you go through all the pain, the blood, the sweat, and tears, and you write your book. And you know what, that's the easy part. Then comes marketing the book, which is 100 times more challenging than the writing. But if you can write a book, do it because it's a it's a major accomplishment.
John Maggio 17:46
Right. Another one. Thank you. Right? How many do you have two, yes?
Umar Hameed 17:49
I've got two and the third one is, is coming.
John Maggio 17:54
I feel like I have to write another one I've already started. Because once you get in the ring, you have to defend the belt. Right. A lot of people write one book. Let's write more than one and become an actual author. The next book is called Finding Your Tribe.
Umar Hameed 18:07
I love that.
John Maggio 18:08
Yeah. And there's four chapters laid out the Tower Versus The Pyramid is one of them. Let There Be Light is a gratitude chapter. The Hyperactive Networker is another chapter and the 12 Touches.
Umar Hameed 18:23
But not inappropriate touches.
John Maggio 18:24
Yeah, I see they're gonna get a sale or you're gonna jail.
Umar Hameed 18:26
Yep. So tell me about the expo before we kind of wind this thing up. Today,
John Maggio 18:32
We're gonna have the Super Bowl of Networking and Anna county.
Umar Hameed 18:36
Nice.
John Maggio 18:36
There hasn't been a lot of big events like this and Arundel County before. We're gonna have some great national speakers come in. You being one of them. Thank you so much for coming. And we're gonna have a very big day of inspiration. It's gonna be at the Doordan Institute at the Arundel Medical Center.
Umar Hameed 18:53
Nice.
John Maggio 18:53
Yeah, so we run it off the entire seventh floor. And it's a beautiful overlook of Annapolis. The featured sponsor is Burgers and Bands for suicide prevention.
Umar Hameed 19:03
Excellent.
John Maggio 19:04
It's a big thing, especially in our area. So a portion of every tickets going to go towards that and I've scholarship $12,000 for the tickets to the city of Annapolis.
Umar Hameed 19:13
Excellent.
John Maggio 19:14
To the city of Annapolis for at risk young adults, this is going to be a life changing event. I'm so happy you're a part of it.
Umar Hameed 19:20
Thank you very much for inviting me and thanks for this conversation. It's it's amazing, you get something as simple as networking, and each time you dig into you learn something new. So thank you for that.
John Maggio 19:29
I really appreciate it. Have a great day, and we'll see you at the summit.
Umar Hameed 19:33
I'm looking forward to it.
Umar Hameed 19:38
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to iTunes and leave a five star rating. And if you're looking for more tools, go to my website at nolimitsselling.com. I've got a free mind training course there that's going to teach you some insights from the world of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and that is the fastest way to get better results.