Business Coaching Q&A with Chris Do

‍Chris's Adobe Max Experience and Observations Chris shared his experiences and takeaways from attending Adobe Max, a conference that has evolved over time, becoming more familiar for regular attendees. He recounted his initial attendance due to winning a design competition, which led to an expensive ticket that went unused. Despite this, Chris expressed a desire to return to Adobe Max, hoping to secure a booth for his team, even though he had no interest in speaking on stage. His request for a booth was denied. Chris discussed his experiences with Adobe and their web design software, Xd, as well as his involvement in the conference, which started with providing feedback and eventually led him to be an invited speaker on the main stage. He also discussed the social capital trading that occurred at the event and the logistical preparations leading up to his talk. Chris shared his observations and thoughts on changes made at the Adobe Max event, including the shift from featuring celebrities to focusing on creators. He also commented on the event's budget, expressing that it seemed to have been managed differently, with corners potentially being cut. Chris emphasized the importance of targeted relationships at events, recommending attendees research and prepare beforehand. He shared successful encounters throughout the day, including a chance meeting with a past collaborator and an invitation to speak at a Pepsi office in New York. At the end of the day, Ivy expressed her desire for the same opportunities and recognition that Chris has.Knowledge

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Sharing, Discipline, and Connections Chris emphasized the importance of sharing knowledge without constant marketing and shared his positive experiences of teaching and meeting admired speakers. He also highlighted the need for discipline, using personal examples such as public speaking, dieting, and working out. Chris expressed his deep appreciation for the impactful connections with individuals and the positive influence it has had on his life, including starting a business. He spoke about the unique nature of the audience at the Adobe Max conference, encouraging others to consider speaking there due to its high selection chances and supportive nature. However, he and Heather expressed their disappointment in Mr. Erin Draplin's repetitive speaking engagements, lack of variety, and excessive promotion of projects. Despite their critique, they acknowledged his popularity. Heather Crank highlighted the need for clarity in messaging, avoiding repetition, and being true to oneself, while Chris suggested that the presenter might have appeared overly stressed by the need to prove themselves.

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‍Aaron's Speaking Success Debated Chris and Heather discussed a speaker known as 'Aaron', who is known for repeating his talks with slight modifications. Despite some criticisms, Aaron's popularity remained unchallenged due to his relatability and storytelling skills. Chris praised Aaron's ability to capitalize on his popularity and learn from his success. Anneli joined the conversation, questioning how to separate Aaron's teaching aspect from his message to replicate his success in public speaking.

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‍Transitioning to Inspire: Chris's Journey to Speak Chris discussed his plans to transition from a teacher to an inspirational speaker, aiming to connect with a broader audience, particularly drawing on his experiences as an Asian immigrant. He contrasted his situation with that of Aaron Draplin, highlighting the importance of diversity in speaking engagements. Chris emphasized the need for individuals to produce content and change the current content landscape, which is largely dominated by older white European men. Anneli and Heather Crank agreed with his points, acknowledging the importance of representation and changing the status quo.Sales Process:

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Understanding the Client Chris discussed the sales process and emphasized the importance of understanding the customer's problem to motivate them to take action. He highlighted the need for a dialogue in sales presentations and noted that the sales process must be one-on-one for high ticket sales. Chris stressed the importance of being able to deliver the solution and communicating effectively with clients. He shared his ongoing challenge of getting people to take action and the importance of following instructions to avoid unnecessary expenses. He also discussed the importance of tailoring one's approach to each individual client to close more projects successfully.

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‍Proving Value in a Crowded Market Heather discussed her challenges in dealing with in-house teams or agencies where she felt the need to prove her value compared to other agencies. Chris advised her to prepare for potential objections, suggesting that when a client says they need to check with the team, it could mean they are non-committal, need a second opinion, or are stalling. Heather shared her experience of being brought in by an advocate but facing challenges in proving her worth when an agency with a closer relationship to the client is involved. The discussion ended with Chris noting that Heather's company, Lava Digital, is surrounded by competitors, and emphasized the need for Heather to find a succinct way to describe her role, as the executives she interacts with are usually busy.

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‍Effective Communication and Sales Strategies Chris stressed the importance of effective communication, emphasizing the need for clarity and conciseness. He presented the concept of handling objections and encouraged the team to focus on one key point at a time. Chris also advised Heather to be more concise and confident during sales calls, and to acknowledge the strengths of other vendors. He highlighted the importance of identifying specific problems and asking questions to surface issues. Chris also mentioned the need for explicit communication between team members and the use of AI tools for language barriers. He ended by promoting the creation of impactful slogans or brands to enhance communication.

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‍Effective Communication and Company Hierarchy Discussion Chris and Julio discussed the progress and next steps of an unspecified project, with a focus on effective and efficient communication within the team. Julio expressed difficulty in communicating directly with the final decision-maker at his clients' companies, particularly large ones. Chris advised Julio to take more control in these situations. They also discussed the hierarchy and size of companies, noting that those doing over 100 million dollars a year are considered big companies, and typically have a heavy marketing focus. It was confirmed that a company doing a million dollars in revenue would typically have around 10 to 15 employees.

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‍Pricing Strategies and Client Targeting Chris and Julio discussed their experiences with clients and pricing structures for their services. Julio shared a situation where a potential client wanted a quote before understanding the project's scope, which typically ranges from 10,000 to 25,000 dollars, depending on the website size. Chris suggested that they might be targeting the wrong clientele, as smaller companies might not be able to afford their services, and proposed they target larger companies with a million-dollar budget. They also discussed strategies for approaching potential clients and securing approval for marketing projects. The conversation ended with Chris summarizing three key lessons for Julio to learn from the discussion, and Julio shared his success story about winning a project after using the perfect proposal template, leading to a million-dollar project.