Three Ways to Serve Instead of Sell with Amanda Hall

AMANDA HALL [0:00]

Probably the number one thing that you could do is just be a person of reciprocity, always offering value first.

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CAMILLE [0:14]

So, you want to make an impact. You're thinking about starting a business sharing your voice? How do women do it that handle motherhood, family, and still chase after those dreams? We'll listen each week as we dive into the stories of women who know. This is Call Me CEO.

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CAMILLE [0:32]

Hello everyone. It is Wednesday and Wednesday is the new day that I am going live here on Instagram with my guests from Call Me CEO podcast. So, if you are listening to this now, this means that this is a teaser live episode where you can then turn into the whole enchilada on the podcast itself. And I'm so excited because today, we are joining with Amanda from Girls with Goals who Give. I was going to say social media marketer, but it's actually network marketing or MLM growth for business.

So, she's going to be joining us here. We're going to be talking about how to turn yourselves from feeling salesy to the focus of being service-oriented and therefore growing your business, your connections, and everything will go upward and onward from there. So, I'm going to go ahead and have her join us. Here's the request. Let's see if she's getting through here. Hello! There you are.

AMANDA [1:47]

Hi!

CAMILLE [1:48]

So good to see you.

AMANDA [1:50]

You as well.

CAMILLE [2:01]

Okay. So, hi, how are you?

AMANDA [2:04]

I'm doing great. Thank you.

CAMILLE [2:24]

All right. So, I want you to give us a quick introduction about who you are and the experience that you had in this field so that people know where you're coming from. I did a little brief intro of what we're going to be talking about today, but I want everyone to hear from you and everything that you've done.

AMANDA [2:39]

Thank you so much. So, my name is Amanda Hall and I'm the cofounder of Girls with Goals who Give and we help women in network marketing. We support them so that they can grow a business of income and impact by attracting quality customers and business builders to their team which seems to be a huge pain point for women in network marketing.

And my business partner and I started this company three years ago, but we also have very uber successful businesses with a network marketing company over the past 10 years. So, we shifted our focus after growing those legacy businesses that we still continue to serve so that we can help other women in networking marketing build their businesses with class and ease.

And what we're going to be talking about today through serving so you don't feel salesy. And this really could work and be helpful for anybody who is selling. Any woman who is in entrepreneurship, you know you have to sell. You have to sell yourself and you have to sell your service, your product, whatever it is, so I hope this is helpful for all the women that are watching today.

CAMILLE [3:41]

Yeah. I agree with that. Anytime that you have a business, whether it's a product or yourself, you have to be comfortable with that connection and that serving. My favorite thing is when I heard someone say you're doing someone a disservice by not sharing what it is that you know, that could solve a pain point that they have. And I think that that's really switching the narrative in your mind because a lot of times, it's the brain work that we're dealing with is how are we going to make this better and how can I make this an authentic connection for actually serving someone else?

AMANDA [4:18]

Yes. And it's so true what you just said. When we're not sharing, it's more out of selfishness than it is out of selflessness, out of serving, which is what we're going to talk about. And when you come from a place of how can I make people like me? How can I make people join my team? How can I make people find my products? People feel that.

And so, when you can flip that script and start to think about how can I be a valuable person? How can I serve other people in my network so that I can help them get to where they want to go? I could help them find a solution their biggest pain points. I can help them make their life better. And in turn, your business grows because you're seen as an authority. You're seen as somebody of value and you're seen as somebody who likes to serve and likes to give. And people love people who like to give.

CAMILLE [5:17]

I agree. It's really that energy that comes through without us even saying. So, as we're diving into these tips, we're sharing three today, specifically to help you convert from that selling mentality of, "I have to meet these numbers, I have to hit these likes, I have to do XYZ," whatever the thing may be, how do we swap that to being a mentality of service? So, we're going to go through three main points, so hit us with the first one.

AMANDA [5:45]

Sure. So, yes, I want everyone to right now in their heads realize that this is not a numbers game. When you're selling something, it's not a numbers game as far as hitting the numbers or money. It's a numbers game of how many people you can impact. And the number one thing that you can do, like I've been saying, is add value to other people's lives. That's how you serve. So, how can you do that? Let's say you make a new connection and, I don't know, I'm just going to make this up, they mention on the phone that they're looking for a babysitter and you happen to live in the same area, maybe do a little research. See who in your network has a kid that's old enough to babysit. Find them a babysitter.

Imagine how amazing that other person would feel thinking that you spent the time to help them out or you were thinking about them and you remembered to do that. So, it's just really remembering something that somebody says and then it doesn't have anything to do with what you're selling. There's no exchange of money. It's just sending them referrals.

Make referrals a part of your marketing plan. That's how you can be a valuable person. Sending other people referrals. Say to yourself, every single week, I want to send two people referrals on a regular basis as part of my plan. Sending suggestions or just offering advice or support to other people in your network is a way to be valuable. That's my number one tip.

CAMILLE [7:15]

I love that. I think that that's a really fascinating way of flipping that idea of how could I even research this? Maybe you don't have the answer at the top of your head within the wheelhouse that is within you, you could tap into that and research it a bit and say, "Hey, I thought about that question you had and I looked into it for you. This is what I found." And even going that extra mile with no money exchange, I think that that really stands out.

AMANDA [7:46]

For sure. And just to give you an example, actually somebody this week, I don't really know her that well, but she lives in another area and she said, "Hey, I was thinking of you because you live in the area." She has a fashion business and she said, "We're looking for a boutique or a popup shop in your area." Now, that is so not my wheelhouse. I'm not a fashionista. I'll call myself out, but I did want to help her.

So, I went onto some local message boards and asked, "Does anyone know popup shops or boutiques where a friend of mine can share her beachwear? She's coming out from this area and so on and so forth." And I did a little bit of research for her and I sent her a voice note back and I said, "Just let me know if I could support you any further" because I just wanted to help her. I truly wanted to help her.

There was nothing I'm looking for in return, but I bet if I were ever to go back to her and ask her for assistance or a helping hand or if she was ever looking to buy a certain product that I sell or she knows what I do with Girls with Goals who Give and she sent me a referral, I wouldn't be surprised. So, it's just that feeling of reciprocity is probably the number one thing that you could do is just be a person of reciprocity, always offering value first.

CAMILLE [9:00]

I love that, reciprocity and karma. Right?

AMANDA [9:03]

Thank you. Yeah, for sure.

CAMILLE [9:05]

Okay. So, step number two. What would be another idea?

AMANDA [9:09]

Educating. So, every single person is an expert in a certain area and it doesn't necessarily have to be an expert at your own personal business. We all have to start at the ground floor of whatever business we start or acquire certain skills because you're building and growing your business. But we all have expertise in certain areas, whether you're an expert at juggling mom life, maybe you run marathons and you're an expert at training for a marathon or perhaps you're really great in the kitchen and you know how to whip up a mean meal up.

Educate your audience. Educate them and you can educate them, of course, in the area that you're looking to build and grow like your business. And to always be educating people, you'll always be 10 steps ahead of the people who are just getting started or looking to get started in the field that you're in.

But also, think of what else can I educate my audience with people? Find that very, very valuable and that's a serving mindset when you can share your knowledge, you will never, ever, ever share too much knowledge. You will never give away too much free information. People crave free knowledge. And if you're the one that can give it to them, then you're going to be a person that they look to as an authority and again, that's how you sell your products. That's how you get people to join your team. That's how you become a person of value and switch the mindset from sales to service to grow your business.

CAMILLE [10:40]

I love that. I heard someone say once that to be an expert doesn't mean that you know everything there is to know at whatever the topic is. It just means you're a few steps ahead of someone who is coming down the same trail behind you. So, if you can say, "Hey, these are some shortcuts or some things I've learned along the way," it doesn't mean you need a degree in the field. It just means that you need to be able to give some of that knowledge that you have. Like you said, just be willing to educate and be that authority that people can trust.

AMANDA [11:11]

For sure. So many women, they struggle with impostor syndrome. They're like, "Who am I really to teach?" But like you said, you are light years ahead of somebody else who's just getting started. And so, you can be the person who inspires them into action, who gets them to the next step that they need to get to. You don't have to be a master. You don’t have to have a degree. You just need to have experience and share that knowledge in a serving way.

CAMILLE [11:40]

Love it. Okay, number three.

AMANDA [11:43]

And finally, it is to give back. Make giving a part of your marketing plan. And it feels obvious and it seems like so many businesses have partners, but if you're in network marketing or you have a small business, you can host events where you give a portion of the proceeds back to a certain charity. Giving back to charity, first of all, there's nothing that feels better than giving back to a certain cause.

It's also an amazing way to build your connections with people because if there's other people who also feel really strongly about that cause and you're very vocal about it and you market about it, then you're building connection right then and there over the idea of giving back. So, you're double downing. You're doubling down, I should say. You're giving funds to a great cause and you're also creating connections with other people who also have a similar emotional attachment to a specific cause.

And so, any time that you can tie your sales or an event to a charity of choice, and let people know about it, that will give them more of an inclination to buy from you. So, that's building your sales, but it's also giving them a reason to connect with you and to feel more connected to a cause with you. So, it's an aligned cause and mission.

CAMILLE [13:09]

I love that. I know that you've put on a lot of events where you will host networking meetings and you'll have someone come to talk about the program or the charity or the non-profit that they're a part of. And in my experience, events can be hard to make any money. Really, a lot of times, they are about networking and service because once you have the venue and the snacks or whatever it is, it's not a money maker. Let's just say that. But I think it pays in dividends because of the connections to the cause and to the people that you make. And would you agree with that?

AMANDA [13:48]

Absolutely. And so, actually before, we obviously went to an online platform because of everything we've all been through and now everybody's doing business online, we used to host these incredible events in New York City and we have four charity partners that we work with and we would bring them in. And they're from big organizations that are very well-known and they would come and they would speak.

And we would end up making absolutely no money, but it was like the amount of energy in the room and inspiration and that feeling of coming together for the purpose of giving, it's just no money could take that away. And we still to this day, even though it's been a couple of years since our last event, we still communicate with these women. We still get referrals from these women. We still send them referrals.

You never ever know where your next referral is going to come from, your next business partner, your next sale, so when you're able to be a valuable human and keep in contact with people and keep serving and serving and building on the connections that you've created, especially with the idea of really giving back to others, it's like you just realize your world gets bigger and the opportunity just unfolds. You're like, wow, there's just so much opportunity out there that I never saw before. So, highly recommend coming together with your network and giving back to a certain cause to build your connections and build your business.

CAMILLE [15:27]

Okay. So, bonus question and I didn't prep you with this. What is the best way to stay connected with women online when it can be distracting? It's easier to focus on that when you have an event and you create this emotion and you create this connection, but a lot of us are having to do that online now. And how do you create that magic or keep those connections going?

AMANDA [15:50]

So, listen, it's absolutely a balance and I think that's a really great question because so many of our coaching clients, they feel the sense of overwhelm with everything they have to do in order to have their social feed look beautiful and get the message out that they want to share. But really again, if you're coming from a serving mindset and you say to yourself, okay, every single week, I'm going to do my two referrals, that's a way for you to scroll through and say, who haven't I sent a referral to in a while? Who's a new connection that I can send a referral to?

And let me tell you right now, they're never going to forget that. It doesn't matter how long it's been since you've sent them a random reach-out message. When you are giving somebody else an opportunity to grow their business or giving somebody else the feeling of, wow, I feel seen and heard right now, they will never forget that. So, that's going to leave a way bigger imprint than consistently being like, okay, who could I message today? and making it more like a numbers game.

But I will tell you my other secret that we talk about a lot at Girls with Goals who Give, which not a lot of network marketing companies or uplines would even tell you to do is have your own email marketing campaign for yourself and don't rely on your company to send them for you. Yes, your company's going to send them for you. Whatever kind of business that you're in, your corporate team will send out emails, but to have your own campaign where you can connect in a way that's more nurturing with your network and consistently be, like we talked about, the three points today, offering value, education and every so often talking about your connections and ties to different charities, that also is a continuous effort for you to build connections without you having to constantly be going back and forth on your phone.

And you could always have a call to action at the end that says, "It's been a while since we've connected. Here's my calendar. I'd love for us to find some time. What works for you?" And you can talk to people very personally through email. There's a way to make it very personal. And remember in your calls to action to try to get people on the phone because then you're going to see who's really interested in keeping those connections a lot. They'll meet you halfway.

CAMILLE [18:12]

I love that. This has been the perfect teaser for our full episode that is now up on Call Me CEO podcast where we talk about how to make network marketing classy, not sleazy, where you can create true connections.

AMANDA [18:28]

I love that.

CAMILLE [18:28]

So, please check that out. And Amanda, tell us where we can find you and how our audience can connect with you.

AMANDA [18:33]

So, obviously we're @girlswithgoalswhogive on Instagram. I am @byamandahall on Instagram myself. And then, we have something really awesome on Girls with Goals who Give on our Instagram account, it's called the 25 Conversation Starters. It's in the link in our bio. If you download it, it's going to help you build your connections from invite to closing the amount of sales call, no matter where you are in the process. We have the perfect questions, open-ended questions for you to ask so that you could walk somebody through the process of sharing their pain points so that you can finally show them that you have the solution that they're looking for.

CAMILLE [19:11]

That's an awesome freemium. I better take advantage of that. I’m going to go download that right now.

AMANDA [19:15]

Awesome.

CAMILLE [19:16]

And thank you so much for the referral idea. I gave a referral to someone I worked with this last year. And my niece was looking for someone and I connected them last night and I can attest to that. She's awesome, she was so reliable. I trust her. And it meant everything to everyone involved, so I can attest to that and I want to make that more of a personal goal for myself. So, thank you so much.

AMANDA [19:40]

Absolutely. I loved it and I always enjoy talking to you. Thanks for having me. All right. Bye.

CAMILLE [19:46]

Bye.

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CAMILLE [19:48]

Hey, CEOs. Thank you so much for spending your time with me. If you found this episode inspiring or helpful, please let me know in a comment and a 5-star review. You could have the chance of being a featured review on an upcoming episode. Continue the conversation on Instagram @callmeceopodcast. And remember, you are the boss.

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