4. Seven Steps to Grow your Company's Revenue Using LinkedIn

Justin Shelley: Hey, everybody. Welcome to episode four of DFW Rockstars. Today, I've got a special guest, Mark McIntosh with RevGrow. Mark, thanks for being with me today. Mark McIntosh: Yeah. Hi, Justin. Thanks for having me. Justin Shelley: It's been a while. We did a webinar a little while back and you shared some really good information. In fact, I think you were one of the most watched webinars like, people going back and looking for more so I thought it'd be a perfect fit to bring you on again and do this in a podcast format. Mark McIntosh: Yeah sounds good, thanks Justin. Justin Shelley: Yeah so quick introduction and I'm always impressed Mark when I look at your website and kind of read about you, you've got you're a CPA. You have an MBA. In your twenty year career, you've been a CFO. You've been an executive one with one of the largest staffing firms in the nation, a top sales leader for, like, one of the top CPA firms, I believe, top 10 CPA firms in the country, if I read that right, and director of business development. I mean, you've been around the block a few times. Is all that true? Mark McIntosh: Yeah. Yeah, it is. It is. I yeah. I was chasing the dream to be a mid market CFO, and once I achieved that at about age 30, I said, there has to be more more to life than this, and always had an entrepreneurial streak. And Okay. You know, once I figured out, you know, got the background in finance and then learned how to sell and learned a little bit about lead generation and marketing, I decided to launch Refgrow about four years ago. Justin Shelley: And I think that's why I like you, honestly, because you you put that entrepreneurial streak in there because I'm I'm not a big fan of finance. It's not my favorite subject. I I wish I had an MBA, but I don't. I'm a college dropout. But, you know, yeah, I mean, that's a seriously impressive resume, and I always love hanging out with fellow entrepreneurs. So but I've got to tell you why. One of the things about the world of self employment or owning a business, entrepreneurship, whatever you wanna call it, is it can be kinda lonely. Meaning, like, people think a lot of you, they expect a lot of you, but it's a it's a challenge. There's no straight line to success. Is that fair to say? Mark McIntosh: Oh, no doubt. Doubt. Justin Shelley: You got a few roadblocks in your day? Mark McIntosh: That's right. Several. Justin Shelley: All right. So again, while we do the quick intro, tell me something, one of your most significant challenges in your career, and it can be anywhere along that path we just described, but just tell me something that you had to face and overcome and how that impacted you. Mark McIntosh: Yeah, yeah, well that's a good question Justin, and I have a couple instances, call them roadblocks, call them fork in the roads, that really changed the trajectory of my career. You know, one was about in 2011, I came to DFW on a business trip, first time ever to Texas, and we we my wife and I, family, everyone's from the Midwest, and we were living outside Indianapolis at the time. And I I was doing some calling into DFW in Texas and knew there was there was something unique. You know, the people I was talking to, they were open, they were friendly, they were willing to hop on a call, have a conversation, and that was all great. And what I didn't know when I came to Texas on that three day business trip was the second day it came upon me that I need to uproot the family and move to Texas. And try explaining that to my wife as I went home, and we had three kids. They were all 10 and under. You know, our entire circle, our entire network, our entire lives were centered within a two hour radius of Indianapolis. So, two months later, we had two mortgages, made the move to DFW. And the biggest challenge, which I realized rather quickly, is how important those fifteen years in the Midwest were. And my entire network, everyone I knew knew me. It was all based there. So I came to DFW in 2011 without any contacts or connections in really in any real significance or volume. And so I I was coming into the market from scratch, and that was a very big hurdle to overcome. And I I thought, well, how in the world am I going to do this? And sure, I'd used LinkedIn. You know, I I'd done a lot through email and cold calling and things like that. But that time period, although it was the most one of the most challenging I've had, it was also one that I can point to as being, you know, really foundational to what we're doing now because I developed some systems and some processes and some strategies for leveraging LinkedIn to not only get in front of more prospects out there, but to do it in a scalable way that, you know, using the you know, a lot of that's what we're doing today for our clients. And it's either teaching them how to do it, doing it with them, or the vast majority of them, we're actually out there doing it for them. And so, that's an example of a very big challenge in my career that has really turned into a blessing, because it really forced me to rethink and figure out how in the world do I come to a new geography and from complete scratch, you know, turn that into, you know, a workable situation from a sales and marketing and business development perspective. Justin Shelley: Yeah, no kidding. So I got to ask, when you said that you came to DFW, you found the people friendly, and then you learned you had to move. Was that a light bulb moment or was that kind of forced on you by your employer? Mark McIntosh: No, it was on my own. And that's what made it an even more difficult sell to the wife and the family. They're like, Now wait a minute, you're moving the family to Texas thirteen hours away, and you're not being forced to do this? Justin Shelley: Seeing. That was my question. So okay. Are are you getting a Mark McIntosh: raise to do this? No. Justin Shelley: Right. Right. Mark McIntosh: Are they paying for your move? No. Alright. And and we figured, you know, worst case scenario, the oldest daughter is going into the fifth grade. If it didn't work out, we could always move back. Right. Justin Shelley: Okay. So this was but it was a move with your employer. Like, had a job when you got here. Right. But you had no network. So you had to build the you were in sales then I take it. Mark McIntosh: That's right. Justin Shelley: That's right. And you've done that, you've done some other things, but this was a sales position. Mark McIntosh: That's right. Justin Shelley: And now here you are. And I've got a good friend who's in sales. As long as I've known him, he's been in the same area, the same industry. And so you're right, that network is such a huge part of it because when he starts new business, you are with a new company, there are people he can reach out to almost always. Huge challenge, definitely can understand that. Mark McIntosh: Well, it was a new office as well. So the office had just basically opened up, you know, for the last six months. So it was a new office for a large accounting firm. It was a new territory for me. I didn't know anyone. A lot of the partners with this new office were transplants, you know, and so it was basically starting from scratch. Justin Shelley: Yeah, that's a double start from scratch. Well, and so you must have had some success with this because you told me that you've developed and I'll tell you what I caught on more than anything else you said were two words: scalable and repeatable. Mark McIntosh: Yes, sir. Justin Shelley: Those are huge. So Mark, here's what I'm going to ask of you today. And I know we're both a little short on time, so we're going get right to this. Do you have a formula that if I applied that, and by the way, I'm gonna put this to the test. I'm gonna do what you tell me to do and I'll I'll report back in with the results. But if if you were to give me the formula as simple as possible, what would I do on LinkedIn to build up a base that I wanna sell into? Mark McIntosh: Yeah. Yeah. That's a good question. We have a I have a presentation that I that I give called seven seven steps to grow your revenue using LinkedIn, which I've highlighted the formula. Now, not everyone's created equally, so how you implement or how you do these seven steps greatly impacts the outcomes. Sure, I appreciate that. The I'll just give you kind of a high level overview of those seven steps. But the first thing is to position your brand and your profile in a client centric manner. And just a couple points on that. You really want your profile to read as a resource, and do it in a manner that speaks directly to your client's pain. And because they care about one thing, what's in it for them. And so on the flip side, a lot of profiles out there are really nothing more than a sales pitch, or they're a resume. So, the key to step number one is, you know, and it starts with the headline. And you want to mention in that headline, you know, what you do, who you work with, and most importantly, how you help them. That's your value proposition. And then if you can add a little social proof or credibility in that headline, all the better. So maybe, you know, clients include big name people in a certain sector. So you might mention I'll just give an example. Okay, here's an example of a fundraising consultant. So their headline says fundraising consultant who helps major nonprofits raise more money. Okay. So we know what they do, who they help, and how they help. And then you might add another piece to the end of that that says clients include the YMCA and Red Cross. Justin Shelley: So The social part. Mark McIntosh: Exactly. So you have a 120 characters to really pique their interest, inspire some curiosity, and get them to read the next section, which is your About section. So the About section, you know, what we like to include that, and again, it's not a resume, it's not a sales pitch, but we like to start with the challenge that your target prospects are facing. Okay, so immediately they're reading and they say, Okay, this guy understands what we're dealing with here. And then use that 2,000 character in that About section to offer some helpful tips and some insights. So, we like to say, know, have your profile be a resource and not just a resume. And then the third piece in that section is to share who you work with and how you can help. So make that crystal clear. And then the fourth is the call to action. And, you know, what what is it you want the reader to do? Invite them to have a call with you. Invite them to check out a video. Invite them to download a resource. And then the fifth piece, which I see, it still baffles me that people don't have their contact info front and center. So I I go a step further. I give them my cell phone number because if somebody has an interest in my services, or wants to talk, I want to make it very easy for them to reach out. Justin Shelley: There's a saying in the businesssales world, make it easy for people to do business with you. I think that's what you're describing Mark McIntosh: That's right exactly right. So there are just a couple of tips with that first step, which is to position your personal brand by creating a client centric profile. And, you know, that's something we can either help companies or individuals do, or we can do it for them. The second step in this formula is to develop a content strategy, you know, to share insights and remain top of mind. And content is a great way to add value and build that know, like, and trust, and pique their interest and their curiosity, and inspire the reader to want more information. So just one tip on content. I'm a big believer in giving your best stuff away free. And then, you know, develop some sort of rhythm and routine. So maybe you share content, you know, Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Maybe you do it every, you know, every seven days. But the sooner you can develop a system and a process, and share content that doesn't necessarily lead with your solution, but leads them to your solution. And make sure that it's not a thinly veiled sales pitch, but it's actually a value add resource that is relevant to your prospect and can help them solve a pain they're facing. A quick example might be seven things to consider before you hire a managed service provider. So, it's it's vendor agnostic. You're sharing tips and things for them to look for when they're hiring a managed service provider. And then you're building that know, like, and trust and adding value. You know, there there's a big belief out there, which I'm a big proponent on. You might have to make 10 deposits into that relationship before you can expect to take a withdrawal. So it's out it's all about adding value. So the the third step is using LinkedIn search and other resources outside of LinkedIn to find your high value prospects who fit your criteria. And the advice I give there is to start narrow. And the sooner you can niche down, the better off you'll be, because it just makes the story and how you position your brand and how you position content that much easier. And a good exercise for everyone to do, if they're confused about this, and if you've been in business a while, just look at your last five or 10 clients, and what characteristics do they have in common. And then step four, Justin, build your database. Obviously, a focus quality over quantity. Step five is set up your messaging machine. And a key there is to develop messages that are value add and non sales y, and then develop a system and a process for sending out your messages. And then step six, develop a system and a way to manage all of these activities. We recommend doing that outside of LinkedIn. And then step number seven, which is my absolute favorite, is continue to nurture those leads so you get the call when the time is right. You know, 3% of the people we we talk to, you know, will have an immediate need or desire to engage with us. So we're big believers in what you do after that call until the timing is right for your prospect can make all the difference and help you stand out from the competition. Justin Shelley: Okay, Mark, so I'm going to cut in here because we're short on time, and I promised you I was going to get you off of this call before 11:00. We've got four minutes. What I want to say real quickly is that I've been studying marketing for quite some time now. And I mean, you just nailed it. Everything you said there, basically, you've taken all the concepts, the principles of really good marketing, and you put it into LinkedIn into a formula. So like I promised at the beginning of this call, I'm gonna try it. I'm gonna put you to the test. I'm gonna do all of these things, and then I'll report back. We put these podcasts up on our website. We write up show notes, and I'm gonna report back in in in a few weeks on what I've done, hold myself accountable. And I'll be back in touch with you for that. So now, Ty, the clock's ticking. So I wanna say quickly, you've given us the formula. Final thought on why do I need you now? Mark McIntosh: Well, it's, the bottom line is, we're all focused on running our business and doing things that we love to do and we do best. And the vast majority of our clients, we we can show you exactly what to do and how to do it. But the fact of the matter is that you may do it for a few weeks, but then you stop doing it. It's because it's not your passion, it's not what you're necessarily good at or want to be spending your time. So the majority of our clients, they outsource these activities to us, and then they focus on more strategic matters that align with their passion and where they can make the biggest impact for their business. So the done for you aspect is really the I mean, yeah, we do it better than people that haven't been trained and, you know, done this for years. But the real value is that we do it for our clients, so they can focus on what they do best. Justin Shelley: It's the consistency, right? Because I'll just say you and I did a webinar a couple, what, a few months ago, and I think I told you then I was going to do all that stuff and I haven't touched it. So here's my commitment. I am going to do it this time. I'm holding myself accountable. Anybody listening can hold me accountable. I'll put that back up on the show notes, and I will circle back around with you, Mark. You know? And and in reality, I'm probably gonna engage with some of your services myself just because I've proven to myself that I won't, can't, don't have time to, for, and all those other things you said. I love working with entrepreneurs. I do it a lot. I coach some for different things. And I can tell you, number one, this is the problem. It's consistency. It's we we're all well meaning, but we all have too much to do. So this is one thing it looks like we can at least get some help with. So here, let me wrap with your website, revgrow.com, revgrow.com. I always type that wrong. And you mentioned the presentation. Is that available on your site? Mark McIntosh: You know, there is a download out if somebody wants to download. And we've actually expanded it to 10 steps to grow your revenues on LinkedIn. Justin Shelley: I wasn't going to call you out on that, but I'm sitting here looking at that right now. Mark McIntosh: Another thing I would offer up to people, you know, let's schedule a call. And I mean, in that thirty minute call, I will share insights and we can talk about your specific situation, what your goals are, what your challenges are. And it's not a sales pitch, but I'll give you insights and ideas and strategies that you can implement right away. And I've set up a calendar at scheduleacallwithmark.com. And scheduleacallwithmark.com. I think it defaults at fifteen minutes, but I always allow thirty minutes for those strategy calls. And I'd love to just, you know, talk to your audience, help them out where I can. If we can work together, great. If it's not a good fit, that's okay as well. Justin Shelley: Perfect. I'm going to do that, Mark. Like I said, I'm going to put all this to the test. I'll report back in. I'll be your social proof on this one because it's something that I need to do and something I promised once and failed to deliver on. So listen, we're gonna wrap. I know you've got things to do, places to go. Thank you, Mark, for being here. I really, really appreciate it. The audience appreciates it. This is some solid advice, and it's a time where we all need it. So unless you've got some final thoughts, this is your one chance cut in. Otherwise, say goodbye and we'll wrap up and we'll talk soon. Mark McIntosh: Thanks, Justin. I really appreciate it. And I've had a good time today. So thanks for having me. Justin Shelley: You bet. We'll be in touch. Thank you, sir. Bye bye. Take care.