Centricity Introduction 0:04

Welcome to the Best Kept Secret videocast and podcast from Centricity. If you're a B2B service professional, use our five step process to go from the grind of chasing every sale to keeping your pipeline full with prospects knocking on your door to buy from you. We give you the freedom of time and a life outside of your business. Each episode features an executive from a B2B services company sharing their provocative perspective on an opportunity that many of their clients are missing out on. It's how we teach our clients to get executive decision makers to buy without being salesy or spammy. Here's our host, the co founder and CEO of Centricity, Jay Kingley.

Jay Kingley 0:43

I'm Jay Kingley, co founder and CEO of Centricity. Welcome to another episode of our Best Kept Secret show, where I'm happy to welcome Laura Templeton, the CEO of 30 Seconds Success. 30 Seconds Success is a consulting firm that teaches business owners and professionals How to Craft 30 second message that expresses whom they serve, and how they serve them with clarity and confidence. And Laura is based in Bradenton, Florida. And for those of you like myself, from the Pittsburgh area, you will recognize Bradenton as the home as the spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That's all I know of it. Anyway, Laura, welcome to the show.

Laura Templeton 1:28

Thank you so much for having me, Jay. It's really nice to be here.

Jay Kingley 1:32

All right. So Laura, one of the things that over the years, has always puzzled me to a degree is I look at businesses who've got employees, you know, and whether this is a company that has three, four, or five employees, or 5000 employees, or even 50,000 employees. And it seems like you know, the business owner, or the executives in charge, really look at their employees to do the task that they are hired for. That was a very internal view of the world, it's always struck me that every single employee often interacts with people outside the company professionally, and certainly on a personal basis. And people know, a lot of other people, yet companies don't seem to take this into account. They don't seem to recognize that their employees, in effect, are brand ambassadors for that company. Why is this so difficult for them to see? And why is this such a struggle to take advantage of this opportunity?

Laura Templeton 2:45

That's a really great question, Jay. Because a lot of organizations are so busy working in the weeds, right? They're so busy making things happen and looking at the broad picture of income and revenue streams. But when they with it, they have inherently failed to do is look at their employees as part of their marketing arm, right? So employees have experience with the company, most of the time they have experienced with the company's products as well. So why not arm them with the right message, to really be able to share what's going on with the company, right? They're not going to give away company secrets. They're going to share how much they enjoy working there, they're going to share how much they enjoy using the products. And nine times out of 10. They're having those conversations anyway. They're just not sure how to make the connections for the people that they're sharing with, to refer them to the company, or they're missing the opportunity.

Jay Kingley 3:42

That's so true. I can't tell you the number of times I meet someone, you don't on a personal basis. And you're getting to know someone it's pretty natural to say to them, oh, what do you do? And they tell you that they don't. They're not armed to take advantage of the opportunity to really act as a representative of their employer.

Laura Templeton 4:04

Yeah, absolutely. I have a great story. I met a young woman and I asked her what she did. And she said, Oh, I'm an accountant. So me being the natural, inquisitive person, I sort of asked a lot of questions. This is so you're an accountant for and she told me she works for a major gas unit provider in the King of Prussia region in Philadelphia. And so we start talking about what, what do you like about that? And she goes, Oh, well, I'm forensic accounting. I'm like, well, there's something interesting. She shared with me how she reviews not just the company's records of accounting, but also the client records to make sure that the clients are being billed properly. I was like, okay, yeah, if I'm ever getting gas for my home, I'm calling that company, right, because now I've had a conversation with somebody who really knew those internal workings, but by drawing that information out of her I was able to find out more about the company and it really piqued my interest how many people don't think to ask those kinds of questions. So just by giving her the opening to share that information, she was able to share it. But imagine if she was prepared to say, Oh, I work for this really great company. I'm a forensic accountant. One of the things that I love about my job is XYZ, now it leads to more conversation, it leads to more clients, it leads to more people who want to work there because she's excited about working there.

Jay Kingley 5:26

I mean, there's often more like, take a typical company, what percent of their total workforce is in sales? I don't know, let's just say 5%? Well, there's a 20 to 1 multiplier, if you could arm your employees to represent your business in a positive light 20 to 1. And it's just not been done. So how is it Laura, that companies, business owners, executives, should be thinking about tapping into this enormous resource?

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Unknown Speaker 6:08

That's a great question. One of the easiest ways to do that is to, you know, to work with your entire workforce, you know, workforce marketing is something that is deemed very significant when it comes to helping people understand what that brand message is giving them a little bit of training, and also putting a little bit of incentive behind it right, how many companies have referral programs and never use them, or their company, their missions, find the reasons why their employees don't use them is a either they didn't know it existed or be, they're not sure what to share and how to bring that referral back to the company. And that's the biggest challenge is giving them the information, giving them a little bit of training behind it, and then arming them with the right message. And when you create that message that you're that really signifies what your brand is all about and that your people are really happy to work for you. It's a win-win for everyone.

Jay Kingley 7:05

Workforce marketing, great concept, let's understand how it flows through to benefit the decision-maker in the business. So let's start first with, you know, if a business owner or executive did what you're suggesting, what kind of benefits would they themselves be able to get from adopting this approach?

Laura Templeton 7:28

Well, I think there's there's that emotional impact that most employers receive when they realize that their employees are talking about them in a positive light because let's face it, if you're referring someone, you're talking about them in a positive way, right? So people are looking at the company differently, they're viewing it as a better place to work a better place to, to do business with it, it just lifts everybody's spirits. And I think it also internally encourages more camaraderie, more conversation within the organization itself, because people are trying to have a better understanding of what the company does, so they can talk about it. And I think that really brings everyone together.

Jay Kingley 8:10

You mentioned something, I think it's really interesting that I don't think we think about enough, which is the impact on recruiting new staff. And while we go through periods where the labor market is tight, we go through periods where the labor market is in surplus, lots of people looking out there, the one thing that is always, in short supply are very talented, highly skilled, highly motivated employees. And having people in the company speak well, for their employer goes an enormous way towards being able to attract that kind of talent that every company needs in order to thrive and prosper.

Laura Templeton 8:54

Absolutely. And you know, the biggest thing is, you have to remember, when it comes to employees, your employees know the company, they know what the company needs and wants. And a lot of times they know people very well, especially the people in their circles, that will be a very good fit. There have been studies about rate, you know, referrals from employees, bringing in new employees, yeah, new hires, that makes such an impact because they hit the ground running and they can move forward very quickly because they've kind of been prepped by the person that refers to 92% of consumers trust the referral a recommendation of the people they know personally right and referred customers have a 37% higher retention rate compared to other customers gained, but just you know, regular marketing channels such as social media, so there's such a huge benefit to really teaching your employees about the company and how to share what they do, but teaching them then how to turn that into a good referral, whether it's for a new hire or customer,

Jay Kingley 10:04

Terrific set of benefits that make your argument that businesses should be adopting this idea of workforce marketing, very, very compelling. So that leads me Laura, to the next obvious question, at least, to me, if I'm listening to this, and I'm a business owner or executive, I'm saying, Ok, this is pretty compelling. What is it that I need to do to make this happen? What's your answer?

Laura Templeton 10:32

So I think the biggest thing to look at is number one, do you have a referral program? If not, you know, consider creating one. And a lot of times that referral program will be part of your marketing team, or your marketing team really knows the message. That's what.

Jay Kingley 10:48

So by referral program, we were talking about a referral program for your employees be it to bring in other staff or clients?

Laura Templeton 10:58

Yes, yeah. Like it incentive program, that, that you're, you know, you can actually have one for your employees, you can also have one for your customers too. So that's, you know, you're even expanding your market really expands once you start to offer that to your customers as well. So think about it from the employee, internal marketing is really teaching your employees how to use that referral program, don't just to create a referral program, and then expect them all to figure it out. Right? Teach them the words that you want them to share. Teach them what projects that you're working on right now. Share it in a newsletter, a weekly newsletter, update them on what's happening, where you're at if you're starting to, you know, hire if you're looking for new employees, what kind of employees and through that person should contact if they know someone. Or what, what steps do they need to make to submit that referral? Or it you know, get someone outside if they're submitting a resume? Do I send a resume to? So understanding how to teach your employees and keep in touch with them? Right? What do they want to know? What are the things that they want to share? What do they like about your company, asking your employees what they love about your company is a great way to create a brand message right in, especially in that workforce marketing model. Because people really want to understand what's going on on a day to day with your company, especially when you're running several projects simultaneously. The interesting thing that happens when you start to share with your employees what's going on, and that they're sharing it outside. They're also starting to talk internally, you start to bridge some gaps on the internal side when they find out about projects that are going on. Maybe there's something that they're working on that could benefit another department.

Jay Kingley 12:44

Terrific, you have put together a pretty compelling argument that every company out there needs to jump into workforce marketing, to help take their business to the next level. We're going to be right back to learn a bit more about Laura hang in there.

Centricity Introduction 13:07

Wondering how much longer you have to grind and chase after every lead conversation and client. Would you like clients to knock on your door so you no longer have to pitch follow-up and spam decision makers. While centricity is the tipping point program uses a proven five step process that will help you get in front of the decision makers you need by spending less time undoing all of the things you hate. It's not cold calling cold email, cold outreach on LinkedIn or any other social media platform are spending money on ads. But it has a 35 times higher ROI than any of those things, leveraging your expertise and insights that your prospects and network value. The best part even though you'll see results in 90 days, you get to work with the Centricity team for an entire year to make sure you have all the pieces in place and working. So you can start having freedom of time and a life outside of your business. So email time@centricityb2b.com to schedule an 18 minute call to learn more.

Jay Kingley 14:06

Welcome back. Let's find out a bit more about Laura. So Laura, what pain points do you solve for your clients? And why do they need you to get rid of that pain?

Laura Templeton 14:19

Thank you so much, that I the question regarding pain is one that I ask a lot of my clients myself, right so the pain points that I really help clients with is, number one, figure out what their clear, concise messages that message is that really taps into their heart. Most people are struggling to effectively communicate who they are in that 30 seconds or less. But more importantly, it's a belief. Right? So it's that belief in themselves believe in their messaging. So brand messaging really is finding that message that really taps into your heart, the emotional piece and really being able to deliver it. Another pain that my clients really follow is being able to deliver that message with confidence, right. So think about it from a networking perspective, a lot of folks use networking as part of their marketing strategy. So being able to stand in front of a crowd isn't always easy for a lot of people. So giving them some really good pointers. And again, giving them that really good message that becomes part of their heart part of their soul. And being able to deliver that on a consistent basis is really important for building that confidence, right and showing up on a regular basis. Those are the things that I really work with, with clients. The other piece on the corporate side of my program, is really helping people understand your brand message is it's got to run through your company, everybody in your company has to believe in it. Right? So your whole entire marketing team is great at understanding what you do. But when you create a workforce that believes as well, it just elevates everyone together, right? It just brings everybody that more excitement about working for you sharing what you do, and really getting out there and positioning your company well as a place that number one, they either want to work or number two, they want to do

Jay Kingley 16:15

The workforce marketing concept that we spent the first part of the show talking about, I think he made that case pretty clear. So let me go to my next question for you, which is I'm often reminded that we don't choose companies to work with based on what they do, we choose them on the basis of how good they are at doing what they do. So Laura, for you, what makes you great at what you do?

Laura Templeton 16:47

Thank you. That's a very humbling question. For me, because I think a lot of times the thing that really compels me to work with the people that I work with is I'm able to see them differently. I love listening to people, and that's my gift. I love to listen to people and find that real deep heart message that has a way of connecting with more people. It's getting to the emotional message that people really connect with thinking about you know, like commercials on TV, right? How many of them are like got you running for the phone, the minute you see the sad puppy crying right now we see dogs driving cars, it's like, there's, it's the emotion, right? We all love dogs. But what most people love dogs, and there may be some people that don't, but I you know, I for one love dogs. But I think the biggest piece is being able to dive deep and really draw out of people what it is that compels them to do what they do to love what they do to attract the right clients to them. Right, and who do they serve day in and day out having that deep understanding of who that is. And then being able to put that into words. Taking all of that information and being able to put it into words. That's my gift.

Jay Kingley 18:01

I encourage everybody to log in, go to your LinkedIn profile, they can look and see how your career has evolved. You alluded to your time at RCA, but all the details will be there. But what it doesn't tell us is the why. And that's really what I would like to understand. So what has happened in your personal life or your professional life. That would explain why you set up and run 30 Seconds Success.

Laura Templeton 18:31

So for years, I actually use network marketing as my business model that I had followed for a really long time I was involved in several different network marketing companies. After my children were born, I had left corporate America, stay at home mom decided I wanted to have something as far as a business. I wanted to be able to contribute to the household income, started dabbling in network marketing, in network marketing. There's a tremendous amount of training that they do. They teach people so much, that being able to build those relationships, and I'm a relationship person. I love meeting people. I love connecting and learning more about them. So that was always a really good model for me. In that capacity. I had stepped into that role as the Director, National Director for PWBM, which is Professional Women's Business Network. And when you step into a leadership role, things start to change, you start to look at people differently. I mean, I had used more networking as part of my marketing strategy for numerous years. And when I stepped into that leadership role, I started to look at people differently. And when I did, I saw the things that they were struggling with because my desire was just to help them How can I help them? What can I do? Who do they need to meet? Who do they need to connect with? Who do they need to hear from what speakers can I bring in? And the biggest question that kept coming up was, who can you bring in to teach us how to do our 30 second message? Well, I wasn't finding anyone. Nobody was specifically talking There, there were people talking about networking. And there were people that could teach you how to do your 30 second message. But they weren't specifically talking about 30 second message. And because of all the training that I had had over the years, I started teaching them the model that I had learned, it was a simple formula that I had kind of made it work for me. And I started teaching it to other people. When I started to see the transformation that was happening. It was like a light bulb went off in my head like I there's no one will ever have to struggle with a 30 second message again, if they understand the simple formula. So I started teaching other people, I started getting requests to speak at other events and venues, and it just kind of exploded from there. And I was ready to step out of the network marketing world and start something of my own. And it was a perfect fit, the timing could not have been more perfect. I love it. I love I love helping people just find themselves in their words.

Jay Kingley 20:57

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Your discussion about workforce marketing, as we've talked about, I think it's something that every company should be doing, of course, as employees. So I'm sure we've got a lot of listeners that would love to reach out to you to continue the conversation, what's the best way for people to do that?

Laura Templeton 21:18

The easiest way to find me is that Laura@30secondssuccess.com. And that's where the 30 with a zero, easiest way to find me on LinkedIn.

Jay Kingley 21:27

Terrific. And I will put all of that in the show notes to make it easy for everyone. Now what, before we sign off today, I'm going to throw you a little bit of a curveball. I mentioned the Pirate spring training, I'm gonna use that baseball analogy. And I'm very protective of our audience. And I'm also very grateful for everybody listening. And I like to have our guests reward our audience by offering them now, shall we say a bit of a gift. So not to put you too much on the spot. But what gift could you offer to all our listeners?

Laura Templeton 22:09

I would be happy to do 30 sec review, or actually a 30-minute review of their 30-second message you didn't catch me off guard there. So yeah, so if you want I can I can give you a link for you to share with the audience. And then just make sure that when they're signing up for it that they mentioned that they heard me here on the Best Kept Secret podcast. And that way, I'll make sure that I know where they came from. And I and I'll give you a shout out for that.

Jay Kingley 22:37

Thank you and I'll put that also into the show notes. Laura, thank you so much for being a guest on the show. I think you've taught us all something, you've given us a pretty good call to action, which I would encourage everybody to take advantage of. Until next time, let's continue to crush it out there. Take care.