Jay Briggs presents Finding your Niche, talking to the Right People with The Right Message

1. NETWORKING LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD
WAY
BY JAY B R I G G S
M AY 2 3 , 2 0 1 6
S I N G
Contact Info:
Jay Briggs
American Pacific
Jay@jaybriggs.com
925-324-3403

2. NETWORKING LESSONS LEARNED THE HARD WAY
• Go from selling yourself to solving problems
• Talk to the right people with the right message
• Bring passion and enthusiasm to your process

3. WHY ARE WE HERE TONIGHT?
• How many people are seeking a new company job?
• How many people are seeking to start out on your own or to grow what
you have?
• How many professional sales people are here?
• How many people sell products versus services?
Everyone is trying to get somewhere
What we discuss tonight will be useful to anyone that is selling themselves

4. WHY AM I HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS TOPIC?
1. I run a small business
2. in an industry dominated by behemoth institutions
3. and the product I provide is an undifferentiated commodity.
4. And yet, my business was built from the ground up based on
relationships and is completely thriving today.
Being effective is about quality of relationship and clarity of message

5. MY STORY – HOW MOST PEOPLE TELL THEIR
STORY
Note: Focus on Me
27 years in the industry
Work out Real Estate Portfolio involving 100 properties in 14 states during the
S&L failure
• Put people back into to homes
• support property values
• make neighborhoods better

6. MY STORY
Freddie Mac for 10 years
 Created loan workout programs
 Keep people in homes
 Support property values
 Make neighborhoods better

7. MY STORY
• Obtain Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Mortgage Banker
designations
• California connection – My family

8. MY STORY
Self-employment calls
• 2 technology companies
• Vending company
• Marketing company
• Mortgage brokerage

9. MY STORY
Mortgage industry overheats
• No barriers, anyone can become a mortgage person and everyone
does
• No ethical or professional standards of practitioners
• “Anyone” can get a loan

10. MY STORY
Mortgage industry melts down
• Big barriers; industry becomes highly regulated and the stringent
licensing of practitioners implemented
• Most practitioners leave the industry or work for large banks
• Few can get a loan and service is terrible

11. I Found My Calling By Focusing On Hard to Qualify People
• Relationships versus transactions
• Positively impact the lives of others
• Apply my skills, experience and drive
I’m able to bring challenge and meaning to what I do.

12. SELLING YOURSELF – REAL WORLD
1. Most people dislike it
2. Few people are good at it
Why?
• No famous company
• No market reputation
• Nothing tangible to show people
• Discount value of your experience, skills and education
• Fear of sounding full of yourself
Result – Emotional barriers arise and avoidance behavior
ensues

13. EVERYTHING INVOLVES SELLING
Daniel H. Pink in his best-selling book called To Sell is Human, says in
modern times that 87% of all occupations require some sort of
selling. This activity he calls non-sales sales.
To be effective, we must constantly sell ourselves and our ideas. We
may not be conscious of it.

14. GET OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP SELL YOU
Become Referable
• Character
• Credibility
Become Memorable
• Passion
• Niche
• Story

15. SELLING YOURSELF IS ABOUT SELLING YOUR
CHARACTER FIRST?
Talk to fewer people
• Few meaningful conversations at a mixer or networking group
• Face to face in depth conversations
Listen and Learn
• Take genuine interest in others and make them count
• Take notes

16. FOCUS ON THEM
• What is their story?
• Background, circumstance that led them to this point
• What is their goal?
• Do they have clarity? Maybe you can help them get clear?
• Why are they pursuing this goal?
• How does it map to their passion?
• What do they do now to find their target client/job
• Networking, job board, recruiter, speak to groups, etc.
• Who specifically do they want to meet?
• Names, occupations, industries, companies, or personal profiles

17. MASSIVE POWER OF LISTENING AND ASKING
QUESTIONS
• Conveys that the other person matters
• Conveys your self-confidence and humility
• Enables you to possibly help them
• Sets the stage for them to want to help you

18. TRUST AND REPUTATION BARRIER
• Increase their trust and respect in you
• Reduces their reputation risk when referring you
“People want to know you care before they care what you know”

19. BECOME MEMORABLE
• Your passion; your WHY
• Your Niche
• Your Story

20. KNOWING OR FINDING YOUR PASSION
• Explore your experience. Someone needs to know what you know.
• We are all where we are in life for a reason. The lessons we have
learned up to this point have prepared us to help someone in a
meaningful way
• Your mess is your message
• Map what you do to your passion bring enthusiasm and energy.
• Find meaning in what you do

21. YOUR NICHE
• If you try to help everyone, you end up helping no one.
• Narrowing your focus enables your story to mean something to
someone
• You can’t talk to your ideal client unless you know who they are
• Names, occupations, industries, companies, or personal profiles
• Interview your ideal client
• What do they care about?
• What are their fears and challenges?
• How would they benefit if their problems were solved?

22. BUILD YOUR STORY FROM YOUR CLIENT RESEARCH
As the Mortgage Broker to the Busy Business Owner for over 13 years, I
specialize in helping those who are self-employed or have non-wage
income. These people often have variability in income, minimize their
reported income for tax purposes, and have business debt on their
personal credit report. Having been a serial entrepreneur in finance,
technology, vending, real estate, and digital marketing, I know the
struggles and compromises business people may make to stay afloat, and
how these may undermine their efforts to qualify for a mortgage.
My clients rely on my expert analysis, planning, and support to overcome
these barriers, and to help them qualify for a loan when other banks and
mortgage professionals have turned them down.