Resources in this Episode

Christine Schlonski [0:02]
Hi gorgeous. This is episode number 130.

Cloris Kylie [0:06]
And hello this is Cloris Kylie and you’re listening to Heart Sells! Podcast with Christine Schlonski. Enjoy!

Christine Schlonski [0:14]
Well, I am so super excited to have Cloris Kylie back on the show today, especially because September is dedicated to selling in your truth, to staying in your truth, to what successful people do. And successful people mingle with successful people because you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with. And when you build those long-lasting influencer connections, these people can become your friends. So I’m so excited to have the number one international best selling author of Beyond Influencer Marketing, Cloris Kylie on today because she helps those service entrepreneurs to grow their business by building these long-lasting connections with influencers. And Cloris has been featured on top podcasts, like Heart Sells!, on YouTube channels, TV shows, and blogs. And it’s really, really wonderful the interesting insights she’s going to share with us today. So stay tuned. Well, I am so excited to have Cloris back on the show. And we are going to dive into the amazing topic that’s going to change your business and your influence beyond influencer marketing. Welcome back.

Cloris Kylie [1:35]
Thank you, Christine. Awesome to be here again.

Christine Schlonski [1:38]
Yes. I love the story you shared for the last episode we finished off but when I asked you what was the last thing you, the first thing you ever sold. You said like this little stuff witches. You sold a few and you kept the rest because you love them so much. And I just thought it’s such a wonderful question to really see how somebody starts their entrepreneurial journey. You wanted to share what you really laughed with others. And today, you are the authority for influencer marketing, connected with amazing influencers all over the globe. And teaching people how to do the same, how to be on other people’s shows and blogs that help them to get heard, to get seen, to get their message to the masses, and not just to start or keep working in a tiny field where they don’t have that influence. So by I think by working with influencers, you can become an influencer yourself, would you say so?

Cloris Kylie [2:46]
Oh, yes, definitely. Because, yes, you gain that social proof. But also, as you start spending time with influencers, you become empowered to reach those higher levels. You see the possibilities for you. And then I think your beliefs about yourself really determine what your results are. You start behaving in ways that influence people in a positive way. You behave in ways that I know you grow your business and create more impact. So you become an influencer yourself. And then more also, the more pure feature as an expert in your field, then you gain more influence. You become an influencer. And also sometimes, we didn’t talk about it is that you get to grow your own platform. When I first heard that online radio show, it was a live show on Blog Talk Radio. Yes, I had a really tiny audience. But I didn’t have that much influence. I wasn’t an influencer. But then when I started to bring the other guests, and I started to be a guest on other shows, and those people wanted to listen to my show, and I grow my audience, then my platform became a more powerful way than to reach the ideal audience for other people. So now, I get letters and emails from potential guests, at least two, three times a week, people who are interested to be a being on the show and will see me as all the closest influencer to connect with. So that was just an example of how you can grow your own platform, which you should have, you should never like, let go and not have any content out there. And you know, instead of, you know, connecting with influencers that I think is all about finding the perfect mix, you should have content marketing, be part of your marketing, as well as the influencer marketing. And we’re not going to say that ads don’t work. They play a role, but you should not depend on them entirely, to share your message and to grow your business.

Christine Schlonski [4:49]
Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. And what I also found is connecting with people who, well, I don’t know if like-minded is the right word, but who does something that you admire, that you look up to, that you find valuable. It’s another fun piece in your business than just crafting the perfect ad, and feeding Facebook money. Even though it works. I think there’s, it’s about connection. And that’s for me, businesses, always creating the lifestyle you desire. Having a business you love was Heart Sells! I love connections. But that was also motivation to create the podcast, to deliver free value, to show people what’s out there in the market. And how can they take their business to the next level feeling great about the sales process? So let me ask you, how does influencer marketing go together with this selling better or more?

Cloris Kylie [5:56]
Well, I would say that our influencer marketing helps you sell. Just because you gain influence. You become an authority in your field, you’re connected with ideal audiences who you want to have a chance to connect with if you just did ads or just plain PR. You have somebody who introduces you to their audience. So just because of that, you already have that sort of social proof to position your message. I think the more you’re featured in front of people’s audiences, you can refine your message, which is part of the sales process. So then you know exactly what the challenges you’re trying to solve for your ideal audience are, you know exactly one messaging, you have to have, you know what, how to say it in their words, what resonates with them the most, and what solutions you can create for them. So think, the more you’re featured, the more you learn about your audience, and the better solutions you can create. So then you can sell better. So think is it just kind of all comes together for you to be able to deliver value to more people. And then at the same time, I want you to consider the whole process to connect with influencers, as a sales process itself. Like, we were talking about that a little bit offline, that when you reach out to an influencer, you have to find the best messaging for them. You have to think about the objections, they might have to connect with you and address those objections. So the sales mentality is always there when you’re sharing your message in front of their audience, when you’re connecting with them the first time, and then when you’re reaching out to those ideal clients that have been introduced to you by the influencers.

Christine Schlonski [7:46]
Yeah, I love that. And you know, the more you are connected, the easier it will be. Because when you do a great job, and you deliver the value, the influencers, most likely to recommend you not only to that tribe, but also to other influencers, for certain projects, or product launches, or whatever you’re working on, because they see that you come from that place of giving and serving, and then they are willing to support you.

Cloris Kylie [8:19]
Yeah, that is true. I mean, I’ve been introduced to so many influencers by my first circle of influencers that I created. And of course, when somebody introduces you, that’s the easiest way to start a connection. Don’t feel like you have to have those connections to get started, though. As long as you have value to offer to those first influencers you really resonate with, you can do it. Like, for example, when I first published my article on Tiny Buddha, that first article. I never had a guest post anywhere, okay, zero, all I was doing was writing my own articles. But I realized this is exactly what they want to have on the blog, this is the niche of their audience. This is something they haven’t covered before. But it’s a topic that I think will be popular. So I really studied, okay, what can I do to really deliver tons of value to the readers? So I created the article, sent it to them, they accepted it. And from there, I didn’t just let go and say, “Oh, that was nice. Okay, move on”, I just started to create a relationship with the owner of the blog, Lori Deschene. So because we became friends, then later on, when I would send posts or articles that were not that good, she would get back to me and say, “Cloris, you know, this is nice, but it’s really not perfect for the blog, try to change the introduction, add another step, do this do that”, like she really took the time to actually coach me through the writing process, so I could get my articles published. And if she hadn’t cared about me, she would have never done that, right? But I took the time to really support her and the blog. So that’s why I had so many articles published it, which made a huge difference. So you know, if it’s just a matter of delivering that first piece of value, in once you’re noticed, and you deliver more and more value until you see that the person really wants to help you because it’s natural, right? We all want to help those who help us.

Christine Schlonski [10:24]
Yeah, oh, yeah, that’s so important. We all want to help those that help us. And that works in every direction, right? That’s for your clients, once they love you, and you help them, they will refer you. And the same way you help. And they love you, they will refer you. So it’s a wonderful cycle. And I think that’s also the way that business can be done. And that, you know, business should be done this way. Not in being the pushy, slimy salesperson taking somebody’s money and run but really being genuine, being true to your values and connecting with those people that you support. Because I remember I tried to connect with one influencer where I liked what they did. But somehow my gut feeling wasn’t really aligned. So it was more like a strategic thing. And it totally didn’t work out. And first I was upset, like, “Oh, I was rejected.” But then I thought, “Well, Christine, you know what? You were not really totally honest, it was more strategic decision that you shouldn’t have taken anyway so good for the person to reject you. Because they probably felt that it wasn’t 100% aligned.” So would you say that is really important that you are in alignment?

Cloris Kylie [11:54]
Yes. And they go into the relationship with the desire to help. I mean, it is naturally inhuman that we want to get results. And we want to get them fast, right? So we see an influencer, “Oh, you know, if they promote my book, they promote my program, whatever, that’ll change my business. So I’m just going to go and get that happen.” And you’re going to their relationship with a mentality. And they will see right through it. I mean, the influencers are approached every day, by people who just want to take advantage of them really. They can see it immediately. Even if you don’t say it, like, it just shows through your, the words that you choose through your actions, you know, people see it. So if instead, you say, “Okay, I really resonate with this influencer, I’m going to just help them just because I want to write the I want to help them grow their business, I want other people to learn about their message.” And you start with that, then is different. Then they see, “Oh, wow, this person really is a supporter.” Like, for example, one of the influencers I first had on my show, she’s probably the top LinkedIn expert in Canada. She was well known there, here in the US as well. So I love her blog. I still share her blog as often as I can. So every time she posted an article, I will be sharing it on social media, LinkedIn, particularly, which is, you know, her platform. And I would tag her. So she was like, “Oh, thank you, Cloris.” Thank you, Cloris. Thank you, Cloris, every single week. So when I said, “Melanie, would you like to be on my show?” It didn’t take more than 15 minutes. And I had a message back, “Yes, of course.” And she told me, “I’m so busy. I don’t give interviews anymore. But because it came from you. I just had to say yes.” And I did it, not because I want to Melanie to be on my show at the time, I just thought her articles were amazing. And I just wanted to connect with and share her message with a world. So that’s it. Remember, it’s all about the mentality is the go giver mentality, really. You had Bob Burg, on your show, is one of the people I admire the most, because of that message still, “Be a go giver. You’ll give value first.”

Christine Schlonski [14:16]
Yeah, that’s what we both have in common. We both so admire Bob Burg, for all his amazing work he does on the world. And he has he definitely has on the book, The Go Giver, together with co-creation John Davidman. So easy to forget to give him credit as well. But Bob always makes sure that John is fluid in the mention. So I want to be really mindful of including both. That book really has changed how I saw sales, it made a huge difference in my life. And yeah, reaching out to Bob, I really had to put in the time and the effort to reach out with the intention to connect and to let them know what the book has changed my life. That out of that connection, so many wonderful things evolved. I think it’s the same for you that when you see Bob and his work, he is the go giver, right? Is that person, and bringing that message to the world is so important. So I love your message because it connects all these wonderful people. And I think like having that as an inspiration, even though people might think that they are listening. Yeah, but who am I? They have bestsellers, they have sold hundreds of thousands of copies of their books. They’ve been on stages with the biggest name, but who am I? I just want to point out that they started somewhere. They didn’t start at the top. We all start at the bottom. So can you share some practical steps for people within the last minutes to help them with their business?

Cloris Kylie [16:05]
Yeah, well, the first thing I would say is, don’t do this as something that you do whenever you have time. or whenever you think about it, right? Because then it becomes one of those things you never do. But you know how it is. So you really have to, to support, to expand your network and nurture your network, as a deliberate effort. It really has to be part of what you do as a business owner. Do you have to spend hours a day? Not really, I mean, right now, I would say I spend probably a couple hours a week, nurturing my network, expanding my network, supporting people. If I have a special project with somebody, I would spend more time let’s say that I have an interview that I spend more time of course, summit, you know, a promotion, then you spend more time but that’s actually doing the work, really have that strong network, it doesn’t take a lot of time, but you have to include it in your schedule. And of course, in the beginning, you have to create that network, those first few influencers. So what I would do is definitely select the people who you would love to connect with doesn’t have to be a huge group. To select today, you can go and select three people, just start with three people you truly admire, see how you can best deliver value to them, as I said, some of those ideas and in the guide that I’m sharing with you guys today. So select one of those who come up with your own idea and see what the results she get what feedback, your continuous tacking value on top of value, and then track your progress. Because I’m not going to say that everybody you reach out to everybody you support will then become a close connection, you might realize that, in the end, you didn’t have as much in common as you thought, right? Or they will actually not give back to you and not acknowledge you it happens. You know, it happens. There are people out there who just don’t check their social media or email or nothing. And, you know, you will never hear from them. And it’s okay. So that’s time for you to, “Okay, so while didn’t work out, I move on.” And then really focus on a small group of people who can really help. You still have to follow up, though, it’s common to see people, “Oh, yeah, I tried. I tried, I sent my article. I pitched the idea to the podcast, they never got back to me, this doesn’t work.”, But you never took the time to follow up. So you should always, always expect to follow up in different ways. Sometimes people don’t hear from you one way. Email doesn’t work, reach out to them via social media and LinkedIn, Facebook messages, messages, send them a handwritten note. Always follow up with people to make sure that they really hearing from you and getting your message. Many times people just don’t see it, maybe they’re not aware of it. So you really have to make it a system. Make it part of what you do every day in your business. And then just start small start with those three people see how it goes expand. And then you will have your top, top connections. What I have, I have a list of people, who has grown now. Who is approaching 40 people right now. But that’s it. Start of the people I support every, as much as I can. Every month I support them at least once. So I have the listed printer on my bulletin board. Here, I see the names every day. Okay, what’s going on with Christine was going on with Bob, you know, check what is it that they have that I can support and then I take action. It doesn’t take much but it takes deliberate action. And it takes just being part of what you’re doing your business.

Christine Schlonski [19:50]
Yeah, yeah, I love that. And so powerful. And you know, just when you scroll through social media, leaving a heart or a comment, or just acknowledging that you’ve seen, that they publish the next podcast episode, for example. And you let them know a takeaway or that you like what you liked about the episode, just giving that feedback, and kind of getting on the radar is so important. Because if you think like you would be the person, how would you feel if somebody acknowledges your work? Even though you might have thousands of these posts or comments, it’s still, I don’t think it gets old. It still feels good to know that whatever you do, delivers value to so many people.

Cloris Kylie [20:38]
Of course, yeah, and you, believe it or not, top influencers, even top influencers don’t get as many heartfelt letters or emails as often as you think. You may think, “Oh, they get 100 a day”, not really. If you take the time to write that letter, where you express to them how their message has changed your life. It might be something that they don’t get often. Maybe they get an email or a text message, nice work. But they don’t really, people don’t take the time to really express exactly how it has changed your life. So if you really take the time, if you really care about the person, then you will see that they’ll notice you and of course, they’ll want to help you.

Christine Schlonski [21:23]
Yeah, I totally agree that we take so much for granted. Because it’s there, right? The books exist, the podcast, the shows, it’s all there. But really taking the time to give a rating, enter review, for example, for the wonderful Beyond Influencer Marketing podcast, will be something that’s really supportive and that makes you get on the radar of Cloris and her wonderful Influencer Marketing Guide, which gives you 15 proven ways to be noticed by influencer is available at https://www.cloriskylie.com/heartsells she created that, especially for you as a listener. So thank you so much. Hop on over there and check it out. And yeah, also you find all to her social links on the show notes, and the transcript so you can read it, you can learn it, you can study it, you can highlight all the important golden nuggets that Cloris dropped today because this will make a difference in your business. And then when your business goes well, obviously you have more choices in life. So thank you so much for having been here on Heart Sells! Podcast. I really appreciate you sharing all your knowledge.

Cloris Kylie [22:42]
Well, thank you, Christine, it’s a pleasure.

Christine Schlonski [22:44]
Well, I just love these episodes with Cloris Kylie and I know I say that every time I do an interview, but it is so so true. You can really feel how my guests know their staff and I’m so excited because Cloris spent so much time and connecting and really going deep into influencer marketing and this is such an important topic and she shares her wonderful guide with us influencer marketing guide with 15 proven ways to be noticed by influencers so that you start a relationship with them and grow your business. You can find that at https://www.cloriskylie.com/heartsells, or you just hop on over to https://christineschlonski.com/. Find the podcast tab and find the episode and you have all the links to Cloris right there. The transcripts the show notes, the three key points of this conversation. And thank you so so much for tuning in. Once you are over at https://christineschlonski.com/ and you found the podcast tab, sign up for the empowerment notes, get your empowerment and all the updates on hard sales podcast into your inbox weekly. And whenever I have to share something amazing. There will be an extra empowerment note before you but usually, you get an email from me about once a week. Have an amazing day, wherever you are. And I’m saying bye for now.