How to Get a Grip on Your Business – In Just 7 Minutes with Jeremy Macliver

Resources/Links:

• Checkout Jeremy’s Book: https://bluecollarculture.com/unmasked/

Summary

Does it feel near impossible to grow a healthy company culture in your industry these days?

Jeremy Macliver has led multiple companies in the construction, automotive, and service industries. Under his leadership, companies have doubled in size, attracted top talent, increased profitability, and won Best Places to Work.

In this episode, Jeremy shares his insights on how leadership teams can reignite the passion of their employees, and guide them through the process of building a stable, long-lasting organization accountable to their vision.

Check out these episode highlights:

• 01:16 – Jeremy’s ideal client: “I’m looking for those blue-collar companies that are growth-oriented, results-focused, that are more afraid of the status quo than they are of change. So, they’re willing to change, do whatever they need to, but they’re also willing to be open, honest, and vulnerable with their team, their leadership team. Typically, between 10 and 250 employees, and just want business to be easier than it is.”
• 02:29 – Problem Jeremy helps solve: “I help solve accountability, clarity and getting the team aligned on where they’re actually going. And making sure that everybody in the organization is crystal clear on that, and how they affect it. That’s the problem that I solve.”
• 02:56 – Typical symptoms that clients do before reaching out to Jeremy: “First of all, one, profit can be low, or customer satisfaction can be low. And it’s typically because there’s just, they feel stuck, they keep trying everything, nothing’s working. They feel like they’ve hit a wall. Things are harder than they should be, and actually sometimes wondering, ‘Does the business own me or do I own the business?’ And so, that’s what they’re feeling at the time that they’re ready to implement what we got.”
• 04:01 – Common mistakes that people make before they find Jeremy’s solution: “Probably the biggest mistake that they make is really becoming vulnerable with their team. Sometimes they’ll ask for input and their actions and the way they respond causes that to be squashed. So, they ask for it, and then they react in a way that no one wants to give it.”
• 04:53 – Jeremy’s Valuable Free Action(VFA): “Yeah. So, if they asked three questions to their direct reports, what should we start doing, what should we stop doing, or what should we keep doing?And don’t respond to them positively, or negatively, just seek to really understand all three of those.”
• 05:51 – Jeremy’s Valuable Free Resource (VFR): Checkout Jeremy’s Book: https://bluecollarculture.com/unmasked/
• 05:55 – Q: Why did I write the book, “Unmasked,” when there’s already a book that explains what I do?
  A: So, I wrote the book, “Unmasked,” because if you think about a sales call, we’re always trying to get past the gatekeeper. Because that’s where we’re going to get the close. Yet, so often, when we’re building a team, we don’t think of the interview process, is the gatekeeper that’s going to protect the team that we’re trying to build? And so, I put a special emphasis on how do we let people in, or make sure that people don’t come in, to build the right team. I found that that was a missing piece in it all.

Tweetable Takeaways from this Episode:

“Ask three questions to your direct reports.'What should we start doing, what should we stop doing, or what should we keep doing?'.'” -Jeremy Macliver Share on X

Transcript
(Note, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

Tom Poland: 0:09
Hello everyone, and a very warm welcome to another edition of Marketing The Invisible. My name is Tom Poland, and joined today by Jeremy Macliver. Jeremy, good day, sir. Welcome. Where are you hanging out?

Jeremy Macliver 0:20
Welcome. I’m from Phoenix, Arizona.

Tom Poland: 0:23
Where you take your sinuses.

Jeremy Macliver 0:26
Yeah.

Tom Poland: 0:27
It used to be an advertising thing, like, 50 years back. So, you see how old I am.

Tom Poland: 0:32
For those of you who don’t know, Jeremy, he’s involved in an extraordinary company called Traction. He’s led multiple companies in construction, automotive, and service industries. And under his leadership, companies have doubled in size, attracted top talent; which is part of what we’re going to be talking about, increased profitability, and won Best Places in the workforces. Pretty extraordinary. A diverse range of industry, a long and experienced, and a lustrous career.

Tom Poland: 1:01
More importantly for us, Jeremy is going to give us the real oil on, “How to Get a Grip on Your Business,” in just seven minutes. So, Jeremy, thanks for being here. Question number one, I’m going to start the timer now, is who’s your ideal client?

Jeremy Macliver 1:16

Yeah. So, Tom, I’m looking for those blue-collar companies that are growth oriented, results focused, that are more afraid of the status quo than they are of change.

So, they’re willing to change, do whatever they need to, but they’re also willing to be open, honest and vulnerable with their team, their leadership team. Typically, between 10 and 250 employees, and just want business to be easier than it is.

Tom Poland: 1:41
I am going, “Wow,” already. We are in the presence of someone who knows his marketplace and also knows how to articulate the marketing of the marketplace. Jeremy, impressive stuff. First off, folks, I know we listen to this going, “Is that me?” But you want to take a heads up on Jeremy on how he just described his target market because if you can get that sort of clarity, that’s a big step towards getting a lead generation happening. Let’s go do question number two, six minutes left, what’s the problem you solve, Jeremy?

Jeremy Macliver 2:09

Yeah. So, I help solve accountability, clarity and getting the team aligned on where they’re actually going. And making sure that everybody in the organization is crystal clear on that, and how they affect it. That’s the problem that I solve.

Tom Poland: 2:24
So, you’ve got everyone in the organization, crystal clear on what their part is, and how collectively they’re going to get to growth. Okay.

Jeremy Macliver 2:32
Yeah. So, every employee, if you have 250 employees, all of them know exactly, “This is where our company is going, and this is what I do in my seat to help that team go.”

Tom Poland: 2:42
Wow. So, question three, five and a half minutes left, what are some of the typical symptoms that a leader of a business like this is going to be experiencing, with that problem, before they find your solution? What’s going on their business and in their life?

Jeremy Macliver 2:56
Yeah. So, a couple things will be going on. First of all, one, profit can be low, or customer satisfaction can be low. And it’s typically because there’s just, they feel stuck, they keep trying everything, nothing’s working. They feel like they’ve hit a wall. Things are harder than they should be, and actually sometimes wondering, “Does the business own me or do I own the business?” And so, that’s what they’re feeling at the time that they’re ready to implement what we got.

Tom Poland: 3:24
Right. So that’s kind of not in control. It’s not predictable growth and feels a bit like the tails wagging the dog. Thank you, sir.

Jeremy Macliver 3:32
Which causes the results to not be exactly what they know it should be.

Tom Poland: 3:36
Someone ones describe this feeling like they were a pinball in a pinball machine. And they wanted to be the flippers.

Jeremy Macliver 3:43
Yeah, that would be a good way to describe it right there.

Tom Poland: 3:45
Question number four, and just over four minutes left, what are some of the common mistakes that your ideal clients have made before they find your solution? Because we’re talking about smart people or growth orientated, they’re going to try stuff, but they’re not going to get it right. So, what are some of those common mistakes?

Jeremy Macliver 4:01

Yeah. So, they’re smart people, they’re growth oriented. They’ve had a lot of success. Probably the biggest mistake that they make is really becoming vulnerable with their team. Sometimes they’ll ask for input and their actions and the way they respond causes that to be squashed. So, they ask for it, and then they react in a way that no one wants to give it.

Tom Poland: 4:22
Like, “Na, we tried that two years ago, it didn’t work. That’s a stupid idea. Next.”

Jeremy Macliver 4:26
Yep. And so, when everybody put your hands down and it keeps bragging along, and can’t figure out what’s holding them back.

Tom Poland: 4:32
They wonder why the room goes quiet.

Jeremy Macliver 4:34
And their teams got the answer.

Tom Poland: 4:36
And then they complain my team don’t act like they’re in the business. I wish that… Yeah. Okay.

Jeremy Macliver 4:41
It’s their acting, buddy. Sorry.

Tom Poland: 4:43
Alright. Question number five, and we’ve got just under three minutes left, what one valuable free action that a leader of a business like this could take? It’s not going to solve the whole problem, but it might take him a step in the right direction.

Jeremy Macliver 4:53
Yeah. So, if they asked three questions to their direct reports, what should we start doing, what should we stop doing, or what should we keep doing?

Tom Poland: 5:03
Oh, I love that.

Jeremy Macliver 5:04
And don’t respond to them positively, or negatively, just seek to really understand all three of those.

Tom Poland: 5:13
What should we stop doing, what should we start doing, what should we keep doing? Beautiful.

Jeremy Macliver 5:17

Start, stop, keep.

Tom Poland: 5:18
Oh, there’s gold in that one. Thank you, sir. Question number six, two and a half minutes left, what’s one valuable free resource that we could direct people to that’s going to help them even more?

Jeremy Macliver 5:28
Yeah. So. if you go to bluecollarculture.com/unmasked, we actually have seven questions that all of your employees should be able to say an emphatic yes to. And if they can, you will have employee engagement, you will be getting that drive, that push from them that makes them feel like owners.

Tom Poland: 5:47
Perfect. And question number seven, two minutes left, take your time. What’s the one question I should have asked you, but didn’t?

Jeremy Macliver 5:55
Yeah. So, why did I write the book, “Unmasked,” when there’s already a book that explains what I do?

Tom Poland: 6:01
Good question. So, why did you write the book, “Unmasked,” when there’s already a book that explains what you do?

Jeremy Macliver 6:06
Yeah. So, I wrote the book, “Unmasked,” because if you think about a sales call, we’re always trying to get past the gatekeeper. Because that’s where we’re going to get the close. Yet, so often, when we’re building a team, we don’t think of the interview process, is the gatekeeper that’s going to protect the team that we’re trying to build? And so, I put a special emphasis on how do we let people in, or make sure that people don’t come in, to build the right team. I found that, that was a missing piece in it all.

Tom Poland: 6:35
Perfect. Yes indeed, missing piece in the puzzles, specific unmet need. So, folks, the website is www.bluecollarculture.com/unmasked. And I believe you’ve got another book coming out, something about hiring?

Jeremy Macliver 6:51
We do, but that’s top secret. We’ll tell you about that when it comes out. We have an entire system out of it. We have it. It’s working great, but wait till the book comes out. Just go to unmasked and you can join. Yeah. You weren’t supposed to know about that.

Tom Poland: 7:06
That book so remains masked.

Jeremy Macliver 7:09
Oh, yeah, that one’s masked. Not unmasked.

Tom Poland: 7:12
That’s the next interview because I, a little birdie told me about it and it sounds terrific. So, I look forward to that. Something else to look forward to, folks. Jeremy Macliver, thank you so much for your time.

Jeremy Macliver 7:21
Thank you so much, Tom.

Tom Poland: 6:58
Thanks for checking out our Marketing The Invisible podcast. If you like what we’re doing here please head over to iTunes to subscribe, rate us, and leave us a review. It’s very much appreciated. And if you want to generate five fresh leads in just five hours then check out www.fivehourchallenge.com.