Terry Flanagan is the founder of Main St. Entrepreneurs, an entrepreneur group that meets on Saturdays to give each other professional advice and support in their respective projects.
In this interview Terry Flanagan gives advice to small businesses looking to grow and how important networking is.
BERMAN BLUEPRINTS is a video interview series with Berman Design's strategic partners and clients.
Transcript
Basam Mohamed El Sayed Gonzalez: Hi and I'm your host Basam. Mohamed El Sayed Gonzalez intern at Berman Design here with Mr. Terry Flanagan. Hi Mr. Flanagan, how are you?
Terry Flanagan: I go by Terry, very comfortable with Terry.
Basam Mohamed El Sayed Gonzalez: Got How are you and could you give us a little intro?
Terry Flanagan: I am a senior executive semi-retired. Have had a lot of experience Selling products in the computer space as well as in the financial services space called employee benefits insurance etc. I've sold and looked at businesses both from the cost of goods sold as well as from the SGA, or the overhead expenses on what it costs to run up business. And that's given me a unique perspective about helping people. I also host an entrepreneur group on Saturday mornings where we help entrepreneurs solve problems and have a safe zone to find solutions and that's where Joel and I met and built a relationship over the years.
Basam Mohamed El Sayed Gonzalez: Yeah, absolutely. And so with that you were saying that you help businesses, what advice would you give to a small business?
Terry Flanagan: It depends on what the situation is and what the advice that they're looking for, but the primary thing is, first of all, you can't be all things for all people, you have to create a focus. You have to be very self-aware of what you do well, It's not that you're going to stop doing other things, but you want to really capitalize on what you do well because you have to deliver value. Everybody wants to get paid for a hundred percent of what they know but a customer or client only wants to pay for the value that they receive. So, if you don't know the value that the client is looking for it's kind of a fruitless conversation. You have to know what they want to receive.
Basam Mohamed El Sayed Gonzalez: And so with that, how important would you say networking is?
Terry Flanagan: Oh it’s extremely important because in a services business like this, like you have, if people don't know who you are or what you do, they aren't going to be able to find you. The Internet. democratizes that makes it easy for everybody to present but if you're not presenting the right image, There. So you're not there and networking, you get the first opportunity. instead of talking about what you do, You get the opportunity to talk about what the client what the prospect that you're talking to actually needs.
Terry Flanagan: it's more important that you understand what they need than they need to know about what you do.
You make the decision. About. Hey, I can't help this person. I'm going to save both of our time and say, Hey maybe you better go talk to XYZ over here. I'm not the right person for you. But if you are the right person, you're discovery or your empathy for understanding their problem. Will put you ahead of your competition.
but I think to me the message back from where I sit and what I find very unique about Joel and the organization. Is your ability to empathize with your clients and understand their needs architecture and understand their needs for branding and value creation. But you put it in such a way that the architect and the building structure that they need will convey that message.
Terry Flanagan: To their clientele and contribute to the value that they create as opposed to just being there. And you create a wait for the client to be memorable and create more value. It's contributory. You're not the single reason that people are successful, but you are certainly something that adds to the value. You do not detract from the value.
Basam Mohamed El Sayed Gonzalez: thank you so much. I appreciate this. I really do.
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