Unleashing the Entrepreneurial Storyteller Within with Tom Jackobs

Hello and welcome to this episode of the Unnoticed Entrepreneur with me, Jim Jay. A little bit froggy today in the uk. It's sunny, but a little bit chilly. We're going to Taipei to meet with Tom Jacobs, who is having a company called Impact Pilot, but actually he was previously a pilot as a pilot's license, I believe, Tom Wright. And we're going to talk about how he put a whole bunch of money into shopping carts and showed pictures of himself when he owned a fitness gym. But now he's helping entrepreneurs to get their story right and to really make an impact through proper presentations. Tom, welcome to the show.

Thanks. Thanks for having me, Jim. Glad to be here, but it's my pleasure.

You've moved, you know, in Chicago, as I think where you're from, and you went to university there and you have a degree in theater. You've moved across to Taipei and Taiwan. And thanks for joining me on the show. Tell me a little bit about you. As you know, that part is quite briefly, but I want to hear then about Impact Pilot and why is it important for entrepreneurs to know how to present themselves properly?

Yeah, absolutely. Great question. Yeah. So, you know, I do have a degree in theater. However, once I graduated, I had a job offer making 15,000 a year. And living in Chicago at 15,000 a year, you can barely live under a bridge, I think. So I quickly, I quickly went into the corporate world and, you know, spent 12 years there. And, you know, through the politics and just kind of navigating through corporate bs, frankly, I learned just how important communication really was in everything that we do, whether it's just personal communications or business communications. And, you know, when I opened up my fitness business, it really dawned on me that that was an area that I was really good at and could excel and build my business through the power of, you know, communication. And I really went into public speaking as one of the best and most productive ways of getting new clients and, you know, being able to tell that story, be engaging and have an audience, whether it's one person or a hundred people to go, yes, that's exactly what I want because I know you, I like you, I trust you, and I want what you're offering. And when I got that formula right, business just absolutely took off after it.

Tom, I'd love to hear that formula just a moment. But first of all, you go from theater school to owning a gym, and then, you know, obviously you could be fit as a, as an actor. But just tell me, why would someone think about public speaking if you're running A gym, because most people would think that you're there, you've got, you know, you've got the muscles, you've got the cut shirt and you've got all the facilities and people come in and you selling them a membership. So why was that not working? Why does the traditional route of marketing and selling a gym not working?

Yeah, because it wasn't a traditional gym. So it was really a personal training studio. So we did all one on one training and small group training and some classes as well. And so when doing that, you really have to differentiate yourself from a gym which nobody wants to work out. That's why we have an obesity problem in the world. Nobody wants to work out. And here you are trying to convince people to do something that they do not want to do. It's a very hard sell. And in terms of gyms in general, I think they said it was like 2 or 3% of the population will go to a gym no matter what. It's that other 70% of the obese population that needs to go to the gym that isn't. And so there is something really broken in the way that gyms were trying to attract people. They were attracting people that already wanted to go to the gym and wanted to get healthy and fit. So now how do you get in front of your ideal client? And for me, my ideal client was somebody that didn't want to go to the gym. They wanted to have a community. They wanted to get healthy and fit and not feel like they were in a meat market or they were always having to like fend off the handsy guy or the handsy girl and they just wanted to work out. So in that aspect, I went through my own body transformation and that's really why I started the fitness business. Because I was overweight, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, because I had a high stress job and being in corporate work for 12 years, I had put on quite a bit of weight and I was like 200 pounds at my heaviest. And when the doctor saw me, he was like, well, you're going to be lucky to see 40. And I was 30 at the time. If you don't make a change and I suggest that you take these two pills, one for hypertension and one for cholesterol. I was like, is there another way? He's like, well, some people do this whole thing called diet and exercise, but I recommend just taking the pills because Big Pharma is paying me. But wow. Yeah, it was crazy that I would get such advice from a medical professional and and luckily, he's no longer practicing medicine. But I decided to do the hard work of diet and exercise. And in 12 weeks, I lost that 40 pounds of fat and gained 10 pounds of muscle. But more importantly, my cholesterol came way down, my blood pressure came down, and life got a lot better because I also found that passion for fitness, and that's what got me into personal training and then ultimately opening up my gym and, and owning that for 10 years.

Oh, I see. So, Tom, you, you mentioned there about the personal story. How did you then take that to the potential sort of gym customers? Because, you know, you've got your story there, but how did you go out and share that? Where did you find those people? Because as you say, attractive people to come to the gym, which are quite often fairly cold, slightly smelling venues with people who, whenever I go, I always feel slightly guilty because I never as, you know, fit and as healthy as everyone else there. Right. So, yeah, how did you go and find and present those people, Tom?

Yeah, so I actually went to my current clients and I asked them if they had programs at work where guest speakers could come into and do a lunch and learn or, you know, know, a little seminar or a health fair or something like that. And that is, that was the best decision I ever made, was just to send out a blanket email to all my clients. And I was like, hey, does anybody, you know, offer this at, at your work? And I had like 12 people respond. And almost immediately I was booking one or two events, public speaking events a month, going out. And every time I went and did a talk, whether it was to. I would speak to any group too, by the way, just to get my experience doing it. I went to a gardening group, these six very nice older ladies, and they wanted some stretching advice and some tips and tricks because gardening can be strenuous at times. And so I get cookies and milk. It was a really nice experience. So that was one event, and then another was to a major corporation, Energy Corp. In downtown Houston, to a hundred people. And every single time that I went, I shared my story, I shared some tips and tricks, and I always had a call to Action at the end. And every time, I always got at least one new client every single time.

So, Tom, I think a couple of things in there. You know, I had Brad Sugars on the show from Action Coach, and he just said, you just got to go out and be visible. And he was doing shows, you know, lunchtime and, and dinner time. So you're backing that up with. You just got to go Out. And if you like, just do the reps on your. On your gym metaphor there, Tom. So you also found one or two things with the gym, didn't you, that didn't work quite so well. Do you want to just share with us? You know, not to embarrass you, but we've all spent money on. On activities that you. You put your head in your hand afterwards and go, what was they thinking? But just. It's useful for anyone thinking, you know, that they might do something. Could you give us any examples of what didn't work for you when you were building the gym practice?

Yeah, absolutely. So I had no idea how to sell. I had no idea how to market when I first opened up the gym, which are two very good skills to have as an entrepreneur and a great way to get noticed, right? So I was. I would try anything, and I was like, the shiny object syndrome, like 10, 10x. Like, that's. That's me, like, squirrel, right? And this sales rep came in and Kroger was the. The brand of the grocery store in. In Texas, in Houston, as all over the US as well. But they're like, hey, would you like to have your logo, your name, your picture on the front of every cart in Kroger? And that's. Kroger is like two miles away from my facility. I was like, yes, that would be awesome. I'm going to get so many business. And they're like, yeah, 30,000 families go to that Kroger every single month. Very large Kroger. I was like, wow, that's amazing. And so, yeah, I gave him $9,000 for the year, so about 900amonth. And got him the ad, which was a picture of me without my shirt on and the logo, the address, and a list of things. Not even, like, benefits. They were just features, right? And that's like marketing 101. You talk about the benefits, not the features. So it's like, easy to park, brand new equipment, convenient hours, like, nobody cares. Especially the target audience that I just told you about was the people that don't want to go to the gym. They don't care about parking, they don't care about new equipment. You know, all this stuff that I was trying to market towards, well, that $9,000, I might as well have just flushed it down the toilet because I got zero leads from it. The only thing that I did get from it was just a little bit famous. So every time that I went to Kroger, because that was where I shopped, people would stop and want to look in my cart and see what I was shopping for. And so I. I had to give up the. The beer and cigarettes.

So I thought you're gonna say they wanted it. I don't think. I thought you're gonna say they wanted to see your abs, Tom.

They're like, hey, you're the guy on the cart.

Yeah, incredible. But as you say, we. We all get caught up in some idea. And also this. This idea that proximity and featuring, you know, on the. On the ad would bring you the benefits. But thanks for sharing that story, Tom. You've since sold the business. Just tell me, from a communications point of view, when it came to selling the business, how did you position the company? Because for many people, especially you are the value. You're the founder of the business, selling the company without you being in it. How did you accomplish that?

That's such a good question and something that every entrepreneur needs to know the answer to, and that was preparation. I didn't just wake up and say, you know what, I'm going to sell the business tomorrow. I woke up and I said, I'm going to be selling the business in five years. And I did a lot of preparation, especially the last three years, to make sure the books were all in order. They were showing up profit every single year. I took out all those extra owner expenses that everybody likes to put in to their books so that it shows actually a profit. And yes, I had to pay a little bit more in tax by doing that, but it showed the new owners, you know, progressively more income coming into the business without all the little fluff stuff that, you know, entrepreneurs love to put through their business.

Yeah, exactly, right. School fees were my killer, you know, wiped out any profit we ever made, you know.

Awesome, right? Continuing education, right?

Yeah, yeah, that's right, exactly. So presenting the books. And what about from a branding point of view, Tom? I don't know, because obviously you were not on the Koga on the Kroger shopping charts anymore. But the new owners may have not had that legacy to deal with, but what did they do about the branding?

So the brand. So that was the other big thing that I did, was take me out of the brand. So I didn't train anybody for the last five years. I had trainers that I trained, and I was. And it wasn't named after me either. So it wasn't like Tom Jacobs Fitness. It was Body three Fitness. And by having one the different name that makes it a lot easier to sell than selling your name to somebody else. But also just making sure that there's process and procedures in place because especially for solopreneurs or people that have a small practice, that practice is you. And if somebody's buying that practice, what are they buying? And for me, because I wasn't doing any of the training and because I had SOPs all for everything in the, in the business, it became a very, very easy sell because the new owners were like, I just need to come in and pay you some money. And the business is operating. Hell yeah, I'm going to do that.

Yeah. Tom, that's wonderful. Yeah, thank you for that. Well, I think one of the elements that you mentioned in there was about the branding not being an extension of your personality is a key theme, I think a recurring theme for business owners. I sold my agency in Singapore recently and I'd call it East West PR intentionally for 20 odd years. So it wasn't just me. Tom, nice. Now with Impact Pilot, tell us about what you're doing. Because you have a background in theater, you learn about public speaking and that that was the primary source of getting leads. Tell us about Impact Pilot, what you're doing now and helping entrepreneurs to understand how to present themselves.

Yeah, absolutely. So I have a kind of a three part to that and I call it the three Ps. So we have the presentation itself and that is where we put together that, that sales presentation and the public speaking presentation. And they can be the same one because in, in my world, you can be presenting to one person or to a hundred people. It's basically the same presentation. And then we, we get that all set up because it's, it's more than just sharing information or teaching people. It's sharing information with, with the goal of having somebody do something at the end of that, whether that's just adding an email to your email list or having them sign up for a consultation or having them buy your program right there at the speaking event. So whatever that goal is, we're driving, we're creating that presentation to drive towards that goal. And then so we could definitely stop there and be okay. But, but now we take in my degree in theater and go towards the performance. The second P is performance. So any presentation, you can stand behind a podium, you can read your presentation and bore your audience to tears, or you can ditch the podium, use the entire stage and your body and your voice to now create a performance out of your presentation, which is so much more engaging than standing behind a podium reading your notes and teaching. Right. You want to engage that audience. So that's part of the performance. Piece, and then the last piece is profits, and that's the sales aspect of it. So how do you sell to somebody one on one so that they ultimately buy if they're a good fit? And. Or how do you have a really good call to action at the end of your presentation so that people will actually sign up for your email list? They'll give you, they'll sign up for a consultation or buy your program Right there.

Okay, Tom, so we've got the three Ps, presentation, performance and profits. Sounds also maybe a little bit like could be pitch, because at the end you're, you're pitching what you want them to buy.

What are the.

Some of the hallmarks then, Tom, of a great presentation? Yeah.

So the first thing is your personal story. And this is where a lot of presenters and entrepreneurs shy away from. Because a lot of the first thing I always hear is, well, my story has nothing to do with what I sell. Probably not, but there's probably a story within that story about why you're passionate about what you do. And that's the important part, because you want to show that passion for what you do, especially in a sales presentation, because at the end of the day, people are buying from people, and if they don't know you, like you, or trust you, they're probably not going to do business with you. And sharing a personal story is a way of just connecting with that person.

So in that sense, Tom, the personal story doesn't necessarily have to be sort of an extension of the pitch, but, but rather almost like a positioning for yourself and why you're there in that room at the time. Would that be accurate?

That's a very accurate statement, yes.

Okay. And that's quite reassuring, isn't it? Because then you're not sort of digging to find some maybe tangential reference to why you're selling what you're selling and who you are. But just being present as yourself is what is what matters. Right. Rather than necessarily being an extension of yourself, what you're selling. That's wonderful. And a key element, Tom, of the performance. What would be the number one ingredient that people should look for or should try and put into their performance?

Yeah. So two aspects. One is meaningful movement on the stage, and I add meaningful or just being very conscious of where you are and where you want to go because you'll, I'm sure you've seen the, the tennis match present presentation, they just pace back and forth and it's just, it's horrible. I, I teach people. You talk, you walk, but you don't do it at the same time. So generally you finish, you finish a thought, you're ready to transition into a new thought. You change spots, let's say just an easy hack to create some visual diversity for people to, to enjoy. And the second thing is the vocal inflection. And that is probably more important than the movement itself because that's what, you know, people are hearing that more than maybe what they can see, you know, depending on the stage itself. So being able to change your, your tonality and really match it to what you're talking about. And so that's another skill that a lot of people just don't really realize that they need to develop.

Okay, yeah, that's really, really handy then for the final one for the pitch. Tom, or you call it profit. Sorry, yeah, same thing.

I might actually now change it. I'm on my website now, I'm changing it.

Unless you're selling at a loss, of course then, but only because, you know, sometimes you're not trying to make money. What would be the number one element of the, the profits part of your.

Yeah, so in a sales presentation, like a one on one sales presentation, it's always listening more than you're talking. So what that means is asking the right questions to get the prospect to convince themselves that they need your product or service. Whereas a lot of salespeople like to just kind of jam it down the prospect's throat and say, this is what you need. And the person's like, oh, maybe, maybe not, I'm not sure. But if they're coming up with the idea themselves, then it's going to be a much stronger sale.

Tom, that's fantastic. I know that you've also got a workbook you're going to share, make available. Do you want to just tell us about that? Because that'd be a very, very handy resource because obviously you've got a lot of information. We've only got our 20 minutes on this show, so lots of questions unanswered, but I'd like to come to you. Where can they, where can they get this workbook and what is it?

Yeah, so it's on my website and it's to M J A C K O B S.com storybook so it's TomJacobs.com storybook. And what it is is it's basically a guide to find your personal story number one. And then number two is how to develop that story into the Hero's journey framework so that it, it reads like a Hollywood script rather than just a boring life story that, you know, somebody might just say at a dinner party.

Tom, that sounds great. Because mine's feeling more like a low budget movie than a big blockbuster at the minute. I got to tell you, Tom, with one piece of advice for my fellow unnoticed entrepreneurs from you. You've had over 30 years of business. You been on Kroger shopping trolleys, so you've got fame on your side, you got noticed. What would be one piece of advice that you give my fellow unnoticed entrepreneurs about, you know, getting noticed?

Yeah. So like the one thing that keeps moving business forward is sales. And if you don't know how to sell at a very high level, then that is the number one skill as an entrepreneur you need to do because that's what's going to help you build your business and ultimately get noticed.

Tom Jacobs, thank you so much for joining me from Taipei, a beautiful city, actually. Taipei, if you want to find out about you. Where can they do that?

Yeah, best place is my website, Tom Jacobs dot com.

Great. Tom, thank you for joining me on the show today.

Absolutely. Thanks for having me.

So we've been going to the other side of the world, to Taipei, which is obviously in Taiwan, just south of mainland China. And you've been joining me. I'm just here in sunny Wiltshire. And if you've enjoyed this show, do please share it with a fellow unnoticed entrepreneur and have a review it if you can, would be wonderful. And until we meet again, I encourage you just to keep on communicating and thank you for listening.