00:00:00:00 – 00:00:28:13
Unknown
What would you do if someone asked you to do something that you don’t believe in? Well, that’s what we’re going to be discussing today. I have the privilege and pleasure to have with me, Mark Menard. Mark, how are you? I’m great and so happy to be here with you. Thank you so much. Mark is a dear friend, a student, a graduate of the academy, and more important and up and coming partner with the Academy for Sales excellence.
00:00:28:13 – 00:00:46:01
Unknown
And it gives me great pleasure to bring you to our audiences and, give them a chance to get to know you get to know a bit about what’s on the inside. And maybe let’s begin with a bit about, you know, who you are, where you grew up. And, and, a bit on your story. Mark. Thank you.
00:00:46:03 – 00:01:04:10
Unknown
So I will start with once upon a time, you know, what was that like in the novels and the movies? Yeah. So, no, just to be a bit, summarize my, my journey. I grew up in, France, south west of France, with my dad was, in a former, special forces in the military, so in France Telecom as well.
00:01:04:10 – 00:01:41:08
Unknown
It’s, three commission companies and my mum more on the opposite side wasn’t more than an artist, so I was always in between these two world of, okay, you have to do something. Discipline and then you have to be more creative, imaginative, you know. So and they brought me to basically traveling the world in many places from Europe, from Asia to the Middle East and basically to learn how to be, a person who can make, the other person, I mean, add value to other people on my cells, on my journeys, and on all the things that I was doing in life, basically.
00:01:41:10 – 00:02:02:00
Unknown
Wonderful. So then, how how did your career start? Where did you end up and and and let’s go there. So first of all, I starting to do, business school in France. And then because I was really, really bad in English, my English was really, really poor. I was one of the last one in my school when I was in, you know, in France and bacteria in the.
00:02:02:02 – 00:02:21:09
Unknown
I was about to do an MBA in Australia because this was the only university we did not need it to have an English test, you know. So I was able to do that. And then I started my career in Hong Kong. So I went to Hong Kong and basically I was looking for a job there because I was finishing my third trimester.
00:02:21:11 – 00:02:39:17
Unknown
And when I arrived there, I was looking for a job in 2008. And if you remember, it was the crisis of the surprise. Yeah. And it was really, really hard to find a job there. I wanted to get into the finance industry in the bank, but banks were collapsing, so no way to find something there. And, one day I went.
00:02:39:17 – 00:02:57:18
Unknown
I pushed myself to go to, an event which was organized by the French overseas associations, you know, like the French Chamber of Commerce. And I was not supposed to be invited, but I pushed and I insisted that, no, I need to go there. And they told me, no, no, no, sir. It’s only for members. I know, but I need to go there.
00:02:57:18 – 00:03:18:07
Unknown
And I was pushing, pushing, pushing until the end. They said, you know what, please talk to us. I said, if you if you let me in, I will stop calling you. And this is what we did. So I went there and I met these, French and also, Hong Kong people towards us in Hong Kong. And I realized that the economy was really going down.
00:03:18:09 – 00:03:44:04
Unknown
But I kept pushing. And I met a gentleman there who asked me. He liked the way I was approaching him. And it was at the end of the the event, and he gave me his business card. And basically I had the chance to then see CEO the following day and apply for, a job in, the insurance brokerage firm, which I have no idea about, but it was about cells, and this is always starting my career.
00:03:44:04 – 00:04:05:23
Unknown
So you started selling insurance? Yes. Health insurance. Health insurance? Yes. Okay. So so tell us what happened then. So you started there and then what? Well, I mean, this was one of the most challenging experience, because don’t forget that when you come from a foreign, when you come to a foreign country and especially when you used to have a French culture, I when you arrive in Hong Kong, you know, totally from the way.
00:04:05:23 – 00:04:26:17
Unknown
Yeah. The way of working so different the 35 hours per week that we have in France does not exist. It’s like 50 hours, 60 hours. Right. So this is a big jump on that. And also I have to learn from everything. And the issue that I was facing was the management was really intense. And the people that was I mean, the management was really, really tough.
00:04:26:19 – 00:04:50:07
Unknown
It was always working long hours, like sometimes I was working. These were the Hong Kong, management or I mean, the management was French. Oh, it was a Hong Kong company. Okay. But the owner was French. And it was really, really intense. Okay. But basically I always said that, you know, what’s what’s what’s any challenge that we have in life brought us a lot of good things.
00:04:50:08 – 00:05:11:02
Unknown
So at that time, I didn’t really see that I was struggling because I was working long hours and it was pushing me, pushing me all the time. So I was barely sleeping for months. And this is where after something really big happened to my life, what happened? Well, at only 27 years old, I had a near-death experience. Because of what?
00:05:11:04 – 00:05:35:19
Unknown
A near-death experience or death experience? Because of the heart attack. And it was. It was an acute myocarditis. So an inflammation of the heart muscle, which was exactly the same as a heart attack, because basically I was basically collapsing and I was traveling in Thailand after a beach day because I was exhausting with all the pressure that I was getting through, through my work and through the intensity.
00:05:35:19 – 00:06:01:00
Unknown
And I was always letting, the management to whatever, you know, with me, I wasn’t putting boundaries. And this is where I end up in this hospital bed in Bangkok in Thailand. And I had this amazing experience. Wow. Thank you for sharing, Mark. I mean, it feels like you’re this young, passionate, French, person who really wants to face life head on.
00:06:01:00 – 00:06:31:17
Unknown
And, you know, you found you found an entrance, you made the door, you created that door, and then maybe where you entered was full of, maybe I hear the word, you know, challenging, difficult pressure, a type of, of of an environment which then led to you collapsing and, you know, and and now you’re you didn’t, I guess you said Thailand, you’re in Thailand, you’re sitting there.
00:06:31:19 – 00:06:56:13
Unknown
What was going on through your mind? Well, it was, already a couple of months that I was really living on and off because I was not sleeping at all. And I was doing a lot of sports. And this is why I survived the when I got my heart attack, because I was also running a salsa association. I was teaching people how to dance just to get clients, because at sales you need to find ways to attract people, and people needs to like you.
00:06:56:13 – 00:07:14:04
Unknown
They need to see what you are. You know and understand the mindset of who you are. So that’s why this is my way of contributing to the so getting clients, you know, and that. And the more I was pushing myself, plus the management pressure, plus the anger and the one of the key factor that happens, what why I got this heart attack.
00:07:14:04 – 00:07:40:18
Unknown
I had a huge argument with my, my boss at that time just before to go to Thailand, and the anger was so high that I cried so much cortisol into my body because of the anger that I was created, that this heart attack just blows up. Basically. Wow, wow. Thank you again for sharing in this. I can see the the the emotions there, but now I can see you more calm a bit more.
00:07:40:20 – 00:08:03:19
Unknown
You know, more relaxed. So, so from your hospital bed in Thailand, right to, to where you are. Take us. Fast forward. So. So how did that, you know, how did things turn out? Well, I realize in life, like, everything happens for a reason. And I realized that. Why did this happen to me? This is because of my boss?
00:08:03:21 – 00:08:39:01
Unknown
No, this is because of the work environment. No. Is it because I was getting too much pressure? No. It’s because of me. Why? Because we always realize that we do not put boundaries to ourselves and to other people. So I realize now, enough. It’s enough. Now I will put boundaries. Respect is number one for me. If I do not have respect with the people that I’m working with, then I have no longer have to work with them.
00:08:39:03 – 00:08:59:05
Unknown
And this was my motto. So it was a blessing to get this wake up call right? Because thanks to that, I realized that I was accepting everything. So you were a yes man. I was a yes man for everything. I’m still yes man for opportunities. Yes. But I’m not a yes man for getting my attention and getting people sucking my energy away.
00:08:59:05 – 00:09:21:20
Unknown
Give me an example of a sucking energy moment that, used to happen with you. Okay, so, for example, I would. This is good because I think here, this, this, you know, making boundaries. I think today, more and more space professionals need to realize that in order for you to get what you want in life, you need to make sure that you create your own, your own boundaries and your own rules.
00:09:21:20 – 00:09:54:12
Unknown
And of course, it has to come with the simple rule in life is the more you give, the more you get. But now we need to see. Tell us a bit more. Yeah. I mean, one of the key factor. What why it brought me to this, heart attack when I was in Bangkok. And just. It was just a few days before my travel to to to Thailand was because I was, asked by the CEO in the last minute to prepare, like many insurance quotations for health insurance, life insurance, insurance, business insurance for a gentleman, which was in the post office.
00:09:54:14 – 00:10:14:13
Unknown
And basically my boss asked me to do that in less than two hours, where I was going to a meeting to see a client that I also promised. I’m going to see so and also to prepare other quotations. So basically, I had no time to do all of this. And he was pushing me and I told him, listen, I can do it tomorrow.
00:10:14:13 – 00:10:37:11
Unknown
But now I cannot in two hours. And he was very insistent and it was really pushing me. And and the knowing the respect was crazy. You know, I felt like I was a slave, basically. So I was so angry. My anger went up to the roof and at one point I went to see the manager and I told him, listen, if you’re not going to help me, I’m going to smash it all and I will not do anything.
00:10:37:13 – 00:10:58:08
Unknown
So you help me or no more. I didn’t say that at the time because I was not. But I like this world. So you know so. And in that way. So the general manager helped me to prepare some of the quotations. I was able to do some of them, and then I have to go to a meeting. And then I went to my meetings because I could not not, not go to my meeting.
00:10:58:08 – 00:11:14:16
Unknown
It was very important. It was a signature client to sign a new client, and there was pressure to do money sales. So in one with the boss asked me to do quotations and sometime he was pushing me to sign. Yeah. So I go to the person who is going to sign right away and then it can wait to an hour.
00:11:14:16 – 00:11:34:15
Unknown
So I went an hour later, not up to two hours, up to three hours. I gave everything to him. And then you look at me, he said, what about this insurance with this really tones? And I was like, well, I mean, I didn’t have the time to do everything because. Because I do not also have this information. Oh, you know, you should have give it to him.
00:11:34:17 – 00:11:56:20
Unknown
And this is where I explode. I explode basically. And then it was the cherry on the cake which was exploding. Everything was exploding. And I. Something to tell him. Now it’s enough. You treat me like shit. I don’t want you to talk to me like that anymore. And you want to do your quotation. Do it yourself. And I left.
00:11:56:22 – 00:12:20:02
Unknown
But the anger, the cortisone I was creating was huge because I was accumulating all these layers of frustration and and hate and anger for all these months lack of sleep. I wasn’t sleeping anymore as well, and there was no like, what was the stress? And then when I went to Thailand for her, this there with my one of my best friend.
00:12:20:04 – 00:12:43:10
Unknown
So this was an event that actually led to this other thing? Yes, definitely. Because I was building up the stress. The anger was there. And on the last day before to go back to Hong Kong, going to this minibus from Co Summit to Bangkok, it was like four hours driving in the minibus, I had this strong heart pain in on the chest.
00:12:43:16 – 00:13:02:20
Unknown
My left heart, I was headache, I couldn’t breathe anymore. I was sweating like crazy. I couldn’t, you know, like I basically I was losing every sight, you know, like. And I was asking my friend to hold me in my hands because I feel like I need energy, you know, I need I’m being very I’m collapsing, basically. And I know it’s my heart.
00:13:02:22 – 00:13:18:00
Unknown
And this is where I went to the hospital. And then they took me in the emergency room, and basically I went up for a couple of minutes, went on the other side. So, and it’s not my time. You know what they’re talking about. Know, I have too many things on this planet, you know? So, I need to do more things.
00:13:18:00 – 00:13:45:24
Unknown
And also, and basically, you know, I explained that in a book that I wrote. And what does the book mean? It’s called all for a purpose, that at the moment I’m refurbishing it and add the other story of my Lebanese experience, Colombian experience, basically to try to to help people with similar situations, to understand that everything that happened to us with challenges, it’s actually a gift.
00:13:46:01 – 00:14:09:01
Unknown
Why? Because we learn, we experience, we feel, we have the emotions. And once we understand that we are much more than the human being, a being, a human experience, we are actually much more than that. We, all of us, our souls. And we have to do something. And when we realize that we are helping others, we are adding value to people’s life.
00:14:09:01 – 00:14:31:08
Unknown
This is where we feel fulfilled. This is what I understood. Absolutely. And that’s why I wanted to create these books, not to make money, just to. First of all, I have a therapy as well to help me release all this and also share it because I think people, a lot of people are going through similar experiences, but they don’t put words into emotions and feelings.
00:14:31:08 – 00:14:54:13
Unknown
Absolutely. You know, you talk about everything happens for a reason or everything is there in front of mine. Sad things don’t happen to you. They happen for you. Yes. So these actions or these events in life form us and the way we interpret them. Right. And what you said, you realize that, you know, step number one is respect, right?
00:14:54:13 – 00:15:23:05
Unknown
So this was one of the, the rules, the boundaries that you kind of put, put, from that moment, if we were to go back there, anything else happened in to the cells part? So, so, so so first you said you want to put boundaries. Yes. And then what? Yes. First was boundaries and starting to respect myself, number one, because if you want others to respect you, you first have to respect yourself.
00:15:23:07 – 00:15:46:06
Unknown
This is where I went into a discipline mode. What is discipline mode? I starting to basically change everything that I was seeing in my life. I said, if you want to keep being healthy, if you want to achieve a lot of things in life, you must take care of your temple, which is your body. Your mind, your emotions and your physical body.
00:15:46:08 – 00:16:16:20
Unknown
So I started to do meditations, breathing exercises. I starting as well to do exercise on a regular basis, because if you do not feel good into your body, how can you functions in this reality? It’s impossible, right? And if you want to be an example for others, for your family, for your friends, for your kids, you must be in such a way that people relate to you not by your words, but by your action.
00:16:16:24 – 00:16:46:19
Unknown
Right? Because actions talks words, but words depends what you do with it, right? So this is what something to do. And then I something to said never again disrespect will be there. And once you know exactly that disrespect is not part of my vocabulary, then you know where you go. And then all you interaction that you have with people, it’s clear because you know, that you will react right away and say, sir, don’t respect me or I’m leaving.
00:16:46:21 – 00:17:20:11
Unknown
What’s finished. And by doing this, people realize that they need this. Everyone need boundaries. We need rules, right? The functions. I thank you for sharing. And I think here there is a lot of, a lot of deep insights that, you know, you spoke about knowing, respecting yourself, of course, respecting others, but knowing when someone is trying to disrespect you and then just having the power to say, I’m not going to take that.
00:17:20:13 – 00:17:49:14
Unknown
And, you know, putting that boundary in sales, a lot of time we feel as safe professionals that we need to go after every single deal. But it doesn’t have to be like that. You know, there’s something called the ideal customer profile, where, you know, there is certain commonalities and demographics, psychographics and values and goals, which kind of makes us understand and and find the type of clients that we are more likely to to actually monitor and match and find this, this common bond.
00:17:49:16 – 00:18:18:03
Unknown
Right. And this those are great relationships to what to service as opposed to those that feel that because I’m giving you business, you have to work for me. You know, Habib doesn’t work like that. You know, it has to be a win win. We are equal, as opposed to, you know, I’m a slave to that. So I really think this is a big, big statement because a lot of sales professionals, it’s only when they get that, you know, having this walk away power, it does give this this, you know, we don’t do it in an arrogant way.
00:18:18:04 – 00:18:44:07
Unknown
None whatsoever. We do it in a way because we know who we are. Yes. And if the customer is not, willing to, to kind of, recognize who they are, you know, who we are to them, then then that just kind of crosses that line. So great respect, discipline. You spoke a lot also about the mind and the body in a sense where, a lot of it can actually be be interpreted in terms of great sales professionals.
00:18:44:07 – 00:19:09:04
Unknown
You got to take care of yourself. So if you’re not taking care of you, who’s going to take care of you? You know? So, yeah. So, so having these, these elements. So so then what what what happened? Mark, then I got this opportunity to, so after my heart attack to basically I’ve been approached by, a company we wanted to recruit someone to set up their own insurance brokerage firm in Hong Kong.
00:19:09:06 – 00:19:30:07
Unknown
And funny enough, that’s why I always believe things happen for a reason. Because the why I’m here now, sitting here right now, depends on the one answer I give to one question, which was I was in the insurance brokerage firms, you know, with my boss, I can, I came back, so it was before my heart attack. Right.
00:19:30:09 – 00:19:48:01
Unknown
And my general manager came to me and said, Mark, can you replace me? I need to go to a meeting in 15 minutes in the Mandarin Oriental. Can you go on my behalf? I said I have to meet. He told me I have to meet these very important clients. The guy is British and I cannot go there.
00:19:48:03 – 00:20:16:16
Unknown
Can you go on my back? Yeah. Of course. I went to this meeting. And during this meeting it was actually someone are looking for someone to set up his own firm in Hong Kong. So that person changed his name, and it was known into the passport business. And basically I had two hours conversation with him because he was, but about insurance, not about getting the job.
00:20:16:18 – 00:20:40:06
Unknown
And he basically recruited me with all these questions, and he liked me and introduced me to his business partner, who then offered me the opportunity to set up the own subsidiary, you know, Kong entrance brokerage firms when I was only 25 years old, 27 years old, sorry, 27 years old. So and this is where I and I wanted to do that.
00:20:40:08 – 00:21:05:02
Unknown
And then I started to set up this company on my own, just with the financing of, these shareholders and basically starting to sell during the day, and doing the paperwork during the night. So now you went into a similar industry, but now you are setting it up from scratch. So you’re doing the business development and you are the admin in the back end?
00:21:05:02 – 00:21:35:11
Unknown
Yes. Trying to kind of balance things. I was a single man doing the show, you know, you are a one man band. Exactly. I was doing everything, you know, like the guys with all the musicians. Yes, it was that and I did it for a year. Right. I think this, but no. So. So which was more difficult for you, you doing all the work or getting instruction for someone to make you do work that is not, well, no, because the fact is, I told them, I know Hong Kong.
00:21:35:13 – 00:21:58:17
Unknown
I know how it works. Trust me. And these guys trusted me. So I had the flexibility to do everything that I wanted to. So then I have free hands, and I was basically doing everything that I could to bring business together. And after one year, I told them, listen, if you want me to grow the business, I need an assistant.
00:21:58:22 – 00:22:27:14
Unknown
But to do that, you need to need to invest more for to pay the salary of the assistant. For me to just focus on sales. Because if I’m doing the administration work, if this is a time I don’t do on meeting people, because at the time it was not as easy as it is now. You know, with online marketing and everything, I have to go basically, physically go and network and face to face and all these things, talking to many people and make people know, oh, I like this guy.
00:22:27:14 – 00:22:49:24
Unknown
You know, like he’s talking about insurance, I trust him. Let’s let me do that. And then they accepted it. And once I got my assistant, the sales just skyrocket. Skyrocket, you know, and then starting to get more clients, individual clients, corporate clients. Until the time that, they proposed me to go to another endeavor in Lebanon, so decided to sell the business.
00:22:50:01 – 00:23:13:10
Unknown
So. So you lived in Lebanon? Yes, I was way. Yeah, sure, sure. You know. So, and the friend say, wait, I. How many years you lived in Lebanon? So six years. Six years? Yeah. It was a lot of like. Did you meet, any. Did you marry someone in Lebanon? Yeah. No, I did. I mean, the subject is quite.
00:23:13:10 – 00:23:38:04
Unknown
Could be complicated. It was, But. Yeah. No, I mean, after I saw the business in Hong Kong, I got this opportunity to set up a subsidiary of a company in to the passport business. This is when to enter the immigrations and dealing with high net worth individuals to sell them, securing a second passports. And because of the situation at the time, it was end of 2015, it was started the war in Syria.
00:23:38:04 – 00:24:02:16
Unknown
And a lot of people were looking for a plan B, right? So that’s why I moved to Beirut after leaving Hong Kong. My seven and a half years in Hong Kong and from Asia to Lebanon, knowing that I have to remove my Asian no CD or MP3 maybe. No. It’s that we don’t want to ship. Yeah, ship and put the bank one with the Lebanese.
00:24:02:16 – 00:24:34:23
Unknown
Where? Okay, now learn as a child again, because all the time we arrived to another country. What we know means nothing. And then this is where you realize that we need to not judge others, not judge other cultures. Because once we go to another culture, what we think it’s true. It’s not. And that’s why all the things that are happening into the into the world right now, because we don’t listen to each other, we don’t try to understand who is this?
00:24:34:23 – 00:25:12:13
Unknown
We don’t try to adapt. When I’ve been from one country, one culture to another to another, you realize like, whoa, war starts because we don’t understand. We don’t listen to each other. Wow. That’s, that’s quite deep. Which is. Right. We don’t listen to each other or we don’t understand. But when you are now looking at things from the angle of that other culture, you understand and you have more clarity and you realize, maybe we don’t mean bad, you know, it’s just we have different ways of saying things and it means different things to different people.
00:25:12:15 – 00:25:43:02
Unknown
Exactly. And that’s why cells, it’s all about cells identity. How do you present yourself? How do you understand the other person’s needs? Right. And when you go from one country to another, the needs change. Right? Values change, right? Because not depending of what is true, what the religion part. So you need to listen first. And that’s why I love about the cells parts of that because life it’s all about selling yourself right.
00:25:43:04 – 00:25:59:10
Unknown
If you want to find a girlfriend or a wife you have to sell yourself. If you want to sell your car you have to sell the benefits of the car. But you need to understand what the other needs, wants, yes, wants and needs. So it’s all come back from what the other person needs, not what they want, what they need.
00:25:59:12 – 00:26:18:17
Unknown
That’s right. And this is where the whole concept of wow, I can really help people here. Absolutely. So let’s let’s talk a bit about how how you currently help people. So currently you said you’re in the in the passport business. Yes. And we met about a year and three months ago Jan 2024. Oh, wow. You remember exactly date.
00:26:18:18 – 00:26:43:24
Unknown
Yeah. Because that was on my calendar. We had like that as a result of that. And, and then, you know, so I really got to know more about your business, and I think you’re somebody that’s quite fortunate to have lived in multiple different countries, to have this flexibility, this mobility, this freedom, to an extent that many of your clients are, are seeking.
00:26:44:04 – 00:27:16:22
Unknown
Yes. Yeah. So, so, actually, what what made you want to invest in the sales training programs, the systematic selling strategy program, which today I’m going to give you this beautiful, certificate, to, to to put onto your collection there. Thank you on that. I know it’s a pleasure, but you know what? What made you want to I mean, at the time, you’re quite successful to have someone as senior as you to actually, humble themselves and say, you know, I want to learn more, but just you want to give your your angle to it.
00:27:17:02 – 00:27:37:12
Unknown
Yeah. Well, I realized that in life, we never stop learning. Number one, you know, people who thinks they know everything, it’s we don’t know everything. We always need to improve ourselves and everything that we do, and especially with the world that we live in today. If you know everything today, it’s changed tomorrow. Exactly. So you no longer know it’s, you don’t know.
00:27:37:14 – 00:27:55:07
Unknown
That is true with AI, with all the things you keep need to adapt yourself to new methods. Yeah, absolutely. And basically I, first of all, when we met through a common friends and introduced to me, to to you and I realized, like, wow, I like this guy, I like romance. No, I like the synergy is Lebanese.
00:27:55:09 – 00:28:20:23
Unknown
I know the Lebanese culture. And I’m not Lebanese, I’m French, but, you know, but I got a lot about the Lebanese culture after living in Lebanon for six years. And I realized that the way that you presenting things makes sense. And I said, you know what? I can really like fine tune my sales techniques and really understand what I’m missing, because I knew I was good in sales, but I didn’t know where and why it was good.
00:28:21:00 – 00:28:52:14
Unknown
Wow. Once you put a why of what you’re doing when you put consciousness, meaning that you know why you doing something, then you can put a systematic plan to make it happen. Because most of the time in our life, in everything that we do, in everything that we do, it’s automatic. It’s a habit, it’s autopilot. Yeah. But when we start to understand, okay, now when I do a sales, I need to understand there’s a structure of my sales boom, boom, boom, boom.
00:28:52:15 – 00:29:16:03
Unknown
And when I started to do the program with you, it’s opened my eyes. I realized what I was doing right. I realized what I was doing wrong, and I realized how I need to structure point by points to basically help my clients. At the end of the day, when when you say sales, sometimes it’s a big word. Yeah.
00:29:16:03 – 00:29:39:11
Unknown
For people, oh, you’re in sales, so you’re the bad guy. I said, sorry, I’m not a sales guy. I advise, how do I advise? Because I’m here to help you decide what’s best fit for you. To do that, I need to discover you needs that you don’t even know. It’s, People are one that you. I want the passports.
00:29:39:11 – 00:30:02:20
Unknown
Are you sure you want the passports? This one? Yes, I want that because my friends did it. Okay. Before that. Before. I’m going to explain you the different passports. Let me ask you a few questions about you, what you need and who you are. And something that I really, really enjoy in your program. Premise was one thing which took my mind.
00:30:02:22 – 00:30:31:18
Unknown
It was the pain and the gay questions. I was like, wow, that’s powerful. Basically the pain questions, asking the pain questions, why? What will be the consequences of you not having a second passport or second residency for you and your children and your family? I think it can be. Do you see yourself going back to your home country?
00:30:31:18 – 00:30:56:00
Unknown
Do you have a plan B? I have three Plan B’s myself with three different residency permits. I do it for myself. I know because I want to anticipate. Yeah. So then asking the question, the butt, the pain questions, you realize what’s important for the clients is needs. Yeah. Then the game questions. What will be the importance of you having it?
00:30:56:00 – 00:31:22:03
Unknown
What will it change in your life? And then the clients do the sales on my behalf. He’s explaining why he needs it. And this is where now I know what the client is looking for. I know what’s important for him. Then I based on that because I know all the different programs, the residency, the citizenship assessor, based on what you told me, these two programs.
00:31:22:03 – 00:31:44:05
Unknown
So these programs will be the best suited. Yeah. And then I come back because this. You told me that, right? We’re getting you kids these programs reply to you need not this one that you need looking at. Yeah. And then I go back and forth and then some. Mark you’re right. This is exactly what I need. Yeah. When can we start?
00:31:44:07 – 00:32:13:00
Unknown
This is how you build trust, man. Yes. I’m going to just build on a few things that you, beautifully mentioned. Mark, you spoke about. I was successful, but I did not know the why and how. Right. So a lot of people do things. But are they able to recreate these things? So sometimes you get a say, but you don’t know what one thing you did that got you to say when we went back and started, you know, mapping the actions against our, our process.
00:32:13:02 – 00:32:33:21
Unknown
Right. And now it’s about there is a concept in sports or in learning. It’s called deliberate practice. So if I play tennis while tennis you know you have to serve. So that is how you throw the ball, how you put your hand, how you hit it on the angle. So you can break it down into these specific parts and you can practice them.
00:32:34:02 – 00:32:58:14
Unknown
Yes. And that’s exactly what we do for people. We actually go from just driving a car to really going to becoming a Formula One driver. And that’s a complete different game to beat by Abel. So this, this concept and I, I love, you know, you pointed to something that I discovered by you know, I’ve been in sales for more than 36 years now and in this region for the last 21.
00:32:58:14 – 00:33:18:06
Unknown
And the biggest thing that I know that people, people still still mess up is this need analysis. Is this ability to really understand. People are so fast to want to offer a solution, even when the customer comes and tells you, I want to buy this, you say, well, you know, I love to sell it to you. Let me make sure that you’re actually buying the right thing for you.
00:33:18:06 – 00:33:37:06
Unknown
Allow me to ask you a few quick questions just so that I can, I can ensure that it is the. It’s going to help you achieve what you want. Yes. Right. And the way that you do it, I love your, your, your passion and, you know, so, again, your passion, your willingness, you know, you’re putting your value, respect.
00:33:37:08 – 00:34:06:09
Unknown
You’re respecting other people. You’re helping them get what they want. And as a result, it’s giving you what, what you want. So I love this this basic fundamentals, you know, these basic fundamentals or what? Drive, drive performance. Yes. You said a lot of things I love. Also, your, your, you know, knowing back in 2008 when, you know, 2008, 2009, you know what, the world was different.
00:34:06:09 – 00:34:38:01
Unknown
You had to rely on your physical skills to go and meet people and network and build these relationships. Can you tell us today whether you’re talking with people in different, different markets at the end, we know that people buy from people they know. Yes, like and trust. So I am going to buy. And the way trust is built is, you know, people I don’t know that you’re honest, that you’re capable, you know, ability, reliability, that they need to know that you care and, and then you have to, to, to build that rapport with them.
00:34:38:01 – 00:35:11:02
Unknown
So, what are what would be some, maybe 1 or 2 tips that you would give a salesperson or the audience is watching us today that if you were to do it again, if you were to start from ground zero, and maybe today people are listening and I want to talk about your future as well with the Academy and what what are what are the plans, but what could be two things that anyone today can keep in their mind and take small actions to improve their game and say, well, I miss we have two years.
00:35:11:03 – 00:35:32:23
Unknown
Yeah. One knows. Yeah. And this was my mistakes when I starting this, business. I was talking too much. So you had two months and one year. Exactly. No, I was like this, you know, and because of that, because I wanted to show to the clients, look, this is good for you. Let me tell you why. And I was tutu, tutu, tutu, tutu.
00:35:33:00 – 00:36:05:03
Unknown
I was going too fast. Speaking too fast, speaking too much. Why? Because I, I really, genuinely believed it was the best thing for the clients, right? But I was missing the fundamental rules of sales. Listening to what the clients needs. And to do that, I first had to ask questions. If I do not ask questions, how will I know what you needs?
00:36:05:05 – 00:36:36:05
Unknown
So my first advice for you audience it’s ask questions first and listen. And then once you get the answers ask more deeper questions. Then you client will really appreciate the fact that you really care. And you really try to find out why do they need your service. Why did they need your product and wants to get this information.
00:36:36:07 – 00:37:04:23
Unknown
Then you will be listened to you very carefully because he knows that you really care for him. And once you care for someone, it’s coming from your heart. You’re taking heart to heart and once you stock heart to heart to someone else, the guy knows that you want the best for him. You know, I am very tempted to do a little practice with you here, and I’m coming to you and ask me, so why would you want a second pass?
00:37:05:00 – 00:37:21:12
Unknown
So ask me the first question. Let me give you the answer. Okay. Why would you want to have a second passport from us? Because I want a second passport. I’m Lebanese, I want the second passport. Okay. So do you have a family remis? Yes, yes. You have kids like you. How old are you kids? Four and six.
00:37:21:17 – 00:37:39:20
Unknown
Okay. What do you have in mind for the future to do? Do you want to go back to Lebanon for them? Or we can. Okay. Well, yeah, because of what’s happening. So basically, what do you say that you having a plan B for your kids will be something important? Yes. Okay. Then you say you want a second passports.
00:37:39:20 – 00:38:03:21
Unknown
But what kind of passport? Because you have the cheapest passports. You know where basically in the Caribbean that you can get. But do you want to go and live in the Caribbean? No, probably. I’m thinking it kind of open doors for them. So first is education. Yes. Then of course, being able to have access to, to the, to to let’s say place that has a good economy.
00:38:04:02 – 00:38:23:10
Unknown
Yes. Okay. So then in that case you, you first need to understand where do you plan in the future. So if you’re planning to go to Europe or to the Caribbean or elsewhere, I need to understand first what you need and what’s its new plan. So you’re talking about education. So are you talking about Europe for your kids, for example?
00:38:23:10 – 00:38:45:21
Unknown
Maybe. Maybe or us? Us okay, I started in the US, so maybe that’s okay. So then based on that, for example, you have a few programs. You have tourism C program in the US where we can get you access to the US, or you can even get to EU passports like in Malta, for example, which give you access to 180 countries without having to have a visa.
00:38:45:21 – 00:39:03:21
Unknown
First of all, you have freedom of movement. But not only that, you have you have options to go and study in all European countries, and you can go to the US with no visa. But to get at the university, you need to apply for a residency there, which is going to be easy with your EU passport. Right? You see.
00:39:03:21 – 00:39:30:10
Unknown
So I need to first to understand what you need in order for me to advise you in. But then based on your budget and when do you want to implement it? Then I can help you and guide you on that. Absolutely. So sometimes people come one thing, that second passport, but you can see all the baggage that I was holding, you know, and then people start talking all, well, send me a quotation and then a quotation is sent.
00:39:30:10 – 00:39:57:01
Unknown
And then you never hear from this customer. Yes. You know that are people I need that are hesitant or they are resistance to, to to change. They are like, you know, well, I said, I have my own way. All right. What do you tell such people? Well, yeah, because they don’t know what they don’t know. So basically these people are afraid to be out of their comfort zone.
00:39:57:03 – 00:40:24:06
Unknown
And actually it’s human nature. Yeah. Because we have a survival brain inside. And you will be more focusing on what we know. We feel comfortable with what we know than going out of the comfort zone. It’s to have a better life and better future, because then it’s also sure you, you fears you doubt your your weaknesses, your weaknesses, and people don’t want to see their weaknesses sometimes because we say, oh man, I have to work on it.
00:40:24:08 – 00:40:49:06
Unknown
Yes, but what do you want? Do you want to be better or do you want to stay there? And trust me, something runners, if you do not change with your own decision, life itself will take care of you. External event is going to push into you and trust me. Life. Do not put gloves so Pam. So yeah.
00:40:49:06 – 00:41:12:01
Unknown
And it’s going to be hard. So the lesson is much better. If you choose to make the change yourself then it’s life will will bring you an unexpected Evans will slap you and then. Oh, man, I really have to change. No. So that. And I’m because I’m being so aware since I’m a little boy about this. I said, what?
00:41:12:03 – 00:41:30:07
Unknown
Let me out of my comfort zone? I was scared like hell. Yeah. I was very scared in public speaking. I was shaking all the time. I had to speak when I was in school. I was shaking. And I will tell you basically one of the story that I did when I was a kid. Tell me. Okay. Because I was bullied when I was a kid.
00:41:30:09 – 00:41:51:06
Unknown
I was being it, beaten and everything. So my, my self-esteem was really, really low. So I have to do two times, you know, my schooling, you know, like, because I, I don’t know how to say that. I know you skipped a grade. Yes. You had to do it again. Yeah. Do it again twice in that I was I did that one okay.
00:41:51:06 – 00:42:08:11
Unknown
For me I wanted to do more and I just keep going. It’s okay. Yes. And I remember the first day of my when I did my, my, my the second year. Yeah. And because everyone were laughing at me and everything the first time I said, you know what? This time it has to change. And I was really bad in mathematics.
00:42:08:13 – 00:42:29:04
Unknown
Really? About all the time. I have to go to the board to do the exercises and people will laugh at me. And they said, you what? Not anymore. So I was here in the classroom the first day, and the teacher on the first day was the mathematician teacher. He said, okay, now I will ask someone to go in the board to do these exercises.
00:42:29:05 – 00:43:02:08
Unknown
Everyone was like scared. And you know what I did? You raised your hand. I raised my hands. You said, yeah, Mark. So yes. Can I do the exercises? Did I? I knew how to do the exercise. No way. Oh, no clue how to do that. But I knew that being the one. No volunteering to go to the board, try to do the exercises the way that that my my other students, colleagues in the room, you know, and a classmate in the rooms would see me and the teacher will change.
00:43:02:10 – 00:43:24:15
Unknown
And why I did that, I was I was scared. Yes, I was scared like hell. I was shaking. I knew I didn’t know how to do the exercise. I went there and I was like, it’s the but things like that. And then I realized like, man, they know, like, okay, what do I do though? And then I had to do a bit of acting, so oh, oh, oh, I forgot it was there.
00:43:24:15 – 00:43:40:22
Unknown
Oh, sorry. Just. And then there was do it again am I right? Okay. No no no no please please. This it’s really again. So it’s so that I was doing right. I was on purpose. I was doing it on purpose. I knew I couldn’t make it and then say, Mark, you know what? No, that’s fine. It’s at least you tried.
00:43:40:24 – 00:44:14:11
Unknown
Yeah. Went back sitting. Oh. Release. Then you can picked the new victim which this one didn’t volunteer. And the way he was reacting to the guy on the board was totally different. And then step by step, my confidence level starting to raise up because I understood that if I show up when something is challenging for me, I will learn so much and my self-esteem will be growing.
00:44:14:13 – 00:44:34:11
Unknown
Absolutely. Showing up is half the battle. You know, if you just if you don’t show up, you for sure lost. But that raising your hand, that courage that you know that that desire to face your fear with action. A long time ago, my manager selling knives like I used to be afraid to make phone calls. You know what it’s like.
00:44:34:11 – 00:44:53:18
Unknown
Face for fear with action. Afraid to ask for leads or referrals. Like what if they say no? But every time this was all things built up in my mind. And when I started to take these actions, when I started to, to confront my fears with action, the phone no longer had teeth. Asking a client for referral no longer became the obstacle.
00:44:53:20 – 00:45:21:01
Unknown
On the contrary, it became the source of opportunities. Because if you don’t ask, you don’t get, you know, in the Bible it says ask and thou shall receive. So again, it’s it’s these rules of life that we we discovered them through the profession of selling, you know, the, the, the thought of, you know, you know, the courage, the thought of, people, people who have this closed mindset.
00:45:21:03 – 00:45:45:02
Unknown
Right. And I love what you said. You know, if you don’t change, life will come and hits you. You know, it’s gonna hit you so bad that you’re going to have to change. So you either learn proactively or you gonna learn reactively. Yes. So this has been some fantastic things, that you’ve shared. And I’m really excited because, you’re really, now you’re living in Malta.
00:45:45:04 – 00:46:08:00
Unknown
Yes. And that’s a little bit about the future, you know. So you’re you’re living in Malta? I know that you’re seeing some great opportunities. And let’s go ahead and maybe share a couple of thoughts on the future for Mark. Yes. Thank you for that promise. So basically, I decided to go back. I mean, to go back to Europe after more than 17 years of living, outside of my, country of France, you know, like, from a comfort zone.
00:46:08:00 – 00:46:35:01
Unknown
My comfort zone is actually coming back to more comfortable. It was like, wow, that’s. It’s not shaking anymore. You know, that’s, it’s a interesting way of doing it. And, I saw an opportunity for teaching people how to sell, how to present. And this is where, when I did the training with you, and I saw an amazing value on that, and even on my own company, people saw it and they were asking me as well, Mark, can you teach me?
00:46:35:05 – 00:46:54:08
Unknown
Can you train me and other young people? I met the very young entrepreneurs, like 22 or 25 years old. They know that I’m basically coaching, you know, just to give them some tips. And I realize most of us do not have an idea of how to present ourselves, how to talk. And this is where, you know, like when they approach you, it’s in the romance.
00:46:54:08 – 00:47:12:09
Unknown
You know, I really want to to participate on that because we can really add value to people’s life and not only on the sales, but for because sales. It’s about the mindset as well. So you can even work on the mindset on the personal coaching as well, because it’s all about you at the end of the day when you sell yourself.
00:47:12:11 – 00:47:32:22
Unknown
And this is where the opportunity in Europe is huge. And I think with my international experience, the fact that I speak French, we can go out and touch the French market, but also the African market, because most people there speak French as well, where I can really put in add value into that. And this is where I think the cooperation that we can have together.
00:47:32:22 – 00:47:54:12
Unknown
On the idea of sales, together with my professional experience on the passport business, which I’m still doing, and then continue doing, makes sense because I can really make sure that both are aligned because my clients trust me. And then, my clients ask me for other things I can even teach them. Yeah, to do things. Fantastic.

00:47:54:15 – 00:48:20:22
Unknown
I’m going to change the French,

So, at the end, I’m going to go back to English now.

00:51:46:20 – 00:52:20:18
Unknown
Okay? Even for me, it’s easier actually, you know, but I tell you, it’s going to be a pleasure. You know, you know, there is French from the inside. And I think you being able to, to make an announcement to say, you know what, if you’re if you’re if you’re team, if you or your team are French speaking, and you want to bring in a, in an education, you want to bring in inspiration or motivation, I think, reaching out to, to market to the academy for sales and being able to see how we can support you, with really making the transformation.
00:52:20:18 – 00:52:38:09
Unknown
And you can see the transformation, right here in front of you. So even from being a superstar, a great sales professional to taking it to the next level, and if I may say, it wasn’t something that your company sponsored. No, it was it was something that you I did it on my own, you know, several thousand dollars.
00:52:38:09 – 00:53:03:01
Unknown
And yes, you said, okay, I’m going to go for it. But at the end, you know, it’s going to cost you money either to learn it or it’s going to cost you money you’re not going to earn. So it’s all about making this, this decision. True. And I think to to add on to what you said when I decided to do that, I knew I must have a structure.
00:53:03:03 – 00:53:30:01
Unknown
And some companies, they want to save money. But how can you say to someone in sales, okay, go and sell without having the knowledge, right? Try to ask Elon Musk, you know, or people who are building SpaceX rocket, not to have the basics of physics and scientific experience to basically build something. If you don’t have the basic rules of calculations, how can you build something?
00:53:30:01 – 00:53:49:01
Unknown
It’s not possible. Send cells. And it’s so funny that when I see people, okay, you know, you have two cells. How I mean how you know. So and that’s why for me, when I, I put my own money to do the, to do this trainings and, thank you for this certificate that they have. It’s coming. So yeah.
00:53:49:01 – 00:54:12:03
Unknown
You know, and because I knew it was important and people need to realize if you want to put the business in a certain level, we need to realize that we need to understand how to sell it. You know, my dear friend Brian Tracy talks about in order in order to earn more, you got to learn more. So just add the letter L to the word earn.
00:54:12:05 – 00:54:42:21
Unknown
And, I think here today, with the speed by which the the world is evolving, you know, that’s the only thing that that can happen. I’m going to add with one last thing before I give you this. I was at the, at the event, the other day. Actually, no, I was not an event. I was talking to a potential clients, and, that’s a repeat clients, and I and I was invited by this executive director to to talk with their leadership team.
00:54:42:21 – 00:55:11:24
Unknown
So there was about 12 individuals there and their support functions. And then I talked about the concept of sales capability building. And then I got to the part to say, guys, how does a golfer get better at playing golf. And they all said he has to practice his swing and I then I asked, how does a pilot, an airline pilot practice flying a plane?
00:55:12:01 – 00:55:34:11
Unknown
Well here he doesn’t practice flying because you don’t want to be, you know, you don’t want to be an ambassador. You know where the the pilot is practicing. He actually goes in a simulator. He goes in a simulator. And today, golf, you have advanced technology where someone goes in a simulator, you hold, you know, you have things holding you, and it’s measuring every little detail.
00:55:34:13 – 00:55:57:06
Unknown
While we did the same thing in setting, you know, our AI safe scopes. Yes, we are able to have salespeople practice selling skills in a safe environment, and we are able to give them live feedback. Can you share a couple of thoughts on that? On that engine, when you know your expression or your experience and practicing with, with Joe?
00:55:57:08 – 00:56:22:07
Unknown
Yes. I mean, all this was, mind blowing experience, to be honest, because and thanks to I, you know, the world is changing and I think it’s a great opportunity to basically see ourselves how we sell. Yeah. Because when you think about it, you are with a client face to face on zoom. You never record the informations. But here we go.
00:56:22:08 – 00:56:41:12
Unknown
You have George on whatever the AI name is, you know, like he’s in front of you. You put your face here. Hey. Hey, John. So how do you, how are you today? You know, when you start to have these conversations with this, I. And then you can even record your conversations, and then you can see and then where you put the, the unnecessary words as well.
00:56:41:12 – 00:57:05:10
Unknown
So you have all these tips that you are getting back in the feedback. And not only this, the AI will tell you where you can improve, because you put the parameters on how a civil speech needs to be done and once you see step by step how the structure has been given to you, and then you can really twist it and practice again and practice again, and then it becomes habits.
00:57:05:12 – 00:57:22:13
Unknown
Absolutely. And first I always said, you know, like, this is what I learned with, Tony Robbins. You know, like with, for me, I love him, you know, like, in terms of the way he was teaching us how to to be in everything he said, there’s a difference between rituals and habits. Do you know the difference?
00:57:22:15 – 00:57:57:18
Unknown
It’s, very, Yes, I think to an extent. So a ritual is something that you purposely do on a regular basis, a habit, something that you do unconsciously. Correct. And that’s why if you want to implement something first, put the ritual first and push it until it become a habit where it’s automatic pilots and you don’t need to think about it, but you set up exactly what you want and you train your mind first.
00:57:57:18 – 00:58:20:16
Unknown
Ritual. Do it. Have to do it. Put the reminder. If you have to do it, do it, then boom, automatic autopilot boom and you’re doing it automatically. This is how you build habits. You build habits when you have a simple ritual or simple action that you, you, you are aware, you bring consciousness. And today we talk with salespeople to say activities bring you results.
00:58:20:16 – 00:58:48:10
Unknown
So what activities are you taking the series of calls a focus product, specification or which products you’re talking about? Who are you talking with? So what activities at what focus. And you do enough of them and everything else happens. And and I love this. I’ll tell you another, just the back of the story was, so some of the people that used to work with a very famous company, I won’t mention the name, but that company had a ritual.
00:58:48:12 – 00:59:12:04
Unknown
That ritual was every Friday. They had a a green room for the sales team. Every Friday, a salesperson would come in and would record a sales role, play, and they would send that to that head office somewhere in Europe. And then the manager sitting over there would have to give them feedback and then send them that, that role play feedback the following week.
00:59:12:06 – 00:59:37:17
Unknown
And that’s how this company is a world class organization, had this basic, ritual that really created champions. And today, with the help of AI, we’re able to bring that same rigor, even when people might not have the bandwidth to sit and watch every single individual. With technology, we’re able to give you this, this service, and your team will thank you for it.
00:59:37:19 – 01:00:00:03
Unknown
And you will thank yourself for, for, for, for doing this practice. So if what we’re saying sounds interesting, just let us know. We’re happy to share, to share some more insights so that this is when it was a, an explosive, meeting with you. Mark, I’m, I’m excited about, about where you’ve been, where you are now, but more importantly, where, where you’re going.
01:00:00:03 – 01:00:20:16
Unknown
And just as a way of of recognizing I think you started, we started the journey together. It must have been like in maybe October or November last year. Yes. And then we went for a three month period. So you started in Dubai. You went back to Malta, right? We did this remotely. But now again, coming here to to get this.
01:00:20:16 – 01:00:38:22
Unknown
It’s a pleasure to officially give you this certificate, to say, hey, man. Well done. Keep this in your in your office. You put it in front of you to remind you of the sacrifice, of the discipline, of the perseverance and of the person that you are to inspire others along the way. So we’re inspiring one more together.
01:00:38:22 – 01:01:05:12
Unknown
How is that? But thank you so much from us. What’s up everybody? I appreciate and I hope everyone with, watching this video today to realize that training and learning it’s life, we need to keep improving ourself, always be the better version of ourselves. And I will continue learning, you know. So it’s all about this. And this is just the beginning of, putting the concrete things into words.
01:01:05:14 – 01:01:13:16
Unknown
So thank you so much for this. Again. It’s a pleasure. It’s a pleasure. So until next time, sell more, sell faster and profitably.