Walking Billboards and QR Codes: Revolutionize Your Sales Strategy

Summary

Summary of "Walking Billboards and QR Codes: Revolutionize Your Sales Strategy" – The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast

Host: John Jantsch
Guest: Amanda Holmes, CEO of Chet Holmes International
Release Date: January 8, 2025

---

Introduction and Guest Background

In this compelling episode of The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, host John Jantsch welcomes Amanda Holmes, the dynamic CEO of Chet Holmes International. Amanda took the reins of her father's multimillion-dollar enterprise at the young age of 24, inheriting a legacy built on the principles outlined in the bestselling book, The Ultimate Sales Machine. Under her leadership, the company has seamlessly blended traditional sales methodologies with modern digital strategies, adapting to the evolving landscape where consumers demand instant gratification and have shorter attention spans.

Notable Quote:

“I think I'm probably one of his greatest success stories just because of that.”
— Amanda Holmes [03:34]

Taking Over the Family Business

Amanda opens up about the emotional and professional challenges she faced after her father's passing. Losing her father, who was not only her mentor but also her business partner, was a devastating blow. She recounts the immediate aftermath, describing the overwhelming feeling of stepping into a vast enterprise without prior hands-on experience.

Notable Quote:

“Losing him was like losing air. It was like I didn't know where up was or down was.”
— Amanda Holmes [02:23]

Despite these hardships, Amanda's resilience and determination enabled her to transition smoothly into her role. She emphasizes the importance of inheriting not just the business, but also the foundational strategies that would propel the company forward.

Adapting and Modernizing Strategies

One of Amanda's significant contributions has been modernizing the company's marketing and sales approaches. She moved away from her father's strict adherence to traditional sales methods, such as relying solely on direct conversations and in-person interactions, to incorporating digital marketing tactics. This shift was pivotal in expanding the company's reach and efficiency.

Notable Quote:

“The first time that I put some pricing online. And I took a moment and it was like, I'm so sorry, Dad. I know you said this, but times have changed, and I have to do it.”
— Amanda Holmes [06:50]

Amanda also introduced innovative methods like using QR codes and walking billboards to capture attention at trade shows, blending offline creativity with online lead generation.

The Dream 100 Strategy

A core topic of discussion is the Dream 100 strategy—a concept Amanda inherited from her father. This approach focuses on targeting a select group of high-value prospects rather than casting a wide net. By concentrating efforts on these key individuals or companies, businesses can achieve exponential growth with fewer resources.

Notable Quote:

“It's about picking who's one person that could completely change your world.”
— Amanda Holmes [15:27]

Amanda illustrates the effectiveness of this strategy with a case study involving the CEO of ClickFunnels. Through persistent and personalized engagement over three months, she was able to secure a lucrative contract that significantly boosted sales.

Blending Old School and Digital Marketing

Amanda excels at merging traditional sales techniques with contemporary digital tools. Her use of a four-foot billboard backpack—nicknamed "Bessie"—at trade shows exemplifies this blend. The billboard not only garnered attention but also incorporated QR codes for seamless lead capture, demonstrating how physical presence can complement digital funnels.

Notable Quote:

“It's blending of the two. My funnel online got me the sales, but me walking around with a four foot billboard on my back in a trade show got the attention and the press.”
— Amanda Holmes [19:13]

Additionally, Amanda leverages social media by consistently adding value through comments and interactions, ensuring that her presence remains memorable and impactful.

Successes and Growth Achievements

Under Amanda's leadership, Chet Holmes International has experienced remarkable growth. She reports an 11.76% increase in leads in the first year, a consistent doubling of coaching clients in subsequent years, and a staggering 300% growth in the current year—accomplishments achieved even before the release of the new edition of The Ultimate Sales Machine.

Notable Quote:

“And this year, we're up over 300%, and that's without the book releasing just yet.”
— Amanda Holmes [05:36]

Amanda attributes this success to her ability to maintain the core principles of her father's strategies while infusing them with modern techniques and a passionate, client-centered approach.

Personal Insights and Creativity

Amanda's background in music and the arts has profoundly influenced her creative marketing strategies. She draws parallels between songwriting and crafting impactful marketing messages, allowing her to connect emotionally with her audience. This creativity is evident in the new edition of her father's book, where she incorporates a heartfelt address to her late father, resonating deeply with readers.

Notable Quote:

“To me, that video is a music video. I wrote the lyrics, even though I'm not singing them, they're written.”
— Amanda Holmes [10:13]

This artistic touch has not only enriched the content but also enhanced its emotional appeal, making the marketing efforts more effective and engaging.

Conclusion and Resources

As the episode concludes, Amanda provides listeners with resources to connect further and access her updated book. She encourages entrepreneurs and business owners to implement the strategies discussed to achieve substantial growth and sustainability.

Notable Quote:

“Ultimatesalesmachine.com is where everybody can pick up the book. It'll give you a bunch of extra bonuses that you wouldn't get on Amazon.”
— Amanda Holmes [21:14]

Listeners are directed to her Instagram account, @amanditaholmes, for ongoing insights and updates.

---

Key Takeaways

1. Emotional Resilience: Transitioning leadership within a family business requires both emotional strength and strategic acumen.
2. Modernizing Strategies: Integrating digital marketing with traditional sales techniques can significantly enhance reach and efficiency.
3. Dream 100 Approach: Focusing on a select group of high-value prospects can lead to substantial sales growth with targeted efforts.
4. Creative Marketing: Leveraging personal creativity and blending various marketing mediums can differentiate a business in crowded marketplaces.
5. Continuous Adaptation: Staying adaptable and open to new methods ensures sustained business growth and relevance in changing markets.

---

By sharing her journey and innovative strategies, Amanda Holmes offers invaluable lessons for marketers and business owners aiming to revolutionize their sales approaches and achieve enduring success.

Transcript

[John Chance]

Let me ask you a few things.

[Amanda Holmes]

Do you feel like you know what differentiates your business from every other business out there? Can you confidently charge a premium for what you offer? Are you working from a plan, a marketing roadmap that allows you to know precisely what to do next? Look, don't worry if you can't answer yes to any or all of these questions. You're not alone. See, marketers today get so focused on the tactic of the week staring them right in the face that they forget to look at the big picture. The overarching strategy needed to consistently grow their business. Over the years, I've worked with thousands of businesses helping them do just that. Create the perfect marketing strategy and plan that gives total clarity about what to do next, confidence to charge ahead and charge more, and complete control of the marketing tactics they choose. I would love to help you and your team do the same. Look to find out if our Strategy first program is right for you. Visit DTM World Grow and request a free consultation. That's DTM World Grow.

[John Chance]

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast. This is John Chance. My guest today is Amanda Holmes. She is the CEO of Chet Holmes International, which has worked with over 250,000 businesses worldwide. At age 24, she inherited her father's multimillion dollar enterprise which specializes in helping companies double their sales. A lot of their work's based on the bestselling book the Ultimate Sales Machine, of which they have a new edition coming out. Amanda's name will be all over the new edition as well. And she has merged her father's proven process with her own forward thinking ideas. Connect the old school sales process with hybrid online and offline instant gratification and short attention span that we see in consumers today. So Amanda, welcome back to the show.

[Amanda Holmes]

Thank you so much, John. You know, it means so much to me that you interviewed my father and then you interviewed me so many years ago and here we are again. It just, it means a lot. Not a lot of people interviewed my father either.

[John Chance]

I was gonna say I might be one of the few podcasters who has interviewed you both.

[Amanda Holmes]

Yes. I have never heard it anybody else and I've done hundreds of interviews, so you are the only one.

[John Chance]

That's funny that that was about 29, 2009, 2010, something like that maybe. And podcasting was in its infancy at the time, but somehow I've stuck with it. So we also have another shared connection. My daughter has actually worked for me for about 12 years. She is our chief operating officer. So I really kind of have to go there. You didn't work in the business as a family member.

[Amanda Holmes]

Right.

[John Chance]

You really brought. Came into the business.

I would have to think in some.

Ways that was a pretty tall order. In fact, I think you were studying music in college and you know, not necessarily preparing for a career as a CEO. Right. So what's it. I guess I was going to ask you what's like working with family, but that's not really. It wasn't really your experience. So what was it like really? And I know you've told this story many times. What was it like basically being thrust into an ongoing organization, but as a family member?

[Amanda Holmes]

Yes, it. Well, it was hard because me and my father were very close. I was actually born on his birthday. We share the same birthday, February 13th. And it was as if just the stars aligned. And so losing him was like losing air. It was like I didn't know where up was or down was. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep. So getting all of that while at the same time, like I can remember just days after his funeral. And the only reason why I remember that because all that time is such a blur. But I just remember all of these flowers around my room from his funeral. And I was sitting there and they had just sent me the P L of all the companies. And it was the first time I'd ever seen it. And it just felt like this P L was never ending. I kept scrolling and scrolling and I just broke down. It was like, how? How is this possible that. So my father battled with cancer for a year and a half before he passed. And he spent 352 nights in the hospital and never once did he spend it alone. So it was me, my mom and my brother. We just, we rotated, spending all nighters with him. So I spent easily a hundred all nighters with my father in the hospital. Never once did he say, hey, Amanda, let me explain to you what my businesses are. Let me explain to you who runs them. Let me tell you about where I'd like this to go. We never had that dialogue. And there was time. And I speak on that because I think it's critical that more parents take responsibility for the fact that there are other people that if you leave this world without a plan, you're hindering them. So I do talk on that every once in a while, but. So it was utterly shocking and it really is. I look back and I think it's a miracle that we're here today based on the fact that, right, I knew nothing I was trying to get over the loss of my father while a couple hundred staff, you know, this crazy enterprise, but here we are. I stepped in, and it took me two years to step in because it just looked like this is crazy talk. I don't know why I ever would. But then, over time, I fell in love with our clients. I recognized that there was something that was really beautiful about what my father had built, and it could be carried on. It just needed that heart in the center of it to make it all work. And, yeah, I increased our leads by 11. 76% the first year. I stepped in and doubled our coaching clients multiple years in a row. And this year, we're up over 300%, and that's without the book releasing just yet. So it's a lot of wonderful things. My father had a great system and a great framework for how to grow organizations, and I had to learn it from his books and his training programs instead of him explaining it to me. But nonetheless, I think I'm probably one of his greatest success stories just because of that. Right.

[John Chance]

What was hard for you?

I mean, you.

You. You obviously made some changes. You know, what was hard for you to change? I mean, not necessarily resistance, but just really hard for you to even wrap your head around changing.

[Amanda Holmes]

So we had never processed an order online. My father was very strict around, you know, every sale should come from a salesperson having a conversation, either over the phone or in person. So I could remember the first time that I put some pricing online. And I took a moment and it was like, I'm so sorry, Dad. I know you said this, but times have changed, and I have to do it. I have to put some of our stuff online. So that was a big. That was a big turning point. And learning how to do digital marketing was critical and selling things online. And then also a huge change was for me, the people that I surround myself with, a lot of them were very different than who my father surrounded himself with. So I find that the culture that he thrived in is different than the culture that I thrive in and making that distinction, because at first it was anybody that my father respected. Ultimately, they would say, well, your father said I was the best in the planet on this. And I go, okay. And I put them up on this pedestal of who was the best, right? Because my father said he was the best. Even though I started realizing that everyone said that my father said they were the best. So then I started reading through his emails to try and figure out what he really thought of them. That was the way that I would find out. And then the next level was okay just because my father said he was the best. Now I have to discern is this somebody that I can work with. And there were quite a few of them that did not work with me very well. And that's okay. It's just a little bit of a different modus operandi, but still the strategies are the same. So it was interesting to see that.

[John Chance]

Culture shift so shifting gears a little bit to maybe a more positive, less of a challenge. What's been the most fun for you?

[Amanda Holmes]

The marketing and sales part. Oh, my gosh. Oh, you'll appreciate this, John. So I just, you know, I'm in this whole book tour thing going on right now. I just went to all these different trade shows. I spoke at HubSpot's Inbound. That's where I saw that you're in HubSpot Network. Congratulations on that. That's awesome. So I went there with a four foot billboard strapped to my back because I was looking for a way for people. My father teaches the first thing you need in a trade show is to get noticed. And I was googling like, oh, maybe we'll do a backpack and we'll design a backpack or something. And then I found, I typed in human billboard and this huge thing, it's a backpack, like straps, but it's. And it lights up, it glows. The billboard sign. So I've been walking through all these trade shows with this four foot billboard on my back. I call her Bessie now because I'm very fond of her. And on the last day of traffic and conversion, actually they shut me down because I was creating such a buzz and generating so many sales that the sponsors, the booths were getting jealous. But that's been a blast. And just being really creative about ways to get attention and then converting those that attention into sales and leads and sales, that's a ton of fun for me.

[John Chance]

Would you say that you're. And I know this is going to sound sort of stereotypical, but would you say that your music background, your arts background has brought a level of creativity that maybe didn't exist?

[Amanda Holmes]

Absolutely. So the new edition of the book, the Forward, instead of saying dear reader, I instead it said dear dad. And that was a. And it's something that Julia Neeson, my book coach at the time, had suggested I do. And when I wrote it, everyone that read that majority of grown men that read it would cry reading it. And they thought they. Out of all the. Every page, every sentence, I made sure that it was some Way to double sales. But that letter to my dad, everyone said, lead with that because that's going to touch more people than just doubling sales techniques. And I put that into a video actually, and that's what I've been using to promote the book. So to me, that video is a music video. I wrote the lyrics, even though I'm not singing them, they're written. But everything that I had as a songwriter I put into that video. To me, that's the single that came out with this new edition of the book, which is kind of funny to think about, but man, it is hitting people in a completely different way that I never expected. And it was the most nerve wracking thing on the planet, planet to put that thing out. I really thought that. I didn't think that people would like it, but everybody kept saying, I love it, I love it, you should put that out. And it's been such a loving response. So yeah, that, that songwriter in me I think helped.

[John Chance]

Even if you think it's a bit overhyped. AI is suddenly everywhere from self driving cars to molecular medicine to business efficiency. If it's not in your industry yet, it's coming fast. But AI needs a lot of speed and computing power. So how do you compete with costs spiraling out of control? It's time to upgrade to the next generation of the cloud, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or oci. OCI is a blazing, fast and secure platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, plus all your AI and machine learning workloads. OCI costs 50% less for compute and 80% less for networking, so you're saving a pile of money. Thousands of businesses have already upgraded to oci, including MGM Resorts, Specialized Bikes and Fireworks AI. Right now, Oracle is offering to cut your current cloud bill in half if you move to OCI for new US customers with minimum financial commitment. Offer ends 1231 24. See if your company qualifies for this special [e-mail] duct tape. That's oracle.com duct tape.

Describe who Chi Chet Holmes International works with. Who's your typical client?

[Amanda Holmes]

Yes. Okay, I'll answer that by asking you a question and you probably know the answer to this. What percentage of businesses do you think make it to a million in annual sales?

[John Chance]

You know, I don't know the exact answer other than it's relatively small. The numbers. Yeah, if you had to guess, I would say 9%.

[Amanda Holmes]

Okay, that's close. It's close. 5% of companies make it to a million. Of that 0.08% make it to 5 million of that 1.5% make it to 10 million. So it gets a little bit better and then.004% make it to 100 million and beyond. So what we teach is how to get from a million to 5, from 5 million to 10, from 10 million to 100 million and beyond. Because it's actually not about our product or service, which majority of entrepreneurs think, yes, if I just tweak this a little bit more, then I'll get more. Right. If that was true, McDonald's wouldn't be the number one grossing hamburger joint in the world. Right. It's a terrible burger. Skills it takes to grow the business and skills can be developed. So we assist entrepreneurs to grow from that 1 to 5, from 5 to 10, from 10 to 100 million and beyond.

[John Chance]

One of the core concepts. I have actually not not seen what you've done in the second edition yet, but in the certainly in the first edition and I know it's a core concept of your coaching is this concept of the Dream 100. I wonder if you could kind of describe that because I know that's a biggie for you.

[Amanda Holmes]

Yes, it's the fastest, least expensive way to double sales. This one strategy has doubled the sales of more companies than any other. My father invented it working for billionaire trucks Charlie Munger, co chairman of Berkshire Hathaway. So he doubled the sales of nine different companies for Charlie, all within 12 to 15 months and several of them multiple years consecutively. So he realized that he had a system for doubling sales and it went something like this. So he was given a list of 2200 potential prospects and they said okay, go cold call these 2200. But when he did some research, he realized that only 167 of them purchased 95% of of the space. So instead of going after 2200, he led an intensive dream 100 to just those 167. Now it being in their face, in their place, in their space, what can we do to provide the most value for them? For him back then it was direct mail, cold calling and faxing. So twice a month he was doing direct mail. Four times a month he was cold calling and following up with a fax in an email every once in a while. And he did that for months. For the first four months he got nothing, which talked around the office like what is this? Why is this expert in sales? And he hasn't generated a thing. But in the sixth month he closed the largest contract that the industry had ever seen. And then subsequently after that doubled and doubled and Doubled now. So by definition, there's always a smaller number of better buyers than there are all buyers. That means that marketing and selling to them is cheaper than marketing and selling to all buyers. And I've. Even as I look at this and what you'll see in the new edition is so many people get. They see the dream 100 and they go, oh my gosh, how do I do direct mail? How can I make this work with direct mail? And how do I get 100 people on my list? You're missing the point if you're super focused on just those two things. Because we have so many marketing mediums in our use today I show how I used a dream one. I focused on one potential dream client and I followed, followed up with them every single day using social media. Every time they post something on social, I'd comment with something of value. Every time they posted another thing, I'd add another piece of value and another comment and another. For every single day for three months, I commented on every single thing that this person said. And three months in, they came back to me and said, hey, I'd like to buy 650 books of the ultimate sales machine. I'm still reaping the benefits of that three months of pigheaded discipline and determination. Today they bought another thousand books. It's actually, it was the CEO of ClickFunnels, so Dave Woodward I did this with. So the point is, it's about picking who's one person that could completely change your world. And then can you multiply that even by. You could have four, you could have 10. I'm calling it the Target 12. It doesn't have to be a hundred. Right. The whole point is just to get laser focused and follow up with pigheaded discipline and determination, whichever medium that may be. If you want to use direct mail, that's great because it will land because nobody's doing direct mail. Right. But if you want to do it on Instagram DMs, that's where I did it to get that client. Right. It could be on LinkedIn, it could be on voice drops on cell phones. Right.

[John Chance]

Or all of them. Right?

[Amanda Holmes]

Yeah. If you only have a hundred. Right. And you're sending, if you're doing Facebook ads to them, if you're sending them text messages, if you're arriving at their door, they're like, you are everywhere. It's like, yeah, I'm only Everywhere to the Select 10, Select 100. So they're just amazed, right?

[John Chance]

Yeah. And I think what's so important about that lesson is you can now afford to spend money and time and energy that is going to just swamp what anybody else is doing, you know, to that same person. Because they're spraying it, you know, 10,000 people at a time.

[Amanda Holmes]

Absolutely. We had a client, so I went, I've created these boot camps and a client went through the boot camp. They went after four people that had already said no to their services. It was a hard no, I'm definitely not interested. And then he led with an education to those four. After he gave the presentation of an education, he closed $8.4 million worth of sales in just six weeks. Six weeks. And the average sales rep would sell 8 million in an entire year. He did it in six weeks. Weeks because he targeted his dream. He only needed 4dream4 to generate 8.4 million.

[John Chance]

So one of the challenges, I think you kind of alluded to this, we're so focused on digital right now. You, you have yourselves firmly in what you're calling old school processes. But they really, in some ways, some of the old school processes are working better than ever, aren't they?

[Amanda Holmes]

Absolutely. I mean, take what I just did at trade shows. It's shocking how many people at trade shows have no idea how to have a face to face conversation. I'd walk up to a booth and 90% of them had no idea how to start asking questions. You know, I'd ask, what do you do? And they have no idea. They look starstruck, like what you're talking to me in real life. I don't know what to do. It's so bizarre how we've lost the frameworks and the basic foundational principles. Everyone thought, oh, a billboard, yeah, that's brilliant. But then I also had a QR code there so that I could collect people that were taking pictures. Anyways. The first few days they were taking pictures of me because they thought I was hysterical. But then they didn't realize that now I'm converting them because they're clicking on that, I'm getting their email and then they're buying. So it's blending of the two. My funnel online got me the sales, but me walking around with a four foot billboard on my back in a trade show got the attention and the press. And now I've taken video that I got from influencers in the space that were recording me because they thought it was hilarious. And I'm using that in my ads and I'm repurposing it. Right. So there's so many different ways that I think in person too, I was just at a mastermind with Grant Cardone two weeks ago and there were 80 people in the room, all of which would have loved to talk to Grant Cardone. He walked out of the room and nobody followed him. And I'm looking around the room going, are you kidding me? That's a billionaire. I'd love to talk to Grant Cardone. Why not? So I run out there and I start to have a dialogue with him. It's like it's as if we only can communicate through a text or on right in an. In a social media aspect. He was right there, living, breathing. And I handed him the book and I said, you should watch Dear Dad. It'll make you cry. I'll send you a book. And he's like, I will definitely cry from that. I'm sure I will. I love that. Thank you.

[John Chance]

Amanda. Thanks for dropping by the Duct Tape Marketing podcast. Tell people where they can find all the work that you're doing and certainly get a copy of the new book or the revised, updated, fully updated book.

[Amanda Holmes]

Yes. Ultimatesalesmachine.com is where everybody can pick up the book. It'll give you a bunch of extra bonuses that you wouldn't get on Amazon. And then if you want to online. I'm a lot of different places, but I spend more of my time on Instagram. My name, Amanda Holmes, was taken, so I'd use my salsa name, Amandita Holmes, so you can find me on Instagram at amanditaholmes.

[John Chance]

All right. Awesome. Well, great having you back on the show again, and hopefully we'll run into you again one of these days out there on the road.

[Amanda Holmes]

Thank you, John. It was such a blessing.

[John Chance]

Let me ask you a few things.

[Amanda Holmes]

You feel like you know, what differentiates your business from every other business out there? Can you confidently charge a premium for what you offer? Are you working from a plan, a marketing roadmap that allows you to know precisely what to do next? Look, don't worry if you can't answer yes to any or all of these questions. You're not alone. See, marketers today get so focused on the tactic of the week staring them right in the face that they forget to look at the big picture. The overarching strategy needed to consistently grow their business. Over the years, I've worked with thousands of businesses, helping them do just that. Create the perfect marketing strategy and plan that gives total clarity about what to do next, confidence to charge ahead and charge more, and complete control of the marketing tactics they choose. I would love to help you and your team do the same. Look to find out if our Strategy first program is right for you. Visit DTM World Grow and request a free consultation. That's DTM World Growing.