Russell McRae | How To Step Into Fear

Joel Harris: The publishing for profit podcast is brought to you by ghost writers in code. Earn more money by publishing better content and learn how to increase your thought leadership so you can build your brand head over to ghost writers and code.com for more information. That’s ghost writers and go.com and now your host, Joel Mark Harris.

Hello and welcome to the publishing for profit podcast. This is Joel, and today we are interviewing Russell McCrae of McCray portraits. We have a wide ranging conversation from email marketing to stepping into fear and how he got into the business of selling portraits for referrals. So hopefully you enjoy this episode.

Hello, Russell. How’s it going?

Russell McRae: It’s going fine. Thanks.

Joel Harris: Okay, so I’ve got Russell McCray from a Cray portraits here. I’m so happy to have you on the podcast. Um, I know Russell, as I like to say, the King of referrals and follow up. Uh, so I want to start with what makes a good follow up in a business sense.

Russell McRae: Well, I electrify like being called the King of anything, so I’m, I’ll, I’ll,

Joel Harris: I thought you might wanna use that in my words. Exactly. Oh, yeah. I love it. You can quote me.

Russell McRae: No, that’s great. Thank you. I, I will. Um, so what makes a good PFOA? I think, first of all, the followup in itself is a good followup. You know, just very, very just doing it right.

That’s the thing. Most people are concerned about what actually has to happen in the follow up, like they get, they get in their own brain and their own minds about, you know, is this sincere enough? Is this too quick? Is this too late? Is this too that? Just follow up. Just reach out. But that’s, that’s the key to the number one follow up.

And which is ironic and for us Canadians out there is that, I don’t have the numbers in front of you, but there was this, this poll basically where it said that. Most business owners  feel like they’re intruding on their customers and they do the follow up, you know, we don’t want to inconvenience them.

And then they’ve looked at the other side of the equation, which is the customer, and they feel the business owner is not getting a hold of them. Okay. So there’s a huge divide that’s happening there just because we’re in our own heads. So. That’s would be, that’s key. It’s just, first of all, do the followup and then outside of that, I really think a followup should be sincere itch.

It should not be anything about how ignorant. I don’t not asking for any more business. Not, not even asking for, for just a simple, let’s see, I’m a roofer and I came in and I helped you fix your roof and I patched it up and I. Do my job and I cleaned up and I left and then call two weeks later, a notice, Russell Russell’s roofing.

How is it like jab, any concerns, anything we need to come by and fix up or are you happy? And then that starts a dialogue. So it’s something as simple as that. And, and then, uh, you know, I could go on and on about this, but, um, and then to schedule a systemized follow up.

Joel Harris: And how do you do that? What, what, what tools do you specifically use?

Russell McRae: You know, just get a good CRM, get a good steer. And that’s what I use. Um, I use agile CRM and it’s really a beautiful thing because I create the workflow for it. So I’m, it’s almost like sending yourself love letters from the future. So when you get this thing that says, Hey, Russell calls contact, you know.

You’re the one that put it in there. You know that you’re the one that’s supposed to do it. So you get it. Like, what am I supposed to do? Like tell, tell pass Russell, he’s our past wrestling idiot. So you’re like, okay, fine. Um, but yeah, I use agile CRM, but just pick a CRM.

Joel Harris: So it sounds very simple. You know, why?

Why is it that most businesses don’t do it?

Russell McRae: Well, that’s, that’s one of the reasons is because we like chasing shiny pennies. You know, we like going after new business and we get, uh, we get excited by pursuing new things, but the real money is in your past. Customers don’t forget, at one point they were a shiny penny. So, you know, go back to them, look at them fresh.

Like, you know, if you’re going to be married for 30 years, that’s how you look at your wife every day. You’re like, that’s your fresh. Right. And so, um, yeah. Um, I think a lot of people do that. It’s just they just start chasing the shiny penny. Um, and the ego gets inflamed in the equation and they don’t have a system that’s, and they don’t know what to say.

Cool. So then, yeah, go, sorry. Go ahead.

Joel Harris: As a, yeah, I was just gonna move on, but, um, yep. If, yeah. If there’s anything else, goodbye. By all means.

Russell McRae: No, that’s good. All

Joel Harris: right, cool. Uh, so. Yes. Switching directions. So tell us, you know, you’re owner of McCray portraits. Can you tell us a little bit about, you know, that business, cause I, I think it’s very unique.

Uh, it’s very special, uh, and how you got into it.

Russell McRae: Sure. So awesome. Up basically what it is, it’s very, very simple. It’s, it’s. I work with a lot of different issues, but let’s pick realtors for example. That’s where I got started. So let’s say you buy yourself a house, and that realtor that you worked with, um, since, thank you so much, they really appreciate it.

The deal is done. They give you this box and the homeowner’s like, what’s in this box like that? Doesn’t it? A toaster? And they open up and inside is a painting of their home as a thank you gift from the realtor. They’re like, Oh my God, can’t believe it. It’s a pain in my houses. This is so amazing. Blah, blah, blah.

They start to cry too emotional. They get the real true big. It’s all great. Well, where’s the paintings supposed to live? And it’s framed and matted ready to go. The only place it’s supposed to bend is on the wall. That’s his job. It has one job, so it hangs on the wall, and then we put the realtor’s names subtly in the corner of the portrait.

Well, what we’ve done. Is we’ve taken a beautiful space of when a deal’s done and the pressure’s off to give a gift that’s heartfelt, that deepens the connection. And then in turn, as hangs on the wall with a real Jews name, keeps that realtor top of mind every single day. And knowing their friends and family, coworker, they walk up and say, Hey, it’s a pain of your house.

What’s that? The homeowner’s like, yeah, we’ve been here forever. We love it. This is what Johnny in this nice, I painted it, I fixed it. All this sense of pride is wrapped around, gets thrown into an emotionally, and then of course the question comes up, where did you get that pain? And that is the referral because their client and a passionate moment.

Let’s say you couldn’t prove it when real. She gave you this pain. It’s incredible, and their friend was like, Oh damn. Oh, my realtor gave me, it was a $10 bottle of copper moon wine. I don’t even drink wine. I don’t feel that way about anybody I’ve worked with. And because they have that sense of longing for that relationship, that referral becomes cemented because they want that feeling.

It has to want the feeling of the person that has. Otherwise, it’s just, uh, it’s just talk. It’s not a true referral is referrals take action and then that sends the referral. So that’s what we do.

Joel Harris: That’s so cool. I love it. Um,

Russell McRae: thank you.

Joel Harris: I know for a fact that the, um, you know, most, I guess. Gifts that you get through business transactions.

They’re all junk. Kind of just going to just, you know, say what it is. You know, they’re Cornell, like they’re cheap. Uh, cheap chocolates are cheap. Yeah. Wine, as you mentioned. I think, um, that. Paintings are, you know, especially the one that you gave me. You know, we talk about that all the time and it’s, uh, it’s on the wall and, and you know, it’s in my sister’s living room and yeah.

You know, people will comment on it and, and you know, I get to talk about YouTube. So I mean, it’s, it’s actually something that people use and it’s a conversation starter, which I think is what you want. Mmm,

Russell McRae: exactly. You really do.

Joel Harris: Yeah. Why, like, how did you come up with this idea of portraits?

Russell McRae: Yeah. So, um, all right. Um, I’m a fourth generation artist. I went to art school, did my thing. Um, and it was a hard gig. Being an artist, like it’s tough. So then after doing all the galleries and really not making it a goal, making a go of it, but not materially stopped, I quit. And then I went off and I started an internet company when I was 27.

And then I pursued that for years. And then, um, I S uh, after many years of that, and then I sold that company and then, uh, took a break for awhile and, uh, kept painting. And then went off and flipped houses. Real estate market in Vancouver was taken off. So I started flipping houses for a living and I fit like five houses and I loved it and it was great.

And every time the realtor would help me, they would walk in and they would help. I’d give him a check for $35,000 aside, sell my house, and they would give me nothing. Or they would give me, you know, like some real to say, my gift is my service. Well, it’s not as your job, that’s your job. So they would give me this crappy gifts.

I’m like, Oh my God. And then I was working on my last house, I mean the last nail in, and I felt a twinge in my side, went to the doctor, which I never do. So I’m the guy and doctors like, Hey, you know what? Half your chest is a tumor size of Nerf football. Like what? What? Are you kidding me? So that kind of turns you upside down.

And it made me stop and think like, what the hell do I really want to do? What do I want to do? What do I do? Like what I want to do in brings me joy. Well, I want to make people happy. I love making connections. I love art. I love business, and I love real estate and I love connection. So then I thought, well, okay, well, you know what?

Why do I want a painted house? I would like to have gotten that. So I painted one. And I showed it to a realtor and he’s like, yeah, that’s cool. And I painted another one and they’re like, that’s cool. Well, I did 10 and it took me forever. So then I’m like, you know what? I’ve got to monetize it, systemize it.

So I went off and I made software that helps me make paintings. I have to make the paintings still, but there’s software there that actually finishes it and really tweaks it off. And that’s how I’ve done 15,000 of them now. So that’s the story about how I started it. Um, yeah. That’s cool.

Joel Harris: That’s a good, good story.

What was it like, so you said that you are a, uh, grew up in an artist household. What was that like and did they, uh, I mean, most, no, most parents, they want you to get practical jobs like a lawyer or a doctor. What, what were your parents like and did they want you to pursue art?

Russell McRae: No, I don’t think we ever even had the conversation, but when I’m going to pursue, there is a few of us kids and they just made sure that we lived to the past age of 16. So as long as we

Joel Harris: mission accomplished,

Russell McRae: walk, mission accomplished, we can walk out of that house at 16. You’re fine. Um, so they, and I was always entrepreneurial, like, you know, I was.

We, we, we grew up on a farm and we raised rabbits. And I’m like, huh, look at eat rabbit. It’s four feet, huh? I can sell key chains off goes rabbit feet, key chains. So it was always an entrepreneur at heart. Um, and so they all, they were very supportive of me being an artist. And, um, and it’s funny, I have kids now, I don’t know how I feel.

All I basically tell my kids is, you gotta monetize your passion. Just monetize your passion. That’s it. Like if you can monetize it, then fill your boots.

Joel Harris: What tips would you give your kids or to anybody listening, uh, to do that?

Russell McRae: How to monetize your passion. Yeah. Um, well find someone else’s done it because.

There’s a lot of stories out there and someone else is doing your dream job, like your real true, maybe the even married to the person you had a crush on. Like you got to find that person and then just find out how they did it and ask some questions and reach out to them and say, Hey, what’s going on with you?

How do you do that? And here’s something really great, this is a bit of a side story, but along it, so there’s a gentleman called Brian Grazer. He’s huge Hollywood producer, like massive, like. Splash and, and like you throw a dartboard at a movie and a video store and he’s been a producer behind it, massive guy.

And so I’m listening to his audio book today and part of this book is to be brave and reach out to anybody. Just ask some questions. So I’m like, you know what? Just before our podcast, I sent him an Instagram direct message with a video saying, Hey Brian, thanks for inspiring me. That’s so great. And I would love to have the opportunity to have a one on one Instagram chat with you, be up for it.

It’s easy as that. It’s in our time and our modern time. It’s, you have access to anybody in the world. It’s unbelievable the opportunity that sits right there. So, yeah.

Joel Harris: Have you listened to Brian Grazer’s? Um, interview on Tim Ferris? No,

Russell McRae: no. OK.

Joel Harris: Yes. Uh, he, uh, he talks about, yeah, that principle about when he has a young, um, I guess like PA, he would reach out to anybody.

He would, um. He, I th I believe, uh, I might be getting this story wrong, but he would, um, after hours you’d go into his boss’s office and he would just call people and, uh, just call people at random and, and have chats with them. Um, but yeah, really worthwhile interview. Um, so check it out. Um,

Russell McRae: the best part about that is, is to finish that off, is that he said he was hardly ever turned down.

And once he met with him, people just wanted to talk about themselves and their work, and he didn’t have an intention. He wasn’t trying to get money. He was just actually curious, like heartfelt, curious. Um, yeah, yeah.

Joel Harris: Um. So can you tell us a little bit you, so you started an internet business. Can you tell us what inspired that and what you learned along the way that you have translate it into McCray portraits.

Russell McRae: that’s a long time ago. This is back in 96 so in 96 like here we are talking on zoom on our cell phones. Um, but in 96, there was like, they would have commercials on TV, say go to www back, sash back my website.com. And now they’re on our frigging phones, like put them in our, in our, in our classes. So it was really just, I just.

I saw an opportunity. My friends, my, one of my best friends at the time said, you know what, this thing called internet skins. Ron jumped in and I, you know, when you’re young, you got really that we never have nothing to lose, but when you’re young, you eat not as grumpy. And so I, so we just started off, we went and we just, we didn’t even know what we’re doing.

We just started poking around.

Mmm. And then that was 96. So we know the internet took Haas and uh, um, so then, yeah, and then I sold that. And what, what has that taught me was that, was that the

Joel Harris: question?

Russell McRae: Yup.

Well, I’m just a, I’m just a raving fan of the internet. Like I, I’m, I think every day I’m, I’m, I never, ever, ever, ever, ever taken for granted. Ever take it for granted. You know, I see my kids, right? Like they’re always on it. Um, if we didn’t, when I was a kid, we didn’t have power and water. So if we didn’t have water for like two days and started to complain, now my kids wants a watch.

Buy goes down three seconds. What is going on? Like the, I yell from the room, how I’m stuck in my room with no internet. I’m like, okay. So they take it for granted. Um, but because I started when the very, very beginning days, I just really  I’m in love with it. I’m in love with it. I

Joel Harris: think, well, obviously we need it by business.

Um, obviously we need it more now so that we’re all stuck at home, uh, during, uh, this covert 19, uh, pandemic. Um, I think we are going to need it even more so. Uh, but yeah, it’s interesting. I think we’re going to be more reliant on it, um, with, you know, and speaking of covert 19, what are your thoughts about, you know, I’ve, I’ve spoken to a lot of entrepreneurs and business people about, um, covert 19 and.

Many of them see it as an opportunity, an opportunity to either expand a, rethink their business or pivot. Um, what are your, um, so I’m curious to think about what are your thoughts around kind of what you’re doing, uh, moving forward, uh, in the next coming months?

Russell McRae: Cool. You know, that’s obviously a really great question because it’s so fresh right. Like this whole, the pandemic, the viruses, it’s all unraveling in front of us. And, um, so I think that every day is, is, is all new. Um, yeah, the, the word pivot, pivot, pivot. That’s, you know, I watched a documentary on Italy and they’re driving through Italy and they said, uh, this one, it will never be the same.

Things will never be the same. And I think we have just have to see that the things are never going to be the same right now, you know?

Joel Harris: How do you think we learn our

Russell McRae: mortality? Yeah. Wow. I don’t really know. I, I, um, I know how, um, I know how I can change. Um, but yeah, I spoke to my business coach essay and he’s, those his devices pivot.

So I don’t have an answer on what that pivot is because it’s still really fresh. They can really, it is two days ago that, that conversation to have it. So I’m still trying to let go of my, of my idea of what I, who I am and what I do for a living. Um,

Joel Harris: cool. Yeah. I think we’re all,

Russell McRae: does that really answer that?

Joel Harris: Cause Oh, I think we’re all in the same boat, right? We all uncertain about what’s, it’s not like. A typical to me, like it’s not a typical financial crisis like in 2008 where you kind of knew that, okay, there’s going to be a beginning and there’s going to be an end. I think you’re right. I don’t think things will ever go back as they were, and I think there’s so much uncertainty that we all, yeah, we have no idea what’s, what’s going to happen and we can all just kind of try and.

Adjust and try and figure out, okay, what’s our next step? But none of us really know. So I mean, it’s not a, um, yeah, it’s not a finite answer for sure. Um.

Russell McRae: No, no, it’s not at all. Um, and, and you know what, and it’s, I know it was being general in there, but about my business, how it affects one thing I do see as an opportunity, um, because I’ve built my business so much in gratitude.

That’s really what I focus on is, is love and gratitude. And I think money follows behind it. That’s my belief. I think we might be making, this may open up our hearts a bit. You know, this what’s we’re going through. There’s gonna be some, there’s compassion that’s happening out there that we haven’t, we’ve been, we don’t, we don’t really pay attention to.

Um, and I’m really, I’m thinking that, that sense of compassion and empathy and, and, uh, I’m hoping that, that I can bring that into with my business and introduce that easier to people that never would have thought about it.

Joel Harris: Yeah, I totally agree. I, yeah, I think we have come together so much as a community.

I’ve, you know, there’s so many Facebook groups out there that are, you know, meant to support, um, you know, one another in these times. Uh, there’s a face group Facebook group that it focuses on my local community, and it’s. Basically anyone who, um, needs some help, they’ll just post there. And there’s always so many answers.

You know, 10, 20 people are saying, Oh, uh, uh, we have extra food, or we have, um, some furniture that you can, that we can give you. So, um, yeah, I think I totally agree with you. I think, uh, hopefully that gratitude will stay. Um, once this is over. Um, but we will, I guess we’ll see.

Russell McRae: Um, I think so because look at those grants.

Look at those grandparents who went through the depression and that their thoughts on money. So maybe we’ll have children of the depression, but of the Cobra of this virus that will be more focused on authentic relationships or love, if you want to call it that.

Joel Harris: That’s hope. So, um, so. Changing gears a little bit.

Is there a book or a podcast maybe, uh, that has particularly influenced you and your, the path that you’ve taken?

Russell McRae: Yeah. Yeah. There’s two books and I read them all the time. Um, one, her name’s, uh, payment children and, um, it’s called comfortable with uncertainty. And she’s a Buddhist monk. Uh, that’s just, she’s got, she’s great sense of humor and what she focuses on is lean leaning into discomfort, relinquishing the ego, letting go of stories.

And being a soldier for, for discomfort here, like a real soldier. Um, she tells a story about, um, this junkyard dog and all these kids like, stand by me. These kids would have to go to the watering hole to go to this pass by this junk yard dog. And, uh, this dog was on a leash and send them out. I’m like, spits always coming in no matter what.

Scott has got spit. I don’t know why, but. So lots of spit. The kids every day would run in the dog, hit the end of his leash, stop like Scooby doo, and they’re like, every day that I’d do that. And then one day they got the end and this dog ran so fast that it actually broke its chain and all the other kids start running away and one of the kids stopped, looked at the dog and ran towards the dog.

I’m sorry, parking the dog and dog stopped cause he didn’t know what the hell is going on. It’s never been the end of the chain. And it’s walking into that fear that actually creates a different reality. And that, that I think for entrepreneurs, um, maybe not all, but there’s a lot of them out there that fears there is the compost that they shouldn’t pay attention to.

It stops him from making that call to that person you’re scared to call and it stops you from doing a podcast. Mmm Hmm. But yeah, so that’s,

Joel Harris: can you give us an example of a time that you’ve walked into fear?

Russell McRae: Just before I called Brian Grazer, like eight minutes ago, I had tons of here. It sounds like, what the hell is that going to pay attention to me?

And then I realized clash, you know, it’s even good if he doesn’t even pay attention to me cause then I have nothing to lose. Like if he actually just doesn’t even look at the videos, then it’s, I’m the same as I was 15 seconds before that. So I just said, why not? Like I have something to say. I’m kinda charming.

I mean, he might get something out of the conversation. Yeah. Kind of solid guy. Um, but yeah, so that’s a good example.

Joel Harris: Cool. Um, and you said you had another book.

Russell McRae: Yeah. So the other book is kind of the same lines and, um, you know, it’s not a business, but what’s, uh, Eckert totally the power of now. I read that one all the time.

Um, just because I want to separate myself from the ego. Um, so it’s not a nice, these aren’t business. I do listen to podcasts. Um, I just finished one. There’s a thing called the library. You ever heard of it? Not the, not the bar downtown, but like book place. You can get a library card and you can get like free audio books.

Joel Harris: I was going to say it’s all closed now, but you’re right, you can get audio books.

Russell McRae: Yeah. Yeah. So for all you listeners out there, there’s the library. It’s really great. Um, so yeah, I started listening to audio books and one is, uh, how to be a bad ass with money. Jen Cicero. Awesome book because it teaches, it’s along the same lines.

It’s like, um, basically what it does is it teaches you how to, um, break down your relationship with money. Right. Have told him the thoughts on, on money. Um, which is the same idea as of letting go through ego, right? Cause you know, why are people rich? Love it. Just know that they can be rich and they just think they’re rich and they’re totally excited about getting rich and they make sense of money.

How come some people make $400,000 a year? Right? So they don’t have those hurdles in a way.

Joel Harris: Yeah. I feel, I feel like it’s a mindset more than anything that, you know, I’m worth $400,000, I feel. I think there is, um. Um, was it, um, the Wolf of wall street who said you basically, uh, make the amount of money? Or maybe it was, I can’t remember, but somebody, I think, yeah, somebody said, you know, you basically make the amount of money that you think you’re worth.

If you, if you make over that much amount of money, you will somehow find a way to decrease your salary and spend that money. Um, yeah. So I think that is. And important point. And, and it’s something that we, you know, unconsciously live by, for sure.

Russell McRae: Abs. Absolutely. And it’s, it’s just, it’s, it’s kind of freaky.

It’s, it’s so ridiculous. It’s kind of humorous, right? Like, it’s, it feels like magic land. You can just make whatever you want to make. Uh, but it’s so true. Oh, sorry. I pulled up my mic here. Okay.

Joel Harris: Okay. Um, all right. So let’s go back to marketing. Um, what do you do to market your business? Let’s start there.

Russell McRae: Mmm, okay. So how I have been doing it for eight years now is. I go after a large number of realtors to push them down and just compose some portraits to me. So I, I don’t, I don’t know why, but I guess because I was the only portrait artist, I got invited to a lot of things. I met a lot of people. I went to conventions and gut.

I would go, I would go to a convention. Um, actually, this is really funny. Um. I would explain about a real estate convention. I found with that TD was a main sponsor of the real estate convention cause TV’s big. So then I went to TB and said, Hey, TV, um, if I show up there and give away a portrait from a TD draw, can I get a free space for your booth?

They’re like, yeah, of course. Cause what else they’re going to give away, right? Like brochures. So then, um, I went to the convention in a white tuxedo with a green vest, TD colors, and I just worked at an E and I asked the organizer for all the attendees, the contact. So I got, I have 50,000 real estate, um, contacts.

Okay. I got to manage those. So that’s where the systems come in. So I have. My drip email campaign system. I have my agile CRM system, I have my, my social media posting system, which is later.com. Um, I have those three things and they’re all tied to a Shopify all through Shopify. Shopify is my, my key. So with those things, I can send out, you know, 10,000 emails at a time.

Cool. Manage it from my CRM and, and do the social media. So that’s, that’s how I market myself.

Joel Harris: Um, okay. So what, can you tell us a little bit about the emails you send out? Because I think they’re fantastic. I always gleamed so much from them and, and they’re super effective. Uh, so what, what. Goes into writing an email and how do you think about

Russell McRae: them?

I hate sending emails. Aid. I hate it. Ask like asked my wife and my kids, they know that when I’m going to go send, like if I’m, when I’m, I’m a campaign, I’m not, I’m sending 10,000 emails. I put my finger over their button, like I’m pushing the code for Tom, like bombs explode in my pants because I get so nervous I want to do it right.

So I found the only way to do that at the end of it took me six years to figure it out. What I do now is I just wrote line up three months of content  so I spent two weeks or a week writing six months of email con or three months of email content and who gets it and how it’s tracked. And then I check every link and I check everything, make sure it’s tapped and it’s all working.

And then I saw I only hit go and then I go get drunk.

Joel Harris: So do you mind if I get really granular and what, like how do you come up with your, with your topic, your subject headlines, and what sort of content do you send out.

Russell McRae: Yeah. So that’s the fun part. So what I do is I, um, I find an article that I really like that I’m really passionate about. So, um, Tom power from the CVC, he wrote this beautiful art.

He did a sponge articles about gift or size gifts or tithing, which is giving gifts that promote your stuff, which is all about me. So I. Listen and re listened to his podcast and the articles. And then I took him and I broke that into my own words, my own thoughts into nine emails, nine emails. So, and the way to structure an email, in my opinion, is you send them an email.

Hey Joel, this is greatly a great article about how uh, air Canada created advocates. It’s an awesome story. Click here to keep reading and they click there, or if they don’t big, I get it. You don’t want to pay attention. You want to unsubscribe. No problem. Go ahead, please. I’m subscribed. And next week we’re going to talk about how van city 1000 members by giving a gifts, so that gives me a chance.

I know what’s happening, and then they click on more and it takes them to a blog post. That has that content. So I write for write the nine contents, and then I turn those nine contents into a nine blog posts and that take those blog posts and I convert them into short snippets, and then I email the short snippets.

Right. It’s easier that way because each thought just, cause you got to start with an Arrowhead. You gotta like, Hey, you want to see this content? I’m like, okay. And they click on it and then they can do whatever the hell they want. Yeah.

Joel Harris: Cool. I think one thing that really captures my intention with your emails is the storytelling.

Uh, do you think about the stories you’re trying to tell in your emails? Like the one you just mentioned with air Canada? Um, and is there a thought process around that?

Russell McRae: Yeah. Let’s see people all they want to get, people just want to hear a story. At the end of the day, people want to hear a nice story and it’s really nice cause my business is all about advocates and. Respect and love and gifting. So I get to write nice pieces. I like to be, I get to be that guy at the end of the news that has a good piece.

So I really put a lot of thought like, does this, does this strike a chord and does this seem like something that the actually makes them feel that they have value afterwards? I might giving them some of them value my, am I giving them something that actually it will be thought about. It could actually revolutionize their business.

Well, you know, if, if they took a chance and did something different. So that’s the kind of story I like. Mmm. And then I’ve got to bring it back delicately to how I can provide that. And that’s where, um, that’s where you have to just be brave and say, well, the reason I’m doing this because I can actually do that for you.

So for example, you know, this, this TD thing, there are things about giving gifts. They hear about it and they then you actually by duty, have to give that person reading an opportunity for them to do it. Cause if not, you’re making them feel bad. If you just say he, his gifts and how great they are, and then just a new start.

You don’t even ask or offer your services. It’s kind of kind of crappy. Cause you get them excited and then you don’t ask them to the dance. You don’t say, here’s how you can do it. Here’s how I can help you do it. Like this is it. It’s 150 bucks. So you have to ask them, which is great. And so the hard part is tailoring that content from the teaching to the asking.

There’s a trust in there that has to happen quickly.

Joel Harris: Cool.

What, so you used, um, basically networking, email marketing, what can, can those same concepts be still used to market yourself during the, well, this period where we’re all isolated and social distancing and all that? What I guess specifically what. Would you recommend that to businesses that are maybe struggling right now?

Um, they know that they need to market. What should they do?

Russell McRae: Instagram, Instagram, like. Facebook and Instagram traffic is up 50% zoom. That guy, the guy who started zooms, made some like $7 billion from this

Joel Harris: probably in the last week.

Russell McRae: Yeah, and last week. Yeah. So traffic, internet traffic is up by 50% people are on their phones all the time. Instagram, you can send anybody a message on Instagram.

You can see when they’re online. And then you can even call them then like it’s, you know, you can do lives, you can host like live conferences. It’s, it’s awesome. It’s awesome. So I recommend, I’d recommend that. I’d recommend, I think there’s a lot you can do obviously, and that’s like, that’s like five podcasts work or people who are way smarter than me.

But if you want to do something that’s brave and you want to. Well, here’s something else I did. Huh? This is awesome. I just printed all my customers, all of them, like, well, top hundred I print out the top hundred and then I went on my phone. I held it up with the light ring and I’m like made a video. Each video.

Hey Joel, it’s Russell. Just want to say I love you. Thanks for your business. Your real great duh, duh duh sin. Hey Steve, I love your business. Thank you so much. Hey, Fred and aunt. I did like a hundred and. Three hours. Well, people don’t even know what the hell it is. Like what? How do you get so small on my screen?

How did you do that? Like did what do you pay for them? Like nothing. It’s a phone. It’s his job. It’s easy. So if you’ve spent two days doing that to everyone, you’ve customers really, that would make you tons of money.

Joel Harris: Yeah. It’s all about the followup again. Right.

Russell McRae: Oh, yeah, I guess so. Yeah, totally. Yeah. Yeah.

When you said, without saying you gotta like if you think you’re too small to be seen, try being in a tent with mosquito .

Joel Harris: All right. I think we will, uh, end it there. Uh, Russell, where can people find you online?

Russell McRae: I’d be full Nazi Instagram. You could find me. Um,

Joel Harris: yeah. Anyone? Can anyone, um, send you a, uh, a video message on Instagram?

Russell McRae: Anybody. I want everybody who reads this to send me a message on Instagram cause that proves, actually listen to the last part of the conversation. There’s no, yeah. And go ahead and just go to McRae portraits.com and uh, it’s McCray, portraits.com and uh, and you can just find me from there. And that’s my, that the portal to my connection.

Joel Harris: Perfect. Well Russell, thank you so much for being on the show. I appreciate your time and we will talk later.

Russell McRae: Thank you. I appreciate it. That’s fun. Bye for now. Okay, thanks so. Thank you for listening to publishing for profit.

Joel Harris: Please like and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. .