Nick Jeffries and Sandro Heitor on problems with LinkedIn, becoming an author, branding, and the formula of success

A week ago Sandro Heitor and I came together to shot a video. Nu Projects has collaborated with Sandro, the founder of Trio The Difference, a property maintenance company. We talked about our books, the importance of branding, putting out content and the formula of success.

Nick: You know, nearly every day apart from today I probably meet four or five architects and interior designers. They are here pitching to me because I want to collaborate with new architectures and interior designers. We get so much deal flow and traffic coming for maybe 5-6 new inquires a week, we want to collaborate with architects and interior designers so if I'm giving them work; they will give me work. Like in the old days, I had four architects and four interior designers which is a one-way street, I'm giving them money for their wages what I'm not getting back because they are not bringing any deals back in. So this way, I'm turning all these people come in here as lead generation. If I give them a side return, loft conversion, basement conversion, mansard they are going to give me stuff back. 

Sandro: That's how I like to do business. For example, Savills have been one of the property management companies that we've had the challenge of getting through the door. So getting Trio on the panel for maintenance contractors for sales. You know, they got six thousand waiting list of contractors that they can choose. Why would they suddenly just pick you? There is no reason why they would. Managers approach the director of Savills for West London in letting. And I asked him 'is he able to approach in the right direction or who's in charge of their preferred suppliers' list for maintenance'. And within minutes (this was via LinkedIn) he messaged me a screenshot of who does it and introduced us by email. And my reply to him was; I'm building 7 flats in Colliers Wood, we are keeping them, I'm actually going to live in one of them, and I'm renting out your 6. I want to give them to you. I don't care if I get through to the panel but the fact that he had the courtesy of one, replying and two, making an effort because it's not his decision at the end of the day, but he put us in touch. I have done so many networking through LinkedIn, I have met and built relationships with individuals who are active on LinkedIn, and it wasn't more than a 30-minute conversation. There were promises, relationships; I thought it went really well. We could have added value to each other, but a lot of the time people just want content. 

Nick: LinkedIn is very good, but there are too many people pitching all the time. They don't have a clue how to use LinkedIn. I get messages all the time 'if you need wood', 'if you need stove' and constantly asking. All they have got to do is create engaging content about their wooden floors and their stuff. Let people come to them. And that what we do, producing videos and still images, motivational, inspirational, about built. And It just happens. The content doesn't even have to be brilliant; you don't have to have thousands of views. You can have 50, 60, 100, 200 views. And it just works.

Sandro: You don't have to be liked, you have to be heard.

Nick: We have spoked about the book, being an author. I've told you I've been listening to that book called 'Key Person of Influence', it's really good. All the key points I'm already doing, like brand awareness. But he said the most important one out of all of them. It is writing your book.

Sandro: Yes.

Nick: You have to become an author. Because the key person of influence will always be the author. Even if no one buys or reads your book. If you do a Google search, it comes up. If you go to a business meeting, you can give your book away as a business card.

Sandro: Yes, you host an event, a workshop and your book is there.

Nick: When I first did that, I thought it was like some metaphor, I hate reading, I hate writing, but I sat down, and I wrote maybe a thousand words about the beginning of my life. My ups and downs, my dad died, who I am, how I am, and the rest of it. If I write every couple of weeks or something a thousand there, 500 here.

The person who did yours [Sandro Heitor: The Entrepreneur Paradox: The Easy Way To Achieve Balance And Wealth] was the ghost-writer, and she charged you, didn't she? What was the fee?

Sandro: ￡10,000.Nick: But you could have done it yourself, couldn't you?

Sandro: No, because by the time Lily approached me, I already had 14 chapters, over 200 pages. There was something I just wrote; where I stared, where I come from, the challenges I've had to date. I was projecting this book to be released when I was 40 or 50.  Because you never feel worthy of enough achievement to release it. You'd be surprised how many people would be captured just by your journey growing up and how you overcome that particular phase. They can relate to you. You don't have to be that ultra-successful individual. And you think this was that you are not valid to release this book. Who am I? But you more than you think.

Nick: I would be getting myself in the mindset to do it. When you put words down on paper, and you're going back in time, you remember things. After you have done one or two chapters, you are generating more content. You talk to people, you studying things.

Sandro: You are in the moment of doing it. The purpose of my book was never to achieve sales. The purpose of the book was I knew the person I was working with was going to put me in positions that I wanted to be (which was on stage at the time, public speaking). So it didn't generate sales, however, when I released that book, that was the most healing experience I have ever had. I let go of so much, putting it on paper and talking about it. And knowing that it's public now, it gave me a sense of healing there I don't know how long it would have taken me to heal the way I did. It was such a release.

Nick: Before you did it, you were a little bit broken.

Sandro: 1000%. Even then, while I was writing it, I was already in the right place, the business was already doing great. But money doesn't change anything, and the opportunities and success in the physical world don't change anything. You're still living with it. It's still there. So obviously writing and speaking about it, because that's the approach, every time you enter a stage, people have to relate to you. So you do start with your story.

Nick: I wonder where it's going to lead to next then. I never know who is going to phone up, it's like, okay, I've got a lottery ticket and that lottery ticket can come in any moment. I wouldn't swap it for the world, you know sometimes, we business owners and entrepreneurs we may lose for years, we have no money coming in, just paying everyone's wages and nothing. You've got that chance that you are going to win. It's the belief. I'm making the opportunities that most people don't create.

Sandro: Well, I said when I was down through my phase, I couldn't find the book that I needed, so I wrote one. You create your opportunities.

Sandro: If you can integrate technology into whatever you do, because technology is the future and that's where we all are going, whether we are in the building industry, whether on events, if in some way shape or form we can integrate technology, I think the opportunities in these days are endless. I actually met with an ex-banker who did a lot of stock exchange and was talking to me about the New Thing. The New Thing now is like Instagram, it's a platform which isn't out yet, but it's going IPO next month. This platform is specifically just for micro-influencers, and what the beauty of that is, for example, Nick Jeffries as the influencer is selling cameras then I'll approach you with a brand-new camera saying, Nick, I want you to talk about it and show this camera. And there is a link when the audience can buy the camera but you get a percentage of that purchase. But this platform strictly focuses on influencers; you don't do any social media there. It brings the influencers together and gives more exposure to your product. It's innovative.

Nick: I think Instagram is going to start dipping slowly. The algorithm has changed, and it's really hard to get followers, 3-5 years ago, it was pretty easy. Tik Tok is the new platform where all the teenagers are now. But you also got a lot of older people there. And those older people are using it as teenagers, making stupid things and look pathetic. But if you use it as you would do Facebook, Insta, Twitter normally, just take it easy, and you may get 10-20 followers a day. But the platform is young and it's growing.

Some of my posts went viral. I was in my office talking about my ex-business partner for 30 seconds. 30,000 views. There was another about me getting in my Range Rover; I edited, I speeded up, 25,000 views. Mental. You can never get that on Instagram. More people are joining observing. Sooner or later, everyone is going to start using it.

Sandro: What would be your advice for the younger generation who already got entrepreneurship instilled in them or going to stop there?

Nick: There is my daughter; she is 16 years old, growing up with an iPhone. I always say to her: do something. Marketing, branding or sells. Don't be a user; be a creator.

Sandro: Do you believe there is a formula of success?

Nick: Just creating. Working hard. Ten times harder than your competitors. But if I would be younger, I would just create as much as possible. I'd drop shipping. I'd set up a Shopify or Amazon channel. Selling camera accessories or anything, not even buying just advertising. Creating Facebook and Instagram ads. Taking the orders, taking people's money, and getting the product shipped from Alibaba to the customer. You just need time to create those landing pages.

Sandro: Do you feel that there is an opportunity there for workshops?

Nick: I have a friend in Portsmouth he has got a workshop. He is a young contractor. They've just started their workshop, they do some paid events, and basically, they teach contractors about digital marketing, marketing, branding, showing them how to build their pipeline up. It's quite successful. I think contractors want to be busier, but they don't know how to market themselves. I believe there is an angle there to do workshops for building professionals to increase their funnel, sales and brand. 1000%

On LinkedIn, you do see some people now talking to cameras. There is one contractor the other day, he was really good, he was a little bit embarrassed, a little bit awkward, but he talked to the camera how good last years was, thanking his team, his subcontractors, it was very eloquent. He was delivering the message, and I said to him: well done, mate, brilliant.

Sandro: Would you say the most challenging thing for people in our industry is to find these people?

Nick: Definitely. I could be the best marketing, sales or branding person in the world, but ultimately, we need to have good professionals around us. The levels. I'm on the top, and I need contract managers, projects managers, site foreman and the trades. Everyone in our team is creating a potential deal flow. Finding professional grafters, people who are grafters. I have never been a grafter all my life, I was a lazy teen, I loved to party. But when I hit my late 30s, I changed completely. Now I'm serious. Next month is my 50th birthday. From 50-60 I'm going to keep myself fit, strong, and it's going to be the best 10 years of my life.

Sandro: Where do you see nu projects is going?

Nick: I need good people around me. I want to do 3-4-5-6-7 million pounds projects in primaries in London.

If you'd like to see the whole conversation visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4549cs6x1k.