1847 – The iRoc Approach to Marketing and Sales with Cori Fonville Foster

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2:14With us right now, it's Corey Fonville-Foster. Corey, you are the CEO of IROC Marketable Business Solutions. Now, your website is irockmarketablebusinesssolutions.com. Corey, thank you so much for joining us. Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here today. Yeah. Well, give us an overview of your work, who you serve, and what you do. Oh, absolutely. So, like you said, I am the CEO of iRock Marketable Business Solutions. We're based around Virginia, but we service clients all over the U.S. Our specialty is working with coaches and consultants who are getting into business or who have been in businesses for a little bit, but are really looking for some affordable marketing and sales solutions.

3:00So that's like our sweet spot. Yeah. What's the solution? It really is about utilizing the resources they already have now. Right. A lot of times we are looking and we kind of talk before we hit record about like people are always looking for that new thing. Right. They're looking for that amazing fix. But we talk about really looking at what you already have, the network that you already have, the resources you already have, and learning how to optimize those first, right? Learning how to utilize the software you've probably already invested in and making the most of that towards your marketing and sales goals and then building on that amazing foundation.

3:36Okay. So, yeah. So, no, I don't like chasing shiny object. I already have a pretty good business here. I'm with you. So I just want to keep, you know, working with what we got here. So I don't think a lot of people want to reinvent every 60 days. So what would be some examples of clients that you've worked with and some of those maybe untapped resources, be it existing audiences or whatever? Take me through how you work with a client. Yeah. So when I initially work with a client, one thing we do is kind of take an audit of their current resources. If people have ever worked with a business coach, a lot of times they're teaching you their framework or their system or what software they use.

4:18But I like to say, okay, what have you already invested in? What do you like using? That may be emailing platforms like GetResponse or e-course platforms like Thinkific or Kajabi. And I say, okay, we're utilizing these platforms. What do these platforms have to offer us? How can we put together a system around these tools that you've already invested in? How can we look at perhaps maybe the network that they already have. A lot of adults are already affiliated with organizations. Before we go out and purchase or, you know, invest in another organization to be a part of, how can we optimize the network you already have?

4:50Have you reached out to them and told them you are already in business, right? Have you told them about your products? Have you asked for a referral? Oftentimes, especially business owners who are starting or who have been in business for a couple of years, they forget those small details that really can increase their reach, especially when it comes to organic marketing. Yeah. So what would be examples of like, let's say they say, well, you know, no, I, you know, I obviously I don't want to like spam my list, but you know, we have an email list, you know, and sure, there's probably a bunch of people there that are not engaging with us.

5:26So how might you advise them or someone that's listening to our conversation right now might say, well, Josh, you just described my situation. And so where do they begin? Like, How do they decide what their best course of action may be? Yeah, so I think it always helps have a plan. And even though this may sound kind of boring, we go back to the business plan. We say, okay, where did you say your business was currently? What did we say you wanted to do with your business? Because it starts there. If you're just going out every day thinking of a new goal, you're going to always be chasing that.

5:59But if you actually go back to the why, right, the original reason why you're in business, the audience, who are you trying to target? and then say, okay, what steps, what simple steps can I make to get to them, to attract them, to get them to book a call, to get them to purchase? That's usually the way we go. I'm not about, like you said, kind of crazy new things. It's like, let's just keep it simple. If your audience shops at Walmart, how do we get into Walmart? If your audience is on Facebook every day, how do we get their attention on Facebook? And we just keep it really, really simple because oftentimes the sales are made in the simplest of ways.

6:35Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more. It's kind of the fundamentals. And also, too, I think, well, I'll have you kind of share about this, Corey. My suspicion is that, and I think we've heard this, right, is it's really easy to throw in the towel a little too early when sometimes, you know, it's just like it's that mundane showing up, like having conversations, having sales conversations day after day after day after day. And if you could just pick a lane, right, and just stay swimming in that one lane, guess what? You're going to get to the other end of the pool. If you keep getting out and like starting over in a different lane, you can do that.

7:18It's just going to take you a lot longer to get to the other side of the pool. Yes, it's momentum, really. And I'm not saying that big strategies don't work. Absolutely. Ads, funnels, all these things do work. But I know for certain, if you haven't mastered the foundational elements and really got an understanding of who your audience is and how they shop and how they do business, those bigger, more expensive investments you're gonna make into marketing are gonna be harder for you to still hit your goals. Because if you're not clear with your target audience, if you're listening to this and you're running an ad and you don't know who your target audience is, you're throwing money away.

7:51Just hurry it. But again, going back, when you go to the foundational pieces and you say, you know what, let me really get in tune with my audience. Let me talk to my network. Let me ask them, what are they looking for from me? Then oftentimes, if you're open to listening, you'll see that there is an opportunity for you to market to those individuals and they'll tell you exactly what they want and how they want to receive that information. Yeah. Corey, your website, iRockMarketableBusinessSolutions, you've been doing what you're doing for quite some time. Do you share just maybe just a little bit about your background and where you got your superpowers from?

8:27Yes, I love sharing my story because I really founded my business on the idea that anybody can be a successful entrepreneur if they want to. And that rings true to my story. I actually started back in the medical field. I was a medical assistant. I was in school to become a registered nurse. I absolutely loved my nine to five. I wasn't that person like I just want to quit and become an entrepreneur. That was not me. But I have a rare eye condition and the doctors and all their wisdom basically told me I wasn't going to be able to work anymore. I was going to go home and go blind. And they basically said, you know, go home and collect unemployment.

9:01And I'm not going to pretend that I was a superwoman that said, you know, I'm going to, you know, beat the odds. I actually said, OK, I went home and kind of thought, OK, this is it for me. But then I realized that there were other opportunities. I could chart my own course. And so I landed, you know, long story short, I landed into entrepreneurship and really was self-taught. And I would just go out and say, okay, if this is the issue, where's the solution? And I would find people to help me. I would invest in courses. I would invest in mentors. And eventually, IROC Marketable Business Solution was found.

9:34And we have been able to help other individuals who kind of find themselves in this lane of entrepreneurship. And we help them leverage their genius, their zone of genius, their passions, and turn that into profit. Yeah. One thing I think in your own story that you shared is change. And just looking at your LinkedIn, you recently talked about, listen, change is the only constant. You're in business. I mean, you know, there's probably some value to being nimble. Right. And also, you know, when change does happen. Well, I'll let you kind of share like this again, that notion of, you know, the inevitability of change and disruption and things, surprises that come.

10:20But again, as a business owner, right, it's just that's why we put our big girl, big boy pants on. Right. That's the job it takes. And I'll have you kind of give your little mini TED talk on that topic. Yeah, I really think that there is a very simple line, right? Not a thin line, but a simple line between those businesses who are going to be successful and those who are not. And that does have to do with the idea of being adaptive and being willing to pivot. if you are so stringent in the area that you're in that you're like, I know I'm an expert, this is how I'm gonna do it, I'm not changing anything, then oftentimes you're gonna really struggle to be successful because the industry is always changing.

11:02Every day there's a new way to market. Every day there is a new social media platform, Lord help us, but there's always something new and your audience is always looking for that next thing. And so you have to be willing to adjust. I learn every day and I teach my clients to just be lifelong learners, right? It doesn't matter how long you've been in the game. There's always gonna be more to learn. And also, especially cause I'm a coach, it's like, how dare I stop learning? Because then I can't put a seed into my clientele if I'm not learning. And so I think that just having that understanding going in is like, you're gonna always have to be willing to adapt.

11:41You're gonna always have to be willing to adjust and just be flexible to be successful with the longevity of a business. You know what I mean? Yeah. Corey, what stage business owners do you generally work with and how do you engage with them? How do you work together? Yeah, so usually I work with people, I always like to say in their first five years of business, typically. Now, some people have been playing business for a long time. And so maturity-wise of their business, they're still really in those first five years of development. Most people come to me with at least an idea. They've established themselves as an LLC or what have you, as a nonprofit.

12:19But they are really still lacking some of the foundational structures, the operational issues that new businesses have. And they're still trying to really hone into their sales and marketing strategies. Like I said, I work with mostly coaches and consultants, so service-based industries. And we really work together to hone in those sales and marketing pieces of their business. That's not to say we haven't had people who come to us with just an idea. We still support them. And we also still have had clients who are already hitting six figures who maybe just need some tweaks here and there. But our sweet spot is definitely those first five years of working on those foundational pieces and marketing and sales strategies.

12:59In the early stages of business, like if someone's still a little bit flexible about, you know, what they know is to say, I do not want to work a regular job. and maybe they have a day job right now and they're, you know, they've tried, they've tested, you know, some opportunities and they're not sure where they want to get, like, how do you help them decide what they should be doing or, you know, or kind of settling into it? I'm sure you've seen some business models that are like, I don't know, man, that's going to be hard. And you've probably seen some others like, listen, I think you got what it takes?

13:36Like, how do you help someone in that if they're still a little bit malleable there? Yeah, I've definitely had to have those conversations. Sometimes, you know, I feel bad because they may have invested in a lot of things. And I'm like, ah, you skipped that market research spot. Because if you would have looked at that, you probably would have known that there's some things that are not going to make this an easy climb for you. But when I work with clients, I like to have really candid conversations. I don't take on any like high ticket coaching clients without having a serious strategy call in the beginning where we kind of get really true and transparent about what they are looking to achieve.

14:11I tell my clients, I don't define what success is for them. They have to let me know where they think they want to go. And then I'm like, okay, realistically, based on where you are, this is how I see things going. This is what I recommend. And then if we find that there's a partnership, if there's an overlap, if there's a chance for collaboration, we work together. If we find that we just don't align, then I'm happy to point people in the right direction. Some individuals come to me and I realize they need a lot of mindset work, right? They have imposter syndrome, all that. I'm not that coach.

14:40I'm like, hey, I know somebody for you that can help you get through those mental blocks and work through that. And when you're ready, then we can move forward. So we do, we start with a really candid conversation and see, again, do we align? Is there work that we can do together to progress them in their entrepreneurship journey? If there is, I'm excited, they're excited, and then we get to the real work. Yeah. Your website is irockmarketablebusinesssolutions.com. To our friend that's listening, my recommendation, that's quite a few letters you got to type in. So we've got the link. All you got to do is just click on the show notes or click on the cover or just keep clicking around in your podcast app.

15:19You'll find it. Find that direct link, Corey, that we've got directly to your website. And when somebody takes this next step and they're like, I want more Corey in my life? Like what would you recommend they do once they get to your website? Yeah, definitely. First of all, whether you want to work with me or not, if you just want any more information that can help you with your business, if you're in that first five years of business, especially go ahead and sign up. There'll be a pop-up up there. Sign up because that gives you over eight plus hours of free training. It also gives you a 90 day visibility challenge that gives you 90 little tasks that you can do to bring more visibility to your brand.

15:55So enjoy that for free, whether you want to work with me or not. But if you feel like I'm somebody that could possibly support you, definitely there is a way on my website to just contact us. We do a free strategy call. We also have free mini brand audits where again, we can look and see what are your goals? What are you doing now? And I'll give you some extra resources on that call. And if we, again, we feel like it's a partnership, if we feel like it's going to be some magic, we work together, then we'll definitely take those next steps together. Yeah. Again, Corey Bonville. Oh, shoot. I lost your, Corey Bonville Foster.

16:29Your website is IROC Marketable Business Solutions. IROC is I-R-O-C, which I was quick to notice. That's Corey spelled backwards. Again, IROC Marketable Business Solutions. Thank you so much for the free gift as well. Again, Corey, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much for having me. This was so much fun.

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