161: Video, AI, and Outsourcing Strategies for Business Excellence with Dom Procter

(upbeat music) Welcome to the video made simple podcast. This week I'm in distress, but I am with a very dear friend of mine, Dom Proctor, who invested in the DIY video studio a couple of years ago. I guess before we really got our processes set and I've just spent the last 10 minutes telling him some of the basics of what you're gonna do before you switch on your teleprompter, your DIY test-op. - That's right, Chris. Tell him that. - Get that light organized. It's great to have you in here. - Yeah, he's got, he's coming without his headphones on. So now we've got to figure it out and blah, blah, blah. But as soon as he turned off his house lights and closed the bloody blinds, now I can actually see him clearly and it doesn't look like a bloody mess, which is what it was before. But look, anyway, it's a work in progress with Dom. He's always been such a kind heart, helping us, not only promote the DIY video studio, but also implement systems in our business that have been instrumental in our growth. Dom also is specializing in amazing, well, I'm gonna let you introduce it, but AI and VA's and if Dom's gonna explain what those acronyms are to give an insight, is to where his business is going and where also the utilization of video and the pro-enter his processes has helped him with closing deals. Dom, oh. - It's more like, so not so much VA's, but we definitely love AI and we call our staff, AIO assistance. So AIO stands for AI, optimized by a human. So AI is amazing, I am officially AI-mad, but it's only as good as what you put into it and how well you know to feed a product such as chat GPT or mid-journey. So as an example, mate, for what you do with writing scripts or coming up with headlines, we teach our assistants how to use AI to do that properly. We also have prompt engineers, so that's someone who knows how to actually prompt, chat GPT properly and we have prompting, or we have AI developers who know how to actually use AI properly work with large language models and get the best out of what AI has got to offer. There's a stack of apps out there, there's a stack of people, you know, every day there's you know, 500 new apps and 500 more, 409 of them are probably crap and you've got to find the good ones in there. - Well, give us an idea, give us an idea 'cause lots of people talk about prompts and all that stuff, but give us an idea of what a good prompt is or a bad prompt is. - Sure, so well, GPT is conversational and it's based on context. So if you just say, write me a story about, you know, the red fox jumping over a fence, it'll do the best it can. If you say, write me a story, aimed at five year old female, five year old girls who want to learn about how the red fox was able to jump over the fence, incorporate a unicorn into the story somewhere and make it less than 600 words and have a hook at the end that prompts the kid to go and buy a red fox. - And where does that end? Like where does that end? So it sounds like, you know, it sounds like the prompt is made up of just lots of details. That is there an end to it? Like could you literally be just feeding in that single prompt, just more and more questions like make it, you know, like you said, make it a certain amount of words, make the words a particular language, you know, make the words keep the words to body four characters each. Like how, you know, how is that? Is there nobody in the gym? Like just keep feeding, feeding, feeding. So you end up with what you're wanting rather than going back and forth, which is kind of what I've been doing. So, and it can be, you know, frustrating, it can take a while. You're saying feed it as much as you can in a single prompt and you'll get the output, you'll get a clearer output, a clearer thing to what you're wanting faster. - Definitely. The more you put in the better output will be and now GPT has released, I guess, in a way profiles. So you can, rather than having to set the scene, you know, in each prompt, you can put your profile information in there. So your profile might be, you know, say you're a business. My target audience is small to medium business owners. The industry that they operate in is, I don't know, manufacturing. The job title of the people that I'm looking to go after or that I'm aiming at is logistics manager. And then GPT already knows about that. So another new feature is, you know, you can put files into GPT as of last week and then inquiry those. But yeah, definitely it's the old thing. You put rubbish in, you get rubbish out. - Yeah, so what files are you talking about? - So you can put a PDF in. So say you've got a PDF document, you can then upload that PDF and then query it. Another one I saw the other day was this financial analyst put in a spreadsheet, a P&L, and then said highlights and areas that could be improved in this business by looking at the P&L, look over the last 12 months figures and it came back with recommendations as to the areas that were kind of red flags. So yeah, it's definitely changing all the time. GPT is really useful when you give it their own information. If you're not looking at learning how to prompt which isn't really hard, it's just how to have a conversation properly. There are other tools like Jasper. So Jasper's basically got a 100 pre-written prompts that are built into a follow the bouncy ball kind of interface which will pump out social media articles or create Facebook posts or write video scripts or blog posts or long form content. And another one might be content at scale, which is for long form blog posting. You can put in one keyword, it'll generate a 3000 plus word SEO optimized blog post in about three minutes. And then one click published to WordPress, one click published to Shopify, if you're doing pages around products. You could take your podcast, it grabs that transcript, turns that into an SEO optimized blog post about whatever the context of that podcast was. So you really got to find, it's like anything, you find the right tool for the right purpose. And I have gone through a lot of tools and scaled it back now because I love prompting to using chat GVT, using content at scale and then using mid-Jerney. So as an example, I've got a copyrighter in the fields who works for me and for some of my clients. She uses a combination of chat GVT, content at scale, and mid-Jerney. So she'll write the article based on the brief that I give her and the keyword research that our SEO provider has done. And then after she's finished writing the article, she goes to mid-Jerney and creates custom images based on that article and then sprinkles them through. See, it's definitely speeding up that output. So before 1000, 2000 word blog post was taking a half a day to a day. Now we're getting three, maybe four, out per day. And you know, our sort of stuff is training VA's to specialise in these different AOA areas. Is that right? - Correct, yeah. If it's a requirement, so you know, if the VA role doesn't involve the need to use AOA and it's just data entry, then that's just data entry. - So it's not a threat. Like somebody saying, well, why would I just do it myself? It's not really a threat to you at all, is it? No, look, the thing with AI and without sourcing is that there's definitely roles that will become redundant. So like SEO copyrighters, you can, you know, five, 10 extra output by using AI. So if you're a copywriter and you're not using it, then yeah, your job definitely is at risk. So when I went to market to find myself, a copywriter and for another client, an SEO agent seen Sydney, my brief is you must be 110% on board with AI and I want you to respond to this email or to this job interview using AI. And if you can do that, and you are on board, then hopefully if you're not good, probably not a good fear. So you're definitely staying ahead. So my wife's Filipino is on the line. I genuinely love the country and the people. And we are about helping them not be made redundant. And have more knowledge than the Aussies. Have more knowledge than the United States and the UK and the US and be that person that says, okay, can we use AI to do this? Or can we use automation to do this? So I kind of preach outsource, automate or use AI or a combination of all three. So as an example with automation, I get leads from a third party provider that gets sent to me by email. I then use Zapier that grabs that lead, takes it, wax it into HubSpot, then puts that into a sequence and then sends a series of three emails so I don't have to do it. So that saved me five or six, and I do a custom video as well along the way, which is a step in the process, which is all automated until I need to get involved or someone replies or someone picks up the phone and calls me. But yeah, definitely training staff on how to use AI or how to spot something that could be automated. Because there's no reason in just because a resource is a cheaper value doesn't mean, you shouldn't automate something just because you're getting it done for $15, not $45. An hour. - Well, you touched on video a little bit and we'll always have really interesting conversations around this and this is a video show. So let's talk about some video stuff. (laughing) But you know, this, the recruitment. - Pointed recruitment. - It's fine. - The recruitment, but in sales stuff, I mean, you and I have talked heaps about it. How are you using your desktop studio and accessibility to the tools, to the understanding the processes, of course, has a little bit of work to do around that, but we'll keep working through that together. But also improving the video quality, and audio quality, and all that type of stuff. Just give me a snapshot of what your day looks like for, you know, to include video into your processes into your business. - Sure. So it's all about for me differentiation. I'm in the outsourcing game. There's thousands of us, a lot of those companies originate from people who are in HR, or just, you know, running an outsourcing business. I have run an agency for 20 years, software development, IT. We all kind of have a similar pricing structure. So you've got to stand out. And people, in my opinion, buy from people. You don't get that from an email response that has a link to your website and has a PDF brochure. You get it from someone who has taken the time to respond to your via email. So whenever I get a lead, the first thing I do is reply. In that reply, there's a video saying, "Hey, I'm the owner of Outdoor Stuff. Got your inquiry for a PHP developer. We'd love to talk to you more about you, your business, and now we can make outsourcing a success. The link below is my calendar. Please click on it and get in touch." And so I'm personalized, right? Like, you make that personalized every single time. We have two. So we have some generic ones, but the first one is always personalized. So I've got a generic one, which is left your voice mail. Hey there, left your voice mail, couldn't reach you. Calendar's below. Give us a call if you can. But it's definitely using video the whole way through. I had a friend of mine, you know, did some research for me, reached out to, I think it was 20 or 30 different companies in my industry. I was the only one who used video. And that was definitely a point of difference. You know, I also use video in the recruitment process. I used to do the videos myself saying, "Hey, I've got a great job. Are you interested?" And a great, great uptake had so many comments saying, "Oh, you're the first person I've seen using video." And then now what I do is I get my clients to do the video because they're the ones that the people are going to work with. So as an example, Sean, she was looking for an event, an online events coordinator and a digital marketing coordinator. So I said, "Cool, well, I want you to sell that role." Because she's a lovely lady. You know what I mean? And you don't get that from a web page. You get it from listening to Sean say, "Hey, I'm a lovely lady. This is an awesome job. Are you awesome? Do you want to join my team?" And just the response is just so much better. I'm working with an executive leader at the moment who has been out of work for a year. And we're working on his effectively profile, his personal profile and him in video form to respond to job ads and to also support that process. Because again, the same type of thing, CVs are just, just may as well sit in a bloody file in cabinet half the time. Because there's nobody leading with video in this way. And it is becoming such a big point of difference for people. If you're not doing this and not thinking about this and you're looking for a job, start thinking about it because it really does get cut through. I mean, we did, we actually hired 100, we did a hire recently, top 100, culled down to 25, asked those 25 for their video. Just so you know, it was actually asked for in the job ad and it just gives you an indication of how much bullshit is out there where people don't even read the job ad, right? So there's that going. So it's flicking your bloody CV. Do you know what I mean? Like, where's the bloody love? Where's the care, right? Where's the time people? You know, you should be spending this in making sure that you have some pride in what you're doing and actually legitimately read the fucking thing in the first place and reply appropriately to that. Not just flicking CV, but just give people a reason to look at you. So out of 25, we asked them for videos 10, submitted, 12 submitted videos and they were everything from people trying to polish it because these are video people that were looking for, trying to polish themselves up and whatever, to people that just literally pulled out the iPhone and spoke on the beach at why they think they're the best person for the job. And it didn't matter about production value. It didn't matter about trying to fucking polish everything. It was all about just connecting and being human and giving us a glimpse of who they were. I mean, what it did do really nicely is gave us an ability to short list based on what they talked about, gave us an ability to informally short list them and we had two people that we had our own. But then we got them to a group interview where we got them all there because if they submitted the video, they're going to go the extra mile because they're in the top 100, top 10 of 100, right? So they're excited and then we group interviewed it and then we firmed up out the two that we had predicted. We're gonna be our top two by virtue of watching their video. Were the two that we shortlisted from the 10 that had done the group interview. But they were flipped around. So our number one became number two and our number two came number one, right? So that was kind of interesting. And then when we made our decision on the one that we wanted, we looked at ECV. I hope you're talking. So our VA team did the whole culling process, it was funny if there's people in bloody Ireland and fucking Interstate, well, I don't even out of Sydney, you're gone. And so it was a pretty quick culling process but they did all that. But we weren't looking at details in a CV for that. The only time I looked at a CV was right at the end when I was like, "Okay, who's this guy's references?" You know, just the browse over his credentials and this that and you know, there's like, good, I made my decision, right? So that gives you an idea. CV is a fucking gone man. You know, if the recruitment industry needs to figure that out, yeah, go on. - We're like, so we do our internal screening first on people based on their responses and if they've submitted a video. And then our, the interviews that I run are all recorded and then the client gets to see that recording prior to meeting them. You know, they can watch it at 1.25 or 1.5. But I've already asked the majority, 'cause as part of our process, we say, "Okay, give us three of the top questions that you want me to ask. The candidate prior to them getting to you." So they get to see that on the video prior to them investing their time to do their one-on-one. So by the time it gets to them, they've got everything. And then they watch that video and they're like, "I like this person. I can see the attitude. I can hear the voice. I can see the enthusiasm." - Yep, organizer meeting, organizer one-on-one. And it's, look, it does take me more time, but it gets better results. - Yeah, yeah. Well, look, and arguably anyone that's taking more time is not defining their processes as tight as they could. And I'm not saying that to you necessarily, but it would be something that I'd take a look at for you and see how we actually minimize. I mean, just from what I have understood from this recording. (laughing) - I just didn't turn off your house lights, mate. No more step number one. Turn off your house lights. Step number two, close your blinds. Step number three. turn on your DLI dust of Stadia. - I talk too much, that's my problem in interviews. I like to learn about people. But that's why I tell my clients, turn it up to 1.5 'cause you're gonna hear me talking. You wanna work with people you like. And if that's the kind of conversation, you can't have a conversation with them if they can't make chitchat then. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. - It depends on the role, but for creative roles, important. - The executive leader I had, he was first draft of his script was all just like, he's my senior and I was like, fuck, I can get this from his fucking LinkedIn profile, right? And I was like, how would I place this? This guy needs a structure. He needs to understand that the structure is important no matter what video you do, no matter what presentation or interaction that you do. You need the bloody structure, right? So I got him to start considering how he does in a very informal introduction that introduced him and father of two and blah blah blah. And he goes, oh, nobody's gonna give a shit about that. I'm a senior leader and I wouldn't care about that. And in the background, in the background, right? 'Cause his wife's there in the room while I'm coaching him. And she's got this big thumb coming up. Big thumbs up behind going, I get it. I get it because at the first instance, people need to be able to connect. Then you have all the permission you like to rattle off your credentials and how fucking good you are blah blah blah, right? But yeah, it's underestimated, vulnerabilities underestimated, the cracks in someone and that the way that people self-select or choose you is not based on what you're saying is like the person behind it. You know, it's the way that you're presenting yourself in different areas. I had a call the other day with this super big week, Dave, he works for a 500 million dollar company in New York and we both got three daughters. And his daughter's 14, my daughter's 14, and that was our connection. We're like, how are you doing? I'm like, yeah, it's a struggle for how social media, yeah, it's a struggle. And after 15 minutes of us talking about our daughters and connecting, he said, "How can we do some business? I like you." People buy for people. And you don't get that, you just don't get that in the written form. Look, yeah, if you can, and now especially with GPT, I can write like David McKinney, because I just tell it to write like David McKinney, or I can write you a poem by the Beatles, or that sort of thing. Look, it's a great chat. I do want to like get on and talk about all the other wonderful things that we're going to do, but we've got an event coming up and I want you to just give that a plug, Dom, because it involves both of us. And I think we'd love to get bums on seats for that event and get more people talking, using our services, et cetera, and also coming along for some valued information. If you're by-grow or selling, buying, growing or selling, which everybody should be, unless you're dying. Then maybe this is the best thing for you, if you're dying, just to learn how you can get going. - By-grow yourself, mate. I love the guys Simon and Shane and Jess and Joe, who are running it. We've got speakers such as Mark Burris, yourself, experts in all areas of small and medium businesses, and what's it about buying a business, growing a business, and selling a business? And that's all these guys do all day every day. I'm there as well talking about how to use outsource to reduce cost-increase productivity. - Let's go and get the guys to a link, which will include in the show notes here of the podcast. Dom's gonna probably have to go because he's got war zones and construction going on. So we might pick this up again with you another time, Dom, but we'll include the link, it's May, sorry September 5 and 6. It's a virtual event, it's free to join. You will find me and Dom in there at some point, I'll be in the live speaking, and Dom will be in a recorded, we'll be on panels and all that sort of wonderful stuff as well. So keep an eye out for Dom Proctor from Outsource Stuff. He's going to give you a wealth of knowledge of how you can improve the quality of your outsourcing and as well from a video perspective differentiating yourself in the market with some of the things that we talked about in this podcast today. - Thanks for watching. - Turn on the lights on, baby. Thanks again, Dom. - Oh, mate. - Video is everything. - Love you work.