May 19, 2025 • 48 mins
Nikhil Sai went from broke dropout to marketing phenom, generating over $500 million in client results and interviewing more than 100 millionaires on The Nikhil Sai Show.
In this electrifying episode of The Headsmack Podcast, Nikhil shares how he built a global business from scratch, why pricing is everything, and the “inversion funnel” strategy that turns cold leads into five-figure clients.
If you’re an entrepreneur, coach, or agency owner tired of being overlooked, this is your wake-up call. Learn how to work less, earn more, and only serve clients who value what you do.
Link: https://funnelingmedia.com/
Paul Povolni, the founder of Voppa Creative, has been a creative leader for over 30 years, with clients around the world. He’s led teams in creating award-winning branding and design as well as equipping his clients to lead with Clarity, Creativity and Culture.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_03 (00:00):
Hi, everyone.
This is Nikhil Sai, and you'relistening to the HeadSmack
Podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
You are listening to conversations with misfits,
mavericks, and trailblazers.
SPEAKER_01 (00:09):
Hey, welcome to the HeadSmack Podcast.
My name is Paul Pabonli, and I'mexcited to have another misfit
with me.
I have Nik Sai with me, and hehas delivered over$500 million
in verified results for hisclients.
He's interviewed more than 100millionaires on his podcast, The
Nikhil Sai Show.
And he's also got all kinds ofYeah.
(00:30):
Thanks, Paul, for inviting me.
And I'm
SPEAKER_03 (00:35):
excited to add value to the listeners today.
SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
I'm looking forward to the conversation.
Love, love your story.
And I look forward to hearingmore about it.
Congratulations on thoseachievements.
And so let me hear a little bitabout your backstory.
You know, you've shared a littlebit about it, but I want to kind
of hear from you.
You can go as far back as youwant to, but just tell me a
(01:01):
little bit about the originstory of Nick.
SPEAKER_03 (01:04):
Sure, okay.
I'm originally born in India andnow my business resides in
Dubai.
And you can catch me in randomcountries anytime because my
business is virtual now and I dolike the freedom of traveling a
lot.
And it's not that productive tobe transparent, but it's just
what I enjoy doing as of now.
I speak at events, I go and meetpeople at different events and
(01:28):
have great friends all over theworld.
So it's a fun place and time tobe in.
But this wasn't like this.
When I started my journey backin the COVID time, I was a broke
dropout kid, confused.
I was doing my mechanicalengineering.
I just finished my diploma ofmechanical engineering.
So I was just about to repeatthe same life for the next three
(01:50):
years.
And I was like so confused.
I'm like, holy moly, like thisis not going to work out.
I'm not built for jobs.
The good thing is I've got myhands on some self-education
books, like Rich Dad, Poor Dad,for example, was one of those
books that give me a differentperspective.
And I realized how gaining newinsights can completely change
how you view your world.
(02:11):
So I've been ingrained with onecommon goal because my mom is a
teacher.
So I was just, I was justdrilled with this idea that if I
get a government job, like if Ijust work for government, I get
my salary on time, basically getdrugged every month with that
salary so that I don't have tohave any dreams anymore and just
(02:33):
settle down in life.
That was my ultimate goal.
But once I read this book and Irealized that there is four
levels, you know, like there'sself-employment, there's
employment, there's business andinvestor.
I realized like, holy moly,there's more to life.
And then I've discovered moreand more entrepreneur stories
and realized like, holy smokes,like somebody can shoot up three
rockets and fail and can stillshoot up the fourth one and
(02:55):
enter the space.
even without being aprofessional engineer, what am I
doing with my life?
That was the question.
The good thing is I've done aninternship when I'm finishing my
diploma at a place where I'vehanged out, luckily, with a lot
of old folks.
These are people who are closerto their retirement in their
60s.
They've had a secure job alltheir life.
(03:16):
And I've heard their stories andI've heard their regrets saying,
hey, I've been basically gettingthe same amount of salary for my
entire life.
I've taken care of my kids andhere I am just regretting my
whole life.
And I was like, I don't want tobe this guy.
Like, I don't want to be likethem.
So I was like, we are alreadybelow poverty and we're not
doing that good anyway.
(03:37):
I literally have nothing tolose.
Why not take the risk?
Why not just...
Right, right, right.
So I discoveredentrepreneurship, started a few
things here and there, gained alot of experience there.
But then I jumped into digitalmarketing in 2020 when the COVID
hit.
Russell Brunson started thiswhole movement called One Funnel
of a Challenge.
A lot of businesses in the USwere shut down.
(03:57):
They wanted to go online andClickFunnels was...
empowering them to do that.
And when there is a wave, yougot to ride it.
So, you know, I invested inmentors.
I, you know, learned how tobuild a successful agency in a
very short amount of time.
We started gaining momentum.
I was actually good at what I'mdoing.
This is, One of the things mostpeople forget about, which is
(04:17):
you got to be very good at thecraft and delivering reserves.
My clients were making a lot ofmoney with us.
So we were being referred and wewere getting a lot of business
and we continue to deliver.
And here we are five years downthe line doing the same thing,
making people more and moremoney and being successful at
it.
SPEAKER_01 (04:32):
Wow.
Wow.
That's an amazing story.
So I want to backtrack just alittle bit.
And so, you know, you mentionedthat you were a broke student,
you know, pursuing theseendeavors.
You know, studying engineeringis very different to
entrepreneurship.
Was there anybody in your lifethat kind of helped you enter
into that?
Or was it simply the books thatinspired you into that?
SPEAKER_03 (04:55):
I mean, I'm basically...
smart cutting myself into it.
So for example, just like howyou are interviewing me, I have
basically created a podcast,right?
I saw the people who have thisaward behind me, the golden
award.
And that's the Oscar ofmarketing basically, right?
Like in the ClickFunnels space.
(05:16):
And I was like, holy moly, if Ican make a million dollars in my
lifetime, it will belife-changing.
That's where I come from, right?
And I was like, Oh my God, theseguys charge thousands of dollars
for hourly consulting.
Their courses are expensive.
I cannot join.
I had no money.
So I was like, what is the otherway around?
Then I saw a Pakistani guy whointerviews the people who have
(05:39):
these awards.
And I was like, wait a minute.
I thought my brown skin couldn'tattract these people.
I thought my lack of ability tospeak English, because my
English was so bad back then, bythe way, like my first sales
call lasted seven minutesbecause the guy left, he
couldn't understand anything Iwas talking about.
I don't understand anythingyou're talking about.
Wish you luck.
(06:00):
Goodbye.
So like, that's how my firstsales call went.
So if somebody is doing yourfirst sales call and if it's
over seven minutes, you cansurpass me.
You're doing better than me.
So long story short, when Iceased somebody and they can
achieve it, my mind goes like,if he can do it, so can I.
So I started my podcast.
I had one theme that, hey, Ijust want you to share your
(06:22):
journey and share me what workedfor you.
And I was asking a lot oftechnical questions.
So after every podcast, I usedto write down what are the three
things they've done right?
What are the three thingsthey've done wrong?
So I can avoid those three whichwere wrong and can double down
on the three that were actuallyworking for you.
I've done that with 100 peoplein the first two years and And
I've made millions of dollarswith that same playbook.
Literally, it's just the workthat needs doing.
(06:44):
And I've invested in mentors,coaching, made a lot of money,
lost a lot of money, whatnot.
I think the playbook is simple.
It's just hard work that needsto be done.
You just need to confront it,write it down, and just do it.
SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
Yeah, yeah.
So as you started interviewingthese people, you know, with you
being overseas, with you nothaving a whole lot of
experience, how did you get themto want to give you their
attention and give you theirtime?
SPEAKER_03 (07:11):
Yeah, that's a pretty smart question.
Thanks for asking.
I've made a very clear visionfor what I'm trying to build.
I'm not trying to be Joe Rogan.
I'm not trying to be the numberone big podcast in the world.
My goal was very clear.
Hey, I have a small business.
ClickFunnels entrepreneursfollowing me.
You are a ClickFunnelsentrepreneur.
You are seen as an idol becauseyou have one of these awards.
(07:33):
I would love to share yourmillion dollar journey on my
podcast.
It's going to be a bunch oftechnical questions so you can
add value to the people who arelistening, including myself.
Would you be opposed to spend 30minutes on a virtual podcast?
So it's a very soft commitment,not a hard sell.
I don't have anything to promoteto them.
(07:53):
And everyone would like to, atleast from my perspective, they
want to share, they want to giveback, they want to transfer
their learnings.
So they were like, sure, youknow, I mean, why not?
And the good thing is the firstone is the hardest.
Once you get the first one, thenyou show it like, hey, I know
one guy who got this award.
You have one of those.
Can you jump on?
So it became like a community.
It became like a movement forme.
(08:16):
When I went to America for thefirst time to this event, I've
had several hundred friends, thebest quality people, they all
know me because there are a lotof these award winners who've
been on my podcast.
So it really has an effectoverall.
So yeah, the first one was thetoughest.
It just needs, again, you needto do volume.
I've heard the stats, like thetop 1% podcast don't even
(08:37):
publish over 20 episodes, likein a lifetime.
So if you want to be top 1%, allyou have to do is 20 episodes.
You just push yourself throughthat.
You could just...
Create momentum.
So that's what I've done.
The first one was the toughest.
So I built a relationship.
I built, you know, like a longlasting connection with them.
And we're still good friendswith my first podcast guest.
(09:01):
And when I was in America, youknow, like we had pretty fun.
We went to a bunch of events.
We worked on a lot of projectstogether.
That's what people miss on.
I never monetized the podcast ina linear way.
Like I'm not getting sponsors.
I'm not trying to sell them.
But these connections createdpartnerships, JV partnerships,
service partnerships.
They paid me a lot of money formy consulting.
I've become their clients andlearned a lot and made a lot of
(09:21):
money.
So it works in an inversemanner.
So that's kind of how I got myfirst client and first interview
as well.
SPEAKER_01 (09:28):
That's amazing.
What a great story.
And what a great inspiration forpeople that might not know what
the next steps are.
I think what you shared there isa great way to start creating
these relationships with thepeople that you want to be like
and going into that.
So how many podcasts in were youbefore you started implementing
(09:49):
and starting to see success?
SPEAKER_03 (09:52):
So that's one of the things with me.
I don't wait for...
This thing to happen to do that.
I'm more like to get thisresults.
For example, let's reverseengineer how a client actually
makes a buying decision.
If I want to sell was back inthe day, that's what we were
doing a funnel building serviceso called.
(10:12):
I have to be in the place wherepeople are actively talking
about it.
So I was looking into thesegroups where there are groups
about one funnel of a challenge.
So they were just trying tobuild one funnel to take their
business online.
This is back in 2020.
And the same principles willapply even right now, 2025 and
beyond.
Find communities where peopleare actively talking about
building the solution that youcan build.
(10:33):
And then just go and showcaseyour expertise.
So I went in there.
I've added a lot of value.
I've shared my views andexperiences on how funnels could
be done better.
There was no chat GPD back then.
So you really have to be good atthe skill to be able to advise
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
and make a decision.
I've
SPEAKER_03 (10:47):
read a lot of direct response marketing books.
I've educated myself on digitalmarketing, funnel conversions,
copywriting, offer creation.
I've read all the dot-comsecrets, expert secrets, traffic
secret books.
I was just going through a lotof self-education.
Whatever I've learned, I've justshared those views in the
communities.
And people used to respond like,Nick, you sound smart.
Then my Facebook banner used tosay, if you would like it done
(11:09):
for your funnel, built for yourbusiness, contact me.
And everybody used to message mesaying, yes, I would like you to
build me my funnel.
So that's my lead generationstrategy.
I've spent$0 on marketing.
I've made millions of dollarswith that strategy.
They just talk to me.
And then all I have to do istake a consultative approach,
saying what kind of funnel youwant.
Okay, I can build this in thismuch time.
I don't like selling cheapproducts at a lower price.
I'm a big believer of chargingthe highest price possible and
(11:32):
delivering the best resource.
And many people start off withlike, charging nothing in the
upfront.
And for exchange of casestudies, I think that's a good
way to build portfolio.
But that's what I was doing toget this initial momentum.
And it still works.
People can still do that.
That's the crazy part.
You just have to do the work.
It just takes a lot of time andeffort.
(11:53):
And you really have to be goodat what you're doing.
So learning that skill to begood and then showcasing it will
absolutely crush it.
And no other marketing strategyis better than that, in my
opinion.
SPEAKER_01 (12:02):
Wow.
And so what was your firstproject like?
Because you're going into thispretty fresh, you're entering
into this community, into thisfunnel building way of doing
things.
What was your first projectlike?
SPEAKER_03 (12:19):
So you just attract what you're talking about.
So I have had a littleexperience before I did this
funnel agency.
I've had a small scale affiliatemarketing business.
That's one of the things peoplemistake.
I've done several businessesthat got me little, little
smaller skill sets that stackedup to be a bigger skill set.
(12:39):
So when I was about to launch myagency, I've already gone
through the pain of building andfailing small businesses, but
I've learned a lot.
So we don't have to discountthat.
So I was talking about how Ibuilt an e-book funnel that got
me several hundred customers foran affiliate product for weight
loss.
And when I posted that story,one guy was like, can you build
(13:00):
an e-book funnel for me?
So I was like, cool.
And he paid me, I think, acouple hundred bucks to build
that.
But then my pricing jumped downto 500 and 800, 1200, 1500,
3000, 5000, 10,000.
20,000, 30,000.
Now we have done six figureprojects multiple, multiple
times.
So like it just compounds.
(13:20):
And again, you got to deliverresults.
Once they actually build thatfunnel, you give suggestions on
how they can make money out ofit.
So they go and tell more peopleabout you that you made them a
funnel.
They made money with it.
That's all matters.
If you look at our results page,it's hundreds of people just
screaming, you know, saying,Hey, I've made money with Nick.
Cause that's what people want.
They just want to see that ifsomebody can deliver, because
(13:41):
everybody can promise that It'shard to deliver.
The only reason we aresuccessful is we deliver what we
promise.
SPEAKER_01 (13:48):
So with you starting in the middle of COVID in 2020,
now we're in 2025, how do yousee that funnel building has
changed?
Has it evolved at all?
Because in 2020, it was a verydifferent time for everybody.
And so the things that workedthen, I would imagine that they
(14:09):
don't work the same now?
How have you seen things change?
SPEAKER_03 (14:13):
Yeah, there's a lot changing, actually speaking.
Earlier, it used to be a skillof technique that only few
people can actually do.
There were maybe a dozen peoplein the world I would compare
myself and my company's skillset with.
But right now, it'scommoditized, especially with
AI.
And now, Chad GPD can write thebest copy in the world,
(14:37):
arguably.
Again, not trying to mess withcopywriters here, but then it
can write really, really goodcopy.
I mean, as a person who havefunnel hacked thousands, if not
tens of thousands of websitesand funnels, I know it's doing a
decent job.
And so building a funnel, is atechnical skillset, but now it's
commoditized.
Like you could go into alovable, you could go into like
(15:00):
any type of website buildingplatform and it's called vibe
coding.
And now it's, there's a new termcalled vibe marketing.
You just tell the AI agent whatneeds to be done and it does it
for you.
So you can ask it to build awebsite and funnel, it will
basically build it for you.
It's not the same anymore.
And many people who used to sellservices They're struggling
right now.
And I'm seeing this because thesmall business owner can just
(15:23):
type and build a website.
They don't need an agencyanymore.
But here is what you're missing.
Nobody will never say no to moremoney.
So instead of selling services,if you sell outcomes to people,
people still buy.
So if I go into a business whois already generating$6 million
a year in revenue, but I spotfew issues that could be adding
(15:45):
additional$700,000 a year, theywill be willing to pay$100,000
for that project.
People always think efficiency,speed, and outcomes.
So if you sell those threethings, you cannot lose.
But if you sell the other wayaround, meaning, oh, I'm good at
website designing.
I'll build the best website inthe world.
No one cares.
(16:05):
It's a commodity like AI canbuild websites.
So I believe it's changed a lotand it is going to continue to
change.
Why marketing is going to takeover and people like business
owners can just talk to AI andit will build a marketing
campaign.
So you got to be smart in notjust marketing.
delivering a service, but youneed to evolve your services
(16:26):
into a situation where you'redelivering outcomes and that's
what you're promoting as abusiness as well.
And that's when I believe youcan use AI and amplify your
business.
You can't go against it,transparently speaking.
SPEAKER_01 (16:38):
Wow, that's so good.
That's so good.
A lot of head smacks there forsomebody listening about, you
know, what's going to help themgo to the next level, especially
if they're a service providerand how to evolve and not become
extinct.
And so, you know, as you'vecreated, you know, as we shared
in the beginning, you know,you've had half a billion
(17:00):
dollars in results for clients.
You know, what are some of thethings that you've found
interesting you know, outcomes,you know, that generate these
outcomes.
What are some of the things thatyou've seen that people are
doing wrong?
And how are you fixing that?
Or how are you making thatbetter?
SPEAKER_03 (17:19):
Sure.
I love that question.
There is two parts to thisquestion.
One, I can answer it from theperspective of an agency going
into a business and making thebusiness successful.
The other is actually looking atthe business perspective and
fixing what's happening at thebusiness level to make them
grow.
I try to take the two-partapproach.
So starting with, I like workingwith winners.
(17:42):
I only have a limited amount oftime.
That's just the truth.
That's the biggest asset I have.
And I choose to spend it withsmart people.
Like I'm very, like I justcannot deal with like dumb
people.
That's just not my thing.
I cannot deal with people whoare not competent, people who
don't take their life andbusiness seriously.
So people who do take theirbusiness seriously have already
(18:04):
built successful businesses.
That's the good thing about thelife and the world.
So I like to go to winners andhave a conversation with them
saying, hey, you're alreadywinning, but this is the
opportunity.
There's a lot which is beinglost on the table.
Can I help you fix it?
And guess what a winner is goingto do?
They always say yes foropportunities which can increase
their revenue, their profits,and help them hit their business
(18:26):
goals.
The other way around, mostagencies try to go after every
solopreneur.
Hey, I'm passionate abouthelping solopreneurs who don't
have a business and help themgenerate leads.
What are you talking about?
They don't have a business.
They don't need no leads.
Even if you generate leads, theydon't know sales.
Even if they know sales, theydon't have a product.
(18:47):
Even if they can deliver, theycan't ask for referrals and they
can't retain.
So what?
They don't even take their lifeseriously.
Why are you trying to help them?
That's why most businesses arestruggling because they are
trying to serve anybody andeverybody who has a breath and a
credit card.
I'm the opposite.
I have a qualification criteria.
(19:08):
Like this guy needs to be makinga million dollars a year.
He needs to have$300,000 a yearmarketing budget and he needs to
have a product that is scalableand he needs to have a good
reputation.
He cannot mess with his clientsuccess.
Like I only work with goodbusinesses.
So I like all of this checkboxmakes sense.
Only then I'm talking to them.
So what do I have?
I have freedom of time.
(19:30):
So I'm not just anxious aboutgetting clients because I
exactly know who I want toserve.
I either attract or I chill.
I'm not stressed anymore.
Because I'm not trying to makeevery nickel and dime online.
That's the first piece of it.
Then the next piece of it forthe businesses who actually want
to grow.
If you're a solopreneur orentrepreneur listening to this
podcast, you need to get clearon who you're serving.
(19:52):
Just like how I mentioned froman agency perspective, how I am
clear about who I'm serving so Iknow that I can deliver the best
success.
You need to know that who is thebest client.
A small exercise for anybodylistening.
You might be assuming, this isagain emotion speaking, oh, my
best clients could be this guy,that guy.
You just get emotional.
Sit down.
(20:12):
Go into your merchant processor.
Take out your last five yearshistory of business.
See your top customers and seewhat industries they are coming
from, what type of trafficsource they came from.
Is it organic, networkingevents, paid ads, cold email?
Think about that for a second.
Just map out who's been the bestclient who took the least amount
(20:33):
of time, made with the mostamount of profit, the easiest to
work with, gave you the mostamount of referrals.
That's it, those four things.
If you track that down, you knowwho's your best client.
And then just strictly say no toeverybody else.
Yeah, somebody came to you,they're trying to pay you, have
the discipline to say, Maybe,but this is my client.
(20:53):
Like I work best with thesepeople and that's my marketing.
That's what my website says.
That's what my social mediasays.
That's what I'm making contentfor.
That's what I send emails to.
That is the only type of eventsI go to.
Then your life becomes 99%easier because you're playing on
easy mode.
You're going after one clientwho's the easiest to work with,
makes the most amount of money,gets you the most amount of
(21:13):
referrals.
And he's a big fan of you.
Double down and see thedifference.
No more fulfillment issuesbecause you productize your
services.
Everybody needs the samesolution.
You just have to replicate it.
You don't have to recreate yoursolution overnight every time
you get a new client.
And it just becomes life is oneasy mode from there.
So just if you're a businessowner, that's the clarity you
(21:35):
need to get.
For example, one of our clientswe have done a lot of revenue
with, which has got clear thatthey work best with tax
professionals, you know, who areactually having clients that are
worth at least$5 million in abook.
So once you get a clarity, yourmarketing shifts, your message,
your offer shifts.
It radically hits on the nail,right?
(21:56):
The head in the nail, right?
Sorry, the nail in the head.
The nail on the head.
Yeah, exactly.
So that's what you need to find.
Like one offer, you know, on oneclient, every niche can make a
million dollars.
Every niche, every product,every service.
Here's what the caveat is.
don't try to catch two rabbitsat a time because you will end
(22:16):
up catching none.
But if you try to catch the one,like, and if you just really try
hard enough and you're notgiving up, you'll get it.
Like the rabbit will give up.
Like, you know, if you're justrunning after it, it's got to
stop somewhere, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Wow, that is so good.
So much richness in there.
And so when did this decision toonly serve clients who have made
a million a year?
Because I think that's a reallygood way to look at businesses
is proven product, provensuccess helps you go to the next
level.
But you probably didn't startthere.
(22:51):
I'm sure you helped others andthen realized that you were
helping people that hadn'tproven the product in the
marketplace, right?
SPEAKER_03 (23:00):
Correct.
Yeah, I love that question.
And it's literally justfollowing the same exercise I've
just mentioned.
What do I mean by that?
When I came into funnel buildingas a service, there were
thousands of agencies whostarted at the same time.
And guess, maybe 1% of them made$2 million.
And maybe 1 10th of them arestill actively doing it.
(23:21):
So focus is key here, you got tobe very focused on what problem
you're trying to solve.
And right now we are more of amarketing partner who can scale
companies.
Coming back to your originalquestion, I have delivered all
types of services.
I've built e-comm funnels,course funnels, challenge
(23:41):
funnels, webinar funnel, callbooking funnels, e-book funnels,
lead gen funnels, like everyfunnel in the world, we have
built it.
But then I've realized who'sbeen making the most amount of
money and who's having thehighest amount of success.
oh it's the people who arebuilding application funnels why
because when you get on a phonecall you can easily close them
(24:03):
for a higher ticket so hencethey can spend more money on ads
and funnel without ads is just adead page like nobody's looking
at it just based on money tobuild it and whatnot so i was
like okay that's the area i canshine then i've only built
application funnels, like callbooking funnels.
Then I built it for severalniches.
(24:23):
I built it for real estateagents.
I built it for real estateinvestment firms.
I built it for weight losscompanies.
I built it for coachingprograms, service providers,
different consulting firms,cybersecurity, whatnot.
Wide range of businesses.
Then I was like, hmm, who'smaking the most money, the
happiest, referring me moreclients and I can easily
(24:43):
fulfill?
It's a productized solution.
Then it came down to, instead ofjust going after everybody, If
we just focus on syndicationfirms, real estate firms that
are trying to raise money, thatwould be a good fit because they
are the easiest.
I can just build one funnel overand over and over.
I don't have to recreateanything.
It takes me a couple of hours tocustomize it with my team
support.
(25:03):
I'm like, that's marketing.
That's the person I can goafter.
And again, my thing is I havelimited amount of time.
I'm only going to stay on thisplanet for some time.
So I'm super time conscious onlike, I have this limited time.
How can I make the most and keepmy client the most happy?
So it came down to people whohave bigger pockets and can
(25:25):
spend large marketing budgets.
So it was syndication firms,which is double down on that.
So you have to serve a bunch ofpeople.
So who is serving you well backand double down on that, if you
ask me, in simple terms.
And that's just an exercise.
But here's the thing.
The discipline of saying no iswhere it starts.
There's gotta be this guy whocomes with a$10,000 check and
(25:45):
says, can you just build me onee-commerce funnel?
No, I don't.
That's the discipline.
The willingness to say no hereis what is going to get a lot
more yeses in the type ofclients you want to attract.
Because once you get thise-commerce client who is not in
your playbook of fulfillment,who is not the best zone of
expertise, he takes 10 timesmore effort to fulfill and won't
(26:06):
get the result and will bepissed off.
So now you're dealing with allyour headache.
But if you use the same time,you would have got five more
clients who would have paid you30K each.
That would have been a$150,000value of your time, but you just
wasted it with some guy becauseyou were desperate for money.
So you got to be playing yourcards right when you're picking
(26:26):
your client.
I mean, the quality of theclient you pick will determine
the quality of your life.
Wow.
That's true for your partner,typically, but I believe as an
agency, as a service provider,it's true for your business as
well.
That's the mantra I've beenfollowing.
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
That is so amazing.
And so you had mentioned severaldifferent types of funnels.
You mentioned the applicationfunnel was one that really
worked.
Just to clarify on what anapplication funnel is, it's
basically, I mean, I'll let youexplain.
What is the application funnelfor those that might not have
heard that phrase before?
UNKNOWN (27:03):
Sure.
SPEAKER_03 (27:03):
So when you look at the marketing bros out there,
the most people who teach youmarketing, they teach you the
concept of value ladders, havingfront end offers, upsells,
downsells, mid ticket, then highticket, then your ultra high
ticket, all of this, right?
I like what I call an inversionfunnel.
The funnel is usually like this,right?
(27:24):
Like you have the top of thefunnel in the top, you get
attract a lot of people, thenthe bottom of the funnel is
where you have your high payingclients.
The problem is advertising isexpensive.
Like when you spend money onads, you will realize this.
And the reality is 90% ofbusinesses don't even advertise,
which boggles my mind.
I'm like, why in the world?
Like, why am I living?
Like, I don't get it.
So if you're active, you'rerunning a business, just tell
(27:46):
people that you are actuallyexisting and you actually help.
Anyway, not distracting myself,but the goal is people teach
this.
Top of the funnel, bottom of thefunnel, get high paying clients.
I like the inversion funnel.
you need to attract the highestpaying client possible first.
Advertising is expensive.
Let's say if you have a$10,000marketing budget and you're
spending it on your free ebookfunnel, for example, you might
(28:09):
get a couple hundred leads, butthey are all free leads and they
might not be qualified.
They are not exactly the type ofperson you want to work with.
So you just spend$10,000, yougot a bunch of emails, but
nobody paid you$10,000 back.
So guess what?
You cannot do this again.
On the opposite direction, ifyou have a...
$10,000 service and you have a$10,000 marketing budget, but
(28:32):
you use the inversion funnel,you attract the best client
possible, you spend all that$10,000 into attracting the best
person, meaning your marketingliterally says, hey, million
dollar business owner, would youlike to make an additional
$100,000 profit?
I can help you using myinversion funnel mechanism.
Come, I'll map out how we canimplement this into your
business in next 30 minutes.
It's a live call with you andme.
(28:53):
Why would you talk to me?
I've done half a billion for myclients.
Here is my credibility.
And this is a no BSimplementation strategy call.
I'll walk you through.
I'll give you the game plan.
You can decide if you'd like todo this by yourself or do it
with me.
No obligations.
No, everybody else who is not amillion dollar business owners
who don't want to make an extra100K, they won't listen to that
pitch.
(29:14):
Right, right.
where you laser target yourclient pain points on your
target and you ideally want totalk about their niche, their
revenue, their pain points andwhat you exactly solve it,
attract them.
Now, I don't have much riskbecause if I, in advertising,
you pay for CPMs, you basicallyshow, you pay for showing your
(29:36):
ad to people.
Why do you want to show ad toeverybody in the world?
It's the most expensive thing todo and you don't get your
customers back.
But if you show it to the mostqualified clients, so Facebook
will try to show that ad anyother ad platform, by the way,
not just Facebook, will show itto the client you are trying to
attract in your ad.
So the right client will comein,$10,000 worth of advertising
(29:57):
spend can get you hundreds ofthousands of views.
And if possible, if you've doneit right, 500 plus clicks.
So if you get 500 clicks, 20% ofthem convert into leads, 100
leads.
And if you walk those leads from100 leads, even if you close one
$10,000 customer, you just madeyour money back.
So the inversion funnel givesyou the most predictable revenue
(30:20):
source to get your advertisingbudget back.
This funnel, you lose money.
This funnel, you make moneyfirst.
Then you use that money tocontinuously advertise.
And the best part is you canalways downsell people.
So if I get 100 leads, maybe thethree of them will pay me 10K.
So I spent 10K, I made 30K back.
Then the 97 leads, I can still,as per the inversion funnel,
(30:42):
downsell them into my mid-ticketprogram, sell them my low-ticket
coaching.
Whatever other offers I have, Ican always downsell them.
But guess what?
If I get a free lead for 15bucks, I can't ask him to pay
for my 10K program on an email.
That just doesn't...
People just don't buy like that.
So that's one of the reasons whyI use application funnels.
There is, again...
(31:03):
A little more nuance to it, weuse a lot of AI, hybrid
application funnels, a lot ofretargeting.
People are a little skeptic atthe moment.
They don't just jump on a phonecall and buy on the first call.
But there is still techniquesand systems and ways to do that.
And that's what I call the coldto sold playbook, how you can
convert a cold prospect whonever know you into a
(31:26):
multi-five-figure paying clientin a short amount of time.
They make decisions throughdata.
So you need to create that datapattern and walk them through
each of the step before theymake a buying decision and jump
on a call.
So you have the least frictionon the call.
You're just taking orders.
SPEAKER_01 (31:40):
Yeah, man, that is so good.
And so when we're talking aboutthe evolution of even your
business and creating funnelsand helping people scale and all
of that, was there a particularthing that took you to your
first million or was it prettybroad in what took you to that
first million?
What was that path like?
(32:02):
Because it's a pretty amazingpath within five years going
from broke student tomultimillionaire.
So I'm very fascinated by whatthat path to the first million
look like.
SPEAKER_03 (32:14):
Sure.
So I made my first milliondollars, I think, in the first
two years.
So like in less than 24 months,being a brown kid, dropout, like
English is my third language.
I have accent problems.
I have self-confidence issues.
I'm coming from a third worldcountry.
So many minded beliefs like Ihave to overcome.
Regardless, I made a millionbucks in the first two years and
(32:36):
many more millions after that.
So long story short, the biggestcontributor was my pricing.
People mispriced themselves alot.
They are trying to becompetitive with pricing.
They want to sell commoditizedsolution at a cheaper price.
And the reality is there is noadvantage of being the second
(32:58):
cheapest guy on the block.
They will just go to the firstcheapest guy.
And there is always someBangladeshi guy, again, nothing
against Bangladesh, but there isalways lower economy countries
who can afford to deliver thesame service at a lower price.
So I realized I can't play theprice game.
I don't want to be the cheapestguy.
And then you're just dealingwith a bunch of bad clients.
(33:20):
I don't want that.
I want to be the opposite side.
And I like the Ferrari method.
That's what I call it.
You position your solution as aFerrari solution.
It's a premium custom solutionaccording to somebody's problem
they're trying to solve thatactually delivers an outcome as
a brand.
That's the difference.
You're not an agency.
You're not a service provider.
You're not a commodity.
And yes, you can, you know, puta chassis and put four wheels,
(33:44):
but that doesn't become Ferrari.
If you want to buy a Ferrari,you have to go to the Ferrari
shop and you have to bequalified.
They will qualify you and theywill only, they will not even
let you buy.
Like, first of all, you got tobe in a waiting room, you got to
put a deposit, you got to wait.
That's the type of experience Ilike to create.
And I'll give you a quick storyso you get some context.
(34:05):
So I was this kid sellingfunnels for$1,500 and just,
living the best time of my lifeas a 19-year-old guy, making
$1,500 in India for a client,and if I get 10 of them that's
making$15,000 in the first fewmonths of my business, I'm like
the king in a terrible price.
(34:27):
$15,000 takes you so far.
Even if you're living in LA, youcan have a decent lifestyle, but
imagine living in India andmaking that kind of money.
SPEAKER_01 (34:34):
What was the average salary then?
SPEAKER_03 (34:37):
My average friend is broke or in jail or died.
But anyway, the average salaryin India is like 300 bucks a
month or something.
Wow.
Yeah.
So like, think about that.
Like the income level, like it'sjust God level, you know, type
of.
So I was like, I was just inthis bubble in my own mind.
I'm the king.
I just figured it out.
(34:59):
But here's the thing.
If you change your circle, youget real perspectives.
So, I was just comparing myselfto the people I was hanging out
with because I was just in thefirst few months of my business.
But then I was like, I need totake it to the next level.
Let me talk to people who areactually doing it.
Then I've got a bunch of mentorsin the eight figure level.
Then I'm flexing how I'mcharging$1,500 per client and
(35:20):
how I'm getting dozens of themevery month and making 20, 30,
50 grand a month.
Then they were like, Nick, whatkind of results are your clients
getting?
And I've shown them like, here'show much money they're making.
Nick, what are you doing forthem?
What exactly is your service?
Then I've walked them through myservice, what I'm all doing.
Then I clearly remember one ofmy mentor was like, Nick, if we
(35:41):
do the same thing, we charge$50,000, by the way.
Then I was like, what?
You charge 33 times more for thesame thing I'm doing?
I'm thinking I'm cooking.
I thought I'm making$50,000.
This is insane.
But you do the same thing, butyou charge$50,000.
And here's the good thing.
When you invest in rightmentors, again, there's a lot of
(36:03):
bad apples.
You know, there's a lot ofpeople who pretend to be doing a
thing who don't have real jam.
There's right people who aredoing it and who know their, you
know, stuff.
SPEAKER_01 (36:11):
Right,
SPEAKER_03 (36:12):
right.
He really put me against thewall.
He said, Nick, show me yourcalendar.
What's the next appointment youhave?
Okay.
You got John Thursday, you know,2 p.m.
Eastern.
This is what you're going to do.
You're going to quote him 15K.
I was like, what?
No, no way.
Wow.
I don't think so.
But here's the good thing withmentors.
You just hold me accountable.
(36:33):
Here's the new way.
You're not going to go after theeasiest Indian guy and the prize
friendly.
No, you're going to go theopposite.
You're going to lead with valueand results.
And here's how you pitch andyou're pitching for 15K.
And here's the caveat.
I just paid for this expensivemastermind.
And he was like, if you don't dothis, I'm going to kick you out.
(36:55):
Oh, wow.
Holy moly.
This is what accountability is.
Now you're like, Getting punchedin the face if you don't do it.
So I had another option.
I have to record the call.
I have to pitch 15K.
And guess what?
I've done...
This is one thing with me.
I just shut my brain.
I put it in the freezer.
When I know the winningplaybook, I just do it.
I don't question it.
As long as I'm learning from theright person, I just follow the
(37:15):
playbook.
So I put my brain in thefreezer.
I just followed what my mentorsaid.
And in the end of the salescall, he was like, Nick, how
much do you charge?
I was like, we charge$15,000.
And...
The other guy goes, okay.
I was like, what?
Wow.
(37:35):
And I was like, I was happy, butI was scared at the same time.
So because it was the biggestdeal.
This was back in 2020, by theway, we have done bigger deals.
Like, you know, after that, likeonce that code cracked down, now
my mind goes, Holy smokes.
I'm just 200 clients away tomake$3 million.
(37:57):
Right.
Think about that.
If I just close 200 clients at15K pop, I'm making$3 million.
And again, if you make$3 millionright in your business and
you're smart enough, you're goodif you do it right.
So that just changed.
That's the perspective I got.
And from there, it justsnowballed.
Partnerships and being legit anddelivering real results and
(38:20):
being available for your clientsand staying focused on your zone
of expertise, that's what keptsnowballing over a period of
time.
SPEAKER_01 (38:27):
Wow, that is so amazing.
What a great story.
And so, you know, as you'vebeen, you know, building, you
know, all these funnels, andlike we mentioned, you've made a
half a billion for your clients,and you've made multiple
millions yourself.
There are some people that evenwhen you use the language of
funnels, for them, they stilldon't know exactly what those
(38:48):
are.
You know, they know what awebsite is.
They might even know what alanding page is.
But what are the funnels?
Explain briefly what a funnel isand then also if you could share
what are the funnels that you'refinding now since you've built
so many that are working best umout there because we've heard
you know challenges we've heardyou know webinars with you know
(39:10):
like for you somebody that'sdown down in the dirt doing this
stuff what have you foundworking and what are funnels
SPEAKER_03 (39:18):
sure that's an interesting question so there's
no one funnel fits all type ofsituation.
Depending on the business andthe requirement and the type of
clients you're trying toattract, the funnel needs to
change.
And we kind of follow a smallprocess called funnel hacking.
This is what Russell Brunson haspioneered.
That's one of his strategies.
So it's just like finding thewinners in your market and just
(39:40):
modeling it.
Like if I would have to figureout everything from scratch, I
would never make the amount ofmoney I made by myself.
All I have to do is shut mybrain off Follow the winning
playbook.
So if I find a client, all Ihave to do is find their top
competitors, see what funnelsthey're using, and just rebuild
them in a better manner, in aneffective manner.
So coming back, that's kind ofhow I do it.
(40:02):
So to find the best funnels thatare working for your niche.
So I can't just make asuggestion that, hey, this
funnel works the best for yourniche, because I don't know.
You got to figure out who's yourtop competitors, what type of
lead gen, what type of funnelsthey're using, and model that
playbook.
And don't feel ashamed ofcopying something that's
working.
Why would you like, you justuse, you wake up and you use a
(40:25):
toothbrush.
You don't try to invent it everyday.
Like something is working, justcopy it.
Like there is nothing to beashamed about.
And this is a capitalisticworld.
You got to build solutions fastand you provide a lot of value
and that's the winning playbook.
So don't try to invent.
I don't try to be creative asmuch.
Every time you try to becreative, you're adding a lot of
(40:45):
guessing variable if it's reallysuccessful or not.
I don't like that variablebecause test anything, it costs
a lot of money.
So I like to put my brain in thefreezer and follow the playbook.
Now, the second part of thequestion is what is a funnel?
A funnel is simply the mosteffective and systematic way you
(41:05):
can convert somebody who don'tknow you into a high paying
client and retain them.
That's what it is.
So it's a journey for yourcustomer to go from, hey, I
don't know if even if I wantthis to discovering the pain,
right?
And then finding your business,getting interested in it, trying
to apply to work with you andbuying from you and then
becoming successful with it andthen retaining and referring
(41:27):
you.
That's basically a funnel.
Now with the typical websites,you just give a lot of call to
action.
You have jammy information.
Guess what?
We are already scrolling 15second TikTok videos.
50 of them every minute.
So we have that shortestattention span possible.
So if you give too muchinformation, people will be
confused and they will not buy.
(41:48):
And when you're spending moneyon ads, which is how most
businesses are successful, youlook at the biggest business in
the world, exception Elon Musk,Tesla, keep that aside.
But most businesses who actuallymake a lot of money, they spend
a lot on advertising.
That's the play.
So if you want to spend for ads,but if you don't make your money
back, Guess what?
You can't run your business.
(42:09):
So you have to make a marketingfunnel that can give you your ad
dollars back.
So if you spend 10,000, you needto make$15,000 back.
So you can keep doing that at amillion dollar budget,$10
million budget,$100 millionbudget.
For that to crack down, you gotto build a funnel.
And funnel is not a software ora website or a landing page or a
funnel step.
It's more like the concept, thejourney of a customer.
(42:30):
That's what you need to create.
It doesn't have to be a tool ora specific type.
It's not the name.
It's a journey.
If you build the best journey,most frictionless experience
without confusing them, give onecall to action at a time, the
right one will come through, thebad one will go off.
That's all you need to do.
SPEAKER_01 (42:50):
I like that.
And so you mentioned one call toaction at a time.
What are some of the otherelements that you found in a
funnel for whatever industrythat actually work best?
Because, you know, you've hadthe opportunity to test a lot
against, you know, winners andlosers and ones that work for
people, ones that don't work.
What is the structure or theformat for that journey that you
(43:11):
found works best?
SPEAKER_03 (43:12):
Sure.
So it's I would like to make itinteresting.
It's not the structure of thepage.
And I know people obsess aboutthat.
Like, oh, should I put like abox or a circle or like three
sections or two sections?
Nobody will stop buying oropting in because there is two
sections instead of three.
Right,
SPEAKER_02 (43:28):
right.
SPEAKER_03 (43:29):
That's not how people make buying decisions.
But what people do make buyingdecisions, especially cold
traffic, is the offer and thepromise of your headline.
like 80% of our effort needs togo into headline testing.
Like what, how would my marketdescribe their pain?
How would they say it?
Not how you want to say itbecause every time a business
owner comes in, he puts hisagenda into the marketing
(43:50):
campaign.
We are the number one, yada,yada, yada.
Who cares?
Nobody has time for you, youknow, to yell about your
business.
But if you say, Hey, if you'restruggling with bucks all over
your home, like I can help youfix this in 30 minutes or we
refund you like something likethat.
Uh, could get their attention.
So you need to think about howwould they describe their
(44:11):
problem and you need to headlinetest those.
That's a primary major thing.
And from an advertisingperspective, people don't buy
immediately.
That's just the reality of it.
It takes a lot of touch points.
I mean, as per our data, yougotta give 11 touch points
before somebody even responds orbooks an appointment.
So if you have this short termmindset that I will launch an ad
(44:32):
and make money tomorrow, guesswhat you're gonna lose?
No questions.
In this market, no chance tosurvive.
So you got to have thatlong-term perspective for your
business.
So use testimonial-basedretargeting.
Take all of your customers, taketheir success stories, aha
moments, mash them up, run thatas a retargeting ad.
So if you have a bug, you know,for example, if you have a
(44:54):
gutter cleaning service, right,you show them the ad, they
click, they didn't book anappointment, show them the
testimonials of all of yourclients who had an exceptional
experience to prove that you'rethe best person to pick.
Because This is a world whereeverybody's just claiming
things.
You got to show up in itdifferently.
You got to lead with proof.
And that's one of the reasonsI'm big on awards and putting
them around me because I'vedelivered results.
(45:16):
This is the proof that we dostuff.
And that really changes theperception on how you're seen as
a business.
I hope that helps.
SPEAKER_01 (45:23):
Oh, that's been amazing.
Well, you know, kudos for allyour success.
And this has been an amazingconversation.
And I'm sure we can talk a lotlonger.
But I know you also have ameeting right after this.
And so I want to give you timeto share how people can get a
hold of you.
You already kind of shared whoyou help, you know, but how do
people get a hold of you?
I know you have a book out aswell.
(45:44):
So just share some of thatinformation.
SPEAKER_03 (45:45):
Sure.
So I...
You can find me atfunnelingmedia.com.
That's literally my website.
You can see all my client casesand testimonials.
And I'm an open book.
You can find me on all myplatforms.
Any platform, just type my name,Nikhil Sai Adi,
N-I-K-H-I-L-S-A-I-A-D-I.
And you can also buy my book ifyou're interested.
(46:08):
It's 99 cents on Amazon.
It's called Funneling Secrets.
That's the playbook on how ourclients and our interview guests
have made millions of dollarsworking with us and my own story
on how I've done it.
in a very detailed manner andyeah I'm excited to connect with
you guys even though we mightnot directly work with you and
if you're not at that stage ofmillion dollars and over where
(46:28):
we do a done for you projectsthere is different levels where
I'm not fully involved but westill don't compromise on
results where you have a donewith your DIY solutions at a
better budget again we need toserve you guys we need to show
you what's actually working andit's a moral responsibility for
me to put this in more hands soyou don't lose your advertising
dollars you don't get stuck withyour marketing I'm excited to
(46:49):
help more business owners.
So if you're interested in that,check out funnelmedia.com.
Happy to have a chat.
SPEAKER_01 (46:55):
That's awesome, man.
Well, congratulations on allyour success, man.
Proud of you and well done.
And that's been amazing.
I appreciate you coming on andspending some time with me and
having a great conversation.
SPEAKER_03 (47:07):
Thank you so much.
Appreciate you inviting me,Paul.
And guys, I would like to leavewith one last line to it.
Anyways, regardless of the fearof execution, the fear of
failure, regardless of theability you think that you can
achieve it and the skills youhave, regardless of the
uncertainty you're goingthrough, just do the work and
you cannot fail.
(47:27):
And repetition is a strategy.
It's not a gimmick.
Repetition is a strategy.
Just do it so many times thatyou cannot fail.
Like I've built so many funnels.
I just can't go wrong with it.
I've just taken thousands ofsales calls.
I can't be bad at it.
I've spoken at so many events.
I could just take over anyconversation.
So do that reputation.
(47:49):
And that's what people avoid.
People think it's easy.
It's not.
The work that it's doing, justdo it.
Reputation.
You're going to suck.
But you do it again, you sucklesser.
And then you become exceptional.
I'll leave you with that.
That's awesome.
Thank you so much.
Have a good one, guys.
Bye-bye.
SPEAKER_00 (48:04):
You are listening to Conversations with Misfits,
Mavericks, and Trailblazers.
Hi, everyone.
This is Nikhil Sai, and you'relistening to the HeadSmack
Podcast.
SPEAKER_00 (00:04):
You are listening to conversations with misfits,
mavericks, and trailblazers.
SPEAKER_01 (00:09):
Hey, welcome to the HeadSmack Podcast.
My name is Paul Pabonli, and I'mexcited to have another misfit
with me.
I have Nik Sai with me, and hehas delivered over$500 million
in verified results for hisclients.
He's interviewed more than 100millionaires on his podcast, The
Nikhil Sai Show.
And he's also got all kinds ofYeah.
(00:30):
Thanks, Paul, for inviting me.
And I'm
SPEAKER_03 (00:35):
excited to add value to the listeners today.
SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
I'm looking forward to the conversation.
Love, love your story.
And I look forward to hearingmore about it.
Congratulations on thoseachievements.
And so let me hear a little bitabout your backstory.
You know, you've shared a littlebit about it, but I want to kind
of hear from you.
You can go as far back as youwant to, but just tell me a
(01:01):
little bit about the originstory of Nick.
SPEAKER_03 (01:04):
Sure, okay.
I'm originally born in India andnow my business resides in
Dubai.
And you can catch me in randomcountries anytime because my
business is virtual now and I dolike the freedom of traveling a
lot.
And it's not that productive tobe transparent, but it's just
what I enjoy doing as of now.
I speak at events, I go and meetpeople at different events and
(01:28):
have great friends all over theworld.
So it's a fun place and time tobe in.
But this wasn't like this.
When I started my journey backin the COVID time, I was a broke
dropout kid, confused.
I was doing my mechanicalengineering.
I just finished my diploma ofmechanical engineering.
So I was just about to repeatthe same life for the next three
(01:50):
years.
And I was like so confused.
I'm like, holy moly, like thisis not going to work out.
I'm not built for jobs.
The good thing is I've got myhands on some self-education
books, like Rich Dad, Poor Dad,for example, was one of those
books that give me a differentperspective.
And I realized how gaining newinsights can completely change
how you view your world.
(02:11):
So I've been ingrained with onecommon goal because my mom is a
teacher.
So I was just, I was justdrilled with this idea that if I
get a government job, like if Ijust work for government, I get
my salary on time, basically getdrugged every month with that
salary so that I don't have tohave any dreams anymore and just
(02:33):
settle down in life.
That was my ultimate goal.
But once I read this book and Irealized that there is four
levels, you know, like there'sself-employment, there's
employment, there's business andinvestor.
I realized like, holy moly,there's more to life.
And then I've discovered moreand more entrepreneur stories
and realized like, holy smokes,like somebody can shoot up three
rockets and fail and can stillshoot up the fourth one and
(02:55):
enter the space.
even without being aprofessional engineer, what am I
doing with my life?
That was the question.
The good thing is I've done aninternship when I'm finishing my
diploma at a place where I'vehanged out, luckily, with a lot
of old folks.
These are people who are closerto their retirement in their
60s.
They've had a secure job alltheir life.
(03:16):
And I've heard their stories andI've heard their regrets saying,
hey, I've been basically gettingthe same amount of salary for my
entire life.
I've taken care of my kids andhere I am just regretting my
whole life.
And I was like, I don't want tobe this guy.
Like, I don't want to be likethem.
So I was like, we are alreadybelow poverty and we're not
doing that good anyway.
(03:37):
I literally have nothing tolose.
Why not take the risk?
Why not just...
Right, right, right.
So I discoveredentrepreneurship, started a few
things here and there, gained alot of experience there.
But then I jumped into digitalmarketing in 2020 when the COVID
hit.
Russell Brunson started thiswhole movement called One Funnel
of a Challenge.
A lot of businesses in the USwere shut down.
(03:57):
They wanted to go online andClickFunnels was...
empowering them to do that.
And when there is a wave, yougot to ride it.
So, you know, I invested inmentors.
I, you know, learned how tobuild a successful agency in a
very short amount of time.
We started gaining momentum.
I was actually good at what I'mdoing.
This is, One of the things mostpeople forget about, which is
(04:17):
you got to be very good at thecraft and delivering reserves.
My clients were making a lot ofmoney with us.
So we were being referred and wewere getting a lot of business
and we continue to deliver.
And here we are five years downthe line doing the same thing,
making people more and moremoney and being successful at
it.
SPEAKER_01 (04:32):
Wow.
Wow.
That's an amazing story.
So I want to backtrack just alittle bit.
And so, you know, you mentionedthat you were a broke student,
you know, pursuing theseendeavors.
You know, studying engineeringis very different to
entrepreneurship.
Was there anybody in your lifethat kind of helped you enter
into that?
Or was it simply the books thatinspired you into that?
SPEAKER_03 (04:55):
I mean, I'm basically...
smart cutting myself into it.
So for example, just like howyou are interviewing me, I have
basically created a podcast,right?
I saw the people who have thisaward behind me, the golden
award.
And that's the Oscar ofmarketing basically, right?
Like in the ClickFunnels space.
(05:16):
And I was like, holy moly, if Ican make a million dollars in my
lifetime, it will belife-changing.
That's where I come from, right?
And I was like, Oh my God, theseguys charge thousands of dollars
for hourly consulting.
Their courses are expensive.
I cannot join.
I had no money.
So I was like, what is the otherway around?
Then I saw a Pakistani guy whointerviews the people who have
(05:39):
these awards.
And I was like, wait a minute.
I thought my brown skin couldn'tattract these people.
I thought my lack of ability tospeak English, because my
English was so bad back then, bythe way, like my first sales
call lasted seven minutesbecause the guy left, he
couldn't understand anything Iwas talking about.
I don't understand anythingyou're talking about.
Wish you luck.
(06:00):
Goodbye.
So like, that's how my firstsales call went.
So if somebody is doing yourfirst sales call and if it's
over seven minutes, you cansurpass me.
You're doing better than me.
So long story short, when Iceased somebody and they can
achieve it, my mind goes like,if he can do it, so can I.
So I started my podcast.
I had one theme that, hey, Ijust want you to share your
(06:22):
journey and share me what workedfor you.
And I was asking a lot oftechnical questions.
So after every podcast, I usedto write down what are the three
things they've done right?
What are the three thingsthey've done wrong?
So I can avoid those three whichwere wrong and can double down
on the three that were actuallyworking for you.
I've done that with 100 peoplein the first two years and And
I've made millions of dollarswith that same playbook.
Literally, it's just the workthat needs doing.
(06:44):
And I've invested in mentors,coaching, made a lot of money,
lost a lot of money, whatnot.
I think the playbook is simple.
It's just hard work that needsto be done.
You just need to confront it,write it down, and just do it.
SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
Yeah, yeah.
So as you started interviewingthese people, you know, with you
being overseas, with you nothaving a whole lot of
experience, how did you get themto want to give you their
attention and give you theirtime?
SPEAKER_03 (07:11):
Yeah, that's a pretty smart question.
Thanks for asking.
I've made a very clear visionfor what I'm trying to build.
I'm not trying to be Joe Rogan.
I'm not trying to be the numberone big podcast in the world.
My goal was very clear.
Hey, I have a small business.
ClickFunnels entrepreneursfollowing me.
You are a ClickFunnelsentrepreneur.
You are seen as an idol becauseyou have one of these awards.
(07:33):
I would love to share yourmillion dollar journey on my
podcast.
It's going to be a bunch oftechnical questions so you can
add value to the people who arelistening, including myself.
Would you be opposed to spend 30minutes on a virtual podcast?
So it's a very soft commitment,not a hard sell.
I don't have anything to promoteto them.
(07:53):
And everyone would like to, atleast from my perspective, they
want to share, they want to giveback, they want to transfer
their learnings.
So they were like, sure, youknow, I mean, why not?
And the good thing is the firstone is the hardest.
Once you get the first one, thenyou show it like, hey, I know
one guy who got this award.
You have one of those.
Can you jump on?
So it became like a community.
It became like a movement forme.
(08:16):
When I went to America for thefirst time to this event, I've
had several hundred friends, thebest quality people, they all
know me because there are a lotof these award winners who've
been on my podcast.
So it really has an effectoverall.
So yeah, the first one was thetoughest.
It just needs, again, you needto do volume.
I've heard the stats, like thetop 1% podcast don't even
(08:37):
publish over 20 episodes, likein a lifetime.
So if you want to be top 1%, allyou have to do is 20 episodes.
You just push yourself throughthat.
You could just...
Create momentum.
So that's what I've done.
The first one was the toughest.
So I built a relationship.
I built, you know, like a longlasting connection with them.
And we're still good friendswith my first podcast guest.
(09:01):
And when I was in America, youknow, like we had pretty fun.
We went to a bunch of events.
We worked on a lot of projectstogether.
That's what people miss on.
I never monetized the podcast ina linear way.
Like I'm not getting sponsors.
I'm not trying to sell them.
But these connections createdpartnerships, JV partnerships,
service partnerships.
They paid me a lot of money formy consulting.
I've become their clients andlearned a lot and made a lot of
(09:21):
money.
So it works in an inversemanner.
So that's kind of how I got myfirst client and first interview
as well.
SPEAKER_01 (09:28):
That's amazing.
What a great story.
And what a great inspiration forpeople that might not know what
the next steps are.
I think what you shared there isa great way to start creating
these relationships with thepeople that you want to be like
and going into that.
So how many podcasts in were youbefore you started implementing
(09:49):
and starting to see success?
SPEAKER_03 (09:52):
So that's one of the things with me.
I don't wait for...
This thing to happen to do that.
I'm more like to get thisresults.
For example, let's reverseengineer how a client actually
makes a buying decision.
If I want to sell was back inthe day, that's what we were
doing a funnel building serviceso called.
(10:12):
I have to be in the place wherepeople are actively talking
about it.
So I was looking into thesegroups where there are groups
about one funnel of a challenge.
So they were just trying tobuild one funnel to take their
business online.
This is back in 2020.
And the same principles willapply even right now, 2025 and
beyond.
Find communities where peopleare actively talking about
building the solution that youcan build.
(10:33):
And then just go and showcaseyour expertise.
So I went in there.
I've added a lot of value.
I've shared my views andexperiences on how funnels could
be done better.
There was no chat GPD back then.
So you really have to be good atthe skill to be able to advise
SPEAKER_01 (10:46):
and make a decision.
I've
SPEAKER_03 (10:47):
read a lot of direct response marketing books.
I've educated myself on digitalmarketing, funnel conversions,
copywriting, offer creation.
I've read all the dot-comsecrets, expert secrets, traffic
secret books.
I was just going through a lotof self-education.
Whatever I've learned, I've justshared those views in the
communities.
And people used to respond like,Nick, you sound smart.
Then my Facebook banner used tosay, if you would like it done
(11:09):
for your funnel, built for yourbusiness, contact me.
And everybody used to message mesaying, yes, I would like you to
build me my funnel.
So that's my lead generationstrategy.
I've spent$0 on marketing.
I've made millions of dollarswith that strategy.
They just talk to me.
And then all I have to do istake a consultative approach,
saying what kind of funnel youwant.
Okay, I can build this in thismuch time.
I don't like selling cheapproducts at a lower price.
I'm a big believer of chargingthe highest price possible and
(11:32):
delivering the best resource.
And many people start off withlike, charging nothing in the
upfront.
And for exchange of casestudies, I think that's a good
way to build portfolio.
But that's what I was doing toget this initial momentum.
And it still works.
People can still do that.
That's the crazy part.
You just have to do the work.
It just takes a lot of time andeffort.
(11:53):
And you really have to be goodat what you're doing.
So learning that skill to begood and then showcasing it will
absolutely crush it.
And no other marketing strategyis better than that, in my
opinion.
SPEAKER_01 (12:02):
Wow.
And so what was your firstproject like?
Because you're going into thispretty fresh, you're entering
into this community, into thisfunnel building way of doing
things.
What was your first projectlike?
SPEAKER_03 (12:19):
So you just attract what you're talking about.
So I have had a littleexperience before I did this
funnel agency.
I've had a small scale affiliatemarketing business.
That's one of the things peoplemistake.
I've done several businessesthat got me little, little
smaller skill sets that stackedup to be a bigger skill set.
(12:39):
So when I was about to launch myagency, I've already gone
through the pain of building andfailing small businesses, but
I've learned a lot.
So we don't have to discountthat.
So I was talking about how Ibuilt an e-book funnel that got
me several hundred customers foran affiliate product for weight
loss.
And when I posted that story,one guy was like, can you build
(13:00):
an e-book funnel for me?
So I was like, cool.
And he paid me, I think, acouple hundred bucks to build
that.
But then my pricing jumped downto 500 and 800, 1200, 1500,
3000, 5000, 10,000.
20,000, 30,000.
Now we have done six figureprojects multiple, multiple
times.
So like it just compounds.
(13:20):
And again, you got to deliverresults.
Once they actually build thatfunnel, you give suggestions on
how they can make money out ofit.
So they go and tell more peopleabout you that you made them a
funnel.
They made money with it.
That's all matters.
If you look at our results page,it's hundreds of people just
screaming, you know, saying,Hey, I've made money with Nick.
Cause that's what people want.
They just want to see that ifsomebody can deliver, because
(13:41):
everybody can promise that It'shard to deliver.
The only reason we aresuccessful is we deliver what we
promise.
SPEAKER_01 (13:48):
So with you starting in the middle of COVID in 2020,
now we're in 2025, how do yousee that funnel building has
changed?
Has it evolved at all?
Because in 2020, it was a verydifferent time for everybody.
And so the things that workedthen, I would imagine that they
(14:09):
don't work the same now?
How have you seen things change?
SPEAKER_03 (14:13):
Yeah, there's a lot changing, actually speaking.
Earlier, it used to be a skillof technique that only few
people can actually do.
There were maybe a dozen peoplein the world I would compare
myself and my company's skillset with.
But right now, it'scommoditized, especially with
AI.
And now, Chad GPD can write thebest copy in the world,
(14:37):
arguably.
Again, not trying to mess withcopywriters here, but then it
can write really, really goodcopy.
I mean, as a person who havefunnel hacked thousands, if not
tens of thousands of websitesand funnels, I know it's doing a
decent job.
And so building a funnel, is atechnical skillset, but now it's
commoditized.
Like you could go into alovable, you could go into like
(15:00):
any type of website buildingplatform and it's called vibe
coding.
And now it's, there's a new termcalled vibe marketing.
You just tell the AI agent whatneeds to be done and it does it
for you.
So you can ask it to build awebsite and funnel, it will
basically build it for you.
It's not the same anymore.
And many people who used to sellservices They're struggling
right now.
And I'm seeing this because thesmall business owner can just
(15:23):
type and build a website.
They don't need an agencyanymore.
But here is what you're missing.
Nobody will never say no to moremoney.
So instead of selling services,if you sell outcomes to people,
people still buy.
So if I go into a business whois already generating$6 million
a year in revenue, but I spotfew issues that could be adding
(15:45):
additional$700,000 a year, theywill be willing to pay$100,000
for that project.
People always think efficiency,speed, and outcomes.
So if you sell those threethings, you cannot lose.
But if you sell the other wayaround, meaning, oh, I'm good at
website designing.
I'll build the best website inthe world.
No one cares.
(16:05):
It's a commodity like AI canbuild websites.
So I believe it's changed a lotand it is going to continue to
change.
Why marketing is going to takeover and people like business
owners can just talk to AI andit will build a marketing
campaign.
So you got to be smart in notjust marketing.
delivering a service, but youneed to evolve your services
(16:26):
into a situation where you'redelivering outcomes and that's
what you're promoting as abusiness as well.
And that's when I believe youcan use AI and amplify your
business.
You can't go against it,transparently speaking.
SPEAKER_01 (16:38):
Wow, that's so good.
That's so good.
A lot of head smacks there forsomebody listening about, you
know, what's going to help themgo to the next level, especially
if they're a service providerand how to evolve and not become
extinct.
And so, you know, as you'vecreated, you know, as we shared
in the beginning, you know,you've had half a billion
(17:00):
dollars in results for clients.
You know, what are some of thethings that you've found
interesting you know, outcomes,you know, that generate these
outcomes.
What are some of the things thatyou've seen that people are
doing wrong?
And how are you fixing that?
Or how are you making thatbetter?
SPEAKER_03 (17:19):
Sure.
I love that question.
There is two parts to thisquestion.
One, I can answer it from theperspective of an agency going
into a business and making thebusiness successful.
The other is actually looking atthe business perspective and
fixing what's happening at thebusiness level to make them
grow.
I try to take the two-partapproach.
So starting with, I like workingwith winners.
(17:42):
I only have a limited amount oftime.
That's just the truth.
That's the biggest asset I have.
And I choose to spend it withsmart people.
Like I'm very, like I justcannot deal with like dumb
people.
That's just not my thing.
I cannot deal with people whoare not competent, people who
don't take their life andbusiness seriously.
So people who do take theirbusiness seriously have already
(18:04):
built successful businesses.
That's the good thing about thelife and the world.
So I like to go to winners andhave a conversation with them
saying, hey, you're alreadywinning, but this is the
opportunity.
There's a lot which is beinglost on the table.
Can I help you fix it?
And guess what a winner is goingto do?
They always say yes foropportunities which can increase
their revenue, their profits,and help them hit their business
(18:26):
goals.
The other way around, mostagencies try to go after every
solopreneur.
Hey, I'm passionate abouthelping solopreneurs who don't
have a business and help themgenerate leads.
What are you talking about?
They don't have a business.
They don't need no leads.
Even if you generate leads, theydon't know sales.
Even if they know sales, theydon't have a product.
(18:47):
Even if they can deliver, theycan't ask for referrals and they
can't retain.
So what?
They don't even take their lifeseriously.
Why are you trying to help them?
That's why most businesses arestruggling because they are
trying to serve anybody andeverybody who has a breath and a
credit card.
I'm the opposite.
I have a qualification criteria.
(19:08):
Like this guy needs to be makinga million dollars a year.
He needs to have$300,000 a yearmarketing budget and he needs to
have a product that is scalableand he needs to have a good
reputation.
He cannot mess with his clientsuccess.
Like I only work with goodbusinesses.
So I like all of this checkboxmakes sense.
Only then I'm talking to them.
So what do I have?
I have freedom of time.
(19:30):
So I'm not just anxious aboutgetting clients because I
exactly know who I want toserve.
I either attract or I chill.
I'm not stressed anymore.
Because I'm not trying to makeevery nickel and dime online.
That's the first piece of it.
Then the next piece of it forthe businesses who actually want
to grow.
If you're a solopreneur orentrepreneur listening to this
podcast, you need to get clearon who you're serving.
(19:52):
Just like how I mentioned froman agency perspective, how I am
clear about who I'm serving so Iknow that I can deliver the best
success.
You need to know that who is thebest client.
A small exercise for anybodylistening.
You might be assuming, this isagain emotion speaking, oh, my
best clients could be this guy,that guy.
You just get emotional.
Sit down.
(20:12):
Go into your merchant processor.
Take out your last five yearshistory of business.
See your top customers and seewhat industries they are coming
from, what type of trafficsource they came from.
Is it organic, networkingevents, paid ads, cold email?
Think about that for a second.
Just map out who's been the bestclient who took the least amount
(20:33):
of time, made with the mostamount of profit, the easiest to
work with, gave you the mostamount of referrals.
That's it, those four things.
If you track that down, you knowwho's your best client.
And then just strictly say no toeverybody else.
Yeah, somebody came to you,they're trying to pay you, have
the discipline to say, Maybe,but this is my client.
(20:53):
Like I work best with thesepeople and that's my marketing.
That's what my website says.
That's what my social mediasays.
That's what I'm making contentfor.
That's what I send emails to.
That is the only type of eventsI go to.
Then your life becomes 99%easier because you're playing on
easy mode.
You're going after one clientwho's the easiest to work with,
makes the most amount of money,gets you the most amount of
(21:13):
referrals.
And he's a big fan of you.
Double down and see thedifference.
No more fulfillment issuesbecause you productize your
services.
Everybody needs the samesolution.
You just have to replicate it.
You don't have to recreate yoursolution overnight every time
you get a new client.
And it just becomes life is oneasy mode from there.
So just if you're a businessowner, that's the clarity you
(21:35):
need to get.
For example, one of our clientswe have done a lot of revenue
with, which has got clear thatthey work best with tax
professionals, you know, who areactually having clients that are
worth at least$5 million in abook.
So once you get a clarity, yourmarketing shifts, your message,
your offer shifts.
It radically hits on the nail,right?
(21:56):
The head in the nail, right?
Sorry, the nail in the head.
The nail on the head.
Yeah, exactly.
So that's what you need to find.
Like one offer, you know, on oneclient, every niche can make a
million dollars.
Every niche, every product,every service.
Here's what the caveat is.
don't try to catch two rabbitsat a time because you will end
(22:16):
up catching none.
But if you try to catch the one,like, and if you just really try
hard enough and you're notgiving up, you'll get it.
Like the rabbit will give up.
Like, you know, if you're justrunning after it, it's got to
stop somewhere, you know?
SPEAKER_01 (22:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Wow, that is so good.
So much richness in there.
And so when did this decision toonly serve clients who have made
a million a year?
Because I think that's a reallygood way to look at businesses
is proven product, provensuccess helps you go to the next
level.
But you probably didn't startthere.
(22:51):
I'm sure you helped others andthen realized that you were
helping people that hadn'tproven the product in the
marketplace, right?
SPEAKER_03 (23:00):
Correct.
Yeah, I love that question.
And it's literally justfollowing the same exercise I've
just mentioned.
What do I mean by that?
When I came into funnel buildingas a service, there were
thousands of agencies whostarted at the same time.
And guess, maybe 1% of them made$2 million.
And maybe 1 10th of them arestill actively doing it.
(23:21):
So focus is key here, you got tobe very focused on what problem
you're trying to solve.
And right now we are more of amarketing partner who can scale
companies.
Coming back to your originalquestion, I have delivered all
types of services.
I've built e-comm funnels,course funnels, challenge
(23:41):
funnels, webinar funnel, callbooking funnels, e-book funnels,
lead gen funnels, like everyfunnel in the world, we have
built it.
But then I've realized who'sbeen making the most amount of
money and who's having thehighest amount of success.
oh it's the people who arebuilding application funnels why
because when you get on a phonecall you can easily close them
(24:03):
for a higher ticket so hencethey can spend more money on ads
and funnel without ads is just adead page like nobody's looking
at it just based on money tobuild it and whatnot so i was
like okay that's the area i canshine then i've only built
application funnels, like callbooking funnels.
Then I built it for severalniches.
(24:23):
I built it for real estateagents.
I built it for real estateinvestment firms.
I built it for weight losscompanies.
I built it for coachingprograms, service providers,
different consulting firms,cybersecurity, whatnot.
Wide range of businesses.
Then I was like, hmm, who'smaking the most money, the
happiest, referring me moreclients and I can easily
(24:43):
fulfill?
It's a productized solution.
Then it came down to, instead ofjust going after everybody, If
we just focus on syndicationfirms, real estate firms that
are trying to raise money, thatwould be a good fit because they
are the easiest.
I can just build one funnel overand over and over.
I don't have to recreateanything.
It takes me a couple of hours tocustomize it with my team
support.
(25:03):
I'm like, that's marketing.
That's the person I can goafter.
And again, my thing is I havelimited amount of time.
I'm only going to stay on thisplanet for some time.
So I'm super time conscious onlike, I have this limited time.
How can I make the most and keepmy client the most happy?
So it came down to people whohave bigger pockets and can
(25:25):
spend large marketing budgets.
So it was syndication firms,which is double down on that.
So you have to serve a bunch ofpeople.
So who is serving you well backand double down on that, if you
ask me, in simple terms.
And that's just an exercise.
But here's the thing.
The discipline of saying no iswhere it starts.
There's gotta be this guy whocomes with a$10,000 check and
(25:45):
says, can you just build me onee-commerce funnel?
No, I don't.
That's the discipline.
The willingness to say no hereis what is going to get a lot
more yeses in the type ofclients you want to attract.
Because once you get thise-commerce client who is not in
your playbook of fulfillment,who is not the best zone of
expertise, he takes 10 timesmore effort to fulfill and won't
(26:06):
get the result and will bepissed off.
So now you're dealing with allyour headache.
But if you use the same time,you would have got five more
clients who would have paid you30K each.
That would have been a$150,000value of your time, but you just
wasted it with some guy becauseyou were desperate for money.
So you got to be playing yourcards right when you're picking
(26:26):
your client.
I mean, the quality of theclient you pick will determine
the quality of your life.
Wow.
That's true for your partner,typically, but I believe as an
agency, as a service provider,it's true for your business as
well.
That's the mantra I've beenfollowing.
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
That is so amazing.
And so you had mentioned severaldifferent types of funnels.
You mentioned the applicationfunnel was one that really
worked.
Just to clarify on what anapplication funnel is, it's
basically, I mean, I'll let youexplain.
What is the application funnelfor those that might not have
heard that phrase before?
UNKNOWN (27:03):
Sure.
SPEAKER_03 (27:03):
So when you look at the marketing bros out there,
the most people who teach youmarketing, they teach you the
concept of value ladders, havingfront end offers, upsells,
downsells, mid ticket, then highticket, then your ultra high
ticket, all of this, right?
I like what I call an inversionfunnel.
The funnel is usually like this,right?
(27:24):
Like you have the top of thefunnel in the top, you get
attract a lot of people, thenthe bottom of the funnel is
where you have your high payingclients.
The problem is advertising isexpensive.
Like when you spend money onads, you will realize this.
And the reality is 90% ofbusinesses don't even advertise,
which boggles my mind.
I'm like, why in the world?
Like, why am I living?
Like, I don't get it.
So if you're active, you'rerunning a business, just tell
(27:46):
people that you are actuallyexisting and you actually help.
Anyway, not distracting myself,but the goal is people teach
this.
Top of the funnel, bottom of thefunnel, get high paying clients.
I like the inversion funnel.
you need to attract the highestpaying client possible first.
Advertising is expensive.
Let's say if you have a$10,000marketing budget and you're
spending it on your free ebookfunnel, for example, you might
(28:09):
get a couple hundred leads, butthey are all free leads and they
might not be qualified.
They are not exactly the type ofperson you want to work with.
So you just spend$10,000, yougot a bunch of emails, but
nobody paid you$10,000 back.
So guess what?
You cannot do this again.
On the opposite direction, ifyou have a...
$10,000 service and you have a$10,000 marketing budget, but
(28:32):
you use the inversion funnel,you attract the best client
possible, you spend all that$10,000 into attracting the best
person, meaning your marketingliterally says, hey, million
dollar business owner, would youlike to make an additional
$100,000 profit?
I can help you using myinversion funnel mechanism.
Come, I'll map out how we canimplement this into your
business in next 30 minutes.
It's a live call with you andme.
(28:53):
Why would you talk to me?
I've done half a billion for myclients.
Here is my credibility.
And this is a no BSimplementation strategy call.
I'll walk you through.
I'll give you the game plan.
You can decide if you'd like todo this by yourself or do it
with me.
No obligations.
No, everybody else who is not amillion dollar business owners
who don't want to make an extra100K, they won't listen to that
pitch.
(29:14):
Right, right.
where you laser target yourclient pain points on your
target and you ideally want totalk about their niche, their
revenue, their pain points andwhat you exactly solve it,
attract them.
Now, I don't have much riskbecause if I, in advertising,
you pay for CPMs, you basicallyshow, you pay for showing your
(29:36):
ad to people.
Why do you want to show ad toeverybody in the world?
It's the most expensive thing todo and you don't get your
customers back.
But if you show it to the mostqualified clients, so Facebook
will try to show that ad anyother ad platform, by the way,
not just Facebook, will show itto the client you are trying to
attract in your ad.
So the right client will comein,$10,000 worth of advertising
(29:57):
spend can get you hundreds ofthousands of views.
And if possible, if you've doneit right, 500 plus clicks.
So if you get 500 clicks, 20% ofthem convert into leads, 100
leads.
And if you walk those leads from100 leads, even if you close one
$10,000 customer, you just madeyour money back.
So the inversion funnel givesyou the most predictable revenue
(30:20):
source to get your advertisingbudget back.
This funnel, you lose money.
This funnel, you make moneyfirst.
Then you use that money tocontinuously advertise.
And the best part is you canalways downsell people.
So if I get 100 leads, maybe thethree of them will pay me 10K.
So I spent 10K, I made 30K back.
Then the 97 leads, I can still,as per the inversion funnel,
(30:42):
downsell them into my mid-ticketprogram, sell them my low-ticket
coaching.
Whatever other offers I have, Ican always downsell them.
But guess what?
If I get a free lead for 15bucks, I can't ask him to pay
for my 10K program on an email.
That just doesn't...
People just don't buy like that.
So that's one of the reasons whyI use application funnels.
There is, again...
(31:03):
A little more nuance to it, weuse a lot of AI, hybrid
application funnels, a lot ofretargeting.
People are a little skeptic atthe moment.
They don't just jump on a phonecall and buy on the first call.
But there is still techniquesand systems and ways to do that.
And that's what I call the coldto sold playbook, how you can
convert a cold prospect whonever know you into a
(31:26):
multi-five-figure paying clientin a short amount of time.
They make decisions throughdata.
So you need to create that datapattern and walk them through
each of the step before theymake a buying decision and jump
on a call.
So you have the least frictionon the call.
You're just taking orders.
SPEAKER_01 (31:40):
Yeah, man, that is so good.
And so when we're talking aboutthe evolution of even your
business and creating funnelsand helping people scale and all
of that, was there a particularthing that took you to your
first million or was it prettybroad in what took you to that
first million?
What was that path like?
(32:02):
Because it's a pretty amazingpath within five years going
from broke student tomultimillionaire.
So I'm very fascinated by whatthat path to the first million
look like.
SPEAKER_03 (32:14):
Sure.
So I made my first milliondollars, I think, in the first
two years.
So like in less than 24 months,being a brown kid, dropout, like
English is my third language.
I have accent problems.
I have self-confidence issues.
I'm coming from a third worldcountry.
So many minded beliefs like Ihave to overcome.
Regardless, I made a millionbucks in the first two years and
(32:36):
many more millions after that.
So long story short, the biggestcontributor was my pricing.
People mispriced themselves alot.
They are trying to becompetitive with pricing.
They want to sell commoditizedsolution at a cheaper price.
And the reality is there is noadvantage of being the second
(32:58):
cheapest guy on the block.
They will just go to the firstcheapest guy.
And there is always someBangladeshi guy, again, nothing
against Bangladesh, but there isalways lower economy countries
who can afford to deliver thesame service at a lower price.
So I realized I can't play theprice game.
I don't want to be the cheapestguy.
And then you're just dealingwith a bunch of bad clients.
(33:20):
I don't want that.
I want to be the opposite side.
And I like the Ferrari method.
That's what I call it.
You position your solution as aFerrari solution.
It's a premium custom solutionaccording to somebody's problem
they're trying to solve thatactually delivers an outcome as
a brand.
That's the difference.
You're not an agency.
You're not a service provider.
You're not a commodity.
And yes, you can, you know, puta chassis and put four wheels,
(33:44):
but that doesn't become Ferrari.
If you want to buy a Ferrari,you have to go to the Ferrari
shop and you have to bequalified.
They will qualify you and theywill only, they will not even
let you buy.
Like, first of all, you got tobe in a waiting room, you got to
put a deposit, you got to wait.
That's the type of experience Ilike to create.
And I'll give you a quick storyso you get some context.
(34:05):
So I was this kid sellingfunnels for$1,500 and just,
living the best time of my lifeas a 19-year-old guy, making
$1,500 in India for a client,and if I get 10 of them that's
making$15,000 in the first fewmonths of my business, I'm like
the king in a terrible price.
(34:27):
$15,000 takes you so far.
Even if you're living in LA, youcan have a decent lifestyle, but
imagine living in India andmaking that kind of money.
SPEAKER_01 (34:34):
What was the average salary then?
SPEAKER_03 (34:37):
My average friend is broke or in jail or died.
But anyway, the average salaryin India is like 300 bucks a
month or something.
Wow.
Yeah.
So like, think about that.
Like the income level, like it'sjust God level, you know, type
of.
So I was like, I was just inthis bubble in my own mind.
I'm the king.
I just figured it out.
(34:59):
But here's the thing.
If you change your circle, youget real perspectives.
So, I was just comparing myselfto the people I was hanging out
with because I was just in thefirst few months of my business.
But then I was like, I need totake it to the next level.
Let me talk to people who areactually doing it.
Then I've got a bunch of mentorsin the eight figure level.
Then I'm flexing how I'mcharging$1,500 per client and
(35:20):
how I'm getting dozens of themevery month and making 20, 30,
50 grand a month.
Then they were like, Nick, whatkind of results are your clients
getting?
And I've shown them like, here'show much money they're making.
Nick, what are you doing forthem?
What exactly is your service?
Then I've walked them through myservice, what I'm all doing.
Then I clearly remember one ofmy mentor was like, Nick, if we
(35:41):
do the same thing, we charge$50,000, by the way.
Then I was like, what?
You charge 33 times more for thesame thing I'm doing?
I'm thinking I'm cooking.
I thought I'm making$50,000.
This is insane.
But you do the same thing, butyou charge$50,000.
And here's the good thing.
When you invest in rightmentors, again, there's a lot of
(36:03):
bad apples.
You know, there's a lot ofpeople who pretend to be doing a
thing who don't have real jam.
There's right people who aredoing it and who know their, you
know, stuff.
SPEAKER_01 (36:11):
Right,
SPEAKER_03 (36:12):
right.
He really put me against thewall.
He said, Nick, show me yourcalendar.
What's the next appointment youhave?
Okay.
You got John Thursday, you know,2 p.m.
Eastern.
This is what you're going to do.
You're going to quote him 15K.
I was like, what?
No, no way.
Wow.
I don't think so.
But here's the good thing withmentors.
You just hold me accountable.
(36:33):
Here's the new way.
You're not going to go after theeasiest Indian guy and the prize
friendly.
No, you're going to go theopposite.
You're going to lead with valueand results.
And here's how you pitch andyou're pitching for 15K.
And here's the caveat.
I just paid for this expensivemastermind.
And he was like, if you don't dothis, I'm going to kick you out.
(36:55):
Oh, wow.
Holy moly.
This is what accountability is.
Now you're like, Getting punchedin the face if you don't do it.
So I had another option.
I have to record the call.
I have to pitch 15K.
And guess what?
I've done...
This is one thing with me.
I just shut my brain.
I put it in the freezer.
When I know the winningplaybook, I just do it.
I don't question it.
As long as I'm learning from theright person, I just follow the
(37:15):
playbook.
So I put my brain in thefreezer.
I just followed what my mentorsaid.
And in the end of the salescall, he was like, Nick, how
much do you charge?
I was like, we charge$15,000.
And...
The other guy goes, okay.
I was like, what?
Wow.
(37:35):
And I was like, I was happy, butI was scared at the same time.
So because it was the biggestdeal.
This was back in 2020, by theway, we have done bigger deals.
Like, you know, after that, likeonce that code cracked down, now
my mind goes, Holy smokes.
I'm just 200 clients away tomake$3 million.
(37:57):
Right.
Think about that.
If I just close 200 clients at15K pop, I'm making$3 million.
And again, if you make$3 millionright in your business and
you're smart enough, you're goodif you do it right.
So that just changed.
That's the perspective I got.
And from there, it justsnowballed.
Partnerships and being legit anddelivering real results and
(38:20):
being available for your clientsand staying focused on your zone
of expertise, that's what keptsnowballing over a period of
time.
SPEAKER_01 (38:27):
Wow, that is so amazing.
What a great story.
And so, you know, as you'vebeen, you know, building, you
know, all these funnels, andlike we mentioned, you've made a
half a billion for your clients,and you've made multiple
millions yourself.
There are some people that evenwhen you use the language of
funnels, for them, they stilldon't know exactly what those
(38:48):
are.
You know, they know what awebsite is.
They might even know what alanding page is.
But what are the funnels?
Explain briefly what a funnel isand then also if you could share
what are the funnels that you'refinding now since you've built
so many that are working best umout there because we've heard
you know challenges we've heardyou know webinars with you know
(39:10):
like for you somebody that'sdown down in the dirt doing this
stuff what have you foundworking and what are funnels
SPEAKER_03 (39:18):
sure that's an interesting question so there's
no one funnel fits all type ofsituation.
Depending on the business andthe requirement and the type of
clients you're trying toattract, the funnel needs to
change.
And we kind of follow a smallprocess called funnel hacking.
This is what Russell Brunson haspioneered.
That's one of his strategies.
So it's just like finding thewinners in your market and just
(39:40):
modeling it.
Like if I would have to figureout everything from scratch, I
would never make the amount ofmoney I made by myself.
All I have to do is shut mybrain off Follow the winning
playbook.
So if I find a client, all Ihave to do is find their top
competitors, see what funnelsthey're using, and just rebuild
them in a better manner, in aneffective manner.
So coming back, that's kind ofhow I do it.
(40:02):
So to find the best funnels thatare working for your niche.
So I can't just make asuggestion that, hey, this
funnel works the best for yourniche, because I don't know.
You got to figure out who's yourtop competitors, what type of
lead gen, what type of funnelsthey're using, and model that
playbook.
And don't feel ashamed ofcopying something that's
working.
Why would you like, you justuse, you wake up and you use a
(40:25):
toothbrush.
You don't try to invent it everyday.
Like something is working, justcopy it.
Like there is nothing to beashamed about.
And this is a capitalisticworld.
You got to build solutions fastand you provide a lot of value
and that's the winning playbook.
So don't try to invent.
I don't try to be creative asmuch.
Every time you try to becreative, you're adding a lot of
(40:45):
guessing variable if it's reallysuccessful or not.
I don't like that variablebecause test anything, it costs
a lot of money.
So I like to put my brain in thefreezer and follow the playbook.
Now, the second part of thequestion is what is a funnel?
A funnel is simply the mosteffective and systematic way you
(41:05):
can convert somebody who don'tknow you into a high paying
client and retain them.
That's what it is.
So it's a journey for yourcustomer to go from, hey, I
don't know if even if I wantthis to discovering the pain,
right?
And then finding your business,getting interested in it, trying
to apply to work with you andbuying from you and then
becoming successful with it andthen retaining and referring
(41:27):
you.
That's basically a funnel.
Now with the typical websites,you just give a lot of call to
action.
You have jammy information.
Guess what?
We are already scrolling 15second TikTok videos.
50 of them every minute.
So we have that shortestattention span possible.
So if you give too muchinformation, people will be
confused and they will not buy.
(41:48):
And when you're spending moneyon ads, which is how most
businesses are successful, youlook at the biggest business in
the world, exception Elon Musk,Tesla, keep that aside.
But most businesses who actuallymake a lot of money, they spend
a lot on advertising.
That's the play.
So if you want to spend for ads,but if you don't make your money
back, Guess what?
You can't run your business.
(42:09):
So you have to make a marketingfunnel that can give you your ad
dollars back.
So if you spend 10,000, you needto make$15,000 back.
So you can keep doing that at amillion dollar budget,$10
million budget,$100 millionbudget.
For that to crack down, you gotto build a funnel.
And funnel is not a software ora website or a landing page or a
funnel step.
It's more like the concept, thejourney of a customer.
(42:30):
That's what you need to create.
It doesn't have to be a tool ora specific type.
It's not the name.
It's a journey.
If you build the best journey,most frictionless experience
without confusing them, give onecall to action at a time, the
right one will come through, thebad one will go off.
That's all you need to do.
SPEAKER_01 (42:50):
I like that.
And so you mentioned one call toaction at a time.
What are some of the otherelements that you found in a
funnel for whatever industrythat actually work best?
Because, you know, you've hadthe opportunity to test a lot
against, you know, winners andlosers and ones that work for
people, ones that don't work.
What is the structure or theformat for that journey that you
(43:11):
found works best?
SPEAKER_03 (43:12):
Sure.
So it's I would like to make itinteresting.
It's not the structure of thepage.
And I know people obsess aboutthat.
Like, oh, should I put like abox or a circle or like three
sections or two sections?
Nobody will stop buying oropting in because there is two
sections instead of three.
Right,
SPEAKER_02 (43:28):
right.
SPEAKER_03 (43:29):
That's not how people make buying decisions.
But what people do make buyingdecisions, especially cold
traffic, is the offer and thepromise of your headline.
like 80% of our effort needs togo into headline testing.
Like what, how would my marketdescribe their pain?
How would they say it?
Not how you want to say itbecause every time a business
owner comes in, he puts hisagenda into the marketing
(43:50):
campaign.
We are the number one, yada,yada, yada.
Who cares?
Nobody has time for you, youknow, to yell about your
business.
But if you say, Hey, if you'restruggling with bucks all over
your home, like I can help youfix this in 30 minutes or we
refund you like something likethat.
Uh, could get their attention.
So you need to think about howwould they describe their
(44:11):
problem and you need to headlinetest those.
That's a primary major thing.
And from an advertisingperspective, people don't buy
immediately.
That's just the reality of it.
It takes a lot of touch points.
I mean, as per our data, yougotta give 11 touch points
before somebody even responds orbooks an appointment.
So if you have this short termmindset that I will launch an ad
(44:32):
and make money tomorrow, guesswhat you're gonna lose?
No questions.
In this market, no chance tosurvive.
So you got to have thatlong-term perspective for your
business.
So use testimonial-basedretargeting.
Take all of your customers, taketheir success stories, aha
moments, mash them up, run thatas a retargeting ad.
So if you have a bug, you know,for example, if you have a
(44:54):
gutter cleaning service, right,you show them the ad, they
click, they didn't book anappointment, show them the
testimonials of all of yourclients who had an exceptional
experience to prove that you'rethe best person to pick.
Because This is a world whereeverybody's just claiming
things.
You got to show up in itdifferently.
You got to lead with proof.
And that's one of the reasonsI'm big on awards and putting
them around me because I'vedelivered results.
(45:16):
This is the proof that we dostuff.
And that really changes theperception on how you're seen as
a business.
I hope that helps.
SPEAKER_01 (45:23):
Oh, that's been amazing.
Well, you know, kudos for allyour success.
And this has been an amazingconversation.
And I'm sure we can talk a lotlonger.
But I know you also have ameeting right after this.
And so I want to give you timeto share how people can get a
hold of you.
You already kind of shared whoyou help, you know, but how do
people get a hold of you?
I know you have a book out aswell.
(45:44):
So just share some of thatinformation.
SPEAKER_03 (45:45):
Sure.
So I...
You can find me atfunnelingmedia.com.
That's literally my website.
You can see all my client casesand testimonials.
And I'm an open book.
You can find me on all myplatforms.
Any platform, just type my name,Nikhil Sai Adi,
N-I-K-H-I-L-S-A-I-A-D-I.
And you can also buy my book ifyou're interested.
(46:08):
It's 99 cents on Amazon.
It's called Funneling Secrets.
That's the playbook on how ourclients and our interview guests
have made millions of dollarsworking with us and my own story
on how I've done it.
in a very detailed manner andyeah I'm excited to connect with
you guys even though we mightnot directly work with you and
if you're not at that stage ofmillion dollars and over where
(46:28):
we do a done for you projectsthere is different levels where
I'm not fully involved but westill don't compromise on
results where you have a donewith your DIY solutions at a
better budget again we need toserve you guys we need to show
you what's actually working andit's a moral responsibility for
me to put this in more hands soyou don't lose your advertising
dollars you don't get stuck withyour marketing I'm excited to
(46:49):
help more business owners.
So if you're interested in that,check out funnelmedia.com.
Happy to have a chat.
SPEAKER_01 (46:55):
That's awesome, man.
Well, congratulations on allyour success, man.
Proud of you and well done.
And that's been amazing.
I appreciate you coming on andspending some time with me and
having a great conversation.
SPEAKER_03 (47:07):
Thank you so much.
Appreciate you inviting me,Paul.
And guys, I would like to leavewith one last line to it.
Anyways, regardless of the fearof execution, the fear of
failure, regardless of theability you think that you can
achieve it and the skills youhave, regardless of the
uncertainty you're goingthrough, just do the work and
you cannot fail.
(47:27):
And repetition is a strategy.
It's not a gimmick.
Repetition is a strategy.
Just do it so many times thatyou cannot fail.
Like I've built so many funnels.
I just can't go wrong with it.
I've just taken thousands ofsales calls.
I can't be bad at it.
I've spoken at so many events.
I could just take over anyconversation.
So do that reputation.
(47:49):
And that's what people avoid.
People think it's easy.
It's not.
The work that it's doing, justdo it.
Reputation.
You're going to suck.
But you do it again, you sucklesser.
And then you become exceptional.
I'll leave you with that.
That's awesome.
Thank you so much.
Have a good one, guys.
Bye-bye.
SPEAKER_00 (48:04):
You are listening to Conversations with Misfits,
Mavericks, and Trailblazers.
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