****Please forgive any and all transcription errors as this was transcribed by Otter.ai.****

Dean Hankey 0:00

Hi, I'm Dean Hankey and you're listening to A Shark's Perspective.

(Music - shark theme)

Kenneth Kinney 0:20

Welcome back and thank you for joining A Shark's Perspective. I'm Kenneth Kinney, but friends call me Shark. I'm a keynote speaker, a strategist, a shark diver host of this show, and your Chief Shark Officer.

Kenneth Kinney 0:32

Are you of the mindset to serve? For many, it's not an easy shift, especially when they start thinking about profit well before they think about providing value. But after all, when did be nice and do good, become a marketing strategy? For a lot of people in a lot of businesses, it's very common not to show any significant care and they forget the value of helping others. But if you were investing more in others, and making more deposits in people and your brand and in your marketing, and making more deposits than withdrawals, then you may have just uncovered something magical in service and a winning formula that shows that care is very profitable. You might then be treating them as VIPs where care is magic.

Kenneth Kinney 1:15

Dean Hankey is a veteran show business expert and entrepreneur, a performer, presenter, marketing magician, and a SpeakTacular EnterTrainer and ImpleMentor with over 50 Years of experience and over 30,000 presentations.

Kenneth Kinney 1:30

And on this episode we will discuss the method of show business to grow business, service, proving that it works, selfless over selfish, marketing in the entertainment industry, the performer mindset and the producer mindset, charismatic principles, a three step VIP process to success, magic marketing, casino life in Reno, spelling know correctly, a mind reading toilet (he'll have to explain that one), creating your own packed and profitable events, speaking sharks, other sharks, handkerchiefs, David's magic, the buffets, lost industries and a lot lot more.

Kenneth Kinney 2:02

So let's tune into a magical Dean with a magical shark on this episode of A Shark's Perspective.

[music]

Kenneth Kinney 2:13

Dean Hankey, welcome to A Shark's Perspective. Tell us a little bit about you and your magical background.

Dean Hankey 2:20

First of all delighted and excited. Absolutely. And always. Yeah, certainly Dean Hankey, the Dean of success professional weirdo. That is my deal. spent most of my life as a professional paid performer. And you've no doubt heard the phrase starving artist, right? And there's one joke it's a bad one. But here it is. What's the difference between a performer and a pizza? Yeah, pizza can feed a family of four sad but unfortunately true right now in an arena best recognized for his failures, right? So and I was making a really good living doing my magic when all the other performers were starving their keystores off and they began to come to me and ask me how it is I was doing it so I simply helped them. This is like when I was 789 1011 12 You know, touring around literally around the community, helping groups and organizations so I made my living as a professional stage performer, casino corporate cruise ship that kind of thing. For well over 40 years, and I decided that hey, if I could make a difference in people's lives in 90 minutes, I could give them a mental respite by entertaining them for a few moments or I could transform the quality of their forever with some insight and information so I began leveraged my speaking business and now I speak preach teach neg all over the world on all things show business to grow business.

Kenneth Kinney 3:52

So your show business life most of it was producing magical X. Yeah and Reno in that areas that kind of where you settle into.

Dean Hankey 4:00

Yep, mostly magic and illusion. Like think David Copperfield. We made Ferraris float and vanish midair and solid people in the multiple pieces and all that kind of stuff. And we had one of the largest touring magic and illusion shows and we toured all over the world. And then of course, it's been 20 of those years inside of casinos in the showrooms doing you know, doing the same thing. Did a bunch of other things, I suppose you know, magic shows game shows. Hypnosis is certainly a recorded artists so I would sing and do I mean, you know, when you're a performer, you got to do what you got to do. Right? So that's what I did. What was

Kenneth Kinney 4:41

your best trick?

Dean Hankey 4:43

My best trick was Big John, the tele pathetic toilet. It was a mind reading toilet trip, believe it or not. And, and I know but it was it was obviously a comedy routine, but the The actual prop was built by Sid and Marty Krofft. Remember those guys HR Puffin stuff. Right. And so the toilet lid was what up and down into, say, Hey, John, how you doing? goes? Well, you know, I'm feeling like crap, or whatever, you know, all this other stuff I'd say. So anyway, it was it was fun, funny again, professional weirdo. Hello.

Kenneth Kinney 5:28

Okay, well, so you know, we met through clubhouse, and I don't remember if it was in a marketing room, or if it was in a speaking room. But I know a lot of what we've spoken about has been on marketing. But yeah, tell us a little bit about your marketing background, whether it's been events, the shows as a speaker, and really where your sort of mindset is with marketing?

Dean Hankey 5:50

Sure. Well, here's the interesting, is the entertainment industry markets different than any other industry on the planet? I mean, how is it that they can boast a literal million slash billion dollar weekend. And yet, there is this acronym that we fail so spectacularly that we have a category all to our own, we do it so well, called starving artist. Well, the difference is the performer mindset and the producer mindset. So it's where you make the money is not being the performer unless you're already producing significant results like a famous star or something like that. But most of the industry is starving their cans off, you know. And so, like the way we connect with our audiences online and off the way we reach out and market, the way we promote the way we market our business, for instance, one of our charismatic principles is human connection, the magic of human connection, reach out to somebody, listen, and send them a super simple, what we call V mail or video mail. What was the last time somebody you bought a house, you spent hundreds of 1000s Maybe millions of dollars on your home? You bought a car 10s of 1000s, maybe hundreds of $1,000 for a home for a car? When was the last time they sent you a super simple little video 30 seconds. They said, hey shark, we love absolutely adore doing business with you. Thank you so much. We hope you turn this super simple little house into the home of your dreams. And they're standing there literally out in front of your house on your sidewalk with your home in the background. Of course, they're gonna send you potentially a gift bag if they do that, which most stone but V mail. How long does it take to record an 18? Second video message? I don't know. 810 seconds. Right? So send V mail. And that's just a caring thing to do. That's just Kara's magic.

Kenneth Kinney 7:52

Well, they did send an email or direct mail piece offering to get me to renegotiate my mortgage rate or buy yet another home. This is what they do all the time. Never just as a thank you. So tell us a little bit about the visa to VIP. The carrier's magic success.

Dean Hankey 8:13

Absolutely. We base our entire business on this super simple three step VIP process for literally not figuratively, but literally getting anything you want on command and demand. And VIP, of course, is anachronism and that is this. First foremost, upfront, always in an advanced add value. And that value has to do something it has to generate impact or results for the people you serve. If the value in the VIP, if the value doesn't deliver a result, is it really valuable? I'm suggesting maybe not. So the value that generates impact, then and only then do you share in the profits. If all you learn from our conversation today, all you get out of our time together is that first foremost, always in forever add value upfront and in advance. Most businesses don't do that most businesses start with the P you know PIV you pay me then I'll create some impact and value for you. But I'm suggesting that if you help people get stuff upfront in advance, are they more or less likely to want to work with you or help you back? Are they more or less likely willing to hear your conversation without any sales line? Are they you know, if I help you get what you want? Are you willing to potentially help me back by joining a program buying a book hiring me to speak preach to snag it just takes away all the the obstacles to human interaction? I help you and the best way by the way to prove you can help somebody and I'll close with this is oh I don't know. Help somebody?

Kenneth Kinney 9:58

So here's my question though. And I agree with everything you just said. But this for a lot of people is a change in mindset. I mean, it's generally it's a service over self mentality anyway. But how do you prove that this works compared to somebody else? For example, that doesn't, it's sad when you have to prove what is a basic common decency, like a thank you for spending hundreds of 1000s of dollars on a home? Right, very few people do it, and then there, and then somebody on the financial side is gonna say, I gotta look at this and in whether or not we're going to spend money on that part of the customer experience. No, it costs too much. Let's let it go. Because we don't need it. And it doesn't produce more of whatever.

Dean Hankey 10:42

Yep, yep, I will tell you 100% of my family members have come to me as a direct result of me helping them in some way, shape, or form upfront and in advance. So I didn't have to sell them. I didn't have to send them to a sales funnel or a funky, you know, funky, funnel, ugly, opt in abusive offer any of that crap. All I did was, hey, what are you working on? How can I help? And then that's how I was able to generate more business as a performer where everybody else was, again, you know, barely, barely surviving. I was wildly thriving, because I simply wasn't looking for a gig. I wasn't looking for a job, I wasn't looking for a payday was looking for a paycheck, I was looking to help. So I go to schools, groups and organizations saying, Listen, what if there was a way I could help you generate? I don't know some funds and awareness for your group, cause or organization? Would you at least be interested in having a conversation? And the answer is always yes. So I do events where I create value for them. And not only them, did they not have to pay me I actually paid them to work with me. So how do how do my members or how to members come together as that I helped them? I demonstrate the proof is in the pudding, as Bill Cosby would say. The proof is it.

Kenneth Kinney 12:04

It's like saying Baltimore, Bill Cosby. So tell us about your killer strategy, never having to say you're sorry, no, never having to hear a no. In your business ever again.

Dean Hankey 12:17

Yeah, it is that exact same VIP. And it's an irresistible offer. Once again, if I went to a group, organization, corporate, nonprofit, charitable cause group, faith based foundation educational initiative, it doesn't matter, whatever kind of small business leader, if and I and I. And I said to you, for instance, you know, how about if we generate some free and easy no risk money for your group or organization? Are they going to say yes or no. And they're always I've never after 50 years, I've never had a single No. Now, I'm expecting that it'll happen. And but that being said, is make your your, your invitation, your offer so irresistible that it is financially emotionally, spiritually relationally intellectually irresponsible for them to say anything but yes. And that's all you add value up front in events you demonstrate you can help them. So why would they say no? Now, I've heard not now, or I think the NOI really is spelled wrong, is they simply don't know enough? To say yes. And that's just a lack of marketing prowess. That's just a lack of serving people, and helping them to understand.

Kenneth Kinney 13:34

Yeah, you just stole one of my lines, the no is spelled wrong. I love that. Why magic marketing.

Dean Hankey 13:42

You know, because first of all, all business is showbusiness all of it. 100%. And, because if you don't engage people one way shape form another, you lose them, if you lose them, they don't learn or buy. And if they don't learn or buy, they don't change, or transform. And if they don't change your transform, you've wasted their time and you've wasted your time. So I believe that engagement is the key to human connection and success. And one of the best ways you can engage people is by a lighter note serving them. So you help them get what they want. Again, I sound like a broken record. But that's sort of the cares magic principle is that you simply out care, nobody, nobody will out care me, nobody will out, serve out, deliver Out, out, you know, whatever it takes. Now, that may or may not be true, but that's my perspective. So when you come to me, I'm going to help you. Regardless, I'm going to help you whatever it takes to answer your question. Yeah, I

Kenneth Kinney 14:50

think so. It was an answer in there somewhere. That was perfect answer. So one of the things you also do though, is you help encourage people in see how they can create their own events? Yep, to be profitable as well. And you touched on that a little bit with sponsors. But if I'm Joe or Sally schmo living in St. Louis, or Bismarck, or wherever the world they're living in, right? How do they basically take that idea and go create their own events that are profitable, and also provide value to the person who's actually watching this online event? Sure,

Dean Hankey 15:23

it is, it is the magic of profit producing partnerships or human connection or charismatic again, as I keep saying, but the idea is that we simply partner with people who have a need or desire listen, if I wanted to pack out an event, tomorrow, the next day, have absolute unconditional calendar control work when I want wherever I want as often or as little as I want. I just go partner with a charitable cause group in this example or business association or some company or whatever, I just happen to love serving the the charitable cause space. But I go partner with them. They know people I don't know. So if I were to reach out to them and saying, Hey, listen, we're gonna I'm doing an event. And I'm going to be helping the Boys and Girls Club and the Food Bank and this group of notes organization, I'd love absolutely adore to include you. Oh, and by the way, we'll do a super simple revenue share on the on the results. And so the question, my question to you, I guess, then is, if I were to cut you a check, would you cash it? And the answer once again, is always yes. So I do an event. And they invite their I've, you know, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, I've got a barn, let's do a show. And this happens to be, you know, one half day, full day, multi day immersion training events on business perspective and marketing. But we invite them, they know 10s of 1000s, hundreds of 1000s of people, if a small percentage 10, one to 10% of those people decide. Now I'll go to that thing for 100 bucks, and you get 100 people on a digital event or a physical event. That's $10,000. And let's just say for the sake of conversation, you just a super simple 5050 revenue share. They didn't have to rent a room. They didn't have to go hunt down rubber chickens. They didn't have to, you know, stir up a big pot of spaghetti or get silent auction items waiting for people to show up at $300 to say thank you to their donors. But what they get is a $5,000 revenue share for doing nothing. Would you think they'd be pretty excited about doing that? Sure. Easy peasy. So you can have packed and profitable events by simply partnering with people.

Kenneth Kinney 17:45

Great timely reference, by the way, dropping in Mickey Rooney, and, Judy, Judy Garland. I mean, sadly, most people are like googling Who the hell they were. So if you could help someone start to think more about care and service? Yep. Who's not applying that? What would you tell them to do to be able to go look in the mirror and help start this because I think this is one of these terms that it's not like you can just take a prescription and and fix it. It's hard for people to conceptualize, because it's not part of their norm in any way. And monkeys like you and me who think in that service, nature. It's old hat but a lot of people don't know where to start. Yep, I agree. It's sounding preachy.

Dean Hankey 18:36

No, I'm with your dog. I'm with you. It is totally, I think it's a lifestyle choice. It's not what you do. It's who you are. We talked about before, that when since when did the nice do good? Become a marketing strategy? Hey, man, this is sort of again, based on the VIP add value generates impact and share them in the profits, emotional, spiritual, relational, intellectual, and financial. That said, one of two things happen, I'm gonna cook cookies on the shelf exactly where we can reach them, okay. One of two things happens in every human interaction, one of two things only, and that is this. Either you make more of a deposit, or you make more of a withdrawal. And as a VIP professional, or as a human being on the planet, whether it's at home with your spouse, or whether it's with your kids or the person in the cubicle next to you, or from a platform. Your job is simply sounds super simple. And it is. Your job is simply to make more deposits than withdraws. That's online, offline. In your print materials on your business card. Does your business cards make deposits? In other words, or is it just all about me, me, me, me, me? Like we'd give away cool free stuff on our business card. Right? So there's some value add We're making deposits. So whether it's getting it doesn't matter make more deposit because what happens if you make more withdrawals and deposits? Well, using the banking metaphor, it's like there's early penalties for withdrawal. There's you know, there's there's fees and levies and penalties and there's an ultimately, we go bankrupt and that's what happens in human connection nowadays is that people are becoming more bankrupt because people are making more withdrawals than deposits. So practical boots on the ground. How can we make some super simple VIP deposits? Well how about simply encouraging somebody? How about like sending them something based on what you see in their social media feed Hey, I noticed you were talking about this I found this video or found this link or this download or this report of this book or this gift or this resource? And just send it to him unsolicited How about if you just help them Oh, I don't know. Get something that they want need does that it doesn't it's not rocket science. You just make more deposits be more self less than selfish, but help people

Kenneth Kinney 21:08

well, it's sadly it's changed the way I talk on LinkedIn none of the apps and the time I started every conversation to somebody I don't know is I'm not selling anything. Just wanted to connect and then I tell them if we connect on a topic months later that I'm not trying to sell anything I just wanted to connect and share this with you but that didn't you know come with a price tag included so exact Dean not a lot of these in the Sierra mountains. But I know you've listened a few shows. I asked this of all my guests. What is your favorite kind of shark and why?

Dean Hankey 21:42

I love this question. First of all, obviously the speaking shark that is

Kenneth Kinney 21:46

Hello.

Dean Hankey 21:49

Yeah, hello, hello. I would say second to that would be the big mouth mega shark for the same reason.

Kenneth Kinney 21:55

Yeah. But people have confused me with that one as well. The big mouthed mega shark.

Dean Hankey 22:01

I think the one that wins for the coolest name is got to be the goblin shark. Like how cool is that? That's just like, and they're kind of cool looking goblins she goblet? Yeah, they look like goblins. But of course I'm gonna use the the answer that almost I hear everybody else use. I love the hammerhead shark. For for because they get that peripheral. They see what's going on around them. They're aware they're cool looking. And like myself. They're professional weirdos in the industry are in the market and the family of sharks.

Kenneth Kinney 22:33

I'm two weeks and four weeks away from two dives where I better see them again the great hammerheads soon because they are fascinating to watch. Right skittish fish, but but there's still fascinate. Alright, well, Dean, it is that special time in the show? Are you ready for the five most interesting and important questions that you're going to be asked today?

Dean Hankey 22:53

I am so ready. Oh my

Kenneth Kinney 22:55

gosh, we've set the bar too high. All right. Dean Hankey is his name but we're going to talk about handkerchiefs. cotton or silk.

Dean Hankey 23:04

Cotton. Practically, just

Kenneth Kinney 23:08

for use as opposed to for looks alright. Number two is a Vegas performer of magic. You're going to see David Copperfield or David Blaine. Hands down for me, David Copperfield. Amen. Yep. Still my favorite magician of all time that I've seen multiple times in person these shows are amazing is the top of the of the magic pile. And I think it's magical how he keeps his hair looking. So shoe polish black at the age he has now so it's an amazing, symmetrical trick that he's got. Alright, number three friends are in town. They're visiting Reno. Biggest Little City in the world. They want to get some casino action. You're taking them out to eat. You're eating at the buffet at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino or the buffet at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa.

Dean Hankey 24:01

I'm gonna say the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa.

Kenneth Kinney 24:04

Those two had the highest reviews.

Dean Hankey 24:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I'd say the Atlantis and it's also a little bit out of the downtown. It's sort of like, away from the downtown postage stamp size strip area, but you know, so

Kenneth Kinney 24:21

Alright, if I apply the Dean Hankey success, you know, magical care formula? Which one could it help more Telecom, the whole phone industry or the satellite and cable industry?

Dean Hankey 24:38

That'd be D all of the above Alex, that said. I'm gonna say the

Kenneth Kinney 24:46

telephone lines putting at&t versus Comcast. They both do some similar things, but they Yeah, Comcast. If that's the case, then yeah. Yeah, and especially there's not a right or wrong answer in that.

Dean Hankey 25:03

No, it's an all wrong answer, sadly, that that, that everybody needs more genuine, authentic, and I hate that word, but human connection and amp up their charismatic perspective. I mean, caring changes everything in everything. And I know you know that. All right,

Kenneth Kinney 25:26

and then number five, and the most important question that you're going to be asked today is biscuits, or cornbread?

Dean Hankey 25:33

And the answer is cornbread, Alex cornbread and because it's, it's a dessert, it's a course. It's every aspect of the meal chain. I think

Kenneth Kinney 25:44

I just had some amazing Sweet Cornbread with barbecue ribs two days ago and life changing cornbread. Have you

Dean Hankey 25:53

tried it with sawed in half? Butter it and then put powdered sugar on it and stick it under the broiler for a few seconds. Holy, moly,

Kenneth Kinney 26:04

that grief. Alright, so Dean, where can people find out more about you? Learn about the magical tips and techniques that you offer what you're doing and keep up with your thought leadership and more.

Dean Hankey 26:15

Sure, I love giving gifts. That's one of my main genius so I can create value in deposits for people. So if you go to Dean hankey.com, forward slash shark, and that's Dean D, E, A n hankey like handkerchief, h a n k e y.com. Forward slash shark. I've curated some killer tools and resources and gifts. No ugly opt in funky, funnels slimy sales page. No salesman will call.

Kenneth Kinney 26:47

Awesome Dean. Thank you so very much for being with us today on A Shark's Perspective.

[music]

Kenneth Kinney 26:56

So there was my conversation with Dean Hankey, a veteran show business expert and entrepreneur, a performer, presenter, marketing magician, and a SpeakTacular EnterTrainer and ImpleMentor with over 50 Years of experience and over 30,000 presentations. Let's look at three key takeaways from my conversation with him.

Kenneth Kinney 27:14

First, I absolutely love what he talks about in the post sales experience with video male with female, he uses the example of buying a home or a car and then asks, What could we do after to show that we can do even a little bit more to show that we care. I mean, we're talking about 10s to hundreds of 1000s of dollars. Most businesses sell you and sign you up. Maybe they add you to their CRM and automate us some emails, they may move you off to someone else inside their organization, a success manager for example, some touch base on the yearly anniversary, where it's nearly time for renewal, or maybe they do something else that fits a process. But ask yourself, if they do anything extraordinary to show you they really care. I still want my product or service to work perfectly. I want the knowledge and the experts on the other end if I need them. That's a priority. But I can tell you as someone who has had a big person spin, rarely did I see the seller do something extra that showed that they cared you should you know why because care is magic, and it can help lead to an amazing customer experience.

Kenneth Kinney 28:15

Second, Dean talks about his version of VIP, add V for value and make sure that that value generates impact. If the value doesn't deliver results, then is it valuable? A lot of people believe they're providing value, but it's not always done well. Providing value upfront and in advance and then you can share AI for the in the P profits value and then share in the profits. Great way to think about serving others.

Kenneth Kinney 28:41

Third, challenge yourself this week to serve as our guest said and you can take this challenge. Nobody will care me nobody will out serve out deliver out whatever it takes to be the best at serving others. And that is a great challenge.

Kenneth Kinney 28:55

Got a question? Send me an email to Kenneth at a shark's perspective.com.

Kenneth Kinney 28:59

Thank you again for the privilege of your time and I'm so thankful to everyone who listens.

Kenneth Kinney 29:04

Be more selfless than selfish and help people and join us on the next episode of A Shark's Perspective.

(Music - shark theme)