Closers Olympics Champion in the House!

Steve Trang: Everybody. Thank you for joining us for today's special episode of Real Estate Disruptors. So we've got RJ Bates with Titanium Investments and Titanium, like, a thousand other things. RJ flew in from Dallas Fort Worth to talk about becoming the king of closers. And for those of you guys wondering, he demanded.

He assumed the sale when he said that you're putting me on the podcast. He didn't ask, like, hey. Should we talk about it? He's like, hey, Steve. When am I coming on the podcast?

So kinda shows you what he's got. If this is your first time tuning in, I am Steve Trang, sales trainer for some of the top wholesalers in the country, and I am on a mission to create 100 millionaires. So, question I get all the time is how to become one of the 100 millionaires. The questions on this podcast alone is enough for you to become a millionaire in the next five to seven years. If you will take consistent action, you will become one.

You wanna get there faster, send me a DM, on Instagram, and we'll see if we can get, help you get there just a little bit faster. And if you get value out of the show, please tag a friend below or share this episode right now. That way we can all grow together. And this is a live show, so please ask your questions for RJ to answer. Ready?

RJ Bates: I'm ready.

Steve: Alright. So the question everyone wants to know, right, is and this is a high level question. We'll start there. Is, what did you do between last year and this year to prepare you to win this year's closest Olympic?

RJ: A lot of reps, a lot of practice.

Steve: You know,

RJ: I did the the fifty day challenge where I was going live eight to twelve hours a day talking to sellers, in all 50 states. I started doing the the weekly episodes on Batch TV. And and look, I I didn't not a acquisitions guy for Titanium Investments. I'm the owner and the CEO of the company. So putting myself out there, to actually do this on camera and and get critiqued by people watching me.

Right? Everybody. By literally everybody Mhmm. Even when it goes well. You know, that that that kinda gave me a little bit of experience of what to expect.

And then, look, you and I both did the closures Olympics in 2020. We had that experience of the shot clock. Mhmm. Right? The pressure of of all that.

So all of those concerns of actually being in a thirty minute competition, those fears and concerns were gone this year, and it was just about, hey. Let's just go in and and do what we do all day every day on live on YouTube and Facebook. And Oh,

Steve: let me ask you this. Right? Because I I know people adjusted their their methodology. Right? And Max and I talked about this last week.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: So I made a conscious decision last year to not adjust my approach. Right?

RJ: And I

Steve: just went, like, you know, we run out of time. We run out of time. But the audience is paying to see what we do, and I was gonna show them exactly what we do. And if we buy a house, great. If we don't, like, it is what it is.

So for me, the shot clock was there, but it wasn't there.

RJ: Right.

Steve: What was your did you feel like it was different last year versus this? Year?

RJ: Yeah. I I changed last year. And and that's where everyone was like, oh my god. RJ is so aggressive. And

Steve: You modified it last year.

RJ: Yeah. And I kinda got pissed off because literally, everyone was like, dude, you're so aggressive, and you just go for the kill. And I'm like, well, I'm I'm a little bit different in real life. Mhmm. Like, I mean, I I can actually slow it down and mirror the seller and, you know, do all those types of things.

So this year, it was just more about go out there and be yourself. And what you saw this year is what I actually do on a day to day basis when I close this. So I yeah. Last year, I changed my techniques a little bit just because I was so worried about the time. Mhmm.

And but the scoring was different last year too. This year, it was full comprehensive thirty minutes of the call. Right? Whereas last year, they just kinda judged you on one

Steve: One call.

RJ: Call. Yeah. So last year That

Steve: was a good improvement.

RJ: Yes. Last year Because you could totally mess a call up and just throw it away. Yep. So that's where I also made a big change was, hey. I need to actually just be myself for the full thirty minutes or an hour.

Steve: So let's take a step back here. Right? Because you did the fifty days 50 deals in fifty days in 50 states.

RJ: Yep. Right.

Steve: That was the name of it?

RJ: Right.

Steve: Okay. What compelled you to do such a crazy thing?

RJ: Well, it's funny because it was actually us struggling and having issues in our company and and getting rid of acquisitions people and and dispositions people and just kind of coming to terms that I need to step in and and do something to steer the tide back in a positive direction. And how better to do that than put myself in their shoes of actually doing acquisitions Mhmm. And figuring out what are we doing right and what are we doing wrong. And so I literally made the world my accountability partner. Yeah.

So I I remember reading the book, relentless, and determining, like

Steve: Fantastic book, everyone. Right.

RJ: Written

Steve: by Tim Grover. I read it.

RJ: I'm I'm a cleaner. Yeah. And I'm like, this is the fourth quarter. Give me the damn ball. Like, I'm I went to Cassie and Elijah, and I said, look.

We're gonna do this. 50 deals in 50 states in fifty days. And they were like, well, what about North Dakota and Wyoming? And I'm like, we'll figure it out. Yeah.

Like, that's what we do. But we put our backs up against the wall. We tell the world that we're gonna do it. I don't care if there's two people watching. I'm still gonna feel like the world it it's out there forever for the world to see.

So we have to go out there and perform, and and we struggled at times through it. And other times, it was fantastic, and but it it led to where we are today as a company and then also giving me the opportunity to do things like the closures Olympics and and go out there and and have the confidence to do what I did two weeks ago.

Steve: So I actually called you in the middle of it. I was like, what the heck are you thinking? Why are you doing this? And, also, why are there not more people watching it?

RJ: Right.

Steve: Because they should be watching you actually closing deals Right. Live. Because you were doing them live as well. You weren't even, like, recording it. And

RJ: Yeah. No. It was all live.

Steve: Closing later on. So you said something interesting. Like, you've used this, a, to lead your company Yep. And, b, it's transformed your company. Yep.

How has it transformed your company?

RJ: Well, I figured out systems or the processes around the systems that we use. That was the main thing. We knew what systems we wanted to use, but I was trying to make decisions from this high level and and not actually being a part of it. And You were

Steve: in the ivory tower.

RJ: Yeah. And when you get in there and it's like, okay. I'm actually clicking the buttons. I'm actually making the decisions that happen on a day to day basis that have to lead to my success or failures. That's when the processes came about, and we collectively as a unit, it wasn't just me, but Cassie and Elijah as well.

We sat down and we said, hey. Look. This worked really well today, and this didn't work well the the day before. This is how we are gonna come up with our systems and processes moving forward. And now everyone in our company knows exactly what we do, and they know how to replicate it over and over and over again.

Whereas before, it was kind of this loose cannon, and you kind of made your own decisions as an acquisitions person in our company. So it tightened up the ship a lot.

Steve: Got it. So what did your company look like before you started it, and what did your company look like after you started it after you finished it?

RJ: Well, before, we had pretty much dwindled down to nothing. I mean, we we had cut everything down, because we were killing ourselves. I mean, I can't remember. The the first time I was on your podcast, I believe we were just starting the process of trimming down from, like, 70 something employees, and we were down in

Steve: Well, you were in all these states.

RJ: Yeah.

Steve: And then you're like, I the curse of too much money, which Zillow just recently went out to this

RJ: as well.

Steve: But yeah. So

RJ: Yeah. I I I felt the pain of what sales going through back in 2017, 2018.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: But, we we went basically down to where we had two employees. Mhmm. And now we've been able to build back up organically to, you know, right around 17 to 20, which they're all watching back at home. So hey, guys. What's up?

Steve: I think they're all 17 viewers are watching.

RJ: But but no. I I mean, now we have this this family where, before, it was very much a bunch of individuals trying to figure out a way to make money through wholesaling.

Steve: Gotcha.

RJ: Now there's processes in place where they understand, and we we pivot as a unit together, And and we can do that very quickly. Just for example, the past couple days, we've had a couple of issues with SMS marketing.

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: But we were able to quickly pivot to our PPC leads and and cold calling leads. And whereas, I don't know, two two and a half years ago, that would have been impossible because we were in so many different places and their the communication was a nightmare. And and also just our decision making as as business owners was lacking because we didn't have the experience ourselves. We were too far removed from the actual process.

Steve: Right. So, what would you say to, you know, haters like myself who is whose opinion is RJ got lucky?

RJ: Well, I I will say, you watched. Right?

Steve: I did watch it.

RJ: Yeah. So so you know I didn't get lucky. You were the you were the guy that called me on Saturday night and said, how'd you get better? Look. I I it's a great competition.

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: And I think you and I both agree, both last year and this year's is full of content that everybody if you're in this industry for ninety seven dollars, you should go out and pick it up just because there's so much that you could pick up from it.

Steve: Absolutely.

RJ: And and the great thing about being a contestant in it is that I get to watch your commentary. I get to watch the other people participate. And what's what's funny is is I actually learned more from the mistakes people made this year than I did last year because I was looking for it.

Steve: Got it.

RJ: And and so I actually saw things as it was going on, and I recognized, like, I I would probably have made that same mistake. So consciously going into the final day, I was saying, hey. I'm not gonna make that same mistake when an objection comes up because we are in a competition, and it is kinda scary to try to overcome an objection Yeah. That could cost you basically all of your points.

Steve: Right.

RJ: Right?

Steve: Absolutely.

RJ: And especially in my circumstance where it was like, I was the last guy going. I knew what score I needed to beat. Felt like I probably had that. And then there's this last objection, and it's like, the whole castle could come crumbling down right now if I say the wrong thing. But it it was, it was a great event to be a part of, and you know I didn't get it.

Steve: Well, what I really appreciated, was the radical candor. Yep. You were drastically transparent.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: More so than I think I've ever seen anywhere else, which was like, hey. My buddies and I are doing a competition.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: So we're gonna see who can lock up the most deals on a Saturday.

RJ: Yeah. Yeah.

Steve: It was that. The lady gave you the objection, like, hey. You know, let me review the contract with my husband. Yep. Can I be honest with you?

Too sure it was that. I promised my friends I was gonna have a signed contract before 04:00 today. Yep. So I need you to sign this contract right now. It wasn't like, hey.

I need you need some time to think about it. Right. Hey. You know what happens is sometimes people say they need to think about like, what I would say is, like, hey. You know, RJ, normally, when people tell me they need to think about it, usually, they're just uncomfortable telling me no.

RJ: Right. Could

Steve: that be what's happening here? No. You didn't say that. You said I have to win this competition by 04:00, so I need to sign this.

RJ: Look. I actually told Aaron, and I I believe during the press conference that I told everyone that this is what I was going to do. Yeah. Because I actually wanted to throw it out there because I felt like if I said it, they would didn't they wouldn't believe that I was actually going to do it. Yeah.

And so I wanted to go out there and be literally so transparent with

Steve: the sellers. You told everyone you're gonna be transparent.

RJ: I told Aaron, I said, you know what I'm gonna do this year? I'm gonna tell a seller that I'm in a competition to get a deal. And I and I said, I guarantee you the reaction will be if I find the right seller, which she was very relaxed and, like, we were hitting it off pretty quickly. I was like, if I'm buying the right seller, I can guarantee you the reaction of that is going to be, I want to help you out, Archie. And that is exactly what her reaction was.

Steve: It was.

RJ: I mean, did you hear what she said as she was hanging up? Because my Mojo dialer was behind multiple tabs. Mhmm. So I couldn't hang up on her. I was waiting on her to hang up on me.

She says as to her husband, she's like, I just signed it. Whatever. It's fine. You know? She she was just like, you you know, it's cool.

I'm I'm just gonna sign it.

Steve: Yeah. That's fine. She's

RJ: holding that. Exactly what I was looking for is an ideal situation with the right seller. And and so if the opportunity presented itself, and I'm like, I'm just gonna tell her straight up I'm in a competition. I need to get the contract signed, see what happens.

Steve: So I wanna ask you, what kind of human being would go into their hotel room, connect their computer to whatever it is, stream themselves in the background on YouTube Yep. For everyone else to see while they're in a cold calling competition.

RJ: Did you did you you heard my opening line. I said I I felt very confident in myself because I've been learning from myself today. Remember that.

Steve: I was watching it. I was judging that one.

RJ: Yeah. Yes. Look. I I we were trying to figure out the background. Uh-huh.

And and we had you know, there was, like, the the hotel painting Mhmm. Behind me, and I'm like, this looks like I'm in, like, some cheesy motel Yeah. Doing this. I'm like, there's this cool wood cabinet with the TV inside. I was like, we could do that.

And I'm like, what am I gonna play on the TV? And I'm like, I'm with the fifty fifty fifty. People will watch it this way.

Steve: Insane. You're just trying to get your view your your views up.

RJ: Exactly. So subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Steve: Do not subscribe to this YouTube channel. RJ was telling people, like, guys, if you don't like my podcast, go leave a one star review on Steve Trane's podcast.

RJ: That is actually my sign off to my podcast. Like, I only accept five star reviews. If you wanna give me three stars, Steve Trank will accept those. I won't. So

Steve: I have a theory. I shared it with my other friend, Eric Brewer, because he is the best I've seen at talking trash. I like to think I'm pretty good at

RJ: it. Okay.

Steve: And you're obviously someone I could respect

RJ: in

Steve: this trash talking game. So I've got this theory, and I wanna hear your thoughts on this. The better you are talking trash, better you are in closing deals. Based

RJ: off of the results of this year's closer Olympics, I I'd have to agree with that. I mean, I I don't know about Monique, but Max is pretty decent at it. Mhmm. You know? Oh, yeah.

Steve: There's a lot of banter in our house.

RJ: Right. And and Aaron is just terrible at trash talking. I mean, he mentioned that last stuff. He's so nice. Look.

I I think it's about confidence and also about how quickly you can dig on your feet.

Steve: Yeah. So the the confidence behind the trash talking and the wittiness.

RJ: Yeah. I mean, think about it. When you're talking to a seller, you have no idea what's gonna come out of their mouth. And some of the best deals are created during these uncomfortable moments of spur of the moment a seller says something and the opportunity arises, and it doesn't fit in a script.

Steve: No. The the there are a lot of things that we train on

RJ: with

Steve: scripting, but there are a lot of things that come up that you cannot necessarily train on that specific scenario.

RJ: And I think that's where I mean, using your analogy of trash talking, I mean, that's kind of what happens in trash talking. Yeah. A moment arises and it's how quick can you get the delivery out and make sure it's witty and have the confidence to actually deliver it because it can fall flat.

Steve: It can totally fall flat and embarrass yourself.

RJ: And and and I think it's the same thing when you're talking to a seller. You know? I mean, there's these moments that arise, and you have to make a decision. I didn't go into the call there saying, hey. I'm gonna tell this seller, that I'm competing in a competition.

I need you to sign a contract by four. I knew in my head that if the opportunity was there, I would do it because that's myself role playing Mhmm. Previously and and speaking things in the existence. But once the opportunity was there, it was like, boom, I had to shoot the gap and and get it. And, yeah, I think I think there is something behind that that Yeah.

They

Steve: Yeah. I was thinking about the weightiness, but, yeah, there is that little bit of confidence too because you can't say these things, if you don't have the confidence behind it.

RJ: Right.

Steve: And, you know, there's that thing that happens. Right? We've all experienced this where, someone said something. You didn't care for what they said or how they said it.

RJ: Right.

Steve: It didn't have to come back. Right?

RJ: Right.

Steve: And it wasn't till you got into your car.

RJ: Yep. That's

Steve: what I should say. Or, like, you're, you know, you're showering that night. It's like Right. That would have been the perfect comeback.

RJ: But going back to what you were first talking about, the fifty fifty fifty. Right? The third day during that challenge, I'm on the phone with a seller. We had already been texting back and forth. She pretty much already said, hey.

I'm gonna do the deal with you. She said, but let me call you once I get off my job. So she calls me, and then she's like, are you the same RJ that I'm watching on YouTube right now? And I'm like, yes, ma'am. And she's like, so our conversation right now is being broadcast on YouTube.

Having the confidence to just kind of I mean, what are you gonna do at that point? You just have to be real and just roll with it and whatever happens, happens. But that was one of the first time and it happened throughout the challenge. But, look, when you put yourself out there and you're raw and transparent, I think anybody that's heard me do sales calls before and said, hey. My name is RJ Bates.

Google me. Go Google my name. You'll see I'm real. Yeah. That's how I overcome, like, how do I know you're a real person?

You know? Google me. Just go Google my name, you know? And then they say, I'm watching you on Steve Trane's podcast, and it hurts my feelings because I'm like, I put out 300 videos and you watch me on Steve's. But, and and that really does happen, by the way.

But, I I think putting yourself in those scenarios and having the confidence to just kind of overcome it on the spot is is what will differentiate you.

Steve: Yeah. So now, right, you put me in a pickle. Right? Because I've got this sales training program that I'm really proud of.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? And now we're looking at okay. So if you want to begin you wanna become better at sales Mhmm. You can do one of two things. You can sign up to my All Day sales training event.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Or you can go live on YouTube for fifty straight days cold calling strangers throughout the country.

RJ: I I I think you could do that way. I don't recommend it. I I I go watch day one videos, and I watch day 50. And I'm like, I look like you're aged ten years. I was like You

Steve: just finished the presidency.

RJ: Yeah. I was like, yeah. It looked a little rough there at the end. It took a lot out of me. But, no, I I think for anyone I I have had people say they were gonna try to replicate the challenge.

Mhmm. Don't do that. K? It it costs a lot of money to pull that much data.

Steve: It does.

RJ: And and you don't want to go try to get deals in Wyoming and North Dakota. Right? So so don't replicate that challenge.

Steve: What's the challenge in North Dakota and Wyoming?

RJ: Well, they all know each other. So it's gonna be real hard when you try to wholesale that deal in Casper, Wyoming. They're like, why are you selling aunt Susie's house? And I'm like, oh, I'm sorry. Never mind.

Yeah.

Steve: Got it. So, the other thing I was I was looking at. Right? There's a few different things that I noticed. So I I have also a belief that, you know, you have the ability to perform.

Yep. And the ability to perform is a different is different than hoping that you can wholesale it. Yep. Right? So, I mean, is there any kind of bit of, like, quiet confidence?

There's this thing that you could things that you can say, you can't say if your only exit is wholesale.

RJ: Yeah. I mean, I think what you saw on my very first call when you were judging, I mean, that was me making a subject to slash seller finance offer. Mhmm. I mean, I am having that conversation because I'm willing to take that deal down.

Steve: Right. And you're trying to sum your course too.

RJ: Yeah. Exactly. But I'm I'm looking at that, and it's funny because I'm I'm just rolling through the call like I would if that were any other day, and I was on the phone with them. But I'm thinking to myself why this is a really bad call for the Closers Olympics because no one else should be doing this unless they have the intentions of taking this deal down.

Steve: Right.

RJ: Right? So, yeah, I think there is a whole different level of confidence when you are comfortable taking a deal down no matter where it is. And, I was also probably kicking myself halfway through the phone call because I'm like, I'm gonna have to explain to Elijah and Cassie that I just bought us a house in Florida. Yeah. Right?

They're not gonna be happy about that. I mean,

Steve: they're pretty good terms.

RJ: They were.

Steve: I mean, 500 cash flow.

RJ: I know. But still, they're gonna be like, who's managing that, RJ?

Steve: That's someone else's problem. Exactly. Don't cut me with your problems. The other thing too is, you know, and and we're doing this. Like, last year, you and I are both going at it, and I actually showed the team some of those videos I created of Talking Trash to

RJ: You. Right.

Steve: You had a kind of a no holds barred thing. I mean, you came after Ryan Pineda. Yeah. Yeah. One of those posts.

What is the mindset of you just blasting everybody for the competition?

RJ: Well, I was upset with the results from last year. K? A little bit. Not not gonna go into that. I just felt like

Steve: subtly vocal about it.

RJ: Felt like I should have moved on to the finals. I felt like you should have. Yeah. And I felt like Sima Morales should have. Yeah.

But that's neither here nor there. So I was but for eighteen months, not a day went by where someone didn't reach out to me and say, hey. You got robbed last year Mhmm. And the closers. When something is

Steve: my supporters, people. How come no one's telling me that I got robbed?

RJ: I I don't think it was as blatantly obvious. I mean, there there was just a little bit of, Benagling? Yeah. Something like that. Whatever you wanna call it.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: Look. Eighteen months straight of someone reminding you of something that you felt like you should have had, when the competition got announced, that is my way of telling myself I'm not gonna let myself down. Like, if I go out there and I do all this trash talking, it was funny because last year, Max Maxwell said during the press conference, you have done so much trash talking. You better go out there and perform. Mhmm.

Steve: I remember that.

RJ: And and I was like, I know. I don't need Max Maxwell telling me this. Like, I I know. That's why I did it. Mhmm.

Because I felt like I was the extreme underdog last year.

Steve: Oh, yeah.

RJ: And this year, it was like the complete opposite. I mean, literally, Lauren in the press conference is like, look. We all know RJ is the favorite. And I'm like, now I have to go into this with a totally different mindset Yeah. Which was I and it's it's funny because I literally told Elijah and Aaron.

I said, I wanna be a judge. Mhmm. And they said, no. You're a competitor. You're gonna go compete.

You cannot not compete, RJ. And I said, I I you're setting me up for failure. I said, I can't beat what I did last year. And that was the only time that I ever said that, and and I I regretted saying those words. And so it was almost my way of forcing motivation Yeah.

To to go out there. Yeah. I'm gonna make fun of the judges. Like, I'm gonna make fun of Ryan Beneta. Unfortunately, he didn't actually and he was so funny.

He's like, I don't even know what's going on. You're just making fun of my hair. Why? I don't get this. But, yeah, that's my way of of pumping myself up.

And and I think it also gets under the skin of people.

Steve: Oh, no. It definitely does. And what's interesting is, I I didn't know how to approach it as a judge. Right. So I was trash talking you a little a little bit.

Right. I was like, how hard I wanna go here? Because they're like, they're gonna think that I got it out for you.

RJ: Right. Well, and and then you also had your partner in the competition.

Steve: Right.

RJ: So and and It was clearly better. And I actually said in in my live with with Aaron, that was, like, an hour and a half long where we dissected every thought we could possibly have about the competition. I was like, I already know what's gonna happen. Mhmm. I'm gonna go out there, and I'm gonna win.

And and Steve's gonna screw me. And he's gonna give the championship to Max, which you did like the polar opposite.

Steve: Right.

RJ: You were like, I'm docking you three points just because you're my partner, and I expected more from you. And I was like, that's how I would have judged my partner too.

Steve: Yeah. I'm not sure he appreciated it, but absolutely.

RJ: I mean, he still came out day one as the leader because He did. Because Chris Jefferson just I don't know what he was thinking on my round.

Steve: Yeah. But, yeah, I think just for me, just trying to figure out what the edge was. And, like, I was posting in the chat, like, I was telling everyone that you're gonna get zeros. And, like, you can't go zeros. Like, I'm gonna dock him five points for every time he said my name, and people took me serious.

Yeah.

RJ: And the

Steve: other thing I wanna talk about was the fact that you were sporting a Cincinnati Bengals jersey.

RJ: That that was not a Cincinnati Bengals jersey.

Steve: Everyone can go back and look at the thumbnail for this.

RJ: Yeah. Yes. That that is my son's hockey team, the Texas Tigers. I I was in Cleveland for his travel hockey tournament. They ended up finishing second, at the tournament.

It was it was a tough one. Yeah.

Steve: Yeah. That is really cool that you were actually there to support your kid, which is why we do what we do.

RJ: Right?

Steve: We get to spend time with our family and support them. Thankfully, the event did not overlap with the finals.

RJ: Hey. And and shout out to the Closers Olympics team. When the Closers Olympics was announced and then my son's tournament was announced, I went to them and I said, look. This is an issue for me. And they said, we will do whatever it takes to work around his schedule.

Yeah. That's awesome. So I told them upfront, I was like, hey. Look. These are the times.

So that's actually why I went last on the finals because I I called them Saturday night. I said, look. He's in the championship game. And they were like, we'll put you at 03:00 on Sunday. Does that work?

And I'm like, that gives me plenty of time. So they kudos to them for for working with

Steve: Absolutely. But, again, it was really cool that you're, you know, your son was in there. You're celebrating with your son. You're popping champagne bottles in your hotel room with your son. Like, ridiculous.

But it was awesome that you guys got the Yeah. It was.

RJ: It was a cool moment.

Steve: So I wanna talk to you. There are a couple of things. I did not care for how you were handling

RJ: k.

Steve: Right, the calls. K. You were talking to the clients, the sellers

RJ: Yep.

Steve: About retail and exit strategies. You're using some words. Mhmm. I question whether most homeowners know what you're talking about.

RJ: I don't I don't have a problem with that.

Steve: Yeah. So let's talk about that as far as the strategy goes.

RJ: Yeah. So my my thought is is if I use phrases that they don't understand, that's my way of establishing authority within the conversation. Mhmm. So the best thing that can happen is is if I say something like that and they don't understand what I mean and they ask me a question

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: I can then slow down and thoroughly explain it to them the way that I want them to basically under the way that I need them to understand what I'm saying there. Yeah. Right? So, in the terms of an exit strategy Mhmm. Right?

If I'm talking about seller financing or flip or own it, buy and hold or something like that. If they don't understand, then I'll slow down and I'll gauge whether or not they care for my explanation or if it's just like, look, I don't really care what you're doing with the property.

Steve: You're not concerned at all, though? Like or have you ran into this where you say a word Mhmm. And you feel like you've lost a little bit of steam in the conversation? Now you gotta go back and regain that momentum.

RJ: Maybe. Sometimes. And and I think there's gonna be moments, throughout any conversation that you're having where, yeah, you can put your foot in your mouth. You know? But I'm more concerned about being myself

Steve: Right.

RJ: And and not concerned about, well, if I say the wrong word here Mhmm. This could lose steam in the conversation. Because I think if I pretend and I'm trying to eliminate words and not just flow with what's coming to my mind Right. That's what can lose the steam in the conversation more than saying the wrong word or something along those lines. I mean,

Steve: for me, I try to it's kinda like watching Love Tom Brady. Yeah. Right? The fewest unforced errors. Right?

Right. I can make fewer the whoever makes the fewest errors is gonna win.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right. So I look at that as kinda like, you know, you say this, you can lose momentum, then can you recapture versus if you say something that doesn't slow it down

RJ: Right.

Steve: Then you're gonna increase some conversions. But I mean, that was just something I wrote down. Other thing I did like a lot, I haven't heard it said, elsewhere is I can pay you more if you're the bank.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Usually, it's like, well, what if you can pay terms or whether I can do this or that? You just flat out and say, hey, guy. Right. Or Bubba. Right.

Bubba. Hey, Bubba. I can pay you more if you're the bank.

RJ: Well, I think everybody understands that. The other way I say it is is, if you wanna play monopoly Mhmm. Because everybody kinda understands what that means, and and then go into the the rest of the sales pitch there. Mhmm. But, yeah, I I think anytime you can use something like that, that will spark their interest.

Right. And and just using phrases like seller finance or terms. I think if you're speaking to an investor, that might be a better way to say it. But if it's just someone that owns a property free and clear and you're trying to get them to sell or finance and you know you're gonna have to walk them through it using the words be the bank Right. You know, the banks are the ones that make the most money.

Right? That's

Steve: No. I've I've heard all the different ways of saying it. You just want it straight up. Listen. I can pay you more

RJ: Right. If you're the bank. Yep. Exactly.

Steve: And I was like, oh, okay.

RJ: Man, it works.

Steve: The other thing is and we were all baffled by this, so we're trying to figure this out. Right? You have this way. I think, a couple other people as well. Is like, hi.

My name is RJ. And they're like, they're telling you everything. Listen, RJ. Here's all my pains. Here's all my problems.

Here's how much oh, they they basically vomited all the information all over you.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Is that a normal thing for you, or was that kind of something that we just noticed over the weekend?

RJ: No. That's that's pretty normal. And and it's funny because that was something I really wanted to showcase. Mhmm. Because I get it on the fifty day challenge of Batch TV where people are like, RJ, you're so patient.

You'll just let them just talk and talk talk. And and they will divulge all of the information to me. And and I think it it comes from the way that I steer the conversations early. Right? I get right to it, and I they that they real they respect the fact that I'm real, and I'm just being honest about what I want.

And so they just transparently come out with being real and honest about what their situation is. That's the best explanation I have for how those conversations take place.

Steve: Do you think all your reps in running the Titanium podcast, how many episodes have you done?

RJ: Probably a 185.

Steve: Alright. So you think that also has any play in that?

RJ: Yes. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, well, you have sat here probably close to the same amount of times or or more. Yeah.

And there's times where the conversation is flowing, and then there's other times where it's like you have to jump start it. Mhmm. And then there's other days where you're not feeling it. Right? I mean, there's plenty of times where it's like, I don't wanna I don't wanna do this today.

You know? It's the same thing when you get on a boat with a seller And, like, you force yourself into finding a rhythm within that conversation and and making it go the way that you want it to. And like you said, it's it's called being a performer. Yeah. Because, honestly, I mean, the reality of the Closers Olympics is is that's a lot of entertainment as well as education for the people.

But there's a lot of that goes into it that's from from my perspective, entertainment. I wanna make sure that we're putting on a good show for the people that paid money to learn how to do this. And so the it was funny. I had a a guy reach out to me, and he said, you're so much better in the closer Olympics than you are on your fifty day challenge or batch TV. Mhmm.

And it made me stop and date to myself, you know, you're right because I put a lot more pressure on the fact that there's a shot clock. Yeah. And and that I need these conversations to go exactly the way that I want them to go. And I think a lot of that has to do with just being that performer and making sure the conversations go the way I want them to.

Steve: Yeah. So, again, for you guys, right, you can sign up for our sales training, or you can do it fifty days in 50 states. 50 deals in 50 states in fifty days and run a podcast.

RJ: Other people have programs too.

Steve: Do they? Yeah. No.

RJ: Yeah. We might be competitors and everything.

Steve: I have not heard of any other sales training program out there. We're clearly the only one. So alright. The other thing I wanna talk about is different now.

RJ: Mhmm.

Steve: So people were asking me, like, how do you think actually, let me take a step back here. The other thing I thought you did really well was the awkward silence.

RJ: Yep. So

Steve: I gave you eight out of 10. Right? Everyone else scored below an eight. So I thought you were the best. Give you eight out of 10.

RJ: Okay. Hold on. How could I have gotten more than eight? What could I have done better there?

Steve: Given another two seconds. There were a couple of times where you where you stepped into the pause.

RJ: I did?

Steve: You did.

RJ: Okay. I'm gonna have to go back and watch.

Steve: Go watch go go replay. There are twice. There's two

RJ: different myself on not being the first one to break the side. I think I asked him if he was still there.

Steve: No. That's not one of them. No. There are two. I wrote I wrote down one of them.

RJ: Okay. I'll go back and watch it

Steve: then. So one point for every time you you stepped into the past. But you did actually a very incredible job. So I think that I think what you're saying earlier alluding earlier where that you were allowing them to talk Yes. And pausing.

I think that's something that we all struggle with, and I think you did a masterful job with that.

RJ: Thank you.

Steve: Alright. So transitioning. People were asking me, you know, why is it RJ able to give people a talk? I was like, well, maybe because, you know, he's, a team player. You know?

He's using, like, you know, we words. Like and I think you do. Like, we talk about we and us. Like, how are we gonna get through this? You know?

Maybe this is something we can do together and, you know, something that's gonna work for both of us. So I think you were using a lot of, plural first person words, and I think that subconsciously, engenders trust.

RJ: Right.

Steve: I was like, okay. Maybe RJ is, a teddy bear.

RJ: Right? Right.

Steve: So then I asked you about that. Right? I was like, hey, RJ. Let's let's check out your PI.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: Right? What what is your PI? Because it might have some overlap. Yep. And what did you send me?

RJ: I'm a I'm a venturer.

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: I'm I'm not a teddy bear. Yeah. Yeah. That's that's not the case. So So I'm a I'm a Viking.

Steve: Yeah. You are an actual Viking.

RJ: Yeah. Yeah. No.

Steve: That was that's what your p s says. You're an actual Viking. You will venture, and you will pillage the village. Yes.

RJ: Yeah. But it was So

Steve: the opposite I thought you were a teddy bear. There was, like, an inner teddy bear. Right? Maybe it has a higher, s. Right?

If you look into this, you got more s. No. That was completely wrong. So you will actually splice up a teddy bear in front of a child to win a competition Yes. Versus having an inner teddy bear.

RJ: Yeah. But listen. Me being patient and listening is what I needed to do to win the competition. Right.

Steve: So you will listen to win. Yes, exactly.

RJ: Talk to my business partners about this. Yes. I'll overrun them. Would you just listen for a second?

Steve: So I gotta have Cassie in here and ask her. Right. Okay. Got it. Got it.

Yeah. Alright. So let's talk about the, hang on a second, guys. We do have our our all day sales training in December. So, if you guys, want to check out our all day sales training, for those that sign up right now during the podcast, you get $500 off.

So send me a DM on Instagram. If you message me right now, you can get $500 off the all day sales training coming up December 10, or Max and me will talk about our process. It's very different than RJ's. So it's the right way to buy houses. So all day sales training, December 10 in my office, 08:30 to 05:30, 06:00.

So go check that out right now if you guys are interested. Alright. So let's go back

RJ: to you.

Steve: So I again, I thought you were nicer, but you apparently, will do anything to win. Right. So let's talk about the lessons from the predictive index. What did what did, Gary Harper, mutual friend

RJ: Yep.

Steve: Tell you about your predictive index that you did not expect to hear?

RJ: Well, he taught he he found me at whole scaling, which we were both at several years ago.

Steve: Where I had to go to beg you to come on my first podcast. Yes.

RJ: Yes. That's when you assumed the sale.

Steve: Yes.

RJ: It got me on the first time. He he talked about how high of a visionary score I had

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: And and the fact that it was off the charts, which means

Steve: Was it the a that was he's talking about, or did you actually take a visionary

RJ: in regard

Steve: to test?

RJ: I I took whatever he gave me. I I didn't go into depth. He he he asked me to do this. This was for next level flipping at the time. Mhmm.

So Ryan Robeson came to me and said, hey. Gary Harper's gonna do this for us, take these tests. I took it. Gary seats me out, and he's like, RJ, like, we we need to talk. And he was actually

Steve: And that's his gesture. I thought we needed to talk.

RJ: He he was, like, concerned. He's like, you have a very unique score, and and there's issues that come along with this. He's like, you need to be You're

Steve: gonna try to pillage a pillage.

RJ: Yeah. Well, he was like, look. You need to be insulated by your partner. And and what he meant by that was is that, I'm an emotional basket case.

Steve: Mhmm. Really?

RJ: I can be. Okay. Where outside influences can really impact my ability to perform at a high level.

Steve: Got it.

RJ: And so he was like, you honestly need to surround yourself with the people that you love and care about and and really only listen to their voices because the outside voices can impact your ability to perform.

Steve: Interesting.

RJ: And so I thought that was very he he compared it to Michael Phelps. Mhmm. And he said Michael Phelps is the same way, and he's like, what happens with Michael Phelps is is he goes hard, and when he wins, he doesn't celebrate. He goes into a deep depression. So he asked me, he was like, do you struggle with depression?

And I've never felt that in my life. But as he started talking to me about different aspects of, hey. When you win, do you not have any joy? And I'm like, yeah. I mean, I'm thinking about how I can go The next one.

Win the next one. Yeah. And and he's like, exactly. And and it's funny. I mean, closer's Olympics.

I mean, it it was like I I smiled. I was excited. But, literally, I'm I'm going to to my partners, and I'm like, k. What what's what's next on the agenda here? How are we how are we capitalizing on this?

What are we gonna do

Steve: now? Mhmm.

RJ: Yeah. I'm not even I might, you know, they're they're like, hey. You you won this belt. What do you want your name on my I don't know. Just RJ based the third.

Come on. Just send it to me. I'm I'm already moving on. You know? Immediately, they asked me, are you gonna defend your crown?

Hell, yeah. I am. What are you talking about? Yeah. So there's those aspects of it where it's like there's lack of joy for winning Mhmm.

And and then also the fact that you can crash really heavily, because the vision is off the charts. And and sometimes you feel like you never actually succeed because he's like, you have the predictive index of a world changer. You want to change the world, but it's very few people actually change the world.

Steve: Right.

RJ: So it's gonna be hard for you to do that. Yeah. And that's where you could fall into that depression. And so but looking at the score, I mean, when the just the way it breaks it down where, you know, most people would not probably not realize I'm introverted. Mhmm.

You know? Which, you know, I probably wouldn't have said that either until it was written out, and I'm like, yeah. I am.

Steve: Right.

RJ: I I what was it? Three, four years ago, Ryan Harper asked me to go on Propeller TV for the first time Mhmm. And I told him no. I'm scared of lights and cameras. Oh, I can't do it.

And and now I I come on here with your big massive five times the size of mine audience, and and, you know, I I go speak on stages and stuff like that. It doesn't bother me. But, again, that's because it's my passion to win. Right. That's kind of overcoming the fear.

Right?

Steve: Yeah. And that's something that because I've if you look at mine, right, because I'm also introverted. Right? So I have a high a, not as high as yours. Yours and Max are both off the charts.

RJ: Right.

Steve: I have a high a and a low b, meaning I don't want to be talking to people. I don't wanna be left alone. Right? Ideal world is that no one's talking to me. Right?

And so I asked Austin who works with, Greg, Gary. Like, what like, how do you explain this? Like, I know a lot of people, and I'm connected. He's like, your desire to win will put you in situations where you're uncomfortable. So even though you're uncomfortable talking to people, your desire to win will force you out of your comfort zone, and that's kinda like what you're doing here.

Yeah. You're listening to people.

RJ: Exactly. To win. Yeah. And I mean, when you when you go even deeper in the end of the score and and you look at all the different it literally outlines exactly who I am and then having someone like Gary come in and really outline, like, hey. Here's how you can use this as a strength.

Mhmm. And and it's funny because when he's telling me this, I've always had this massive desire to have partners. Mhmm. So much so I even tell him, like, sometimes I just need you there. Like, I don't even know what it's for.

Mhmm. Literally, just your presence, whether it's a meeting, whether it's being in the office, or whatever it is. Well, I

Steve: noticed there's a host yelling. Right? Like, on stage, you had, I think, Jamie

RJ: Jamie at the time. Yeah. Yeah. And it's funny. It and I don't mean this offensively to Jamie because I love her to death, and she's a good friend.

But it doesn't even matter who it is sometimes. Right. There's a lot someone there to live there. And and Cassie's gotten mad at me before because we've spoken at events, and she's like, you railroaded the whole speech. You didn't let me talk.

Why was I even up there? And I'm like, I just needed you up there. That is that's who I am.

Steve: For me. So it's interesting because Max is the same thing. Right? He's got a super I A's off the charts. And Gary came out here December, and what he actually said to Max like, he's looking at me.

He's looking at Max. He said to Max, Max, you're not allowed to go to any events without Steve.

RJ: That's funny.

Steve: Right? Because you will take an idea and run with it. Right? And it's not that I'm not the same way, but Max is even more extreme. So but going back to the part where you don't celebrate wins Mhmm.

I've got that same problem.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: Right? So confession. Right? I got I'm big time Cardinals fan. I followed him forever.

RJ: Right.

Steve: I have not watched the game this year until this past weekend. Right? And Bad weekend. Bad weekend. That was not the event to take my kids to.

But anyway Right. For me, he's like, you know, how can you, like you're a fan. Like, how can you stop watching him? Because I said the the upside the the the emotional hike of the upside does not even come close to the to to the downside Right. When we lose.

Right? The it takes me, like, two days to recover from a bad loss. Right. Right? You know, a a football off the the goal post.

Right? In, like, three days, I came to work.

RJ: Right.

Steve: And it's the same thing in business. It's the same thing in in sports. Everything I do, I win. Okay. That was cool.

RJ: So funny that you bring this up because sometimes I feel like winning is worse for me than losing.

Steve: How's that?

RJ: Well, take 2020, close this Olympics, and I lost. I immediately came out the this rampage.

Steve: Like Guns blazing.

RJ: Right. I'm like, we're doing the fifty fifty fifty, and and I'm going after the all in crowd and, you know, I Yeah. We do. I'm I'm roasting Aaron Bevins and and anyone that'll listen to me. Mhmm.

Right? And and I I want everyone to feel the wrath of what I'm I'm gonna do. I win, and it's like, well, really hard to keep trash talking. But I did it for, like, one day.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: And then I ran out. I was like, I don't even what what am I doing?

Steve: You've hurt hurt feelings.

RJ: Now now I'm just rubbing it in their face. You know? It's like, where do I draw that that savage motivation? Right? Right.

Steve: Or you're gonna be like Michael Jordan just make stuff up.

RJ: I'm a viking. I I went and I took the land and and it it's like, we're that's all you had.

Steve: What am I gonna do with all this gold? Right.

RJ: What what do I do now? That that's what I get my enjoyment out of, you know?

Steve: So this is something that's, you know, perhaps a little savage. Right? In in playing video games with my friends and all that. Right? I've told them to their face.

Like, I never play to win. I have never played to win. I always play to celebrate your loss. I wanna watch you lose. Right.

And the joy I get from you losing is more. Way more pleasure than me asking you.

RJ: I get that. And and look, it it's funny because we have to, as business owners, figure out ourselves and where we draw that inspiration. I mean, look, I say it all the time. Being an entrepreneur is a very lonely thing Mhmm. Times.

And and especially for someone, like, with with my scores and knowing my personality of who I am, I have to be very careful about my mindset on things. And so this is a very unique situation for me, and so that's why I reached out to you. And I'm like, look. The next thing that I can move on to is, hey. Now I'm gonna go talk to I'm gonna be on Steve Trane's podcast, and I'm gonna go be on a wholesale hotline.

Mhmm. And and this is the next thing that I could do to help more people. Right? I have a passion in that, which is sharing what obviously people say, hey, RJ, you're good at. Mhmm.

Right? So it's like, alright. Then the proof's in the pudding. Now let's go have more conversations with people like yourself that I respect, and let's help as many people as possible.

Steve: And there's the absolute truth to that. You genuinely want people to win. Right? So something I really do appreciate seeing, you know, as a fan from the outside. So let's go to these questions.

So, Meshika on YouTube wants to know what beard oil do you use?

RJ: This is, Layman's? I think it's Layman's. I don't know. I'll look it up, but I'll figure it out.

Steve: I know.

RJ: Thank you for noticing. Much better than Max Maxwell's. Right?

Steve: No one's asking me about the beard oil I use. Ricky Simmons on Facebook. What are your top three recommendations to close deals?

RJ: Top three recommendations. Well, I'll I'll give you the top one. Just be real and be yourself. Have a conversation with another human being and explain what you want, and find out what they need, and then solve that problem for me. I mean, I keep getting asked these questions about how can I how can I be like you?

I'm like, you're never gonna be like me. And you I don't want you to be like me. I want you to be like you.

Steve: Yep. I

RJ: mean, I I said this last year. If I tried to close like you, I would look like the biggest dumbass in the world. And and I think if you try to close like me, it would be very uncomfortable for you because you would be you're a very highly trained Mhmm. Closer. Yeah.

Where I'm more focused on being fluid in the conversation, and I'm more well, I mean, look at my predictive index. It's all about being informal. I'm the guy that shows up in a hoodie. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

Like, this is who I am. And so I'm true to myself even when I'm closing with sellers, and that's what leads to the success. So you're trying to figure out how to do that. You just need to find out you're gonna be comfortable being yourself talking to sellers.

Steve: You know, what's interesting, right, is I've always I wore the dress pants and the slacks, right, as the realtor.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: And I am actively dressing down if I'm gonna go meet with the homeowners to buy their house.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? And that goes back to process Yep. Right, and the desire to win. It's not like I'm gonna dress this way because I feel comfortable.

RJ: Right.

Steve: I'm gonna dress however it increases my chances to win an appointment. And see,

RJ: I'm the exact opposite. My my whole thing was is I used to wear khakis and the polo and and everything every single day Mhmm. Until one day I decided I'm gonna stop pretending to be someone else, and I'm just gonna go be RJ. Yeah. And now I've never get asked about what I'm wearing or why Mhmm.

Or anything like that. Just we I have great conversations with whatever level business person or seller or whoever because I think they respect the fact that I'm showing up and I'm just being me.

Steve: You are you. Yes. And then, Ricky, just to piggyback off of that, what Ardo just said, I think is is incredibly wise because what people don't recognize is we think of sales as car sales or, like, you go to these stereo shops or, you know, we go to the car wash and the guy wants to replace your windshield. Right. That's what we think of sales, but sales, the root word of it, is to serve.

Right? Of Greek origin means to serve, which is what you're talking about. Like, finding out what it is that they want Right. And then see if this is something that we can do together. And if not, like, no big deal.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Ricky's follow-up question is what is your number one lead source?

RJ: Well, it's gonna be pretty close between SMS, old calling, and PPC. But I would say because our marketing flow starts with SMS, that's where the majority of our deals are gonna come from. But PPC is right up there, as far as the amount of leads that we get, and then and then cold calling is right behind it. So it's it's a full on marketing flow that we have.

Steve: And then Mashika wants to know, how long do you stay in your own backyard before you decided to go virtual?

RJ: So for us, we were probably about six or seven months before we went from DFW, down to San Antonio. And then it was pretty quickly we came out here to Phoenix and then Portland, and then we've been virtual ever since. But, again, this comes back to deciding what your hedgehog concept's gonna be. Right? People wanna ask me about going virtual, and it's like, you need to make a decision on if that's something that you're gonna do as your hedgehog concept.

So if you don't know what that phrase means, it's from Jim Collins' good to great book, probably the best part of that book. And you, for example, you go deep here in Phoenix. Right? And then you guys have gone out to New Mexico. Are y'all still doing that?

Steve: We bailed out in New Mexico after a month, but right now we're going hard in Oklahoma City.

RJ: So there you go. So this is that's your hedgehog concept. Right? But y'all go deep here in Phoenix, whereas I am very wide, and I don't go deep in any market. And so this is just understanding what you're good at as far as marketing goes or as comping properties, understanding rehab evaluations.

All of these things impact whether or not you should be spreading yourself thin and going to multiple virtual market.

Steve: Yeah. Figure out what your strengths are.

RJ: Right.

Steve: So Candice Anew asked, were you always this confident when you were dealing with sellers?

RJ: Yeah. I I think pretty early on, I got pretty confident in it because, again, when I made the decision to just be myself, you become pretty confident in that because you're not having to pretend to be somebody else. I got rid of all the scripts. I I didn't jokingly on the the last call there because because everybody was using the, hey. Did I catch you at a bad time?

Right? I said, hey. I know I caught you at a good time.

Steve: Yeah. And I saw that.

RJ: And and when you have that kind of confidence where it's like, you can literally just say whatever it is you want to say Because we're I'm not worried about trying to play any mind game or any manipulation or anything like that. I'm just gonna be myself. And and this goes back to, I use the analogy of when I'm talking to a seller, it's no different than when I'm talking to a waiter inside of a restaurant. Laughing, joking, telling them what I want, that's the same thing that's happening with a seller.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: You know? Let's have a good time with it. I want to buy your house. You want to sell the house? Yes?

K. What should you want for it? Yeah. Alright. Let's have a conversation.

See, how'd you how'd you come to that number?

Steve: So I think looking at your predictive index, though, is you already do have a very high degree of self confidence. Mhmm. And I think that's something that we can all bring. It's not necessarily confident that you can buy their house. Just confident that in your abilities, confidence that in you.

Right. Right? So that's something that I've always had, you know, is, like, act as if you already have it. Act as if you're already successful.

RJ: Right.

Steve: And it's not faking it till you make it. That's a little bit different. But acting as if, you are successful gives you that confidence to be able to, you know, peel back the onion when you're talking to the homeowner.

RJ: But I think the some of the times, I think people don't have the confidence because they're afraid they're gonna say something wrong. Mhmm. And that's different. Like, if you're afraid that you're gonna say something wrong when you're talking to a seller, then that means you haven't educated yourself enough about the process. Right.

But if once you've educated yourself fully on the process, now it's just literally having a conversation with another human

Steve: being. So I think the again, I think advantage huge advantage you have is your experience. Right? Like, there are things that you and I can say that a brand new person can't say. Right?

Right. And things that homeowner can say that can trip up a brand new person that you and I are like, that's not even like an objection.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? And I think that kinda comes with experience, but I also think that you had that confidence probably beforehand. And I I think to your point that if they would learn more about the process and the business, they would also have that confidence.

RJ: I love it when a seller says something that I don't know what the hell they're talking about. Yeah. Because that allows me to make them feel like they became the authority in the conversation for a second.

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: Like, give them that power, especially men. Older men, I I love that more than anything. I I I had one guy on Batch TV one time, and he he said something along the lines of, like, you know what the CVS is on this property? And I'm like, I have no idea, sir. Why don't you explain that to me?

And and as he broke it down, I mean, he was totally, completely wrong about what he just said.

Steve: Sure.

RJ: But He

Steve: felt good about it.

RJ: Once he got done talking for five minutes straight, we were the best of friends. Mhmm. And I didn't say anything, but just allowing him to sit there and show how smart he was to me. And so, again, that goes back to that confidence of just saying, I don't know what you just said. Yeah.

Instead of me pretending and doing what you're talking about, there's a difference between faking it till you make it and having confidence.

Steve: Right.

RJ: Faking it till you make it right there would have been me lying and saying, I sure do know what that CVS is, sir, when I don't know what it is.

Steve: And that's what will get you killed. Yep. Kiali wants to know what list are you pulling and what dialer are you using?

RJ: Batch dialer. And then lists, but we I have videos about me pulling lists on my YouTube channel. There's there's different ones, but just the generic one is always city specific, individually owned, single family residences, equity percent, 50 to a 100%. Estimated value is gonna be in the median price range. Now I'm gonna pick all the vacants, tax defaults, liens, pre foreclosures, inherited expired listings, and unknown equity.

That goes together.

Steve: There you go. And Damien on Instagram wants to know, besides action and activity between last year and this year, was there a moment where you knew things were different as far as, I guess, the confidence in closing?

RJ: Yeah. I I I think there was a moment during the the Closers Olympics when I could definitely feel like, hey. This is I'm at a a different level than I was last year. That that was probably the moment where it really clicked for me.

Steve: Moment?

RJ: After the first conversation with the seller.

Steve: Got it.

RJ: Then I was, hey. You should come to the Titanium Crucible.

Steve: Yeah. You know? Hey. You're totally losing a lot of money.

RJ: Sell to seller finance, all of that. And I mean, I'm I'm looking at the comments and y'all y'all in the private chat were were like, what the hell is going on? Like, he's selling him his education program right now. What's happening?

Steve: Bonus points.

RJ: You know, that was the that was the moment for me where it was like and I I felt completely comfortable doing it where it was like, this isn't a forced thing. This is just me being me.

Steve: So, you know, what's crazy for myself here was that, before jumping the, closed Olympics last year, I hadn't been on the phone for years. Yeah. Right? I was like, oh, man. I hope I don't embarrass myself.

Right. Fortunately, things turned out pretty well. Right. But I didn't know. I was just like, okay.

It was Elijah's like, hey, you wanna be in the closest Olympics? Like, yeah, I wanna be in the closest Olympics. Like, I don't know how to use Mojo, but let's do it.

RJ: Right. I think you and I were the two guys that had to get trained last year on how to use Mojo like the night before.

Steve: Hey, guys. I'm having a Mojo session. Alright. Sign me out.

RJ: Right. I was like, we're using what? Yeah. Can you show me how to use this? This is gonna be extremely embarrassing.

And I and I already felt like I was a little man on Total and Bold. I had taught a ton of shit. So

Steve: Yeah. No. I remember I was hanging out on the Mojo course. Yeah. So Kiali also wants to know if he's afraid to pick up the phone, how could he get confidence to begin cold calling?

RJ: I think first, you have to ask yourself, why are you afraid to pick up the phone? Mhmm. Look, talking to people is what we do in this industry. So if you're afraid to do that, then you need to come to grips with the fact that this is what you've decided to do. You've decided that you're going to sit there and conversate with people about the their homes, and this is what's gonna dictate your livelihood moving forward.

And and I'm extremely passionate about this. Like, people ask me, hey. I'm uncomfortable with acquisitions. Well, I use the Bubba line. Mhmm.

I mean, Bubba, you're just gonna have to sit down and and come to grips. Like, this is what your whole life is gonna be based around, is talking to people, like your family, your dreams, your goals. Like, you have to get good at this. Yeah. So just pick up the damn phone and start talking to people.

I mean, it's just a reality. I mean, there's no sugar coating it. Like, you're just gonna have to get comfortable with it.

Steve: Yeah. And so there's two there's two things. Right? A, there's no documented case of anyone dying from cold calling.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right?

RJ: Right.

Steve: And and second, the the difference between successful people and the and the aren't are the successful ones are ones they're willing to do, but the unsuccessful won't do.

RJ: Yeah.

Steve: Right. So you get to decide, Cali, which of those you want to be in. Right? You can change your life. You can change your family's lives.

You can change your family trajectory if you'll so if you'll start cold calling.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: But it's a choice, like you said. That's it. And then see where answer that question about that. Peyton wants to get really granular here. You mentioned you're having some problems with SMS.

What problems are you having?

RJ: Deliverability had had gone down over the past couple of days, so I'm gonna go over to Batch's office and see what we can do.

Steve: You know, Jesse really likes it when you slap him around.

RJ: Yeah. Yeah. Let him let

Steve: him know I said that.

RJ: I told him that I was I I sprung it on him last night. I was like, hey. I'm flying in early tomorrow. I need to go by your house and shower. And he was like, what?

He's like, we have an owner's meeting tomorrow. I'm like, yeah. Just unlock the house and just let me in. And then I'm coming to your office the next day to slap you around.

Steve: Yeah. Do it. If we get Elijah to to take some photos, that'd be fantastic too for content.

RJ: Yes.

Steve: And then Ryan Craig on YouTube wants to know how many lines are you using for cold calling?

RJ: We use whatever the multiline dialer is for batch. Or was that three? Wait. No comment. I think it's three line dollar.

I don't know.

Steve: Oh, we switched everything to Salesforce.

RJ: I gotcha.

Steve: Alright. Guys, again, we do have our all day sales training. Right? December 10. If you guys do opt in right now, you get $500 off.

So, all day sales training with Max and myself to learn all the things that, again, RJ doesn't do, but highly effective because people make a lot of money, using our using our, our program. Okay. So Instagram, Austin wants to know how long do you want to prolong oh, no. Here's how I want the capital gains tax of the the line. Korel wants to know how can you see a replay of the Closers Olympics?

RJ: You can buy it at closersolympics.com.

Steve: There you go. We're never gonna mention RD's affiliate link. So is 85% of ARV minus repairs too high to lock up wholesale deals? This is from Ryan Craig on YouTube.

RJ: Well, I mean, that's gonna depend on what market you're in, but I'm gonna say there's very few markets that 85% of ARV minus repairs are gonna work unless you're selling to a hedge fund.

Steve: 85% of ARV minus repairs works for pretty well in Phoenix, but the only thing he forgot to subtract in there was his fee.

RJ: Yeah. But, again, if you go to a place like the Midwest or the Sunbelt, you will you will get chewed up and spit out the other side and laughed out of town.

Steve: Yep. Kayla wants to know, if you only had a thousand to start wholesaling, what would you spend it on?

RJ: Thousand dollars to get started. I am I am probably going to go sign up for a list pulling service. I'm gonna pull a list, and I'm gonna skip trace it, and then I'm gonna cold call it.

Steve: I mean, that's great.

RJ: I mean, I I don't think you need anything else. I mean, it's it's it's going to be slow because you're gonna be one at a time dialing. Right? Because I want to save all of those funds. Mhmm.

I don't wanna spend it on a dialer. Yeah. I can do that after I close my first deal. But at the end of the day, it's just a numbers game. Eventually, you're gonna talk to a motivated seller, and then it's your opportune.

That's your moment of truth to solve their problem. And if you can do that, that's how you create the win win situation.

Steve: For me, if the chips are down and there's nothing left, I have a thousand dollars. I would spend it on gas. Right?

RJ: You go drive for dollars?

Steve: I would go to a title company or someone else, get a distress list, and I would knock on every single door. If the chips were down

RJ: The only reason why I'd say don't do that is because if you're it's always gonna be hard when you're first starting

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: Talking to people.

Steve: I know, but that's the best training.

RJ: It's gonna be harder to talk to people face to face than it is on the phone.

Steve: It is. It is. One of the things that I got I guess I was really blessed with was one of my first jobs out of high school was working at a cold calling company.

RJ: Right.

Steve: So got a lot of reps early and getting hung up on and getting cursed out.

RJ: But you've also done a lot of appointments in person being both a realtor and

Steve: Right.

RJ: An investor. Yeah. So you've you've had that experience. So would you have done that if you were brand new?

Steve: I did it brand new as a realtor. Right? I I started So

RJ: you you door knocking would be your way.

Steve: I did it. It sucked. Right? I wish I had the skills I have now

RJ: Right.

Steve: Watching people lie to your face. That's not my house. No. I'm not in foreclosure.

RJ: Right. I was

Steve: like, the way I would handle that now versus back, I was like, oh, okay. I guess you're in foreclosure. Let me go back to my car. Now I can ask the uncomfortable questions. Boy, that's really weird, man.

I can't believe the county is getting this wrong. Man, we better call the bank.

RJ: Now you'd be like, do you know it took me twenty minutes to drive over here? Like, we're gonna have a conversation about this.

Steve: I cannot go back to my wife and tell

RJ: you, I'm

Steve: in a cold calling competition. I need to get this contract signed or they won't let me back in the house. Right. Alizette on Instagram, what are you using for SMS? What products?

RJ: Batch leads.

Steve: Batch leads. And Queen Elevated Beauty, I was always so confident. Were you this confident when you didn't have money, or do you feel more confident now that you do have money?

RJ: What makes you think I have money?

Steve: It's true. I looked at his bank account beforehand. He does not have a lot of money.

RJ: I mean, it's funny. Right? I I mean, it's it's funny to hear people ask that type of a question because of confidence. Mhmm. That's the only reason why.

Yeah. I mean, you invited me here today because I won a competition.

Steve: I did not invite you.

RJ: That's true. I invited myself. Even more of a reason why there's probably proof that I'm broke. But I I think that this is a a a thing that people watch podcasts, they watch videos, and they make assumptions based around someone's confidence or what they're hearing in a in a video. And and look, I'm guilty of it as well.

But comparison is the thief of joy. Right? So don't look at my situation or Steve's situation and say, well, once I get to that level, then I'll have that that confidence or whatever it is that you're looking and you're seeing coming from me right now. No. This was here when I was much younger and had a lot less money Mhmm.

And a lot less responsibility. Yeah. It was always there. And and whatever you're trying to find within yourself, that's why I say, when you're talking to sellers, go be yourself because you're gonna find who that person really is, and and that's what's gonna attract sellers to want to work with you over your competition.

Steve: Well, that's an authentic self. Right. Yeah. And I think, yeah, you know, the confidence started. It wasn't the money.

It led to confidence. Confidence led to money.

RJ: Yes. Absolutely.

Steve: And then Randy Wolf Randy Wolf wants to know on Facebook, what percent of your PPC marketing is in search versus display versus retargeting? I'm probably asking the wrong person this question.

RJ: Yeah. Yeah. Negative, dude. I close.

Steve: They just

RJ: I got a guy for that.

Steve: Yeah. They just unleash him. Yeah. Alright. So, Candace wants to know what part of Florida are you buying in?

RJ: We wholesale all across. The the deal that I was gonna get there in Florida, that was just for the Closers Olympics because it was gonna be a good deal, but we we mainly just wholesale.

Steve: And then are you so then are you still rehabbing? Because she's asking how many rehabs are you doing a year.

RJ: We do have a couple rehabs going on, but not near as many as we were in the past. So we're mainly just wholesaling now. Hedgehog Concept, baby.

Steve: Yep. And then Jeremy wants to know, what's the one thing you wish you knew that got you to the next level?

RJ: Oh, man. That is a good question right there. One thing I wish I knew. I wish that when I had first started that I had not looked for answers from so many other people. I wish I would have just sat down and said, what do I want to do?

What what does my life look like if I just drew painted the most beautiful picture of what I want my life to look like and started from there and and worked myself backwards from there. Instead of looking at someone else and saying, how can I become that person? Because the facts are I've never become somebody else. In fact, I failed trying to do that, and now I'm finally finding success because I found out who I am and who I want to be.

Steve: Yeah. I think that's powerful. Sean Quran wants to know, what is the Titanium Crucible?

RJ: The Titanium Crucible is our two day boot camp at our office in Fort Worth, Texas. We go over our marketing systems, the processes that we use, throw in a little bit of mindset in there. And, yeah, we talk a little bit about sales in there. A little bit. A little bit.

A

Steve: little tiny bit.

RJ: You know? I mean Not

Steve: a whole day, though.

RJ: The the way that the King closer does it, not the way that the third place finisher does it.

Steve: Well, the problem is Max is not teaching it. I'm teaching it. So we're we're gonna be fine.

RJ: Oh, that's right. The guy who finished in sixth place last year.

Steve: I don't think I finished in sixth.

RJ: Well, I definitely finished in fourth. And then and then it it was a tie between you and Steven for fifth. Okay?

Steve: I think the best way to look at it. Right? So I think everyone should absolutely get the replay for $97 or whatever it is. Right?

RJ: Yeah.

Steve: And I think, one of the benefits coming from it is there was a bit of trash talking from the judges. I don't know why I was doing it, but I was. But I did break down, right, our sales process or at least our sales psychology, things that I would have done differently. So I think that, RJ has got an incredible obviously, he's got the success. Right?

So I wouldn't ask him to come out here if he wasn't a proven commodity. So I think there's nothing wrong with going to Crucible and winning all day sales training.

RJ: I agree. And and what's funny about that is I've actually told people, I'm like, I've gotten to sit in and watch a couple of different times I've been out here. Then there's two different times I've set in on their sales training. The the way I've told people because they say, well, you know, you close completely different than Steven Max.

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: And I'm like, that's not necessarily true. I've learned a lot of the same things that you've learned through different sales things, and it's a tool in my tool belt that I use. I've just chosen a different path to go down than you have just like I'm I'm sure people that have learned similar trainings that you have, they don't go down the same path. Exactly the

Steve: same as us. Absolutely.

RJ: And you and Max are not the same. I saw you in the chat saying, he should have said this right now. Now, you know, and

Steve: Completely undermining him. That's great.

RJ: But you but you that's you saying that's what I would have done.

Steve: Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that, there's a lot of things, right, that RJ was doing really well that we haven't really talked about, right? I was just pointing out the things that I noticed that were interesting to me.

Yep. But you had the awkward silence. You had the negative. It's like right now is not the time. Right?

When would you call back? Like, you did all a lot of the other things that we do too is just in your voice

RJ: Yep.

Steve: Versus our voice.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: So, Max and I apparently are gonna go to war. He says he would co call a thousand people versus my 20 doors. Whatever, Max. I'm just saying if the chips were down and I had nothing left, I would go door I would go door knob.

RJ: I agree with Max.

Steve: Yeah. Whatever. You guys are all dead to me. J investments on IG is how do you go back and renegotiate if you ever have to? Now this is an interesting topic.

RJ: Yeah. I'll I'll I'll let you

Steve: go first, and I'll share my take.

RJ: So we we set that expectation during the actual acquisitions. Right? So we let the people know that we're buying the property site unseen, and we're getting limited information in regards to the actual, repairs that are needed on the property. So we let them know, like, hey. We're gonna come out and do an inspection.

And if it is what we believe it to be, then we're good to move forward. But there's a possibility that we might have to come back and say, hey. You said good condition and, you know, the roofs caved in.

Steve: Mhmm. And that's

RJ: not good condition in my opinion. Like, we we need to renegotiate it. Yeah. And and I think it all starts with setting the expectations early on. Now if you didn't set those expectations early on and then you have to come back renegotiate, that's where it could get a little bit tricky and and where they feel like, hey.

You're you pulled one over on me. You told me one thing, and now you're wanting to do another. Try to avoid those situations early on in the conversation.

Steve: Absolutely.

RJ: Where I would do that would be in, like, the middle to end phase of the acquisitions call. Because I need early on, I'm trying to be efficient. I'm trying to figure out, hey. Do you wanna sell? Are we into the same realm of possibility and price?

Now I'm starting to figure out and build a rapport, establish myself as the authority in the conversation with my knowledge, and then I'm finding out about or or establishing those, the foundation of, hey. This is how where our process works with the inspection and the possibility of a renegotiation.

Steve: Yeah. So you're saying the proper expectations.

RJ: Yes. It's

Steve: not a surprise. Right. So, for us, Jay, we have a policy in Phoenix. We do not go back and renegotiate. And we've actually laid eyes on the property, the price is the price, and we do not go back and renegotiate.

And so, people don't care for our tactics because we scorch the earth.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? But we scorch the earth because we like to lead with, integrity and say, hey. This is our price, and you can go to bed tonight knowing this price is it and it's a done deal versus, hey. Here's the price. But by the way, two days for close of escrow.

Hey, RJ.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Yeah. That price isn't gonna work.

RJ: So you're doing that in Phoenix. What are you gonna do in virtual market?

Steve: In Oklahoma City, our inspection period begins once we get the photos back. So we're gonna have a signed contract, but we're gonna be very clear. Hey, RJ. I just want you to know. Like, here's our price.

And after we see the photos, we'll let you know whether we can still move forward with that price.

RJ: And that I love that because that's basically what we're doing as well. Like, as soon as we see it, then we're we're having a conversation about we're ready to move forward or not. Again, it's about the expectations.

Steve: Yep. Cannot blindside them.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Kills me. And it's gonna cause our industry to get regulated. Candace, do you JV with people, and what techniques have you acquired through building cash buyers list? I guess that's two questions. Start with do you JV with people?

RJ: Yes. We will do JVs with people. Absolutely. And then as far as acquiring cash buyers, I mean, there's a lot of different ways. There's the Facebook groups.

Scraping the Facebook groups are great, for finding cash buyers. I I love Propelio's, cash buyers list that they have. It's $98 a month, and you can pull it on there. It literally shows you how many deals, how much they've spent on it. PropStream has a similar, system for that where you can pull that list, skip trace it.

We do both SMS and cold calling to the cash buyers list. But those those would be the main ways that we're gonna find our our cash buyers.

Steve: And Ricky on Facebook wants to know, where do you see the real estate market in 2022?

RJ: I don't see it changing a whole lot. I'm a sleepy judge. It's something

Steve: Alright. So we're changing the tone. So, how many different businesses do you have in real estate?

RJ: Oh, man. We can't talk politics, Steve.

Steve: We can talk politics.

RJ: You just didn't like that. I called him sleepy Joe.

Steve: We're gonna talk about politics without talking about any politicians or any points of views or anything else that has to do with politics.

RJ: Okay. Religion next?

Steve: Religion. Sure. We let's talk religion. Okay. I told you.

RJ: Okay. What's the next question? I don't see anything changing in 2022.

Steve: Cass invests. How many different businesses do you have in real estate?

RJ: So a lot. I mean, we we have quite a few LLCs that are just either holding companies or wholesale companies, something along those lines. But so we have our wholesale company. We have rental properties. We have flips.

Then we also have our education program as well. So I guess four main categories would be the best way to put it.

Steve: And then how many different LLCs do you have? A lot.

RJ: I I don't know the answer to that off the top of my head.

Steve: Alright. This cup flips really wants to know how good is the Titanium crucible.

RJ: Wait. What's his name?

Steve: This cup flips.

RJ: I know that guy.

Steve: I know.

RJ: Yes. He's my biggest fan.

Steve: I know. Yes. I can tell by the comments and then the YouTube section.

RJ: How good is the the Titanium the vault or the crucible? Crucible. The crucible. Well, he knows. He was there.

Steve: I know. He wants you to talk about it. He's he's he's pitching you a softball.

RJ: Listen. I I think we put on a very unique experience for people where you are going to get the intensity of what titanium is. I think you need to be in the right place mentally to attend. I I think that's what I've seen. I I I ran the numbers the other day.

I think about 60% of the people that have attended have come out and seen the success that they were looking for, whereas another 40% have not. Mhmm. And a lot of that comes down to they weren't they were looking for some unicorn. They're looking for someone to tell them, you do this and you don't have to do the work, and you're gonna have the success. And if if you're looking for something like that, then I'm not the guy to teach you, and neither is the rest of my team.

We all have a very similar mentality when it comes to this. I mean, we're we're loud. We're boisterous. I mean, we make it the most uncomfortable experience of all time. We have to yeah.

I mean, literally, I come out in a Viking helmet and two axes. I take you axe throwing. I mean, we have it down about 65 degrees. There's fog going on. There's lasers going every direction because I want it as uncomfortable as possible for you Mhmm.

To make you have to be focused on what's going on. Because the reality is, as an entrepreneur, that is what happens as an entrepreneur. Yeah. Shiny object syndrome everywhere, and and it's very hard to stay focused. So that's what The Crucible is in and out of a a nutshell right there.

Steve: Yeah. And Kiali, just donated. So shout out. Thank you very much for donating. Looks like the team appreciates it as well.

RJ: You go. That's pretty epic right there. Where

Steve: do you see yourself in ten years?

RJ: In ten years. Well, I I think I'm gonna be marching down the path that we're already on, which is we wanna own a significant amount of The United States. We have a very audacious goal in regards to that. And then I also in ten years, my son will be graduating high school. Wow.

That's crazy. So, hopefully, I'll I will be making plans to go watch him further along in his hockey career.

Steve: Getting recruited to Canada?

RJ: He he wants to he wants to go far with it, and I'm there to support him. So, hopefully, I'll be making some trips up to Canada.

Steve: That's awesome. And Robin Hurt wants to know why is King RJ not wearing a crown?

RJ: Robin, I I just had to let you know that the crown that you sent me in the mail did not fit on my big head. I I we tore out the padding and everything, and it just it did not fit.

Steve: I got So she legit?

RJ: She she sent me a crown. Yes. And and Cassie a crown. But no. Yeah.

I'm sorry, Robin. It just didn't fit.

Steve: That's amazing. Yes. Guys, you got any more questions? Please please, ask. Let's see.

What else did I wanna talk to you about?

RJ: Well, I have a question for you. Please. Because I I've I've now gotten to watch you and Max Yeah. Go in the closures Olympics. So

Steve: You're asking which one's better. We already know what's better.

RJ: Well, I mean, you didn't make it to the finals, so I got to watch more Max than you. And and, I mean, that's probably always gonna stay in the in the office.

Steve: Oh, no. He reminds me of your day.

RJ: Yeah. Yeah. But the way that y'all go through the calls is so systematic. Mhmm. Right?

And that's completely different than how I do things.

Steve: Absolutely.

RJ: So is that something that y'all have conversations in the office about this is how a call has to go?

Steve: Absolutely.

RJ: So you want it to go down. It you want to always steer it back to that path in it.

Steve: Yeah. I mean, you look at, like, a lot of scripts. Right? Yeah. Is you got milestones in the script.

You got checkpoints. And because what happens is the seller's gonna derail you.

RJ: Right.

Steve: They're gonna say things. They're gonna move you this direction, get you off your game. And the goal is to get back to your checkpoints and your milestones and so on. And the reason why is I think it's just more repeatable.

RJ: K.

Steve: Right? I think that you obviously are an amazing closer. What you did consistently, I think every single time you're on the phone, you got a contract, except I think the second round last year. But Right. Three out of four times, you're on you're you're on the t on the screen.

You locked up a contract or more. Right. Clearly, this works for you.

RJ: Right.

Steve: I think it's harder to repeat what RJ does. And I think what we see a lot so people that come to us that hire us to train their team is that the business owner is naturally good. Right? If you're a visionary, if you're a high a personality or high d on the disc or a I, you naturally have it. Right.

You can go and do it. And the frustration for most business owners is I can't take what's inside my head and put it in a team member.

RJ: Right.

Steve: I can't. Right? So what I can do is I can give you a repeatable process so that it doesn't matter if you're a high driver, a high social person, a high stability person, or an analytical person. I can give you the tools to be a good to great closer. So I would argue someone that has it Mhmm.

Like yourself. Now you're trained. Right? So someone that's got it but is untrained. Right.

Right? Someone's got raw talent versus someone that's not does not have his raw talent, but if I can give him the skills, will crush the guy that's talented but untrained. I look at it an example I use a lot for Darius Miles is you get Darius Miles Right.

RJ: And you

Steve: have Kobe Bryant.

RJ: Yep.

Steve: Both had talent. Both were the next Michael Jordan. Darius Miles literally dunked on Charles Oakley in a Michael Jordan basketball camp.

RJ: Right.

Steve: They've done on Charles Oakley.

RJ: Right.

Steve: You gotta be pretty good.

RJ: Right.

Steve: He was a high school athlete.

RJ: Right.

Steve: And what do we know him for? Smoking pot Right. Portland Blazers, if you remember his name.

RJ: Right. Exactly.

Steve: Right? As him and Corey Magghetti, like, if you remember their names.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Kobe Bryant's a legend. Right? So that's where I argue the the processes is if you got talent, we can go legendary status. If you don't have the raw talent, we can coach you out to be an assassin, right, to move seamlessly with the repeatable process.

RJ: So the reason why I asked this is because we talked about my predictive index score. Right? I was looking at it last night after I sent it to you. Mhmm. If I came to you and I said, I wanna work for you Mhmm.

As an acquisitions person

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: You're going to force me to work within your system.

Steve: I'm gonna ask you to work in my system knowing that you won't.

RJ: Right. I mean, it it literally says on there, like, I'm I'm flat out I'm not.

Steve: But here's the thing, because Max is the same way.

RJ: Right.

Steve: So what happened? Max is willing to follow the system because he believes in it. Right? So if you know, just like you'll listen to win Right. If you know a process will help you win, you do it.

Just like me, I will talk to strangers if I know it'll help me win. But naturally, I'm totally fine sitting in a corner at a party, maybe in the poorly lit corner with chips and punch. Leave me alone. Right? Like, it's a wife company function.

Yes. I'll be there to support you, honey, and I'll just sit in the corner.

RJ: Right.

Steve: That's me naturally. But it was a situation where, like, I know there's business in that corner, I will walk across the room to the other corner to get business.

RJ: Right.

Steve: So I think

RJ: I I get that. It it's funny though because when I look at that, it's like I want to always play to the strength of my team members. Mhmm. Right? So if they have an ability to have conversations and keep them in a fluid manner, there there was times where, like, watching Max Mhmm.

I wish Max had just let it go. Mhmm. Like, that that's the best way I could I put could put it.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: I get it from a repeatable standpoint

Steve: Mhmm.

RJ: Within your business. I think it's just one of those days where it's like, it's so hard to make that decision of who you say, hey, Max. You're the guy that can just do whatever the hell they want. Mhmm. Whereas you tell everybody else, like, you gotta follow the system.

Steve: We would not hire the guy that would do whatever you want. We'd rather have a culture where everyone follows a process

RJ: I see.

Steve: Than than than cater to the superstar

RJ: Right.

Steve: That destroys everyone else's morale.

RJ: I see that.

Steve: Right? Like, this guy this guy could be a rock star killer, and he can make our company a lot of money.

RJ: Right.

Steve: But, there's a what was it? I wanna say, is it yeah. She Arianna Huffington. Right? Like, she has, like, a no assholes allowed policy

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right at her company. And you got Elon Musk. Right? Like, there's no jerks allowed, and he's polarizing.

RJ: Right.

Steve: And he has a policy where you cannot be a jerk in the office. Right. Right? So I'd rather have five guys that are committed to the process and having success than to have six guys, and that sixth guy is outperforming them, but he's crushing everyone's morale and causing everyone to be less successful.

RJ: It makes sense.

Steve: Right.

RJ: And what's funny about that is you going all the way back to the beginning of the the episode when you asked me about the fifty day challenge, What did I learn there? It was a very strict policy when it comes to what I was doing, which was SMS SMS marketing. And it is everybody has to do it the exact same way

Steve: Mhmm. Now. Yeah.

RJ: Literally to I mean, it's you we know when x happens, this is your response. You have to do it that way. Yeah. You've just taken that all the way down to the actual conversation. Mhmm.

And and I saw it. I mean, there there was literally times where I I could not believe some of these that Max was saying. Yeah. Because it's y'all's process. Mhmm.

You know? I mean, there was literally moments where I was like, I can't believe he's going back for a third time to ask that question.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: And he did it, you know? And and I was watching you in the chat. You're like, hit him again. You know? And I'm like, alright.

This is how they do it, you know? And I would have never done that. So it was it was enjoyable for me to watch because I have such a different style than you guys.

Steve: So the thing that we talked about here. Right? Because you're you you do the push away. Like, hey. I'm not your buyer, buddy.

I wish you the best. Right? Whereas we will you you heard me say this. Right? Like, we will end the call to start the call.

RJ: Right.

Steve: RJ, it looks like I'm not gonna be your buyer. You're like, I guess not. Alright. So should I hang up? He's like, yeah.

You should hang up. Okay. Now that it's over, what are you gonna do? And now their guard's totally down, and we can have a very open and transparent conversation, which is that thing where it's gonna hit him again. It's like, you gotta end the call.

You gotta get that guard all the way down, and now we can actually have

RJ: a

Steve: conversation where you're openly speaking your mind. Now like I said, you have an ability to get someone to just vomit all the information all over. Right? And I like to think I actually have that ability as well. I don't know if I demonstrated it all last year.

RJ: Right.

Steve: But I think I have that ability as well. And I think that the reason why we have a process is that it's repeatable. You can teach it. You can reference it. Hey.

Where did the cell fall apart? Here's what exactly where the cell fell apart.

RJ: Right.

Steve: And then the the other thing too is we will lose sales. I make no bones about it. Right? We will lose sales following this process. Yep.

My argument is we will win more sales in the long run. You look at, like, poker. Right? There's a right play. There's a right way to play this hand.

You could play the wrong way and win this hand.

RJ: Right.

Steve: In the long run, you will lose more money than you'll make money. So

RJ: Just playing odds.

Steve: Playing the odds.

RJ: And look, I I saw that in your process. I think it's unfortunate because the the way the scoring goes in the Closers Olympics at times does not reward someone like Max. Mhmm.

Steve: I

RJ: mean, Max's first phone call in the finals. I mean, he put on a clinic in the first eight minutes.

Steve: Yeah. In only eight minutes.

RJ: I mean, literally, it was like this that right there. The literally, the those then your $97 would be worth those eight minutes. Yeah. Right there. You get everything that you need.

Right. And I remember watching those first eight minutes, and I was like, hey. I might have to do something special here. Yeah. Because if and, unfortunately, some of the calls that he had after that, they they the the seller's conversation was not as good as that first eight minutes.

But, watching you go through that, the closures limit scoring does not reward sometimes

Steve: No. You can't.

RJ: Those conversations.

Steve: Right.

RJ: Because I what I watched was I was like, no. These guys are killers on the phone. They're getting plenty of deals Yeah. Doing this right now.

Steve: Can tell he's got the reps. Right?

RJ: Yeah.

Steve: And if you were to go based out the scoring, right, scoring is the scoring. Right? We saw the rankings. Right? If you're having a fantasy draft

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? You and Max, one and two.

RJ: Right.

Steve: So, alright. What else? Do do you have any other?

RJ: No. No. That's it.

Steve: Yeah. So I think I think that, you know, the it's really important that it was recognized. Right? I mean, you crushed it, and I think that it's hard to replicate RJ and his crazy confidence. Also, hard to replicate me and my crazy confidence because we have I mean, I've said this before.

My superpower is my irrational confidence.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? And I think you probably have that same thing too. Right? Like, you have this idea, like, you and I are not equipped to go on a rescue mission.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? But they're like, hey. We need you guys. Let's get some hostages. Let's let's get it.

Right? It's that crazy confidence that you have no justification for. Yeah. And I think you can't teach that. So that's the reason why we process that

RJ: Agreed. To

Steve: help someone with that.

RJ: Last question Yes. I wanna ask you. Sure. Has Steven Morales been screwed the past two years?

Steve: I don't know if he got screwed this year. I would argue for sure last year.

RJ: Okay. I didn't watch on on Sunday. Mhmm. I watched on Saturday. Mhmm.

Seventeen minutes in the call, nothing had happened. Mhmm. He had thirteen minutes on Sunday. So I don't know what happened in those thirteen minutes.

Steve: Yeah.

RJ: What I do know happened with Steven Morales was he was a wizard through a call. Yeah. Basically, had the deal sold Mhmm. Closed right there. And the guy said, let me read the contract and sleep on it.

His only thing I could have hit him on was he didn't overcome that objection. Yeah. That was it. Right. He I think he thought he had it.

Steve: Oh, I think he was totally acting like he had it.

RJ: Because because he literally just said, alright. Cool. I'll call you in the morning.

Steve: Yeah. But Could also be the clock of play.

RJ: Agreed. I just I feel really bad for him Mhmm. Because I think he's a masterful closer as well.

Steve: Well, yeah. I mean, when I saw it was, Steven versus RJ, Steven versus Max. I was like, well, that sucks. Right. Two of the best in the oh, wait.

It's a point system. It

RJ: doesn't matter.

Steve: Doesn't matter. Right. I was like, well, that sucks. Like, two one of the two best closers is gonna be out in the first round.

RJ: I know.

Steve: Right? But that's not the way to play this year. So, yeah, I think RJ, I think, Steven is an incredible, incredible closer. You know, I you know, again, fantasy draft. Right?

Yeah. Top three pick. Yeah. Right? But at the end of the day, you know, I think there is an element of luck involved and it's, you know, which contract you get.

And it's also playing the scoring, which I I had conversations, you know, in the post, breakdown, whatever. It's like, hey, guys. We need to shift the scoring because there's too much weight being placed on a verbal that is worthless. Yep. Right?

We need to adjust that. So Agreed. Yeah. But that but you play within the rules. You can't ponder someone for playing within the rules.

Right? Like, the you know, you got Tom Brady against the the Ravens. Right? Like, putting four guys on the line. Right?

Like, the was it Bill, John Harbaugh? Right? He's pissed off. That's against the rules. Like, no.

It's not.

RJ: No. It's not.

Steve: You're just not prepared for it.

RJ: Right.

Steve: Right? Like, they're playing within the rules. So I can't fault anyone for getting crappy verbals.

RJ: Agreed.

Steve: But next year, we should have weight on quality of the verbal.

RJ: I I agreed. But I also think at some point in time, like, there needs to be a little bit of, like, a judge's assessment where it's like, who were the three best closers? Well, and

Steve: that's what Max Max was saying. Right? It's like, look. There's no reason why Max is not leading right now. Like, he just said he's he just flat out I I don't know if you watch your replay.

But during your your competition, Max was like, Max is in second right now, and that's not right. Right. I mean, just put that out there right now.

RJ: Right. Yeah. And and look, I don't know how you watch Max and Steven go back to back. Mhmm. You don't say these two had to have been two of the top Yeah.

Ones. That was my feeling. It's like I watched Max go, and I was like, yeah. I mean, he's right up there with me. I watched Steven go right after

Steve: meant to say he you're up there with him. I think that's what you meant to say.

RJ: But then I watched I watched Steven go, and I was like, Steven scored way less Mhmm. Than Max. And I was like and me. And I was like, I didn't feel like Steven did that much worse than us. It's just I don't know.

Steve: I think he got dinged for negotiations. I think I gave him more points in negotiations. Let me take that back. I probably gave him the same scores everyone else gave him negotiations. But me giving him the same scores as everyone else meant he did well, whereas everyone else dinged him for negotiations.

And I think that I kinda elaborate on that. It's like people were taking points away for him not negotiating. It's hard to set a price as what you're willing to pay. Right. You don't need to negotiate.

You just need to struggle to get there.

RJ: Right. Like,

Steve: RJ, you want how much? How'd you come with that number?

RJ: Right. Right.

Steve: Man, I don't know.

RJ: And watch them go, okay. I'll do it for 35. Yeah. There you go. But you just got 5 k.

Steve: So that's for me, that's negotiations. Right? That's the art form. But people are like, no. You gotta hit them with a lower number and play this game.

Like, that's not that is the, I believe, common understanding of negotiations, but there's psychology behind negotiations that most people overlook.

RJ: Watching the comments of the closures Olympics was very entertaining.

Steve: Eye opening.

RJ: Yes. To see the thought process of the people that are attending and what they think people should be doing Mhmm. Which majority of the time, I'll be honest with you, is like, no. That's I that's definitely not something that I would be doing.

Steve: Yeah. I was also arguing in the in the chat comments.

RJ: I know. Yes. And I was cracking jokes. I I was having a blast in there. So

Steve: Yeah. No. It was a lot of fun. I look forward to to next year. Maybe you'd be qualified enough to be a judge, but we'll see.

RJ: No. I don't wanna be a judge. Now now they're stuck with me. Now I want to see how many titles I can win.

Steve: Yeah. You were saying you wanna you wanted to, bring your whole team up on that thing. Yeah. Yeah. We talked to we talked to, Jesse on our team.

Like, hey. Next year, we expect you to go in there and represent MCO and win.

RJ: So talked to Max about this?

Steve: About what?

RJ: About him not competing next year?

Steve: Well, I don't know if he's in a computer or not. I'm just saying our

RJ: Max has already laid down the law that he is competing next year.

Steve: Well, he may. I mean, he's gonna suck if he loses our acquisition guy. But Jesse's competing next year.

RJ: Max has already said he was like, I don't know what the hell Steve was talking about. I'm competing

Steve: next year. So Cassie wants to know what year, did you start real estate?

RJ: 2014. Went full time in 2015. And then,

Steve: Tristan, do you have any deals in Hawaii you wanna share?

RJ: We do. We actually have our Lily Puna project. We're actually finally wrapping that one up. It's been going on since about 2015.

Steve: That's the same one we talked about in the last podcast.

RJ: Yeah. Yeah. A thousand days to to buy it. We bought it, and, it's 9,000 square feet, three floors. It's gonna be unbelievable.

Steve: You know what your next video contest should be?

RJ: Going to Hawaii?

Steve: No. It should be you sharing the lessons you learned from having too much money and educating Zillow Yes. On the lessons you learn

RJ: from raising. Like a professor. Let me educate you, Zillow. Yeah.

Steve: Let me tell you about the time I raised too much

RJ: capital. Yes. But that one, we're actually probably gonna be we're gonna be keeping that property. It's gonna be a family home for for Michelle Delagarza as well as, the rest of us.

Steve: And then Damon wants to know, are you hiring DFW? I've sent you people in Dallas.

RJ: Yes. We are hiring. We're looking for acquisitions and dispositions. So hit me up if you're interested.

Steve: Awesome. So this is a really fun episode. I want you to think about something you wanna leave the listeners with. Guys, we are having, again, our all day sales training, so go check that out. If you sign up right now, you get $500 off.

And if you guys get value today, please share this with someone that needs to get better at closing. I think RJ and I shared a lot of nuggets about sales. So definitely, if you know someone that needs to get better at sales, please share this with them. And then tomorrow, we got Abe Shreve. We're gonna talk about the one thing that all successful people have in common.

What are some last thoughts I wanna leave everybody with?

RJ: Yeah. I mean, the last thing that I would love to leave you guys with is, if you go back and you watch the closures Olympics, you watch any of my videos, I'm sharing that for you to pick up tips to add to your tool belt. I'm not sharing those so you can go out and try to replicate being me. And I think Steve and Max would say the same thing. They want you to follow a process, but at the end of the day, you still implement your own personality, your own way of communicating with a another human being.

And and the way that I narrow that down to maybe make a bigger impact for you is to think about the fact that we will do hundreds of deals this year. But to a regular seller, this might be one of three or four times in their life that they're going to be selling a house. And so it is a very emotional experience for them, and it's our job to listen to them and really understand what we're asking them to do and that we're there to solve those problems that they have. That's why we're reaching out to them because there's something going on. And just put yourself in their shoes and slow down, and don't overcomplicate the process.

Steve: Yeah. And I think I didn't mention this earlier just to add to your your comment, because I think there's a great takeaway, is that when we talk about our sales trainings, we don't ask everyone to just throw away their existing system. Right? Take the parts that you're struggling with in your sales process and just take those pieces, right, and add those to your your sales process. You don't have to throw everything away.

Right? That's not every as I've never said, like, your your system is trash. Right? It's just if you heard all my criticism over the weekend last week, it was like, here's how I would've done this differently.

RJ: I've probably left a couple 100 cliffhanger voice mails since last year's Closers Olympics.

Steve: Yeah. Right? Just a few things here and there you can tweak to improve your processes. Someone wants to get a hold of you. How do they do that?

RJ: You can go to my YouTube channel or Instagram, just r j base the third. And, again, make sure if you're interested in checking out our boot camp, titaniumcrucible.com.

Steve: Alright. Awesome. Thank you. It was a lot of fun. Yeah, man.

RJ: Thanks for having me.

Steve: Appreciate you forcing your way onto the show. It was a lot of fun.