166 - Your CRM Is Not Broken, Your Strategy Is

Today’s guest is Elaine Turso, a Business Makeover Specialist and CRM strategist who helps entrepreneurs stop duct-taping their businesses together and start operating with clarity, confidence, and systems that actually support growth.

 Elaine is the wizard behind the curtain when it comes to CRMs, automation, and customer experience. She specializes in helping service-based business owners turn messy tech stacks into streamlined systems that feel human, intentional, and on-brand.

Known for her no-fluff, “get out of your own damn way and get shit done” approach, Elaine believes your CRM shouldn’t just store data, it should support relationships, momentum, and ease. She’s also a summit host, podcast host, Friends fanatic, and the creator of multiple done-for-you systems that help businesses scale without burnout.

Get ready for practical insights, real talk about tech overwhelm, and a refreshing perspective on how systems can actually feel supportive.

To learn more about how Elaine can help you, visit www.elaineturso.com

Action Step:

The 15-Minute CRM Reality Check

1. Write down the last offer someone said yes to.
2. Map what happens after they inquire:
   • How do they follow up?
   • What emails/texts are sent?
   • Where does the human touch happen?
3. Identify one place where leads fall through the cracks.
4. Choose one improvement to make this week, not a full overhaul.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress and awareness.

SG Associates, LLC
Your Partner For Quality Payment & Merchant Service Solutions

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

• www.liveblissedout.com

Transcript

Did You Know  0:00  
Did you know that most CRMs don't fail because of the software? They fail because the business owner never designed the client journey first. 

Intro  0:08  
Hello action taker. Welcome to Live Blissed out, a podcast where I have inspirational and informational conversations with business owners and subject matter experts to help you get the scoop on a variety of topics. Tired of hesitating or making decisions without having the big picture. Want to be in the know, then this is the place to go. I'm your host, Marisa Huston, helping you achieve Blissed through awareness and action. So let's get to it. Ever feel like your business is being held together with duct tape and too many tech tools? Today's guest, Elaine turso is a business makeover specialist and CRM strategist who helps entrepreneurs clean up messy systems and build streamlined, human centered operations that actually support growth, known for her no fluff approach to CRMs automation and customer experience, Elaine helps service based businesses scale with more clarity, momentum and a lot less burnout. To learn more about how Elaine can help you visit www.elaineturso.com.

Disclaimer  1:10  
The information, opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only, and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. This podcast should not be considered professional advice. 

Marisa Huston  1:22  
Elaine, welcome to the podcast. 

Elaine Turso  1:24  
Thanks so much for having me super excited to be here. 

Marisa Huston  1:27  
Yeah, I'm excited to have you. I would really love for you to start by telling our listeners what today's conversation is really about, and why getting their CRM and their systems right actually matters more than they think. 

Elaine Turso  1:44  
That is such a great question. I'm going to be really blunt, because I like to get to the point, right? So a lot of times, people think it's their offer is not right, their website's not working, their CRM isn't working. And I tell them it's the foundation of your offer. Your customer journey has not been clearly defined. Your CRM supports the customer journey. It needs to be built based on the customer journey. So if someone's complaining about it, I'm like, What does your customer journey look like? And then they freeze dead in the headlights because they're like, What do you mean? I'm like, if you don't map out the process from start to finish of what the customer journey looks like, you don't know how to build the CRM to make it do what you want it to do, and how to support the customer journey. That's why it matters.

Marisa Huston  2:37  
I love that framing. Let's talk about what this looks like. So when people first come to you for help, what's usually going on behind the scenes in their business?

Elaine Turso  2:48  
They are about to throw their computer out the window. That sounds about right. They are frustrated. They cannot figure it out. They are overwhelmed. They work all day and get nothing done because it's just not working for them. They don't know where to get the support that they need. They are using 13 tools and softwares, which is what I had when I first started, and wonder why they're not getting anything done because they're working on the wrong things. They're spinning their wheels trying to figure out, how do I make it do what I want it to do? But they don't actually know what they want it to do, because they don't have their customer journey mapped out.

Marisa Huston  3:31  
And it sounds to me in very simple terms, it's working harder instead of smarter. 

Elaine Turso  3:38  
Yes, absolutely. 

Marisa Huston  3:40  
As a business owner, I've been through it, and you sit there and you think, is there a better way? I feel like I can shorten this. I feel like I can do better. I feel like I can streamline things. But you get stuck in your ways. You're kind of committed to a certain platform, and then you try to push it, you make it work as best you can. And sometimes years go by before you say I've had enough, I've got to think of something that's actually going to make my life better, so that I can do the things that I enjoy doing.

Elaine Turso  4:12  
Yes, and I want to say it's not their fault. They don't know what they don't know. You don't know that there's a better way. You don't know there's a better tool, you don't know there's a better system. And so we just spin our wheels, not knowing we're just in the dark, not knowing that there's a better solution out there, until, by happy accident, you discover something, which is exactly what happened to me, and then everything changes. I've been with this same CRM for three and a half years, and I used to be a CRM hopper. I test drove all these different CRMs trying to find the one that would work. I spent a lot of time with free trials, and then getting frustrated and moving on to the next and every time I did that, I have to re download my contacts, import them into. New System, I wasted so much time trying to find the right thing that works, and now that I know what I know, I can help people and get them out of that cycle.

Marisa Huston  5:12  
I think you hit the nail on the head. I think the reason why people wait so long is because in their mind, they're thinking, Okay, I didn't do a great job picking this one. How do I know I'm gonna pick a good one the next time or the next time? And I don't know if it's worth the hassle of jumping from one to the other and going through all that effort only to find out that I'm back in square one, or maybe those other systems might even be worse than the one I have. And so really, that's, I think, where somebody like you comes in because you've already tested the process, you can assure them that you're going to listen to their concerns, make sure that it's a right fit for them, and that all the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted, so that by the time they do pull the trigger, they can say, This is it. This has all the elements of what I need?

Elaine Turso  6:03  
Yes, and I kind of take all of that away from them. I set it all up for them so they don't have to stay in this state of overwhelm and over analyzing it, analysis paralysis, and the tech Gremlins and all of the things it's like. Would you rather spend 20 hours doing it yourself or pay me to do it in five hours?

Marisa Huston  6:26  
That's exactly right. The whole fear of making a change is removed because, you know upfront what you're getting into, because they've had the conversation with you, and they'll say, well, I need to send emails, or I need to do this type of follow up, or because every business is different, and you'll know what the systems can and can't do or should do, and then you can have that conversation before you even take action. Absolutely.

Elaine Turso  6:52  
That's one of the first things that we do, is we sit down and we map out their customer journey, and then I build the CRM based on the customer journey. I build it based on where they want their business to be, not where it currently is.

Marisa Huston  7:06  
Oh, that's fantastic. I mean, that really takes out a lot of stress, given that, how do you figure out whether the CRM they're using needs to be improved or replaced altogether?

Elaine Turso  7:18  
That's a great question. And I am a firm believer that if you are in a tool that is already working and it already has the features that you need. So how do I know? Is I asked them, what tools are they using? So they give me the list. And if there's a list of multiple tools that can be replaced by one tool that, to me, is an indicator some people are already in. And it's funny because people reach out to me, show me what you're using, and I'm like, Oh, you're already in this tool that does all of this. And they're like, Oh, I didn't even know that. And so it's just a little education and just helping them figure out, what are they currently using? What do they need? What do they wish they had, if they had a magic wand? How would they use it? What would they make it do? And what are they doing manually? What activities are they doing manually in their business? And where can I help them replace that? Oh, someone signed up for this. I need to manually send them this absolutely not. We do not do that in 2026 so I just try to help figure out where technology can step in, and what do they keep human and what should they automate? I don't automate everything. There's some things that I'm really passionate about keeping the human element, but there's a lot of things that I don't have to be the one to do it.

Marisa Huston  8:43  
Yeah, and, you know, it's funny, because I think that there are two types of entrepreneurs, at least. What I've noticed, there's people who have to have control over the entire process on their own. It's like, they almost feel like, if they hand it over to a CRM, that they don't have control. They're just like, No, no, I got to do it all. And they refuse to let go until they experience something different and it works, then they're like, I should have done this a long time ago, but they're harder to convert because they really want that control. I'll give you an example, I think, for example, calendar schedulers. There's two types of entrepreneurs. There's the ones that say, I don't use a calendar, and I say, why? And they say, my calendar changes all the time, and I have to go in there and change it. And then I don't have control, so I don't want to use it, because I feel like I've got to have control of my whole schedule. I don't want anybody blocking a slot without my permission, like I want to be in control. And then there's other people that are like, Oh my gosh, the calendar is the best thing ever, because I know that I don't have to worry. I know these are the spots that I'm going to keep open indefinitely. Like, let's say you want to do a podcast every Wednesday, then you just keep Wednesday open between certain times, and then people can sign up for that, and you're good to go. It's a mindset shift. I think there's some people that are easier to kind of pursue. Way. But I think that for the most part, when people try the technology and they see how it makes their life better, they're like, why didn't I do this before?

Elaine Turso  10:08  
Yeah, well, and a good example as well is the person that has a calendar, but then has to manually send out the reminder to make sure the person shows up. Because that used to be me. I wouldn't pay for the paid version, so I had to send out my Zoom link to each person individually before our call, because I was too cheap to pay the $10 a month. So I love helping people figure out their calendar, because once I explain it to them, the light bulb goes off where they still have full control over their calendar, and they don't have to worry about that, like what you were describing,

Marisa Huston  10:50  
Yes, and it's funny. I think it's important to have this conversation as well, because it's something that I think about, and I think many entrepreneurs think about, right? They always think, well, if I do this, if I set up a new CRM, I'm worried that now it's going to cost me a fortune, because, you know, now I'm adding this and I'm adding that, and I don't have endless funds to spend on a CRM, and so they can't really make the connection between saving time the cost of the CRM. And I think here's the key, they think that they're paying less now, but the reality is, so many people pay for CRMs that are very expensive and offer features that you never use or never even know was there, and you might actually switch to something that is really streamlined and actually saves you money in the long run.

Elaine Turso  11:40  
Yes, well, and because I was using 13 different tools and softwares, the amount of time that I was wasting, right? So I was actually paying more in all of that than I would have if I would have just invested in the all in one software. And I will tell you, I felt like a big girl when I signed up for Kajabi at the time, Kajabi was $149 a month, and I did not want that number, but I also knew that in order for people to take my business seriously, I needed to set up my business in a professional manner, and so this was my First big girl purchase, and it forced me to sit down and map out my customer journey and decide that the customer experience was really important to me. But I wound up switching away from Kajabi because of the limitations. So eventually I outgrew it and knew that I needed to do something different when someone is just starting out in their business, and they're like, I don't have the money to invest in things like that. I'm like, Here are the tools I would recommend as a baby, beginner business owner that doesn't cost a lot of money, but is still going to help you kind of keep yourself organized and things like that. And then when you decide you've got some clients behind you, and now you can invest in something that's going to help you grow and grow with you. Then you can get serious about it, running your business on a spreadsheet, which is what I have heard people do. I was at a conference one time, and I'm surrounded by other six figure business owners, and when she asked what CRMs people were using, people were raising their hand and they're just using a spreadsheet. And I was dying inside, because I'm like, stop. Like, no, what are you doing? That is not a streamlined process. Like, I couldn't, I couldn't. I was like, give me the microphone right now,

Marisa Huston  13:42  
That would drive me batty too. It's so cumbersome, and then you're just trying to keep up with updating everything and stuff. And the CRMs today are so well done. Now there's so many options, and there's so many things that work so well now, because when it started, there was a lot of kinks going on there in the back end, but now they work so seamlessly that as long as you enter your information, you always have access to anything at your fingertips. When did you last talk to them? You know? What did they buy? Basic things that help you look very professional and also make the client feel like they're working with somebody who knows them, who knows when you spoke like, you know, when a client contacts me and wants to place an order, I'm already able to pull up everything and just say, yeah, you ordered this the last time. Do you want to stay with that? You want me to make more recommendations for you? And they're very impressed, because you know exactly when they ordered, you know what they ordered. It makes them feel special. I've been on the reverse side of things where I've contacted like service, and I've been using them for 15 plus years, and every year I call them to get a service. They're like, who are you? What's your phone number? Give me your name, and they don't even know who I am. And I'm like, Are you kidding? You don't have a record of me. You installed this and I've been using you for 15 years, you don't even know my name or my phone number, and it's never changed. It's crazy, right? Yeah, right, yeah. It's frustrating.

Elaine Turso  15:09  
As a customer, your experience is unpleasant, right? Y

Marisa Huston  15:14  
eah, and the only reason I continue to use them is because when they do service my unit, they do a good job, you know, and they're very nice and friendly. But I still remember that every time I call, I'm like, here we go again. It's like a robot. I just got to give my name and my phone number as if I never existed. It's, it just doesn't make sense. Yes, Given that, would you kindly share a client's story where you followed up for something that wasn't working for them, and then share with us what changed after you helped them redesign their system so that we can give a visual to our listeners.

Elaine Turso  15:51  
Yes, okay, so I have a joke that I tell people is that I give their business a butt lift because I'm working on the behind the scenes. Yes. So I had a gal who had been running her website on a WordPress website that looked like it was from 2009 it was not attractive. It was not pretty at all. And so what I did was I always start with the brand. So I do branding as well, because if I'm going to build somebody a website, I really want to make sure that we are in alignment with their values. Everything is all in alignment. And so I got certified in a fun little branding program, and I use that first, and from there, we map out the customer journey. And my whole thing is figuring out how to make it do what we want it to do, and how do we make the customer experience amazing? So we spent a lot of time working on that, and now she feels very confident. She has been educated on how to use the system, how to do the things, and she knows that I'm still here when she needs support and needs help and guidance and someone to talk through. This is what I'm trying to do. I have a new lead magnet that I want for this, and I or I want to do a webinar, and I haven't done that before, so can you And absolutely, but now she has everything in one place. She no longer has to use this for that. She no longer has to worry about WordPress plugins corrupting her files and not updating because that happened to her. She no longer has to worry about somebody who was hosting her WordPress website. They ghosted her. That has happened more times than I can count when someone does not have access to their own website. I have a huge problem with that. I do not hold websites hostage. When someone logs into their account, they have access to everything. There is nothing behind a wall that they do not have access to. That's a big deal. That is a huge, huge deal for me, because, guess what? If I die, I have somebody that that is already set up. I have a workflow that's called, if Elaine dies and my daughter, I have, in step by step, instructions on how she can activate this workflow to notify the proper people that something has happened to me, and they need to take over, and my clients will be notified. They already know. Everybody knows if I die, right? But if someone has control over your website and you don't, and if they die, if something happens to them, you're screwed. I am not okay with that. We have to have contingency plans in place, always, always.

Marisa Huston  18:43  
And I'm really glad you shared that as an example, because it's not something people think about. But at the end of the day, everything you do is a process. And you think about when you wake up in the morning, you have a process. And so the minute you don't do those things, things fall through the cracks, right? Because there are certain things that are non negotiable. If you don't water your plants, they'll die. It's as simple as that, right? Everything needs to be there so that, if you aren't there, somebody else knows how to do it, or the system can be automated to do it for you, if it's possible for that to happen, but otherwise, at least another person will know what needs to be done, and they can access it and do it.

Elaine Turso  19:21  
And the other thing that I think is important is that we can set somebody's business up so that they can go on vacation and not have to be tied to their phone or their laptop while they're away, and that nobody died, right? Their business is still making money. They're still generating revenue. Their clients are still being served, and they don't have to babysit their business, because that's how you know that you have a grown up business and not a baby business. I have a four month old grandbaby. She needs constant attention and supervision. She's a baby, but as they grow up, they become more independent and self sufficient, and we're. Trying to teach them how to care for themselves. And you know, by the time they're in middle school, they should be able to know how to make themselves a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You know what I mean?

Marisa Huston  20:09  
So, yeah, and, you know, I really love the fact that you talked about branding too. I'm in the logo printing business, and I can tell you from my 20 years of experience that many people don't understand the difference between branding and logos. They think it's the same thing, because when you think about branding an animal, you're thinking branding. I'm going to put the brand on there. Yes, that word is interchangeable, but it does not have the same meaning in business. Branding really is your personality. It's like there's no other Marisa, there's no other Elaine. We are one of a kind. That's our brand. The logo is just a way for them to recognize the brand, and that's why it's so important to have the right colors, consistency, all those things. When you see a sign that says Coca Cola, you immediately know what that stands for, but the logo does not tell you what it stands for. You just know, because you've experienced what Coca Cola is branding is about, and that's key, because when you're creating this for your clients, I assume you want that messaging, that process, everything to flow according to their brand correct.

Elaine Turso  21:20  
So one of the things that I'm really passionate about is there's different branding archetypes. I use the endo type formula as my branding. The branding is really about the client. It's about attracting clients that are in alignment with your personality. And so right now, I am actually building something for a ruler brand personality. I'm a magician brand personality. And so it's very fascinating and interesting that I have to read through the ruler brand archetype personality profile over and over and over again, because I am building in alignment with the ruler brand, not as the magician, and I cannot interject my personality, brand into her profile, into her customer journey, because it's going to be different. And so the branding is about the client, and I love what you're saying. You know, the logo and the colors, those are assets. The reason that you're not getting business has nothing to do with your logo. It has nothing to do with your colors, right?

Marisa Huston  22:26  
I know it's really funny, and they call that brand, and I know what they mean. I know what they're saying, because that's what most people think, yep, but I have to always explain to them the difference, no, I print your logo. Yes, I don't brand. Yes, if somebody says they want a brand, I would send them to you. Yeah, because that's a whole different thing. It's a whole different skill set. Everything's different. They don't distinguish, because the first thing they think about is branding like, you know, taking something and stamping it on, like a stamp. That's what it is, right? Exactly, and that's why it's important to talk about it. You know? That just kind of goes over their head and they don't even know the difference. Yeah, yeah. And that matters. It matters a lot, especially with what you do. What do you think the biggest shift your clients tell you they feel in their business after you work with them? What's the thing they say to you the most?

Elaine Turso  23:22  
Relief. They feel more organized. They feel like they have more control, actually, because they know where everything is. They know where to find it. They know how it works, and it's like a well oiled machine. So they feel confident. They share their website. They're not embarrassed to send their website. I have people that are like, I don't want to send you my website because I'm really embarrassed about it, and I'm like, Why do you have it? Then there's this confidence that comes with it, because now they know exactly the who, what, when, where, why and how, because we clearly define it, and that boosts their confidence. People are just flocking to them because they are emanating this confidence out into the world, because now they know who they are, they know who they serve. They know why they serve them. They know how they serve them. They know the impact that they're making in the world, and it just fuels their fire to get up every day, knowing that I get to do something amazing today, because we did all of the work to find the clarity that they needed in order to put this out into the world,

Marisa Huston  24:32  
You know. And I find it ironic that you say that, you said they have more control, and you would think that you have less control, because the CRM is doing all this stuff and you're not involved, but in reality, you have more control because you've set it up in the exact way you need it to be, and you don't have to be babysitting it. So I always like to ask my guests to give a simple exercise that our listeners can apply right away to move forward. Like something they can think about right now that they can utilize to help them discover whether or not it might be a good idea and that they need to kind of reevaluate their CRM,

Elaine Turso  25:12  
Yeah, so I like to call it the 15 minute CRM, reality check. Step one, I tell people to write down the last offer that someone said yes to the last offer. Okay? And then number two is to map out what happens after someone expresses interest in working with you, after someone reaches out and says, Hey, I want to talk to you. I think I need what you have. Then what? Map it out. How are you following up? What emails are being sent, what text messages are being sent? Human touch. I am huge on human touch. Just because I have all the fancy automations doesn't mean that everything is automated. And then I don't humanly touch people, because I still do. And then I want people to figure out. Number three is, where are the leads falling through the cracks. So between someone saying, I'm interested in working with you, and if they would wind up not becoming a client, why? Where did something fall through the cracks? And a lot of times, what happens is, I've kind of figured out where some of it is. It's in the follow up. There is this fear of following up, because they're afraid of coming off as salesy or pushy, and so they just think, well, they'll find me. So they may have a call with someone. Someone says I'm interested, but not right now. And so I like to ask people a follow up question. Is, what will need to happen for you to say, Yes, I understand people feel like, oh my gosh, I have to get everything put together before they can start working with me. And so if they say, if I could just get this part done, then I will feel better about now, let's move forward with all of that. And I actually tell people I want you to prep anything before we start working together, because I'm going to take care of all of that, and we go through weeks of answering questions before I start building anything. So there's not this like, Okay, hurry up. We got to get everything done. Absolutely not. We are running a marathon, not a sprint, and this is a long term process that we are basically rebuilding someone's business. So what I encourage people to do is figure out, with everything I just said, Where is one improvement that someone could make this week that does not involve giving their whole business a makeover? That's not what I'm asking people to do. Just identify one crack in the process, because that's where we can make the most improvement. I'll give you an example after I have a one on one connect with someone, not a sales call, but a connect someone where we network together. We want to have a one on one. We're going to get to know each other better. I have a email that is sent the day after to every single person. That is a value added email I share with them. I call it my networking one sheet, and it gives them a list of all of the things that I do and things like that. But I ask them to send me theirs, and people always go, Wait a minute. I've never heard of a networking one sheet, and I include a template link, and I say, if you don't have one and you would like to make your own, here's a template you can use to make your own networking one sheet. Why don't you send it to me when you're done with it, so that I can save it to my computer, in case I hear of someone that might be a good fit for you, and I can share this with them and send you a referral.

Marisa Huston  28:39  
Yes, I call that collaboration. It's like always thinking about how you can provide value, and then they will do the same. And it's about that friendship and support of each other, not always just thinking, I'm just going to sell to this person. And surprising, how many people think that way. To the second point, you will not believe how many people do not have that sheet. I get it. I was floored when you sent me yours, because I'm like, she has a sheet, because I talked to so many guests, and I would say 90% of them do not have it. And I call my networking, my one on one calls. I don't call them coffee chats or networking calls. I used to I now call them collaboration chat because I feel like it really sets the tone for the meeting. What are our intentions? Our intentions are to see, is there a potential collaboration here? Yes, that's exactly it. In fact, when I do introductions, I've had many frustrating situations where I meet two people. They're perfect to get to know each other. I make the connection. I ask all of those things, right? I do all the due diligence upfront, and then I get a phone call from one of them saying that the other one all they wanted to do was talk about themselves and sell to them. And so it got to the point where I had to, like, create almost like little rules in the introduction to say the purpose of this introduction is. For you to help each other, support each other. Here's how you can do that. I mean, always have to spell it out, yeah, almost like a guide to tell them, Look, this is what you should be doing if you want to have a successful connection. You know, it's very similar to like LinkedIn. I get people saying, Oh, I listened to your podcast or whatever, wherever they found me. And then they're like, I'm looking forward to connecting. I read their page and it looks good, so I connect, and the very first message I get is, I sell XYZ. Would you like to buy? And it's like, what? I don't know how people do that. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Elaine Turso  30:31  
It is one of my biggest pet peeves about LinkedIn. I'll tell you a secret. Are you ready? Yes, I am ready. Oh, I have been working on a custom GPT called the pitch slap, DM coach and the how intention of that is to help business owners have value based conversations that are not by my stuff. If you say this is what my post was about. This is what someone commented. How can I reply in a way that does not feel gross, salesy or pushy? And I'm going to tell you another secret. I used it on you.

Marisa Huston  31:14  
Oh my gosh. 

Elaine Turso  31:16  
You had no idea. 

Marisa Huston  31:17  
I had no idea, right? I thought we were just talking

Elaine Turso  31:21  
Well, I was testing it out. I had just made it, and I'm like, I really need to go in and, like, test this out and see how this works. So I had gone. I was like, Oh my gosh, I have a post from like, a week ago that I didn't even go in and acknowledge people's comments. So I better go follow up. I never want to come off as salesy or weird or gross or buy my stuff. So I put in all of the comments, and it gave me three or four suggested replies that I could comment with that were not salesy, pushy or gross, that were value added, were inquiring, asking better questions and things like that, and I just find it so refreshing, because I have had this fear of especially on LinkedIn. I don't want to be the person that feels, oh my god. I can't believe they just did that. I don't want to be that person, because it's something that I don't enjoy about receiving. I call it the pitch slap, or someone just pitches you, and you don't even know them!

Marisa Huston  32:23  
Exactly, and if you don't feel comfortable with it, why would you do it to somebody else? I mean, it's so simple, but I also understand that there are so many people under pressure, and they may not know, they don't think about it. For me, it's obvious, but for a lot of people, it's not, and honestly, they're hurting themselves. It's like you meet somebody on the street and you just see them crossing, and you hand your business card and say, you know, I sell XYZ you want to buy. That's really what that feels like, right? And when you think about it from that perspective, I think it's a mindset thing, right? Because so many people think LinkedIn is for selling, so why wouldn't I sell? But the reality is, you're burning bridges, because those people are never going to trust you again. They're never going to want to stay connected. They don't even want to get to know you, because they're kind of offended, to be honest, because it's like, really, it's all you care about. You don't even want to get to know me or understand me, or anything like that. And it just doesn't work. Maybe there's one person out there who'll say, you know, I was actually needing this thing, and how serendipitous. But most people, I don't think are going to fall in that category, I would say, yeah, What I love about this conversation is the reminder that CRM isn't just software. It's really supposed to support real relationships and real growth, and when it's designed intentionally, everything feels lighter, yes, and that's it.

Elaine Turso  33:48  
Let's clearly define what CRM stands for, customer relationship manager,

Marisa Huston  33:55  
That's right, yes, RELATIONSHIP in capital all caps, Because that's really what it is?

Elaine Turso  34:01  
Yes, I think we've let the acronym remove the concept of the relationship.

Marisa Huston  34:08  
Yes, it's the same with anything. You know, when you think of chat, you think software. Chat isn't software. Chat is being able to reach out to a human or get help in some capacity. It's what does it do with the end, it's the software is just a tool, right? But it's really about what it can do for your business. That's really what it's all about. We both are so just grateful that you're here listening to us. The reason we're here having this conversation with you is because we want you to get the help you need. Elaine and I were talking about this the other day. I mean, we could sit and have a conversation over the phone, but the reason we do podcasting is because we want to share what we know with other people so that they can benefit. Yes, That's really what a podcast is all about. So if you got value from it and feel free to reach out, because I know Elaine will be able to listen answer any questions you have, and determine whether or not she can help you.

Elaine Turso  35:03  
Yeah, in a non gross, non salesy way, I literally do genuinely want to help people,

Marisa Huston  35:10  
And I think, too, that happens a lot with my guests. You know, they're so hesitant because they think that the listeners, when they call, they feel, Oh, I'm going to be trapped, you know, I'm going to call this person and now I feel obligated or whatnot. That's what a consult is all about. It's to have the dialog, and if it's not the right fit, it's not the right fit. But you have to have the conversation. You're never going to move forward if you don't really understand what can be done to help you, and if the other person isn't even given the opportunity to hear what challenges you're facing.

Elaine Turso  35:44  
Yes, I don't call it a sales call. It's really tell me what's going on, and I'll tell you what the solution is. And even if I'm not the right fit, I will guide them to the correct solution. It does not have to benefit me. It is about them, not about me.

Marisa Huston  36:00  
That's why I'm so happy you were a guest on the show, because that's my philosophy, too. Yes, I don't have all the answers. And there's many times when people reach out to me with a request I can't help them with. But after any conversation, if I can't help them, I'm still researching for them. I'm going, well, let me think about this. I have a friend who knows, a friend or whatever, and I want to help them, and that's really what it's all about. Because if you go in with that approach, if you're genuine and you really want people to know you care, everything works out, always. It works out for everyone.

Elaine Turso  36:33  
Absolutely, you know what? I'll tell you what the good karma that comes from that is amazing.

Elaine Turso  36:39  
100%. I experience it all the time, and it's really great. It is. It really is. And it's like one of those things where you never try to sell ever. What you want to do is think of every connection as an opportunity to make a good connection, because you can determine who you want in your circle, who you want to help. All of those things we can't all get along, there's people that just is not the right fit. That's okay. But you start to figure that out, and then you build your circle of people that lift you up, that you can help, that can help you all of those good things, and it all happens organically. And then everyone wins. That's the scenario I love, when everyone wins.

Elaine Turso  37:20  
One of my favorite questions I ask people is, how can I support you, or who can I connect you with? Who do you need to meet? And I love to connect people together that might need to know each other. Whether they are in a similar industry, they may have the same audience, they may be, oh my gosh, how do you not know each other? I love that. I'm always looking for. Who can I connect you with next?

Marisa Huston  37:44  
It's funny too, Elaine, because I asked that question all the time, and you wouldn't believe how many people never take advantage of it. It opened my eyes, and I start to realize too, like, if I know somebody who's really a connector, I call them connectors. If they're connectors, they typically are very open about who their connections are. And then what I do is I keep track of that. And then when I see something where there's a post or they're telling somebody about somebody they know that does an excellent job at XYZ, I reach out to them and I'll say, Elaine, you just posted about so and so, and that person sounds so interesting, I'd like to interview them on the podcast, or I would like to talk to them and get to know more about how they work, or whatever. Can you introduce me? And just by asking, it opens up everything. They're like, Absolutely, I'll make a connection. And then you start to build your circle. And it's just as simple as that. But so many people will see all these interesting people being put in front of them, and they never bothered to ask to be introduced or call ,or do anything, and it's like it's such a wasted opportunity. 100% yeah, I hope that we got our listeners to think about all these things for their business, so that they can be more efficient, they can grow their circle, and they can really enjoy the reason they started their business in the first place. Elaine, I want to thank you so much for sharing your experience and insights with us. 

Elaine Turso  39:07  
Thank you so much for having me. I love this conversation. 

Marisa Huston  39:11  
Me too. And by the way, go ahead and tell us your website as well. I'm going to have it on the show notes, but let's put it on here as well, for anybody who doesn't have access right away to the show notes they can hear. How to reach you.

Elaine Turso  39:23  
Yeah, I'm all over the web. Just search Elaine Turso, and there I am.

Marisa Huston  39:28  
Okay, that's it, easy enough. Thank you, Elaine, for being here. 

Elaine Turso  39:32  
Thank you so much. 

Outro  39:34  
That's a wrap for this episode of Live Blissed Out. Thanks to Elaine Turso for joining us, and thanks for listening. If you have a question or comment for a future episode, all you have to do is go to www.speakpike.com/LBOVM or click the link in the show notes to leave a brief audio message. If you find value in our show, please visit www.,liveblissedout.com to reach out, subscribe and share on cocial media, This show is made possible through listeners like you. Thank you. So long for now, and remember to keep moving forward!..