Join us in today's episode as we connect with the dynamic Jocelyn Chong, hailing from Melbourne, Australia. From her roots in Malaysia to a flourishing early career in financial planning and banking, Jocelyn shares her transformative journey, transitioning from corporate mazes to the world of entrepreneurship, coaching, and speaking.

From corporate labyrinths to entrepreneurial escapades, Jocelyn got insights, and a couple of "aha!" moments that leave you wondering, "Why didn't I think of that?" You will gain insights into the nuances of corporate life, the challenges of transition, the importance of mindset, and the pivotal role of relationships in business and in shaping one's career.

This candid conversation is filled with practical advice, personal anecdotes, and invaluable lessons for budding entrepreneurs and professionals alike.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Identifying and changing limiting beliefs and behaviors
• The role of relationships in navigating you towards your success
• Mindset as one of the biggest challenges that entrepreneurs face
• How to build trust and relationships at networking events
• The importance of valuing your pricing strategy
• How to speak to sell

You can reach Jocelyn at: https://www.jocelynchong.com.au/

A little about me: 

I began my career as a teacher, was a corporate trainer for many years, and then found my niche training & supporting business owners, entrepreneurs & sales professionals to network at a world-class level. My passion is working with motivated people, who are coachable and who want to build their businesses through relationship marketing and networking (online & offline). I help my clients create retention strategies, grow through referrals, and create loyal customers by staying connected. 

In appreciation for being here, I have a couple of items for you. 

A LinkedIn Checklist for setting up your fully optimized Profile:  

An opportunity to test drive the Follow Up system I recommend by taking the  

10 Card Challenge – you won’t regret it.   

Connect with me: 

http://JanicePorter.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janiceporter/ 

https://www.facebook.com/janiceporter1 

Thanks for listening! 

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Hello, everyone, and welcome to this week's

episode of relationships rule. This This week we have an

international guest Jocelyn Tong is with with me today from all

the way from Melbourne, Australia. I hope I said that

right. And welcome to the show, Jocelyn.

Well, thank you so much for having me on this

show. It's been a pleasure. And I had a great time having a chat

with few journalists. And oh, we learned so much from you. So

yeah, glad to be on this show, as well.

Awesome. Well, now I know your story is really

interesting. And for me, when I was reading about you, what I

found fascinating, I would love you to share with my audience is

how you go from, first of all, your Malaysian background to in

and then in financial planning, and city sales, and then

financial planning, and then to this wonderful career as a as an

entrepreneur, and a coach and a speaker, etc, etc. So please let

my audience have a little inkling into that.

Right, I will share the shorter version. So I

was born and raised in Malaysia, at the age of 17, I left home to

pursue my further education now Australia, and I did a double

degree in commerce in accounting. And so it was a

natural path to work for the big four, which is an young at the

time. And in there, I became an auditor. So I did a lot of

audits for the top leading companies in Australia. And one

of that company invited me to join them as the internal

auditors. So I got that job. And within four months, or within

four weeks, I relocated from Adelaide to Melbourne. One day,

I went around the whole country because he was a national role.

So I traveled so much. And I realized that I wanted a job in

the banking sector, because finance is something that I love

doing. And I love the numbers. I love investing, I love working

with money. And so I decided that was the appropriate time

for me to switch career, taking all my accounting background

skill sets, and then move into banking. So I landed on a

banking role. And I was in retail banking for two years.

And throughout that whole process, you know, I learned so

much about people, because banking is all about people, you

talk to them about the issues, your problems with money, and

you help them solve it. I then was excelling in that role. So

the state manager asked me to step into a financial planning

role, which is far more senior and is heavily regulated in my

country. So I need to do further studies to get the certification

and the license to practice. And I did that. So I excelled in

that role as well. And they invited me to actually lead a

team and then a national team. And so I progressed throughout

that rank and really did so well. But equally, I was working

so hard. I was selling my soul to my organization. And I

reached a point whereby this is not the kind of life that I

dreamt off. Even though the money was good. The lifestyle

was not what I wanted, I had to compromise a lot of things. And

you know, friendships and time because I was in the office all

the time, I realized that I have always loved business, I've got

so many skills around sales, speaking coaching, that I can

really set up my own practice to help others who are in the same

shoes who needed that kind of support, and who needed that

kind of coaching as well, because I noticed that there was

a gap in the industry that nobody is coaching in a

practical way, a lot of the method of coaching is true

information through reading things through following

template. But what is missing is the practical component that I

can share stories that can help them pinpoint exactly where they

need the support and tweak that for them. And that can really

speed up their success because I witnessed that when I coach my

team members, many of them had been in the job maybe 1015 years

and they still in the same old pattern. And when I led the team

and I noticed that by sitting in their meetings and giving them

coaching without permission, they are like oh my God, nobody

has actually told me that. And you know when we say one thing

and some Analysis assessing is very different, especially when

you're in the same room together, for sure. And that's

where the magic again. And so I noticed that that is the power

because my coaching style is very practical. And I'm a very

practical person, I'm, you know, as much as I am listening, I'm

also a very visual person. And so when I coach and when I

support others, I actually need to witness that and see that for

myself, because sometimes what we see, we're able to tweak a

little bit, and that significant change is wildly amazing. So

that's what I do for my clients. Well,

I know that you, you went in the traditional path

to start with, right and got your degrees and went in the

corporate world, and you did all of those things, probably to

please your parents as much as anything else. Right? And yeah,

and and I don't know, I'm curious, though, if it has

anything to do with the, the generation, like, when we in

your generation, which is younger than mine, in your

generation, do you? Do you come to the conclusion or the

realization faster, that the corporate world is just, you

know, it's just not for me? Like, you know what I mean, like

a lot of people my age, they never got to question that they

got to just go, they there wasn't the there weren't the

options then. So do you find that with the people that you

work with now that they're doing what you did, or, you know what

I'm saying.

In the corporate world, if someone is very

ambitious, they can navigate through different roles within

the organization. But as you progress further, like for me,

the next role I apply is one out of six for a role that has got

35,000 people. So there's very little opportunities for me to

explore even further, because there is that much competition.

And it's getting harder as you progress further, because

there's less role. And it is more consuming to actually, you

know, work harder, like your work, you you will literally be

working, there's no life outside of work on Sunday.

And you're then working for the company, the

company's making the money, you know what I mean? So, yeah,

that's the way I see it anyway. So would you say what? Well, let

me ask you this, because when you shifted, I know that you you

had an impetus that forced to kind of, I think that their

vision in the company you were working for closed down in the

financial planning part, right. And so now was the time to make

the move correct.

So right, so at the time where it happened, we

had a Royal Commission in Australia. And so all the banks

decided to shut down their financial planning arm because

it was not viable for them to support that business arm. So

all the banking sector decided to spin off shut down

transgender clients outside. And so I was impacted by that I had

two options. I could go out and set up my own financial

planning, practice more, I could, you know, do something

else. And I was close to buy a practice. But then I thought,

you know, I've done this for over 15 years, there's so much

more beyond just, you know, being in this industry, there's

so much more than I want to explore. And so I decided to

explore more than the financial planning world that I was part

of, which was very grateful. I learned so much from the world

of banking and finance, I met 1000s and 1000s of people set on

so many meetings and stories that people would share with me,

they will never share with someone else in your family is

so privileged, you know, I had executed Allah wills because

financial planning, obviously, once they pass away, we will go

to their will and we will distribute their investments

based on what they have told us, of course, working in alignment

with their estate planning lawyer. But it was just, you

know, a lot of events that, you know, taught me so much about

life that I don't think I would get that kind of personal

experience, if I have been in another role. So

would you say what role would you say

relationships played in navigating you towards your new

challenge your new business, you know, the relationships in

business relationships moving forward to help you start your

entrepreneur practice.

Yes, no, I think it the business is very

relationship driven. And we have to love people, we have to want

to help people. And that's the key part, which I know a lot of

entrepreneurs tend to skip that, maybe because they are an

introvert, maybe because they have never been taught about the

relationship piece of the work, because they could be very

strong, technically in the aspect that they want to

deliver. And I noticed that with a lot of my clients that they're

so good in the strategies, the tools, the product that they

want someone else to use, but they don't have the skill to

communicate that product benefits to someone else. And so

that's a skill that we can all learn. So yeah,

so one of the biggest challenges then that

that your clients face when they come to you for help? Is it? Is

it what it's mindset? Or is it the lack is just not mindset?

Always, but I know that's a big one for you. Is it confidence?

Is it not knowing how to get through to people? Is it they

just need a tweak? Or is it a whole big deal for somebody?

I mean, it's different in the major part that

I noticed the commonly wants is mindset. Because a lot of us

have been conditioned for a while of how we do things in a

set way. So it's challenging to think beyond that, because your

brain is so wired to operate that way. And that pattern

becomes a way of life. And so if someone is willing to explore

differently, they will go through that period of

discomfort, because the discomfort is actually teaching

them how to step out of the old patterns that got them the

results they were looking for. But those patterns no longer can

deliver the new results they were expecting. And I will help

them identify exactly where it is. So to give you an example,

I've got a commercial broker coming from another bank that

decided the setup, this person had been in the bank for 14

years, knew exactly what they need to do. And so when she came

to coach with me, she needed to know how to connect with people,

and how to market herself. Because she is the CEO, now she

is helping someone get the results. And in the banking

sector, the leads come to you, you don't need to go and find

the leads, I say that is a huge component of helping her step

out and how to network effectively. So a lot of people

go out, I go to networking events and hope that I'm there

the leads will come to me. Not so because you actually need to

break it down to really different areas. Number one, you

need to get to know someone they need to trust you know, you and

know that you can deliver something for their clients. If

you're asking for an introduction. Number two,

doesn't mean you meet someone, the leads will come to you

immediately. Sometimes lead comes in 45 days, 100 days, two

years. And so patience is absolutely necessary. And to be

very strategic, because when you go to a networking event, you

never know who you will meet. So it's important not to judge

people just because they might not be someone that you think

will refer to you. You never know what connections they might

have. You don't know who? Yeah, exactly. And so it's all these

things that it's not taught in school or in books, right. But

it is actually learn to what you're caught and what you

witness and for me is helping her navigate through that. And

then the other aspect is her branding. Because when you work

for brand, you'd have got the company's brand on your business

card. But when you are running your own organization, now you

are the brand you are the company brand. So what do you

represent? Do you need to dress more professionally? Do you need

to change your posture when you speak to someone? Do you have

your I help statement, how you say it and how you follow

through with it. And so it's not just doing the I help statement

and hope that someone would send you leads and the leads will fly

in. It's actually a Got more than that. So? And also what I

noticed in I mean, it sounds like we're doing her case study,

but because I want to give a

perfect Yeah, is

that it is so important also to not give up

easily. Because in the brain always go, I tried it already

and it didn't work the first time. And it might not work that

time because you're using that method. And sorry, the coaching

sessions is, what if we apply this method, but you can get

more results? So how do you show up in the 40 seconds that say,

in a networking event, how you show up and what you say, and

how you use that time to say hello to someone building like a

trust, but there's no like in trust look like for you help her

redefine that. So we did a lot of work. It's so soft, skills

driven. Because technically, from a technical aspect, she

knew what she needed, or as is the soft skill that we could

help her apply, gain her confidence, right? She goes on.

A lot of people have been doing this role in the marketplace

already. So why would they choose me? And so why not? Yes,

yeah. Like those people who started, they have to start from

somewhere to that, because they started 10 years ago, but that

was their starting point, just your is your starting point. So

it's helping understand that, you know, it needs to start

somewhere helping her apply the right methods that applies to

her business, getting the system simplify the system stay very

positive, because she had encountered a lot of obstacles

along the way. Because, you know, relationship with

stakeholders, sometimes people can be manipulative. And they

might, you know, use her materials, but not hire her. And

so the how to process those hurdles, to move forward. And it

was a huge, you know, accomplishment, because today

she made, you know, in revenue, income 200,000. But it's to

really guide her through step by step. And to also teach her on

helping to value her pricing strategy. So her pricing

strategy helped her to more how to position herself, so that she

knows how to talk about her pricing in a confident way.

People attach themselves when they actually show up for their

own business, because they think that they are not worthy, or the

need to under charge to get more deals coming in. But when you

under charge, people actually don't perceive the value that

you're offering to them. So we get a lot of work around that

aspect as well on the mindset about worthiness, your money,

beliefs, and how to actually trust in yourself even more.

Absolutely, there is so much to to, to think about

from what you just said. So from the beginning of someone

starting their own business, and coming from an in a corporate

environment where the leads come directly to them, I was in that

position, I was a corporate trainer for many years, and they

would just send us out to train and so I never had to find my

own clients. And when I went out on my own, I experienced that

very same thing. The thing that I found is that there was a lot

I didn't know about running a business. And so you've

incorporated all of those things as well into your, your

coaching. But you have to walk into those networking events

with intention, knowing what your your what your goal is at

that particular event. And the piece that I that I think you

didn't say, but I'm sure you'll agree with me is that because

you said some of them take time, it's not everybody will come at

the when you're expecting them to come and do business with

you. But what you must do is follow up and stay connected to

people because they all have their own timeline. Right? So

you keep going out there you keep doing what you're doing if

it's working, but you keep doing it and you follow up with the

people from the past the ones that you think are prospects

because no doesn't always mean No, right? It just means not

right now, and unless you clarify otherwise, right. So

there's that and then talking about the money, the pricing. I

totally understand where you're coming from there too. I think

when it's when we first speak our pricing, if it's

uncomfortable, we can tell because it doesn't roll off our

tongue very well. But it doesn't take long. Once you practice and

you do that you grow into it. And by then, it's time to do it

again, right to up your prices again. But I know I just had

that experience myself, where somebody just said to me, Oh, is

that for all three sessions. And right away, I knew I could have

charged her more. So, you know, it is what what I, you start to

find those signals and, and build that confidence yourself.

So I love what the work that you're doing, I think it must be

really gratifying as well, to see them go from there to you

know, success, a successful career.

Yes, and also, because I watched Dell personal

transformation, yes, they become more confident, yes, they'll be

able to articulate what they want to offer, with clarity. And

I witnessed that in their growth, because they think

strategically, because a lot of times you have an idea in your

head. But the ideas are just you know, all flowing and flooding

in the thoughts. But when you actually put it down pen to

paper, the sequence, and the step by step to get the results

is great getting clear each time when I coach her and she goes

away and create that process for her client as well. Fantastic is

sometimes you work in the organization, they direct you to

the next step, and you have systems directing you from

workflow, one to workflow two, when you're operating your

business, you effectively will need to create that workflow in

order to move yourself forward. And you don't have anyone

guiding you unless you have got a coach to guide you to step

forward as well. So that was also another very, very fun

thing that I witnessed, which was amazing, because those are

skill sets. Once you have got those skill sets, they stay with

you and you gain mastery and you can move forward with you know,

bigger and better things.

Mm hmm. So do you also I think, um, do you teach

people how to sell from the stage how to speak to sell? Is

that part of do? Yeah. So yes. What would you say the three

biggest mistakes are that people make when they're trying to do

that.

So number one, selling one to one and selling

from the stage is very different skill sets. And so you will need

to have a proven product to sell from the stage because you're

selling one to many. And you will need additional skills on

speaking to a group. Because when you speak one on one, you

got one person, you are able to address one objection at a time.

But when you actually address the group, let's say a group of

15, a group of 50 a group to 1000 your message and the way

you move your body across the stage is a whole nother level.

So my recommendation is when someone wants to sell from the

stage is to just learn to speak to a crowd first before you

start selling from the stage. Because selling from the stage

has got a whole nother level technique. And there is a way to

move the audience. So is a very different level of skill set

that you will need to add on to your repertoire of selling from

the stage and knowing how to overcome their objections

knowing how to look after the crowd. Because when when you're

doing any form of selling, you are actually caring for the

crowd. You're looking after them. And if you don't look

after yourself, you can look after the group. Well, I

like Sorry, that's me after that. I like

that. I like that because there are audiences that I'm very

comfortable speaking in front of I was a teacher. I don't mind

getting up in front of people and speaking, but if I have to

sell, I feel completely different. If I'm training, I'm

good, because I'm teaching, right if I'm if I'm presenting

to sell, it feels different. So I understand, you know what

you're saying? And I'm not always as comfortable doing

that. So I see people who are masters at it and I watch you

know, they're great storytellers usually, and they have a way of

drawing the audience in And I bet I haven't seen you on a

stage. But I bet you do that too.

Yes. And you can see me on the stage in my master

classes virtually that I do. Oh, yeah, monthly basis.

That's right, tell me about.

And so I do host a monthly master classes that I

welcome people in, and they can actually come and learn. And

then at the end, I make an offer to help them advance so that

they can implement that. So I like the point where you really

help our audience, identify the speaker that just speak from the

stage about your story. And then there's speaker that teach which

is corporate training, right. So when we teach is very different

method again, because it is for them to learn. So how to

implement how to apply the principles, the concepts, the

methods that we deliver. And then selling from the stage is a

whole nother level, like you said, because there is

storytelling, there is different methods that I can go into

another session, but to help people identify speaking is

there's so many segments to it. And you know, people who jump on

the stage does not necessarily know how to deliver a sales

pitch as well. Because, you know, for example, a lot of

people that gives presentation, they are just disseminating

information to the people so that they are informed is a very

different level of presentation skills. It

is it so yeah, so of the work that you do, which

piece Do you like the best? Do you like the one I love? Like

the speaking what do you like the best.

So one on one and speaking my gym, because they

come hand in hand. Both requires us to speak into their lives, to

encourage them to empower them, and to actually leave them with

some level inspiration to take action. And so they can get

better themselves. So minds fulfillment is that people who

are in my orbit, I call them my environment, they walk away

taking something that they are improving, either their skills,

or their mindset have been shifted, so that they are going

to contribute to the industry, they'll segment they'll roll

their business even better. So that is my mission every single

day. That's

beautiful. That's really beautiful. So what would

you say your your best business tip would be for my audience of

entrepreneurs and small business owners to take away from this

conversation today.

I've got a lot of favorite ones. But today, I'm

going to actually invite everyone. We are coming into the

end of the year. And I want to invite everyone to reflect on

what you have accomplished this year. And to list them down all

the wonderful things that you've accomplished and celebrate

yourself hard. Because I noticed that a lot of people don't take

the time to celebrate their own progress or accomplishment. And

if we don't celebrate it ourselves, we are not going to

do good to ourselves. Right? We are our people expect other

people to celebrate them. But we have to bet on ourselves and

celebrate ourselves. And that is part of self care strategy to

move into the next year. And you take with you what you did

really well. And you continue to refine you continue to upgrade.

I speak for myself, I'm a lifelong learner, I continue to

learn I continue to go oh, you know what else I can learn more?

You know, before this recording, I was part of a mastermind

group. And today we're learning how can we you know, deliver a

lot of things that we do speak to market with a lot of AI tools

that is already available and how can we integrate them to

actually bring things and results quicker and better for

our clients. So it's learn and be fast in willing to learn

rather than not and pushing them away. So it's really important

to think differently about that as well.

Right? Your video? Yeah, your video just

went strange on me here.

Okay. i Okay, is that

I'm still here, according Okay. All right, so I

can hear you. So this is all been amazing. And I know that

you do a

A webinar every month, right? And people can find on your

website. Yes, yes. And it just Oh, my

next one. And you can always find that on the

website. So it allows you to know which one is next. And I

welcome you all to come and join me on a live masterclass. And,

yeah, let's have some fun. And so, Jenny, thank you so much for

this time together.

You're very welcome. I've enjoyed it. I

think you're a gem and I, at what time will I be able to lie

be awake when you do your masterclass?

Absolutely. So it is ideal time for you and I

because I accommodate to all my friends and colleagues and

clients in the US. So I will send you the link and yeah,

let's have some fun.

Yeah, that sounds like like fun for sure. So thank

you so much for being here. Jocelyn. Much appreciated, and

people can find you I know at Jocelyn chong.com.au Or on

LinkedIn. Correct?

Absolutely.

Thank you so much for being here and for sharing

your wisdom with my audience. And remember to my audience,

thank you for being here and remember to stay connected and

be remembered