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Gain firsthand insight into how auction professionals can overcome growth barriers and use technology built by auction people for auction people, without losing the personal touch.
Brandon Giella: Hello and welcome
back to the Inno, a podcast where
we talk about building smarter,
more profitable auction businesses.
I'm joined again by Jodi Amaya, founder
and executive vice president of Inno a.
Welcome back, Jodi.
Today we are talking about
tackling something every auction
company hits eventually, which
we are calling the scaling.
Ceiling.
So what in your mind, Jody, does
that mean for auctioneers, and why
does technology play such a big role
in overcoming this scaling ceiling?
Jodi Amaya: That's a great question.
Um, I talk to a lot of auction companies
every day, and one thing that I
commonly hear is, Jodi, we're growing.
I can't find people.
Um, do you know who I can hire?
Can I hire you?
Um, and so, you know.
A lot of times people don't really
understand how technology can benefit
them, and it took me a while to figure
out like the, the right way to explain it.
And I think that like the logic,
the things that we do every day as,
as auctioneers, as yard managers,
as office managers, as clerks who
register and, and do different
things, there is ways that Innova has
automated those processes so that.
Your team doesn't have to feel like when
they're entering inventory or entering
data into the system, did I do it right?
Did I, did I get this right?
Have I done that?
So there's checklist and, and logic
that's built into InnovA um, that it,
it's basically to where your auction
software can become another and.
Employee for you.
Um, make your employees more effective.
They feel better about the work
that they're doing, um, with
the logic that is built in.
So we're allowing your teams to work
smarter, not harder by building in this
logic and workflows, um, that just keep
everything consistent, make you more
efficient, and hopefully more profitable.
That's the goal.
Brandon Giella: I love that.
I love that.
This phrase that you've used before
when you and I have talked, is that the
technology solution that you guys are
thinking about, the processes, the logic,
that it's really like this multiplication
tool that it multiplies the auction owner.
Can you talk a little bit about that?
Like what does that mean and
how does that show up in, in
real world auction businesses?
Jodi Amaya: I think the easiest way that
I can say it is that, you know, I think
of like Alexa, you know, how she gets
smarter and smarter the more you use her.
Um, I think that that's what
your data should do for you.
Like my auction customers,
everybody on their team should of
be able to just continue working.
Where they're at, you know, they add
inventory, but then the way they create
inventory descriptions, the technology
can fine tune it so that they keep doing
the work, but you get a better outcome.
So, for example, like an inspection
template, um, sometimes you could send
somebody out to write up a truck and it
could be the exact same truck and three
people would write it up differently.
That's not what buyers want to see.
We, your buyers want to see
consistent descriptions.
They wanna see more pictures,
they wanna see photos.
So if, if technology can help create
that inventory brand standard, then your
brand as a company stands out and so.
Instead of fighting the technology that
can actually benefit you, because we're
not, we're not replacing expertise.
We're adding to it.
We're enhancing it so that
you can eventually rely on it.
Um, and, and your buyers can
look at you the way that you're
building your descriptions and
compare it to your competitors.
That's what they're doing.
Um, so we can, we can focus on that
logic and see how it's going to help
each person on the, on the auction team.
Brandon Giella: I like that.
I, I think, uh, another way to maybe
thinking about it, uh, at least.
From my experience of using, you know,
technology in different ways, obviously,
you know, a podcast is very technological,
Jodi Amaya: Yeah.
Yeah,
Brandon Giella: uh, but what's important
is the process, making sure everything is
consistent and it just works every time.
And
so what I'm hearing is like.
Standardize, you know, make sure
like catalog orders are all correct.
There's consistent photo requirements, the
fee structures, the bidder communication.
Is it that kind of thing, like how
you guys basically remove that from
the auction owner's brain, put it
into a computer so that they can
focus on the more important things?
Jodi Amaya: That's exactly right.
You've got it.
Uh, so it, at first, um, just to be
completely transparent, um, I'm a
checklist girl, so I also like, you
know, so have the photos been done?
Has the video been done?
Has the in inspect, the inspection
been created the way that I,
I think it should be done.
And then going back over that and triple
checking that, that takes so much time.
So.
With InnovA You know what I wanted to
build in, there was some reassurance that
the standards that we're, we're trying
to, we're trying to change something.
We're saying that what
we're doing is not scalable.
That we are feeling a pain point
of that we can't, we can't grow
anymore without adding more people.
So my solution for that was,
and I'm talking about inventory
as one example of logic.
Um, I'll give some other examples.
But what I'm trying to, I guess,
express is that the, the system
knows what, what your standards are.
So when you become a customer
of Innova, we go through this
discovery process with you and we
ask you what are your standards?
What are your pain points?
What are you looking to solve?
And we build those solutions.
Most of them are already built in,
but we can change some configurations.
Based upon how your company wants to run
and, and, and, and the performance that
your TR company's trying to achieve.
So we've hard coded some auction
best practices into the system
that can standardize things like
catalog order consistency in photo
requirements, video requirements,
fee structures, a lot of things.
That take many, uh, take people, like
many tasks have been shortened so that
that person can check it off their list,
know that it's done, don't feel like
they have to go back and recheck it.
I mean, that's a big deal
to have peace of mind.
Brandon Giella: Hmm.
Help me make a, a little bit
more of the connection to growth.
So we're talking about the scaling
ceiling, and I'm imagining there
are some listeners that we have
that are saying like, okay, like,
yes, I, I want to grow my business.
And I know that, you know,
either people can help me.
I'm, I'm reluctant to hire more
people, you know, and I have all this
knowledge and I know processes would
help me, but help me understand, like.
Go, go like one step further, like, okay,
technology's useful and it helps me grow.
How?
Like what?
Why does that matter so much if I'm
wanting to like get past this like scaling
ceiling that I'm feeling right now?
Jodi Amaya: and that's important.
And I, and that's something that I
try to talk through with my prospects,
uh, or future customers, is because
a lot of times the first thing
they say to me is, we can't grow.
We need more people.
People are so hard to find, and I say
true when we, we can't, we can't fix that.
You know, we can't solve that right away.
And a lot of times you hire people
and you invest time in training them.
They don't get it or they
leave or whatever that is.
So let's focus on what we do have,
you know, what, what is the struggle
for this team member on your team?
Okay.
It's tracking titles, um, and then
the title descriptions, you know, not
matching the inventory descriptions.
So then your customer ends
up, uh, you know, the buyer
ends up upset with it later.
So now you have an upset buyer, a returned
item, uh, you're having problems with
collections, and so it just continues.
To pile on top of each other.
So if you're already having those
problems, and let's say you're
selling, you know, 2000 assets
a month, how do you think you're
gonna sell 4,000 assets a month?
Because you are already
having a scalability problem.
And so we've got to look at how
to do better with what we have.
I believe technology is that
solution, um, because I see it work.
So it isn't always about.
I need more and more people to grow more.
It's, I need to do better with
what I have, or I need another
tool to help me do better.
Because a lot of times the, the staff
I had a cu a customer say to me.
Not, it is been a couple of years
now that she said this, but she said,
Jodi, I could never take a day off.
I hadn't had a day off in six years.
I, um, have only taken one day
in the past, and that was just
recently for her father's funeral.
She's like, none of my staff
feels like they can take off work.
We're always so far behind what we're
creating is, is not really the best.
Quality, and we don't really
feel good about it, but we
don't know how to do better.
And so I said, well, what if, what
if I told you that could change?
And it really wasn't until about 60
days in to using InnovA that she said,
if, if I ever have to use anything
else, I, I won't, I won't be here.
I won't be here anymore.
Because she, she started, she
only started working, you know,
about 40, 50 hours a week.
She was able to take weekends off.
She was being able to.
Balance her life.
And I know it sounds very cheesy, you
know, to, to be able to help somebody
balance their life, but also they are
more rewarded by the work that they do.
Imagine working, working, working, and
still not feeling good about what you do.
That, that's just not a good feeling.
And so really technology can
help you create standards,
which is where you want to be.
You know, not just, I'm, I'm
okay with this quality because
it's the best that I can get.
Creating a standard.
Then minimizing the steps
to even a better standard.
Then you feel good about the work, you
feel rewarded and now you're, you, you've
cut down all those problems, so now you
can focus on growth 'cause you're not
just focused on all those other things.
So, long-winded answer.
I know, but it's, it's, it doesn't seem
possible sometimes, but it really is.
Brandon Giella: You know, and
you, me, you said 60 days.
That does not strike me as a.
Super long amount of time.
I mean, especially if you've been in
business for years and years and years,
and you've got, you know, you're, you're
building a, you know, good business.
You've got a good team, 60 days.
Like if you told me like, in, in
60 days a lot of your problems as
a business are gonna be solved.
I'm like, hallelujah, that sounds great.
60 days is, I can wait for that, you
Jodi Amaya: That's pretty
Brandon Giella: that's amazing.
It's like really fast.
Jodi Amaya: Yeah, it is.
I think to the user though, you know,
imagine, you know, when you get a
new phone, even a, like your, whether
iPhone or Android, doesn't matter.
You get a new phone.
And it's just different.
You know, you didn't really like the
way that your other phone was working.
You didn't like, you know, some
things about it and you know about
all these improvements that this new
phone's gonna give you, but it takes
a little while before you can see the
results of it to where you're like,
okay, I'm comfortable with this.
The new, the, the old was ugly,
but I got comfortable with it.
So this new is unfamiliar,
this data is going in.
I don't really know what
the data looks like.
Coming out, like I, I'm
not used to that yet.
I haven't done it enough.
And so now my customers say
they can't live without it.
Um, a customer said to me last
week, um, that it has grown his
business five times and that he
hasn't hired any more employees.
So the results have been proven.
Um, I just, it's, it's getting
the people that are need to
be comfortable with change.
Um, but it's super exciting
to, to be a part of it and to
help 'em build out these plans.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, that's right.
Yeah.
I can imagine technology feeling
a little overwhelming, you know,
especially when you've been doing
this process, like, you know, you've
been in this business for decades.
It's like, I, I have this
like way I've been doing it.
It's all I know.
I don't know how to do it, uh, elsewhere.
But, you know, having kind of a technology
solution like that, it, it is change.
It is scary, but exciting
Jodi Amaya: It's scary.
I mean, their business, I mean, you
know, they're looking at, I want to grow.
I, I feel like I'm doing well.
I'm okay with my profits,
but change is scary.
Um, so the thought of, of doing that
and getting a whole team to participate
on it and, and auctions we move quick.
You know, so it's, it's, it's just
a little uncomfortable, but being
uncomfortable is, is growing.
So that's, that's what
I'm here to help 'em with.
Brandon Giella: So to summarize a bit
of what we talked about, so there's
auction owners might be listening who
are growing, but they feel like they're
hitting this ceiling and they want to
feel like, okay, I want to get past this.
I know that technology
can be a part of that.
I know a good partner is a part of that.
I know certain key employees are a part
of that, and processes are a part of that.
What you're offering is, well, technology
is a major component of that solution, and
there is a way that you can standardize
these things through technology.
From that, you get higher standards,
you get more efficiency, and you
get, uh, something repeatable.
That all of which helps you grow.
Sounds too good to be
true.
Jodi Amaya: does, doesn't
Brandon Giella: I'm skeptical.
What do you say to that?
What does that, you know,
somebody listening and they're
thinking like, I don't know.
I don't know.
Like, what, what would you encourage
them with to, to feel like they can
get over that, um, that scary change
Jodi Amaya: Go back to
the original problem.
You, you, when we got on this call or
we, we started our conversation, even
if I'm on the phone with a customer
or prospect said, you know, sir, if
I'm talking to a sir, you told me
your problem is growth, so what is
the impact if you don't make a change?
You know, your, your team is burned out.
You're looking for more staff.
That's not the answer.
Um, maybe it is, but if you
don't make a change of some
sort, you stay where you are.
Um, growing is uncomfortable in any part
of life, but I believe that InnovA is
different, um, that we're a partner, that
we're not just gonna go, here you are now.
Go figure out how to use it.
Um, we're, you know, we have
a great customer success.
Team that's gonna train.
We're a a, a business provider.
We, where we consult in business,
we're gonna listen to your goals.
We're gonna see if you're getting
there, we're gonna help you measure it.
Um, there's a lot of things that we
do that are going to provide, I hope
I build trust with that customer that
they can go, okay, Jodi's got the tech
side, she's gonna work with my team.
InnovA is, is my partner.
I'm gonna trust that at least for, you
know, how, give me, give me six months.
If we're not, if you don't see
improvement, it's gonna take
less than six months, but then
go back to what you were doing.
Um, but I promise you, in six months,
you're gonna see a new way that
you didn't think was even possible.
Brandon Giella: I like that.
You gotta plan B, taste, and C, you
know, see if this is gonna work out
Jodi Amaya: Because I promise you the
Plan A, that you talked about, you,
they came to me with a problem saying
that growth, you know, that they,
they felt that they couldn't grow,
that they were hitting a ceiling.
So if you keep doing what you're doing,
you still end up with the same problem.
Brandon Giella: That's right.
That's right.
And I like how you brought up the,
the kind of quality of life stuff.
I mean, I think for a lot of
business owners out there,
that grind can be overwhelming.
And if you said you will make the exact
same revenue next year, but you're gonna
work half as much, I might take Y on that
even if I didn't grow a bit.
Jodi Amaya: wanna work from Tahiti.
I've never
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Jodi Amaya: but it just sounds beautiful.
So if I can help my customers while
I'm in Tahiti, that would be great.
But if my auction owners, you know,
we, uh, they, a lot of them travel a
lot and they're constantly setting up
inventory and you know, this or that.
But what if they were able to work?
Outside of their business and
not just in their business.
If they could trust their team and their
technology partner to run the inside
of their business, and the results
were paying off that they could see
the results that they could work on
the outside of growing the business
and maybe even working from Tahiti.
I don't know.
Brandon Giella: I mean, I'm down.
I'm
ready to go to
Jodi Amaya: I'm, I'm ready.
Brandon Giella: I
love
Jodi Amaya: They buy me a ticket too.
If I make 'em enough money.
They, they, they pay for my Tahiti.
I don't know.
That would be great too.
Brandon Giella: Hey, I have
heard promising things.
I, I can't mention
things on this call, but
I have heard exciting things,
so, yeah, no, so about that.
Yeah, we've got lots of, uh, of really
cool stuff coming out from the Innovate
team, uh, that there's gonna be tons
of resources, a lot more activity
on all the digital channels, and a
lot more exciting things as you
guys are preparing and launching new
auctions and working with your clients.
So.
Lots of fun things in store.
So if you're listening to this
show, please go to innova llc.com.
That's I-N-N-O-V-A-L-L c.com.
Check out our YouTube channel,
sign up for our newsletter.
We've got a lot more cool stuff
coming, so we will see you
on the flip side next time.
Jodi Amaya: Thank you, Brandon.