Is Anything Real In Paid Advertising?

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Welcome back to "Is Anything Real In Paid Advertising?", the podcast where we call BS on the overhyped, overpriced, and often underperforming side of marketing. I'm your host, Adam W. Barney, and today's guest is building a global agency the old school way through hustle, strategy, and human connection; not a bloated ad budget.

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Joining us is Utsav Nagori, founder of DynaPro Global, a virtual assistant agency based in India that's serving business coaches, real estate agents, and insurance pros in the U.S., and here's the twist: he's doing it without running paid ads.

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Let's get into it. Welcome, Utsav. Thank you, Adam. Thank you for having me, and thank you for that great introduction. I'm super excited to be here. Cool. So why don't we start with, you know, tell us a little bit about launching DynaPro Global in just six months. What problem were you trying to solve, and who are you serving today?

[01:00.6]
Sure, sure. Before I get there, I would like to quickly introduce myself. My name is Utsav. I run this agency called DynaPro Global, based in India. You know, I started off working in the corporate world. I worked in marketing for three years. And I worked across domains.

[01:16.9]
Right. It wasn't just marketing. I worked in content, I worked in product. And then my last role was in product marketing. And I did that for three years, but always wanted to do something of my own. And that's how I got introduced to the world of virtual assistants. It's not a very new concept, as you all might know.

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I think people have been working in this space for quite some time. But when I discovered it, I was blown away. And that's what sparked my interest to pursue this even further. So when I got into it, I started talking to a lot of people. I realized that it's a crowded market. I'm not going to say that it's not a crowded market, but despite it being a very crowded market, I still feel that, you know, the demand for it is too high.

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And, given my experience in working in marketing and, you know, other things, I thought it would be fun to, you know, just get into it, see it for myself if there's something there for me or not. I started, I think eight months back. It's been eight months since I started.

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It was just an experiment to see how far I can get with this. I did not have a plan in place, but I think once I got into it, once I got a taste of entrepreneurship. Once I started to talk to people based in the US, understanding the business landscape over there, I understood a lot of things.

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And I realized that even though it's crowded, you can still stand out if you really, really work on the quality of your services. That's a fantastic takeaway because, you know, one thing that I truly believe is in this world, truly, hardly any of us create anything that's brand new.

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Right? So we can always iterate and make things better or use things from a different light, different angle, widen the aperture, whatever the case might be. So, I mean, early in the business, most folks probably that actually gave you recommendations.

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A lot of folks listening today would probably say run Facebook or Google Ads to get leads early on. But that's not how you approached it. Why not? A lot of reasons. I think, first of all, when I just got into this space, I wanted to understand what the term virtual assistants means.

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I think the definition that I had in my head versus what my clients had were really different. So it was very important for me to understand, you know, what does the term even mean? And what I understood out of, you know, all the conversations that I had with my clients was that, for me, virtual assistants just meant that, you know, I'm their assistant who's working virtually.

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They're just outsourcing all of their operational tasks to me. But when I started talking to people, I realized that that's not how they look at it. For them, I think virtual assistants, it could be anything. It does not have to be operational tasks. It does not have to be, you know, back end operations.

[03:58.3]
It could be anything that has been happening remotely. Right. That's how people look at it. So I think that was a very big revelation for me because that opened a new world for me in terms of what services I could give. So, say, for example, initially I was just focusing on backend services like data entry or a little bit of operations or maybe facilitating communications or managing your email inboxes, things like those.

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But once I got into it, I realized that the market is huge. You don't have to stick to these things. These things could very well be automated by AI. Right? So you need to really go out there and see where is the gap. And I realized that I could do a lot of other things as well.

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So, you know, to give you an example for one of our clients, I actually, you know, built a full frame of website for them, a personal website for them. You know, I had my software developers working for me, I had my content team working for me. And then, you know, all of us came together to build a website for them. Now, this is not the kind of task you would expect your virtual assistant to do, right?

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But we became a sort of a marketing agency for them to, you know, build this from scratch. So the reason, just to answer your question very quickly, the reason I went the old school way is because I wanted to understand the space better.

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Right. Like, it was all bootstrapped. I did not have anyone funding me to build this business. So I really wanted to spend my time, understand each and every aspect of it, utilize all the organic channels that exist, and then, you know, maybe make some money out of it, and then invest that into paid advertising.

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So paid advertising was not something that I was optimizing for in the beginning. Right. And I think the difference there is maybe 10 years ago, you know, running Google Ads could have been the move. But you brought up something powerful in that last answer around how AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing how people search and how people can find you.

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I'm sure that shift informed how you think about ads as well as SEO. And I loved your take on building a tribe before running ads and how you build trust with your early clients, especially across content or continents, rather.

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Right. I think that's the most difficult part, I would say getting your first client. I think that's the part a lot of us struggle with. You know, I think once you get your first four to five set of clients, six clients, I think that's your learning curve. Right. So that's the time you actually learn how things are done.

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Maybe you come from a certain background, so you would already know things. But as for me, I knew a few things here and there, but I did not know how to run a business. So I think the first set of clients really helped me understand how to run a business. And I think if your quality of work is good, then I think, you would also get a lot of references.

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Right. So, I'd like to share, you know, one example with you. One incident that happened with me. So initially started out, you know, I was just unaware. Right. I've never been to the U.S. I don't have any relatives in the U.S. So I just don't know how to, you know, go about it.

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But I came across, you know, this one person on Facebook, and I connected with them, and, you know, they were kind enough to get on a call with me. You know, and then when I got on a call with them, I explained, you know, what I could do for them, and they were kind enough to give me a chance. And I just worked with them for free.

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You know, I did not ask for any money. I worked for them for two months for absolutely no cost. But the value that I was able to drive for them in those two months was something that really stood out for them. And then they recommended me to, you know, a lot of their friends, and that's how, you know, my first set of clients came. You know, initially, I was very hesitant, right?

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You know, like, why should I work for free? I've already been working in the industry for so long. Is it something that I should be doing? But I think once I, you know, let go of that thought process and, you know, just fully submerged myself into it, I realized that it's all right.

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You know, in the bigger scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. But I think the trust that I built over those two months, I mean, it's still reaping me the benefits, and I'm still, you know, getting, a lot of clients through the referrals, which is what a lot of people, you know, are very against. They want to charge their clients a certain way.

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They want to, you know, not work for free. And although I agree with all of those things, you should definitely do that. But I think when you're getting started, I think it's all right to, you know, to undercharge a little bit, to maybe work free a little bit just to get a taste of, you know, what the other party wants, and then really create a space for yourself.

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Right? Because they're also trusting you. They don't know you. You don't come from the same country as them. Right. You know, it might be possible that, you know, they share, some information with you, and you use it inappropriately. All of those things are very much possible, right?

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And, you know, we are miles apart, so it's really, really important that the other person trusts you. So as long as you are willing to go the extra mile, I'm sure that, you know, the other party will also welcome you in the same way. I love that. And of course that plays into, you know, I know something you focused on was building the SEO side early on, but that's great advice for people building service businesses without outside funding and how to build a critical business in the first six to twelve months.

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That's a powerful learning. I've actually heard that many times, give a little bit away early on because you can build not just the referral engine, but you can build the case studies, you can build the testimonials, you can refine and iterate on your product.

[09:32.6]
That is critical. Right. And I agree with what you said. Actually, that was what my marketing strategy was. I would just get on calls with people and I would just tell them that, you know, I'll work for you for free. All I need is a referral. All I need is a testimony from you. I think that testimonial really, really helps because then, you know, you could use it to tell other people that, you know, you've been already working with people.

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You could even do reference checks, you know, if you don't trust me. So I think those kinds of testimonials really, really help in the beginning. That's fantastic. Sort of shifting a little bit though, you know, again, you're targeting, of course, business coaches, realtors, and insurance pros.

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Those are three groups that I just know historically love fast results. How are you showing your value without a fancy funnel there? Right. So when you start off, I think you're not also sure about what industry do you want to cater to?

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Right. And that was where I was also struggling. The world is huge. There are so many industries and, you know, there are so many transferable skills that you also have. So you are also confused in terms of which industry you should target. So I think initially when I started off, I was trying to just work with anyone, right?

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Like whoever's interested in working with me, I would just want to work with them. But, you know, I think three to four months down the line, I realized that I need to figure out, you know, which industry I need to double down in. Because if I'm all over the place, then if I'm talking to everyone, then I'm basically talking to no one.

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Right? And that reflects in your messaging, that reflects in how you conduct your calls. Because everyone wants someone who is knowledgeable in one particular industry so that they understand the nuances of, you know, how things are done. And I realized in the first four months that I really need to pick an industry, become an expert at it.

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So that, you know, when I conduct my discovery cause or sales cause, I'm able to, you know, talk to them with conviction. So I think, the way I doubled down on these industries or, you know, decided to work in these industries, because I was able to work with a few clients from these industries, right?

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And those clients really helped me understand, you know, what their work entails. You know, what are the daily tasks and where is the gap, right? So when I was able to fill those gaps, that's when I built some confidence into, you know, okay, I've worked in this industry.

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I've worked with realtors. I understand this is the gap. This is where they require help. So if I master this one skill, I could probably go up to other realtors and tell them, okay, I come up with these skill sets. I've already done this for a few other realtors, and I could do the same for you. So I just, you know, figured, out where is the gap and learned the scale which would bridge that gap.

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And then I started pitching that to other people. I love it. I mean, that sort of gets into that idea that we hear so much about as entrepreneurs and growing business of niching down. But it's more than niching down. It's niching and finding the nuance, right.

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Of the different industries. That's a critical, critical piece, and that's probably like an unconventional growth move that others might overlook. Are there any other unconventional ideas that have worked for you that have come to the surface that others might be overlooking?

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For sure. I think the crucial part here is to figure out how do you get the foot in the door, right? Like, once you are a part of an organization or once you start working with someone, now it's really up to you. How do you carve your growth journey over there?

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Right. Like, once I start working with you, you would employ me for a certain task, but I would also be able to see where else do you need your help. And if I could be that resource for you, you know, who's going beyond my job description, who's going beyond what is asked for. I think that's where the trust is built, and that's where you also, you know, grow more into, you know, as a person and, you know, just learn more skills.

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Right? And, you know, you could get people from outside to help you, and all of those things could be figured out. But I think that's the part of building the business. Right. You don't just stick to what is being asked for. You always deliver more than what's asked for. You know, as people say, you know, under promise and over deliver.

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I think that's something that really, really works. And I mean in every client call or every project that I take up, I try to make sure that, I lose a little more than what is expected, you know. Because I know that, you know, these are the people, you know, maybe I work with you on a project basis, but if it goes really well, I know that you're gonna come back to me six months, eight months down the line.

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So I think initially my focus is just to build a network. Of course, there are other objectives as well, but I'm just looking out to, you know, build a network of people who trust me. Right, right. You know, Utsav, I'm so glad we had this conversation.

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It's proof for anyone listening that smart strategy still beats the spray and pray approach to ad spend. And you're doing the work that actually builds business momentum. Where can folks learn more about DynaPro Global and your VA services and connect with you directly?

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Well, you can definitely find me on LinkedIn. That's where I'm most active. And you can also reach out to me on email. My email is utsav@dynaproglobal.com, and I have my website as well. But I think LinkedIn is the best place. I'm very active over there and I respond to all of my DMs.

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Awesome. And we'll of course link to all that in the show notes below. Finally though, for the founder out there who's bootstrapping a service business and feeling that pressure to start running ads, what's your real talk advice? See, I think it really, really depends on, you know, where you come from and where do you want to run ads.

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Now, to give you an example, for me, if I were to. Because, you know, you also have to understand how the ad bidding works and how much are the ads priced. Right. If you are based in India and if you want to run ads in India itself, it's not very expensive. But if you're based in India and you want to run ads in the U.S., it's going to be probably a little more expensive.

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Right. So initially, you know, when you're starting out, you might not have the budget. As you said, you're bootstrapped. Right. So really, really figure out all the organic channels that you have. Get your first two to three set of clients like that. Hone your skills because, you know, even if you put in the money and, you know, get some leads, you would not have the confidence to convert them when they actually come on a call with you.

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And you don't want to spend that money and not use it in the most effective way. So my advice is really, really hone in your organic channels. Learn everything that there is to learn about the service that you're providing. Use your network. And then once you have some confidence, once you have built a team of two people or three people working with you, I think that's a good time for you to run ads.

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Awesome. I love that advice. Utsav, it's been a pleasure to have you here. You know, thanks everyone for tuning into "Is Anything Real In Paid Advertising?", the show where we find the signal behind the noise. I'm Adam W. Barney, Subscribe, leave a review, and check the show notes below for more on DynaPro Global and to connect with Utsav.

[16:31.0]
But thank you again. Thank you so much, Adam. Thank you for having me.