Max Aria

Possessing a skillset that can be applied in a variety of roles or occupations can make you indispensable. For Max Aria, his unique and highly successful sales process, or ‘Sales Architecture’, took him from success in the diamond and trade industry to his latest venture, Max REM Media.

Max Aria started his professional career working in the diamond industry. Despite attending college, Max explains that formal education could not have provided him with the practical skills he ended up developing in the trade sector. He explains that selling high ticket items is a specialized skill, and he found that asking a lot of questions, educating buyers (on color and clarity), and introducing pricing over time was the golden formula for success.

However, with the advent of the internet, diamond cutters and manufacturers were now able to undercut prices by selling direct, which meant that the market was no longer competitive for individual sales. This was when Max Aria decided to take everything he had learned in the industry and apply it elsewhere.

Utilizing his knowledge and experience, Max started developing his sales process. After receiving attention from an American Company in Los Angeles, Max relocated his family to develop their sales process, which produced an astonishing $318 million in sales. When the company was unable to provide the fulfillment of volume-sales, Max Aria decided to pivot and brand his ‘Sales Architecture’, building strategies for other high-ticket industries including: real estate, luxury car dealerships, business investment firms, etc.

Today, Max Aria is developing Max REM Media, focused on training individuals to bring their businesses or brands online. This project is close to Max’s heart, as this career pivot has allowed him to add to the quality of his daughter’s life, who has down syndrome. When ready to launch, Max Aria believes that Max REM Media can provide powerful tools and training to assist individuals in attaining the financial freedom and quality of life that he has been able to build for himself and his family.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

Max REM media is a result of the pivot out of the diamond trading industry. Through gained value, knowledge, and experience selling high-ticket items, I developed a successful framework that is easily applied to other business models. Not only has it been invaluable throughout my career, but it has provided me the opportunity to work online from home, and to accommodate the needs of my family.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

You have to plan ahead in order to be successful, so every night I develop tasks for the following day. I have coffee at 5:30 a.m. and exercise every morning. My workday begins in the early hours with calls or appointments with clients in other time zones: Australia, the east coast, and Europe. The afternoons are spent addressing mid-west and west-coast clients. I also make time for my children throughout my day. The key to doing everything and accomplishing more is time-management, a skill I have almost mastered.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I bring ideas to life through active collaboration with others. Working one on one with others allows me to find out where they are, where they want to be, and what values are closest to their hearts. When I have that information, I can become the architect for that individual or business. I then use that as a framework for creating solutions and processes to fulfill that person’s needs.

What’s one trend that excites you?

One trend that excites me right now is the concept of remote working. During the pandemic, more and more people are finding this to be a successful way of working. Not only is it wonderful to feel autonomous and not have to answer to anyone, but many people are now understanding the skills that they have and how they can use them to help others.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

What makes me most productive as an entrepreneur is time management, without question. Creating achievable goals on paper, and then prioritizing them is fundamental to my success as an entrepreneur.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to be kinder, sweeter, and more understanding. There were challenges I had to go through as a child that made me angry as an adult, and it took time for me to work through it. I have learned that anger is only a manifestation of a greater, unrecognized hurt, and I wish I had known that from an earlier age.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

If you depend on a job, it will often leave you in the same place. There is very little incentive for companies to progress an individual employee internally, especially if you are indispensable. If you depend on a job, build your skillset, become a linchpin, so that even if your job is unstable, you will have no problems finding new employment or starting a new venture.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

For me, it is continual learning and education. If you invest in your education and are consistent with daily practice, you will continue to grow and expand your business and mindset. Keep an open mind with new people, new ideas, new technologies, new systems, and new processes. The cornerstone of success in every relationship and business venture is the ability to keep things fresh—you cannot do that without continual learning.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

One strategy that has helped me grow my business is my ability to communicate in difficult circumstances. I have a knack for developing processes to simplify information, and communication is no different. I have learned to face difficult situations head on, which includes listening attentively, showing empathy, and finding compromise. This is also a useful skill in everyday life.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Money management used to be a challenge for me. No one teaches you how to balance your finances, but it is a skill that benefits everyone. I had to set a priority to learn money management, and luckily, the internet is an expansive resource that can teach you about money management if you are eager.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

As I have developed my own sales process, I think it would be interesting to develop a marketing process. This type of sound architecture can then be applied broadly to different companies providing various products and services, simplifying an often mystified area of practice.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I spent a hundred dollars for my daughter to have a teacher sit beside her in class. That made me very happy. It is not all about business for me; fulfillment can be as simple as seeing your own children excel.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I have been using Zoom in my business since 2005 (before it became a global pandemic sensation). It allows me to connect with my clients worldwide and schedule appointments. Being able to see my clients face to face and hear their voices creates a unique connection that cannot be replaced by a simple phone call.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I would recommend “Succeed and Grow Rich Through Persuasion”, by Napoleon Hill. It teaches you how to persuade yourself, and how to become more effective and consistent with anything that you do.

What is your favorite quote?

“Stormy seas make great sailors.”

Key Learnings:

• If you depend on a job it will often leave you in the same place.
• Continue to learn, grow, and be consistent.
• Keep an open mind with new technologies, new systems, and new processes.