07.31.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 2:06 pm by Robin J. Elliott
By changing the copy you use in your advertising and on your website, you can increase the response rate by 1,000%.
For your free copy of this highly recommended report:
“THE CLIENT ATTRACTION MANIFESTO: How To Rapidly Attract An Ongoing ‘Conveyor Belt’ Of Highly-Qualified ‘Ready-To-Buy’ Clients Who Will Gladly Pay Your Fees & Refer Other Highly-Qualified Clients To You”,
e mail me robin@dollarmakers.com and put Client Attraction Manifesto in the Subject Box of your e mail.
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Posted in Uncategorized at 9:32 am by Robin J. Elliott
The truth is simple, yet very uncomfortable for certain people. Those who succeed magnificently in Joint Ventures and make big money are not necessarily smarter, better experienced, or better connected. A good example is the fight I watched on ESPN last night: Jose Luis Castillo vs. Sebastian Lujan.
From Boxed Ears:“Round 10: for Lujan: Lujan has thrown over one thousand punches in the nine previous rounds. He is a workhorse. Lujan is clowning and waving Castillo in over and over. He is so confident that he is willing to do anything.”
From 15Rounds.com:“Lujan threw punches in bunches to put it mildly as the punch stats read Lujan landing 387 out of 1208 punches while Castillo could muster just 154 of 530.”
That’s it. Lujan throws 1208 punches and lands 387 of them (32%). Castillo only throws 530 and lands a mere 154 (29%). Even if the percentage of blows landed by Lujan was much lower than that of Castillo, Lujan would have won, simply because of his massive amount of activity / action. Two salespeople compete, and one has a much lower closing ratio, but sees three times more people, so in spite of his inferior skill set, he wins hands down. It’s not about skill; it’s about the dreaded WORK.
For people who insist upon success and are prepared to work hard, success is guaranteed. I had a salesman that wasn’t producing, and one day I called his house and found out that after attending our 8am sales meeting, while other salespeople were out beating the bushes, this loser went home for a BATH. His wife told me. I call someone on the east coast at midday Pacific Time and he admits that he has only just checked his e mail - at 3pm! No wonder he never gets anything done on time. Probably out clubbing the night before.
“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions SLEPT, were working upward in the night.” If you knew that if you didn’t make a deal before tomorrow you would be beheaded, how hard would you work? When would you quit? In Joint Ventures, there is NO excuse not to succeed if you’re sufficiently driven and ambitious, because all the resources you need are readily available. The reason why people fail in JV’s is only one of two things: You’re either plain dumb, or you’re plain lazy.
Lujan got into the ring with the right attitude, and he was determined to win, whatever it took. Castillo said before the fight: “IF I LOSE, I will retire.” There it is! He was already considering defeat! Paul J. Meyer said, “Enter every activity without giving mental recognition to the possibility of defeat.” And then, act accordingly - take determined, consistent, massive action, UNTIL you win.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.29.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:34 pm by Robin J. Elliott
Imagine if you could pop down to your local Farmer’s Market this Sunday, walk all the way to the back of the booths and stands with their fresh vegetables, brightly colored flowers, and craft work, and meet up with an old gentleman in a tweed jacket who sold you a goose that laid golden eggs for $247. That would be a very good investment, but what if that gentleman threw in a special, stainless steel cloning machine that could produce thousands of geese that all laid golden eggs? Now, that would be an amazing investment, wouldn’t it?
Well, DollarMakers offers you much the same opportunity. For a mere $247 a year, you get international access to hundreds of special geese, or Joint Venture partners, all capable of laying those golden eggs - sources of increasing residual income for you. And you get all the support you need. This Membership and training allows you to create real wealth with no cost or risk, and little time, using Joint Ventures.
DollarMakers now has hundreds of Members in 14 countries:
Australia
Austria
Burkina Faso, Africa
Canada
Cape Verde
Denmark
Ireland
Lebanon
Mexico
Namibia
South Africa
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
We have a strict Code of Business Ethics to which our Members abide or we fire them. We don’t the renew Memberships of those whom we consider dicey. We turn down suspect Membership applications, and we are the premier source of Joint Venture resources, training, and connections for small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs in the world. For more information, and for free e books, podcasts, videos, and articles, visit www.DollarMakers.com
Robin J. Elliott
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07.28.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:21 pm by Robin J. Elliott
Solve, Don’t Sell!
When I meet someone, I listen carefully to establish what pain he or she is suffering. It’s usually in one or all of three areas: Finances, Time, and Freedom. I then get the prospective customer to elaborate on his pain, using open-ended questions. I turn the knife in the wound, as it were. How does this situation affect him, personally? What impact does it have on his family? How will it affect his future? In fact, if he doesn’t solve the problem, what will his life look like in two years? What are the consequences of NOT solving his problem?
Now that he realizes he has a problem, and having dwelt on it, is acutely aware of his need to solve it, I have him tell me what his life could be like should he be able to solve his problem: How will he personally feel once this problem has been resolved? What effect will it have on his family and profits? How will it change his future? Give him a glimpse of the rewards he will reap by solving the problem.
Next, I become the solution, or the bridge to his better life, by connecting him with whatever product or service is necessary to solve his problem. When I connect him with the business that solves his problem, I receive an on-going (yes, I said on-going) commission from that business. That income is 100% margin to me, if it is not my own product or service, so I can’t lose. I create value and get paid for it, and I have a happy customer. Whether he buys from me or not doesn’t matter - he is happy and I made money. I solved his problem and was paid for the service.
Link supply and demand and get paid. It’s not about you or your business - it’s about value. Be a good listener, help people to get what they want, and you get rich. Stop telling people about your products and services - they don’t care. They care about their problems and goals, and you need to shut up and listen to them so that you can solve their problems and make money. Selling is old hat, as out of date as a Commodore 64 computer, boring, childish, and naïve. Solving is the way things work these days, and the ideal vehicle is Joint Ventures.
Reciprocate in Many Ways
Most people believe that the only Joint Ventures that will work are those in which the partners reciprocate financially: “I bring you business, and you pay me an on-going commission on all transactions” - however there are multiple other options. Let me share some real-life examples with you.
I set up a successful, year-long Joint Venture with someone who preferred to reciprocate with business referrals. We tracked them all meticulously, and made sure both parties were equally rewarded in terms of qualified referrals. I went a step further, and tracked the accumulated profits from the referrals he sent me. This is what I found: had he paid me the regular commissions, I would have made about $14,000, however by selling my own products and services and adding my back-ends, I made $86,000.
I was approached by a fellow who used to sell expensive, high-quality waterless cookware, which I call pots and pans. He wanted to attend our Bootcamp and offered to pay with a $3,500 set of his “cookware”. I accepted, and Rika and I still use his amazing cookware. And his sales increased dramatically by trading dead inventory for the skills required to create unlimited wealth using Joint Ventures. Win /win.
A dentist client of mine, Kevin, offered a Seattle radio talk-show host complimentary dental services, and suggested, “Don’t pay us, but if you like the service we provide you, please let your listening audience know about it.” Well, Kevin told me that the resulting business they got was worth hundreds of times what the radio personality would have paid them for his dental work.
Trade and Barter companies, like Trade Exchange Canada and Barter Card, enable trade among their members, and if you e mail me I will be happy to send you a Trade Manual with my compliments: robin@dollarmakers.com.
Finally, DollarMakers Joint Venture Club Member hosted a Bocamp in Winnipeg. He told me, “I swapped a Bootcamp ticket for beef!” He had approached a butcher, who said he wanted more cash flow, and the butcher traded beef worth $500 at retail for a seat at the Bootcamp! I love that! This inclusive, win/win, solutions-based approach is what JV’s is all about, and DollarMakers is at the forefront of sharing this wonderful message with people around the world who aspire to prosperity in every area of their lives.
Getting “Buy In” From Your Employees
“I find it difficult to find, motivate, and keep good employees. If only I could find people who are as motivated as I am!”
When you pay people the same amount of money, regardless of their quality of work or level of productivity, you’re trying to run a capitalist business on socialist principles. When you overlook slovenliness, negativity, and bad service instead of punishing it, you are encouraging it.
When you see people creating additional value for your organization without rewarding them in direct proportion to that value, you’re discouraging them.
When you employ anything that breathes because you’re so desperate for workers, you’re setting yourself up for failure and lowering your standards.
When you establish ceilings and limitations on earning potential, you lose the cream of the crop.
Successful, profitable businesses prosper by design, not by default. They create a climate of attraction, motivation, stimulation, and reciprocation. This is so unique and hard to find that it will bring you some fantastic people.
Before you tell me how hard it is to find people because you live in a booming economy like that of Alberta or British Columbia, let me suggest that, if you pay more than your competition, that fails as an excuse. And before you tell me that you can’t afford to pay significantly more than the competition does, let me assure you that you can accomplish that through the use of Joint Ventures. That’s what my company, DollarMakers, does. But this is not about creating more profit through JV’s; it’s about employees.
I once provided some Joint Venture training for an award-winning restaurant. At this restaurant, all the servers had shares in the business and enjoyed a simple profit sharing process as well. Servers were hired and fired by the Servers Committee, and everything was results based. Uniforms, serving times, and menus were determined by the Servers Committee. This was a true capitalist operation, using effective delegation, profit sharing, and common sense. The owner told me, “Robin, I manage by Consequence.” They never had a shortage of job applicants.
Pay people in direct proportion to the value they create - measurable, bottom-line profits should determine individual earnings. No automatic raises. No unions. There should be no cap on the earning potential of anyone. There should be immediate consequences for overstepping the mark. People should be allowed to focus only on their strengths. (Generally, allowing an accountant or a chef into a management position is suicide.) Use personality type testing and give everyone a vested interest in the success of the business, while at the same time tying their income and security to the fortunes, good AND bad, of the business. When business goes down, salaries should decrease in direct proportion, depending on individual input and production, which means simply that an employee who produces exceptional profits can experience an income increase while everyone else’s wages decrease. That’s called capitalism.
Here’s my standard “Job Description: “Whatever it takes, 24/7/365, and we share the fortunes, good and bad.” My entire business is made up of multiple, interlinked Joint Ventures. I actually practice what I preach, and it works.
Putting Your Time Where it Matters
A wise man once said, “If you had a hundred lazy, ineffective, needy, and unprofessional people working for you, you might realize that you would send your time more wisely if you had ten good men who were driven, disciplined, and determined to accomplish their goals.”
Your time is your most valuable resource, and it should be treated as such. Only do what only ypu can do. Delegate, buy the time of others, avoid duplication and other unnecessary tasks, and demand a fair return on your investment. When your working partners regularly do not produce that which they agreed to produce, replace them. Use the technology available, make people come to you for meetings, and avoid a physical meeting unless it is absolutely necessary. Travel less, think more, and insist on results. Hold others accountable or withdraw your time.
Time vampires abound. Those with the biggest mouths usually produce the least. Look at your time investments carefully before committing, and learn that most important word, “NO.” You don’t need to provide explanations. Limit meetings to thirty minutes and train your staff to intervene when necessary. Put a sign above your desk: “My Time Is Worth More than $1,000 per Hour. Waste It At Your Own Peril.” End phone calls as soon as possible; scarcity is valued. “You have exactly ten minutes.” At the end of ten minutes, end the call.
“We had a meeting. I spent my irreplaceable time on you. You didn’t deliver what you promised. Why should I waste more time with you?” Get serious, get tough, and you’ll get rich. The losers that you feel sorry for won’t thank you or help you when you’re losing money. Time IS money. It’s YOUR time; you own it, and you’re not obliged to give it away anymore than you are obliged to give away thousands of dollars. People have to EARN your time by producing results - on time.
Finally, time with your family, a good book, at a lake or beach, or on the ski slopes, is time well spent, and never wasted. When you look back on your life, you will remember how fast it went, how much you missed, and how impossible it is to get back. Spend it wisely - you only have one life. Time IS life.
Small Things Get Big Results
The waitress called me “Mr. Elliott” and “Sir” instead of “Robin”. In place if the usual plebeian, vulgar “you guys” we were referred to as “Mr. and Mrs. Elliott.” And she crumbed the table down and removed the cruet set and utensils before serving the dessert. How refreshing! Walt Disney said, “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.”
We tend to think that huge discounts or flamboyant packaging will add value and differentiate us from our competition, whereas small things that usually don’t cost anything can make a huge difference. The drivers of the shuttle service buses to and from the Long Term Parking at Vancouver International Airport used to be the most obnoxious, sullen swine I ever met, certainly not a reflection of what I consider the best airport in the world. Last week, Rika and I were very pleasantly surprised when we received cheerful greetings and sincere smiles from the new drivers, along with help with our bags. It costs nothing to train your employees and get rid of the scumbags, and the return on investment is most attractive.
WestJet crew members tell jokes, sing songs, smile, help, and obviously receive excellent training. They thank us for choosing WestJet; to me, there is no alternative, unless you want obese, unionized flight attendants who treat you like a smelly interruption. When I left my laptop on the plane recently, the WestJet flight attendant came running after me with it right into the Abbotsford terminal. Great attitude. A Thank You note in the mail, the Sears appliance salesman who shows up at my house the night before delivery, on his own time, to make sure all the pipes are properly prepared. Nelson Boswell said, “Here is a simple but powerful rule - always give people more than what they expect to get.”
We went to movies last week. Every employee was friendly and said, “Enjoy the show, folks!” Here’s the thing: when you give great srvice, you feel good about yourself, you attract more business, you sleep better, and leave your competition choking in the dust. People notice the small things, the compliments, the helping hand, the kind gestures, the extra mile, the sincere smiles and eye contact, a little extra care. What goes around comes around. Macy’s motto is, “Be everywhere, do everything, and never fail to astonish the customer.” The world hasn’t change that much.
Prioritising Your Profits
Sometimes, ego, laziness, and fear will interrupt and skew our reasoning when prioritizing our profits. The reason we’re in business is to create the maximum amount of after tax profit in the shortest amount of time, with the least cost and risk. While we all want to do what we enjoy and avoid conflict and work, we can use Joint Ventures, subcontracting, effective delegation, and leverage to create the results we want, if we set things up correctly.
Remaining objective and rational when prioritising and planning our progress is essential. Clearly defining what will create the greatest return on investment, where the optimal back-end is to be found, and the real marginal net value of a customer or Joint Venture demands careful analysis and communication with your team and mentors. Like a jigsaw puzzle, we want all the pieces to fit seamlessly, so that the flow of business is smooth and natural, not forced and stop-start.
Diversifying incomes streams and creating additional back ends with long-term potential is the result of Planning, not Panic. Compromise and quick fixes will undermine your progress, your reputation, and your balance sheet. Remember the 80/20 rules and fearlessly remove the 80% while conscientiously building the 20%. Getting rid of one rat in your organization guarantees that he will takes his rat friends with him.
Reevaluate, change your mind, terminate non-productive activities, JV’s, and people, and constantly adjust. You’re in business to make a profit, not to accommodate parasites and create protected employment for losers. Play the “What If?” game, build in Plan B’s, and have contingency plans in place, including Key Man Insurance and alternative suppliers. Things change. See the Big Picture.
Invest heavily in training and education, but only if you use it. Look for the return on investment. The greatest ROI I ever get is when I invest in training and education, but then I always apply what I learn. If you only have 24 hours a day, it’s because you’re not leveraged or you’re not delegating. Paying someone $100 to make $1,000 is good business. Don’t do minimum wage tasks and only deal with winners who have a proven track record.
Finally, stand back and take a good, hard look at your business, your time, your profits, and the future of your business. If this was someone else’s business, what advice would you give them?
A REAL Win / Win?
Joint Venture Brokers are not glorified salespeople; they’re middlemen, or catalysts. Recently, we endured the usual frustration when approached by a character in Ireland who wished to “JV” with DollarMakers. Before I got onto the conference call, I did due diligence on him, Googled him and his company, and had a good look at his websites. He had a large, successful business.
When he got on the call, he admitted that he had “briefly scanned” our website. Big red flag waving wildly, right there. As the call continued (I hesitate to say, “progressed”), it became obvious that this rascal wanted us to promote his services to all the world, and he even grudgingly agreed to pay us a commission, however when it came to promoting DollarMakers, he got stuck. He was unfamiliar with the proverbial “two-way street”. He was not convinced that “reciprocity” was a good thing. Why in the world would I promote, introduce, or even acknowledge another business service, even though they could undoubtably contribute value to our database, without his reciprocal promotion of my business? The call ended fast.
This is where it actually gets dangerous to play this one-sided and arrogant game: this man in fact insulted me and my business, and I will never, under any circumstances, do business any with him in future, or in any way endorse his business. Instead of creating an ally and a JV partner, he succeed only in creating an enemy. As DollarMakers continues to grow and flourish, we become more and more attractive to potential JV partners. This weasel has effectively excluded us from his selfish an limited little world.
Every JV has to be win/win, not win/lose, and remember that it’s not about what you do now, or how big you are now, but WHO you are, because that determines how big you WILL be. Pride come before the fall. Seek to reciprocate fairly and honorably in your JV’s, and be very selective when choosing your JV partners, and your success is ensured.
How Long Will You Wait?
Someone says, “I’ll get back to you.” You should immediately ask, “When, exactly, will you get back to me?” If they don’t get back to you on that day, follow up right away. Don’t sit around waiting for people.
Someone shows up late for an appointment. If they don’t call to say they’ll be late, LEAVE after 15 minutes. If they do call, and they’re going to be more than twenty minutes late, cancel the appointment.
Someone doesn’t return your e mails or phone calls promptly, but you have established that they did receive the voice mail, message or e mail. The longer you wait, the less control and respect you have.
Someone refuses to make a decision, makes you wait, puts you off. They are controlling and manipulating you, or they are simply too gutless and politically correct to say “No.” Walk away. If they do come back, renegotiate, increase your fee, and punish them for making you wait, in order to re-establish your authority and positioning.
Someone doesn’t produce on time, on a regular basis. You find that you’re always waiting and listening to their lies an excuses. Find a replacement for them, or suffer as they repeat the pattern. Meanwhile, reduce contact, remove as much business and control from them as possible, and create negative consequences for non-performance.
Control your time, business, relationships, and choices carefully. Be in control, and spread your risk.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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Posted in Uncategorized at 8:22 am by Robin J. Elliott
How much money have you lost because you held back? I decided there were many more opportunities to attend a specific networking meeting, so I took a break. My competition attended that meeting, in the rain, and got a deal worth tens of thousands that I would have got. Today that business is worth a small fortune. I missed it, because it was more convenient to stay home. “I’m going to think about it. I’ll do it next time. There will be many other opportunities. I’ll attend the next program. I’m going to take a rain check. I’ll miss this meeting and do it next month.” Procrastination is the assassination of motivation. You snooze, you lose. Hugh Allen said, “Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along.”
Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss. “Nothing is so often irretrievably missed as a daily opportunity” says Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach. Time is money, honey. If you’re not there, someone else will win the prize, and over time that prize grows. Mark Twain said, “I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one.” The inconvenient, pricey, difficult, and uncomfortable usually hides the most lucrative opportunity. “I held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, a tiny sliver of one hour. I dropped it carelessly, Ah! I didn’t know, I held opportunity.” ~Hazel Lee. If that opportunity only made you a thousand dollars a month, you would have $24K in the bank within two years. Or nothing. Don’t justify laziness - it’s simply too expensive.
Successful people go beyond their comfort zones, pay the price, capture every minute, delay gratification, and step up. Only three percent of people succeed magnificently, and it’s all about choice. Easy to do, easy not to do, as we learn from Jeff Olson. Small, consistent, good choices practised daily, become a habit of success. Self discipline creates great self-esteem, and we earn money in direct proportion to our self esteem. Do the hard thing and get rich. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Winners INSIST on success. They push the envelope. They create their future and seize every opportunity. They don’t think of reasons why it won’t work, or focus on the cost. They consider the prize if it DOES work, and get excited about the potential. H. Jackson Brown Jnr. said, “Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity.” I agree. Today is the day. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and it will never return. The price of discipline weighs ounces, but the pain of regret weighs tons. Just do it. The block of granite which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. Choose to be strong; you’ll always be glad you did.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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Posted in Uncategorized at 7:23 am by Robin J. Elliott
I just got home from a trip to England and Toronto, where we presented Joint Venture Broker Bootcamps attended by people from the US, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Canada, and the UK. What do these people have in common? They all give us clues as to who they really are. Joint Ventures are all about relationships, trust, professionalism, honestly, and results. Here are some simple ways to find out whether or not you want to Joint Venture with the people you meet.
Be observant, ask the right questions, look for clues, and listen carefully. Bill Bernbach said, “Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature, what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action, even though his language so often camouflages what really motivates him. For if you know these things about a man you can touch him at the core of his being.” Maggie Tufu, author of The Engines of God, said, “Show me what a people admire, and I will tell you everything about them that matters.” We are inundated with important clues that we miss, because we’re so busy selling and talking about ourselves.
Ask people, “What was the last book you read?” John Kay said, “I am irresistible, I say, as I put on my designer fragrance. I am a merchant banker, I say, as I climb out of my BMW. I am a juvenile lout, I say, as I down a glass of extra strong lager. I am handsome, I say, as I don my Levi’s jeans.” At these Bootcamps, people tell you very clearly whom they are without uttering a word. All you have to do is watch what they do, how they dress, and what happens AFTER the Bootcamps - what choices do they make?
It’s easy to hide on the Internet; you can be anything you want to be in an e mail or on a website, but talk is cheap, and when people are actually put on the line and have to interact one-on-one, you get access to thousands of valuable clues. Doing business with someone whom you have never met in person is risky, unless you are referred by a well known person, and even then you should do good due diligence. DollarMakers Members that show up at events and meeting and our Conventions make ten times more money than those who hide and make no effort to get involved.
Finally, start your JV’s in a small way so that you can test someone’s professionalism and integrity, before you go big. A little patience can save you a lot of frustration. Over time, and especially where money is involved, we reveal who we really are. Be selective and look for clues.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.15.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 9:44 pm by Robin J. Elliott
If you want to find the buried treasure, you need the right treasure map. If someone else has a vested interest in your NOT finding that treasure, he’s going to give you the wrong map - the wrong information. The reason why the poor get poorer while the rich get richer is that the rich use the right map - the right information. An employer doesn’t want you to start your own business; he prefers you to make HIM rich. Universities and colleges tell you that you need a good education in order to make money, because they want you to pay the lecturers’ salaries.
Business owners need to take a new look at real Capitalism in order to prosper and avoid the poison of creeping socialism and collectivism in the western world. A wonderful example of this approach is this excellent article on Open Immigration. When people learn from witchdoctors and politicians, they learn how to be a living sacrifice for the parasites. Being properly educated results in different perceptions and better choices. Thomas Sowell conducts a fascinating interview on his book, “Economic Facts and Fallacies” here. In my opinion, the most enlightening education available on capitalism is Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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Posted in Uncategorized at 3:28 pm by Robin J. Elliott
Many entrepreneurs think a great sale is to a large group, a Center of Influence, or a JV Partner. Actually, I believe your most important sale is when you sell your spouse on your business goals.
I know how hard it is to have unsupportive or disinterested spouse, or, worse still, an in-home demon saboteur! I lived with that for ten years. That was my first wife, and I succeeded in spite of her, but for the past 22 years I have had the most supportive, loving spouse in the world – we work as a close team and complement each other. It makes a huge difference. I see grown men making excuses, lying, explaining, hiding, and justifying their business because their spouses don’t support them, and there’s nothing more pathetic and weak than a man who needs his wife’s permission or uses his kids as excuses in business. Imagine Donald Trump telling you his offspring needs to see the dentist so he can’t close the million dollar deal, or telling his board to wait while he asks for his wife’s permission. It’s even worse for women, when their husbands are either too dumb or too threatened to support them in business.
Sometimes, your spouse knows you’re basically a loser, and she’s protecting you from yourself, but I’m not talking about those instances. There are some people (usually lazy, undisciplined men) who shouldn’t be allowed to run a business. I have met some of them. I’m talking about someone who has a great business opportunity with huge potential, but the spouse I negative, fearful, suspicious, or just plain stupid. What can you do to bring them around and sell them on supporting you? When you have the support of a spouse, everything changes, and if you’re a man, you will find your wife has insights and ideas that we mortal men would never have, because women are more intuitive, better at multitasking, harder working, and far better at relationship building than we are.
I’m not talking about men who blame their failure in business on their wives. There is ultimately no excuse. I’m talking about getting your spouse on board so that we all win.
Here are some approaches that may help you recruit, sell, persuade, and include your spouse into your business. The power of synergy is enormous – a good marriage is the perfect Mastermind, and a force to be reckoned with.
1. Find your spouse’s Hot Button – what is their greatest goal and motivation, what do they really want more than anything else, what keeps them awake at night., what is their favorite pastime and hobby? For women, it’s usually about the kids, and men usually want toys.
2. Show them how they can get what they want through the success of the business. Most people want more time, more money, more fun, more peace of mind and security, more travel, more things, and money can buy that. Business is there to make the money to push that Hot Button. Show them WHY and HOW they will benefit from helping you in the business and supporting you.
3. Show them the alternative to business success – the fear factor, the pain motivation, the big stick, the consequences of failure and mediocrity.
4. Help your spouse see the big picture: “On the one hand, this is what our lives an our future will look like if we succeed in this business, and on the other hand, here’s what will happen to our lifestyle and our future if we fail”.
5. Help your spouse make the right decision.
Also, get your spouse to meet your successful business partners, JV partners, mentors and associates in a casual environment, like at a BBQ, at the DollarMakers Members Meetings, at our Cancun Convention, and at Bootcamps. If you’re a man, it’s good for women to work together, that’s why we have the DollarMakers Women’s Club.
I encourage you to do all you can to include your spouse in your business. On the DollarMakers Certified Business Mentor Training Program, we strongly encourage our Delegates to bring their spouses with them. Together, we can do amazing things, and your marriage is the most precious thing you have.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.13.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:16 pm by Robin J. Elliott
Joint Venture Brokers are strategists. They don’t do things randomly. They don’t grasp at straws or leap onto every new, flavor-of-the month start-up scheme. They are sophisticated entrepreneurs who are very selective and careful with the allocation of their time and attention. They carefully and objectively consider their options and focus on profit and long-term income and potential.
The concept of “FEEDERS” is essential and foundational to your Joint Venture success. The reason why 97% of the people in Network Marketing, for example, only recruit three or four people and then quit, or take years to get any traction, is that they simply haven’t Feeders to bring them an ongoing line of new recruits. The reason why most “Motivational Speakers,” “Coaches,” and “Consultants” have no money or customers is because they don’t have Feeders to feed them business on a regular basis. Any salesperson or business owner that understands this concept will make serious money.
A “Feeder” is a mechanism that continues to feed you prospects and business, given that you follow up and manage the process and the people correctly. Smart JV Brokers create the situation where all their JV’s feed each other, and they have Feeder events and systems that operate consistently and predictably. They use leverage, delegation, duplication, and leadership to set up and maintain these Feeders. A Feeder that doesn’t work is carefully monitored, manipulated, tweaked, fixed, and adjusted until it either produces or is discarded, and it is weighed an evaluated solely on its performance, potential, profit, positioning, and productivity.
Salespeople, Joint Ventures, seminars, Bootcamps, newsletters, websites, book, CD’s, reports, centers of influence, give-aways, talk, conference calls, databases, webinars, and most of all our other JV’s, are all Feeders, as long as the systems are properly and professionally established and coordinated. This is one of the skills that we teach at our DollarMakers Certified Business Mentor Training program. By creating self-duplicating systems and JV’s that feed each other and attract new business by design, we use a technology that creates exponential growth and wealth with no cost or risk, and very little time. “Feeders feed, losers bleed.”
Robin J. Elliott www.Dollarmakers.com
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07.10.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:06 am by Robin J. Elliott
A study by Selling Power Magazine states that:
1% of all cold calls turn into sales
15% of all leads turn into sales
55% of all referrals turn into sales
80% of all introductions turn into sales
Successful Joint Venture Brokers can earn an unlimited amount of money internationally without barriers, since we do business with no cost or risk and very little time, leveraging existing resources. It is said that: “Poor people work for their money, rich people make their money work for them, but Joint Venture Brokers make other peoples’ money and resources work for them!” There are no broke JV Brokers. Brokers don’t sell- we SOLVE.
Successful Joint Venture Brokers need four things to be successful:
1. Ongoing Business Training and Development
2. The right tools to do the job
3. Support and Guidance
4. Access to and regular exposure to a growing group of the right people (who also understand Joint Ventures)
The DollarMakers JV Broker Club (and the DollarMakers Women’s Club) provides all of the above and much more, plus a strict adherence to our Business Code of Ethics is enforced amongst our Members, and Members get fired, applications for Membership get refused, and Membership Renewal applications are rejected when we’re uncomfortable with the ethics or professionalism of Members or applicants.
As DollarMakers continues to grow and educate people around the world, and especially since the introduction of our DollarMakers Certified Business Mentor Training program, we attract top quality people for our Members to work with to accomplish mutual goals. Our DollarMakers Cancun Members Convention in November and the opening of DollarMakers UK and DollarMakers South Africa are examples of our aggressive growth and the innovative opportunities offered to our valued Members.
DollarMakers is not a networking club or a social club - we’re businesspeople who understand that good business is built on the three legs of solid, reciprocal relationships, ongoing education and support, and ethical professionalism. Our mission is to educate millions around the world how to achieve financial independence by working together to create real value. Your netWORK determines your net WORTH, and together, we do amazing things.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.09.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 6:25 pm by Robin J. Elliott
We all get approached with multiple offers almost every day. It takes time to do adequate due diligence, but a quick way to save a lot of time is by looking carefully at the values and ethics of the messenger. Is the messenger honest, and does she keep her word, or radically change her mind within two days? Is the message from a liar a lie?
The integrity and truth of the message should be measured by observing the messenger. Is a great message sometimes delivered in a damaged and faulty vehicle? Certainly, but it’s uncommon. Generally, I save time and energy by judging the viability of the message by the life of the person delivering that message.
When I get a message composed and delivered by “science fictiontologist Ron L. Koresh”, I don’t rush out to check my Kool-Aid supply. When the messenger arrives in a filthy car with overflowing ashtrays, I don’t spend any time reading his message. Judge it by its source, and look for congruency: is the messenger living the message? Can obese people tell me how to lose weight, or poor people tell me how to get rich? When a teacher lacks integrity in one area of his life, you know all the other areas have been poisoned. There’s no smoke without fire.
We look for people who practice what they preach, notice how they behave under pressure, and judge them by their consistent choices as well as choices that reveal who they really are. I don’t believe the message when the messenger lacks credibility, even though some messages are wonderful, although they are delivered by losers.
My point is that if you want your message to be accepted, you had better be “a product of the product”. Look the part and LIVE the part. Be the message. Be a living message, a real life example, a testimony to the message you deliver.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.07.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 3:15 pm by Robin J. Elliott
The Following article by Roy H. Williams says it all:
Richie’s Red Bus
By Roy H. Williams
I’ve known Richie Starkey since I was five. He turns 68 today.
Richie said the only thing he wanted for his birthday was for you to pause today at noon, wherever you are in the world, make a peace sign with your fingers and say with a smile, “Peace and Love.”
Will you do it?
Yes, it’s ridiculous. But before you summarily dismiss his request, let me tell you a bit about Richie and why he might merit your cooperation.
1. People have made fun of his big nose his whole life.
2. He throws a great party.
3. He was dealt a bad hand as a kid.
Richie’s dad was a dock worker who walked into a bakery one day to buy a donut and fell in love with the girl behind the counter.
Richie was three years old when his parents divorced.
At six, Richie was rushed to the hospital for a ruptured appendix which put him into a coma for 10 weeks. Then things went from bad to worse. Awakening from the coma, Richie was given 2 toys to play with in the hospital but the boy in the next bed didn’t have any. Richie leaned out of his bed to give his red bus to the other boy but lost his balance, hitting his head hard enough to throw him back into a coma.
When Richie finally got out of the hospital, he’d missed more than a year of school so he was put into a class with much younger children.
Richie struggled to get caught up in school but at 13 he caught a cold that turned into pleurisy. This put Richie back into the hospital for several months and threw him even further behind in his schoolwork. Finally, Richie said, “screw it” and dropped out. He could barely read and write.
Richie went into business with three young partners and each of the others became incredibly successful. Richie was forever in their shadow.
His lifelong dream, sadly, could never be realized. More than anything, Richie wanted to be in the audience during a Beatles concert.
This is because the other toy they gave him was a drum. Richie taught himself to play it, began to wear a lot of Rings on his fingers, and dropped the “key” off the end of his name, “Starkey.”
******************
Yes, It’s Ringo Starr. So what’s YOUR excuse?
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07.06.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 10:51 am by Robin J. Elliott
How do people become champions? Do talent scouts see the potential in certain people, then guide, encourage, and train them to reach their full potential? Do those who know deep down inside that they are truly Eagles living in a chicken run, seek out Eagle mentors? Yes. The cream rises to the top, and when we are fortunate enough to discover those diamonds in the rough, that three percent of people worthy our time, we are responsible not to mess up.
The biggest mistake that mentors make is to give too much, too soon, or to make it too easy. Bootcamp is supposed to be tough. Read Stefan Spath’s powerful article, Why “Debt Forgiveness” is a Bad Idea: Punishing Producers and Rewarding Moochers and Looters”. Tough love, hard training, demanding the best, pushing the envelope, going for the gold - teaching self-discipline. Jim Rohn taught us that “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments.”
Champions are up at dawn, doing what the 97% out there refuse to do. They are driven, focused, and persistent. Champions make no excuses, and they are accountable, dependable, and very serious about reaching their goals. George Washington said, “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable, procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.” Accepting excuses and overlooking bad choices is not what good mentors do.
Instead of becoming frustrated by trying to work with a hundred wanna-be’s, has-beens, and pretenders, invest your time and attention in a few good people who have the hallmarks of a champion. And when you do, establish the standards and parameters right at the outset. Your time is your most valuable resource, so you get to set the price and the return on investment. The criteria are yours to set, and your protege can either accept or reject them. Real champions expect hardship, because they expect success. Pain is their friend. They know the reward will be worth the price, because they EXPECT to win. They believe in themselves. This is evident in everything they do. See www.BusinessMentorTraining.com
Robin J. Elliott
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Posted in Uncategorized at 9:47 am by Robin J. Elliott
Responsibility - our ability to chose our response to whatever options we face in life, is the foundation of freedom and life. In an article by Alex Epstein, he talks about how the US government bails out people who made bad property investment decisions, usually based on greed and inadequate due diligence. This creeping socialism is designed to rob individuals of the need to make responsible decisions until they are sufficiently neutered to accept whatever the government feeds them. Total dependence on government turns people into robots, clones, bureaucrats, and sheeple.
By giving someone else the blame or the opportunity to bail us out, we sacrifice our freedom. By bailing others out, we steal their autonomy, independence, self respect, and ability to produce. Non-productive workers should be fired. People who take silly financial chances should suffer the consequences. Naughty kids should be disciplined -there’s nothing worse than someone else’s brat when the parents ignore the bad behavior. Naughty adults should be locked up in prison. There are consequences to our choices.
Thomas Sowell wrote an exceptional article about rescuing the Rustbelt. He demonstrates the consequence of the “free lunch” and uses real examples to illustrate his point. We have created what we have, and our current choices are busily creating our future, for which we are solely responsible. I have an important question for you today: What will your life look like in four years?What are you doing to create that reality? What price are you paying? Are you taking full responsibility for your future? What is your plan of action?
Fredric Hamber asks, “Why do Americans have no unique holiday to celebrate the creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs who have made all of this wealth possible–the men of the mind?” in this article. We’re equipped with marvelous minds that can achieve anything we want.
You have the ability to create any future you want, and DollarMakers is committed to helping people around the world to do just that. We’re your vehicle. If you’re ready to take responsibility, we’ll take you on board.
Robin J Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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Posted in Uncategorized at 7:51 am by Robin J. Elliott
If you do what you love, you will be good at it. You’ll be able to work for longer periods of time. If you enjoy what you do, you will be happy, and get better results. If you do what you’re not good at, you’ll do a poor job, and you’ll get tired easily. Good managers delegate to strength, not to weakness. Smart entrepreneurs do only what they’re good at and subcontract or delegate that which they don’t do well themselves. Adlai Stevenson said, “It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.”
The same goes for relationships. If you don’t like someone, your business with that person won’t go well. The relationship will be weak, flawed, and subject to communication blocks, misunderstandings, and stress. Games will be played and excuses made, respect lost and objectives sacrificed in the name of peace. Work only with people whom you like, trust, and respect. Those strong relationships will carry you to your goals faster. Albert Einstein said, “Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence.”
In order to accomplish the above two objectives, doing only what you’re good at and working with people you like, trust, and respect, one has to do some introspection, some self-analysis, some gazing at a mirror and examining of the past. What didn’t work in the past, and what did? When you objectively review your past performance, you will see the above two success criteria becoming blazingly obvious. Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses, and of whom you’re working with, and adjust your battle plan accordingly.
Also, realize that people change. They either reveal who they really are over time (the mask slips, and you realize that the jolly old friend is an evil old fiend) or they change their attitude and choices as their true nature starts finding a way out. One can only behave contrary to ones’ real self for a period of time; the act wears thin. Rika says, “When someone shows you who he really is, believe him.” When you see that people are not who you thought they were, or that they have changed, remove them from your life as soon as possible, or suffer the consequences. Replace losers with winners. Herbert Swope said, “I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.” Your first responsibility is your objective, not making losers feel good.
With the above in mind, perhaps it’s time to look at what your business will be like in a few months’ time. What do you love doing and do really well? That’s all you should be doing; the rest should be delegated, subcontracted, or removed from the picture. Who do you really enjoy working with, people you like, trust, respect, and can rely on to do exactly what they promise, when they promise to do it, and much more? Who goes the extra mile, and doesn’t need constant motivation, managing, and manipulation? These people should be rewarded and protected from the underperformers. and parasites. High maintenance people become a real pain in the neck and slow your progress. What is the ideal picture with the most benefits and profit, along with the least risk and frustration?
Good leaders constantly reevaluate and adjust their action plans and tactics in order to achieve their objectives. The know themselves, and they’re very realistic about their fellow soldiers. Study Churchill, Montgomery, and Patton, and you will see master strategists at work. They’re not addicted to their tactics, and they are strongly committed to their objectives. As the leader of your business, success is not an option; it’s a responsibility for the sake of yourself and your good people. Churchill told us, “The price of greatness is responsibility.”
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.03.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 12:42 pm by Robin J. Elliott
The weary office worker trudges home along the sidewalk in the twilight. Suddenly, a dangerous spitting cobra lunges in front of him! He gets a tremendous fright and leaps back, shouting, eyes popping, adrenalin surging through his corpulent body. Actually, laughing children are sitting behind a hedge, dragging a sock filled with dirt across the sidewalk with fishing line. The snake is a sock.
This analogy naturally warns us against overreaction, the building of mountains out of molehills, and the dramatic coloring and interpretation of events by raw emotion, often fueled by financial or other forms of stress, however there is always the other side of the coin: when the spitting cobra is mistaken for a sock snake. This doesn’t come from an objective evaluation, but usually results from denial, slothfulness, or simply lack of experience, when good people invest their hard-earned money into scams and non-starters, while others mistake genuinely valuable options for their dark counterpart.
To avoid making mistakes when it comes to important, often life-changing choices, I have found it important to surround myself with a group of strong, successful experts in different fields who can assist me in objectively analyzing and evaluating the sometimes myriad choices set out before me. Two heads are only better than one when one has a working brain, and brain surgeons are not generally qualified to pontificate on the subject of drains, any more than a bank manager can offer business advice to a successful entrepreneur.
The DollarMakers Joint Venture Broker Club is designed to be a strong support system, to link Members with useful and proven resources, and to build real wealth through collaboration, reciprocity, and the creation of value, on a foundation of integrity and good choices.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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07.02.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:44 am by Robin J. Elliott
The very last day to sign up for the DollarMakers Annual Convention in Cancun in November will be Tuesday September 2nd, and we will run out of rooms before that date. You’ve been warned - you snooze, you lose!
Join the cream of the crop on the beach. Friends and family welcome - sign up now.
More information: Lynnette Peter lynnette@dollarmakers.com
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Posted in Uncategorized at 7:34 am by Robin J. Elliott
After twenty-one years doing Joint Ventures, we have found the key to success is actually quite simple. Yesterday Rika and I watched several fishermen at the lake. Some were seasoned in their craft and others were obviously newbies. Same lake, same opportunities, same fish, yet vastly different results attained – just like business in the real world. And I have no doubt what some of the fishermen’s comments were upon arriving home last night.
“Damn fish just weren’t biting today. They never stocked that lake like they said they did – there were no fish! I knew this fishing pole was junk; that salesman really ripped me off. Couldn’t find a good fishing spot – they were all taken. It was too hot / cold for the fish to bite. There was too much noise so the fish wouldn’t bite….” Yet there were other fishermen who got home with six plump trout and had a delicious meal. Same lake, same fish, same opportunity, same reaction when people fail: excuses.
Long term Joint Venture Success is the result of good training, good support, a teachable attitude, persistence, experience, and the removal of the risk, time and cost factors from your JV’s. The more you learn, the more you earn, if you practice diligently and pay the price. Image two fellows who decide to become JV Brokers: One reads an e book, attends a seminar, tries three JV’s, and fails, so he quits and runs off to the next thing. The other one simply absorbs every ounce of training he can, reads, attends Bootcamps, watches videos, listens to Podcasts, gets involved in Membership meetings and conference calls, attends the Convention, builds relationships with the right people, makes mistakes, learns from them, takes massive action, and succeeds.
Along the road to success, people fail, get frustrated and angry, make mistakes, and get ripped off. They find out what doesn’t work, meet scoundrels and weasels, and get lied to. But they don’t quit; they hone their skills, persist, improve, and learn to take responsibility for their failures as well as their successes. As time goes by, they catch more fish, until they own fishing trawlers and the processing factory and get rich, then people say, “Well, he’s just lucky”, or the losers say, “He’s dishonest, that’s why he’s rich.”
Here’s the BEST way to get rich in JV’s. Imagine you wanted to learn how to bake the best chocolate cake in the world. You would seek out the person who is the known expert in that field, and apprentice with that person as an apprentice baker doing exactly what you were told, until you could do what she did. Find the most successful and honest, influential and professional JV Broker you can, and do EVERYTHING he tells you to do, in EXACTLY the way he tells you to do it, UNTIL you are successful. It’s really that simple. Don’t reinvent the wheel, become an eager apprentice, and voila! You catch lots of fat fish while the others go home with a bag full of excuses.
“The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attianed by sudden flight
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.”
There is no limit to the amount of money you can make as a JV Broker.
Robin J. Elliott www.BusinessMentorTraining.com
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07.01.08
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:32 am by Robin J. Elliott
Years ago, I was a Hotel School trainee hotel manager in a high end resort hotel in South Africa. I was working as a chef in the kitchen when the owners imported a chef from Germany. Klaus became a good friend, and we worked at many hotels together. Later, when I was a Food and Beverage Manager with Holiday Inns, I hired him as an Executive Chef. Klaus immigrated to Australia years ago. He was all about quality.
One day Klaus found out that I played squash, so he asked me to teach him. We popped down to the local sports store in the town fifteen miles away, and I will always remember the way Klaus purchased his equipment. “What equipment do I need?” he asked the store clerk. “Give me the best and most expensive of every item, the best shoes, socks, racket, balls… only the best. If you don’t have it order it, Get it. Get is soon.” I was surprised, and asked him how he justified this large purchase, given that he was a new player and might not even enjoy the game, or be any good at it. I’ll never forget his response.
“Robin, I am the best chef, and I will be the best squash player. I use only the best equipment in the kitchen, I use the best ingredients, as you very well know, I produce the finest quality, and I got the best training. I am the best. In everything I do, I go for the gold – the best. Why would I buy anything less than the best? I go all the way. I go big. I don’t compromise. Ich bin nicht ein Affe (I’m not a monkey.) Let’s be the best squash players!” Klaus always went all the way, he never compromised, and he insisted on the best. He reminded me of the hero in The Fountainhead. I learned a lot from Klaus, and I will visit him in Australia. If you’re reading this, Klaus, “Yeah, Mazamba!”
Don’t tentatively test the water with your toe - throw yourself into the deep end. Believe in yourself. Go for the gold. Push the envelope. Be the best. Go big. Set and maintain your own high standards, fly in the face of convention, and you will have little competition.
Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com
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