Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

A strange Bill Gates story. (That can help you grow your business)

Posted on: April 15th, 2021 by tfimain No Comments

The following is a true story.
30 years ago, when Microsoft was a small, fast growing company, Bill Gates was on a mission.
He was totally dedicated to building Microsoft into a truly great company.

One day he was driving a young journalist, Michael Moritz, to the airport.
Moritz looked at the car’s dashboard and saw that the radio was completely missing. There was just a hole there.

“Hey Bill, did somebody steal your radio?” asked Moritz.
“No, I had it taken out myself.” replied Gates.

“Why would you do that?”
“Well I realised that if I had the radio there, I would be tempted to turn it on and start listening to music. And that would mean I’d stop thinking about Microsoft. So I removed it.”

Amazing. Extreme. Some may say ridiculous.
But is it any wonder that with focus like that, Bill Gates eventually became the richest person in the world?

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting you rip your car radio out.
But merely to ask yourself this question:

“Am I thinking about my company intensely enough?”
You see, you can be very good at what you do, and you can have a good product to sell, and still not do very well in business.

If you don’t give it everything you’ve got- if you are half hearted, or even three quarter hearted about it.
A fiery, highly motivated, intense focus is also needed.

Thinking incessantly and obsessively about how to improve your company ( and your own performance in it).

Maybe you could improve in this area.
It’s worth considering.

And by the way, that young journalist, Michael Moritz? He was pretty focused too.
He’s now a billionaire, and one of the world’s greatest venture capitalists.

How did he become so successful in selecting young companies to invest in?
Well he learned from that day in the car with Bill Gates.

One of his main criteria for picking companies to invest in is whether the founder is obsessively focused on their company.

Business success and the purpose of life

Posted on: December 23rd, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

Recently I sat down with Lee Rogers, one of the best interviewers in the podcast world.
We talked about lots of things:
* How I started in advertising and worked my way up.
* The challenge of trying to be both happy and successful.
* How to be more productive.
* What the purpose of life is.
* And a million other curious, funny and poignant things.
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, it could be worth listening to.

How to finish the year strongly

Posted on: December 1st, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

Okay, this is the situation.
You have 5 weeks until the end of the year.
There are two ways you can handle this.
  1. Cruise until December 31- basically run your business on autopilot and wait for the party season.
        2. Go super hard, get some real wins, make a lot more money and consequently feel fantastic about your business and your life on at the end of the year.
You know which one you should do, so let’s do it.
At The Fortune Institute, we coach entrepreneurs. And below are some of the things we’ll be working with our clients on in the next few weeks.
I think you should work on them as well.
Step One. Re-contact old leads.
Who did you have good conversations with this year, but they just dropped off the hook, or said that the time was not yet right to work with you?
Maybe now it is. Give them all a call or an email. There’s a good chance at least some of them will buy from you.
Step Two. Create an easy new offer.
What could you offer to potential clients that would be easy to deliver and easy for them to say Yes to? It could be a new service, a low cost trial of your product, or a discount on what you currently offer.

Spend no more than 20 minutes brainstorming and immediately reach out to your lead base with the offer. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by what will happen.

Step Three. Reach out to every client you have.

First, say hi and schmooze them a bit. Then ask if they need more of what you’ve already been doing for them. Then let them know about other stuff your company does that they may not know about – it’s amazing how many clients are unaware of a company’s full range of services.
Remember, your best source of quick revenue is people you’ve already worked with, so make sure that you ask every one of them to buy something.
Step Four. Find a company that can sell your service to their customers.
There are numerous companies in different industries to yours that already work with your ideal clients. And have strong relationships with them.
Ring the CEO’s of these companies and cut a deal with them. For every client they refer to you, they get X percent of what you make.
I know companies that make almost all of their revenue through such partnerships. If you aren’t at least exploring this as a growth strategy you’re leaving money on the table.
Okay that’s enough. You don’t need more than these four to start with.
Take action now, I mean right now, and start bringing some real money in.
These next 5 weeks will go super quickly, so don’t miss this beautiful opportunity to end the year on a high.
You can do it. Make it happen.

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Getting sharp again after the Covid lockdown

Posted on: June 11th, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

Far too many business owners have been running at half speed during the Covid 19 lockdown.

It’s very understandable of course.

The whole event was so left field, so unexpected, that so many entrepreneurs felt quite powerless during it.

But now that most countries are slowly moving out of full lockdown mode, it is absolutely vital that you play the next few months at full speed.

If you act fast and play hard, you should be able to grow your company during this next recovery period.

Here are my suggested immediate steps:

1. Psych up your team and your suppliers.

Let them know that now is the time to raise their standards and start working with intense velocity. Companies that perform well in the next 90 days can take major business from competitors that are slow to gear up. The fast will eat the slow in the next 3 months.

Push the people around you, cajole them, inspire them, wake them up and let them know that you are back and intend to play with full velocity.

2. Unleash a communication tornado on your current clients and old leads.

Tell them often what you’ve got planned for the rest of this year, how you can help them and why they need to act now if they want to get back to Excellent.

The companies that communicate most with their email list, community, customers and prospects are much more likely to get on the shortlist for any imminent business opportunities.

3. Create a series of 30 day task sprints.

Think of 3 things you can do that will really advance your company, but don’t give yourself more than 30 days to get them done. Right now in this chaotic environment there’s no time to do everything perfectly- just try stuff, get stuff out, then observe if it’s working and only then finesse it. ‘Lightning Action’ should be your mantra right now.

4. Expect things to be messy and be fine with that.

Don’t moan about what’s still wrong about the post lock down world. Look for what’s great about it and take advantage of it. We have many more months of uncertainty, reduced lockdown and tension in the community. So be it. Your mission is not to complain about your current circumstance, it is to perform superbly in spite of them.

See yourself as like a great General or warrior- able to stay cool and highly effective in environments that would overwhelm many others.

Finally, remember that there is a very fine line between stress and excitement. Make the choice to see this time as exciting, and act with positive energy. The wildest winds are often the most fun.

The great opportunity of the Coronavirus

Posted on: April 30th, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

I’m sure you’re sick of hearing all the bad news about the Coronavirus.

So let’s reverse things.

What about the advantages of this pandemic?

Well if you play this right, you can totally transform your business during the quarantine period.

How?

By making sure you use the extra time working at home to get better at what you do.

Study new business development. Study sales technique.

Improve your time management skills.

Learn how to read a balance sheet better.

Learn leadership, or how to be an awesome manager.

Get better at pricing your services.

Get up to date on new digital channels and how best to utilize them.

In short, use this priceless time at home, when you have more freedom and often more time, to become a better You.

If you’re a company owner, the very best use of your time is to develop a better new business development system, as that will improve your future more than anything else.

Imagine this. By the time we all go back to normal life, you have built a highly effective, efficient and lucrative client attraction system. One that you can roll out powerfully and immediately.

If you did that, then later when you talked with others about the impact Coronavirus had on the world, you could honestly say, “Coronavirus was the best thing that ever happened to my business. I used the time to take myself and the company to a totally different level.”

Wouldn’t that be great?

Don’t waste this virus.

Use it to become a better You.

A powerful way to think during Coronavirus

Posted on: April 7th, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

We’ve all been under huge pressure over the last few weeks.

And many business leaders have become depressed.

It’s understandable. Revenue has collapsed for most companies, and many clients have stopped spending.

If you are feeling down and disempowered, then today I’d like to show you a different way of thinking that is enormously helpful in turbulent times.

It’s a mental technique that almost instantly improves your business, lifts your mood, and gets you feeling like you’re back in control again.

Here it is:

Stop focusing on your company’s results ( which are probably bad right now) and start focusing on your own personal performance each day.

Literally change the game, so that the primary thing you think about all day is whether YOU are performing well, not just your business.

Here’s how you do it:

Define what being excellent as a company leader looks like. What are the behaviors of a CEO who is superb? Write them down on paper.

Attempt to be like that person all day long. Keep coming back to that list through the day and do your best to exhibit the character traits of somebody who is a truly world class business person.

Evaluate yourself at the end of the day. How well did you be that person? Where were you strong and where were you weak? Which areas do you need to work on tomorrow?

At night frequently see yourself as already being that person. The mind is a mysteriously powerful thing. The more you act as if you have certain personal traits the more you develop them.

What’s great about this mental technique is that it improves your performance at work very quickly. Easily within an hour.

It also is a game you can win every day- you don’t need anyone else’s help, you don’t need someone to find a cure for the Coronavirus. You just need to be excellent, as you have defined it.

Make this your primary aim each day and you’ll start to feel amazing, and your business will rise to a whole new level.

Use this amazing technique from the Navy Seals to stay strong

Posted on: March 20th, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

Obviously things are pretty tough for us all during this Coronavirus situation.
 
So today I want to give you a technique used by the Navy Seals to help keep you fighting strong.
 
It’s a very subtle technique, and even people who have studied how the Seals teams work may not have picked up the importance of it.
 
Here is their brilliant technique:
 
The Navy Seals have an entirely different way of thinking about hardship.
 
They pride themselves on being tougher than any hardship. It’s literally conditioned into their minds to not only be ambivalent about their discomfort, but to actually take pride in it.
 
This highly unusual attitude is summed up perfectly in the Navy Seals motto:
 
‘The only easy day was yesterday’.
 
Think about that motto for a moment.
 
Of all the mottos that this elite fighting unit could have chosen, they picked one that was totally centered around their ability to handle hardship easily.
 
That motto basically says:
 
‘Tough times? Bring it on! Let’s make tomorrow even harder! I don’t care. I am so freakin tough it doesn’t phase me. I fully expect the days coming up to be even harder and I’m totally fine with it! In fact I’ll excel in it!’
 
Can you see how unusual that is as a way of thinking?
 
Can you also see how powerful it would be if you adopted the same mindset when it comes to your business, and your life, during this Coronavirus pandemic?
 
Look, these hard times aren’t going to stop any time soon.
 
So you have two choices:
 
You can complain and get depressed about it all.
 
Or you can start thinking like a Navy Seal, and say “ Bring it on! I’m 100 times mentally tougher than this or any other disaster! ”
This is a very, very effective way to think, and I urge you to adapt it immediately.

The big mistake you are probably making

Posted on: March 11th, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

Every week at The Fortune Institute we mentor numerous entrepreneurs and business leaders.

But they are almost all guilty of making a serious mistake when it comes to how they grow their company.

I wouldn’t mind betting you are making the same mistake.

What is this error that so many make?

Not following up on sales leads.

The guy you met 4 months ago that seemed interested in what your company offered.

That girl at a party who said she knew someone who needed your services.

That lead that just went dark…and then you gave up on it.

That meeting that went so well… and then the opportunity seemed to evaporate.

These are all opportunities to bring in revenue, but so many of us forget about them and just chase the latest hot enquiry or opportunity.

Don’t do this.

If they haven’t said a clear NO to you, stay in touch, keep following up. Continue to offer them value.

Send them case studies, or educate them on what’s happening in your industry. Or make more offers to them. Or just re- connect and ask how they’re doing.

These leads are not dead. They are very much alive, and waiting for you to resuscitate them.

Right now there are at least 3 people you have not followed up with lately, who would give you money if you did.

Go get ‘em.

Stop being a slave to your clients

Posted on: March 2nd, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

We all want to offer good customer service.

But too often I see business owners go way too far.

So many entrepreneurs treat the client ( or potential client ) as being superior to them.

When they phone us we feel we have to drop everything we’re doing and answer them.

When they ask us to deliver work within a ridiculous timeframe we gulp and say “Yes of course.”

When they ask for fee reductions we quickly give in.

We provide multiple solutions and let them choose, instead of telling them the best way to go.

And when we’re in meetings with them we let them lead the agenda.

 

These are all big mistakes. Behaving this way is not customer service, it is subservience and weakness.

 

(Even though I know you have the best intentions by doing it – you simply want the client to be happy.)

Now of course, we have to service clients well and efficiently. And deliver an excellent result in a reasonable time period.

But letting them take control and take the dominant role in the relationship does damage to your business in two ways.

  1. Once they sense they are the ’boss’ of the relationship they usually increase their demands of you. You slowly end up doing more for less, much quicker.

2. Their respect for you diminishes.

Remember this: What they really want is a trusted advisor who is their equal. Someone who clearly knows more about a particular area than they do, and so can counsel them wisely, saving or making them a fortune, or at least making their life much easier.

You don’t earn their respect by bowing down to them all the time.

You earn it by being excellent, sure of yourself, behaving like a true industry expert, being strong with them when they are wrong and leading them throughout your journey together so that they get an optimal result.

Yes you are warm and friendly. But you are also elite- behaving as an eminent expert, not a sycophantic slave in need of their money.

Be strong with them. Lead them. And treat yourself as a true industry paragon.

Believe me, it will be far more attractive to them. And far more lucrative for you.

3 questions that will make your business much more successful

Posted on: February 7th, 2020 by tfimain No Comments

 

 

If your business is growing slowly, There’s one thing you need to understand.

It’s not the fault of the industry you are in. Or the economy. Or the time of year. Or even what your competitors are doing.

The problem is you.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying each of those elements are not factors in your success. But the reality is there are other entrepreneurs in your industry that are experiencing some or all of these issues, but they are still growing their companies fast.

So the first step is to look in the mirror and accept personal responsibility for your results.And the second step is to clearly identify and fix the issues, so you can start growing again.

When I coach entrepreneurs, I like to start by asking a series of questions to identify the weak points in how they are running their companies.

In today’s blog I’ll give you 3 of these questions to ask yourself. 

Spend just 3 minutes on each question- don’t overthink it. And in under 10 minutes you will have a much better idea about what you should do next to grow your company’s revenue fast.

Question 1.

Do you have a successful, systematic marketing system to bring in leads?

If you’re relying on referrals, your revenue will always be up and down and you will spend a lot of time this year being stressed about it. You must supplement business from referrals with an organized marketing system.

Question 2.

Do you spend a meaningful amount of time each week on your own marketing?

Some people have a marketing system, but they just don’t consistently dedicate enough time to running it. You can have a $2 million Bugatti sports car in your garage, but if you don’t get in it and drive, you will be beaten to your destination by any Toyota Corolla. If finding new revenue is something you do only when you have some spare time, low growth is virtually certain.

Question 3.

Are you regularly refining and improving that system?

Perhaps you have a marketing system and it’s going okay, even pretty well. But if you don’t work on improving your results, you are leaving literally millions of dollars of potential revenue on the table.

 

 I have often seen entrepreneurs double or even triple their results by making minor tweaks to their marketing efforts.

If you keep on making five percent improvements, within 6 months your results will improve enormously.

For now, these are the most important questions to ask yourself.

One last thing: 

When you get the answers, do something immediately to start addressing the main weak point you identify. Literally in the 30 minutes afterward.

Momentum is a powerful thing. And your revenue growth is a far too important issue to leave to another day.

  • The 9 Laws of Attracting Profit
    • THE FORTUNE INSTITUTE HAS HELPED AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES EARN $51.3 MILLION OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS

The 9 Laws of Attracting Profit