Book Report Notes on
The Millionaire Messenger
(Make a Difference and a Fortune Sharing Your Advice)
By Brendon Burchard

(Book Report by Gary Tomlinson)

Preface: This book builds three central arguments:

• Your life story, your knowledge and your message – what you know from experience and want to share with the world – have greater importance and market value than you probably ever dreamed.

• You are here to make a difference in this world and the best way to do that is to use your knowledge and experience (on any topic, in any industry) to help others succeed.

• You can get paid for sharing advice and how-to information that helps others succeed and in the process you can build a very lucrative business and profoundly meaningful life.

If any of this sounds unbelievable – especially the part about you getting paid for sharing what might essentially be your message to the world – then it is simply because you have been unaware of a fairly unknown and previously secretive industry that exists all around us – what I call the “expert industry.”

The expert industry is a caring community of people who share their advice and knowledge with the world and get paid for it.  They are average, ordinary people who have packaged their successes, research or life story into advice for others and thus have become “experts” on a given topic, whether it is how to be a better parent, start a business, succeed at work, live with more passion or any other topic.  They are servants of wisdom and they inspire all of us with what they know.  They are millionaire messengers, the entrepreneurial experts of the Information Age.

People have a great need right now – they need guidance and mentoring and coaching – and you can serve them and make a massive difference (and a fortune) doing so.

The Expert Calling and Lifestyle: I believe becoming a Millionaire Messenger is a calling and a real career.  It is a calling because I deeply believe it is part of our life’s purpose to learn and experience the world and then turn behind us and lend a hand to those who are trying to get ahead as well.  If you have struggled through something and survived, you should help those now struggling.  If you have achieved the impossible, make it possible for others to achieve the same.  If you have spent years figuring something out, why not shorten someone else’s learning curve?  If you have cracked the code to success in any area, why not give everyone the secret?

I believe that coming from a place of service is not only a strong spiritual practice but also a good business practice.  If you care about helping others, then they will believe in you, and yes, they will buy from you.

Let’s now get to the work of deciding if this is a community you really want to be part of.  Here are nine reasons I think the “expert industry” is the finest industry in the world to have a career in.

1. Your work is based entirely on your passion and knowledge.  The expert industry is without a doubt one of the most passionate and energetic industries in the world.  It is one of the few industries outside the music industry that is founded upon its members finding and sharing their unique voice with the world.  It turns out that sharing and teaching is a true art that ignites a deep well of passion within the human sprits.  This passion is one reason so many fans and followers are inspired by experts – they are attracted to the energy and zest for life and business that experts show the world.

 

1. Your work activities center on “relating and creating.”  In the expert community we spend our time on only two things:

 

• Relating with our audience to gain their trust and understand their needs and ambitions.

• Creating useful information, content and products that add value to our audience and teach them how to live a better life or grow their business.

 

1. You work anywhere and anytime, starting now.  Very few start-up opportunities in the world require so little in terms of capital investment or resources.

 

1. You work with whom you want.  We are not at the mercy of horrible bosses, weird co-workers, corporate kiss-ups, rude customers, etc.  Because it is an industry based solely on our individual passion, our knowledge and our ability to relate to our audience and create valuable information for them, we control our own fate.

 

1. Your “promotions are based on your promotions.”  Unlike the organizational pay-me-by-the-hour world, your pay promotions are not based on an uncontrollable thumbs-up from your manager.  Instead your pay is based on how much you are doing to promote your message and information products and programs to the world.  In general, the more promotions you do well, the more revenue you make and the more people you serve.  That is why I am always saying you can make a difference and a fortune simply by promoting good advice and how-to information.

 

1. Your pay equals the value you deliver, not the hours you work.  Hourly work is a horrible reality for most people.  But hourly work is not for well-trained experts.  We are not paid by the hour for our worth – how do you charge for the invoice item “changed my life in an hour” – but by the value we give.

 

1. You do not need a large team.  A dominant myth in our industry is that you need to have a big team to succeed.  Don’t let that myth get in your way.  You can become a master in this industry and you can do it with minimal staffing expenses (if any).

 

1. The tools for success are simple and cheap.  The low barrier to entry into the expert industry set by outsourcing has been lowered even more by the advent of simple, cheap and often free online tools and software programs that allow experts to spread their advice and message around the world.

 

1. Financial income is disproportionate to any other industry.  There are incredible financial rewards of being an expert.  However, you may need to readjust your notion of money.  What you have learned about money from your parents, community and the media may no longer serve you if you now have grander visions for helping more people in the world and, yes in return making more money.  (Brandon discusses this topic in much detail throughout his book).

 

YOU: ADVICE GURU – The most frequently asked question I get is: “Brendon, how could I possibly be considered an expert and who would want to listen to me anyway?”  To this question I have a three-part response:

The Results Expert:  First, never forget that on the highway of life, you have come further than some others and the lessons you have learned are both helpful and valuable to others. 

So the question is, what results have you gotten in life and business?

At this point, a lot of people often say, “But, Brendon, I do not know what results I have gotten and I do not know what expertise I have.”

To these people I gently reply, “Yes, the fact is, you do know.  All the answers lie within you.”  Then, in order to prove this to them, I often give them a sentence-completion activity.  I write the start of a sentence and I let them finish it.  For example, I will give them a statement that says, “The secrets I have learned to having a happy marriage are…”  It is amazing how fast they complete the sentence.  They’ll immediately say, “Listen more,” or “Show more appreciation,” or “Give respect” or “Schedule date nights.”  Most people are surprised at how immediately they know exactly how to finish the sentence.  They feel a renewed sense of confidence and competence when they know that they have all the answers within them.

I am going to give you similar sentence-completion activities throughout this book, which I call Expert Signposts.  When you complete these simple yet profound statements, you will start to discover topics and ideas that can be the base of your next expert empire.  Below are a few statements that I want you to complete right now.

Expert Signposts:

1. Five things I have learned about motivating myself and achieving my dreams are…

2. Five things I have learned about leading others and being a good team player are…

3. Five things I have learned about managing money are…

4. Five things I have learned about having a successful business are…

5. Five things I have learned about marketing a product or brand are…

6. Five things I have learned about being a good partner in an intimate relationship are…

7. Five things I have learned about spirituality or connecting with a higher power are…

8. Five things I have learned about home decorating/ fashion/ organizing are…

9. Five things I have learned about managing my life and being effective are…

I know this activity might have seemed silly and that not all of these statements were relevant or easy for you to complete, but guess what I just helped you do?  I helped you brainstorm what you could teach others in the nine most lucrative topics in the expert industry.

• Motivation advice

• Leadership advice

• Financial advice

• Business advice

• Marketing advice

• Relationship advice

• Spiritual advice

• Style advice

• Productivity advice

The Research Expert:  Second, never forget that experts are students first and that you can go research any topic and become an “expert” in that area, starting now.  Did you know that you do not need to have ever done something to be considered an expert in it?  Because this sounds like blasphemy to so many, I have created a rock-solid set of questions that changes people’s perspective very quickly.  Here they are:

1. If you were about to invest in real estate, would you take advice from someone who had never owned a home or commercial property?

Most people reply, “Absolutely not.”  But then I ask,

1. But what if that person who had never owned a property had interviewed in detail the top 20 billionaire real estate investors in the world and distilled all their lessons into a 10-step system?  Would you listen then?

Of course, everyone changes his or her mind and gets the point.  If someone has researched a given topic and broken it down for us, we will listen.  And we will pay for their guidance.

The process of being a research expert is finding a topic people find valuable, research it, interview others on it, synthesize what you learn and then offer your findings for sale so others can learn and improve their lives.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. A topic I have always been passionate about is…

2. A topic I would like to help other people master is…

3. If I could research any topic in the world and help people master it, that topic would be…

4. The reason I think people need help in this area is…

5. To start researching this topic more, I could…

6. People I could interview on this topic include…

The Role Model:  Third, never forget that people listen to those they trust, respect, admire and follow – they listen to role models.  This is obvious but cannot be overstressed.  If people believe you are a good person, they will ask you for all sorts of advice.

Frankly, I think we need more role models in society in general.  We need more people living lives of integrity, compassion and service and I believe the future belongs to those who live such lives.  Business and abundance flow to those who know how to live a good life and serve others.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. One reason people might admire me is because…

2. I have tried to live a good life by living by the following principles…

3. When people look at my life, they can point to the fact that I have done good things, such as…

4. The traits that make me a good person that I will show to the world include…

The “Guru Trifecta” = The Results Expert + The Research Expert + The Role Model.  When all these pillars are strong and aligned, you will have reached a level of expertise and trust that makes you incredibly respected and in demand.

When you combine researcher, results maker and role model, you have a magic that transcends the word “expert” and elevates you to trusted advisor.  Suddenly people start asking you for advice all the time and thus you can have a real business serving others with your advice, knowledge and expertise.

10 STEPS TO AN EXPERT EMPIRE – It turns out that almost every entrepreneurial expert and Millionaire Messenger, those who have truly reached millions of people and made millions of dollars, follow the same game plan.  The 10 steps below will serve as your to-do list and launching pad.

Step 1: Claim and Master Your Topic.  If you are going to build a real empire, you need to pick one topic, learn it, master it, share it, become known for it and make real money teaching it.  Then you have a real foundation on which to build and only then should you start positioning yourself as an expert on other topics. So what will it be?  What is your topic?

Choosing a topic to teach others is akin to choosing a passion in life – sometimes it chooses you more than you choose it.  That is why I want to give you a few categories to consider in developing and deciding upon your topic.

First, choose to teach a topic to others that you already find fascinating and already love to learn about.  Second, choose a topic based on something you already love to do.  Third, think about what you have always wanted to learn.  In every field, experts began as students.  Fourth, consider what you have been through in life.  Have you had a turning point, a triumph or a tragedy that makes you say, “Wow, I struggled through something important and now I want to teach others so that I can minimize their struggles.”  Finally, choose a topic that you are willing to speak about and live and breathe for at least the next five years.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The topics I have always studied and been fascinated with in my life are…

2. The things I love to do in my life are…

3. Something I have always wanted to go out and learn more about is…

4. Things I have been through in my life that might inspire people or instruct them on how to live a good life or grow a good business include times like when I went through…

5. Based on these ideas, the topics I would love to gain expertise in and make a career helping others with include…

6. The topic I would want to start with first and build a real career and business around is…

Step 2: Pick Your Audience.  Choosing an audience is akin to choosing your topic in that you want to find people similar to you.  Who is passionate about the same topics you are?  Who wants to learn the same things you do?  Who has been through similar life struggles as you have?  Complete the following starter sentences below.

Expert Signposts:

1. The audience that would most likely benefit from training on a topic like mine is…

2. The audience that would most likely pay for training on a topic like mine is…

3. The audience of people who seem underserved on my topic includes…

4. People who need education on my topic often belong to organizations like…

Step 3: Discover Your Audience’s Problems.  All experts are students and servants first, so it is necessary for you to study your audience, discover their needs and serve them with advice and how-to information that can solve their problems and improve their lives.

Here are questions you can ask your audience in order to learn more about what they need from you:

1. What is it that you are trying to accomplish this year?

2. What do you think it would take to double your business (or happiness) this year?

3. What frustrates you the most about your business or life right now?

4. What have you already tried to do to improve your situation and what worked and did not work?

Answers to these questions will help you understand the ambitions, needs, frustrations and learning preferences of my clients.  In general, the more you understand your audience and their most pressing problems and ambitions, the more you are able to create targeted problem-solving how-to information that they will buy and consume.  Below are questions to help you think through your audience’s lives and how you might serve them.

Expert Signposts:

1. My audience often dreams of achieving…

2. My audience is afraid of not knowing enough about…

3. My audience often searches and Googles phrases like…

4. My audience likes to follow these types of people and organizations in the media or through social media…

5. My audience hates having to do things like…

6. My audience often pays good money for…

7. If I give my audience any information that would help them improve their lives, they would probably want strategies on how to…

8. The steps my audience often misses when trying to achieve their goals include…

9. Based on all these ideas, some how-to information that I could provide to my audience that would make them very happy would include strategies on how to…

Step 4: Define Your Story.  I ask all my clients a very straightforward but powerful question, “What is a story of struggle from your past that could illustrate to your audience that you have struggled through something similar to what they are struggling through?  That story is often the central piece in conveying credibility, even more than fancy degrees or a lifetime of success in your topic or industry.  Oddly, we tend to relate to one another’s struggles more than to our successes.

Every audience that hears about you and hears about your expert career wonders, “Who is this person?  What have they been through, overcome, figured out, succeeded at?  Based on all that, what can they teach me that will help me improve my life?

Notice the ordering of that question, as I have found it to be very purposeful and powerful.  Audiences want to know, in this order:

1. Who are you and what have you been through in life that I can relate to in my own life?

2. What have you overcome and how?

3. What did you figure out along the way?

4. What did you succeed at – what results did you get?

5. What are you going to teach me that I can apply now to make my life better?

Because these are the questions that every audience asks when hearing from any expert, you need to work out your responses to them.  Then you need to address these questions in every communication you ever send to new prospects or audience members.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. A story of struggle from my past that my audience might relate to is…

2. Something I have overcome in my life that others might find a connection point or inspiring is…

3. The main lessons I have learned from my journey include…

4. Accomplishments and affiliations I have in my life that help further my credibility include…

5. Lessons I can teach people that will help them in my topic area and their life situation include…

Step 5: Create a Solution.  Now that you have begun thinking through your topic, audience and personal credibility story, it is time to create a product or program (solution) that your audience can follow (and buy) to get to where they want to go.

This is where must people fail in our industry.  Everyone wants to make a difference and make an income as an advice guru and expert, but few people will ever do the work of sitting down and creating the how-to program or system that can be offered to and sold to their audience.  They never write the book, or craft the speech, or create the seminar, or set up a coaching program or shoot the videos for their online training course.  Often the reason they don’t, is they don’t know how.

There are only five main ways or modalities people can learn from you.  Knowing these modalities will help you think through how you would like to deliver your information to your audience.

The first way in which people can consume your information is through reading it.  This means you can create written how-to solutions like books, eBooks, workbooks, articles, newsletters, blog postings, instructor guides and transcripts.

Second, your audience might want to hear your information, which can lead you to creating audio CDs, MP3s, conference call series or one-on-one calls.

Third, people may want to watch your information on their television, computer or mobile device.  That means you might create DVD home-study programs, online videos and webinars and mobile video apps.

Fourth, your fans and consumers might want to experience you and your information in person, which would lead you to create live events like seminars, workshops, retreats, adventures and expos.

Finally, a segment of your audience will always want to master your information and get a greater degree of access and training from you.  To serve them, you might create exclusive mastermind programs, coaching services and mentorship programs.

So those are the ways people might consume your information – they want to read it, hear it, watch it, experience it or master it over a longer term.  Many will want all of these things, so it is your job to decide which modality you would like to teach in and which modality or modalities you would like to bundle to create your solution.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. When my audience learns my information, they will probably want to learn it through these modalities the most…(choices: reading, hearing, watching, experiencing, mastering)

2. The modality I would like to teach in the most involves my…(choices: writing it, speaking it for audio, presenting it on video, training at a live event or coaching over a period of time)

3. Based on these ideas, I think the first how-to-product or program I will create for my audience will be something like…

4. To achieve results, my customers will need how-to information that helps them move from Point A, just beginning, to Point B, arriving at their destination.  The steps they would have to take on that journey are…

5. As my customers take these steps, they will have to keep in mind…

6. Common mistakes people make as they take these steps include…

7. An outline for my new how-to solution for my customers could look like this…

Step 6: Put up a Website.  There are three things your website must do in order to begin building your expert empire.

First, your website must add value.  Your site visitors want to see blog posts, articles and videos that add value to their lives.  They do not want to see you brag about who you are, talk about how much you charge or explain what you are doing with your life.  They want content and training and it is your job to five it to them, for free, on your website in order to build rapport with them and provide value to them.  This is the first rule of all business: Add Value.

Second, your website must capture leads.  You must capture the names and e-mail addresses of your visitors.  You do this by offering free training or resources in exchange for their name and e-mail address.  Capturing leads is a critical best practice because the size of your newsletter list in our industry is almost always directly proportionate to your income and influence.

Third, your website must make money.  On your homepage you should feature your latest products for sale.  Then when a consumer clicks on the link to learn more you should have an effective marketing strategy that leads them to buy the product.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. If I were to design my ideal website, the value and information I would want to provide to my visitors would be things like…

2. The main thing people would like to learn upon visiting my site is…

3. The free gift I could offer my customers in exchange for their contact information is…

4. The products and programs I want my clients to know about and buy will be…

Step 7: Campaign Your Products and Programs.  A Campaign is a strategic sequence of promotions that leads to a desired consumer behavior.  In a typical value-adding campaign in the expert industry, we send out a strategic series of communications with customers that actually serves them with great content.  We give these free content pieces and in the last communication in the series, we effectively say, “Hey if you like the free training I have just sent you, then you will love my new program called (insert your product name here).”

This method of marketing is time-tested in our industry.  By delivering real value to customers in advance of asking for a sale, we create the kind of trust, value and reciprocity that helps consumers feel comfortable I ultimately buying our products and programs.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. To add value to people before I sell to them, I can send them a few free content pieces like…

2. The first product I want to market to my customers is…

3. The reason people should buy this product is because it helps them…

4. This product ultimately gives customers the following benefits in their life…

5. The reason this product is different than others out there is that…

6. The reasons I know this product get results for people is that it…

7. The reason the price point of this product is fantastic is…

8. To pay the price point of this product, people must believe that…

9. The reason people need to buy this program now is…

Step 8: Post FREE Content.  In our hyper-connected world two things bring traffic and attention to your work: search and social media.  And the one and only thing that is guaranteed to generate the interest of both the search engines and the masses is content posted online.

You should be putting online free, high-quality blog postings, articles, podcasts and most importantly training videos.  By loading these postings with keyword phrases related to your brand, topic and market, the search engines will start to notice them and rank your sites and content higher on their results pages.

In general, you should give your best advice and ideas away for free.  Yes, for free.  I’m not saying give all your content away for free, but rather give your best ideas away for free.  I tell people to “lead with your best work” because you often don’t get another chance to prove your value.  Simply put, if the content people get from you is free and incredible, then they’ll be more likely and willing to buy your other products.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. Ten short articles I could write and post on my blog include topics such as…

2. Ten short videos I could create and post to YouTube could cover topics such as…

3. The “biggest idea” I have for my customers that I should now share for free via video or articles online is…

4. The keywords I want to emphasize in my article and video posts so that they are optimized to get goo search engine results include key phrases such as…

5. When I put all this free content online, my goal is for the customer to read, hear or watch it and then take this next action…

Step 9: Get Promotional Partners.  You can only get your message out there so far by yourself.  That is why it is important to start looking for other experts in the community who have audiences that may be interested in your topics and trainings.  If you can get those experts to promote your message to their base of fans, followers and subscribers, then you immediately amplify your message as well as your business.

Nothing serves your message more than getting others to promote your message farther and wider than you ever could on your own.  So start looking for promotional partners.  For the most part, if you are willing to add value and promote the messages of others, many will be willing to do the same for you.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. Other experts training on my topic include…(I strongly suggest making a spreadsheet with all this information)

2. The audience size they have on Twitter and Facebook is…

3. The products they offer for sale on their website include…

4. The price points they most often offer to their audience are…

5. The values this person seems to live by are…

6. The common phrases this person uses are…

7. The person’s priorities seem to include…

8. The information I have that their audience would likely value are…

Step 10: Repeat and Build the Business Based on Distinction, Excellence and Service.  There are three values that will serve you well in this industry and help you share your message with millions.  They are:

Value #1: Distinction.  The first value is distinction, being unique.  If you are always mindful about being your unique self and delivering unique value and content to your customers, you will meet the kind of success of which others dream.  Life, and our industry, does not reward cookie-cutters or copycats.  The better you become at being yourself and displaying your uniqueness to your fans and followers, the more influential you will become

Value #2: Excellence.  Standing out in any role, career or industry is simple if you are driven by excellence more than your counterparts.  Excellence is about giving your greatest effort and caring enough about your career and customers to make sure the value you bring in equal or better than anything else out there.  It is about striving to be a master and leader in what you do.

We also have to challenge our customers to be their best in everything we teach them to do.  The sad truth is that most people do not have someone in their lives to push them to grow as a person and become better at what they do.  So be that person for your customers.  Challenge them to be their best selves and act with excellence.  It is amazing what happens when you do that.  Suddenly people start seeing you as their coach and they are more likely to become fans and lifelong customers.  The more you set accountabilities and the standard of excellence for people, the more they become attached to your work and the value you are providing – because nobody else is doing that for them.

Value #3: Service.  The foundation of what we do in the expert industry is serving others.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. What makes me distinct in this industry is that I…

2. The reason I am committed to being excellent in everything I do is…

3. The reason I am doing this work in the first place is to…

THE MILLIONAIRE MESSENGER’S MONEY MAP – Entrepreneurial experts make money through one or more of the following activities:  Writing, Speaking, Seminars, Coaching, Consulting and Online marketing.  To truly evolve and expand as an expert, you’ll want to begin cultivating all six areas into a multiple-streams-of-revenue business model.

A Million-Dollar Expert Empire in Five Steps:  Let me show you how all these roles and profit pillars can come together to create a very simple plan to create a million-dollar expert business.

1. Create a low-priced information product.  In the expert industry, “low-price” is typically anything in the $20 - $200 range.  An “information product” is basically training material – your advice or strategies for success packaged into an educational product or program.  In this price range, an information product is often a book, eBook, CD audio program or DVD home-study course.

2. Create a low-priced subscription program.  A “subscription program” is often called a membership program or continuity program.  Just like the magazine business model, a subscription program in the expert industry is based on delivering monthly content to your customers.  In the expert industry, “low-price” is typically anything in the $9.97 - $197 range.

3. Create a mid-tier-priced information product.  This is a more advanced and comprehensive training program that is priced usually in the $200 - $999 range.  For example it could be a home-study course that includes 10 DVDs, transcripts, a workbook and a bonus 3-disc audio program.

4. Create a high-tier multi-day seminar.  Running seminars is the most lucrative empire-building strategy for experts.  High-tier seminars are priced usually in the $1,000 to $4,999 range.

5. Create a high-priced coaching program.  This is for your fans and customers that want to get your personal attention and consulting education as the mastery level.  A good approach for this is to create a group coaching mastermind class. 

Never forget that people pay a lot of money to shorten their learning curve and their path to success.  Look at the exorbitant amount of money people are paying for college these days.  Some would say it is atrocious.  But people pay the tuitions and they will continue to do so because learning is and always will be important.  In the expert space, we take education to the next level by synthesizing and systemizing specific information that helps people solve their problems, whether personal or professional, and move ahead faster in life.

Our mission is to improve the lives and businesses of those we serve by providing great value and information.

THE MESSENGER MINDSET – Most success in life is an internal game.  It’s usually more about how you think, feel and behave than the tools or resources you have at hand.  I believe that successful experts have four dominant beliefs that allow them to consistently serve, share work and create.  With these four beliefs running their mind and their lives, they are driven to make a real difference and build a real business.  Without these four beliefs, would-be experts give up early, lose focus, fail or worse, they never begin.

Mindset #1: My life experience, message and voice are valuable.  Psychologists long ago discovered that a person’s happiness, efficacy and ability to be resilient and both emotionally and socially intelligent all hinge on a person’s evaluation of their worth.  The more you feel worthy, the more you feel capable and confident.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. One reason I have not been sharing my life lessons more with others is because…

2. If a friend of mine used an excuse like that reason, I would say to them…

3. The times in my life when I have held back my voice have been times like…

4. The times in my life when I spoke up and helped others include…

Mindset #2: If I don’t know it or have it, I will go learn it or create it.  Entrepreneurial experts believe that no matter what they know or have, they will start, struggle through, experiment, work hard and learn or create whatever they must to get their message out there.  Never doubt a person with a calling or moral obligation – they will find a way to share their message.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The things I’ll have to go learn to succeed in this new expert endeavor include…

2. The things I’ll have to create in order to start include…

3. The people I can model and follow to shorten my learning curve include…

4. The excuses that I’ll probably make along the way that I’ll have to overcome include…

Mindset #3: I will not let my small business make me small-minded.  Never let your small business make you small-minded.  You need to have a grand vision for yourself and your message, despite your present circumstances, that will propel you into action and achievement.  Never forget that all good results come slowly.  While you are waiting for the big break to come, just keep in mind how important your work is and how many you will serve one day.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. A grand vision I have for myself is this industry is to…

2. When times are tough I will always remind myself that…

3. To ensure I don’t play small in life or in this business, I will…

4. To play a bigger game, I am going to have to let go of…

Mindset #4: Student First, Teacher Second, Servant Always.  Every expert I have ever met believes they are a student and seeker at heart. Their mantra is: Experts are students first, teachers second, servants always.  If you have not read at least six books in the last six months on your topic of expertise, then you are not minding our mantra.  If you have not tried to interview at least 10 people on your topic this year, then you are not minding our mantra.  If you are not actively scouring the Internet, researching journals, magazines and bookshelves for information on your topic, then you are not minding our mantra.  You are failing to be a student first.  From this day forward, you must commit yourself to more disciplined and consistent study and mastery of your topic.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. To feel more like a student in life, I would have to…

2. My plan for learning more about my topic is to…

3. My plan for capturing everyday life lessons that I can teach others is to start…

4. The reason I feel I should be learning all this and teaching what I know is…

Mindset #5 Mastery is a way of life.  Those who succeed are those who choose to explore and master their topics deeply.  This emphasis on mastery allows you to stay focused, overcome hardships, become a true expert in your field and run a real business built on hard work and dedication.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The topic area I am going to focus on like a laser for the next 18 months is…

2. The things I am going to stop focusing on right now are…

3. The times when I lose my focus and fall off the path to mastery are usually when …

4. If in 12 months I looked back at my last year, I would know I had stayed on the path to mastery if I could see I had…

THE MILLIONAIRE MANDATES – If you want to control your destiny in this industry you need to develop real skill at what you are doing.  Oddly, though, our industry rarely talks about or focuses on skill development.  One reason this sad reality exists is because of the convenient lie in our community that says, “You can just outsource everything and be the talent.”  That lie has cost thousands of up-and-coming experts thousands of wasted dollars and control over their fate.

Heed my words: If it is important to your long-term success, do not outsource it – master it.  Your success is powered by your skill sets.  In general, I say that everyone in our industry should develop skills in writing, specifically copywriting for marketing; speaking and persuasion; facilitating large groups; coaching individuals to achieve their goals; video shooting and editing; blogging and social media. 

Outside of the skills mentioned above, I believe that most highly paid experts focus most of their time on developing and practicing five broad skills that I call the “Messenger Mandates.”  The following five mandates are my response to the frequently asked question, “What do I need to be doing in this industry and what should I get really good at to succeed?”

Messenger Mandate #1: Positioning.  Every expert must become skillful at what I call “positioning” in the industry.  This is my big-bucket term for developing a good sense of (a) what your audience wants, and (b) what it takes to ensure that you and your content are held in high regard by your customers and other experts in our community.

You have to strategically and consistently position yourself in three ways to stand out.  First you have to position yourself as a credible source on your subject.  How do you do that?  You put out valuable content for free in the marketplace and online so that people can see who you are and how you’re different.  You create and distribute blog postings, videos, webinars, teleseminars, podcasts, eBooks and so on.

Second, you need to position your information as leading-edge training content.  You need to be certain and direct in telling customers, “Hey guys, this is the latest results and research I’ve been able to gather and get.  This is cutting-edge stuff and I’ve structured it so that you can quickly understand it and implement it.”  When people know your content is the best out there, they trust you, believe in you and yes, buy from you.

Finally, I advise clients to get very close to the other experts in their field.  Go to their seminars, mingle with them at conferences, join masterminds with them, promote them and offer to add value to them and their business.  So hang out with leading thinkers, interview them for your audience and ask them to do the same for you with their audiences.  Get in the guru loop and stay there.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The lessons I learned about positioning are…

2. The steps I will take to position myself in this industry are…

3. The people I need to get close to in this industry are…

4. The way I want to be perceived in this industry is…

Messenger Mandate #2: Packaging.  Experts, at the most basic level, are content creators.  And just like positioning, creating and sharing great information that is valuable to people is a skill and a mandate for experts.  I use the term “packaging” to describe three activities that allow us to build a real business with a great reputation.

First, experts need to learn to package their information in a way that can be easily understood and implemented by their customers.  Thus, to package your information well, you must be clear about what your customer wants to overcome and achieve.  Then you must create a step-by-step process that shows them how to achieve their goal. 

Right or wrong, those who teach process and implementable solutions are more valued in the marketplace than those who teach concept and theory.  Teaching step-by-step information is more valuable than teaching overview.  The better you do this, the more value you add.  The more value you add, the more you can charge.  The more value you add and the more you charge, the better you are positioned.

Second, experts need to learn to package their products well.  If you are going to create a six-disc audio program with transcripts and an accompanying workbook, your program needs to be logically laid out and beautifully designed.  Most up-and-coming experts, because they are just starting out, skimp and create everything on the cheap.  This is not the impression you want to create.

Third, experts need to learn to package themselves well.  You have to present to the world.  It is a hard reality for many to swallow, but looks matter.  If you are a sloppy, uninspiring mess, people don’t want to follow you.  If you can’t take care of yourself or follow your own advice, why would anyone believe in or buy from you?

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The lessons I learned about packaging are…

2. When creating my information and my products, I am going to package them so that they are…

3. The way I want my brand to be displayed to the world shows me as a person who is…

4. The actions I am going to take to keep fit, healthy and energized include…

Messenger Mandate #3: Promoting.  Once you create your positioning and packaging, it’s time to alert the world to who you are, what you teach and what you offer.  It’s time to promote yourself.  Most up-and-coming experts are terrified of the idea of “marketing.”  The good news however, is that marketing in our industry is very different than what many expect.

Your number-one job is this business is to teach and serve people.  Today, training is marketing.  You market by adding value to your consumers for free by actually teaching and training them on your topic.  The idea is for you to send out a few free content pieces – whether free calls, videos, webinars, eBooks and so on – over a series of days or weeks.  Then say, “Dear customer, if you like those things then you will love my new program.”  The distinction is subtle but meaningful: Never sell without first adding significant value.  It’s the difference between promoting and campaigning.  By giving away free content first, your customers get to re-engage with who you are and what you have to offer them.  Then, when you say that you have something for sale, they have a better understanding of the value and a higher anticipation and likelihood for buying.

To promote your message, brand and products effectively, what you need is a website and a shopping cart system that will allow you to capture a customer’s contact information, send out e-mails and process credit card orders.

The key to doing well with your promotions is to understand buying behavior and sales psychology.  There are eight elements present in any good sales message and all of them must be used in your sales videos or sales copy.

Claim.  Every strong sales message must begin with a claim, a bold promise about what your product or service can help other accomplish.  Your claim should highlight the benefits, results, newness, distinction or wow-factor of what you are offering.

Challenge.  What are the problems your customer is facing in life?  How much are those problems costing them?  What is preventing them from moving ahead?  What will happen if they don’t resolve these problems?  These are the questions that you must address to create rapport with your prospects.  Selling is really the art and science of illuminating other people’s problems and inspiring them to commit to your solution.

Your job as a marketer of your message is to show people the need for what you are selling by shining the flashlight on their challenges and what is necessary to overcome those challenges.  But you must never portray yourself as someone who has never had these challenges yourself, which is why we need the next element.

Commonality.  I often say, “If you haven’t been through it, they won’t listen to it.”  This is a simple statement that reminds us that people listen to experts who are like themselves.  Once you have rapport with your prospects, the next step is to show why you are the person to help them get ahead.

Credibility.  You create credibility by sharing the reasons why you are qualified to help your customer overcome their challenges and improve their life, results or situation.  This is accomplished by sharing the results you’ve attained in life, the research you’ve compiled and synthesized or the reasons why you are a role model.  This is not a time to brag about every little thing that you’ve done in life, nor is it the place to brag about your resume or riches.  Instead, this is where you want to share your story of finding the solution that finally helped you achieve your breakthrough.

Choice.  No sales message can be effective if it fails to create a clear and powerful choice in the prospect’s mind.  You must present your product, program or service in such a way that it is obviously different and better than anything else out there.

Comparison Pricing.  Everyone in the world wants a good deal.  They want to know that when they buy something its value is worth much, much more than what they paid for it.  Knowing this, you must never present the price of your offering without first building towards a higher value.  You want the prospect to think your offering is going to be more expense than it turns out to be.  If your prospects don’t think your solution is going to be 10 times the price you ultimately offer them, then you’re not doing a good job.

Concern.  What are the likely objections your prospects will have to buying your solution?  What do they doubt about you?  What do they fear won’t happen when they get your product, program or service?  Answering these types of questions in your mind and in your sales message is critical to your success.  The more questions you obliterate during your sales messaging, the more sales you make.

Close and call to action.  A great call to action stacks messages.  First, it stacks benefits and bonuses – more reasons and value for the prospect to buy right now.  Second, great closes remove risk and set the prospect at ease: “Hey, if you aren’t fully satisfied with this product, then return it within 30 days and we’ll refund your entire payment.”  Guarantees are incredibly important in our industry.  Finally, a powerful close must end with a clear, direct, simple and repeated call to action: “Click on the button below right now to get started or Call this telephone number right now to order.”

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The next product or program I am going to create and promote is…

2. The benefits people would get from this program are…

3. The free pieces of content I can send to people before offering this program for sale are…

4. The reasons people will feel compelled to buy this program are…

Mandate #4: Partnering.  You can only get your message out to the world so far by yourself.  While everyone would love their message to go viral and suddenly become an instant celebrity or YouTube phenomenon, it rarely happens, if ever.  So what can you do to amplify your message and give it the best chances of going viral?  First, create great value and content.  Less obvious, go get partners who make it go viral.  The goal of every messenger in the world should be to find more messengers to amplify their message.

Landing big promotional partners is critical to your message’s reach and your financial success.  That’s why it demands your attention and consistent effort.  Luckily, it’s a straight forward process.

First, identify other experts on your topic.  Use a spreadsheet for this information.  After watching and following other gurus for a while, start weeding down the list to those you trust, like and respect.  That list becomes your target promotional partnership list.

Second, after you have done all this homework, it’s time to reach out to those potential promotional partners.  The best approach is based on open reciprocity (I promoted you, would you like to promote me), value to customers (we will give them free stuff), simplicity (just click Send) and compensation (you make money and so do I).

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. The promotional partners I already know I want to approach are…

2. The value I could add to them is…

3. The next campaign I launch that I want them to support is…

4. The steps I’m going to take right now are…

The Last Mandate.  As a foundation to all these mandates – positioning, packaging, promoting and partnership – is one more important and often uncelebrated mandate.  I call it the Ultimate Messenger Update: Serving with Purpose.  We are in a wonderful new world of socially conscious consumers who care about who they buy from and how their lives are turning out.  When you offer value to them and you come from a place of service and purpose, they feel it and your business grows.  You make a difference and you make a fortune.  Message and meaning and money mix in a wonderful way.

Complete the following starter sentences:

Expert Signposts:

1. If I brought more purpose into my work, this would happen…

2. The people I have seen not serve their customers have been…

3. Those who are serving with purpose and doing a great job at it have taught me…

4. The way I will stay grounded and focused on service in this business is by…

Message from Gary Tomlinson:

The Millionaire Messenger contains stories, sample marketing pieces, and detailed explanations that are not contained in this book report.  You would be doing yourself a real disservice by not getting and reading this book.

If you want to make a difference and earn an income while sharing your advice, this book is an absolute must to study.  I sincerely believe it is the best blueprint (strategic plan) for any author, speaker, writer, consultant and/or coach on how to share their message to make a difference and also make an income.
 

You can engage Gary at gary@garyetomlinson.com. To read his other book reports
or book reviews visit his website at www.garyetomlinson.com.