Your second secret
is, "Build a superlative dream team with superstars in four
categories: Creatives, Advancers, Refiners and Executers." Do
I need all four people to start?
Hansen: You
need two to start. People have one dominant and one recessive
style-you can test yourself here. You need to complement your weaknesses.
Allen: A
Creative and [an] Advancer usually get together to start. Don't
let a Refiner in at the beginning. They will punch a hole in your
balloon, and you may not be able to say, "Good, go away, we
will discover a way to make it happen and get back to
you."
You need to build
confidence first. Who must be on the team in the beginning to
ensure success?
Hansen: The
visionary. When Jack Canfield and I did Chicken Soup for the Soul,
he said, "I don't know if we are going to sell one or a
million." I said, "Let me run the show because I know it
will sell more than a million."
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Allen:
Everything flows from vision, but you will be as weak as your
weakest link. Eventually, you need a complete team, or you'll
be slowed down.
How do I get a
superstar on my team?
Hansen: You
can easily create a virtual team full of superstars. Thirty years
ago, when I was bankrupt, I had Walt Disney; Napoleon Hill, author
of Think and Grow Rich [Ballantine Publishing Group]; and John F.
Kennedy on my team, because I read their books and interviews.
And when you take
action and prove you can build your dream, others will be inspired
to help.
Allen: If you
are doing it, then you are ready to be mentored.
Hansen:
Find the one person to push it to reality.
Allen: You
can also go to your most influential contacts and ask them for
potential team members.
What are some unique
ways to contact superstars?
Allen: Help
them achieve their top three goals, and they will be willing to
help you. Do something unique-find out what your mentor's
favorite charities are, and get involved in raising money for
them.
It goes back to
benefiting others. How do I thank superstars who help
me?
Hansen: There
is the tangible-cash and options. Do something that people normally
wouldn't do for themselves-take them on a shopping spree, or
buy them a massage.
Allen:
It's usually not money. Show them that you've used their
advice to create incredible success for yourself, and agree to
mentor someone just like they did you.
Your third secret
is: "You've got to create multiple streams of income so
you have an everlasting flow of revenue." What are multiple
streams of income?
Hansen:
Culture teaches us to get jobs, keeping us one step from being
rich. I want people to get their MBAs: massive bank accounts. There
are four areas where most people make their money: real estate,
infopreneuring, the Web and their own businesses. Discover ways to
create residual income in each one of these areas.
Allen:
Create products that bring in money when you are not there. For
example, using infopreneuring-a hybrid of information and
entrepreneur-we market and sell books, seminars and other licensed
products that contain our information and others'
[information].
If my business only
produces one stream of income, what is the first step I should take
to create multiple streams of income?
Hansen: Write
down what is going on in your fantasy world. What is the goal you
want to achieve? Define the business areas you want to start and
how you can make them a reality. Then use your dream team and other
experts to poke holes in your ideas to discover what will work.
Allen:
Read my book, Multiple Streams of Income: How to Generate a
Lifetime of Unlimited Wealth [John Wiley and Sons], for other
ideas.
How do I figure out
which idea will produce the best results, especially if I do not
have the money to hire experts or develop new
products?
Allen: I
don't believe in spending lots of money to launch a new idea.
You don't need money-you just need a great idea.
Hansen:
Taking nothing and finding a way to create something is the perfect
way to start. Get your team together, and ask how you can implement
your dream. Bounce your idea off other business owners; you will
discover new ways.
Allen:
Start with the idea you are the most interested in. It's the
one that you are probably destined to do anyway.
How long should I
expect an income stream to last?
Allen: Good
question. If it's free and clear, real estate lasts the rest of
your life and beyond. If it's generic information, you can
market it for 20 years or more. If it's a product, three to
five years.
How do I motivate
customers to keep purchasing my products or services?
Hansen: This
is the entrepreneur's greatest challenge-continually finding
new customers while keeping the old ones. Create ways to constantly
improve the deal by discovering what people want and how you can
deliver it to them.
Allen: Add
a bonus that is more valuable than the product itself, and give
that bonus for free.
One last question:
Can we create "everlasting flows of income"?
Allen:
Absolutely! Money in a bank, a savings account or a Treasury bill
can generate endless cash flow.
Hansen:
Constantly find new ways to give it away and help everyone. It will
come back to you multiple times.
Create Your Dream Team
Bestselling authors Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G.
Allen talk a lot about the importance of building a team of
superstars. After all, when you have the right team, you are
energized, encouraged and empowered to accomplish more in even less
time. It all seems possible, and miracles can be achieved.
"Dream-teaming" starts in your mind. You want to attract
the brightest, wisest and most cooperative people available. Make
sure each team member is aligned with your vision, values and
spirit. Your team should be made up of the following members:
- Creatives or Hares: They are idea people who think
randomly. They love to come up with ideas. They usually get bored
with the ideas once they've thought them through.
- Advancers or Owls: They love to prioritize and plan a
strategy for success. When you give them an idea, they instantly
tell you the next steps to take to make it happen. They are
go-getters who like to make connections.
- Refiners or Turtles: They believe that slow and steady
wins the race. They are great at pointing out problems and seeing
around corners in order to know what might go wrong.
- Executers or Squirrels: These detail-oriented people are
great at step-by-step work. They think and act in a methodical,
logical way. They keep things organized and running smoothly.
Speaker and consultant Romanus Wolter, aka "The
Kick Start Guy," is the author of Kick Start Your Dream Business.
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