Dan Lok

Systematic Inventive Thinking: How To Facilitate Rapid Cycles of Idea Generation and Solve Complex Problems

June 18, 2020 by Dan Lok

Systematic inventive thinking (SIT) produces an incredible outcome when used for idea generation and problem solving. Leading companies such as Tesla, Amazon and Apple use this strategy to outperform their competition on a consistent basis.

Systematic inventive thinking is changing the way companies create value. Over the last decade, this new thinking methodology has been allowing creativity to take the center stage.

You might be thinking, why not look to my customers for guidance?

Despite what experts have to say, corporate decisions should not be based solely on customer feedback. After all, customers are just looking for an incredible product or service at a great price.

A recent publication by Jacob Goldenberg at Harvard Business Review states: “Marketers will tell you that the best sources of new product ideas are customers, both current and potential. However, we’re seeing that customers lack the imagination to envision innovative products that address their emerging, or even existing needs or desires.”

So, in order to be truly original and innovative, you’ll have to brainstorm without any restraints. The more ideas on the table, the better. This unique approach helps companies break away from their normal patterns of thinking and come up with great ideas. These ideas are then translated into actions, which then lead to results.

When these ideas are applied to the SIT Formula, amazing things happen.

This formula contains five thinking techniques that marketers have used for many years. It attends to all aspects of an organization’s innovation strategy – from acquiring skills all the way to piloting and deploying new business models.

Before we go over these techniques, let’s cover the correlation between idea generation and problem solving.

The Correlation Between Idea Generation and Problem Solving

Einstein famously said, “we can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them”.

Idea generation is a procedure by which a company identifies solutions for any number of difficult challenges.

This is the time to brainstorm with no restraint – make analogies to things that have nothing to do with your product, services or processes; stretch as far as possible to reach a breakthrough idea.

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When you come up with many ideas at once, it’s impossible not to get closer to the solution you are looking for. However, it’s crucial that you follow the appropriate guidelines to ensure that you don’t waste your time generating useless information.

Whenever you are facing uncertainty, it’s essential that you have a structured thinking process to guide you. The most successful companies in the world follow three rules when brainstorming:

#1: They work inside a familiar niche.

#2: They generate solutions that are independent of any specific problem.

#3: They use the five techniques of SIT.

Out of the three rules above, Rule #3 is the most important. These techniques are embedded in the products and services you see every day. With their help, you will be able to generate ideas that directly reflect your organization’s goals.

The five techniques are:

Subtraction
Task Unification
Multiplication
Division
Attribute Dependency

With these techniques, there is plenty of room for improvisation. But, as with any art or form, you need to master the basics first. In this article, we will cover how these five techniques may be applied to systematic inventive thinking.

1. Subtraction

Innovative products and services tend to, with time, lose a certain function. This could be an element of the system that seemed essential for identifying a new value or benefit.

Here, you are not creating new ideas. Instead, you are working backward to imagine what benefits there are in using only the existing features.

Here is a five-step formula to apply subtraction to systematic inventive learning:

1. List Out Every Internal Component of Your Product or Service

If you are working with a product, list every single component, and its function. If you are working with a service, make note of every function it performs.

2. Imagine What Would Happen if You Removed One

You could either remove an entire component or remove a piece. Either way, think about what would happen if it was no longer there.

3. Visualize the Result – Even if It Seems Strange

It’s always a good idea to visualize the final result. Even if it seems far fetched, it never hurts to see your product or service from a different angle.

4. What are the Potential Benefits and Added Value?

Who would want this new product or service, and how could it help them? What are the benefits of this revised concept?

5. Is this New Idea Feasible?

Can you actually create this new product or service – why or why not? Is there any way to refine the idea to make it more adaptable?

By applying this five-step formula to your business, you will be able to innovate on demand. New ideas, solutions, and theories will overflow your meeting room.

Application of Subtraction: Amazon

A company that took advantage of subtraction to reap great rewards is Amazon.

Amazon is a household name in today’s world of online shopping, and its innovative efforts do not stop short of brick-and-mortar retail.

In 2018, Amazon unveiled one of its newest creations called Amazon Go. Using its walkout technology, Amazon removed the need for checkout lines and registers from the shopping experience.

With the help of the app, buyers can walk into the store, select the items they want off the shelf, and walk out. The app then detects that the items were purchased, and charges the appropriate Amazon account – it’s that simple.

This is a perfect example of subtraction. By eliminating much of the staff needed to operate a store, Amazon is able to keep its costs low and stay ahead of its competitors.

According to Macrotrends, Amazon’s stock price grew by 28% in 2018 – outperforming the S&P 500 index by more than 35%.

But it doesn’t stop there. Amazon took this a step further and applied the task unification technique to systematic inventive thinking. They collected the data from their customers’ shopping habits so they could provide them with better suggestions.

The benefit? Both parties are happy, and Amazon takes off as a leader in the online marketplace.

2. Task Unification

Task unification means to assign a new or additional task to an existing resource.

It is a collaborative process that requires contributions from your entire team. After all, in order to create new functions for a product or service, you need to have a strong understanding of it.

There are five critical success factors to be mindful of when applying task unification to systematic inventive thinking:

Identify the Obvious Components

Look at the components that are so obvious that they are easily missed. Seek help from others—colleagues, experts, or customers—to identify these components.

Don’t Play it Too Safe

Believe it or not, non-intuitive components are much more likely to lead to creative breakthroughs. If your ideas sound absolutely insane, you’re on the right track.

Don’t Confuse Task Aggregation with Assigning New Tasks

If your idea presents a new function for your product or service, it’s likely not task unification. Instead, look for creative ways to assign an additional task to an existing function.

Task unification takes multitasking to a whole new level. However, correct use is essential for getting results. By being aware of these common misconceptions, you will set yourself and your team up for success.

The Power of Task Unification

Cultures that are rich in resources tend to adopt the task unification mindset. For example, Samsung took its new smart TV one step further by integrating two new features into it.

Picture this: you’ve just moved into your new home and you’re trying to decorate it. Do you want to have trendy art, family photos, or a flat-screen TV on your wall?

Samsung’s new QLED TV’s are designed to end that dilemma. The TV now serves two purposes: to provide endless entertainment and personalized decor.

Samsung applied task unification to systematic inventive thinking, in order to overcome functional fixedness.

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But it doesn’t stop there: Samsung took this a step further by implementing this technique into nearly all of its products. They now offer a washing machine with a built-in sink, a dryer with a two-part lid, and a dishwasher with an auto-clean function.

This strategy begins with developing a strong understanding of your product or service. From there, you link different functions to provide ideal solutions based on the needs of real people.

Here, Samsung took the initiative to simplify regular processes and improve their customer’s experience. Leading companies like Samsung tend to be conscious of these opportunities, which is why they rise as industry leaders.

3. Multiplication

Many innovative products and services tend to have components copied but changed in some way. Usually, these changes are made to remove or edit features that present themselves to be unnecessary or redundant.

Think about it – if you received feedback from your customers that a feature of your product is great, wouldn’t it make sense to invest time into making it even better?

You could take what you have, copy it, and change it in a counterintuitive way. Not only would this minimize the risks of making a bad decision; it would reduce costs, improve speed, and energize employees.

For this reason, multiplication is widely used by many businesses today. When this technique is applied to systematic inventive thinking, the results are spectacular.

Multiply your potentials with your plans and it will be equal to your purpose of existence”. – Israelmore Ayivor

A common misconception that many brands face today is that they believe they should focus on improving the weak aspects of their products or services.

The problem is, by the time they end up solving the problem, they’re already one step behind the curve.

Emerging as an industry leader is not a matter of luck – in fact, it’s far from it. Rather, it’s a scientific approach used by business owners. With a strong understanding of their brand and a deep understanding of their customers’ unmet needs, business owners know what direction to take their business in.

Multiplication in Action: Apple Inc.

Think about multiplication as a jazz piece. Halfway through the song, a musician usually takes center stage and performs a solo.

This is exactly what Apple did for the launch of the iPhone 11 Pro.

The debate between which cell phone brand has the best camera has been ongoing for many years. Each generation seems to have a new feature that helps it stand out from the existing competition.

Apple took this one step further by introducing three rear-facing cameras onto their flagship phone. This shook the entire industry and left their competition in the dust.

According to Newsroom, Apple saw its highest quarterly revenue ever after the announcement of the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro models.

You might be thinking to yourself, what if no one liked the new iPhone design? How would Apple be able to recover?

Because Apple applied multiplication to systematic inventive thinking, there was little to no risk involved. Since their last generation iPhone had an incredible camera, all they had to do was add a new twist onto an existing technology. The secret is to encourage multiple perspectives during the idea generation process. After all, there is no such thing as a bad idea.

4. Division

Division works by breaking a product into its different components and then rearranging them. This is a powerful technique in systematic inventive learning because it forces you to create new configurations of your product.

It’s likely that you don’t envision smashing your product into many pieces. After all, you worked hard to create it.

But what if you had to build it back up from the ground? What will likely happen is you will see new ways to use the product that you would have missed, had you try to think of it on your own.

There are three ways to apply the division technique:

1. Functionality

What are the specific functions of your product? How can you simplify these functions by breaking them down further?

2. Physicality

If your product takes up a lot of space, what can you adjust to make it more compact?

3. Preservability

Is it possible to divide your product into a smaller version of itself, where each smaller unit would still preserve the characteristics of the whole product?

Division helps to size your biggest challenges down, e so you can see innovative opportunities.

Once you have envisioned a new product, all you need to do is to identify the potential benefits and it’s target market. From there, you modify, adapt and improve the concept.

Digging Deeper with Division

The concept of division starts with something you know and turns it into something new. In the end, we are left with a sense of surprise.

It turns out that some of the most revolutionary ideas are right below our noses. All we need to do is find them.

The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” ― Rob Siltanen

Take product functionality, for example. A water sports company took the controls of a speed boat and mounted it onto a water skier. Now, the water skier controls the movements of the boat without needing a separate driver.

Next, let’s look at product physicality. Think about a GoPro camera and its ability to capture video from a variety of different points. Whether it be on a selfie-stick or mounted to the side of your car, it makes for an excellent experience.

Finally, there is product preservability: picture a baking company creating cupcakes that mimic the characteristics of normal-sized cakes. This way, customers can experience their inventions without committing to purchasing an entire cake.

By applying division to systematic inventive thinking, these new ideas emerged into the market. Thanks to this, each one of these companies has found massive success.

These examples just touch the surface of how division can be applied to your products.

5. Attribute Dependency

The final technique to apply to systematic inventive thinking is attribute dependency.

The basic principle underlying this tool is creating dependencies between variables of a product. Here, we are working with variables rather than components.

A variable is anything that has the potential to create values. For example, what are the characteristics that can change within your product?

Furthermore, variables can be internal or external. The internal variables are those that can be controlled by the manufacturer when the external variables are out of their control.

There are three ways to implement attribute dependency:

1. Passive

As the name implies, nothing has to happen for the dependency to take place. There doesn’t need to be an external element or action applied.

2. Active

An active dependency is one that requires an external factor in order for an event to take place. This can come in many different shapes and forms.

3. Automatic

These dependencies are unique because they happen automatically. The product is designed to change on its own in response to a third-party element.

How do you know which type of dependency is best to use on your product? It all comes down to which one will be the most convenient for your customers.

Additionally, you should consider if you want your customers to have the ability to create the change for themselves. Whichever you choose, you will create a fantastic experience for your target audience.

Why Attribute Dependency?

With four other simpler techniques to apply to systematic inventive thinking, why should you look to attribute dependency?

The truth is, this is one of the areas of innovation businesses overlook, and yet one with the most potential to create the next breakthrough.

Take Sun Master for example. They are a professional and reliable solar LED light manufacturer. During the day, the light captures and stores energy from the sun; at night these lights illuminate your garden.

According to Markets and Markets, the solar lighting system market is projected to reach 10.8 Billion dollars by 2024.

This is an example of an automatic dependency.

Here, the consumer doesn’t have to do anything. There are no batteries required, no chords, and no troublesome set-up. The lights are designed to turn on when the solar panels detect that the sun is setting.

Products with an attribute dependency present themselves as being smart. They know when it’s appropriate to change in response to some other variable – whether it be internal, external or automatic. This creates a simple yet engaging experience for the customer.

Apply SIT Today

Systematic inventive thinking relies on three key ideas.

The first idea is that you must work within a niche you are familiar with. Secondly, you must generate solutions that are independent of any problem. And, finally, you must apply the five techniques of SIT.

When used correctly, these techniques have the ability to transform the way your business generates ideas. With it, you will be able to create an endless stream of consumable products and services.

SIT is one of the many strategies taught at Dragon 100, an executive club comprised of 7 and 8- figure entrepreneurs.

If you want to learn more strategies that will help you to get where you want to go, click here to enter the Dragon 100 path.

The System On How To Turn 6 Figures Into 7 In Revenue

June 16, 2020 by Dan Lok

Have you seen the popular TV show ‘Shark Tank’? If you haven’t yet, there’s a lot you can learn from it. For example, how to turn 6 figures into 7 for your business. This business reality show will teach you about business, investing, growing your business and more. You can think of it like ‘America’s Got Talent’ for doing business: entrepreneurs pitch their ideas in hopes of winning big investments for their companies.

You’ll see many success stories, and you’ll also see some millionaire wannabes too. You’ll even see people come back on the show, having previously failed.

Whether you’re a small or mid-to-large size business, you will walk away with loads of value. Since these are real deals, made in real life, you’ll know exactly what will work and what won’t in the market.

People will be willing to invest in your products or services if they buy into what you believe in. It takes a smart plan to convince a lot of people to open up their wallets.

If you want to know how to scale your way to a 7 figure business, you can follow lessons from ‘Shark Tank’ winners. These lessons will save you from costly mistakes, and guide you towards the right track with your revenue.

What differentiates every entrepreneur is the system they follow in their business. Those who are likely to win have done diligent research beforehand. It is their system that enables them to get to where they are, all within an impressive timeframe.

You too can follow a similar system on how to turn 6 figures into 7 in revenue and grow your business:

1. Position Yourself as a 7 Figure Earner

What got you to 6 figures won’t get you to 7 figures. To reach that level, you’ll have to position yourself as who you want to become.

Here’s a secret: you don’t have to hustle your way to 7 figures to grow your business.

What you need to do instead is to focus on your time better. Your time is more valuable. Since you only have 24 hours each day, it’s impossible to hustle harder to reach where you want to be.

You should spend your time bringing more value and impact to your audience; then you will position yourself as a go-to expert in your industry.

If you can position yourself, sales will happen a lot faster. This will also help you stand out from your competition.

While on your way to 6 figures, you were testing out the waters of your new business. Now that you know what’s been working, it’s time to share your growth.

This means that, by now, you should have more credibility and social proof. That’s enough to know that people enjoy your products or services. The next step, then, is reaching new customers.

Positioning helps with doing this. Even if you’re doing social media marketing, your positioning will expand your reach a lot faster. You’ll even get more people referring to you, as well as more recurring customers.

The biggest benefit is that people start coming to you, instead of you having to chase them in a cold market. You’ll be able to see the difference in opportunities.

There are a few ways you can position yourself:

Credibility: Develop authority and provide your expertise to your audience.
Messaging: A compelling message on why your audience should care about your ‘why’.
Platform: Make sure your message and everything else aligns in all your platforms. (Website, social media, publications, etc.)
Social Proof: Have people sell for you through endorsements, reviews, media features, etc.
Tagline: Keep a clear, simple tagline that shows who you are, what you do, and how you’re helping.
Story: This is what’s going to distinguish you from any other business. Your story is a unique and powerful element you need to share, and have others resonate with.

Once you change your positioning, you’ll at least 2X your business. The best part? You won’t need to work as hard. That’s because your company will become more superior and produce better results.

You don’t even have to compete on prices to scale – you can charge more without losing customers. All it takes is for you to show that your products and services are of the best quality.

2. Improve Your Marketing to Grow Your Business

If you’re a good marketer, you can pretty much get anything you want for your business. You can find out how to turn 6 figures into 7 by getting more exposure.

Even though some entrepreneurs didn’t win on ‘Shark Tank,’ they still got a lot of exposure from being on the show. They might not have won a deal, but those who like their ideas end up becoming customers. They might even have deals coming in from other companies.

People are often willing to get on ‘Shark Tank’ for the exposure, and not even expect to win. Once you’ve made an appearance, your business will have more online searches.

That’s how marketing works – it means getting in front of people who want what you have. Now, you don’t have to appear on a hit TV show to gain exposure. You can rely on word-of-mouth and visibility through other channels.

Social networking plays a big role in this. Since everyone is using a smartphone nowadays, it’s hard to stay off social media apps. This is how many people stay informed, share news, and connect.

As social media is only growing stronger, it’s getting more difficult to get people’s attention. Your business has to compete with all the other distractions on a daily basis.

The best way to get people’s attention is by being a little disruptive. What does that mean? It means you have to be creative. That’s how you can make your business famous.

Most people think you have to spend a fortune on marketing. In reality, it’s the content you put out that makes a fortune.

If you can produce valuable, eye-catching content, you won’t have to rely so much on spending money to make money. Imagine if every post or video you make goes viral – what will that do for your business?

You have to keep in mind that more than 2 billion people are using social media worldwide. To reach more people, you’ll have to ask yourself: “What will get them to stop scrolling when they see my post?”

Another way to get more attention fast is to partner up with more reputable people. You can become a guest on someone’s podcast, or have influencers feature you on their posts. Anything that helps spread the word about your business is effective marketing.

3. It’s Not Better Alone to Grow Your Business

There’s an African proverb that says: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

With that said, it’s wise to build business partnerships.

There are many successful companies that rely on partnerships: for example, companies like Airbnb, Uber, and Apple.

Airbnb partners with homeowners; Uber partners with drivers, and Apple partners with app developers. Without these partnerships, their presence in the marketplace wouldn’t exist. Partnerships are what make them who they are.

The reason why these companies are successful is that they offer a solution to people’s problems. Not only that: they offer job opportunities too. It’s a definite win-win situation.

The truth is, not every idea you have will turn out great – no matter how exciting it sounds. To test it out, you’ll need other people’s input.

Even if you plan on executing an idea, it’s better to have people working with you. There might be one skill you’re good at, and another you’re not.

Some entrepreneurs find it hard to trust other people with handling their businesses. But managing all the work on your own is not ideal. The best thing to do is to bring world-class talent into the picture: that way, you’ll have a powerful team to produce only the best.

How to turn 6 figures into 7 by doing this?

Keep in mind it’s not the tools, sales, or products: it’s the people. If you want to scale your business faster, you’re going to have to upgrade your team. Surrounding yourself with like-mind 7-figure earners will do the job.

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Since these talented people are more skilled, you don’t have to be present all the time. They should be capable of coming up with solutions without your guidance.

If you stick to a 6 figure team, you’ll still catch yourself getting involved in most projects. They are capable of performing tasks, but theirs might not be the best work you’ve seen. There could be more revisions that push the deadlines back.

Once you stop micromanaging, you’ll have more time to focus on your business instead – turn to the things that matter more.

Partnerships don’t have to be about hiring new people; you can also focus on your connections. Your business flourishes and will grow when you find the right mentors, industry leaders, and masterminds.

4. The Powerful Thing About Leveraging

There are two main ways you can leverage.

As we mentioned earlier, you can hire a team. You don’t have to have a big team or spend a lot of money on overhead expenses. If you find the right people to work with, they’ll be able to help you sustain more revenue.

What helps your team scale faster are successful strategies and execution. When everyone is equipped with the right skills, all your systems will be effective and this will help grow your business.

These systems are built on action steps and learning. They help your team avoid having to repeat the same mistakes again. Your workflow will then become faster.

Another way to leverage is through technology, specifically automation. If you’re wondering how to turn 6 figures into 7 without getting too involved, then leveraging automation is what you need to do.

You can simplify a lot of your tasks by letting technology do the work. Perhaps your sales funnel could be automated, and you’ll be making money in your sleep.

Whatever it is that’s taking most of your time, try automating it. If there’s a way to do certain things faster, automate it. When you use automation in most of your processes, you and your team will have time to focus on other strengths and that is one way to grow your business .

5. Do You Know Your Numbers – Sales and Profit?

Having an idea is amazing, but knowing the numbers will get you to success. Your idea is useless if the numbers don’t look good.

Imagine you launch a new product, and then find out that there’s not much of an audience for it. You also have to make sure you’re capable of funding it. These factors will reflect on how responsible you are.

You’ll have to prove that your product is well-researched and suitable for serving a great market demand. Also, you’ll need to know about market analyses and sales growth projections.

Here are some helpful questions you can ask yourself:

What are my past annual sales?
How many customers do I have?
What are my next year’s sales goals?
My marketing plan?
What are my costs that’ll affect my net revenue?

If you can’t answer these basic questions right away, it’s time you go back and do the math.

Especially if you pitch to an investor to fund your business, you need to be able to answer questions. They want to know how much cash will go in and out of your business. If you’re not confident in your numbers, they might not be as confident in you.

You’re going to need capital. Even if you’re starting out with no money in the bank, your goal is to find capital as a safety net in case of plans failing.

6. Fail Forward as Much as Possible to Grown Your Business

According to INC., 96% of businesses fail within 10 years.

You can still achieve learning how to turn 6 figures into 7 figures – while being the 4% that succeeds. But, you’ll need to be comfortable with failing business first.

Inventor Alexander Graham Bell said: “When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

Sometimes your ideas aren’t meant to work in the first place, and that’s acceptable. It’s better to stay humble and move on. You must fail forward more to get to your success faster.

Running a business is an incredible learning process and a journey. You have to expect some failures, mistakes, and rejections along the way. You will get closer to your goals if you’re able to accept these flaws. Instead of trying to make a failed plan work over and over again, you have to learn from mistakes and move on.

If something goes wrong, take it as a lesson. It might’ve been your performance that needs improvement or failure to communicate. You will do much better the next time around. This will also make you a wiser entrepreneur. Other people will look up to you for knowledge and experience.

Once you’ve reached perfecting your ideas, you will discover major breakthroughs – some of which many entrepreneurs haven’t experienced for themselves yet.

How to Turn 6 Figures Into 7 Figures Fast

Taking your business to the next level requires you to act a certain way. If you want to earn more than 6 figures, you have to act like you already do.

This will help shift your mindset and make better decisions. Some of these decisions include changing the people in your circle. When you surround yourself with better people, you do better.

Not only that, but you need to know how to work smarter instead of hustling harder. Working smarter involves partnering up with people who can help your business grow. Instead of chasing people, focus on inspiring them to come to you.

If you want to know how to turn 6 figures into 7 figures in revenue fast, High Ticket Influencer™ might be for you. It’s everything you’ll need in one place.

High Ticket Influencer™ (HTI) is where you’ll get Dan Lok to coach you in scaling your business to 7 figures. He will walk you through the same method he uses to scale all his businesses. You’re going to discover how he went from making zero dollars to a million in less than a year.

It’s not something you’d expect and can find anywhere else. You will have the right resources to start right away, as well as other entrepreneurs to connect with.

If you’re ready to scale your business while avoiding years of mistakes, click here to find out more about High Ticket Influencer™.

How To Build A Global Virtual Organization

June 13, 2020 by Dan Lok

Are virtual organizations something to look out for in the years to come? Since COVID-19 was discovered, it has created fear and doubt. It has also created change. Old traditions can no longer be upheld. These are traditions such as working from the office. More and more companies are allowing their employees to work from home. What once was a luxury now becomes the norm.

COVID-19 is responsible for changing how employees work. It has forced people to think about the future. People that were against working from home now support it. They realize it’s beneficial both to employees and to the company. It’s foolish to continue to force employees to work from an office. As a result, the job economy is shifting towards a gig economy.

Working from home has always been a thing. But until recently, only a few employees were allowed to do so. This is mainly the fault of bad business leaders. They forced traditional beliefs onto their employees. They didn’t think about what’s most efficient. Instead, they blindly followed what everyone else was doing.

Business owners are starting to realize their foolishness. They are starting to realize that working from home has benefits. Companies can reduce their expenses. And employees perform more efficiently and save time.

As technology continues to evolve, so will virtual organizations. Business leaders that understand the value of a virtual organization will flourish. Those that don’t, will slowly fall behind until they are irrelevant.

A virtual organization has many advantages over a local one. If you’re looking to build a virtual organization, read on.

Building A Global Virtual Organization Starts With The Leader

Given a choice, most employees would love to have the option to work from home. But what an employee wants is not necessarily what they will get. For many years, this has been the case. Employees have been told they cannot work from home. That they must come into an office workspace to get their work done.

From a logical standpoint, this makes little sense. Many employees do not need to be in the office to get work done. Employees like programmers can work from anywhere in the world. All they need is an internet connection and a computer. They have the ability to work from home. But they cannot, because of company rules.

Many bosses do not allow their employees to work from home. They allow their personal opinions to get in the way of achievement. They are afraid their employees will slack off. Or that they will be less productive. Ironically, the opposite is true. Studies show employees are much more productive when they can work from home.

To build a global virtual organization, you must be a good leader. A great business leader understands that there are many ways to do things. That the ‘common’ way of doing things is not always the best method. If you want your employees to deliver their best work, you need to cater to their needs. You need to give them what they want.

Becoming a great business leader is not easy. It takes a lot of time, failure, and dedication to improvement. Fortunately, building a global virtual organization is not hard. In fact, it’s one of the most rewarding things a business owner can do.

A Great Business Leader Leads From The Front

So how do you build a virtual organization? Contrary to what you may believe, it is not a one-person job. In fact, it is not even the job of the business leader.

Business leaders are people who hold positions of power. They may be CEO’s, President’s or even Executive Directors. Their role is to guide the company in the proper direction. So building a virtual organization has nothing to do with the business owner.

Most business leaders do not realize this fact. They think it is their job to control how the business operates. In reality, that contradicts what they are trying to achieve.

Let’s say you are a business owner. To keep your business running, you need a good team. Thus, you hire many types of people. Some of your employees are managers – their role is to manage other people. Other employees are executors – their role is to execute what they are told. This creates a chain of command, with you at the top.

This example illustrates how a business leader is supposed to behave. But in reality, many business owners are not at the top. They are near the bottom, telling people what to do. They micromanage their employees and stress them out. Or they are setting strict rules and guidelines on how things should be carried out. Instead of focusing on the big picture, they focus on the small things.

As a business leader, you want to focus on the big picture. Creating a virtual organization means finding the right people to help you do it. You don’t worry about the operational details. That’s for your team to figure out.

Business leaders should not worry about small details. They hire people to handle those things. Share on X

How To Build A Global Virtual Organization Using ‘A Players’

To build a global virtual organization, you need the best people you can find. You need ‘A players’. These are the kind of people that have passion and drive. They strive to improve themselves every single day.

You want these types of people in your organization because they will help it grow. They understand that they can use their skills to contribute to the company. The more successful the company is, the more they are rewarded for their efforts.

Entrepreneurs make great additions to a virtual organization. This is because they know how to manage themselves. They take responsibility for their successes and their failures. Their mindset is one that is wired for success. Unlike employees that only care about a paycheck, A players go above and beyond.

These types of team members can help you build a global virtual organization. Because they are self-starters, they need little guidance to get things done. They have the skills to solve problems and get results. If you want to build a global virtual organization, they’ll handle everything. As the business leader, all you need to do is provide them with guidance.

The Dan Lok brand is a good example of a global virtual organization. Everyone is self-sufficient, which means the workflow is very smooth. Many of our team members are A players with a drive to make results happen. We are located around the world. And communication is done using online platforms like Slack.

At the top of this organization is Sifu Dan himself. But Sifu does not spend his time actually building a virtual organization. He leaves that task to his team members. Instead, he spends his time planning out his next moves. He does what no one else can do, which is lead the company.

Develop A Good Workplace Culture

A virtual organization needs it’s team members to be in sync to work well. If you want to build a virtual organization, you need to ensure everyone can get along. This means creating a good workplace culture. Having a strong company culture will greatly increase your chances of success.

For example, let’s say you are an employee who fills out forms. These forms are then given to managers, who approve or deny your work. In a bad workplace environment, managers may favor certain people over others. This can lead to a lot of problems. They may deny your work because of their own personal reasons. Internal politics is bad news for any organization. It slows down the process and produces lackluster results.

Compare this to a good workplace environment. There are no politics or hidden agendas. Everyone conducts themselves in a professional manner. And team members are all on the same page. This creates harmony because everyone is working towards a common goal.

Harmony is crucial to success. This is because you need great people to make great things. If everyone is fighting each other, nothing gets done. To create great things, people must work together.

A good workplace environment focuses on growth and excellence. When everyone helps each other, everyone succeeds. The more people succeed in an organization, the more the company grows. The more a company grows, the more successful it becomes.

Make your team members understand that company success benefits everyone. The more revenue a company produces, the more you can afford to pay team members. Success is not a one-person show. It is about many people getting together to achieve a similar goal.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. Share on X

The Benefits of A Global Virtual Organization

There are many benefits to a global virtual organization. Firstly, it allows you to source talent from around the world. This means you’re more likely to find the right person for the job.

A virtual organization is made up of many team members from around the world. It bypasses limits such as physical distance. This means a company doesn’t have to limit their team to one location. They can find people from all types of backgrounds.

Compare that to a local business. It can only hire people that live nearby. Local people may not have the skills they are looking for. This creates weaknesses in certain areas of the company. As a result, this limits how much the business can grow.

Secondly, a virtual organization allows people to work from home. This has many benefits for both the employer and the employee.

You may already know employees that work from home are more productive than those that do not. Working from home means employees do not have to transit. They do not have to spend hours stuck in traffic to get to their workplace. Instead, they can spend that time getting work done.

Employees that can work from home are also happier. The higher employee morale is, the better they will perform. This means they won’t be wasting time shooting the breeze at the water cooler. If their needs are met, there’s nothing for them to complain about. As a result, virtual organizations are very efficient at getting things done.

Companies also save on expenses such as office space. Because their employees work from home, they do not need to rent an office building. They can save money and invest it in the company.

A Global Virtual Organization Can Adapt To Change Quickly

Team members in a virtual organization communicate with online tools. This is very useful during times of crisis, because it allows them to adapt to changes quickly.

Take COVID-19 for example. Employees have been laid off. Revenue has been slow and unstable. More and more businesses are making the shift online. As a result, business owners have had to make sudden changes to adapt to what’s happening. This creates a lot of stress for everyone involved.

Humans are naturally wired to dislike change. This is true in both virtual and local organizations. As a result, having good team members makes changes less stressful. They can handle sudden changes better because they have a strong desire to succeed.

Another reason virtual organizations are beneficial is because of communication and time. Communicating down the chain of command takes time. A business leader tells their directors about new changes. They then inform the managers. And these managers then inform everyone else. This takes a lot of time. The more time it takes for team members to communicate, the slower things get done.

A virtual organization reduces the amount of time needed for changes to occur. Communication using online tools is nearly instant. You can simply send them a message, and they’ll read it on their own time. It doesn’t matter where or what they’re doing. They will receive your message. As a result, virtual organizations make things convenient.

During times of crisis, many businesses make changes. This is one reason why virtual organizations are so effective. They can adapt to what’s going on better than others. As a result, they’re the first ones to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

A Global Virtual Organization Is Resilient

Throughout history, all great empires have fallen. They may have been attacked by neighboring countries. Or grown so big that they do not know how to manage themselves. This is because they do not realize one principle: the bigger you are the more vulnerable you become. If you want to succeed in business, this is an important principle to be aware of.

Being big is not necessarily an advantage. In certain situations, it is actually a weakness. This is because all your resources become focused into one entity. In terms of business, this is like putting all your eggs into one basket.

Putting all your eggs into one basket means you only have one chance to fail. If the business collapses, you go bankrupt. There is no way to recover your losses.

Compare that to someone who divides up their eggs into many baskets. The more baskets they put their eggs into, the more times they can fail. If one basket fails to produce results, they still have five more to rely on. One failure will not wipe them out.

A virtual organization operates in a similar way. Team members located around the world are like a few eggs in many baskets. If one area of the world suddenly shuts down due to a pandemic, it’s not the end of the world. There are still other team members you can rely on to make up for those losses. You can still operate the business even in times of crisis.

Discover How Super Successful Companies Run Their Organizations

Building a global virtual organization starts with the leader. A great business leader knows how to lead from the front. They must act as the visionary in the company, and lead everyone towards a common goal.

A virtual organization needs “A players” to become successful. These are people with drive, passion, and determination to get things done. They’re different from ordinary 9-5 employees, because of their mindset and beliefs. Many “A players” are entrepreneurs with valuable skills.

Finding good people is one thing. Keeping them is another. A good workplace culture lifts people up. It encourages them to become the best version of themselves. This is especially important in a virtual organization that uses online communication.

Unless your team members are all on the same page, there will be issues. Communication problems will lead to people feeling they are not heard. This can create internal conflict and politics, which will slow down the business.

Virtual organizations have many benefits over traditional companies. Working from home boosts productivity in employees. Companies save on rent and office supplies. And in times of crisis, changes can be made quickly. This gives businesses an advantage over slower competitors.

Building a virtual organization requires a good leader, good people, and a good business plan. Successful business leaders know how to plan for success. They know how to look at the big picture. If you want to know how successful companies run their organizations, get your copy of the Dragon 100™ checklist here.

Managing Remote Employees: Challenges, Tools and Best Practices For Productivity

June 12, 2020 by Dan Lok

Are you facing challenges with managing remote employees?

Whether you’ve had a remote workforce for years or you had to adjust to COVID-19 lockdowns – managing remote employees comes with challenges.

If you were forced to switch your company structure fast and have people work from home, you are facing unforeseen challenges. But, a remote team also comes with great possibilities and potential.

Experts argue that remote work is an inevitable future. As more and more businesses go online, remote jobs become more attainable.

From 2003 to 2018, remote work has grown by 140% – nearly 10x faster than the rest of the workforce. And this is before current trends are taken into consideration. After the lockdowns, even more people will keep working remotely.

Since the demand for remote employees is already on the rise, why not look into the possibilities right away? Boarding the trend early gives you an edge.

What’s more, a remote team is pandemic-proof. Dan Lok runs his business almost exclusively online. Because of that, his business was able to run smoothly when the states initiated lockdowns.

While other businesses were struggling, Dan Lok’s team was able to go on. Learn from his example and start managing remote employees today, to ensure safety in case something like this should ever happen again.

Find our top tips on managing remote employees below.

Common Challenges Of Managing Remote Employees

Two most common challenges for managing remote workers are communication and false expectations.

Communication with remote workers is a balancing act. You want them to be able to communicate with you and the team, despite the absence of physical proximity.

In an office, it’s easy to bump into each other or have a watercooler chat moment. Remote workers, however, are on their own. So, feeling connected to the whole team can be a challenge.

At the same time, you also don’t want to overburden them with emails and daily huddles. Too much emphasis on communication can actually lower the productivity of your remote employees. Emails easily take precedence over tasks, and video chats break the workflow.

That’s the difficulty of balancing communication while managing a remote team: you don’t want them to feel closed off, but you also don’t want to endanger their productivity.

Wrong Expectations Towards Remote Employees

The second challenge you might face are misplaced expectations. Expecting too much or the wrong thing can lower the productivity of your employees.

For one part, you don’t want to expect your remote team to work the same way a physical team would. Don’t expect them to strictly work from 9 to 5.

Remote work is so great because it lets your employees work at their desired time. If they know they are most productive at night, let them work at night. As long as they meet due dates and criteria you agreed on, there is no problem with that.

The second challenging expectation many remote workers face is maintaining availability. Flexible hours are easy to mistake for constant availability. But remote employees need rest, just like the regular staff.

Stay away from micromanaging your remote teams. Micromanaging makes employees feel watched, and can lower their productivity.

This is especially true for employees required to log into systems that track their work time. Time spent working is not the best indicator of productivity.

If you can, stay away from tracking time at all. Trust your team that they put in the necessary work. Instead, create KPIs which allow you to track their performance. KPIs can be independent of the time they put in.

In fact, most remote employees are trustworthy and work an average of four hours more per week when compared to the regular workforce.

Key Performance Indicators

Key performance indicators (KPIs) allow you and your employees to track success. The KPIs are either set by you or by the team together. Either way, they make sure everybody knows what they have to do.

KPIs should be measurable and enable your employees to see if they are on track with their work. It makes the work performance of your employees more trackable.

If a person repeatedly can’t fulfill their KPIs, it might be worth talking with them. If a person often succeeds in terms of KPIs, think about promoting them.

Hiring Process And Payment Procedures

You can avoid potential challenges if you have an effective hiring process in place. When you hire employees, it’s a good idea to check if they qualify for remote work.

This aptitude depends on their natural talents and strengths. Great remote workers are usually a bit more introverted. They are also detail-oriented and able to take action independently.

Of course, extroverts can work remotely too, but you need to ensure their social wellbeing. If they need people around them to be happy, remote work might leave them unsatisfied.

So, when you are hiring, make sure to consider these factors. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to hire for a part-time position first, and put employees on a testing phase. That way you both can test if your work relationship is fruitful.

Another factor that can remove many challenges early is pay. Many business owners would think that remote employees are cheaper, and they are usually right.

What you want to do, however, is pay them more than the industry standard. If you do that, they will be more productive because their motivation and satisfaction increase. Happy employees work harder.

Distractions At Home

One final obstacle when it comes to managing remote employees can be a distracting environment. This is especially important to think about if this person is working from home for the first time.

Your employees should have a designated office space. That way they keep their productivity up while working from home. This space should be free of distractions (for example no TV in the room).

If they have other people in their household, that should also be considered. Do their housemates understand that work from home is still work? Do they tend to interrupt your employee?

Ask about their environment early on and see if you avoid similar obstacles.

Some employees might enjoy working from a coffee shop or outside. That is okay, but they should have a place to work without distractions.

Communication Tools

Now that you are aware of some of the most common obstacles for managing remote employees, let’s consider communication tools. These include apps and management systems that allow you to manage remote teams more efficiently.

Communication tools help with streamlining communication or optimizing workflows. Here are some you should know.

For video communication, the most popular tools are Zoom or Skype. Skype is completely free. If you have some budget to invest you might prefer Zoom, as it’s a more complete solution for businesses.

Zoom allows you to record meetings, share your screen, and much more. It’s the perfect tool to bring some face-to-face communication into your team.

For text messages, Slack is extremely popular with businesses. Slack allows you to create a channel for your company, as well as several sub-channels.

If your team is large, you can create these sub-channels for each subteam. Avoid the whole team getting spammed with unnecessary messages.

Text messages are usually faster than email; email communication alone might slow the whole workflow down.

Project Management Tools

While most business owners are aware of communication tools, project management software and extras often get overlooked.

Without the tools that support the workflow, the productivity decreases. People don’t know what they are supposed to do, or where the project stands.

Let’s assume, for example, you’d run a video and filmmaking business. You need people who specialize in film, graphic design, copywriting, and much more.

If there is no workflow or process in place, the editor doesn’t know when to edit the next video; the person who films might have no idea where to upload the video and what should happen next.

Tools like Asana, Basecamp, ClickUp, or Float help you maintain a clear and streamlined process. Everything is happening in one place and your employees know where to check for their next tasks.

One simple tool like that can have an immense impact on the productivity of your workforce.

Tools For Collaboration

Finally, you want to make sure that the tools you use allow your employees to collaborate. Creating team collaboration can be challenging when managing remote employees. They might all end up working independently of one another.

But, when employees cooperate, it can lead to new creative ideas. For a remote team, tools like google documents that allow several people to work on one document or sheet can be helpful.

Whatever you choose, make sure it’s a tool that allows live editing, so that actual teamwork can take place.

Best Practices

Now you’ve gained insight into common challenges and useful tools for managing remote employees. But what are some of the best practices that you and your remote team can learn from?

Follow these practices to naturally avoid challenges and setbacks, while also ensuring the productive wellbeing of your employees.

Unhappy remote teams burn out fast, work unproductively, and cost money. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a look at systems and ideas proven to work.

Business Culture And Vision

The root of a successful remote team is your business culture. Every company or business has a certain culture. But culture doesn’t happen by accident: it is shaped by you, as the leader, and each team member.

To manage remote employees successfully, you want a culture of ownership and accountability. If every team member is aware of their responsibility and holds themselves accountable, there is no need for you to micromanage.

This is what creates trust. When the management is too controlling, employees feel discouraged and less creative.

Successful businesses treat their employees with trust and care, and not like a commodity.

As we mentioned before, give your remote workers the chance to work on their terms. Don’t enforce a certain time frame when they can’t be productive during those times.

Great business culture is clear and based on integrity. The leader holds others accountable but is also accountable themselves. Share on X

Creating a positive and nourishing culture with remote workers is usually easy. That’s because remote teams are often happier, more satisfied, and tend to love what they do.

What’s more, you also want to communicate your business vision clearly. Your employees should know why they are doing what they are asked to do. Best case scenario – their personal goals are aligned with your overall goal for the company.

Recurring And Structured Meetings

We already touched on the challenges of remote communication. A great way to streamline communication is to have recurring video meetings.

Some businesses choose to meet weekly or bi-weekly; some even choose daily meetings. If you decide to have daily meetings, however, keep them short to protect your employees’ time.

Weekly or bi-weekly meetings usually work best. Some companies also go for monthly calls, but that period might be too extended and negatively affect productivity.

You also want your video meetings to follow a structure. Chaotic meetings lower productivity. If you can’t come up with a structure yourself, use proven formulas: Level 10 meeting, for example.

Besides team meeting, it’s a good idea to have quarterly one-on-one meetings. These meetings are great as they deepen communication with each employee and allow you and to review if they are performing well.

Are they meeting your expectations as well as their own goals? If any issues occur, these can also be discussed in the quarterly meetings.

Communication Timeframes

We said it makes sense to let your employees design their own work schedule. What you want to have, however, are certain touchpoints that everyone has to meet.

For example, everyone has to attend a weekly meeting. Or, everyone is required to respond to text messages within 24 hours.

Communicate what makes sense for you and your business to your remote employees, and make your expectations clear.

It’s also a good idea to instruct them on which communication channel to use for what. In what cases do you expect them to use text messages? For what instances should they use email? Are they allowed to send you a private message?

There are no formal rules; just make sure to tell your employees upfront about how you want things to run.

Goals And Career Chances

It’s a common trap to treat remote workers like freelancers. If they are part of your team, treat them like employees. Give them chances to further their careers and pursue their personal goals.

Don’t make them feel like they are stuck with their position forever. Have one-on-one calls every year or half a year and discuss how they are doing. What are their goals for their next year and how can the team help.

Treat your employees with respect and make them happy. That way you have a loyal team. Loyal employees are invaluable because fluctuations in your team cost you a lot of money.

You lose time and money when you have to hire new employees and train them. You still want to hire new people when needed; new employees also bring in fresh ideas. But, avoid a culture that pushes people to leave frequently.

Teambuilding

Creating a strong team is especially hard for businesses that run remotely. As we mentioned before, in a physical office space, people naturally bump into each other and communicate.

That’s why some workplaces like to offer their remote employees an open chat. In that chat, they can talk about anything they want, aside from work. It’s a great way to replace the usual small talk which would take place in an office.

If you plan to have a remote team long-term, consider yearly team meetings. Just two or three days together a year can be beneficial for the whole team.

Align Your Workflow With The Dragon 100 Habits Checklist

Now, there is a lot to keep in mind when it comes to managing remote employees. But what if we told you there is a way to make managing your team clearer and more transparent?

Through his advisory board Dragon 100, Dan Lok is coaching other business owners on how to scale up. Even if you aren’t a part of Dragon 100, you can access the Dragon 100 Habits Checklist.

The checklist allows you to have clarity from all employees. Align your team from senior executives to junior members. Get Access To Your Guide Today.

Strategic Scaling and High-Stakes Acquisitions: How To Make The Best Decisions In Competitive Transactions

June 11, 2020 by Dan Lok

If you’ve been in business for some time, you most likely know about strategic scaling. By way of deals and acquisitions, it allows you to add valuable businesses to your portfolio. This is a very effective business strategy, and one of the best ways to generate wealth.

Most people have a firm perspective on business. They think it’s about dressing up in suits, holding meetings in cushy conference rooms, or shaking hands after months of harsh negotiations. All of this is true. However, most people do not realize that not all business is done this way.

In reality, only a few people in the business world know what it’s really like. Most have never found themselves analyzed from head to toe by another business person, or at a meeting aimed at exploiting their weaknesses. The old saying “business is war” is very true in these scenarios. If you’re looking to use strategic scaling to acquire businesses, you better get used to it.

Not all business deals are smooth. Many business people understand that sometimes they have to be mean. If you’re looking to get the best deal possible, there are many factors that come into play. These include intimidation, leverage, debating, and psychological warfare – all of which are not for the faint of heart. If you’re looking to build an empire, you’ll need to know how to use every tool at your disposal.

Here’s an in-depth look at strategic scaling, and what occurs behind the scenes during high stakes acquisitions.

Creating A Business vs. Buying A Business

Most young entrepreneurs dream of starting their own business and imagine themselves as a one-man team. Over time, that one man team grows into a 10-men organization and, eventually, into a worldwide corporation.

Many people believe starting a business is the key to becoming rich. But not many people realize there is another way to create wealth: one without the negatives that come with starting a business. These negatives include factors such as a high failure rate, low starting capital, and time constraints.

Many experienced business people prefer to buy pre-established businesses. In fact, this is the primary goal behind DanLokAcquisitions.com. It’s one of the many organizations in the Dan Lok brand that focuses solely on acquiring existing businesses.

Acquisitions is one principle behind strategic scaling. It shelters you from the risks of building a business from scratch. By buying businesses already proven to succeed, you can generate wealth much faster.

Let’s say you notice tons of customers every time you pass by your local bubble tea shop. Over the last 3 years, the business has only gotten better.

A passionate entrepreneur would see this and think of opening their own bubble tea shop. They realize there is a high demand for bubble tea and aim to compete with their local bubble tea shop for market share.

A smart entrepreneur, however, would not go through that hassle. They would simply buy over the shop.

The Shortcut To Wealth Few People Know About

Buying a business is much more efficient than starting one. A well-established bubble tea shop already has a customer base and a team of well-trained employees. Their bubble tea drinks have already been proven to be popular with the market, and there is solid evidence of positive cash flow every single month.

This is why acquiring already established businesses is the core foundation of strategic scaling. Buying a business means acquiring a source of cash flow. You are using money to take over an asset that will continually generate more money for you; the more businesses you acquire, the higher the cash flow.

If you had heard the phrase “the rich get richer”, you now understand why. Rich people use their assets to create more wealth. They also understand that time is the most valuable asset, and know it is more efficient to buy a business rather than to spend years building one.

Take, for example, billionaire Richard Branson. He owns over 400 companies and is valued at over $4.84 billion. Despite the massive net worth, he still acquires businesses to this day.

How To Buy Businesses With No Money Down

Here’s a question: what do most people do when they cannot afford something? They make excuses and complain that they “can’t afford it”. They have a poor mindset that prevents them from seeing other ways. Instead of finding those ways, they allow money to hinder their goals and dreams.

You don’t have to be rich in order to generate wealth. In fact, it’s possible to buy a business with no money down. This is possible by using a debt-driven model. Instead of buying a business with cash, you do so through debt.

For example, let’s say you know the CEO of a company. He is 80 years old, has no children, and is interested in selling his business. He wants $300,000 for the business. The business generates $50,000 a year.

One way to acquire this business is to use $300,000 of your own money. Another method is through debt. It is likely you will not have enough cash, and this is where your ability to make deals comes into play. Here’s one way you can do so:

Talk with the business owner and come to an agreement
Get the business owner to show you their accounting books – this includes assets, expenses, accounts receivable etc.
Bring this information to a bank
The bank will look at the paperwork and tell you how much money they can loan you
Go back to the business owner and work out a deal

How To Use Your Brain To Make Money

Now let’s assume the bank is willing to loan you $200,000, and you need to come up with another $100,000 to make the deal happen. There are many ways to do this. One way is to use what is called a leveraged buyout.

Speak with the business owner and draw up a contract. The contract states that they will transfer ownership of the business to you. In exchange, you will use the profits from the business to pay them back. This payment can be made over 1, 5 or even 10 years.

If the business owner agrees to these terms, then congratulations. You have acquired a business using no money down. Instead, you leveraged the bank’s money and the profits from the business. You acquired a business that generates $50,000 for $0. Most importantly, you used none of your own money to make this happen.

In this example, you leveraged the assets and cash flow of the business to buy out the business. Other methods of acquiring a business with no money down are notes of interest, percentage of revenue, and using equity from other assets that you own. There are many ways to make deals happen. Use your creativity to come up with solutions that work for you.

A Poor Mindset vs. A Rich Mindset

Having a poor mindset is dangerous. People with a poor mindset would read this article, say “$300,000 for a business?! I can’t afford that!” and leave it there. They would not think of other possible ways to seal the deal.

Rich people understand that it is not about having money, but about being resourceful. Some of the most successful people today started with no money in their pocket, yet they managed to become multi-millionaires and billionaires. This is because they are resourceful. They used their brains to put assets together and make things happen.

Having a lot of money does not make you rich. Having the skills to create a lot of money is what makes you rich. This is because you can lose your wealth, but not your skills. As long as you know how to make more money, you will never be poor.

Therefore, if you want to use strategic scaling in your business, you need to know how to put together deals. You need to train your resourcefulness skill to create opportunities.

The Art of Closing, Negotiation And Deal Making

What is the most important trait when it comes to strategic scaling? It’s not who you know, and it’s not how much money you have. Strategic scaling is about how well you can close, negotiate, and create deals.

In theory, strategic scaling using a debt-driven model looks easy. In practice, it is very difficult. This is because human beings are complex creatures. In order to make deals happen, you need to know how to communicate with business owners.

For example, let’s say you are negotiating with a business owner and the price they had set is too high for your liking. What can you do to convince them to lower their price? How can you use leverage to shift the deal in your favor? If you are a High Ticket Closer, you may have some ideas.

You always want the best business deal for yourself. Strategic scaling is about effectively scaling your business and net worth. This involves using influence to ensure business terms are to your advantage. The most efficient way to ensure this is to use leverage.

People with leverage have dominance over people with less leverage. In other words, just as humans gained advantages over animals by creating leveraged tools, similarly, humans who use these tools of leverage have more power over humans… Share on X

How To Use Leverage To Create Favorable Terms of Agreement

Leverage is about taking advantage of opportunities to create favorable conditions for yourself. Here’s an example of how to use leverage.

Let’s say you approach a business owner and ask if they are selling. You spend the next few weeks negotiating and talking about the deal. At the end of the month, both of you are unsatisfied with the terms. The business owner wants $100,000 for their business. However, you aren’t willing to go above $60,000.

How would you use leverage in this example? How could you shift the deal in your favor? The key is to observe the situation from every perspective. Having awareness of your environment is one of the most important factors when it comes to winning a war. This also holds true in business.

One of the biggest reasons business owner’s sell out is because they are tired. They have been running their business for years, and cannot do it for much longer. Unless they sell the business, they are stuck with it.

In most cases, there are not a lot of buyers on the market. Business owners do not publicize their willingness to sell; they don’t run ads or do marketing. This gives you the chance to present yourself as the only serious investor, and assert your terms. Are they willing to say no, and risk losing their one and only potential buyer?

A Strategic Scaling ‘Hack’ To Making Deals Happen Smoothly

One way to use leverage in business is by using time and appealing to logic. But, if you’re looking to use strategic scaling in your business, you’ll want to appeal to emotions.

A business owner choosing to sell their business tells you a few things. Firstly, their children are not interested in taking over, for whatever reason: they may be spoiled, may not have the acumen to run the business, or simply want to pursue another path. Whatever the reason may be, these are all things you can use as leverage.

However, going up to a business owner and being direct is not going to work. If you say “you should sell your business to me because I know your kids are deadbeats who don’t know how to run a company,” you are going to meet heavy resistance. Instead, put yourself in their shoes.

You’re a business owner close to retirement. Your kids don’t want to take over the business that took years, energy, and money to build. You want to pass down your legacy, but your children do not want anything to do with it.

Suddenly a young, passionate entrepreneur comes up to you and says that they are interested in taking over your business. They want to take on your legacy, embrace what you’ve built and improved upon it. How would you feel in that moment? You would most likely be touched.

This is one method to appeal to a business owner’s emotions: show them that you are a younger version of themselves. Show them that you are similar. Appeal to their emotions, and they will be much more open to your advances.

Change how your prospect perceives you, and it will make all the difference. Share on X

Why Smaller Fish Win In The World of Acquisitions

When it comes to strategic scaling, smaller is better. The smaller your team is, the fitter you are for acquisitions. This is because larger corporations have a bad reputation.

A lot of big companies are public companies, which means that shareholders influence their decisions. As a result, big companies only have one goal in mind: to maximize revenue at any cost.

Some corporations buy smaller companies and end up destroying them. They don’t care who built the business, about the employees or about nostalgia. Their only goal is to generate more money. As a result, many businesses they buy over lose their identity.

Employees get laid off and replaced. They cut costs and lower the quality of the products or services. The name of the business gets changed and absorbed by the brand.

The business owner spends decades building their legacy. But in less than a week, everything gets destroyed. One reason why many business owners do not like to sell out to big corporations is because of these reasons. They know what would happen if they did, and they do not like it.

Compare that to a smaller organization that isn’t interested in maximizing revenue. Someone willing to take over what exists and build on it isn’t going to turn a legacy into another cash cow. They’re going to treat it with respect.

If you were a business owner, who are you more likely to sell out to – someone who reminds you of yourself at a young age, or a group of money-hungry executives looking for the next opportunity?

Bigger is not always better; a small fish can swim much faster than a larger one. Share on X

Are You On The Path To 7, 8 or 9 Figures?

Strategic scaling is one of the best ways to increase wealth. Acquiring existing businesses allows you to avoid many pitfalls. You don’t need to spend resources growing a business from scratch; you can buy over an already established business. This allows you to leverage existing businesses and create additional sources of cash flow.

Acquiring many businesses is one way to create a successful portfolio. However, most entrepreneurs struggle to get past a certain mark. They know they need to strategically scale their business, but lack the knowledge to do so. They might not know how to close. Or they may be terrible at negotiating. This prevents them from becoming successful.

This is why having a plan is important. A plan allows you to measure your performance and make sure you are on the right track. When you can see your weaknesses, you can overcome them. A business leader with no weaknesses is a force to be reckoned with. If you want a checklist that 8-figure companies use to keep themselves on track, get your copy of the Dragon 100™ checklist here.

Email Subject Lines That Get Opened: 20 Of The Best Examples

June 2, 2020 by Dan Lok

Being an email copywriter who specializes in email marketing, means being able to write email subject lines that get opened. You see, the subject line is the first thing people read whenever they get an email. In fact, research shows that 35% of email recipients open emails based on the subject line alone.

If you’ve spent hours crafting the perfect sales email, but your subject line doesn’t grab their attention, you’ve just wasted hours of your time. In order to get your clients results from email marketing campaigns, it’s crucial to understand the kind of subject lines that get opened.

Based on our own email list and past campaigns that have been most successful, here are some of the best examples of subject lines that get opened.

1. Humor

“I accidentally fell into the toilet”

“Eagle steals man’s hat”

Email subject lines that contain humor are one of the top types of subject lines that get opened.

People love humor. Most of the news and headlines you see today are about negative mishaps and filled with doom and gloom. When you send an email with a humorous subject line, it immediately stands out from every other negative email that they’re constantly spammed by on a daily basis. And when you stand out from everyone else, you have people’s attention.

You could tell a joke, or describe a funny event that recently happened. As long as there’s lighthearted humor in the subject line, your readers will be curious to find out more.

2. Numbers and Statistics

“Top 20 Subject Lines That Get Opened”

“15 Foods To Help You Lose Weight”

Using lists and numbers is another extremely popular type of subject lines that get opened.

Naturally, humans do not like to leave things undone. Our preferred behavior is to finish one task, and then move on to do the next. Having to leave a task in the middle of it makes us feel very uncomfortable. That’s why if you’ve ever been interrupted while in the middle of something, you get irritated or frustrated, because you now have to stop and put your focus on the person talking to you.

Numbers signify that there is something the reader can look forward to. You are making the reader a promise ahead of time as to what they can expect, such as 10 different ways to do something.

Once your reader decides to read the first item on the list, they are already committing themselves to finish the entire thing. As they go through the list one by one, the thought that there are still 5 or 3 more items they haven’t read about, will constantly be in the back of their mind. Until they finish the list, they will not feel comfortable leaving the page.

On our YouTube channel, statistics show that our YouTube videos with numbers in them – such as 10 Closing Tactics That Make Prospects Say Yes or 15 Ways to Write Sales Copy That Sells perform much better than videos that do not have numbers.

So, if you want to increase your email open rates, use numbers in your subject lines.

3. Shock

“Trump declares war on Iran”

“A global recession has finally arrived”

Humans are naturally curious creatures. We like to explore the unknown, and when presented with an opportunity to do so, it is very tempting for us to listen to our natural instincts.

When you use shock or surprise in a subject line, you are tapping into that curiosity that all humans have. That’s why news headlines use shocking headlines such as BREAKING NEWS to get your attention and make you want to know what’s going on.

A subject line that makes the reader go WHAT?! is an example of one that uses shock. Make your reader open their eyes in disbelief, and your readers will find it irresistible to open the email.

4. The Real Secret To [Blank]

Human beings are naturally curious and we want to know secrets.

We often feel that there is something we ought to know in order to avoid making mistakes that we make.

Now “secret” is a word that might be a bit overused in marketing. But this subject line actually plays on that – it shows the real secret, no just any secret.

Here are a few examples:

“The Real Secret to Fat Burning”

“The Real Secret to a Perfect Wedding”

Curiosity combined with the need to be “in the know” will get this email opened. Make sure that what you write in this type of emails is also realistic so that you earn and keep the trust of your readers.

5. The Fastest Way to [Blank]

Now, if you could choose – would you pick a slow or a fast way to do something or get somewhere? Do you want something fast or slow?

We live in a world of instant gratification. We are conditioned to be impatient, and we do not want to wait for anything.

So if you offer a method for getting a desired outcome or goal faster – you will grab your reader’s attention.

“The Fastest Way to Start Your Business”

“The Fastest Way to Make 10K a Month”

Do you see it? – Instant results.

What makes this subject line effective is that it makes a very specific promise. But you have to make sure that you remain realistic. You always have to focus on making a credible and believable promise.

If you say something outrageous such as “The Fastest Way to Make Million Dollars Overnight” – you will lose trust because that is not a realistic promise. People will not take you seriously after that.

Underpromise and your email will overdeliver in this case. If you make them a promise that readers read and think “I can do better than that” then you challenged them with your email and they will continue reading your emails.

6. Here’s a Shortcut for [Blank]

So just as we would choose fast if we had to pick between fast and slow, between easy and hard we would want easy. Right? Everyone wants to find easier ways to get things done and achieve things.

So this subject line implies that you have yet another solution for your reader. Can you see how simple and yet powerful this subject line really is?

“Here’s a Shortcut for…

…Achieving the Most in the Least Time”

…The Best Marketing Strategy”

When you use this type of a subject line, and if your offer can get your prospect an instant gratification, then you will increase your sales. This could be a software offer or a course offer – anything they can click right away and get immediately.

7. One-Word Subject Lines

If you’re struggling with coming up with subject lines that get opened, and you can’t think of a good one, use a one-word subject line.

At first glance, you may think this would never work. But in practice, it works very well because it’s a pattern interrupt. The fact that it’s just one word, makes it stand out. Most email subject lines are lengthy, have some cheesy joke or something that arouses their curiosity.

But a one-word subject line has none of that. In fact, it has NOTHING, except that one word. Because it’s so simple, that’s why it works. Your reader will look at it, become confused, and be curious to open it.

The best way to write a one-word subject line is with a greeting. Greet the reader with a subject line such as Hey, to let them know the email is intended for them. Some other good one-worded subject lines are questions, which we will get into later.

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Steve Jobs Share on X

8. FREE Anything

“FREE stuff inside”

“Do you want a FREE sofa?”

People love free stuff. When you put the word free into the subject line, your reader is immediately going to feel there is something in it for them.

Remember: Everyone on this planet is tuned into the radio station WIIFM – What’s In It For Me? If you cater to their desire to have something to gain, you will get their attention.

The word free implies there is something for them to gain at no cost. There are no strings attached. No hidden fees. Nothing that would make them suspect you want something from them. When someone has everything to gain and nothing to lose, they are going to be interested in your offer.

Using a subject line with the word free is best used when you want to offer a free sample or gift. One of the biggest problems copywriters make, is that they use the word ‘free’ to bait the reader into clicking, only for them to realize they have to make a purchase. If you use ‘free’ as clickbait, your readers will lose trust in you in the future. You may get results in the moment, but using ‘free’ as clickbait will only hurt long term customer relationships.

With any method you use, be sure you understand the consequences and intended actions that method will result in. Don’t sacrifice short term gains if it means long term losses. You will lose more in the long run.

9. How To Survive [Blank]

One of the subject lines that would get attention is the one that indicates some kind of solution to a problem that your reader might have. So the idea is that your question implies useful information that might help them resolve an issue or relieve some kind of pain.

As human beings, we often avoid discomfort. We often need to make adjustments.

If your email indicates some kind of solution to discomfort and pain the chances are – it will be open.

For example:

“How to Survive…

…a Financial Crisis”

…a Bankruptcy”

…a Heart Attack”

These are all subject lines that make people curious and indicate some sort of solution. People want to learn and these types of emails can give the reader a satisfaction of learning or doing something new.

10. Limited Time Offers

“Flash Sale Ends at Midnight”

“Limited-Time Winter Blowout Sale”

Humans naturally like to procrastinate. When there is no deadline, there is no urgency. And if there is no urgency, there is no reason to take action immediately. Instead, we will delay something for as long as possible.

If you want to get results from your emails as a copywriter, put a time-sensitive offer into the copy to get your readers to take action immediately. A sale that lasts for only 2 days will get a lot more attention than a sale that lasts for a month. To your readers, they’ll read it and think “I still have time, there’s no reason for me to buy just yet.”

The problem is that over the next 30 days, your readers are going to forget all about the sale. They’ll go on with their daily lives, and hear of other sales that are going on as well. When they encounter one that only lasts for a few days, they’ll forget all about yours, because they’ve already spent all of their money.

11. Celebrities

“Warren Buffett’s best investing secrets”

“Elon Musk’s new space rocket”

People love to know about the latest news about celebrities. Ask yourself, do you know anyone who always keeps themselves up to date about the hottest celebrity gossip?

Humans are naturally drawn to others who are successful or have a following. It is a sign that they are important, and as people, we want to associate ourselves with important figures.

Celebrities draw a lot of attention because of their status. If you want to generate a lot of attention, use a well-known person’s name in the subject line to get the reader’s attention.

12. How I [Blank]

Chances are when your subscribers sign up for your emails, they value your opinions, experiences, stories…

So, if you start your emails with this – you will give them the impression that you’re about to share something important and personal with them.

“How I Grew My…

…Youtube Channel”

…Found My Soulmate Online”

…Permanently Removed Headache”

The key with this type of email is to be as personal as possible. Be vulnerable. Open up about difficult times and make a connection with your reader. Show them that you understand where they’re at.

These emails use the power of story to connect with the reader. If you create a story that provokes an emotional reaction, you will be able to bond with your reader and engage them directly.

For more ideas, watch the video below.

13. Best or Worst

“The Best Foods To Eat In 2020”

“The Worst Sales Tactics You Are Using”

No one pays attention to mediocrity. As humans, we pay the most attention to things at extreme spectrums – such as the best or worst of things.

That’s why news outlets and media always focus on first place winners. You see magazines and articles talking about who won Gold at the Olympics, but never anything about who came second place. We are not wired to pay attention to the losers – we aspire to become the winners and as a result pay attention to them the most.

Use words that imply extremes such as best, worst, greatest, amazing, and terrible to get your reader’s attention.

14. About Your [Blank]

This type of subject line is one of our favorites. It generates a lot of curiosity.

When your readers read a subject like that they wonder – do you know something I don’t know?

“About Your…

…Diet”

…Business”

…Spouse…”

You see how this would make someone want to read on?

15. Hot News

“The Outcome of Trump’s Impeachment”

“Presidential 2020 Candidates”

Any kind of events that have recently taken place are another good example of subject lines that get opened.

People are naturally curious about what’s happening around the world. They may not be impacted by it directly, but they still want to keep themselves in the loop.

Just like people like to keep themselves up to date with the latest celebrity gossip, people want to know what’s going on in the world. Take advantage of the latest news and events to make your readers click.

16. Valuable Advice

“Top Superfoods You Should Eat”

“Why You Shouldn’t Bathe Naked”

What kind of person gives advice? Someone who is an expert on that topic, who has in-depth knowledge on what to do.

As humans, we listen to those with authority. We perceive them as someone who knows more than we do, and give them our attention even though it may not be true. Subject lines that give the reader advice influence them to think of the email content as important.

Giving advice is also another way of catering to the reader’s desire of what’s in it for them. You are giving them free, valuable advice they can implement in their lives. And everyone loves free stuff.

17. Get Niche

“Best Sales Techniques For Life Coaches”

“Top 10 Asian Entrepreneurs Of 2025”

When you state a niche, you are catering to a very specific audience. And if your audience falls into that niche, you make your reader feel special, as if the email was written for them. Making your reader feel special implies there is exclusivity – something that only a handful of people will have access to. We value things that are exclusive, and by making your reader feel exclusive, they will feel valued.

For example, if you are a coach in the fitness niche, which subject line would you respond more strongly to?

“Biggest Mistakes Fitness Coaches Make”

“Biggest Mistakes Coaches Make”

The more specific you are with your audience, the more likely you will get their attention. Know your audience, and you know exactly what will succeed.

18. Familiarity

“Long time no see”

“It’s been a while”

Have you ever received an email from someone you didn’t know? What was your first reaction?

An email inbox is a very personal thing, something that people don’t like anyone getting into. That’s why we hate spam mail and advertisements, because they are a nuisance and people we wouldn’t give our email address to in the first place.

If you want to get the attention of your reader, make the subject line feel personal. Use their name in the subject line, or write the subject in a way that implies you know each other. Familiarity will make people lower their guard, which means clicking on your email instead of hitting delete.

19. Emojis

“Hello :)”

“$$ The Best Way To Make A 6-Figure Income From Home $$”

Another example of email subject lines that get opened are ones that contain emojis.

Emojis are so effective, because they help to clarify the message that is being said. For example, compare these two subject lines:

“Only For You :)”

“Only For You”

In this example, the subject line without an emoji gives the reader no context. By putting a simple emoji such as a heart or smiley face, you are conveying a certain emotion to the reader. When your readers know the emotion behind a message, they are much more likely to resonate with it.

Most emails don’t use emojis in the subject line. By inserting some emojis from time to time, you’ll immediately stand out from everyone else.

20. The Biggest Mistake [Blank] Make

The idea behind this subject line is to focus on the negative to help people avoid unwanted outcomes. So what is the trick? Well, people do not like making mistakes and facing consequences.

What makes this subject line so powerful is that it doesn’t talk about just any mistake. This subject line is about the biggest mistake. This is the type of mistake that everyone tries to avoid at any cost.

“The Biggest Mistake…

…Husbands Make”

….Car Buyers Make”

…Writers Make”

How The Right Email Subject Lines Can Make You a 6-Figure Income

Now, if you wish to write perfect emails with the right subject lines – you could have access to all these subject lines plus two hundred thirteen subject line templates.

You could simply fill in the blanks and immediately use in your email and all your marketing.

You can find all these templates on Instant Scripts. This is the ultimate shortcut software that automates the process of writing great copy for you. Click here, and check it out now.