High-Ticket Coaching

10 Detrimental Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A Business In A Crowded Marketplace

February 3, 2020 by Dan Lok

Have you been making these mistakes when you’re starting a business? It can be overwhelmed in a crowded marketplace. What are the mistakes you can avoid?

Here are 10 detrimental mistakes to avoid when starting a business in a crowded marketplace

The truth is… everyone makes mistakes and it’s obvious that it’s no different for business owners.

Unless your mistakes can turn into huge advantages in your business and life – avoid it when you’re starting a business.

There are many common mistakes and it’s natural getting a little tripped up here and there. But some of these common mistakes are detrimental when you’re starting a business.

It means, it can become costly down the line.

So, it’s better to avoid them at the beginning itself.

With effective planning, you can avoid typical stumbling blocks that may potentially lead to failure.

Starting a business is not a consequence of good genes or being lucky. It can be engineered by following the right methods and strategies – it can be taught.

A crowded marketplace can be overwhelmed, and you’ll sometimes get overconfident with enthusiasm. However, enthusiasm can be both a blessing and a curse when you’re starting a business.

Why? That’s because it drives the passion for your business that can fuel your success – and financially ruin you if don’t think through your decisions.

Here’s a video I want to share with you. About what I learned and some costly mistakes you can avoid.

I’ve started and failed in 13 businesses – lost thousands and millions of dollars. If you don’t navigate those potholes. You’ll most likely won’t see success.

If I could turn back time, I’d do things differently…

10 Detrimental Mistakes To Avoid When Starting A Business

No Goals And Commitment
Avoid Micromanaging When Starting A Business – Delegate
No Understanding Of Marketplace
Not Having The Right Mindset
Technology Ignorance Isn’t Bliss
Starting A Business Without A Plan
Neglect Marketing Investment
Accidentally Create Leverage
Spending Lavishly
Hiring the wrong people

No Goals And Commitment

When you’re aiming in the dark – you can’t hit a target that you can’t see. You’re going to miss 99% of your target.

It’s the same with everything we do in life. Without a clear goal, you won’t have any motivation to improve your business continuously. You drift along and taking things as they come – hoping for the best.

And because you’re not putting in the time, energy and focus into growing your business, eventually it’ll fail.

When starting a business, set a clear goal and commit to making things happen. With that said, be very specific with your goals – not being a generalist.

Instead of saying “I will improve next quarter’s revenue”, say “ I will increase sales by at least 20% each month until the next quarter”.

When you be specific about where you want to go from the beginning, you’ve created a much clearer image in your mind of how to achieve your goals.

On another note, observe your motivation. Because this can lead to emotional baggage and this baggage slows us down and hinders our growth.

Not only you’re going to miss most of your target. What’s worse is you’re also stuck in this vicious cycle of emotional baggage.

Or maybe the regrets you have will demotivate you to achieve your goals.

Avoid Micromanaging When Starting A Business- Delegate

Delegating is a powerful tool when starting a business. But you must know when to spend your money before you create your high-performance team.

There’s sometimes a lack of self-awareness when starting a business. Some business owners in the early stage are not great at delegating work to their team members.

So, if you’re not good at certain things, avoid doing everything just because you want to cut costs.

Focused on your strength in specific work tasks and delegate the rest will help in the long run.

While most employees don’t appreciate being micromanaged – as a business owner, when stating a business – curb this behavior before it leads to negative effects.

Here are some pointers on how to let go:

Reflect on your behavior. Most likely it’s because of some insecurity – if your team doesn’t perform exactly the way you wanted – you’re afraid it’ll reflect badly on you.
Prioritize what matters and what doesn’t. Regardless of how important the task is – you can’t do that if you want to control everything. Avoid being a control freak. Create a To-Do list and start determining what work is critical and delegate those that are less important. For example, strategic planning vs presentation.
Talk to your team. Once you’ve determined the importance – the next step is communication. Have a conversation with your team about what really matters to you and how you want to be kept in the loop.
Built trust. Have a pep talk with your team members. Because they’re used to you not trusting them, they might come to you for approval on each and every project. So, give your team members the psychological power to lead. Show them you trust and have faith in their abilities.

Editorial Credit: Stephane Bidouze / Shutterstock.com

No Understanding Of Marketplace

Most Entrepreneurs are an expert in their own product or services. When we talk about the marketplace – it can be billions and billions of people but with your product – will the majority pay for your product or service?

Exactly – NO! Not everyone will pay. So how exactly can you understand the marketplace or at least understand your market?

That means If you have a certain product or service, where and what types of customers will pay for it.

When you understand your marketplace or customers – not only it’ll increase your sales, but also increase your chances of attracting the kind of customers you want Share on X

Do you see what I mean?

And sometimes, you come out with a new product or service. With that said, testing your product is critical to your success or failure – your product-market fit can be tested in small ways.

Why do you need to test it?

Because a product that works for you may not work for others.

So, by testing it in smaller ways can help you save time and money. At the same time, you are generating feedback and answers to your growth success.

Only then, you will understand your marketplace and customers better.

Maybe you need to modify and fine-tune your product according to your feedback…

Or perhaps, you need to remove some funky and complicated product or service that initially you thought it was cool to combine – but not in the eyes of the marketplace.

So, when starting a business… and to avoid these detrimental mistakes.

You need to make sure what works best for your clients. And this is one of the main factors most online entrepreneur/s fail to succeed

Watch this video on how to choose your niche and target market.

Not Having The Right Mindset

Do you have confidence in yourself? Or confidence in your product or service…

Don’t expect customers to show up at your doorstep or website to buy from you.

You need to put yourself out there by branding your business, marketing your offers and networking.

I know many brilliant business owners with exceptional product or service – but lacking in confidence.

You see, starting a business is no easy task…

You need to have the right mindset even before you start a business. If you’re lacking confidence, you need to learn how to be more confident.

So, what do I mean by not having the right mindset?

Is it the level of confidence or having a combination of mindset which includes leveraging your money mindset to create more money?

When we portray confidence in anything we do... that’s a positive mindset Share on X

It’ll constantly motivate you towards success. And leveraging money mindset is like, instead of having a saving mindset and trying to salvage every dollar – focus on making more money with your money.

Now, does that make sense?

When you’re starting a business, think of how you can use your mind to create wealth – use the money you currently have to help you generate more money.

With that said… doesn’t mean that you need to spend every single penny on marketing or product development.

Plan according to your goals and commitment and then take massive action Share on X

Develop a millionaire’s mindset and be a “Doer” instead of a “Talker”. Most unsuccessful people like to talk about things and tend to have a lot of opinions.

They dwell and complain about their struggles and problems.

So, if you’re reading this article right now…

I know you are a “Doer”. You want to avoid mistakes when starting a business.

You want to achieve your goals and generate results.

Technology Ignorance Isn’t Bliss

The digital landscape is rapidly growing and constantly evolving. As a business owner, if you don’t leverage the current technology in your business, you’re considered as laid back.

If you’re a young entrepreneur just starting a business…

Here’s a question you might be asking; How can I use technology in my business?

Simple!

I spoke about micromanagement earlier, about delegating certain things and avoid doing everything by yourself.

You see, tasks like data entry, posting updates and generating leads on your website can be delegated and those are all the things that can be done with technology.

It’ll save you hours on trivial tasks if you know how to leverage it. This useful tool gives you the time and freedom to attend to more important matters in your business.

If you don’t want your competitors to run you out of business – find the time to learn how to leverage technology Share on X

Now, this is where the mindset comes in…

If you’ve been a stubborn business owner and refuse to learn, you’ll most likely lose out to your competitors and more likely to see failure instead of success.

Don’t adopt the old school traditional mindset, it’s one of the deadliest mistakes business owners make – especially if you’re starting a business.

Starting A Business Without A Plan

A business plan is your roadmap to success!

Although it could evolve as you go along. But when you’re starting a business – a proper business plan leads you on the course with a structured approach.

You can document your business thoughts and ideas you want and need to accomplish. And then, formulate a strategy and tactics for how you plan to get there.

Successful Start-up entrepreneurs are often those who have strategies in placed to deal with challenges as they occur Share on X

While being flexible and adaptable to the changes in today’s marketplace – you can’t sidestep planning if want to succeed.

While the mindset plays the biggest role in our life – exercising self-control to avoid these mistakes when starting a business – doesn’t mean you need to re-consider your whole idea of having your own business.

The thing about having your own business is, it requires both patience and passion.

This may sound troublesome to some business owners. But my point is…

If you could avoid these detrimental mistakes with proven strategies, wouldn’t you make use of that opportunity?

Neglect Marketing Investment

If you have a mindset of, “I’m already doing well, I don’t need to invest in any marketing” but you expect to increase your revenue…

You’re most likely won’t be successful forever.

Most business owners who are already successful have this mindset.

You see, the thing is…

You’re going to slowly lag if you’re aren’t bringing in new business – especially from today’s competitive marketplace.

In one of my recent articles, I spoke about “The Future Of Marketing Automation” and in one of the sections in that article, customers want a more satisfying journey when they are searching for a particular product or service.

To survive and thrive in the future of marketing – you don’t want to neglect marketing investment when you’re starting a business Share on X

On top of that, people are talking about customer experience (CX). Research from PWC said, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for GREATER customer experience.

So, if you neglect your marketing investment – you’re likely to lose out a lot.

Now, as you already know, in this new decade, we’re all moving towards “Digital”. And with all the variety of technology tools available, you can always start with some free marketing tools to help you grow.

By doing that, you can maximize your return on investment (ROI).

So, don’t neglect it – thinking you’re already successful and don’t need any investment in your marketing.

Accidentally Create Leverage

Who owns your company’s intellectual property (IP)? This includes the brand name, designs, domains, and technology. Ensuring vital IP owned by the company is critical.

Because, in the event of a dispute between two partners, and If one partner owns the domain names personally – this means he or she has not assigned the right to any intellectual property.

Now, what does this mean when someone has not assigned any IP rights?

It means, they can leverage in any negotiation.

Here’s the thing I don’t want you to miss…

When registering domain names and assets in the name of the company – it’s straightforward.

But… when it comes to Intellectual creation, you need to understand the most important point.

For example, when an employee of your company creates a logo, it means, it’s owned and assigned by the company.

However, if it’s being created by a freelancer – it needs to be assigned in writing.

Now, you don’t actually need to engage a lawyer to do this. There are plenty of standard intellectual property documents online where you can get your team to prepare.

This might be one of the biggest mistakes for young entrepreneurs.

That’s why it’s crucial to know what are the mistakes to avoid when starting a business.

Spending Lavishly

Your first-quarter sales were good – business is going well. Second-quarter was even better and now you have some extra cash to splurge.

Typically, most of us would make a few purchases to help with future scaling.

Investing in new software, doubling your ad spend, redesigned a new company logo, or maybe a small renovation for the office.

What happens if the following month, your projected revenue isn’t as much as what you’d expect?

All of a sudden – you find yourself in debt.

You’ve spent too much money too soon on unnecessary things. And these things can turn your business profits into additional business expenses.

On top of that, you are not in a position to utilize them yet.

So, before you spend lavishly on unnecessary things, ask yourself this: “ Is this important and going to be used immediately to grow your business?”

And by asking yourself certain questions, not only it helps you avoid crucial mistakes, but to also make a decision to achieve your goals faster.

Hiring The Wrong People

Hiring the wrong people is like having a bad team. If you select the wrong people to be on board, not only you’ve made a mistake. But also closer to failure than you know it.

When you have the wrong people on your team, it harms your business reputation Share on X

Before you hire anyone – think about what that person is like. If it’s possible, find out about their goals, beliefs, and mindset. This is crucial because it has to be aligned with your vision and mission.

Let’s take a salesperson for an example. Many companies hire salespeople because they want to generate more revenue. However, a salesperson, they only look at their own income and sales quota.

They don’t care about things like integrity and morals…

With that said, at the beginning of their career, they might bring in more sales but subsequent months, their sales get lower and lower.

This is because most salespeople are not properly trained. Instead of building a long-term relationship with your customers – they resort to being a slimy salesperson with pushy tactics.

As a result, you’ll only get a “one-time purchase” from your customers. What’s worse?

You spend years generating and nurturing leads…

And because you hire the wrong people, your customers lose trust in the company and they go to your competitors.

So, to see success faster, create a high-performance team that’s aligned with your goals.

Want To Scale Your Coaching Business?

So, is it time to scale your business? – Especially for coaches and consultants.

As your business grows – knowing when to hire, when to automate the tedious process, strategizing techniques and tactics effectively is crucial when starting a business.

I said this in the beginning – you can avoid typical stumbling blocks that may potentially lead to failure.

I’ve started and failed 13 businesses – I have seen startup companies moving too fast without proper planning and crumbled before they can achieve their goals…

The thing is, all this can be avoided.

Why would you create a new success strategy when there are already several proven strategies?

Discover the method and strategies that you can use to scale your coaching business online.

You see, I knew little to nothing about starting a business. This was when I was younger. I was heavily in debt and failed 13 businesses.

Today, you can discover the method I used to scale my coaching business from zero to $1,000,000 a month in less than 8 months…

Now you must be thinking what did I do to achieve that?

Well, it’s by doing the opposite of every other coach! Get your resources here and maximize your “Personal Media Platform”.

Call To Action

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How To Find A Business Mentor (Who Can Turn Your Ideas Into Reality)

January 28, 2020 by Dan Lok

Are you wondering how to find a business mentor to help you grow and succeed in life? The real question is, do you find a business mentor, or does your business mentor find you?

I believe that much of the time, your business mentor finds you.

A lot of people have a lot of different goals that mentors can help them achieve. These goals typically include making more money, successfully starting a business, scaling a business, closing more clients, finding a purpose, discovering the high-income skill you’re best-suited for, upgrading your skills, making an impact, and achieving success in life.

Without a business mentor, it can be extremely difficult to navigate the tough world of business. A business mentor can teach you everything from key skills to survive in the business world and how to get clients, to networking tips and business acumen.

Finding the right mentor can make or break your shot at success. If you learn how to find a business mentor, it could make all the difference in the world for you.

Some of the most common questions I am asked are questions about how to find a business mentor. I believe that the reason I am asked this so often, is because people know that figuring out how to find a business mentor will lead to achieving success faster.

What Should You Look For in a Mentor?

You want to find someone who you resonate with, and who you respect. Just because someone is successful financially or mega-wealthy, doesn’t mean they’re going to be a good mentor.

In other words, don’t just look at how rich or successful they are. Ask other questions. Do you connect with this person? Do you share the same values? And do you respect what they do? Are they an ideal role model for you?

They might be successful, but are they successful in the kind of way you strive to be?

Finding the right mentor can make or break your shot at success. If you find the right business mentor, it could make all the difference in the world for you. Share on X

Another good question to ask yourself is, do you feel comfortable around them? And are you comfortable approaching them?

Show Your Mentor How You Can Add Value

Many people make the mistake of approaching business mentors with this attitude of, Well you’re successful, so you should help me, because I’m not successful, and I deserve to be.

That’s the wrong attitude. Your mentor will be much more likely to help you if you add value to their life first.

You need to show your mentor how you can add value to their life, before asking for their help in return. Always give first, before you ask for anything back.

Perhaps you can offer to act as an intern of sorts, and help them write copy or help them with various business-related tasks. They might even pay you for your work, and then you’d be earning while you’re learning.

There are many ways to add value, but providing services in the form of work, in exchange for mentorship, is a great option.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

It can certainly be intimidating to approach a mentor who you look up to and are inspired by. It’s intimidating to ask for mentorship, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never receive what you want.

It goes without saying that you absolutely must summon the courage to ask, because otherwise you stand no chance of gaining a mentor.

Before you ask for mentorship, however, you must know the right way to ask. It’s best to demonstrate that you’ve done your due diligence before reaching out. It’s also best to avoid sounding entitled, be sure to have no hidden agenda, and respect the mentor’s time.

Never Approach a Mentor With a Sense of Entitlement

Remember that just because someone is successful and in a better position than you are, doesn’t mean they’re under any obligation to help you succeed.

I am a great business mentor, and I love mentoring others. However, I get messages all the time from entitled people who say things like, “Hey, Dan, help me out.”

This is not the right way to ask for mentorship.

Why should I help you out based on that short, entitled message?

What you need to do is show me that you’ve done your due diligence. Show me that you’ve done your research and have clear goals in mind. Explain to me why you’re worth my time, keeping in mind that I get hundreds of requests every week. Tell me how you can add value to my life, instead of acting entitled and saying, “Hey, can you help me out?”

Respect the Mentor’s Time

Learning how to find a business mentor is one thing, but learning how to interact with them is a whole other thing. Once a mentor agrees to have lunch with you, meet with you, or have a phone conversation with you, you must respect their time.

If they’re successful enough to be sought-after as a mentor, that means they’re likely very busy. Respect their time by having clear questions prepared for when you meet with them.

Research your mentor and their business. Know what you want to ask, and what you want to gain from your first meeting. If you stumble on your words, hesitate, or seem unsure of what you want to ask, you’ll seem unprepared. It’ll seem like they’re wasting their time meeting with you, because you were unprepared for the meeting.

Don’t Come at Them With an Agenda

When it comes to how to find a business mentor, know that you won’t find one if it’s clear you have an agenda. When you reach out to mentors, you should be very sincere and respectful. Don’t come at them with any sort of agenda. Make it clear that all you want is knowledge, and that you’d be very appreciative of it.

Don’t make it seem like you want a job, an introduction to some influencer, or some other favor. Avoid making it seem like you have an agenda.

If you approach them with sincerity, with no agenda, and approach them the right way – the mentor is more likely to be responsive to you.

Put Some Skin in the Game

Some people pay their mentors for their coaching services, to show their mentor that they’re serious. When you put skin in the game, the mentor knows you’re serious about your goals.

Not everyone does this, and you don’t have to, but it makes sense when you think about it. Mentorship is very valuable, so it’s a good investment.

You’re investing in yourself through your mentor. If learning from this person costs money, think of it as a great investment in yourself and your future.

Some business mentors believe that if you put money in, you’re more likely to implement what you’re taught. It’s sort of like buying a very expensive gym membership. Imagine it’s an upgrade from your old gym which was free or very cheap. Suddenly, you’ll probably go to the gym more, because you’ve invested all of this money that you don’t want to waste.

Now, remember that you don’t have to pay your mentor. There are other ways you can add value, as I just described, and no money has to be exchanged.

How I Met My Business Mentor

It’s time for me to tell you how I met my business mentor, who changed my life.

When I was in my early 20s, I met my mentor Alan Jacques. At the time, he ran one of the most successful financial education companies in Canada. They were doing a lot of direct mail sales copy. Many people might think of direct mail as junk mail. However, I actually collected the direct mail and read it, and I was learning about copywriting by reading his sales copy.

I was fascinated by how the marketing was done, and I realized I wanted to meet Alan Jacques, the person who was behind these direct mail pieces being sent out. Alan was brilliant. He was one of the first people to pioneer the concept of the free seminar model in Canada.

This clever sales model involves getting people to attend a free seminar or workshop, and from there, convincing people to purchase high-ticket programs.

One day, I was attending a free workshop, and I suddenly noticed the name tag of the person sitting next to me. The name tag said “Alan Jacques”. This man was my idol because of his marketing genius.

I immediately started talking to him, and I asked him, “Are you Alan Jacques, the one who’s been sending the direct mail sales letters, inviting people to attend the free seminars?”

Alan nodded and said, “Yes, that’s me.”

“No way!” I exclaimed. “You’re my hero!”

Alan was taken aback. “You’ve attended my workshops?” He asked me, inquisitively.

“No, no, not the workshops,” I explained. “You’re my hero because of the marketing in those direct mail pieces! I love the way you do marketing, it’s genius! In truth, I collect your direct mail in a binder, and I study the copy. I admire you so much.”

I could tell Alan was surprised by this. He probably wasn’t used to people acknowledging his direct mail strategy or his marketing copy. He was probably used to being recognized for his workshops, not his direct mail.

How To Find a Business Mentor by Taking Them to Lunch

I continued chatting with Alan Jacques a bit longer, and I couldn’t contain my excitement.

“Could I take you to lunch?” I asked him.

I knew this was a good approach, since lunch isn’t a big commitment, and man’s gotta eat.

Alan agreed to go to lunch with me, and that’s how our relationship started. I ended up offering to work for his company for next-to-nothing for one year. I was so excited.

Offering to work for him was how I added value in advance.

I wanted to add value to what he does, because I knew he didn’t need me. I wanted to add value so that he’d want to invest his time helping me later on.

At the office, we did a lot of direct mail, so I helped stamp, address, and seal the envelopes. I helped him organize his paperwork. I helped out with various other administrative duties. Eventually, I gained his trust and I got to help with more important responsibilities.

How My Mentor Changed My Life

One day at the office, my mentor Alan Jacques finally asked me what I was waiting for him to ask. He finally asked me to help him with some marketing copy.

Alan is the reason I learned my first high-income skill, copywriting. He taught me how to use words to persuade and influence people. Learning the lucrative skill of copywriting through Alan Jacques changed my life.

Alan gave me his spill-over clients. These were the clients he didn’t have time to take on, or the clients who couldn’t afford his high prices.

He got so many requests, that he was able to give me the extra work. He’d often tell his clients “My mentee Dan, who has learned directly from me, can do this for you at the price you’re requesting. My prices are a lot higher.” So his clients would often agree to let me write the copy.

The spill-over clients helped me master the art of copywriting. I didn’t know it at the time, but soon I would be a young copywriter earning over $10,000 per month. That’s how I got my start, and I owe it all to my mentor Alan Jacques.

I went all in with Alan Jacques. I learned everything about copywriting from him. It goes without saying that I would highly suggest going all-in on one great mentor, like I did.

Go All In With One Great Mentor

Don’t learn a little from everyone. Go all in with one great mentor.

In martial arts, the great ones have been with the same instructor for years and sometimes decades. And they stick with the same style of martial arts, in order to learn and master one type of martial arts.

Imagine if one day you go to a Karate class, and the next day you go to Kung fu, and so on, what happens? It’s impossible to become skilled at any one of them, because you keep switching, and you’re not focused on mastering one type of martial arts.

Renowned martial artist Bruce Lee famously said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

Bruce Lee understood the power of focusing on one specific skill. In his case, he focused on mastering one specific martial arts move at a time, rather than trying to learn all of the different moves at once. Lee was known for the thousands of hours he dedicated to perfecting his skills as a martial artist.

If you just go all in with one mentor and learn as much as you can about his or her specific type of business, you’ll end up learning a lot.

Need a Business Mentor?

If you need a business mentor, it’s probably because you’re sick of going in circles in your career. Or, you’re frustrated that your business is stagnant rather than growing or thriving. Perhaps you’re having trouble finding clients, or once you find them, you can’t close them. In other words, you need some help. You need some coaching.

Remember that business mentorship is not a short-term, quick-fix solution. Business mentorship is a life-long effort towards self-growth and personal development, which can lead to high performance and financial confidence.

My Exclusive High-Ticket Closer Certification Program is an elite group mentorship program that teaches you the most important skills required to succeed in the tough world of business. You’ll learn how to be a better closer, and how to close higher ticket offers that make you more money. You’ll also learn better business acumen, high-performing self-management, and you’ll learn how to improve your communication, team management, and business skills.

If you’re tired of going around in circles in your career, or tired of being unable to reach your business goals, click here to apply for my mentorship program.

How To Provide Constructive Feedback To Your Team Members

January 22, 2020 by Dan Lok

Learning how to provide constructive feedback is one of the most valuable skills you’ll ever learn.

In life, working with other people is inevitable. To achieve something great, you need a team that can help you get there. That’s why having teamwork is essential to making progress in any project. But in order to make progress, it is sometimes necessary to voice your opinions and thoughts.

Used properly, constructive feedback allows you to offer your perspectives without being offensive to others. If you disagree with the ideas of your teammates, you can tell them your honest thoughts, without being confrontational. It is a technique you can use to lift others up, and help them become better. Here’s how you can effectively provide constructive feedback to your team members.

Constructive Feedback vs. Criticism – Why People Mix It Up

Constructive feedback is not the same as criticism. Humans are naturally ego-driven creatures, and when we see someone doing better than us, we become jealous. Criticism is what people say when they don’t want you to succeed. They will insult you or say negative things to try to bring you down.

You see this all the time on the internet. These ‘haters’ are very vocal about their opinions, and will hold nothing back. For people that are finding success in life, the intent of haters is to make you think worse of yourself, so that you can stoop down to their level. These are people you should ignore – for their opinions have no merit.

Constructive feedback however, is similar to criticism but with good intentions. Constructive feedback is when you offer your opinion, and state what you think would be a better alternative. For example, let’s imagine a scenario where you are working in an office. You think the report you typed up was good, but your manager thinks it could be improved. Your manager points out some sections that you could change, and how you could change them so it sounds better overall. That is constructive feedback.

The Good, The Bad, And The Good

Done properly, constructive feedback helps others see their mistakes and gives them an opportunity to improve. One of the most effective ways to offer constructive feedback is with something called the ‘Feedback Sandwich’.

The way it works, is that if you have something ‘bad’ to say, such as what they could do better, you sandwich that ‘bad’ opinion with two ‘good’ opinions. For example, let’s say you think a team member would be more efficient if he took his hat off. You would offer constructive feedback by saying:

Good: “Hey <name>, you work very fast!”

Bad: “But I think you could be faster if you took your hat off, as it distracts you from the project”

Good: “Overall, I think you make a great contribution to this team.”

By sandwiching constructive feedback, you are softening the blow. Humans remember the last thing that was said to them. By ending your feedback with praise, the person will feel less offended by what you have said.

Resolve Conflict By Putting Yourself In Their Shoes

However, in certain situations your team members may have very strong opinions about something. As a result, they are adamant about their position, and refuse to see your point of view.

You: “I think red would look better.”

Them: “I disagree. We should go with blue.”

In this scenario, neither person is right or wrong. As a result, it is much more difficult to offer constructive feedback, because neither side sees the other person’s point of view.

The best way to resolve this type of conflict, is to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Instead of believing in your opinion is the correct one, flip the script and assume the other person’s opinion is better. What reasons can you think of that would make them think that way? Why do you think they chose their opinion over yours?

How Roleplaying Can Help You See Different Perspectives And Resolve Conflict

Roleplaying is a very powerful way to offer constructive feedback. For example, in the industry of sales, roleplaying becomes a powerful tool when it comes to prospect and salesperson interactions.

Each person takes turns playing the role of the salesperson, and the prospect. In this instance, you are able to learn from your partner. You can see a live example of how they speak, the words they use, and what techniques they use to try to influence you. This allows you to get a feel for what it’s like to be one role or the other, which is invaluable in understanding what each side is feeling and thinking.

Roleplaying also allows you to see the flaws you yourself cannot. Because there are two people involved you can see the flaws your partner cannot – and vice versa. In our minds, we have created a very strong image of who we think we are. When a new bit of information threatens this image, we become defensive and refuse to acknowledge that piece of information.

This is why world class athletes hire coaches to help train them. The coach helps the player to see the flaws they cannot. If the player acknowledges what the coach is saying, they can improve themselves by correcting their own mistakes. However, if the player remains stubborn and refuses to acknowledge their own mistakes, they will stay the same.

Why A Bitter Hard Truth Is Infinitely Better Than A Sweet Sounding Lie

Let’s imagine that you were learning a new skill – for example closing. What do you think would be more valuable: Someone who lied and said you were the best closer on the planet, or someone who pointed out your mistakes and what you could improve on?

In order to become the best version of yourself, you need to constantly examine yourself. However, we cannot examine ourselves, because there are certain flaws that we will unconsciously ignore given human nature. The only way to get an accurate examination of our own selves, is to ask another person.

This becomes a problem when the person you are asking is someone that cares about you. Family members and close friends are people that care about your feelings. As a result, if you ask them for their opinion on what they think of your closing ability, they may lie to you to make you feel better. But the truth is, this does more harm than good.

By being told a lie, you go around in life believing you are someone that you are not. You are living a false life – believing that you are the best, when in reality you could be terrible. And when it comes time to test your skills, you’ll fail and fail badly – because of the lies you have told yourself.

The Concept of Tough Love And Why It Is The Best Form Of Constructive Feedback

My mentor Dan Pena, is infamous for using a form of constructive feedback called ‘tough love’. Tough love essentially means that because you care about that person, you will be extremely brutal and harsh with them if it means you can help them improve.

While many people may disagree with me, I believe Dan Pena cares about his mentees. He cares so much, that he is willing to do ANYTHING it takes in order to make you successful. That includes swearing, shouting insults, using profanity, being offensive, uttering racist remarks and in rare cases – physical violence. But from my perspective, that is the best example of what true constructive feedback looks like.

The goal of constructive feedback is to help the other person improve and get better. If that means being harsh with them from time to time, that is the price you must pay. The opposite, would be to treat them gently but prevent them from seeing any improvement at all.

Understand that being critical of someone does not mean you do not support them. In life, it is often those that are sheltered from the bitter truth that grow up to be unsuccessful, because they’ve been fed lies that they believe are true. This is why the best way to help your team members become better, is to offer the truth – no matter how hard it is. By covering up the truth with a lie, you are doing them a disservice and preventing them from improving. You are acting no better than a hater, by keeping them where they are.

Snowflakes Melt Under Pressure – Don’t Be One of Them

Another saying that I learned from my mentor Dan Pena is the quote “Snowflakes melt under pressure”.

There are certain issues that exist today that didn’t exist a few decades ago. For example, some people are very sensitive to negative stimuli or pressure. When people use profanity, they get deeply offended or refuse to listen at all. They feel as though they are being personally attacked, and get ‘triggered’ as a result of other people’s words or actions.

This is what Dan Pena means by “Snowflakes melt under pressure”. Life is tough and pushes everyone around. Sometimes those pushes are gentle, and sometimes they are very rough. People that cannot tolerate what life throws at them, are doomed to melt from the pressure. The only people who can become successful, are those who can endure life’s lessons and take what is thrown at them without reacting. And if you are a snowflake – something that melts easily under high heat or pressure, you will not succeed.

Being Non-reactive Is The First Step Towards Achieving Success In Life

Think about it like this: Why do you allow yourself to be influenced by negative stimuli?

I know many people that get offended by profanity and have commented that I should stop swearing. And occasionally, some bad words may slip out of my mouth when I am passionate and trying to make a point. However, to people that get offended by the slightest amount of swearing, my question to you is why does it offend you?

If you want to become successful in life, you have to take control of it. That means you cannot make excuses, or blame others for your failures. If you are someone that gets offended by swear words, ask yourself why you are offended in the first place.

Most likely if you get offended by certain things such as profanity, it is because you are allowing it to offend you. Remember that there are certain people who get offended, and others who could not care less. What separates you from these type of people? Why do you allow yourself to become offended – and if that is the case, do you like that it offends you?

When someone swears and you become offended, that is a reaction. You are reacting to the actions of someone else, and allowing it to influence you and take control of your life. Unless you learn to control your own emotions, you will always be at the mercy of other people. They will push you around against your will, and you will always be a slave to their words.

An Inside Look At A High Ticket Closer’s Mindset To Achieve Success

A High Ticket Closer is someone who understands and embraces these principles. They acknowledge that they are not perfect, and that they have flaws. In order to become the best version of themselves, they are committed and willing to do whatever it takes to get there. That means putting aside their ego, and allowing others to point out their mistakes. A High Ticket Closer understands they need to wholeheartedly embrace constructive feedback so they can improve. Only by acknowledging and correcting your mistakes, can you truly improve and become better. That is the secret behind how to become successful in a very short time – because you are willing to do what no one else will.

That’s why when our community of closers hops on calls and practices roleplay, they understand they are there to learn. That means putting aside their ego and emotions, and focusing on what matters. No matter how good they may be, there is always something new they can learn. A High Ticket Closer’s mentality is to continuously improve not for a day, month, or year. A High Ticket Closer is committed to continuous improvement for their entire lifetime.

How A Tiny Caterpillar Becomes A Magnificent Butterfly By Embracing Hardship

Opening yourself up and allowing others to point out your mistakes is not easy. In fact, the learning process can be quite painful. Imagine for example, that your team members are like tiny little caterpillars. They go through life not knowing anything besides crawling around and munching on leaves. The only way for them to travel, is to crawl around slowly – making them an easy target for predators like birds.

But overtime, this caterpillar will grow larger and larger. And one day, it will decide it has had enough of eating leaves and going through life at a caterpillar’s pace. So it does something unimaginable – it transforms itself. The caterpillar finds a safe place, hangs upside down and forms a cocoon, which it will stay in for weeks until it has finished its transformation. Throughout this process, the caterpillar disintegrates it’s entire body and tissues until it becomes entirely liquid, then re-creates itself.

After a few weeks, what emerges is no longer a small, tiny leaf munching caterpillar. What emerges is a beautifully winged butterfly, who is free to spend the rest of its life soaring above the ground it used to crawl on. It grows distinct markings and colors to scare off predators, and no longer has to live in fear of them. It’s wings allow the butterfly to access a variety of better tasting foods, such as sweet nectar from flowers, and explore lands it would never have been able to visit before.

The small tiny caterpillar has completely transformed itself into a magnificent butterfly. And as a result, it no longer has to crawl slowly on the ground, living in fear of predators and eating dry bland leaves. It now has the freedom to take flight and does so proudly – displaying its wings and colors, and leaving behind it’s old life and image.

The Secret To High Performance Is Simpler Than You Think

To become the best version of yourself, you must be open to receiving constructive feedback.

High performers understand that they are not perfect. The most successful people hire coaches to help them see their mistakes and flaws, so that they can improve upon them. Only by being brutally honest, can you truly strive to make progress and become the best version of yourself.

That means you must do the same for others as well. Being afraid to hurt your team members’ feelings only harms them in the long run. Lying to make them feel better will only work to give them a false sense of achievement. If you truly have their best interests at heart, you will be honest with your opinions.

HTC students are trained on systematically providing constructive feedback so they understand how to be both the teacher and student. In doing so they learn how to listen more attentively and effectively communicate with substance and influence. If this is something you want to learn, reserve a spot now to watch this introductory masterclass.

What You Must Know About The Consulting Business – Successful Coaching & Consulting Secrets

April 30, 2019 by Dan Lok Leave a Comment

How do you stand out in a crowd of thousands? With over 50,000 coaches worldwide and 17,000 in the USA, how do you increase your share of the industry pie when it comes to getting clients?

There’s a secret to going from zero to $100,000 to making a million dollars a year, and these powerful strategies are what I’m going to show you to be successful in the coaching and consulting business.

Watch this video about successful coaching and consulting secrets.

Relationships, Not Transactions

What you must know about a consulting business is you’re not just selling a service, you’re selling a relationship. The relationship between you and the client, and how you make them feel is equally important.

People buy because of what you sell but they stay with you because of who you are. So what you are doing to nurture and strengthen the relationship is what will distinguish you from all the other coaches and consultants out there.

It’s not just transactional, meaning you get paid for doing some work. If you’re a transactional consultant and coach you’ll have a tough time trying to make a good amount of money in this business because a lot of people make transactions.

You want to have what I call a transformational relationship with the client. That means you’re not being seen as a commodity where the client leaves the money and you do the work.

You want the work you do to have a big enough impact that it enhances the life or the business in some meaningful way.

So how can you decide if what you’re providing is a transactional or transformational relationship? For example, you have a business where you help people set up their automated webinars in their webinar funnels. How do you know if the relationship is transactional or transformational?

You can’t communicate this difference. You can’t ask your client which one they feel they’ve just experienced. A relationship is what you make them feel. There’s no need to tell them you’re going to change their life. You just do it, and it’s transformational.

It’s possible that the client will feel good even if the relationship is purely transactional. Let’s say you do a good job and they pay you because they’re satisfied with the service. It’s a pretty good relationship although it’s transactional. So makes a relationship transformational?

Transforming A Man Using A Suit

It starts from day one, with how you view what you do. Let’s take a look at a custom suit business.

When the customer comes into your store to get a suit custom made, you take measurements, choose the fabric, and make a suit. Hopefully the suit fits. This is a very transactional way of viewing the process.

Or you could do the same amount of work and get a different result.

A man comes in with low self-confidence and low self-esteem and you can tell he’s never ever looked good in a suit. You measure him, understand his personality, find out what he does and the person he is inside, and bring it out of him through your suit.

You choose the right shade of colours that match his skin tone to give him confidence and change how he sees himself. Then he goes out there and meets the ideal person to marry because he’s finally got the confidence to get a date.

Maybe we will help him get promoted in his company because his confidence changes his performance. Your suit changes that man’s life in many ways. It’s the same suit as the one you just measured and made, but this time, you changed someone’s life.

You don’t want to just make a suit and take the money.

Now when a client comes in, you could do the work or with this mindset you could offer much more. You’re also going to get a very different type of client. It’s all about how you project yourself: as a commodity, or as someone who can change a life.

Changing Your Vibe

Let’s go back to setting up a webinar. Setting it up for your client is transactional. But say that you don’t just set up a webinar. By making it automated, you are saving the client time. By saving time and helping the client to make more money, you will also give him more time to spend with family because of what you did with technology.

With that kind of vibe, you’ve changed that person’s life.

It’s the same if you’re a realtor. You could sell a client a client a two bedroom condo near parks and a school and hand over the keys to the new owner. Or you can sell a home, a place where the new owner can watch their kids grow up. It’s a different kind of responsibility to your client.

It’s got nothing to do with transitioning what you do from just getting paid to making a transformation. But it’s got everything to do with your mindset and how you view your craft and what you do.

Painting The Picture

You could be an artist. You can say you like to paint buildings, or trees and flowers using oils on canvas. Or you can say that you’re trying to communicate a story and evoke feelings through your art so that every time someone admires your painting, they feel nostalgic, heartbroken, or empowered. That’s a different level of artist.

So as a transformational coach or consultant, your client knows that you care about them more than the product or service you are selling. You’re interested in a lifelong relationship.

As a consultant or coach, you want to impart knowledge to your client so you get the results the client is looking for. However, you want to have the attitude that you care but you aren’t attached. You don’t want to take it personally.

You care about your client’s progress and you do your best to help them but at the same time you’re not attached to the outcome. There are many factors that contribute to their success or failure, and you cannot control that.

Many people can learn from the same mentor and yet each person will have different results. Everyone progresses at different speeds and different levels even if they are learning the same lessons from the same person.

At the end of the day, take a close look at how you view what you do. How do you feel about what you do? Are you bored of making one suit after the other because if it doesn’t make a difference if they buy from you or online? Do you see an endless parade of people walking through the house you’re showing for your client?

That view is transactional, like 99 percent of other businesses out there. When you have a different mindset, your client will sense the difference. As a service-based business, you want a long-term relationship.

As a lawyer, for example, you’re not just offering trademarking services and filling out a bunch of paperwork. You’re protecting the client’s brand. As a realtor, you’re not just helping a client buy a house, you’re helping them find a future for their family.

Final Thoughts On Secrets For Successful Coaching and Consulting

It’s easy to charge money for a product or service. That’s what most people do – offer transactional relationships. The way to make a high income from coaching and consulting is to build relationships and offer transformations.

Your client won’t have a transformation if you measure him and then bill him for the custom suit you just made. But if you take the time to make a suit that changes his confidence and changes his life, then you’ve opened the door to a lifelong relationship. You didn’t just create a suit, you created a feeling.

Start by changing your mindset. Show that you care about your client more than the product or service you are selling. When you can offer a transformation, the ripple effect will go beyond your service – it will impact your client’s personal and professional life.

What transformation do you offer clients? Comment below.

How To Manage People And Be A Better Leader

April 10, 2019 by Dan Lok Leave a Comment

“People may hear your words but they feel your attitude.” – John C. Maxwell

When it comes to managing people, the most important lesson I’ve learned is that people are not manageable. If you want to be a strong leader, the best way to lead your team is to give them independence.

In other words, instead of “micromanaging people,” where you are managing all the details of each person’s job, you need something more efficient. Micromanaging is exhausting and you will not be able to do that as your company grows and you have more people on your team.

So, instead of micromanaging, create structure and create systems where you are painting a picture, creating that yellow brick road. Show them the path that you want them to walk on. What I’m going to show you are some tips on how to manage people and be a stronger leader.

Watch this video on how to manage people and be a better leader.

Give Team Members Room To Grow

Your job as a leader is to coach people toward success, however they define it. It could be in terms of finance, status, or their role within a company. That if they follow this path, they’re going to get to the goal that they want.

If you hire the right person, very often, they will find the right role for themselves within the company. You shouldn’t set in stone the position that you hired them for. As time goes on, you may discover other talents that they have.

Within my company, you can have someone starting at a very junior position and they could move up to a very high position because depending on their talent and work ethic, they could grow.

For that reason, I don’t pigeonhole my team members. I don’t hire for a very specific role and then tell them that’s all they are going to do for me. People evolve, so they may develop talents over time.

So to me, I am not as interested in hiring someone for a particular skill set. What matters more are three qualities that cannot be taught.

Loyalty Matters More Than Their Resume

I always communicate to all my team members the three qualities that I look for as the CEO. The first is loyalty to the leader, the brand, and the customers.

I don’t care how talented they are, I don’t care how good their resume is, nor do I care how smart they are. If they are not absolutely loyal, that person is not someone you can have long term in your company. They might leave you for your competitors or steal your customers.

The second quality I look for is harmony.

A Players And Team Players, Not Lone Wolves

You want to have harmony on your team, so you want to find people who work well with other team members. You don’t want a lone wolf. The chemistry between your team members is important.

Even if they are talented A Players, if they don’t work well with other people on the team, they’re not going to last. So harmony is very critical.

It doesn’t mean they have to like everybody or hang out at a company barbecue. But during work time, they have to be able to get along with other people to accomplish certain tasks. Harmony is very critical.

Those are the two things I look for in team members: loyalty and harmony. The third and final quality I look for is results.

High Level Results

I want to know if the team member has the capacity and the experience to perform their tasks at a high level. Can they produce results and not just talk about results? And can they produce results on a consistent basis?

Sometimes you hire people and they may be able to perform results at the beginning, but they’re not consistent over time. Or sometimes, you bring them in for a certain job, and you notice that after three years, the job has outgrown that person.

They could produce results before, but they can no longer produce results. Now here’s what happens if a team member has loyalty, harmony, and results, but not necessarily in equal amounts.

The Right Combination Of Qualities

Phenomenal Results

If you have someone that is phenomenal at producing results, but they are not loyal, they don’t work well with other people on your team. What I usually do is I hire them as independent contractors.

They’re very good at accomplishing a certain task or project and that’s it. They’re not going to work within my company and they’ll never rise up to key leadership positions.

Absolute Loyalty

But if someone is very loyal to the organization and they work well with other team members, but they are not results driven, I have a place for them in my company. It doesn’t matter that their results are only okay.

They probably work in customer service, support, or accounting. I can trust them and I need those roles as well.

Career Driven

Now here’s another combination. If someone is not loyal, but they could produce results and they work well with other people, we’ve got a problem. It means they have good people skills, but they’re not loyal to me.

That kind of person I keep at a kind of middle management, director level. They might lead a little team, but I will never promote them to the top because loyalty is a problem.

It could turn out that we work together for six months, up to three years, and then they jump ship to work for somebody else. So I don’t want to promote that person to a leadership position.

Perfect Fit

On the other hand, if someone is loyal, works well with other people, and produces results, and they are lifelong learners, then it doesn’t matter where they came in within the organization. I can promote them to the top.

Given time, they will hold an executive position in my company. Their background and their age don’t matter to me. If they have all these three things, they become one of the key people within my global organization.

When you’re hiring and when you’re managing people, ask yourself these questions. Think about where your people are at. Now, if you have some people that aren’t loyal, don’t work well with other people, and don’t produce results for you, guess what you should do?

Fire them! No point hiring them in the first place either. You don’t want them in your organization. What you want is someone with the right amount of loyalty, harmony, and results.

Key Thoughts On How To Become A Better Leader

Running a business is simple. It’s people that are complicated. They don’t want to be managed, and they don’t stay static. They constantly evolve, so when you hire someone for your team, you want to be flexible because as the person grows, their role in your organization may change.

To decide if someone is a good fit for your company, measure them against three key points. Are they loyal to you and your brand? Is there harmony between them and your other team members? And does that person produce results?

Ideally they have a mix of all three traits, but even if they don’t, if they are loyal, you can find a place for them in your company.

Do you think loyalty, harmony, and results are important to your organization? Comment below.

Why Aren’t You Delegating?

April 3, 2019 by Dan Lok Leave a Comment

(Stop Being a Control Freak in Business)

How comfortable would you feel about asking your friends and family to do a favour for you? How about asking a stranger on the street to help you with a task?

Now you might or might not feel comfortable with asking other people for help. But most entrepreneurs are very reluctant to delegate tasks. And it’s usually because of two reasons.

One possible reason is that you’re the type of entrepreneur who is a control freak. You don’t want to give up your authority. Another possible reason is you are afraid the person doing the task will make a mistake.

As a result, you become a one-person business doing all of the work yourself, working until exhaustion, with no time to reflect on how to move your business to the next level.

However, the sooner you start delegating, the sooner you can grow your business.

You don’t need to be a CEO or the boss of a couple of employees before you start delegating. Sharing the work will ease your workload and free up your time for other tasks, like planning out the direction of your business.

You can start delegating as soon as you’re ready. You don’t even have to wait until you’re rich.

Have a look at my business for example. People tell me because I’m rich, I can delegate. But the opposite is true. It’s because I delegate that I’m rich. It’s a chicken and egg thing.

So if you have your own business and you aren’t delegating, start now.

Here are some tips to motivate you to be less controlling and more at ease with delegating to other people.

Watch this video on why you should be delegating more for your business.

Start With The Right Mindset

If you don’t have the habit of delegating now, you won’t be making the money to maximize your time. And if you don’t have the habit of delegating now, you’re not likely to be delegating when you have more money.

One reason why you’re not delegating is because you’re thinking about saving. You want to wait until the future when you can afford to start paying other people to do tasks.

The opposite is true. You’ll start saving money when you can afford to put money aside. To make enough money to put some aside, you need to free up your time to work on generating more revenue. You can’t do that if you’re saving money by doing all the routine tasks yourself.

You need to start developing a millionaire mindset now.

Right now, for every dollar that comes in, you want to set aside ten cents. You’re cultivating a habit early on. Then when you have a hundred times more money, you’re already used to saving a bit of everything you earn.

So start the habit and delegate small tasks. Let your less important responsibilities go gradually and as you get some good experience working with others, keep delegating more from there. If you’re still reluctant, it might be because you have limiting beliefs.

Why You Aren’t Delegating

What’s holding people back from delegating? They can come up with enough reasons to last a lifetime.

For example, they think they can do the job better themselves. They don’t trust others to do it because the other person might make a mistake. Or the other person isn’t qualified to do it or they already have enough to do.

Or they believe they are the only person on this planet who can do it so they can’t ask anyone else to do it.

All of those reasons are nothing more than limiting beliefs. None of it is true, and having those beliefs doesn’t help your business. You don’t get anything done, and you stay on the hamster wheel.

There are some tasks that you can delegate to others.

Responding to emails
Responding to customer service
Scheduling business and personal appointments
Writing to new prospects
Bookkeeping, graphic design, website development
Travel arrangements

All of these tasks and more, you can delegate to other people. If you aren’t delegating, there are four big fears that are holding you back.

1. Fear Of Losing Control

You fear what could happen if you lose control. Maybe the other person will make a mistake and it will cost you time or money to fix.

You fear you could be rejected if you ask someone for help. You’re worried that this person will think you’re incompetent because you’re not doing the task yourself. Or you’re inadequate.

This is especially true of men. Women are more willing to ask for help. Men are taught to be strong and macho so if you don’t do something, you’re incompetent and you might lose your sense of honour.

Maybe you don’t fear losing control, and you’re not afraid to ask for help, but you like to watch every dollar you spend very carefully.

2. Fear Of The Cost

Sometimes entrepreneurs think the cost is too high and they can’t afford it. They want to save money. However, you need to think about how much your time is worth.

If you want to make a million bucks a year, your work has to be worth $1700 an hour. If you don’t delegate, then you’re losing $1700 an hour. Isn’t your time worth so much more?

Even if you think you can’t afford to delegate, start the habit and free up your time. You can’t be afraid of losing money, or having a bad experience.

3. Fear Of A Bad Experience

You may have tried to delegate in the past and it turned into delegation hell because the person you trusted and paid didn’t deliver as promised.

To avoid that, create a document. Provide your consultant or assistant with the information they need, the steps they need to take, and your expectations. They are less likely to make mistakes when expectations are clear.

If they still manage to make mistakes, then hire someone else. Or delegate to three people and see who does the job the best. Keep the good one and let go of the rest.

Another way to think about it is this: Have you ever had a bad meal in the past? Did that stop you from eating ever again?

For that same reason, don’t let a bad experience stop you from looking for the right person.

4. Fear Of Not Finding The Right Person

Hiring the right person is a numbers game that you won’t get right every time. In the big scheme of things, it’s not going to matter. Six months to a year from now, you’re not going to remember the minor errors. You just need to get better at filtering out the bad matches.

Here’s an example. One of my business partners had a business for 15 years. He wasn’t good at hiring or managing people.

One day, I asked him to fire everybody. He didn’t want to do such a thing because he considered his employees as friends.

The experience turned out to be a business lesson for him. All the people my business partner thought were his good friends tried to get to every last dime when they were fired. One even kept the iPad he had been given.

Employees are employees.

Hiring people is a skill. There are so many steps to choosing the right one, from filtering to coaching them to training them to develop new skills.

The way I hire people and run my company is a bit unusual because I run this virtual empire. I choose to work from home. I don’t want to commute or go to an office. When my mentees call me, I’m in my underwear, not my suit. I like to be at home.

I get up, do my morning routine, and get to work. It saves me a lot of time. But that’s a personal preference. It also means because I don’t see my team face-to-face most of the time, so I need to trust them to do their responsibilities. So when I hire, I choose people who can work independently.

Why You Need To Delegate Now

If you want your business to grow, you need to learn to get comfortable with delegating now, not in the future. Your time is valuable, so overcome your fears and start finding tasks you can ask other people to do for you. Most importantly, establish a hiring system so you create a team of people you can trust.

What tasks do you delegate to other people? Comment below.