Personal Mastery

The Fast Emergence of the AI Industry: How Not to Get Left Behind

What does AI mean to you?

Do you think of Terminator or the power of humanity’s creations? Are you scared or excited? Is it confusing or clear?

AI, for many, has become a catchphrase. 

General statements about the future mean very little. Wouldn’t you agree?

You don’t need a grand explanation of the possibilities of AI in the future. And you certainly don’t need a dire prediction about AI taking jobs away.

What you do need is a clear understanding of AI today and the best way to adapt to the changes it will bring to our world. 

Overview of the AI industry

You may be wondering, exactly what is AI?

AI, short for artificial intelligence, is tasks that are performed by a machine or by a program that requires some element of intelligence to complete. 

The AI industry is focused on building machines that complete projects or solve problems that normally would require human intelligence. 

The field of artificial intelligence was actually founded way back in 1956. But our fascination with the way the brain works has existed long before the beginning of the official industry. Philosophers have tried to categorize human action. Scientists have studied systems behind the way we think. Everyone has wondered at a psychological trick or two. 

While the buzz around the topic has only become mainstream in the past decade, AI has existed longer than most people realize.

The AI Industry Today 

How immersed in AI are you?

Actually, if you’ve used Siri or Alexa today, you’ve already interacted with AI. 

Other examples of the AI industry at work today include:

  • Augmented reality (real-to-life experience through a set of goggles) 
  • Chatbots (website AI that starts conversation with customers) 
  • Self-driving cars (allows drivers to relax and enjoy the trip)
  • Amazon’s transactional AI (gives users suggestions based on past purchases) 
  • Google Nest (regulates temperature, lights, and other simple household elements) 
  • Pandora’s music AI (finds related music based on 400 preset qualities) 

Have you used any of these common AI technologies recently? We all have. Our day-to-day life has been completely transformed whether we realize it or not.

What AI Means for Individuals

We can’t get beyond the fact that artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. It’s transforming our world right under our noses.

Watch this video where Dan Lok shares 7 jobs that will disappear in the next 20 years due to AI (and what you can do about it).

As you can see, technology in general has replaced many jobs that required humans with computers.

Remember cashiers at the store? Now, we have automated checkouts. 

Remember agents at the airport? Now, we have kiosks to handle practically everything. 

Artificial intelligence is also infiltrating jobs held by:

  • Factory workers
  • Phone operators and telemarketers
  • Bank tellers and clerks
  • Warehouse stockers and packers
  • Stock traders 
  • Bomb technicians 
  • Surgeons 
  • Hotel staff 

It makes sense why most people fear AI will take over all jobs.

Here’s the bright side: even if AI replaces many jobs that we know today, it will also create new opportunities. This is the way every technological advancement in the past has worked as well.

Even if AI replaces many jobs that we know today, it will also create new opportunities. - Dan Lok Click To Tweet

Back when Elias Howe invented the sewing machine, seamstresses boycotted the idea. One sewing machine could replace the work of up to 10 women. Yet the invention of the sewing machine only made the fashion industry more profitable. It’s created more jobs, not less. 

Yes, those jobs were different from the ones required before the machine. The end result was not less work but more.

How to Adapt to the AI Industry 

AI has the potential to change the job market in a similar way to the sewing machine. However, its impact will be ten times greater. 

How should you approach AI? 

It’s not just about the jobs that will be replaced. It’s about your future career opportunities and income potential.

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Dan Lok has put together several ways you can do just that. 

Try these approaches as you work to stand out while AI changes our world: 

Learn to operate computers. 

In many cases, a machine doing its job will need a human to regulate it. 

Why not focus on learning as much as possible about these machines and how to operate them? 

The seamstresses who succeeded best in the era of the sewing machine were the ones who started using it. In the same way, the job seekers who stay ahead of the curve in the next decade will know how to manage AI. 

If you’re working for a company just starting to invest in AI, take the time outside work to do the research into the technology. Don’t miss a chance to learn and operate it. Be the first person to offer yourself as the company integrates artificial intelligence into its daily process. 

Even if you don’t want to be at your current job forever, your understanding of the technology behind AI will be invaluable to your career. If you start your own company someday or quit your current career to pursue something new, you’ll only benefit from having a basic understanding of AI technology. 

The majority of people will just sit around and accept that their job is being stolen from them by AI. You can be better than that. Instead, focus your attention on becoming a master of the AI industry in the space where you work. 

Invest in innately human skills.

Artificial intelligence is quickly overtaking easily automated jobs. These jobs often require repeated tasks rather than complex problem solving. 

You can be disappointed by this, or you can take the opportunity to invest in skills that humans can do far better than robots. 

In the end, AI taking the mundane tasks off your plate should only help you build your career in a more efficient, better organized way.

As more and more artificial intelligence is entering into the world, more and more emotional intelligence must enter into leadership. - Amit Ray, AI scientist Click To Tweet

What are the skills humans are good at that AI cannot capture?

Empathy 

While some highly-advanced robots can mimic human empathy to a certain extent, AI has not been able to truly replace the beauty of human connection. 

Someone who is highly intuitive and quickly understands how people think is an asset no matter where they are headed career-wise. 

Thankfully, empathy isn’t just a random talent that only certain people have. By taking time to listen to people, ask questions, and show genuine interest in their lives, you’ll be the person a robot can never quite replace. 

Sales

Sales and empathy are highly connected. Although the way people sell and the products they provide are different from 100 years ago, the basic skill of selling hasn’t changed.

Sales has been around since the first humans bartered goods. And it’s not likely to be replaced just because some new technology comes along.

Spend some time learning the basics of sales and how to be not only good but great at it. No matter how far technology advances in the next decade, you’ll be able to use your sales skill to create opportunities for yourself. 

Creativity 

As humans, we are innately creative. Watch any child pick up a pen and paper, and they’ll quickly draw a depiction of how they see the world (even if it’s just a stick figure family).

Invest in your creativity. Start a business or a side hustle. Try something you’ve never done before. Learn a musical instrument or take a painting class.

In the end, working your creative muscles will be one of the best ways to stay ahead of the curve as the AI industry takes over non-creative jobs. 

Complex problem solving 

Your brain is extremely good at focusing on a single problem and quickly coming up with a unique solution. It’s crazy how much you can do with 10 minutes and specific concentration on a single idea you need to figure out.

In today’s world, many do not practice the skills needed for complex problem solving. We have information coming at us from every possible angle. Most of us don’t take the time to sit, think, and allow our brains to work their magic. 

If you take the time to become great at problem solving, you’ll outpace both other humans and robots in your value to the world. - Dan Lok Click To Tweet 

Imagine a person who has worked to build the above skills. Now, imagine someone else who has done the same thing every single day. Who will the AI technology replace? 

Those who take the time to invest in the skills that make us great as humans will have the edge as the differences between humans and technology become apparent.

Stay up to date with the changes and teach others.

The third and final way to beat the changes coming to our world by way of AI is simply to become the teacher. 

As the world changes, it will be hard for many people to keep up. This means huge opportunity for entrepreneurial folks who are willing to do the research it takes to understand the AI industry. 

Companies, individuals, and schools will all need education about artificial intelligence. They’ll need to know how to implement it, how to learn about it, and how to lead the charge in AI advancement.

This field is ripe with opportunity. Become the researcher others look to. Learn to be the person they go to for solid teaching about the industry. Make your voice an authority in the space while you spend time learning about its current advancements.

If you can become a master of one or all of these skills, you’ll pave your own road to success as the artificial intelligence industry grows. In the end, the advances in technology will be a net gain for society. 

The choice is up to you. Will you build the skill it takes to stay ahead of the curve?

What The Top 1% Of Highest-Paid Coaches Are Doing That You Aren’t

A lot of people think most highest-paid coaches are so-called fake “gurus.”

Why is that?

It could be because some of them seem to have success almost overnight. Or it could be because there isn’t enough proof online for the audience to believe. 

Either way, there must be something they’re doing right that most people aren’t to become the top 1%.

And the only way for people to believe in that type of success is if coaches can generate trust.

You see, trust is the ultimate asset, but it takes a long time to develop. 

If unheard-of coaches disrupt the online world, most people are going to think they’re a scam. That’s because there hasn’t been enough trust for people to believe in them. 

People want to know who you are and how you got your success. The best way to do that is to add value over time. You can share your wisdom, and if that changes at least one person’s life, people will start to develop more trust.

So if you’re a rising coach who’d like to become one of the highest-paid coaches, you’ll need to follow what they’re doing now.

When you start to act more like the 1%, you’ll become them. All it takes is for you to keep adding value to attract more clients. And the more trust you build with clients, the more revenue you’ll have.

The Old You Must Die

Before you can start becoming the person you hope to be, the old you must die first.

If you can’t accept that, then it’ll be harder for you to move forward. This might not be something that’s easy to do, but it’s necessary. 

Successful people are willing to do what makes them uncomfortable in the interest of growth. - Bob Proctor Click To Tweet

It’s possible for anyone to achieve the top 1%. If you ask any of the highest-paid coaches, most of them will tell you they did not come from a fortunate background.

If you ask the young Dan Lok, he’s going to tell you that he’s far from being rich. But because he left his old identity, he was able to create a new one.

So for you to bridge that gap and become the next addition to the top 1%, you’ll need to see how those before you succeeded.

The fastest way to wealth is to learn from the wealth. Wouldn’t you agree? They can show you what they’ve done, so you can follow their footsteps.

And until you can master in skills, then you’ll start to see results. So if you still don’t have clarity in what those skills are yet, you’ll need to find a mentor to help you. 

Getting Started With Coaching 

If you want to earn like the highest-paid coaches, you’ll have to cut out all the distractions in your life. 

That means if you still plan to work for someone else, it’s going to slow down your path to being the top 1%. So your goal should be to branch out on your own and to start a business if you haven’t already. 

But don’t ditch your steady paycheck if you can’t survive to pay the bills. You’ll need to work on your business on the side first, and when that picks up, you can then fire your boss.

Man working in home office

When you have your own business, you’ll have full ownership and more earning potential. That’ll be a great source of wealth to have when you own the assets.

And if you don’t know what business to start, it all comes down to your skills. What is that one thing you’re good at? 

Once you become a master of your craft, a lot of people will look up to you as an industry leader. But first, you need to be able to show it in your skills. 

Being a coach isn’t going to be easy. You can expect to take a lot of risks, go against the norm, and make tons of mistakes. But once you get past through these challenges, your success will reward you.

Become A Bookworm

If you weren’t a reader before, now is the best time to get into the habit of reading.

Author James Altucher once said, “Only read books you enjoy, that makes you happy to be human.”

And believe it or not, reading books is life-changing. It can teach you a lot more than what you get out of school.

That’s how Dan Lok was able to go from being a broke kid to finding his first mentor. He started reading thousands of self-help books, and it opened his mind to a whole new world of marketing.

And even reading ads too. He kept all the ads he received in the mail to study copywriting. That led him to his first high-income skill and 6-figure income.

You can think of it like this – each book contains someone’s lifetime of secrets. The more you read, the more money you’ll make. 

It’s true. According to Inc.com, reading taught Elon Musk how to build a rocket ship. It also showed Tony Robbins how to build a better life. And now he’s teaching others how to do it as well.

 

Woman shown reading a book

So if you’d like to know what the highest-paid coaches are doing to earn more, they read every single day. 

Imagine for every page you read, you get a raise. How many pages would you read every day?

When you read a lot, you’ll start to find it easier to come up with ideas and innovate. You’ll begin to feel more knowledgeable and see things from a different perspective. It’s a powerful feeling when you know something that few people won’t understand.

You will also attract more success when you learn a lot. That’s because it’ll be easy for you to share things people have never noticed before. They will start to see how valuable you are.

Make Money Work In Your Favor

The top 1% knows how money works. 

That’s why it’s easy for the rich to become richer. And to crack the code on how to be like the highest-paid coaches, you’ll need to learn how money works too.

Money may seem complicated to understand. In fact, 33% of American adults have $0 saved for retirement. Most people will spend their whole lives working hard and never knowing how money works.

So if you take the time to learn about money-making strategies now, the payoff in the future will thank you.

This all goes back to reading. When you read more about money, you’ll attract more of it. 

And what most people are doing wrong right now is being scared of learning how money works. They either spend it all or save it all – both of these are neither the solutions to a good way of living.

What the top 1% is doing is they’re careful with how they manage money. They have to balance cash flow early on to avoid being broke.

Self-made millionaire Grant Cardone said, “I didn’t buy my first luxury watch or car until my businesses and investments were producing multiple secure flows of income.”

Even when they start to see success, they won’t blow up all that money. That wouldn’t be a smart choice for anyone to make. 

When you gain a dollar, you have to think to yourself: “How can I use this to make more?

Only that mindset will take you closer to your goals. 

Smart People Don’t Work Hard – They Leverage Instead

Leveraging could be the smartest decision you’ll ever make for your business. 

Think about it.

There’s only one of you. Everyone has the same 24 hours each day. It would be impossible for you to run everything in your business. And it wouldn’t be the best idea either.

You see, your time is valuable. Since you’re the business owner, you should focus on innovation and moving the needle. 

If there are tasks that someone else can help you do – hire them to do it. And if there’s something you don’t know how to do, find someone else to do it instead of learning it from scratch.

 

Same man from #1 shaking hands (delegating to othersusing his network)

For example, Dan Lok hires people to help him create his YouTube videos. That is because Dan, himself, doesn’t have the time to edit his own videos. Also, he’s not a video editor, so hiring professionals would be a better choice if he wants to create results.

You can also leverage money. 

Don’t be afraid to use other people’s money when you need it. If your great ideas need funding to help turn them into reality, leverage other people’s money to make it happen.

It’s better to take action now than to wait until you’re ready. Because when you wait, the opportunity might not be the same anymore.

But to get someone else to fund your ideas, you’ll have to be confident that your ideas will work in the marketplace. It has to sound promising.

Creating More Wealth With Wealth

Once you’ve made some success, you can then move on to creating many income streams.

But keep in mind, you can only do this after you’ve mastered your skill first. Otherwise, you could get into financial risks.

You do not want to create a new income stream if you’re still broke, in debt, or have too many bills to keep up with.

The majority of highest-paid coaches have many income streams to create more wealth. 

Tom Corley, the author of Rich Habits, says 65% of self-made millionaires had 3 streams of income.

If you’re like any of these millionaires, you would know to keep learning. Once you focus on building that knowledge, your wealth will follow.

This includes not spending your money on whatever you want. You have to develop financial intelligence. 

For example, every dollar you own has the potential to develop more. You can multiply your money by investing, not by saving nor spending. That’s how you can make money work for you.

Work Hard Now So You Won’t Later

Here’s the sad reality – most people are waiting until they’re 65 to retire and rely on government funds.

They work hard all their lives, and by the time they get older, they’re too old to travel. They can’t do the things they could’ve done at a younger age.

 

Man working late at night

But what if you can start working harder now to enjoy life sooner?

These people might not have been aware of other paths to take other than the traditional route. You graduate school, get a good job, pay bills, and then retire. 

This route is fine, but it doesn’t always end up well. You could still be years in debt because of student loans. And when you’re in debt, it makes it a lot harder for you to enjoy your hard-earned money.

So, what do you do?

Highest-paid coaches had to sacrifice something to get to where they’re at today. Instead of partying on the weekends, they build their network. And instead of watching TV, they read books.

This is what Dan Lok did in his early life. He did not focus on hanging out with friends, but he focused on sharpening his skills instead. And with that, he was able to retire at an early age of 27. 

Now everything he does is easier to achieve. Since he’s a master of his skills, he can always rely on them to make money.

Let’s say he loses everything he has today. He can make it all back in a short amount of time. But if he hadn’t mastered his skill set yet, he’d still struggle to make success. 

The main point is, the 1% do what’s different from most people. And when you’re a business owner, you’re going to get a lot of people discouraging you from your dreams. This is a normal part of the process. 

Do The Complete Opposite

You don’t have to follow what your circle of friends is doing.

In fact, you’ll find more success if you do the complete opposite. So don’t let peer pressure or anything else stop you from your tracks to success.

Only you know what’s right for you. Not even your parents or the people closest to you know. And it would be a sad life to listen to what everyone else does instead of what you want.

With that said, you’ll need to train yourself to keep making sacrifices. This could mean giving up all the things you want right now to have a better tomorrow.

It’s going to take a lot of discipline. If you give in to everything you want today, you’ll have to end up working harder for the things you want in the future.

For example, if you spend all your savings on your dream car now, you’ll continue to work hard longer. Why not work hard now and enjoy the reward later?

It will get easier along the way. Because once you start making sacrifices, you’ll start to see results. Then you’ll want to keep doing whatever it takes to move forward to bigger goals.

So the more you can resist now, the sooner your life will be easier. Wouldn’t you want to retire earlier too? Until then, you’ll have the freedom to do whatever you want whenever you like. But first, you have to earn it. 

Your Shortcut To Becoming One Of The Highest-Paid Coaches

Becoming the top 1% isn’t as hard as you might think. 

Once you find out what the highest-paid coaches are doing, you’ll want to follow in their footsteps. And when you do, you’ll see how easy it can be to get closer to your goals and build the coaching business of your dreams.

Over the last 2 decades, Dan Lok has worked with thousands of Coaches and Consultants. Some of them had lead generation problems, some had sales issues, and some had offer problems. We don’t know exactly what issues you’re facing in your business.

To help you on this journey, Dan Lok has compressed decades of tips and strategies to address the problems that Coaches and Consultants faced into a free resource. It’s called “The $100 Million High Ticket Coaching and Consulting CheatSheet”. 

This valuable cheatsheet is filled with proven strategies and techniques that have helped Dan Lok and his clients generate massive revenue from coaching and consulting. You’ll gain access to practical insights on how to attract high-paying clients, increase your revenue, and grow your coaching business. You’ll discover how to position yourself as an expert in your field, how to communicate your value to potential clients, and how to create high-ticket offers that your clients will love.

Download “The $100 Million High Ticket Coaching and Consulting CheatSheet” for free today and take the first step towards becoming one of the highest-paid coaches in the industry.

How To Strengthen Your Brand Reputation By Using Disruptive Technologies

If you ask business owners what they’re doing to strengthen their brand, you might get a variety of answers. Some might think that only the big guns think about branding. Some might have no idea how to even get a brand at all. But the truth is, every company, no matter how big, has a brand.

Now, more than ever, building a good brand is easy. Surprisingly easy. You don’t need to pay expensive graphic designers for logos- you can use an app. You don’t need to put your employees through a daylong session with a photographer – great photos can be taken with phones too.

Template website builders can create websites in hours. Their quality can match what professional web designers do for most users. Unfortunately, this comes with a downside. Now that everyone can be a brand, it’s harder to be number one.

But do you need to be number one to be on top? Do you even need to be the first? The answer you’ll get in this article might surprise you. But here is a quick peek: Perception is reality. You only need to be perceived as superior and consumers will treat you so.

Now, as you will learn, this is not as easy as it sounds. But by the end of this article, you’ll know how to shift perceptions and gain this superiority status. You’ll understand what you need to strengthen your brand and become a disruptor at the same time.

How To  Strengthen Your Brand By Becoming A Disruptor

You’ve probably heard the term disruptor before. But what does it actually mean? Can only startups become disruptors? How do you go about it? Do you need to be innovative?

In this article, we’ll discuss what you need to disrupt an industry. You’ll discover what steps you can take to do so. But let’s begin by defining disruption first.  According to its official definition by Clayton M. Christensen, disruption has five  criteria:

1. It’s a process, not a product or service, that occurs from the fringe to mainstream

Are you hoping that your product will be the new Netflix? You’ll be disappointed. Powerful disruptors didn’t change the game the day they came out. Blockbuster refused to buy Netflix many times before. Few people took Wikipedia seriously as a source of information at first.

Go in with the mindset that you have to work hard and that it won’t be easy. But with the right framework, you have a chance to succeed.

2. Originate in low-end (less demanding customers) or new market (where none existed) footholds

This means that disruptive technologies originally don’t appeal to mainstream demand. They satisfy a need that first occurs in emerging markets or is unimportant to the current market. What does this mean?

A new product or technology doesn’t always have to be the very best. It can be a cheaper solution with fewer features than the current incumbents offer. Not every customer needs a space station’s worth of technology in their pockets. Especially if it costs a monthly salary to buy.

Some people are happy with a $200-$300 smartphone. They don’t need the latest features.

Your solution could also meet demand current incumbents don’t address. Going back to our Netflix and Wikipedia example: You remember,  before them, consumers needed to go to public libraries and video rental stores. It seems ages ago, doesn’t it?

3. New firms don’t catch on with mainstream customers until quality catches up with their standards

This is important. Most disruptive offers are seen as inferior. Consumers won’t buy only because your product is cheaper. Looking back at Netflix and Wikipedia:

Libraries cost a rental fee for books, the same as video rental stores. Wikipedia was free and Netflix charged significantly lower fees. This didn’t give their customers a reason to use them yet, did it?

Netflix needed to step up their game. In the beginning, they offered to send DVD’s to you via mail. They offered a longer return time, so you can conveniently watch them. But only after Netflix became a video streaming service, the market cherished their offer.

In the case of Wikipedia, people didn’t trust the information at first, as everyone could edit it. Wikipedia became a credible source of information after they started monitoring their sources.

4. Success is not a requirement and some business can be disruptive but fail

You might ask: Isn’t the whole point of disruptors to be more successful than their contemporaries? 

But remember, it’s a process, not a product or service. Yes, you might have a solution that would be highly disruptive but the market won’t go crazy over you at first.

To master this phase, excellent marketing and presence in the marketplace are crucial. We’ll tell you about this later on.

5. The new firm’s business model differs significantly from the current industry leaders

This is usually what disruption is known for. The big players were not able or willing to go with the times. As a consequence, they were disrupted by a company that thought outside the box.

We’ll give you an easy process to find a spot to disrupt the market later on as well. But for now, let us remind you that you don’t have to tick off all the boxes to become disruptive or succeed as a new company.  Yet it helps to know those aforementioned influencing factors ahead of time.

Let’s take a deeper look into those criteria of successful disruption and how you can use them to become successful disruptors.

Once you have a clearer understanding of it, you’ll see why the disruption strategy further down might work well for you.

Before You Strengthen Your Brand, Focus on People

Focus on the people in your company specifically. Disruption needs innovators, out-of-the-box thinkers, and leaders.

How can you build a disruptive company without the people to support the process? Not getting traction in the market can be tedious, mentally taxing, and frustrating. It’s easy to lose faith and give up. But with the right team on your side, executing a disruptive idea is easier.

Dan Lok says: An average idea with an excellent team is worth way more than an excellent idea with an average team. But how do you get such an excellent team?

Train for innovators 

Innovation is a learnable skill. So make sure to give your staff the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities. Look for a strong desire to be the first and prepare them for heavy competition trying to keep you down. This will happen sooner or later and if you’re prepared, that’s one more step towards success.

Change the culture

 Allow employees to explore, experiment, and bring in new ideas. Let them be on the offensive and take initiative on their ideas. Most companies try to play it safe when they start but disruption needs another approach.

Hire for disruptors

Being unconventional requires unconventional methods to hire people. Put a hiring process in place to see their creativity, thinking skills, and problem-solving skills.

With the right team by your side, you can now focus on earning your place in the mainstream. To be truly disruptive, make sure to start from scratch. Don’t just try to work within the boundaries as everyone else. Step completely outside the box and approach from an angle no one else comes form. As Albert Einstein put it: We cannot solve problems with the same mental state in which we created them.

Strengthen Your Brand By Superior Presence

This a powerful strategy that Dan Lok used to build his global empire. Remember, a successful disruptor makes customers feel that the quality of the product meets their standards. Yet, value is very subjective, right? But if you control how people perceive you, there is a good chance you also control how they perceive your offer.

People don’t buy because they understand that you’re better. They buy because they feel understood by you. So get in their daily lives, and be in front of them as much as possible. 

Ask yourself – how can I be constantly in front of my target audience?

You see, it usually takes 5-20 touchpoints until a client considers to buy from you. Why is that? Today’s market is very crowded and consumers get bombarded by different ads constantly. 

So what then if you don’t have a huge advertising budget? Well, this could be a challenge. It’s hard to overcome loud competition and cut through the noise.

This is tough for disruptors especially.  At first, customers don’t know, like, or trust you. Yet, with increasing touchpoints, you gain increasing attention and trust.

What can you use to get exposure? Technology and tools that is accessible to the masses, relatively cheap and free: Content. Use blogs, YouTube videos, webinars, social media posts, podcasts, emails…to just name a few. 

You might wonder – Which of those platforms and tools should I use? The short answer is – all of them. If this is not possible yet, focus on the medium that your ideal prospect is most comfortable with.

Strengthen Your Brand With Content Variety

It pays great dividends to use funnels as well to educate and warmup your clients. A rule of thumb is, for every $1000 you want to charge give them one hour of valuable and relevant content.

What kind of content can you create? Anything you like, but there are two types of it: Paid and Organic.

Paid content entails anything that you pay for like Facebook and Google Ads. Organic content is anything you put out for free, like blogs, emails or social media posts.

You can mix and match them together, to create automated value ladders for your clients. This way, you’ll be able to engage them when they are ready, on their time and on their terms.

This way you will be different and more valuable. Remember,  any company can just put out one ad hoping to get their business. But putting out content is beneficial to you in more than one way:

  • It enhances brand awareness
  • It allows you to prepare your clients.  You can pre-handle objections, filter out unqualified prospects, and more
  • It gives you an authority status.  By creating content on every platform, you’ll gain a stronger status in your industry.

Imagine you’re looking for a product and there are multiple providers.

One of them has thousands of posts, hundreds of articles, and you see their ads everywhere. The others only have a great website and a newsletter. hat would you think if you were the customer?

How To Strengthen Your Brand And Penetrate The Market

How else can you make your audience appreciate you? Make it easier for them to explore your product or service. Show them you truly understand them.

Become your own client. Walk a few miles in their shoes, look for their most pressing problems. A problem is a product, as Dan Lok says.  See what they are using to solve those problems. 

What current solutions can they access? Are they sufficient? If not, what’s missing? That’s where you can come in and give them what they are looking for.

You can use this checklist to do your research:

  • Scan the market for strong demands. Are there certain hot products available currently? Do any of those get criticism for certain missing or unwelcome features?
  • Find that one pressing demand you want to satisfy and map out your ideal audience
  • Become your ideal audience and recreate their lifestyle. What is their life like, why are they using the product or service you want to disrupt? What are possible alternatives and what does your future customer like and doesn’t like about it?
  • If you found the missing piece of the puzzle, now strategize how you can solve it easier. How can you do it cheaper, and more conveniently for your customer?  Ask yourself: Why didn’t the competition address this pain point yet?
  • Once you have your solution, it’s time to become visible. Find a proven formula and strategy to market within your niche. Execute the blueprint with your team

Once you have traction and people are picking up on your offer, it’s time to scale. Use a combination of social media, paid and organic traffic and remote teams.  Remote teams increase your agility and allow you to use employees more efficiently. They don#t spend long times in commute and could even work in different time zone. This way, you can quickly react to what happens in the market. Especially if your competition tries to make a move against you.

Don’t underestimate the power of social media. When you want to strengthen your brand take a look at which social media platforms can help you. If you’re more in the B2B space, LinkedIn might be a good choice to start.

Facebook can give you great insights into your metrics and has a lot of data on your audience. TikTok and Instagram are also very powerful, especially with teenage audiences. Now, some of those platforms still count as low value or low status. This is why the established businesses rarely use them, if at all.

This might be one of the pathways into the mainstream. Appear where your competition doesn’t go. From there, you can build up a powerful following under the radar of the incumbents. As with many disruptors, they might only notice you when they can’t ignore you anymore.

It’s Not Easy To Strengthen Your Brand As A Disruptor – Unless You Know This

If you want to shortcut this path, you might find value in Dan Lok’s program created it for his high-level clients. You see, many companies want to hire Dan for consulting to grow faster, manage their teams better and become crisis-proof.

Yet, he has to reject most of those requests as he has only a very limited amount of time available. This is why he created the High Ticket Influencer Program. It’s a blueprint on how to dominate your industry by becoming the most influential company in the niche.

You’ll learn how to build an elaborate content system to attract clients.  What’s so special about it? It warms them up and sells for you while being fully automated and consistent.

In this program, Dan explains how to leverage webinars and social media to become nearly omnipresent.  This enables you to sell with powerful messages 24/7. Furthermore, you’ll learn how to make your disruptive offers into high ticket offers and l increase your margins. 

As a bonus, you’ll also gain access to Dan’s directors of Copy, Revenue, and Advertising. This way, you get insights on possible weak spots before they become a serious problem. 

But all of this is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you ever wished to have Dan’s influence, reach, and status, then this is the program for you.  It contains the exact, step-by-step blueprint to replicate what Dan did in record time. 

If you want to become a disruptor and strengthen your brand, check the High Ticket Influencer Program here.

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

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

systematic inventive thinking

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.

Your next breakthrough idea is right around the corner. Click To Tweet

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:

  1. Subtraction
  2. Task Unification
  3. Multiplication
  4. Division
  5. 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

systematic inventive thinking: 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

systematic inventive thinking: 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 otherscolleagues, experts, or customersto 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.

Solving a problem doesn't always mean you must come up with something new. Click To Tweet 

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

systematic inventive thinking: 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

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

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.

How To Build A Global Virtual Organization

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.

virtual organization

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. Click To Tweet

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.

virtual organization

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. Click To Tweet

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.

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

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.

strategic scaling

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. 

strategic scaling

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:

  1. Talk with the business owner and come to an agreement
  2. Get the business owner to show you their accounting books – this includes assets, expenses, accounts receivable etc.
  3. Bring this information to a bank
  4. The bank will look at the paperwork and tell you how much money they can loan you
  5. 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.

strategic scaling

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.

strategic scaling

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… Click To Tweet

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. 

strategic scaling

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. Click To Tweet

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. Click To Tweet

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.