Episode 405: Go long with your DREAM 50, with Stephen Woessner.
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Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.
Good Morning Onward Nation\\u2026I\\u2019m Stephen Woessner and welcome to this week\\u2019s solocast\\u2026Episode 405.
Today I am going to share a lesson about why \\u2014 and how \\u2014 you need to \\u201cgo long\\u201d with your Dream 50 \\u2014 each and every week.
But first\\u2026I hope 2017 has started off with so much momentum for you that you\\u2019re scrambling to hang on to all of the opportunity by your fingernails \\u2014 and that you are being forcefully pushed to scale your business \\u2014 that your expertise is in such high-demand that you\\u2019re looking for any and all ways to expand what it is you\\u2019re offering to your customers \\u2014 and that your view of your most profitable customers is getting clearer and clearer \\u2014 giving you the opportunity to serve the customers who value you and your team the most \\u2014 and in the process \\u2014 you\\u2019re delivering your best work to the customers who appreciate most what you are delivering \\u2014 and as a result \\u2014 you are creating very happy customers!
If that sounds like you \\u2014 you are likely building a predictable, scalable, repeatable \\u2014 and \\u2014 profitable business.
Again, that\\u2019s my hope for you in 2017.
But \\u2014 if this is not what is currently happening in your business \\u2014 and instead you find yourself prospecting and working hard to turn over every stone you can \\u2014 looking for new sources of revenue \\u2014 or you\\u2019re being forced to work with customers you would rather not take on \\u2014 you and your team are stressed trying to meet unrealistic demands of clients who abuse your team with insane deadlines and critical feedback \\u2014 or maybe your prospective clients are sitting on the fence while taunting you with threats that they are continuing to evaluate all you and your competitors.
Does any of that sound familiar?
Then this week\\u2019s solocast is for you, Onward Nation.
Of course\\u2026we have all been there. Some of us multiple times \\u2014 being a business owner for any period of time means you have likely experienced the Entrepreneur Roller Coaster \\u2014 great book by Darren Hardy by the way if you haven\\u2019t already read it.
We have all experienced the highs and the lows \\u2014 and sometimes \\u2014 it can feel like we will never break free from the lows \\u2014 and that the highs are way too short-lived.
If you are feeling like you\\u2019re operating your business at the mercy of the market \\u2014 it is a symptom of two chronic problems.
Problem #1: that you have not precisely defined your client avatar. But that is easy to fix. Just go back to Episode 396 and get my complete blueprint for creating your client avatar \\u2014 the questions you need to ask \\u2014 the full process \\u2014 it is there in complete transparency. Again, that\\u2019s Episode 396 \\u2014 just a couple of weeks ago.
Problem #2: you haven\\u2019t defined your Dream 50 clients \\u2014 the people who you most want to serve. Your Dream 50 are of course in-line with your avatar \\u2014 but these 50 prospects \\u2014 they represent the best of the best. The highest level \\u2014 the clients you would most like to serve \\u2014 your ultimate dream clients.
Do you have a Dream 50 list prepared, Onward Nation?
If not\\u2026you need to. Like immediately.
In fact, I have our Predictive ROI Dream 50 list hanging on the wall right next to my desk in my office \\u2014 I can turn to see the list at any point throughout the day \\u2014 it is a constant reminder.
I think about the list \\u2014 strategize about the list \\u2014 every day. You need to do the same with your own Dream 50.
Please go to back to Episode 308 for deeper insights into the Dream 50 process \\u2014 it\\u2019s a lesson I learned from Darren Hardy. He told me, \\u201cStephen\\u2026you need to create your Dream 50 list \\u2014 and then \\u2014 you need to develop a strategy for how you are going to show them the love \\u2014 consistently \\u2014 so they know that doing business with you would be one of the best decisions they could make.\\u201d
And one of the best ways to show your Dream 50 the love is to go long \\u2014 or share valuable long form content \\u2014 each and every week.
As Jay Baer, our outstanding guest in Episode 305 encouraged us\\u2026 \\u201cYou need to give away your best content \\u2014 your secret sauce \\u2014 for free.\\u201d In full transparency, Onward Nation \\u2014 give it all away.
Every step \\u2014 every detail \\u2014 each and every piece.
So that if they wanted to \\u2014 they could steal it all from you and do it themselves.
I love that. And if you have been listening to this show for a while \\u2014 you already know that I am firm believer in that philosophy. I give away the strategies my Predictive ROI team applies for our clients every day \\u2014 I give those to you for free \\u2014 in full transparency.
Let\\u2019s look at this solocast so far\\u2026I just referred back to the Client Avatar workshop you can find in Episode 396 \\u2014 at Predictive \\u2014 we charge clients for that work. But I am giving it to you.
Why?
Because I hope it serves you \\u2014 I want you to steal it \\u2014 I want you to take it \\u2014 I want you to apply it \\u2014 I want you to grow your business as a result of applying it.
That is my hope for you.
And someday \\u2014 when you are looking for a content marketing and lead gen agency to help you scale your business to that next level \\u2014 my hope is you will remember my team at Predictive ROI and we will get a call from you.
But until that day comes \\u2014 you\\u2019re going to get it all for free in order to help you move onward to that next level.
And you need to do the same \\u2014 in long form \\u2014 with your Dream 50 \\u2014 each and every week. Just like I am doing with you right now.
Whether you have your own podcast \\u2014 or maybe you love video and you want to have a remarkable YouTube channel \\u2014 or you love to write so your blog is going to be the next must-read on the Internet \\u2014 it doesn\\u2019t matter what medium or social media platform you choose \\u2014 just choose one and begin going long.
So, let\\u2019s dig deeper in what I mean by going long \\u2014 or long form. And yes, there is a time and place for short posts \\u2014 Facebook Live videos \\u2014 Instagram stories \\u2014 short content is awesome.
And in today\\u2019s attention starved society \\u2014 short can be great. Let\\u2019s take something else from Jay Baer and call these short pieces of content\\u2026little info snacks.
But, no amount of info snacks replaces the meal that long form content provides your audience.
It is only through long form that you can share the true depth of your expertise and short info snacks cannot possibly match it. It is through long form that you can really open yourself up to your Dream 50 \\u2014 show them who you are \\u2014 where you come from \\u2014 what you believe \\u2014 your values \\u2014 and where you draw inspiration from.
Why is this important to your Dream 50?
Because as John Jantsch explains in his brilliant book \\u201cDucktape Marketing\\u201d\\u2026the conversion or decision-making path is all about someone getting to know you \\u2014 then liking you \\u2014 then trusting you \\u2014 then trying you out \\u2014 then buying from you \\u2014 then repeating the purchase \\u2014 and then becoming your brand ambassador by telling the world.
So using long form content to help your Dream 50 move along this decision-making path \\u2014 at their own speed and pace \\u2014 is one of the best sales and marketing strategies you can implement for your business.
Here, let me make this a bit more concrete with a new business development example.
Last week\\u2026during one of my biz dev calls with a prospective client for Predictive ROI \\u2014 I was amazed at the immediate rapport we felt at the beginning of our call. It was electric \\u2014 as if she already knew me \\u2014 like we were long lost friends \\u2014 and not that this was our first phone call.
During our conversation, I mentioned my family in passing and she jumped on it \\u2014 and proceeded to tell me how she knew just how important family is to me \\u2014 how I learned my entrepreneurial lessons from my grandfather and so on.
And then she cited several Onward Nation episodes as the source for where she learned all about me. I was blown away and it felt awesome. Impact, Onward Nation.
Or, last Friday\\u2026on another biz dev call\\u2026our prospective client shared with me that he had checked me out \\u2014 had done his homework \\u2014 and felt confident he knew me as a person because of the podcast and the quality of people I spend time with \\u2014 the incredible guests on our show. Rock solid awesome \\u2014 always great to hear. And earlier today \\u2014 we received word that the prospective client had agreed to join forces with Predictive ROI so our team will now be in the trenches with their team to launch an incredible podcast so they can share the same long form love with their own Dream 50.
Going long with your Dream also helps you build your platform \\u2014 your profile as a business person \\u2014 as an expert \\u2014 as the go-to-person in your industry. Yesterday, at the end of an interview with a guest, he called me the world\\u2019s leading authority on business-to-business podcasting. I thanked him for the amazing compliment, then quickly disagreed with him, but it felt awesome to hear something like that.
So why did he say something like that to me?
Because the Onward Nation podcast has increased my personal brand equity to the point he felt it was an accurate assessment. And because of the show \\u2014 I get to hang out on a daily basis with some of the top business owners in the country and around the world. Last week, I interviewed Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank and the inventor of the infomercial. Amazing conversation \\u2014 and when I have let people know about the time I spent with Kevin \\u2014 I get an eyebrow raise and a high five. Why? Because there is a small transference of Kevin\\u2019s credibility over to me \\u2014 and that helps my personal brand. By the way \\u2014 we air Kevin\\u2019s episode one week from today \\u2014 and he is off the charts amazing.
But here\\u2019s a little secret\\u2026you can do the same thing.
There is nothing unique and special about what we are doing \\u2014 the only difference between me and the other 98% of business owners is that I stand up and ask \\u2014 I make the ask to our guests \\u2014 and then have the guts to do a great interview.
That\\u2019s it, Onward Nation. You can do the exact same thing.
To prove the point\\u2026I urge you to go back to Episode 3 and listen to Stacey Alcorn share her story of how 5-years ago she had zero social circles \\u2014 she didn\\u2019t know any movers and shakers but she did have a desire.
So she started a blog \\u2014 ever so slowly \\u2014 and now \\u2014 several years later \\u2014 she is doing wine tasting on a Thursday afternoon with Kevin O\\u2019Leary from Shark Tank while they were both in Boston.
What???
The difference between Stacey and other real estate brokers in her marketplace \\u2014 is that Stacey decided to go long \\u2014 to create a blog \\u2014 to create excellent long-form content \\u2014 and then to use it to share the love with her Dream 50 \\u2014 and \\u2014 as the ultimate business card to get in front of the key influencers she wanted to meet.
Oh, and Stacey just shared some photos of her recent adventure hanging out with Sir Richard Branson on his private island \\u2014 yes, his private island. Stacey started with nothing \\u2014 but \\u2014 she decided she could be more and has used long form content as her strategy to get it.
Here are some other thoughts to consider on the topic of long form.
By building your personal platform through long-form content, you will also help your core business grow organically. The most content you create \\u2014 the more expertise you share \\u2014 the more you give away \\u2014 the more you stay in the consciousness of your Dream 50 \\u2014 the more likely your core business will grow as a result.
Predictive ROI \\u2014 my core business \\u2014 has grown as a result of Onward Nation \\u2014 and the core businesses of all our clients \\u2014 have grown as a result of their podcasts and their weekly long-form content, too.
In fact, I was catching up with one of our Predictive clients earlier today and he told me that his podcast has already generated $50,000 in new business to his company.
$50,000, Onward Nation!
As a result of the success of Onward Nation, we are now producing 20 podcasts for the business owners of other professional service firms. These owners saw what we were doing \\u2014 the synergy between Onward Nation and our core business of Predictive ROI \\u2014 and wanted to learn more. When they did \\u2014 they wanted us to help them apply the same long form content strategy into their business \\u2014 and now they are growing as a result of the love they are sharing consistently with their Dream 50 and giving away their best content for free.
But you must be willing to go long. Going long gives you an opportunity to get real and authentic with your audience \\u2014 to really let them in \\u2014 just like I let you in, Onward Nation. There have been times when I am with a guest, and the stories are so emotional, that I tear up\\u2026or I get goosebumps, and I share with you how I am feeling \\u2014 and sure that may be too much for some of you\\u2026but that is me.
I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve \\u2014 and generally my view of the world is AWESOME \\u2014 but the reality is that not everything is rock solid awesome 100 percent of the time\\u2026and I think it is okay to let your audience see that\\u2026so they know you are human.
Your platform also creates a conduit of trust between you and your Dream 50. I share stories about my family \\u2014 how my grandparents immigrated here from Greece and Turkey \\u2014 how they struggled as entrepreneurs through the Great Depression \\u2014 how they gritted it out \\u2014 and how we as kids learned those same lessons \\u2014 and how my entrepreneurial DNA was sharpened \\u2014 oddly \\u2014 to razor\\u2019s edge while I worked on nuclear missiles while in the Air Force. I have shared some of biggest failures \\u2014 moments that have made me want to run and hide \\u2014 and yet \\u2014 I have shared them with you.
Why?
Because you cannot hide behind the curtain, Onward Nation if you are truly trying to build trust and authenticity with your audience. We cannot love someone in slices\\u2026so yes\\u2026I have failed\\u2026many times\\u2026I have made mistakes that have cost me hundreds of thousands of dollars\\u2026and each time it happened\\u2026I wanted to puke in the nearest trash can.
And now I share those stories with you so you can hopefully avoid the same mistakes \\u2014 and along the way \\u2014 realize that I have been in that trench, too. And someday, if we are sitting across the dinner table together \\u2014 you will have all of that context and that creates rapport like nothing else can, Onward Nation.
So \\u2014 please take today\\u2019s message \\u2014 think about what I said \\u2014 and decide to go long with your Dream 50 at least once a week. Launch a podcast, create a YouTube channel, dominate Medium, be the next Insta king or queen, find the platform that syncs up with your skill set the best \\u2014 and do it.
Don\\u2019t wait. Do it.
And yes, your content might not win any awards or even recognition at first. But that is part of the process.
Want a litmus test? Go and watch Episode 1 of Gary Vaynerchuk\\u2019s Wine Library TV. It\\u2019s not good \\u2014 the lighting is bad \\u2014 the structure is bad \\u2014 and he is experimenting \\u2014 and that is what makes it absolutely priceless. He could have never gotten to Episode 1,000 if he had never started at number 1. And that is why I love #1, way more than Episode 1,000 \\u2014 I respect Gary\\u2019s journey, his hard work, and the grit it took to get to 1,000 \\u2014 and the courage it took to launch # 1.
And then recognize you don\\u2019t \\u2014 and maybe you shouldn\\u2019t do this \\u2014 on your own. You will need a support team around you. And I don\\u2019t mean you need to hire an agency to do this for you. Instead, recruit several unpaid interns to help you with audio, or design, or content\\u2026but begin building out your team\\u2026so you can focus on content and taking great care of your Dream 50.
Get started, Onward Nation. Go long with your Dream 50 and it will be a game changer for your business in 2017.
So with that\\u2026I want to say thank you again for taking the time to be here with me today. It is an honor to have you here \\u2014 thank you for tuning in.
I want you to know how much I appreciate you sharing some of your invaluable 86,400 seconds you have in your day with me and the strategies we learn and share each day from today\\u2019s top business owners.
And please continue to let me know what you think of Onward Nation\\u2026good or bad\\u2026I always want your feedback. Hit me up on Twitter or LinkedIn \\u2014 or stop by our Predictive ROI Facebook page \\u2014 and let us know what you think of the show \\u2014 thumbs up or thumbs down. Either way \\u2014 we want to know. Your feedback will help us get better.
And remember\\u2026you can always email me at stephen@onwardnation.com and I reply to every single message.
So please let us know how you think we are doing. I look forward to hearing from you.
We will be back tomorrow with an incredible interview with Wes Pinkston \\u2014 likely one of the most thought-provoking, profound, and counterintuitive conversations we have ever had her at Onward Nation. You will not want to miss Wes\\u2019s lesson of how to avoid complexification.
Until then, onward with gusto!
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