SFR 231: Finding My Performance Coaches...
\xa0
\xa0
This is one of the first things I did to expand my team on the flight back home from Funnel Hacking Live...
\xa0
Ray Higdon crossed the million dollar mark extremely quickly, and at Funnel Hacking Live he shared some of the tactics that he uses to grow his business at epic speed.
\xa0
He had a great product, but that doesn't mean it's gonna sell, right?
\xa0
...and that's something I focus on a lot.
\xa0
Anyway, Ray dropped a tactic that I thought was brilliant\u2026
\xa0
So I want to share the genius way Ray discovered to boost his Facebook Community...and some of the surprising things that happened when I used the same tactic in mine\u2026
\xa0
(You are gonna be surprised) ;-)
\xa0
SOCIAL AMBASSADORS
\xa0
There's a lot of negativity on this planet, and sometimes we need safe havens to go where our dreams are still okay and we don't have to constantly be in defense.
\xa0
So to keep engagement high and help people to know that their online community is a well run and safe place for them Ray created Social Ambassadors.\xa0
\xa0
Here\u2019s what he did...
\xa0
He put out a post to his group which said:
\xa0
Hey! I\u2019d love you to be a social ambassador for my community. We expect around five hours a week from you... and just to be completely clear, it doesn't pay anything\u2026
\xa0
But you will get:
\xa0
\xa0
- MORE access to me.
- A chance to chat with me a bit more.
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes stuff.
- To be part of team huddles before we do events.
- Exclusive swag, etc.
\xa0
...and that was kind of it.\xa0
\xa0
I thought: \u201cHey, that's \xa0really interesting.\u201d\xa0
\xa0
So on the way back from Funnel Hacking Live, (on terrible Delta Wi-Fi), I decided to apply his strategy.
\xa0
What happened next shocked me\u2026
\xa0
FINDING TALENT
\xa0
I created a Wufoo form and posted it in the \xa0Science of Selling online \xa0and a few other groups along with a post that said: \u201cHelp Wanted!\u201d
\xa0
I asked everyone who was interested to answer a few questions:
\xa0
- How long have you been in the group?
\xa0
- What programs of mine are you a part of ?
\xa0
I wanted to know how much they could help people if I made them a social ambassador for my community.\xa0
\xa0
The last question said something to the effect of:
\xa0
\u201cDo you understand that this is NOT a paid position? This is NOT a position that comes with monetary pay, but you\u2019ll get MORE access to. Are you okay with the fact that you will NOT be paid?\u201d\xa0
\xa0
It was very forward about the fact that there was NO MONEY involved, and the applicants had to tick \u201cYes\u201d or \u201cNo,\u201d to show that they agreed
\xa0
About 72 hours later, I checked the stats. 116 applications had been started\u2026
\xa0
BUT\u2026
\xa0
...by the last question, ONLY 26 actually finished.
\xa0
There were even some responses from people who were just a little bit mad about the no-pay thing.
\xa0
So I wanna explain something to you guys about this\u2026
\xa0
MOTIVATION MATTERS
\xa0
I learned this somewhere in my childhood...
\xa0
- Sometimes you just do stuff to do good things...
- Sometimes you just do things in order to be more known and gain proximity around other people\u2026
\xa0
When I got the call to let me know that I\u2019d been hired by Russell, I was like:
\xa0
"I know this is terrible negotiation strategies, but \xa0I would do that for free. You're saying you're gonna pay me to come sit by Russell so that I can help him build funnels? Yeah, totally, 100% absolutely!"
\xa0
When I'm looking to hire somebody or bring somebody into a team, I want them to be married, first and foremost, to the mission that I\u2019m serving.
\xa0
I\u2019m The Capitalist Pig (#got the t-shirt)
\xa0
- I'm trying to teach people to get rich.
- I'm trying to teach people who didn't have an upbringing with a silver spoon.
- I'm trying to show people who actively try to launch the formulas they can use to make money in easy ways on the internet.
\xa0
However, if one of the first questions out someone\u2019s mouth when I try to hire them is:
\xa0
- \u201cWell, how am I gonna get paid?\u201d
\xa0
- \u201cHow am I gonna get compensated again, Stephen?\u201d
- \u201cHow are you going to be helping me?\u201d
\xa0
- \u201cOkay, Stephen, this is what I need from you.\u201d\xa0
\xa0
\u2026 that SUCKS!
\xa0
Instead, I\u2019m looking for people who ask:
\xa0
\xa0
- \u201cWhat is it that you want me to do?\u201d
- \u201cWhat does your audience need?\u201d
- \u201cHow can I serve?\u201d
- \u201cHow can we help more people?\u201d\xa0
\xa0
HEAR ME CLEARLY\u2026
\xa0
The \u201cI need to be making money from you before I'll even think about serving you\u201d mindset is a very different mentality.
\xa0
Now, I understand that this is a 100% a give-and-a-take situation, (all business is), but when the first question out of someone\u2019s mouth is:
\xa0
\u201cSHOW ME THE MONEY?\u201d\u2026 #warning sign
\xa0
I don\u2019t want to say names here\u2026 but someone extremely famous (that you probably know) says that he wakes up each day, and asks himself:
\xa0
"How can more people be saying my name every single day?" He's like, "All my focus is how can MORE people hear my name?"
\xa0
...Russell and I were laughing about this because it\u2019s 100% the opposite motivation that a lot of us have in this space.\xa0
\xa0
It's not that it isn't nice to have a little limelight. It's not that it isn't nice to grow and have a big following. Those are all byproducts of what we all do, but it's NOT \xa0the core motivation.
\xa0
Man, we're trying to like change the world.\xa0
\xa0
We're trying to go help and bless... and cash is a byproduct of that.\xa0
\xa0
So when I have somebody come to me and say something like: \u201cWell, how much is it gonna pay?\u201d
\xa0
...and it's specifically, a monetarily-driven individual\u2026 I appreciate their focus on cash. I have a massive focus on revenue and you need to be focused on that.
\xa0
BUT\u2026
\xa0
When I can tell that cash the ONLY thing that they care about, and that they will only go to the extent of the contract for which they are hired\u2026
\xa0
*I DO NOT HIRE THAT PERSON*
\xa0
GO THE EXTRA MILE? So here's what happened when I posted for Social Ambassadors for my online community\u2026 (this is sooo interesting!)
\xa0
Out of the 116 who started to fill in the application, ONLY 26 finished when they realized that it wasn\u2019t a paid position.
\xa0
I\u2019d asked for a three-minute video explaining why they would be a great fit.\xa0
\xa0
The hardest part was that those who actually took the time show up, we're ALL pretty much all incredible. They were all just amazing individuals.\xa0
\xa0
(So I can use more than one social ambassador for the groups that I have, right?)\xa0
\xa0
However, there were a few specific key individuals that I saw videos from where I was like, You know what\u2026
\xa0
- That person would be great as a Performance Coach in my OfferMind program.
- This person would be perfect in this specific role...\xa0
\xa0
\u2026 it helped me see the people who shine... and who sent in applications with NO thought of pay.
\xa0
And so I reached back out to those people and said:
\xa0
"Hey, thank you so much. I actually don't want you for this social ambassador role. I actually wanna bring you in as a paid member of my team."\xa0
\xa0
HERE\u2019S THE TEST...
\xa0
Now, \xa0I gotta be honest with you, I did something that might make you a little uncomfortable\u2026
\xa0
I purposely low-ball on how much I will pay.
\xa0
I say:
\xa0
\u201cWe still have to review a few more applications, so we\u2019ll reach back to you if this works out. I was just wondering if you had any interest?\u201d
\xa0
If they're like, "You know what, that's fine. I would have done this for free."
\xa0
I'm like, *JACKPOT*
\xa0
\u2026 and, THEN, at that point, I pay a fair wage. Does that make sense?
\xa0
So I start out by checking out:
\xa0
- Who just loves the mission I'm doing?
- Who just wants more proximity?
- Who wants to be able to go in and just see more behind-the-scenes of what I'm doing?
\xa0
...and it sifts out a lot of people.\xa0
\xa0
I'm not trying to offend anybody, but this is why this tactic is soooo effective.\xa0
\xa0
There are several filters I use:
\xa0
- Who would do it for free?
- I low ball those who would be great for a paid position to find out whether they're still totally in and ready to rock.
- If the low ball didn't bother 'em at all, I go back and announce the real wage.\xa0
\xa0
I\u2019m sure some people would get pissed off by my methods... and that's ok.
\xa0
You have your methods, I have mine.
\xa0
What's cool is that it helps me find those individuals who are all in and really excited to do what I'm doing.
\xa0
SUCCESS LOVES COMPANY
\xa0
I'm in the ClickFunnels Inner Circle, and I've never seen anyone stand up to accept their 2 Comma Club Award who was the only person in their company.
\xa0
*IT DOESN\u2019T HAPPEN*
\xa0
I can't even think of one person who got a 2 Comma Club award by themselves.
\xa0
It takes MORE than ONE individual because you\u2019ve gotta divide and conquer. Someone\u2019s gotta:
\xa0
- Hand fulfillment
- Send in ads
- Help push out content
\xa0
It's a full-time profession to be the offer and product creator, and that's my role.\xa0
\xa0
The whole core of my business is content, coaching and creating products, but there are people in other roles... otherwise, I can't do what I do.\xa0
\xa0
...and I massively try to find ways to scratch their backs.\xa0
\xa0
DO NOT STEAL MY TEAM ;-)
\xa0
My content team are amazing, brilliant individuals. I am so lucky to have them.\xa0
\xa0
I'm always nervous to tell you who they are\u2026 I don\u2019t want anyone to steal them from me.\xa0
\xa0
But I constantly try to do things to help 'em realize how much I appreciate them... things that they\u2019re NOT expecting. Things that I didn't lead with.
\xa0
If you guys go to stevejlarsen.com, you can click on Team at the top, and it will show a lot of the members of my team.\xa0
\xa0
I kind of cycle them; different members are featured at different times. Not everyone's on there ALL the time... But it's my way of saying, \u201cThank You.\u201d\xa0
\xa0
So they're featured on stevejlarsen.com with a link back to their personal profile page. Which is pretty awesome, right?\xa0
\xa0
I didn't need to do that, but I'm trying to constantly to give extra little goodies and shout-outs.
\xa0
I filmed testimonial videos that they weren\u2019t asking for (or expecting) that they can use to keep getting clients, and I kick clients and referrals to them ALL the time.\xa0
\xa0
In fact, there's a ton of people now on the ClickFunnels team who know about my team members by name. They ask how and what we're doing because we're killin' it!
\xa0
So how cool would it be to just connect people? That's a HUGE value add which increases the beneficial relationships EVERYONE, my team as well.\xa0
\xa0
BUT\u2026
\xa0
If it takes all those things in order for somebody to agree to work with me, I don't want them in the first place.\xa0
\xa0
I'm a capitalist. Ya gotta be awesome to work on my team.
\xa0
I'm extremely aggressive and very competitive.
\xa0
I\u2019ve got a smile on my face. I'm kinda jovial. I laugh and stuff, but I am extremely competitive and I am here to win. I do not lose.
\xa0
I'm not saying that I don't EVER lose, but that's my mentality.\xa0
\xa0
I'm ready to rock, take over the world and push my message out to the ends of the earth, so my teams gotta be awesome.
\xa0
I create competitions and contests to find people and bring them into my team.\xa0
\xa0
I didn't pay 'em a ton of money at the beginning. I've gradually increased their pay across the board... and added tiny nuggets that they weren\u2019t expecting.
\xa0
MY NEW SHOW
\xa0
We're doing a huge project right now\u2026
\xa0
I'm gonna have a third podcast based around the One Funnel Away Challenge. I\u2019ll interview the cool success stories from people who've taken the challenge.\xa0
\xa0
There are some crazy stories that can't go to waste.
\xa0
But very soon what I \xa0want to do is interview my team. Recently, I told them:
\xa0
"Hey, let's get you guys on Sales Funnel Radio. Everyone deserves to know who you guys are and how awesome you are."\xa0
\xa0
Just because I'm paying them... doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t have to sell them over and over on the vision and the role I have.\xa0
\xa0
My team knows why I'm doing what I\u2019m doing, and they know how much I appreciate them. I can't do it without 'em.\xa0
\xa0
I'm trying to help you understand how I find my team, what I look for, and how I support them and make them feel appreciated.
\xa0
By using Ray Higdon\u2019s method mixed with my own...
\xa0
- I have Social Ambassadors in The Science of Selling Online and my other groups.
- In OfferLab, I\u2019ve got Performance and Accountability Coaches.
\xa0
I\u2019ve built another layer of support for my community... and the products I sell.
\xa0
I\u2019ve literally created another arm to provide an extension of what I do. It's been a ton of fun, but the way that I do it is very methodical. So I thought I'd share a bit about my methodology for how I bring a new team member on.\xa0
\xa0
I hope you're expanding your teams, or at least you have it top of mind.
\xa0
First and foremost, I want to find people who are married to the vision\u2026
\xa0
And then, I will make sure that they are paid well... and overpaid in terms of the little bonuses I give them.
\xa0
BOOST PERFORMANCE
\xa0
- I have two content teams
- I have an Internal Funnel Team
- I'm starting to put together a Coaching Team
- We're gonna grab an assistant soon, (l\u2019m sooo looking forward to that!)\xa0
\xa0
In The 4-Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss talks about giving your team a crazy amount of room to just mess up\u2026
\xa0
NO! I require my people to be absolutely amazing...\xa0
\xa0
But that doesn't mean that I need to be a crazy jerk.
\xa0
I don't have to be all Mr. Negative and constantly down everyone's throat, and reminding them:
\xa0
\u201cYou're replaceable. I could fire you. At any moment I could get rid of you!\u201d
\xa0
That's NOT an environment anyone wants to work in.\xa0
\xa0
I am NOT here to make somebody scared to come to work or do a task for me. I'm here to enable them to do the thing I hired them for.\xa0
\xa0
One of the practices I have is to continually ask:
\xa0
"Hey, what is it that you're needing from me that you don't have that you need to even do what I hired you for?"
\xa0
If someone's amazing at Facebook ads, I need to facilitate that individual's zone of genius.
\xa0
I'm NOT good at Facebook ads, so they shouldn't come to me asking how I want my ads run\u2026
\xa0
I don't know! They\u2019re the expert. That's why I hired them.
\xa0
...but it is my role to get them everything they need to do what I hired them for in the first place.\xa0
\xa0
On my team, I\u2019ve got an:
\xa0
- Amazing YouTube expert. You guys'll get a chance to meet her in a little bit.\xa0
- Awesome blog writer, (two of 'em).
- Incredible, incredible blog creator.\xa0
- Audio guy who balances and patches my podcasts together in a genius way.
- Absolutely incredible social media expert who spreads all my content around.
- Absolutely fantastic Pinterest expert, she's amazing at what she does.\xa0
\xa0
They're ALL incredible, and they\u2019re as geeky in their thing as I am in mine... and that's the way it's supposed to be.
\xa0
My entire role in my business has begun to shift as I take on to do lists that facilitate a zone of genius that they already have.\xa0
\xa0
It shouldn't always be done in my way because I'm not an expert in what they do. I'm here to facilitate their zone of genius.
\xa0
Back in the day, I could just look at a funnel and tell that if I just got two or three things from my client, then I could make their funnel do things that they didn't even know existed.\xa0
\xa0
BUT\u2026
\xa0
Because they dragged their feet, I couldn\u2019t do the epic crap that \xa0I wished I could.
\xa0
I would tell some clients, and they'd be like, "Well, I just don't know if I want that."
\xa0
I'd be like, \u201cGah, just give it to me, and I'll do it! \u201c
\xa0
I don't wanna be that person for those that I hire or who work for me... so I\u2019m constantly trying to figure out ways to give them the things that they need to facilitate their zone of genius.\xa0
\xa0
Remember, I\u2019m the orchestrator, NOT every instrument in the orchestra.\xa0
\xa0
I absolutely love my team.
\xa0
Hopefully, you realize the importance of the team too.
\xa0
I don't look for a rock star to hire anymore\u2026 I look for someone who\u2019s excellent in a single discipline. They don't need to know how to do everything.\xa0
\xa0
I don't know how to do EVERYTHING.\xa0
\xa0
However, they do need to be really, really, really freakin' good at the one thing I'm hiring for. I don't care if they suck at everything else.
\xa0
Gone are the days where the renaissance man is paid above everyone else.
\xa0
Get really, really insanely good at one skillset and hire out the rest.\xa0
\xa0
...that's exactly what I've done, and the same is true for my team.
\xa0
I try to be the dream client for them, and they do all these extra things I never even knew existed... or didn\u2019t even know to ask them to do.\xa0
\xa0
BOOM!
\xa0
As you likely have heard in my podcast, I left my job in January 2018 to build my million dollar business completely from scratch without any funding or any help... AND I HIT IT, right on February 1, 2019...
\xa0
Just 13 months later, we actually grossed a million dollars, which is pretty awesome.\xa0
\xa0
Better yet, I got to keep a lot of the cash, just 'cause my costs are honestly NOT very high.\xa0
\xa0
That said, there are several tools, though, I use to automate vital pieces of my business and ClickFunnels is one of them.\xa0
\xa0
ClickFunnels lets me build automated sales machines all over the internet that are non-stop pitching people for me. It's ONLY $97 a month.\xa0
\xa0
Better yet, I don't need to be a coder.\xa0
\xa0
If you're asking yourself, \u201cStephen, are you giving me a blatant pitch for ClickFunnels right now?\u201d YES, 100%!
\xa0
I think it's dumb when people don't use ClickFunnels. It makes you MORE and saves you MORE.\xa0
\xa0
Basically, I have the power of an entire tech team in my hand and I want you to have it.
\xa0
Go grab a free trial of ClickFunnels by going to freecftrial.com.
\xa0
I want EVERYONE to experience the power of ClickFunnels in their business, so they're letting me hook you up at freecftrial.com.
\xa0