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Growth Stacking Show with Dan Martell

Dan Martell is a Canadian serial entrepreneur and angel investor. Subscribe now and learn his best strategies to build and scale successful products and businesses. Now hit that button and start the show. It's FREE.
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Now displaying: 2019
Dec 30, 2019

Exclusive Download: Future Living™ Framework – Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2F4KWvZ

--

Sometimes you can glean insights about life from the most interesting places…

Like that time my buddy Brad learned the hard way while snow-biking in the backcountry. He was supposed to zig zag, and not go straight fast, so to avoid hitting tree stumps or river banks head on.

That missed instruction from our guide resulted in him cracking open his pelvis which required surgery.

I know. Intense right?

While a terrible outcome, I took away a HUGE company killing avoidance strategy from that incident and it’s what I want to share with you today.

Actually, this year was peppered with interesting moments like that…

Dozens of key lessons learned about squeezing the most out of life, growing my empire and becoming a better husband/father/friend….

Lessons I’ve covered in this weeks video.

Here’s how I came up with them….

After boarding more than 40 flights in 2019, I took some time last week to sit down and think of the crazy adventures I’ve been on for the past year and the most impactful moments.

Everything from rally car racing, backcountry skiing to taking a private jet across the Atlantic with pit stops in Greenland & Iceland.

These insights had a huge impact on me, my team and even helped me have a record year in business.

It was hard to choose the top lessons because I did not want this to turn into a 2-hour video ;)

So here’s what I’ve got… nine of the most powerful strategic insights from 100’s of conversations and experiences I had these past 12-months!

These were pulled from magical moments like:

1. Snow-biking for the first time
2. Disney cruise w/ 21 other family friends
3. Going to a max prison in Cali
4. Racing dirt rally cars
5. Nine events I ran for clients
6. Jumping on my buddy Jayson’s private jet for 2-weeks
7. Taking July off and squeezing in five separate vacations travelling coast to coast
8. Going from not knowing how to swim to racing in three triathlons with 4-weeks of training
9. Completing my first Tough Mudder & hiking Mt Katahdin with my family.

It exhausts me just reminiscing about them all… but it’s important for you to know WHY I keep my foot on the throttle 24/7.

Ten years ago I made the decision to start planning my life assuming I only had 5-years left to live…

It may sound dark, but hear me out.

That perspective allowed me to avoid making near-sighted decisions but also pushed me to increase the frequency and intensity of Magical Moments (something my pelvis cracking friend Brad taught me many years ago ;).

So with that, I REALLY hope to inspire you in 2020 to live a bigger life and build a bigger business.

Don’t take life for granted and always take time to reflect upon the blessings you have…

Life’s lessons exist in the space in between those moments.

See you next year! 

Much love.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Future Living™ Framework – Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2F4KWvZ

Dec 23, 2019

Exclusive Download: Precision Scorecard™ – Keep Your Leadership Team Focused & Accountable To Growth - http://bit.ly/373eFBm

--

Play along.

You’re on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. (The Dan Martell SaaS edition.)

Sweat on your brow, lights on your face.

Clock ticking.

You’ve got 20 seconds to make a decision

Lock in the right one and your profits double. Lock in the wrong one, and it’s game over for your business.

Your fingers are crossed, hoping for a question you know the answer to…

No luck.

The next question on your screen is one you’ve never faced before. You have ZERO experience in handling this.

Something like:

- “Should you move to San Francisco?”
- “Should you bring on a business partner?"
- “Should you raise venture capital for your startup?”
- “Should you pivot your business or stay on this course?”

You’re an entrepreneur. You launched your own startup… so you are meant to be THE decision-maker, the one person capable of answering this question.

…and you’ve got no clue.

What do you do?

Stressful, right? Trust me, even the big players doing over $10 million+ ARR face big decisions they’ve never handled before, with massively high stakes.

So, of course, I have a framework for how to make those decisions when you don’t have the experience.

You’ve got to have systems for this kind of stuff, or else it can go wrong too easily. And I’m sharing the system with you in this week’s video.

It’s 5 steps, designed to give you clarity and to minimize your stress when facing huge decisions. These steps are:

Step 1: Define the Problem… (specifically and exactly.)
Step 2: Research the Solution Space
Step 3: Connect With Mentors
Step 4: Verify With Peers
Step 5: Decide and Adjust

This is one thing I love about business… it’s ever-changing.

Yes, there are frameworks, patterns, and repeatable problems, but the context for which you apply those answers keeps changing.

A successful entrepreneur is the one who learns to make decisions in the face of uncertainty.

It’s scary stuff.

But I hope this video shows you that you don’t have to lose sleep over it. 

So check it out, and keep that system in your back pocket for the next time a heavy decision catches you off guard.

Love to know your thoughts, so drop me a comment under the video. Speak soon!

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Precision Scorecard™ – Keep Your Leadership Team Focused & Accountable To Growth - http://bit.ly/373eFBm

Dec 16, 2019

Exclusive Download: The Weekly Sync™ Format – Run Your Weekly Team Meetings Following This Structure Easy, Fast & Productive - http://bit.ly/2toOVB1

--

Today, I’m going to show you how to generate consistent, repeatable momentum in your business.

Yeah. You read that right. 

When I was 24, I started a company called Spheric.

And it grew. Fast.

150% year over year. We were one of the fastest-growing companies in Canada when I successfully exited and sold to a US firm. I was only 28.

I owe a big part of that success story to a great book I read, called Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Prior to that book, I was addicted to being busy.

You know how it is: 

Running around like a one-man-band trying to juggle 100s of demands…

Cramming two weeks’ worth of work into one…

All because that feels like progress.

It’s addictive.

But that kind of fire-cracker energy doesn’t last. It’s super inefficient and couldn’t possibly be sustainable!

Real scalable momentum only comes when you have an Operating System for your company.

And that means – drumroll – holding the right meetings with your team.

Yes, meetings. 

If you think about it, the only tool you have to lead your team better are meetings.

But not just any meetings. You’ll need these 5 specific types of meetings that I’m going to walk you through in this week’s video.

These meetings all work together and feed into each other. Each one has a name:

1. Daily Standup: for setting your focus.
2. The Weekly Sync: to iron out problems
3. Monthly Review: for celebrating achievements.
4. Quarterly Planning: for getting perspective
5. Yearly Strategic Planning: to build your future.

Some of these meetings take just a few minutes. Others much longer. 

But together, these 5 meetings become the operating system with which you maximize efficiency, iron out problems, stay connected and build momentum.

In fact, I believe that these meetings are so crucial to a business… that if you aren’t doing them, you’re going to flounder and feel like nothing is getting done right.

I consider them non-negotiable.

Even if you’re team consist of 2 people. 

Which is why I want to share them with you. So check out the video for the best-spent 11 minutes you’ll watch this week, and leave your thoughts in a comment underneath!

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: The Weekly Sync™ Format – Run Your Weekly Team Meetings Following This Structure Easy, Fast & Productive - http://bit.ly/2toOVB1

Dec 9, 2019

Exclusive Download: Dream 100 – Learn How to Identify The 100 People That Will Transform Your Life (Peers, Advisors & Mentors) - http://bit.ly/2RKGLgD

--

The other day I got a call from one of my coaching clients, Carl. 

He was doing about $70K in MRR, killing it. Business is booming, he’s hiring new team members…

Then BAM.

His lead salesperson quit on him.

In an instant, Carl’s problems went from “How do I scale up?” to “How do I stop my business from falling apart?

2 steps forward. 1 step back.

Over the many years, I’ve coached 100s of business founders and there’s one thing I absolutely know with certainty:

Problems are ALWAYS right around the corner.

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson… the mega-business-millionaires out there – they aren’t succeeding because they don’t have problems…

They’re succeeding because they’ve gotten really good at dealing with them.

So rather than being surprised by new struggles, what makes a business owner successful is their ability to reframe their perspective…

And get back on the horse.

I’m there to support my coaching clients, to be the person they can turn to when everything feels like it’s collapsing and help them get their business out of the funk.

But even if I don’t coach you personally, in today’s video I want to share with you 3 insights I always ask when I know someone is struggling.

Listen in to wrap your head around these perspective-shattering mind bombs:

1. Battles VS Wars: Which one are you really losing?
2. Embrace the Struggle: Opportunity wears a disguise.
3. Ask For Help

Look, I get it. “Oh 3 simple points, is it that easy?” No, it’s never that easy.

But what I really want you to understand is that the key to your success…

…is your mind.

It’s HOW you think about your problems. 

It’s HOW you face them.

And I’m pleased to say that Carl didn’t let his set-back stop his business growth. After shifting his mindset, he conquered those problems…

3 months later? He’s already doubled his MRR.

You can conquer your struggles too. So watch the video here and learn how to shift your perspective.

As always, I’d love to hear from you too. So please leave me a comment under the video!

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Dream 100 – Learn How to Identify The 100 People That Will Transform Your Life (Peers, Advisors & Mentors) - http://bit.ly/2RKGLgD

Dec 2, 2019

Exclusive Download: The Rocket Demo Builder™ – Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/34IQZ4x

--

How do you find more of the right customers?

People that will eagerly buy what you’re selling, with zero complaints…? AND tell their friends about it.

What a dream!

But rather than picking 4 leaf clovers, crossing your fingers and hoping the universe delivers these ideal clients to your doorstep… 

Don’t you want a system to filter out the customers that’ll buy from the ones that won’t?

I think you’re going to love this.

See, you may be coming across potential customers all the time. 

But if you don’t KNOW anything about them, then you have no control over the fate of your business.

Some leads are FAR more valuable than others.

So how do you know where your time is best spent to get more sales?

You’ve got to Qualify Your Leads.

And rather than letting that be a matter of: “Uh, I hope this person might end up buying”…

…You need a formula that’ll be more like: “Follow these steps and you’ll KNOW this is someone that’s going to end up buying.”

I call it the Four P’s of Selling.

And I’ve learned this from the best, from my buddy Scott Sambucci at SalesQualia

He’s an incredible sales coach and he just knows the science of qualifying your leads.

So check out this week’s video to boost your closing rates.

Here’s a quick overview of the Four P’s and why they are essential to qualifying leads:

1. Problem: Do they know they have one?
2. Perception: Do they know how big the problem is?
3. Perspective: Do they understand how they want to solve it?
4. Proximity: Do they feel the heat?

What’s fascinating about these Four P’s is that it’s not just about digging for information:

You have the power to plant the seed of an idea in a customer’s head.

Simply by qualifying a lead, you can shift their mindset so they’ll better understand the value of your product. Turning a ‘probably not’ into a ‘yes please!’

A great salesperson (or marketer) can effortlessly hit these touchpoints, plant those seeds and discover this information all while making a customer feel comfortable. 

But great sales starts with how you think.

So watch the video, and drop me a comment underneath to let me know what you think.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: The Rocket Demo Builder™ – Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/34IQZ4x

Nov 25, 2019

Exclusive Download: 1:1 Meeting Planner™ - Quickly Outline Your Meetings With Your Direct Reports To Make Sure The Entire Team is Working on The Right Things - http://bit.ly/33j0aqX

--

Does this sound familiar?

You have a high-output employee working for your company and then suddenly they lose interest and stop performing the way they used to.

Or, even worse… they quit unexpectedly. 

You never saw it coming and – BAM – the tyres blow out and your business screeches to a halt while you try to figure out what went wrong.

I’ve experienced this in my own businesses.

And I see it all the time in others too! I coach 100+ software founders doing between $1MM and $10MM in Annual Recurring Revenue and trust me:

…it happens all the time.

If you want to grow and scale your business, then inevitably you’re going to invest in your people

And that means it’s your responsibility to stay in touch with their thoughts, feelings, and job satisfaction. Even if that means hiring managers to do this for you, it’s still your responsibility.

How do you do that? How do you make sure that your finger is on the pulse?

Simple. 

With properly structured One-on-Ones.

Let me show you how you can turn just a couple of hours into a massive boost in your company’s productivity that lasts months, prevents failure, and cranks up morale.

In this video, I outline the keys to efficient One-on-Ones. The 5 that make the shortlist are:

1. Meeting Flow
2. Capture @Agenda
3. Skip a Level
4. Connect the Future
5. Your Performance

Literally a single conversation can increase your employee’s output tenfold. Even if it’s just because your employees know that they’ve been heard.

It’s too important to not do this.

Ben Horowitz, the cofounder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, says he has fired managers in the past for not doing their one-on-ones with employees.

And Andy Grove, the CEO of Intel, dedicated a whole chapter to one-on-ones in his book High Output Management.

If you’re not using one-on-ones properly, then I hate to say it…

But you’re not in touch with your own company.

Don’t panic. I’ve got you sorted with this week’s video. Take a few mins to check it out, and don’t forget to drop a comment to let me know what you think.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: 1:1 Meeting Planner™ - Quickly Outline Your Meetings With Your Direct Reports To Make Sure The Entire Team is Working on The Right Things - http://bit.ly/33j0aqX

Nov 18, 2019

Exclusive Download: Future Living™ Framework – Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/33YO0ES

--

Growing up, I had to fight off a lot of negativity

I made some big mistakes as a kid and the consequences haunted me for a long time.

So when I tried to get ambitious or even toy with the idea of making a future, it always felt like someone was lurking around the corner, ready to tell me that I’d fail.

Deflating me like a flat basketball. 

Thud.

I used to think it was just me. But I’ve come to realize that the more ambitious you are and the brighter your light, the more negativity pours out of people around you.

All entrepreneurs struggle with this.

You’re riding a wave of inspiration and – BAM – someone tries to knock you off your dream with “What ifs”.

Finally, after years, I got some clarity about coping with negativity from my buddy Jesse.

He taught me a concept called the tugboat vs the lighthouse. And it just… clicked.

I’m sure you’re facing negativity in your life right now, and I don’t want you feeling deflated like I was. So, can I share this with you?

This week’s video is here to give you strength. Check it out: How to stay motivated when surrounded by negativity.

I’ll break it all down into 3 easy-to-read points, but you’ve got to check out the video to get the meat from the bone:

1. Compete Against Yourself
2. Claim Your Morning
3. Friendventory

By now I’m sure you’ve noticed that I like to systematize things… and to teach them too! 🙂

Not only does it give me clarity, but it helps me share them with others. I’ve learned that the more I share, the more people give back, and the greater the community of positivity grows around me.

So if you take anything away from today’s video, it’s this: Your positivity is an asset. Don’t let the negativity of others crush you.

Hope this video helps you through your week.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Future Living™ Framework – Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/33YO0ES

Nov 11, 2019

Exclusive Download: Fundraising Like a Pro – Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2qMtlF5

--

Recently one of my coaching clients exited his SaaS company for $90MIL. That was on  $860K in monthly recurring revenues.

Literally 100X his MRR became his selling price.

In case that isn’t clear… 

He made $90 million in a single sale, walking freely into an early retirement.

There is some serious money to be made in a well-built SaaS

When you hear stories of overnight millionaires, it’s often some tech founder who exited their company for a huge sale.

But it’s never ‘overnight’.

You have to know how to exit. And you have to optimize your business for it in advance.

You could be sitting on a goldmine messing around with picks and shovels but if you have not set up your company correctly, then your valuation is broken. The difference could be an extra zero (or more!) in valuation.

Having exited three of my own companies and coached dozens of clients through the sales of their companies too, I’ve learned a few things about what it takes to exit…

And I’ve put it all into this week’s video: How to Design Your Perfect Exit™

If you aren’t hitting these 5 points correctly, your business valuation can suffer. Here’s the skim-friendly version:

1. Know Your Numbers
2. Visualize Maturity
3. Become The Person
4. Invest Ahead
5. Drive Value

A perfect exit is different for every individual.

For you, it might be a public offering, or it might be getting acquired by a strategic, or maybe even bringing in a CEO to run your business. 

But whatever it is, if you set everything right up front, you’ll get a much better valuation. 

This means you can brush the dust from your palms and walk away from your SaaS with a small fortune in your bank account.

If you want that to be you, if you want to exit your company at any stage, then you’re not going to want to miss this week’s video

So take the time, check it out, and leave me a comment if you have any questions.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Fundraising Like a Pro – Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2qMtlF5

Nov 4, 2019

Exclusive Download: 4 SMS Chat Scripts – Leverage Text Messages to Efficiently Onboard New Customers, Reduce Churn and Increase Expansion Revenue - http://bit.ly/2K3s7MP

--

There’s some technology out there that I’ll bet you aren’t even using in your business, and it’s a huge conversion booster!

When I tried implementing this tech, you know what happened?

It reduced my sales demo no-shows by 30%… meaning my sales velocity almost doubled!

I also used it to warm up calls before the demos.

So what is this mysterious wonder-tech? Here’s the surprise… you use it every day and it’s been around for years:

SMS. Text Messaging.

No, I wasn’t hunched over my iPhone smashing out texts until my fingers bled. I set up a fully automated system that messaged prospects at exactly the right moment.

Think about it: You spend time (and money) generating leads and getting appointments for your sales demos, but you’re still getting drop-offs, aren’t you? 

A large percentage of those leads just aren’t buying, or heck – they aren’t even showing up!

Causing you to waste precious marketing dollars getting those appointments.

So, anything you do to plug that leaky sales funnel is worth it.

But adding automated SMS to your marketing funnels sounds tricky, right? That’s why I made this video to show you how to incorporate SMS into your marketing.

Email can be ignored, so can social updates. But SMS is immediate and demands a response from the recipient. So, here’s a quick look at the 5 steps to an awesome SMS marketing funnel:

1. The Three Funnels
2. Getting The Numbers
3. Short and Sweet
4. Catch the Drop-Off
5. Automate The Flow

To prepare for this video, I worked with Chris at SalesMessage, a company that automates SMS texts for your business. 

He’s one of my coaching clients in SaaS Academy, and we designed the SMS Advantage training together.

Chris sends more than a million messages a week through his software, so he’s got some great insights into using SMS effectively in your business.

It’s all about connecting to the right triggers, when you send them, and what you say in those messages.

If you want to tighten up your conversion rates, plug the holes in your sales funnels and sell more, then check out this video!

Let me know what you think by dropping a comment underneath.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: 4 SMS Chat Scripts – Leverage Text Messages to Efficiently Onboard New Customers, Reduce Churn and Increase Expansion Revenue - http://bit.ly/2K3s7MP

Oct 28, 2019

Exclusive Download: Top Books For Transforming The Entrepreneur’s Life – Carefully Curated List From Over 1000+ Books and Almost 20 Years of Reading - http://bit.ly/2BLBuvY

--

I was recently working with one of my coaching clients, Mark, when he drops this bomb:

“How do I fix the feeling I have inside where I don’t know why I’m doing this anymore?”

(I hear this more than you’d think.)

From everybody else’s perspective, Mark’s is extremely successful.

$1M+ in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) from his SaaS with 60% NET profit.

But even the heavy-hitters have their head-scratching days, kicking the can down the street and wondering what the point of it all is.

It’s hard to stay motivated when you lose perspective like that.

So I walked him through something called the 10X Vision Map, something that I’ve used for the last 15 years to help me stay motivated on my journey. 

It’s a process for clearly framing what you are trying to create in your life and how it’ll all come together.

This is the backbone of all the success I’ve ever had in my life.

Why? 

Because it actually answers those tough internal questions!

And of course, that means I want to share it with you in this week’s video.

There are 5 parts to structuring and then actually implementing your 10X Vision Map, so here’s what I outline in the video:

1. Vision Map (team, product, empire, lifestyle)
2. Thinking impact
3. Innovation impact
4. Decision-making impact
5. Communication impact

By the end of this video, you’ll see how to take stock of where you’re at and where you’re going.

But I can’t take credit for this rock-solid motivation hack. 

It’s the byproduct of some super smart people that deserve a shout out, including:

- Dan Sullivan, creator of Strategic Coach who has been changing lives for 40+ years
- Cameron Herold, a good friend of mine from COO Alliance who wrote the book Vivid Vision.

I want to make sure that as you climb the ladder of success, you don’t get to the top only to find out that it’s leaning against the wrong wall.

You’ve got to check in with who you are and how you feel about your business. Frequently.

So if you ever wake up feeling frustrated and lacking motivation and you ask yourself: “Why am I building this in the first place?” …then run through this 10X Vision Map.

Take a few mins to check out this video, and drop a comment underneath to let me know if you think your ladder is leaning against the right wall.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Top Books For Transforming The Entrepreneur’s Life – Carefully Curated List From Over 1000+ Books and Almost 20 Years of Reading - http://bit.ly/2BLBuvY

Oct 14, 2019

Exclusive Download: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/2OSOGqm

--

Pre-selling your software before you’ve even built it is a very attractive idea.

Think about it: You get people to buy a concept, take that money and use it to build the software, and then you launch it to everyone else.

…All with no money out-of-pocket.

But the reality of actually PITCHING the pre-sell is hard! I mean, how do you get someone to buy into an idea based on the few minutes you spend with them?

Well, this week’s video is gonna save you a lot of pain, because I’m giving you the exact script you can use for your next pitch.

Essentially, there are two distinct parts to this pitch.

The first will get them to practically describe what your product should do, and the second will help you get a real commitment from a potential customer.

There’s 5 stages you’ll want to move through for this pre-sell pitching style, and it’s like this for a reason. They are:

1. Early Adopters Filter
2. Offer The Value
3. Part 1: Customer Development
4. Part 2: Pre-Sell
5. Take The Money

This bullet list doesn’t do it justice. Part 1 and Part 2 work together (obviously) and they are where the real magic happens.

Even if you don’t get a buyer every time, which – let’s be honest – will happen, you’ll still walk away with AWESOME insights into what you’re doing right, what you’re doing wrong and how to make your software the best it can be.

When you start to approach pitching this way, it’s actually… fun.

Rather than fearing rejection, you can safely know that it doubles as customer research… and only good things can come from that.

Don’t skip out on this video. If money is an obstacle to reaching your software’s potential, then this could really make a difference.

And leave me a comment under the video to let me know what your experience with pitching has been.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/2OSOGqm

Oct 7, 2019

Exclusive Download: EBR Flow Planner™ – 9 Box Model to Run Your Executive Business Reviews, Retain High-Value Clients & Increase Expansion Revenue - http://bit.ly/2MjwFyF

--

When I was building my company, Flowtown, I remember one of our potential investors talking about Expansion Revenue.

I thought “Uhh… okay. What the heck is that?”

You don’t wanna learn about this stuff FROM potential investors. Staring at them wide-eyed when they outsmart you doesn’t exactly scream ‘good investment’.

But now I know how to use upselling to increase customer retention and leverage Expansion Revenue. It makes a real difference. I’ve used it in my own businesses and now teach it to my coaching clients too.

Thanks for the lesson, investors!

In fact, I taught this to a software founder I coach named Ryan and helped him increase his Expansion Revenue by 10% compounding on an annual basis… without it costing him anything.

It’s actually really simple, but there are few steps to nailing your Expansion Revenue and I’m sharing them in this new video.

Each one of these 3 has the potential to grow your profits. It might be small at first but they each compound over time. The 3 ways are:

1. Offer Account Review
2. QBR
3. Support Selling

It’s super easy to focus on the big wins and jump straight for the investors. But if there’s revenue you aren’t tapping into and it’s right under your nose, you gotta do an audit of your priorities.

And investors WANT to see that you’re doing this. They want to see that you are smart about increasing your customer satisfaction before they’ll be ready to buy into your business.

The strategies in this video are the kind you can put into practice this week.

You don’t need new people to implement it. You don’t need anything you haven’t already got.

So what are you waiting for? It’s right under your nose.

Check out the video, and drop us a comment to let us know if it works for you!

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: EBR Flow Planner™ – 9 Box Model to Run Your Executive Business Reviews, Retain High-Value Clients & Increase Expansion Revenue - http://bit.ly/2MjwFyF

Sep 30, 2019

Exclusive Download: Future Living™ Framework – Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2oEB9rL

--

You might not know my story yet, but… I’ve come a long, long way.

I wasn’t born into success.

I was a very troubled teenager, big-time. In and out of jail a few times. Rehab too.

But I pulled myself out from some bad places, took responsibility for my life, taught myself to code, and started building software companies.

I really struggled, until at 28 a US firm acquired my business and I found a real taste of success.

My journey taught me that your thoughts, your beliefs, whatever it is that makes you YOU will influence your business’ bottom line.

You’ve got to know your relationship with success.

You’re on a journey. We all are. And the more you know about where you are on your journey, the clearer you can see your next steps.

In this week’s video, I want to help you see with clarity where you are at by looking at the 5 Levels From Survival To Significance and mapping them onto my own journey.

The 5 Levels from Survival To Significance is a framework to see what challenges you are facing next. The levels are:

1. Survival
2. Security
3. Stability
4. Success
5. Significance

I first heard about this from John Maxwell, a prominent leadership speaker and author, when I brought him out to my hometown and got to hang out with him for a whole day.

I want to share it with you because it’s helped me make sense of my journey. As the founder and the driving force behind your SaaS, who you are matters.

So check out the latest video, and please leave a comment to let me know if this resonates with you.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Future Living™ Framework – Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2oEB9rL

Sep 23, 2019

Exclusive Download: Fundraising Like a Pro – Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2m53ar9

--

Years ago I attempted to raise money for my first company, Flowtown, with my co-founder Ethan.

You know what we did? We cold emailed investors. 

We figured “We have a startup, they invest in startups… so surely they want to hear from us”, and hoped our confidence would cut through the noise.

It didn’t work. Obviously.

They didn’t even bother to reply.

So we hunted for advice and came across Naval from AngelList. 

Everything he said about fundraising just… clicked.

We put it in practice and successfully raised our of fundraising for Flowtown and I later closed my Clarity.fm round ($1.6M) in just 3 days!

This process works.

I’ve taught it to over 100+ of my coaching clients and they’ve raised over $200 Million from investors.

Now I’ve made a new video about it so you can learn the process too.

It’ll be a shift in the way you think about raising funding, but if you’ve ever wanted to approach investors do not even try without first checking out this super-important video.

There’s 3 stages you’ve got to move through properly before you’ll have a chance with investors. Getting this right from the start made such a difference for me, and I know it will for you too.

1. Research
2. Track
3. Connect

If you had investors for your startup, imagine the difference it would make.

You could focus on the bigger picture, hire a team to support you, and really put some fuel into your business’ engine.

Well in the video, I pull apart each stage so you know exactly what I mean and how to take actionable steps towards getting that investment.

I even teach you exactly how to get introductions with the best investors out there for your specific type of startup.

Check it out and be sure to leave me a comment letting me know your experience with raising money, no matter how good or bad.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: Fundraising Like a Pro – Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2m53ar9

Sep 16, 2019

Exclusive Download: Precision Scorecard™ – Keep Your Leadership Team Focused & Accountable To Growth - http://bit.ly/2kMuQRa

--

I love speaking at live events and conferences. 

But at what cost? 

For about 4 years I was regularly invited to talk on stage and found myself getting more and more frustrated when I wasn’t getting enough results to justify it. 

I’d spend time away from home, away from my family and away from the business work that needed to be done… 

…only to get home jet-lagged and with no new leads or growth.

What I saw was that not all stage appearances are the same, and at some point, you’ve got to ask yourself “Is this really moving my business forward?” 

I needed a way to measure the value of a stage

And I mean both physical stages and digital stages. That could be a conference or live event, or it could be a podcast interview, TV appearance, webinars… if there’s an audience that’ll watch it, then it’s a stage.

So I turned to my buddy Pete Vargas. He’s the best in the world at this, an absolute pro at measuring Stage Value Index (SVI) and leveraging any speaking opportunity, and he helped me build a solid strategy I now use all the time

Now I want to share that strategy with you so you can leverage live appearances for your business. Check it out in my latest video:

What I’ll show you in this video are the 5 points you need to consider to make the most of any speaking opportunities. They are:

1. Goals Of The Stage
2. Capture Leads
3. Conversion Tool
4. Measure SVI
5. Look For Leverage

Without having a proper strategy your stage appearances won’t grow your business as much as they should. 

Man, I wish I knew this before I started those 4 long years of live speaking events.

If you want your startup to grow, if you want your business to succeed, then check out the video and drop us a comment to let us know which of the 5 points helped you the most.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: 
Precision Scorecard™ – Keep Your Leadership Team Focused & Accountable To Growth - http://bit.ly/2kMuQRa

Sep 9, 2019

Exclusive Download: The Rocket Demo Builder™ – Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/2kCmxXX

--

In my career, I’ve hired dozens of salespeople… and I made some big mistakes when I did.

Expensive mistakes.

In my 20s I hired a guy and paid him $80k salary and all he did was talk about how he was going to close big deals… without ever doing it!

For a whole year, this guy promised me the world and delivered absolutely zero value. And I actually paid him for it!

Compare that to now: Last week I hired a salesperson on Wednesday who closed a deal by Friday, and another by Monday. 2 within ONE WEEK after hiring him.

I’ve gotten way better at picking the right people for my team.

There are gifted salespeople out there. People who fight for your product, really connect with potential customers and ultimately help you win happy clients. They make it sooooo easy.

But first, you’ve gotta find them.

And as I always teach: that means you need a system. A plan that helps you reliably find talented salespeople that deliver results… fast! No more wasting money.

Here’s how I do it. This is my system to make sure I’m separating the trees from the weeds,  all distilled into 5 steps. Check out this week’s video.

I won’t hire a salesperson without ticking off these 5 points. This is my checklist:

1. Profile
2. Top Of The Funnel
3. Video
4. Test Project
5. Sales Playbook

A great sales team will skyrocket your business. They become your front line. 

You might hate pursuing sales, but for the right person… they live for it! They get a rush out of achieving their (and your) goals.

I’ve worked with plenty of entrepreneurs who try to sell from behind their keyboard. Sure – with the right marketing, automation and brand strategy, it works. But nothing beats the direct feedback from a sales call or a face-to-face meeting.

I’ve had my sales team come to me with all kinds of discoveries about our potential customers, their fears, their goals, and the barriers they’re struggling to breakthrough… just because they spoke directly to them. 

That feedback drives the strategy and product roadmap for the company.

You don’t get that from sitting behind a keyboard.

And… you also don’t get that from lousy salespeople either.

Make sure you hire the right people. Check out this week’s video and you’ll already be better off than I was in my 20s, making $80k mistakes!

I’d love to hear about your experience with a sales team too, so drop me a comment and let’s share war stories.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: The Rocket Demo Builder™ – Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/2kCmxXX

Sep 2, 2019

Exclusive Download: Precision Scorecard™ – Keep Your Leadership Team Focused & Accountable To Growth - http://bit.ly/2lq3vUR

--

A few years back I had the privilege of hanging out with Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter and Square, while we were on a speaking tour in Canada.

This guy is a machine. He’s running 2 x Billion dollar businesses with a combined employee count of over 5000… at the same time.

So I figured a guy with a net worth of $5.7 Billion (yes… billion) might know a thing or two about leadership for scaling businesses.

…I was right.

Jack shared with me heaps of insights about leadership but there was one that has stuck with me ever since:

The idea of the Author vs the Editor.

This idea alone has affected how I think about leadership and my relationship with my teams, but it’s 100% applicable to startup teams at a small scale too. 

It would be greedy if I kept it to myself, so I want to share it with you in this week’s video.

Your ability to lead your team has a direct impact on your company’s success, whether you like it or not. But great leadership is a muscle that can be trained… starting with this video.

These are the 5 key points I cover this week:

1. Define The Outcome
2. Let Them Author
3. Sort
4. 1-3-1 Rule
5. Coach To Success

The good news is that improving your leadership skills isn’t a burden. In fact: it will make your job easier! 

You’ll get more out of the resources you already have, you’ll leverage hidden talents in your team, and you’ll find innovation that gives you a competitive edge.

It’s a common mistake I see when founders and small-time CEOs think of leadership only when the team is big. By that point, company culture is already infused.

I absolutely recommend you take some time today to really think about how you lead your team and watch this week’s video. It’s worth taking Jack Dorsey’s insights seriously. 

I know I did.

Let me know in the comments if you found Jack’s insights as valuable as I did.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: 
Precision Scorecard™ – Keep Your Leadership Team Focused & Accountable To Growth - http://bit.ly/2lq3vUR

Aug 26, 2019

Exclusive Resource: Dream 100 - Learn How to Identify The 100 People That Will Transform Your Life (Peers, Advisors & Mentors) - http://bit.ly/2zo806g

--

How do you get invited to spend a week at Richard Branson’s house in Switzerland?

Or for guys like Mark Cuban and Travis Kalanick (founder of Uber) to happily invest in your company? Or to get invited to travel to 8 European cities on a private jet?

These all happened to me… and I believe it’s a natural result of one thing I did right: Investing In Relationships.

I began figuring this out in my mid-twenties and WOW did it make a difference. 

Here’s what people often fail to realize: 

Your biggest business opportunities ARE NOT going to come from your strongest connections. (Weren’t expecting that, were you?)

Usually, you’ve already explored those connections…

Instead, it’s the friends-of-friends or the people you barely know (called “weak ties”) that are going to present you with the best-unexpected opportunities. 

Which means you’ve got to focus on connecting and building NEW relationships

But… how?

In today’s video, I share the details on how to network like a professional… even if you’re an introvert. Be sure to watch it:

Here are the core ideas I’ve learned through successful networking:

1. Go out
2. Host dinners
3. Perfect your intro
4. Add value
5. Stay connected

Perfecting your intro (a huge shoutout to Clay Hebert) is especially useful when making new business connections. 

Too often people lose opportunities because they just downplay themselves. Here’s an example:

Imagine you own a $10M business and someone asks you, “What do you do?”

Your answer: “Well… I built a web app”

Dude! Step up your game!

Nobody says you should brag or be arrogant, but you’ve also gotta deliver a valuable answer! 

Practice a clear and concise intro that can open the doors for a bigger conversation and a new connection. 

The basic format is super simple:

“I help [insert your ideal customer] get [the result].”

Here is an example from my friend Melanie: “I help entrepreneurs create memorable experiences”

Melanie’s intro sets the context for her to expand on what she can do. It’s a simple and catchy intro designed to grab people’s attention and create new connections.

So now it’s time to think about your intro. Wanna try it out? Drop a comment on this week’s video and let me know how you would introduce yourself with the format above.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: 
Dream 100 - Learn How to Identify The 100 People That Will Transform Your Life (Peers, Advisors & Mentors) - http://bit.ly/2zo806g

Aug 19, 2019

Exclusive Resource: Migration Method™ – How To Build a SaaS Product Inside a Service Business The Right Way - http://bit.ly/30hJ0JB

--

I’ve seen this happen before…

A business that’s already growing decides to start their own SaaS.

It always seems like a great idea. 

You’re already serving your customers, you know their problems, and you’ve got company resources to work with… 

So it’s gotta be easier than starting from scratch, right?

Next thing you know it’s 3 years later and you’ve spent $7 MIL. and you HAVEN’T EVEN LAUNCHED!

This happened to someone I was introduced to hoping I could help them out…

You might wonder how it’s possible, but trust me, when you don’t have a good plan about how to build, co-create and launch your SaaS, it’s too easy to go broke spending another $150K/month for an outsourced development company.

That’s why in today’s video I am going to walk you through the steps of building a SaaS business without losing all of your savings. 

The 5 points in this video are super important. It’s not rocket science but you’ll be amazed at how easily they get forgotten. Here they are:

1. Solve your own problems first
2. Constrain the resources
3. Don’t overbuild for someday
4. Hire someone external
5. Talk about it

I made this video to save businesses from tripping up on their own success. 

A business starts to get some traction and some profits and then they lose it all on the SaaS Roulette Wheel. 

It frustrates me because it can all be avoided. 

It’s like they start making some cash and suddenly they forget everything they know about what made their business work in the first place.

The thing is: real success is never a gamble. It’s not accidental! It’s strategic and smart… from the start.

That’s why you’ve gotta check out this video. I just can’t let you make these mistakes and I want you to approach it the right way.

Don’t forget to leave a comment to let me know if this realigns your thinking.

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource:
Migration Method™ – How To Build a SaaS Product Inside a Service Business The Right Way - http://bit.ly/30hJ0JB

Aug 12, 2019

Exclusive Resource: Fundraising Like a Pro - Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2TvI41B

--

Funding. The day will come when you need it for your SaaS.

You’ve grown your startup, got a brilliant team and you’ve got a great product you can actually take to investors as proof.

Now it just needs that push.

But before you even think about trying to fundraise or approach investors, you’ll need to know how to value your SaaS and decide on how much you should raise.

Value isn’t a number you just pluck out of thin air. You’ve gotta think it through and value your SaaS correctly or else you might send those eager investors running away before you’ve even shown them your product demo.

I know this mistake all too well… 10 years ago with Flowtown, I was the one who was raising the money and I settled on a value of $700K on $7M pre-money. 

Why?

It sounded clever (I share the details behind that decision in this week’s video). But very quickly I realized my valuation was off and it was doing more harm than good.

Since then, I’ve met with a lot of remarkable people and got some much-needed advice to help me value properly, all which helped refine my skill of fundraising.

I’ve now been involved in 30+ investment rounds, and have helped other founders from all over the world raise over $200M in capital.

Wanna know how to do a proper valuation of your SaaS? I’ll walk you through the key steps in this week’s video.

These are the 4 factors you’ve got to investigate before you’re ready to value your SaaS:

1. 409A Valuation
2. Market Norms
3. Competitive Process
4. Strong Thesis

Arguably the hardest part of getting your valuation is attracting investors in the first place so they’re lined up and interested in your business.

Why does that matter?

The more interest you get, the more you can leverage that to increase your valuation.

Fundraising is all about preparation and timing. If you get these wrong, you can sell too much of your company to the wrong investor and screw everything up.

We could discuss fundraising for hours, or… you can check out my Fundraising Like a Pro training below this week’s video which will show you the 3 phases of fundraising that I learned directly from Travis Kalanick (Founder of Uber.com).

Get into it! After you devour it, you will be able to go through the whole process in less than 7 weeks (normally it takes founders months to get a round done).

Last time I raised money, I closed my round in 3 days.

Aim high!

--

Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: Fundraising Like a Pro - Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2TvI41B

Aug 5, 2019

Exclusive Resource: Revenue Retention Cheatsheet™ - Stop The Bleeding & Scale Your Marketing With Confidence - http://bit.ly/2FHGVOi

--

And it goes like this:

How much is it?
– It’s not that bad…
Look, it’s simple. Just give me a number. OK?
– It’s 20% – not that bad, right?
WOW… Your churn is 20% monthly? 

*issues a small prayer to all the SaaS gods*

The above is a conversation I recently had with a potential coaching client… GOOSEBUMPS!

Let me put this into perspective…

If your churn rate is at 20% and for one reason or another you fail to add any new customers… in just 5 months… you will churn through all of your existing customers and be left with nothing – simple math. 

The worse part, it pulls down your Lifetime Value of a Customer so it makes it really tough to invest in growth and is usually the reason startups fail.

You should always know exactly where you’re standing on your churn levels and you should be doing the best you can to fight these levels back and get that MRR up

You should make sure you UNDERSTAND CHURN!

In this episode of the SaaS Growth Stacking Show, I give you the 4 things you should pay attention to and stay on top of to make sure you stop the bleeding and SCALE-UP!

At a high level, these are the 4 things you need to keep in mind:

1. Churn Flatline
2. Maximum Viable Churn
3. Moment of Churn
4. Fight the Impact

Now… 

Where does it all begin? It starts with answering one simple question… What does churn mean?

If you cannot define it – you cannot measure it… and you absolutely need to define it! 

You don’t want to find yourself in a situation where your customer success team is measuring something else entirely that skews your data.

Start with something simple. Usually, there are 2 types of Churn – one is Cancellations and the other is Involuntary Churn.

Involuntary Churn can be 20%-40% of your Churn and a lot of times is quite easily fixable. 

There will be times where it is caused by simple payment failures and these ones, as frustrating as they are, can be tackled with great tools such as ProfitWell or FlexPay. 

Cancellation Churn’s moment, on the other hand, is well defined – it’s when a client doesn’t renew their subscription. 

Between the notice and the renew date, there is a period of time that you can really engage with the customer and save the account. 

If you implement a strong cancellation process you can save 30%-40% of these clients. A lot of times it’s up to downgrading, showing the solution, talking about their problems – SIMPLE, RIGHT?

You have to sit down and define the moment of churn with your team. Get aligned. There are things you can always do and improve and this is one of them. You need it to blast into space!

Don’t worry, it’s a solvable problem and I give you the strategy in my Churn Buster CheatSheet.  I provide 9 strategies that you can deploy today to help you reduce your churn. 

If you cannot find the solution for your business there – write a comment below with your question and let’s get the answer your business needs together.

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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: Revenue Retention Cheatsheet™ - Stop The Bleeding & Scale Your Marketing With Confidence - http://bit.ly/2FHGVOi

Jul 29, 2019

Exclusive Resource: The Rocket Demo Builder™ - Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/2JZJaQ0

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If you’re in sales, you never want to come off like this:

“Listen here, pal… This is the product you need and it will definitely solve all your problems! 100%! If you don’t buy this today, you and your company will regret it for the rest of your life!”

I call this having “Commission Breath”.

Every time I hire a salesperson, at some point this happens. 

They might follow the Talk Tracks we’ve outlined for the product demo, but many times they will be too eager to get that commission signed off by finance and force the prospects to run. 

In this episode of the SaaS Growth Stacking show, I show you how to build an awesome sales team by teaching them the 5 decisions your prospects make before buying your product. 

Here are your prospect’s 5 questions at a glance:

1. Are you trustworthy?
2. Does the product solve the problem?
3. Is it affordable?
4. Is the company dependable?
5. Is it a now thing?

Have you heard something like this before?

“Hey… We looked into your product but it doesn’t feel like something we should do now?!” – there are a ton of versions of that objection.

It’s not something you want to hear. Especially, when you are certain that you are not only solving a current issue, but can be solving future problems as well.

Well… Then talk with your sales representatives, see if they are quantifying the pain or the lack of results and relaying it clearly to the prospect. Are they PUSHING THE PAIN?

The moment you help someone realize that your product is a NOW thing and understand the whole sequence of success that follows after implementing it…

That it will not only help them achieve their business outcome, but will be a driving force to achieve their personal goals – getting the recognition, getting the promotion – then you will have it!

You will have their credit card… and the SALE!

Check the top 5 questions your sales process should have an answer for on the latest episode of the SaaS Growth Stacking Show. Leave a comment below if you can’t find your pain listed. Let’s crack it and get you IN ORBIT TO SUCCESS!

It might also be good to take a look at my Rocket Demo Builder, because it can easily solve some of the issues mentioned above and create the sense of urgency you need to be selling your SaaS product.

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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: The Rocket Demo Builder™ - Never give a boring software demo again and close up to TWICE as many deals by this time next week - http://bit.ly/2JZJaQ0

Jul 22, 2019

Exclusive Resource: Fundraising Like a Pro - Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2JZWAdP

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Imagine the following…

You’re growing fast and you need to hire a new biz dev guy. 

He’s convinced that he’s going to add a lot of value to your company, and asked for 1% of your startup, so you give it to him.

After a few months, you pivot the business and he’s no longer needed (plus he didn’t actually do anything while he was around).

Next thing you know, you are just about to raise the first round of funding for a different product and you realize he’s still got 1%.

What do you do…?

You jump on a plane, waste time trying to convince them to sell you their equity share before you close… 

This is a true story that happened to me while I was building Flowtown. 

Equity is a great way to keep your employees motivated to scale your company, but it’s important to do it right or it can backfire against bigtime. 

In today’s video, I cover the 7 steps to ensure the right equity allocation that will make the most sense for your company.

Here are the 7 steps:

1. Build your dream team
2. Carve out your equity pool
3. Research compensation
4. Vesting schedule
5. Stock options vs other options 
6. Plan for grants and promotions
7. Set an expiration timeline

Each of these steps is crucial when it comes to doing equity right, but researching compensation is especially important for tying salary with equity for your employees.

It all basically boils down to offering compensation and equity opportunities that are relevant for the region of your business.

A CTO in San Francisco does not get the same compensation as a CTO in Nebraska, so make sure you do your research by consulting glassdoor.com or similar resources. 

The industry baseline in the region will give you a ballpark figure, which you can then combine with equity at different risk levels. 

Give your hires the ability to choose between small, medium, and larger amounts of high-risk equity. 

The   option will give them a higher salary but lower amount of equity, while the high-risk option will give them the opposite (more equity).

This strategy will help you recognize the highly motivated and long-term committed hires which will drive your company forward. 

Watch the full video to learn my other equity tips, and be sure to leave a comment below.

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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: Fundraising Like a Pro - Learn the 3 phases of fundraising and a 7 week process for starting & closing your next round of funding - http://bit.ly/2JZWAdP

Jul 15, 2019

Exclusive Download: The Winning Webinar Method™ – How To Conduct A Webinar That Delivers Paying Customers - http://bit.ly/2XPQ0eA

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When I started Flowtown, a marketing Saas product I built in San Francisco, over a decade ago… there was one thing I knew we had to do right:

Content marketing.

So I built out this epic content strategy that grew to 350,000 unique views per month. What a difference that made! Then I did it all over again with Clarity.fm… and again with my current coaching business.

After doing it so many times – from scratch – I’ve learned a lot about what to do… and what not to do. 

I see business owners getting this wrong all the time… They pump out content that just doesn’t work to drive sales, because the strategy is broken.

I want to fix that. So I’ve recorded a new episode to show you a whole new 5-step framework for getting the biggest results out of your content even when spending the least amount of time.

It seems simple… but the best strategies are. That’s why they work! Just focus on these 5 steps to sharpen your content marketing game:

1. Start with your ICP
2. Five Frustrations
3. Teach to Solve
4. Offer a Bribe
5. Write for You

I know marketers who repeat the phrase “Content is king” like it’s their mantra. It’s true, but it’s only painting half the picture.

Content is king because it builds brand awareness, provides value upfront, can rank in Google, gets shared online, and provides visitors an entry point to your business.

But just because content is king, that doesn’t mean it’s your solution. 

More than 75% of blog visitors leave and never return. Building an effective strategy is what keeps those visitors coming back for more and turns them into high-quality leads.

Once you have this strategy in place, then the content can convert. But without the strategy, you’re just providing free entertainment for the world.

You’ve got to cut through the noise.

Check out the latest episode, and don’t forget to drop a comment to let me know which of the 5 steps resonated with you most.

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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Download: The Winning Webinar Method™ – How To Conduct A Webinar That Delivers Paying Customers - http://bit.ly/2XPQ0eA

Jul 8, 2019

Exclusive Resource: Future Living™ Framework - Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2YIRYyS

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A few months ago I gave a talk at a local high school here in Moncton.

I shared my journey, went deep in the challenges I overcame, and gave my ALL to help inspire these kids live a bigger life.

But during the Q&A, the tables got turned.

And it was this kid in the front row. Someone I’ve never met before. Who with ONE question, hit me right at my core. 

I’ve worked with hundreds of world-class coaches and mentors throughout my life. 

But for whatever reason, this was the first time the question truly landed and inspired a 15-minute, on-the-spot examination of what matters most to me. 

His question?

What does success mean to you? 

And in this super important episode I go deep into the six ways I’ve come to understand success both in my own life and the lives of those around me.

Sure, the financial outcomes you generate in your business matter. But what it really comes down to (for me, at least) is the following:

1. Better today than yesterday
2. Create experiences
3. Serving others
4. Work matters
5. Be remembered
6.Gratitude and hunger

Each one of these is worth fully exploring.

But what I want you to really focus on is how both gratitude and hunger can, and ultimately must, co-exist.

Being hungry and driven doesn’t mean you don’t appreciate what you’ve already accomplished and what you have in front of you. It’s quite the opposite.

If you’re TRULY grateful for the opportunities, resources and abilities in your life, there’s also an underlying agreement and responsibility to make good on those gifts and turn them into something even greater for yourself, your family, and your community.

Watch the full episode here, and then drop me a comment letting me know what you’re grateful for right now… and how you plan to channel that appreciation into an even bigger vision for both yourself and those around you.

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Dan Martell has advised more startups than his hometown has people and teaches startup founders like you how to scale. He previously created, raised venture funding for and successfully exited two tech startups: Flowtown and Clarity.fm. You should follow him on twitter @danmartell for tweets that are actually awesome.

+ Instagram (behind the scenes): http://instagram.com/danmartell
+ Facebook (live trainings + Q&A): http://FB.com/DanMartell
+ Twitter (what I'm reading): http://twitter.com/danmartell

Exclusive Resource: Future Living™ Framework - Play a Bigger Game and Enhance the Way You Communicate Your Vision to Everyone You Interact With - http://bit.ly/2YIRYyS

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