Exclusive Download: Challenge Funnel Hook™ – Craft The Ultimate Name For Your Challenge To Attract Your Perfect Fit Customers - https://bit.ly/2Ze37L1

--

If you’re looking for growth hacks ripe for a SaaS business, then you need to see this.

I’m going to show you a powerful strategy that will help you achieve 3 things:

1. Increase your lead generation
2. Boost customer activation (making them engage with your software)
3. Reduce your churn rate

…all while you make more sales.

Don’t believe me?

Alright, you twisted my arm…

Here are some numbers that prove it:

I have coaching clients that are using this exact strategy to gain 1200 new leads PER WEEK, reduce their churn by 30%, and double their activation rate.

The growth hack I’m going to show you is a Marketing Challenge Funnel.

If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry.

In this week’s video, I’m going to explain exactly what it is and how you can create one that will attract your perfect customers.

5 qualities make a Marketing Challenge Funnel kick-ass:

It Drives Adoption
Bitesize Bridge
Stack Offer & Upsell
Engage Cohort
Bolt On Funnel

Once you create the ideal Marketing Challenge Funnel for your SaaS product, you can reap HUGE benefits. 

I’m talking massive ROI for the time you spend creating the funnel.

But… the catch is that you’ve got to make it work for your product. 

You can’t just throw together a “near enough is good enough” challenge or else it isn’t going to move the needle on any of your vital metrics.

That’s why I wanted to create this video. If you apply this strategy and nail your Marketing Challenge Funnel… it’s virtually impossible not to see results.

As always, I love hearing your thoughts on my strategies so drop a comment and let me know what challenge you’re going to make.

--

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: Challenge Funnel Hook™ – Craft The Ultimate Name For Your Challenge To Attract Your Perfect Fit Customers - https://bit.ly/2Ze37L1

Exclusive Download: Agency Amplifier™ – How To Manage An Agency Without Wasting Your Money & Make Sure They Deliver Results Every Week – https://bit.ly/3cock7i 

--

I’ve seen it too many times…

Agencies that screw a business like yours out of your hard-earned cash.

You hire an agency wanting quick results but end up with a hole in your bank account and a laughable ROI to show for it.

Whenever I see this, I don’t blame the agency. 

I blame the business that hired them.


Harsh? Yes. 

But it’s true.

Agencies can get you GREAT results (and I’ve worked with many over the years)…

…but ONLY IF you work with them to get those results!

If you are going to hire an agency, whether it’s for SEO, digital marketing, content creation, or any of the thousand types of agencies…

Promise me one thing: 

You’ll take responsibility for getting what you need out of them.

I’ve seen great agencies deliver incredible results for one business owner… followed by poor results for another.

The agency didn’t change. So what did? The client. (That’s you!)

Just like any of your employees, you need to manage your relationship with an agency.

After seeing a few businesses getting crippled by this recently, I decided it was time to shoot a new video on how to maximize output from working with an agency.

Just by following these 5 points, you’ll pay an agency the same but get 300% better results:

- The Goods 
- Baseline Metrics
- Meeting Rhythm (it makes a huge impact)
- Resource Project
- D.R.I. (learned by Steve Jobs)

Once you get a good system for working with agencies, you can hire them whenever you need them and drop them when you don’t.

It’ll make it easy to try new business strategies or pivot your brand quickly.

No fussing around with interviewing each employee.

Agencies are one of the keys to quick, flexible growth with your SaaS.

But you cannot expect to drop a bucket load of money into their account, disappear for a few months, and then see a massive boost in your business growth. It just won’t happen.

Hope this video helps you next time you work with an agency. Got any agency horror stories to share? Let me know in the comments on the video here.

--

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: Agency Amplifier™ – How To Manage An Agency Without Wasting Your Money & Make Sure They Deliver Results Every Week – https://bit.ly/3cock7i 

It’s a gift… and a curse…

I bet you have it too. 

You can’t get your mind off of it, can’t shut it down.

You wouldn’t be an entrepreneur if you didn’t have it…

What is it?

The Entrepreneurial Muscle.

It’s that thing that makes you analyze businesses wherever you see them, that makes you criticize marketing material every day.

You do cost-vs-revenue math in the supermarket aisle… count seats in the airplane and multiply by ticket cost… try to predict the next tech trend around the corner…

It’s impossible to switch it off!

Here’s my tip for you this week: Train that muscle!

I guarantee you’ve seen a business solution before that made you say: “Why didn’t I think of that?!”

Well, the entrepreneur that had that idea… they trained this muscle.

The stronger that muscle, the easier it will be for you to:

Find business ideas
Rapidly improve them
Innovate

So, I’m going to take you to the mental-gym today and we’re going to lift some entrepreneurial weights. Cool?|

Play the episode and let’s get started.

Here are the 3 things I’m going to hit you with:

Frustration List – Start one today
Idea Machine – Crank up the RPM
Gratefully Driven – The mindset you need

At its heart, entrepreneurship is about creating.

It’s about identifying problems that need solving and being resourceful in assembling solutions to fix that problem.

Every billion-dollar business was once just an idea in someone’s head.

The next one could be yours.

Drop me a comment and let me know how you’re going to keep flexing that muscle.

--

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

WATCH: 
How to Start a Business: https://youtu.be/wtez3RuBh8E
The 5 Most Profitable Business Ideas That You Can Start in 2020: https://youtu.be/1LLou9c2dgo
How To Find Pains That Lead to Rapid-Growth SaaS Solutions: https://youtu.be/0jjL3ZDpkxc
How To Come Up With Your Winning Business Idea: https://youtu.be/0Ul4aUS1dxQ

Exclusive Download: The Business Playbook Templates – Easily create a business playbook to free up time, deliver consistent work and train your team - https://bit.ly/2VFB4BR

--

Over 10 years ago, I nearly had a breakdown that cost me my engagement to my fiancée.

So, what happened? 

I was working waaaaay too much. I was afraid that if I didn’t pull 70 – 80+ hour weeks, my business would come crashing down.

In reality, I sucked at hiring people.

That’s all it was.

I didn’t know how to assess my business and identify the areas that needed the most support, areas that I could hire people to fill.

But once I eventually learned that skill? It turned everything around.

I cannot emphasize this enough:

If you want to grow your business, learn how to hire your way out of problems.

You won’t grow if you can’t get this right.

I’ve got a video for you on exactly how to find the next person you NEED to hire in your business.

This is my original take on the problem, backed by my own experiences, studies and observations from my high-level coaching clients.

Pay attention to these 5 in the video:

1. Time Study ← It’ll help with more than just hiring
2. Hire An Assistant
3. One Thing
4. Avoid Pain
5. Value & Energy

I’ve encountered businesses that keep hiring new people… but fail to fix their biggest problems.

Every time you hire someone new, it should be based on a thorough assessment.

You need to hire the people that make a difference, and not those that won’t.

I regularly meet with a group of high-level software founders. Everyone in the group is running a $10M+ ARR business. Big companies… with big problems.

Their ability to identify a bottleneck in business and quickly fill it can cost them millions. 

As a group, this is one of the strategies that we focus on most.

If you’re not at $10 million a year, don’t panic – that’s the point of this video, to bring those high-level insights to you.

Check it out here and drop me a comment letting me know:

Who would you hire next? And why?

--

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 Business Playbook Templates – Easily create a business playbook to free up time, deliver consistent work and train your team - https://bit.ly/2VFB4BR

Exclusive Download: High Tempo Testing™ – Define a Solid North Star Metric & Identify Experiments Worth Running That Drive You Closer To Predictable Growth - https://bit.ly/2VBLWPW

--

Alright…

Time to let the cat out of the bag:

I’m a huge Elon Musk fan. Not because he’s in the limelight most weeks, but because of how he thinks about business.

Elon thinks laterally. 

He comes at business problems from obscure angles and I think that’s the secret behind his genius.

If you could apply even one-tenth of his innovation to your business, you’ll leave your competition in the dust and future-proof your growth.

That’s what I want to give you in this week’s video.

I’ve read almost everything that has ever been published on Elon just to extract the valuable business lessons that I can coach my clients with.

Now I’ve distilled it down to 5 major components of Elon’s business mastery. 

These are the things you can use in your strategic thinking, planning and behavior in business. Here we go:

Vector Alignment 
First Principles ← You need this. Really, we all do.
Build the Machine
Hire The Best
Market-Driven Innovation

Do you remember those lateral thinking games? For some strange reason, they were popular in the late 90s. 

It was usually a puzzle, riddle or problem that you could only solve if you abandoned a traditional approach to logic and thought outside of the box.

That’s what Elon does.

He’s easily one of the most innovative minds of our time and there’s so much we can learn from him that applies to business.

I was fortunate enough to meet Elon only briefly when I was catching up with one of my early mentors, Bill. 

(If you’ve heard Elon’s famous quote: “Being an entrepreneur is like chewing glass and staring into the abyss”… he actually got that from Bill!)

Beyond that, I’ve just found his mind to be fascinating and I hope this video inspires you too.

Anything else to add to my 5 points? Drop a comment on the video and let me know.

--

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: High Tempo Testing™ – Define a Solid North Star Metric & Identify Experiments Worth Running That Drive You Closer To Predictable Growth - https://bit.ly/2VBLWPW

Exclusive Download: Top Books For Transforming The Entrepreneur’s Life – Carefully Curated List From Over 1000+ Books and Almost 20 Years of Reading - https://bit.ly/2wAt4Zn

--

When I was 26 years old, my company Spheric was growing steadily. 

We were doing about $2.5 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR), with about 16 employees.

But… I felt suffocated.

I was struggling to cope with the daily challenges that came with business, so I reached out to a mentor for help. 

The first thing he did? He asked about my routines.

What was I doing every day? Every week? Every month?

I hadn’t really thought about it. I just worked as hard as I could.

But he opened my eyes to my habits and I began to experiment with optimizing my daily routines.

Whoa… What a difference it made!

I began to restructure and create a balanced and healthy life that could sustain the high demands of the work I was doing.

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of hanging out with 100’s of other millionaires and I discovered that we all have similar morning routines.

I’d even say that if you want to live a bigger life and have more success… start by changing your mornings.

Here’s my routine, why I do it this way, and how it helps me perform better. You’re welcome to borrow it.

I’m serious about this. If you make these changes starting today, your life will change for the better. It’s impossible not to.

These are the 8 that I insist upon:

1. Drink
2. Meditate
3. Affirmations (you’ll feel strange at first but it works)
4. Goals
5. Gratitude
6. Visualize
7. Read
8. Move

If I had a poor morning routine, I don’t think I’d be able to do what I do.

You just can’t tackle daily business problems without a clear mind. It’s all about giving yourself the opportunity to be your best.

Work with yourself, not against yourself.

I swear, morning routines are so important that it’s a hot topic amongst millionaires. We read books about this stuff. For good reason.

You can steal my morning routine, I don’t mind.

The key is to have one.

If you want more examples and some great books on the topic written by millionaires checkout:

1. Morning Miracle by Hal Elrod
2. 5AM Club by Robin Sharma
3. The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

--

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 - https://bit.ly/2wAt4Zn

Exclusive Download: Trial Converter Campaign™ – Never lose trial customers & learn how to activate them as revenue generating clients for your business - https://bit.ly/3bXQOW6

--

Does your product have a hook?

I mean, a value hook. 

The hook is when someone can see exactly who your product is for and why it’s valuable. These product hooks get stuck in your customer’s minds like a jingle to a catchy song. 

It’s what makes them say “Oh, I get it”. 

But the way you make (or sharpen) your hook is called positioning.

Positioning is the message you take to market, how you describe what you do, and what you front-load and communicate FIRST so people can understand the value of your product.

Even the best SaaS product can fail to scale if you don’t nail your positioning.

When I launched Clarity.fm, I wasn’t clear about our positioning at all. We created a call system but we didn’t know our hook.

Until I spoke to Omar.

Omar was a customer of Clarity.fm that spent $9000 in a single day. I got him on the phone to ask why… and he immediately described how our product was perfect for him.

He was a growth-minded entrepreneur who would prefer to spend thousands of dollars to speak directly with experts that could solve his problem than to travel to conferences in the hopes of meeting them.

Boom.

That was our hook.

We rebranded Clarity.fm for entrepreneurs seeking business advice from experts and our growth tripled.

Same call technology, same SaaS… but new positioning. 

Finally, we had a hook. And everything changed.

If your SaaS isn’t growing as fast as you want it to, you’ve got to go back to basics and get your positioning right. 

I’ve recorded a video with the 6 components to consider when positioning your product. Take the time to watch it. This is the strategy that makes massive growth possible.

This video is inspired by April Dunford’s amazing book Obviously Awesome, where she presents these 6 components:

1. Competitive Alternatives
2. Unique Attributes
3. Value
4. Target Market Characteristics
5. Market Category
6. Relevant Trends

It’s an awesome book (see what I did there?), and I highly recommend it. 

It wasn’t specifically written for SaaS founders which is why I made this video.

But that’s what I love about business strategy. It transcends product formats.

Whether you are selling physical products, services or web-based software, a product will always sell better if you have a great hook.

Enjoy the video, and drop me a comment below if you find it 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: Trial Converter Campaign™ – Never lose trial customers & learn how to activate them as revenue generating clients for your business - https://bit.ly/3bXQOW6

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 - https://bit.ly/2wPzdAR

--

At 17 years old, I learned to code. It was the skill that helped me out of a pretty dark place, and I actually got pretty good at it. 

But after 10 years of writing code for my own companies, I had to confront a difficult truth: 

I was the bottleneck in my own company.

I realised that writing code wasn’t enough. I had to be a leader. I had to learn how to hire, train, retain and manage different teams.

Including sales people.

Over the years, I’ve had to hire and work with lots of sales teams for myself and for other companies that I’ve helped including Udemy, ClickFunnels, Proposify and Carrot.

These were companies that grew fast.

It became 100% necessary to ramp up new sales people as quickly as possible so they could be closing deals ASAP.

In a B2B business, your sales teams are THE people who turn your product into revenue. They are the voice of your business and convince new customers to sign up.

So if you could create an environment that onboards new hires and gets them closing deals sooner… You’ll directly affect your bottom line.

After years of experience and consulting in this field, I’ve made a video with the exact strategies I use with my coaching clients to get new sales people selling more and selling sooner.

Even if you have a sales team you can trust, I recommend you hear these 4 strategies:

1. Filter ← the questions you need to ask first
2. Training
3. Measure (Got your benchmarks?)
4. Coaching

I can now get a new sales rep up to 80% of a sales quota within 60 days of hiring… or less.

I’ve even seen 60% win rates on sales calls executed by brand new sales teams.

That’s the value of a good system.

It means I can safely know that my entire team could fall apart and I could have a new team converting customers less than 2 months later.

Don’t be the bottleneck in your business.

Become the leader you need to be and your business will grow.

Got any questions? Would love it if you left me a comment on the video here.

--

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 - https://bit.ly/2wPzdAR

Today, the tables have turned and the microphone is being flipped.

Instead of interviewing a SaaS founder…

…a SaaS founder is interviewing me!

I’m pleased to share with you a special interview hosted by Liam Martin, co-founder of Time Doctor and co-organizer of Running Remote. 

Liam is a successful entrepreneur that helps remote businesses manage their teams efficiently. A service that couldn’t come at a better time with remote work taking precedence in today’s world of economic uncertainty.

He’s also one of my coaching clients 🙂 

It was Liam’s idea to interview me for the Running Remote YouTube Channel with his topic of choice: How to Find a Business Coach.

With everything that’s going on right now, everybody needs someone, a coach, a mentor, an advisor, to help them navigate these unprecedented times.

I’ve been through two major economic downfalls, 2001 and 2008, and I’ve come out the other side better than before. (hint: I’ve always had a coach)

This week’s video is all about finding that coach to guide you through the daily struggles of a software founder.. Check it out.

Look, I know there’s a lot of B.S. in the coaching industry… So much so that I resisted using the word ‘coach’ for years.

So, I appreciate Liam giving me the chance to vent and provide some suggestions for you. In the interview we talk about:

What you should look for in a coach ← The 2 key factors
What a coach can do to make you a more successful entrepreneur
Do you even need a coach to help you through your struggles?
What I would change in the coaching industry

When I was 23 years old, I hired my first business coach. 

I didn’t even have a business yet… but I wanted to align myself and start out moving in the right direction.

Today, I have several coaches (strategy, kiteboarding, triathlon, nutrition, etc.) that I pay every month to help me.

Maybe that surprises you, but I think there is no better way to optimize your life.

Or, as I say it in the interview:

“If you’re the type of person that wants to move quickly, you need a coach.”

I am.

If you are too, remember you can always hop on a free strategy call with my team and we’ll figure out if we can help nudge you in the right direction during good AND bad times, like we did with so many of our clients. 

Big thanks to Liam for the interview. Tune into it here and I’ll answer any questions in the comments.

--

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: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cZqcpc

--

Today, I’m going to give you the 5 most profitable business ideas that you can start in 2020.

Yes, THIS YEAR.

Profitable meaning: 

- Low risk
- High reward
- Great return on investment
- Quick to take to market
- Capable of growing and scaling

Not all business ideas are equal. An idea is only valuable if it’s actionable and profitable. 

These ideas I’m about to show you? They’re the good ones.

Yes, it’s my opinion.

But my opinion comes from 20 years of building and growing companies, investing in 40+ startups, becoming a multi-millionaire, and working closely with many successful businesses.

These are the 5 growth areas that are already taking off, whether you’re riding the wave or not.

Check it out.

I’m willing to bet you’ve heard of some of these. Probably even thought about starting them.

Isn’t it time to take action?

These are what I would recommend to myself if I was starting again. And they are what I’d recommend to you or to anyone I care about and want to see succeed.

But it’s all about execution.

A shortlist of ideas isn’t going to get you millions in revenue… Choosing something, committing to it and making it happen – that’s what makes the difference.

Make it your year. Make it your life.

Just make something great out of it, yeah?

Don’t forget, if you’re going with the SaaS option, then I’m here to coach you through all the difficult stages of growing and scaling.

Tune in to the video here, take some notes, and start taking steps towards that goal.

--

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: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cZqcpc

Exclusive Resource: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cG8TJz

--

“How do I find a problem that would be perfect to solve with a SaaS?”

YES! Now that’s a good question.

I come in contact with a lot of SaaS founders and business owners (or the wannabes) that ask the wrong questions. You can tell when their mindset isn’t in the right place.

Fixating on bad questions means pouring your mental energy down the drain and wondering why your business is flushing itself out to sea.

So when I hear someone ask an AWESOME question like this one, it makes me want to celebrate.

As a business coach and investor in 40+ startups, I’ve learned to spot the red flags of a business that’s going to struggle versus one that’ll take off like a rocket to the moon.

And without a doubt… 

The size of the problem you solve determines your potential for growth.

(Ok, there’s a bit more to it than that.)

I want to help you choose a good business idea from the start, so let me show you my process for finding SaaS-solvable problems in this week’s video.

These are the 4 places you should start when hunting down the right problems:

1. Spreadsheets – They’re an absolute gold-mine
2. Your Own Pains
3. Custom Built Solutions (Just turn it into a SaaS)
4. Trends – ride that wave.

The money is in the problem you solve.

Over 2 years ago, I published a video on building a $100 MIL+ company in 3 years and my first point was: you’ve got to solve a really big problem.

Months ago I interviewed Toby from Shopify who became a billionaire because he found a really big problem and created a fantastic solution.

So if you want to get good at business…

Get good at finding problems first.

Fire up the video right here and learn how to tap into pain points that people will pay for. Drop me a comment while you’re there. I love hearing from 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 Resource: Idea to Exit Mini-Course – Learn How To Build a Product Without Spending Money & True Customer Validation - http://bit.ly/3cG8TJz

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/2vxAuvJ

--

Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

“Hello?”

“Hi Dan, I’m calling from Google. We’re interested in potentially buying your company…”

Ok, it didn’t go quite like that, but it’s true – my first call with a potential acquirer was with Google.

I was super excited! I mean… Google?! They’ve got money to burn, and I was ready to take it!

…then I proceeded to make some big mistakes. 

On that phone call, I did everything wrong. I gave them SO much information about my business that I sent them away with a step-by-step on how to do it all themselves.

I even told them how our code worked! What was I thinking…?

I was trying to sell them on my company but ended up with no offer, no callback, and nothing to show for all the answers I gave.

I let my excitement get in the way of my strategy.

So please don’t make the mistake I did. This week’s video is all about how to conduct your first call with a potential acquirer… without all the mistakes I made:

As an investor, I now know a lot more about this than I used to. You’ve got to follow these 5 steps to CRUSH that phone call:

1. Fit, Price, Motivation
2. Get Them Talking
3. Prepare Talk Tracks
4. Role Play
5. Stick To The Time

Imagine if that call goes wrong. What does that mean for you?

It’s the difference between a multi-million dollar sale… or convincing an acquirer to become your direct competitor and drive you out of the market.

All because of the words that came out of your mouth.

When the stakes are THAT high, you can’t just wing it.

One of my coaching clients, Adii from Conversio, had a call from a potential acquirer recently. I coached Adii on how to use this exact framework to make that call.

And it worked.

His company was acquired by Campaign Monitor for millions. That’s a massive exit that most SaaS founders could only DREAM of.

In the past 12 months I’ve coached 7 of my clients to exit and they used this first conversion process to ensure they didn’t mess it up :).

Even if you’re in the early stages of growing your SaaS, plant this seed in your mind now by watching the video here. 

You never know when a casual chat with a new contact will turn into the business meeting that defines your future.

--

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
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+ 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/2vxAuvJ

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/2HSvbK8

--

I’ve never been one to watch wrestling. 

Rarely ever step in the ring for a boxing match. 

But despite not being much of a sports guy…

I sure know how it feels to get slammed to the ground by life, kept in it’s chokehold, and kicked in the gut while I’m there.

Failure after failure, problem after problem, it was mentors and business coaches that helped me through everything that went wrong.

And now I give back where I can.

Through SaaS Academy, I don’t just coach SaaS founders through their business problems: I help them with who they are and how they survive life too.

It’s all intertwined. 

So, how do you overcome those tough times when you hit a wall in your business? Or when personal life knocks you off your feet?

I want to give you my 5 perspective-shifting hard-learned lessons in this week’s video:

1. Your Worst Is Someone's Best
2. Seed of Opportunity
3. No Pressure No Diamonds
4. Do What Others Won’t
5. Call It A Challenge

When times get tough, watch this video. Bookmark it, save it, add it to a YouTube playlist.

Because even if the skies are blue right now, they’ll turn grey at some point.

I’ve seen too many entrepreneurs quit when it gets hard, despite having a great business plan and product.

It takes time to grow resilience, and yet it’s an important ingredient in the formula for success.

Take a few minutes to check out the video right here, and I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a comment with your answer to this question:

What was the furthest fall from grace you ever had in life or business?

--

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/2HSvbK8

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/2SORGER

--

Have you ever met someone that got good at something REALLY fast?

I mean… learned a new language in a matter of weeks, started a new business that takes off in months or achieved a result in a tenth of the usual time?

These superhumans exist. I’ve met them.

And I’ll tell you something:

What stops anyone from building momentum quickly isn’t knowledge.

It’s perspective.

Knowing how to do something isn’t necessarily the bottleneck that you think it is. 

The superhumans that get success quickly are those who perceive the goal, their problem, and their flaws differently to anyone else. 

They don’t need knowledge. They follow a system.

It’s the same reason why academics with multiple PHDs might know a lot about something but still feel incapable of doing it to their standards.

Today, I’m going to teach you a system for building momentum… even when you don’t have the knowledge yet.

I call it The Momentum Quadrant™, and it’ll change the way you perceive your challenges.

There are 4 Ms in the Momentum Quadrant™. (Who doesn’t love alliteration?)

1. Mindset
2. Model
3. Method
4. Map

Like all good systems, it’s super easy to understand. The more complicated a system gets, the harder it is for you to keep the big picture in mind as you follow through with it.

This is a system I’ve been using for years.

It’s my instant perspective-alignment tool. And for me, it’s more valuable than any knowledge bomb that stays dormant in your mind and doesn’t generate the change you want.

Check out the video, and drop me a comment if you found this helpful. I’d love to hear from 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: Top Books For Transforming The Entrepreneur’s Life – Carefully Curated List From Over 1000+ Books and Almost 20 Years of Reading - http://bit.ly/2SORGER

Exclusive Download: Cancellation Capture System™ – The Flow, Design and Copy You Need To Save Cancellations & Learn as Much as You Can Before a Customer Leaves - http://bit.ly/2ux7Lqo

--

It kept me up at night… 

The entrepreneurial sweats.

I used to dream about it, about how to fix it. 

I read every book on it. Every blog post, every case study. I spoke to other SaaS founders  that fought the same battle. I needed to win.

What battle?

The Battle of Churn.

20% of my customers were leaving. I’d worked hard to win them over and now 1 in 5 would cancel their account every month.

I fought that churn and with time… I brought it down to 8%. 

That’s EPIC! That meant we now had a 92% customer retention rate!

That single battle won us the war. Each new customer brought a greater LTV (lifetime value), our marketing efforts paid greater ROI, and my SaaS became one of the fastest-growing in Silicon Valley.

And you know what proved to be the biggest churn buster?

The Cancellation Page.

Your cancellation system single-handedly confronts your churn rate and boosts your profit. So you’ve GOT to optimize it.

That’s why I made this week’s video for you. The best 7 minutes you’ll spend today, I promise you.

In this video, we pull apart what makes a robust cancellation system:

1. Remind The Loss
2. Align Alternatives (This makes such a difference.)
3. Win The Why

Don’t EVER let your customers walk away without first asking for their feedback. 

You might think you know why they are leaving, but if you are not reviewing their cancellation reasons weekly, then you do not understand the economic model of SaaS.

You’ve GOT to fix the ‘problem promise’, the reason they joined in the first place.

Look, I know that this is such a pain point for SaaS founders that I wanted to take it one step further than just a video.
I’m including the perfect Cancellation Page Template that you can download today. You’ll get:

- The full wireframe template
- The different tabs you need on the page
- All of the copywriting for the pages
- The alternatives that I’d recommend

Free of charge, from me to you.

You can win the battle of churn. I’ll help you through it.

Stop by the video here, download your template, and let me know if it was helpful by leaving a comment.

--

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: Cancellation Capture System™ – The Flow, Design and Copy You Need To Save Cancellations & Learn as Much as You Can Before a Customer Leaves

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/36QHMY3

--

In the next 10 minutes, I’m going to give you everything you need to start your own business in 90 days. I guarantee it.

Free of charge, this is my advice to you.

Yes, you CAN start a business with no resources, no upfront capital, and no infrastructure.

It’s a bold claim… but I’m 100% serious about this.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked: “How do I start a business?” I’ve answered it so many times and I’ve been told my answers have been insightful. 

So I figured it’s time to put it all into one epic, no BS, ‘this is it’ video.

The 5 key points to starting a business that I cover in the video are:

1. Create For You
2. Learn To Tell <– this is a deal-breaker
3. Ask For Money
4. Call It A Project
5. Organize An Event

Usually, I talk about scaling a SaaS to millions in recurring revenue or how to increase expansion revenue and decrease churn…

But once upon a time, I was starting out. I was bitten by the entrepreneurial ‘bug’ with no idea where to start.

So this advice is as much for 17-year-old Dan Martell as it is for you or anyone you know that has the drive and wants to get started.

Agree? Disagree? Got anything to add?

Drop me a comment on the video. I’d love to hear from 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: Top Books For Transforming The Entrepreneur’s Life – Carefully Curated List From Over 1000+ Books and Almost 20 Years of Reading - http://bit.ly/36QHMY3

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

--

I bet you dream about growth, dreams like:

“If I got x more customers per month, our revenue would…”

It’s exciting to think about where things could go, and how much revenue could come flooding in. 

But I have to break it to you:

There’s a limit.

Yes, there’s a growth ceiling to a SaaS. I call it the Churn Flatline.

It comes down to simple math, but it’s 100% predictable. 

No matter how great your growth is right now, one day your SaaS is going to level out and hit that churn flatline.

That means no more growth. 

No more annual recurring revenue. You’ve maxed out.

It’s a scary place to be!

But… I’ve coached many, many SaaS founders like you on how to break through that growth ceiling.

Want the inside scoop? It’s all in this weeks’ video.

We kick off with a bit of money math and a calculator, but once we’ve covered the basics, here are the 3 points I explain in-depth:

1. Reduce Churn… it can be done!
2. Increase ARPA (and the 3 tactics to do it)
3. Grow Customers

If you’re not yet aware of the Churn Flatline, then you definitely need to see this video.

Run the equation for yourself.

I want you to hold off reaching that ceiling for as long as possible. Predict it ahead of time, and build your business around preventing it.

Immunize yourself against it.

The difference will be worth it. So even if your SaaS is young, pay attention. It’s never too early to fight churn.

Watch the video here, and if you have a question, drop it in the comments 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: Revenue Retention Cheatsheet™ – Stop The Bleeding & Scale Your Marketing With Confidence - http://bit.ly/2GtpXDW

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/2GaseUq

-- 

I like to hang out with inspiring entrepreneurs. 

No, not sipping coffee in their offices… I like to get out and do something fun. Even if it means breaking bones.

When you connect without it being about business, two things happen:

First, you get insights into the character of a successful business person.

Second, when the conversation isn’t forced, that’s when the most valuable business advice flows organically.

So, last year I went snowbiking with some entrepreneurs behind $100 million+ companies, and here was our (accidental) itinerary:

- Day 1: Matt broke his collarbone within 30 seconds. In the afternoon, Nick smashed into a tree and took the day off.
- Day 2: I hit a jump, fell into a tree well. My brother came after me and landed on top of my bike.
- Day 3: Brad who organized the trip gunned it through a clearing, smashed into a small river and fractured his pelvis. He drove himself out 22 miles to get help.

It was a disaster… and yet it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time!

But while we were breaking bones, we were sharing business lessons with each other.

These guys were incredibly generous with their advice, so I wanted to pay it forward and share those lessons learned with you.

I’ve got to admit, most of these lessons came from Brad Pederson, the guy that fractured his pelvis:

1. The 1 – 3 – 1 Rule (amen!)
2. Quickest To Grow ← flawless strategy
3. The 3 Things That Break
4. Hand vs Hearts
5. Magical Moments

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Or snowfield.

Even though I coach businesses, I’ve never considered myself the know-it-all. I’m always looking to learn more and I’m grateful to anyone that is generous with their advice.

I aim to be just as generous with you.

I hope this video was as valuable for you as the ski trip was for me. As always, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

--

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/2GaseUq

Exclusive Download: The Business Playbook Templates – Easily create a business playbook to free up time, deliver consistent work and train your team - http://bit.ly/2RpvL6z

--

Today, I’m going to show you how to get 3x-5x as much value out of a brand new employee.

Think about it…

If every time you hired someone in your business, you got more value from them, how much of a difference would that make to your:

- Productivity?
- Budget?
- Business growth?

You already know I work closely with SaaS founders both big ($100 Million+ ARR) and small ($10k monthly), and I can tell you this:

An awesome onboarding program will make a new team member WAY more valuable! 

In fact, a friend of mine recently hired a new employee who was perfect for the job… but then the new hire left within 1 week.

Why?

There was no onboarding program to ease him into the company culture and check-in with how she was feeling.

So, what makes an onboarding program that works?

Let me show you in this weeks’ video.

From my experience and from the businesses I’ve worked with, these are the 5 key points I follow for a flawless onboarding program:

1. Orientation Session
2. Training System
3. 90 Day Goals
4. Assign a Buddy
5. Schedule 1 - 1

You know the cliché “first impressions last”?

It applies to new hires too.I truly believe that how you spend the first week with a new employee completely changes their entire commitment to your business.

Get that first impression right, nurture your new hires so they actually ‘get’ what you are trying to do and they will serve your business with more clarity.

Over to you. What’s your onboarding system like? Got any stories to share? 

I’d love to hear from you. So check out the video and drop 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 Business Playbook Templates – Easily create a business playbook to free up time, deliver consistent work and train your team - http://bit.ly/2RpvL6z

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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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

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