A Chance Encounter With Lynn Rose… Another Reason Why I Attend Seminars That I Could Easily Teach Myself

A while back I wrote about why I attend seminars conducted by people who have less knowledge, experience, and time in business that I have. I mentioned that I go for a couple of reasons… to learn what’s new and current, and to meet new people and reconnect with people I’ve lost touch with for one reason or another. Oftentimes, new and profitable business deals can come about because you’ve met or re-met with someone.

Several months ago I had the great fortune of meeting Lynn Rose at a seminar we were both attending. I had heard of her before and knew of her work, but had never met her or had the chance to talk with her.

Lynn is one of those people who has a magnetic personality. She’s so full of energy that as soon as you see her you can’t help but be interested in who she is and what she’s all about. And when she looks at you and flashes that smile, your whole world changes. But the best part is when you get involved in a conversation with her. She is “with” you from the start to the finish… focusing, concentrating, eliminating distractions, and learning all about who you are, what you’re about, and wanting to see how she can help you achieve your dreams, aspirations and goals.

Like I said… it’s magnetic, it’s captivating, and it’s energizing. And you walk away from your encounter with her, a better person. You can hear an interview I did with Lynn just the other day. Listen and you can see what I mean.

This is a 5 part series. You can listen to…

     Part 2: Click Here
     Part 3: Click Here
     Part 4: Click Here
     Part 5: Click Here

Our chance meeting at that seminar has now turned into more than just a “casual friendship.” Lynn and I talk on a regular basis about a number of things, including how she is able to help people be their absolute best on stage, on camera, or in business presentations… all of which translates into more self-confidence, better business and personal relationships, increased opportunities for job promotions, and ultimately, more fun, income, and freedom.

Lynn does several things, but what I am the most interested in personally, is her “WOW Factor” presentation. This two-day event is designed to help anyone who does ANY kind of speaking or presenting in front of audience… a business meeting, teaching a sunday school class, a service club or association presentation, a casual get-together of family or friends for some special occassion, or maybe even just speaking off the top of your head… to effectively bring the meeting or conversation to life, give it energy, and emotionally connect with the audience so they are “with you” and are motivated to move to action.

Lynn conducts these special hands-on, interactive workshops on a regular basis, and will be holding her next one in Los Angeles, California, on March 20th and 21st. I’m going to be there myself to experience what I’ve heard so many of my peers… some of the top speakers and presenters in the industry… people who pay me to mentor them… talk so passionately about. Why? Because I know that even after 44+ years of speaking, training, coaching, and consulting, that Lynn will be able to teach me something that I’m missing… something that will enable me to better connect with my audience… something that will enable me to deliver even better quality content to my clients and consultants.

I’m going to be inviting my consultants to join me at this next workshop, where between 10 and 15 people will participate in Lynn’s program, and then be invited to a special closed-door session with me where I’ll be teaching how to use what Lynn teaches to conduct seminars and workshops that I have only revealed to my top consultants… many of whom are earning $350,000.00+ per year, and working 2 to 3 days a week just doing these seminars.

Lynn does have an affiliate program for people who refer others to her workshop. She pays 25 percent. But I asked her if she would pass my affiliate fee (or commission) along to people who sign up as a referral from me. I don’t want the money, and I certainly don’t need it. I’d rather have Lynn discount the amount you pay to help you offset your travel and lodging expenses, so you can take advantage of the incredible program she has to offer.

If you’re interested in learning more, go to Lynn’s website at http://lynnrose.com/wow-factor-workshop.htm. Then if you decide that this program and the closed-door session with me is something you’d like to take advantage of, go ahead and register. When you get to the payment page, enter the code, “WOW NOW” to make sure you get the special discounted price and reserve your seat in my session the next day.

To make it even more convenient for you, Lynn also has a special payment plan option for you.

Please understand that because Lynn works so closely and intently with each participant, she can only accomodate up to 15 people. The same with my closed-door session… I am not charging anything for this program, and have only shared what I will be teaching with a handful of my top-level, $300k consultants. If you’re at all interested in learning how to create that “WOW” factor for your presentations, and getting a step-by-step blueprint for conducting your own multiple six-figure seminars, then don’t waste any time… get to Lynn’s website (http://lynnrose.com/wow-factor-workshop.htm) and register now. I’m sure the available seats will fill up quickly as soon as I release this blog post to our TopLine consultants.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

My Visit With Harvey MacKay… What I Learned, How I’m Going To Use It, And How You Can Benefit From My Experience

Last week I posted a video about how I ran into Larry Benet, “The Connector”, at Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Manager’s training seminar in Los Angeles, and how Larry re-connected Harvey MacKay, author of numerous books including, Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive, Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty, and others.

A few years ago, Harvey and I spoke on the same platform for a major corporate client, and we lost touch and hadn’t seen each other since then. Larry happened to be on the phone with Harvey and handed me the phone to talk with him. In that conversation, Harvey invited me to his home to do an interview and talk about the launch of his new book, Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door… Job Search Secrets No One Will Tell You.

A couple of days ago, I visited Harvey at his mountain-top home in Paradise Valley, Arizona, and got to see the unbelievable view he has every day as he looks out over Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. He showed me where he does his writing, and it’s no wonder he cranks out so many great books. The view is magnificant and it can’t help but inspire you.

Well, Harvey took me on a tour of his incredible home and told me what he had been up to since we last spoke. That was nice. I learned a lot about him, his wife, his hobbies (he’s a marathoner), and his interests. As interesting as those things were, that’s not what made the biggest impression on me.

What really piqued my interest, and what I came away with… and what I’d like to pass on to you… is the “between the lines” stuff. The things that weren’t said or spoken.

Harvey had me sit on a couch in his living room, asked me questions about my business and my personal life, and focused his entire attention on me and what I had to say. It was like talking to my best friend. No distractions. No interruptions. Just Harvey and me, and him letting me go on and on about myself.

A couple of minutes into the conversation, my mind flashed back to Dale Carnegie’s “How To Win Friends And Influence People” book that I read when I was a senior in high school. Dale said that if you want to make people like you, to be a good listener and encourage others to talk about themselves. And that’s exactly what I caught Harvey doing to me… and that’s when I stopped talking about me and started asking him questions about him, his work, and his passion. And boy, did he open up… and that’s when my learning began!

Well, we were both busy and had lots on our plates for the day, so we moved outdoors on the patio overlooking a steep drop down the side of the mountain. His pool has two “vanishing edges” that make it look like the water just hangs in mid air. (Really cool!) We took a couple of pictures and shot a quick video where Harvey talked about his new book, gave some tips from it, and discussed his upcoming book tour and travel schedule.

Harvey is a wonderful man, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to reconnect with him, and will be helping him promote his book as it gets closer to launch time.

So what does all this have to do with you… what ‘s the take-away value you get from my visit with Harvey?

For me, the conversation and reconnection was great. But what I really learned… what I saw in action… what I hope you’ll learn and apply… is what Harvey did to me by making me feel comfortable and relaxed, asking me questions about my business, my family and my personal interests, and then focusing intently on what my responses.

The next time you’re in a conversation with someone, think about how you can do what Harvey did… give your undivided attention to the person you’re conversing with.

The second thing I learned… and I might never have recognized it had my mind not flashed back nearly 50 years ago to when I was in high school and read Carnegie’s book… was that I was doing all the talking. And when you’re talking, you’re not learning. So I shut up, stopped talking about me, and started using what Dale Carnegie taught me those many years ago, and what Harvey was doing to me in the moment.

So what about you? Same thing. It’s not about you. If you want to make an impression, an impact, a friend… then get them talking about themselves and what their life is about. They’ll leave the conversation thinking you were an incredible conversationalist… and you might have only said a handful of words!

If you don’t have Harvey’s books, go get them! I own every one of them and the information in them is priceless. But do as Harvey says in the video we shot… don’t read these books. Study them… devour them… and more importantly, LIVE them. If you do, you’ll have more success than you ever dreamed possible.

Oh, and there’s one more thing. The title of Harvey’s latest book is, Use Your Head To Get Your Foot In The Door… Job Search Secrets No One Will Tell You. But don’t just think it’s for finding or getting a job on someone else’s payroll. Not at all. The principles that Harvey espouses in his book work for getting in the door of a prospective client if you’re a salesperson, a coach, or a consultant. I’ll be using excerpts of this book in our upcoming TopLine Business Solutions training classes… it’s that good!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

How Much Are You Giving Back? Even In The Toughest Of Economic Times, We Can Almost Always Do More

I know times are tough. They are for nearly all of us. Money is tighter, prices are higher, jobs are tenuous… and if we’re in business, many of us are finding that competition is more fierce and customers are more sophisticated, more educated, and more knowledgeable than ever before.

But as bad as it is, there almost always is someone who is not as well off as we are… someone who doesn’t have, and never will be able to have the things that we are blessed with… even if we’re on the bottom financially.

The other day I got a call from a good friend who said he was trying to raise money to help a young boy on the Make-A-Wish program realize a long-standing dream. The boy’s parents have exhausted their savings paying for their son’s medical expenses, and without some outside help, the boy will never be able to have the wish that means so much to him granted.

My friend said that he knew that I was going to be in Los Angeles at some seminars on Saturday and Sunday, and wondered if I would be able to stay over and present a seminar for business owners the following Monday. He said he had talked to another good friend of mine, Terri Levine, one of the very top speakers and trainers in her industry, and thought that the two of us could do a fund-raising program to help his Make-A-Wish candidate fulfill his dream.

Of course, my answer way an immediate “Yes!” So Terri and I got together and worked out a killer program that is designed to give a limited number of business owners some step-by-step systems and strategies that will put money in their pocket the very next day following our seminar. This will be a one-day event that we’re calling, “OVERNIGHT CASH SURGE“, because that’s exactly what it’s designed to do… put a surge of cash in the attendee’s bank accounts the very next day.

Normally, we would charge $497 for a program like this, but we’re only charging $97, and you can bring a friend or associate with you for no additional cost. We’ll also have a special Power Networking VIP Luncheon for an additional $100 for the first person, and $50 if your guest joins you.

We have lined up some great sponsors to help out. Cherie Arnold from SetWeight4Life has agreed to be there and help out, as well as OfficeMax, Franklin Covey, The Business Codex, and Make-A-Wish. The best part is, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Make-A-Wish to help fund our candidate’s wish.

As for Terri and I, we are donating our time and expenses to this event, and promise to give the very best business-building strategies we have, holding nothing back. Terri is a master at teaching businesses how to get an abundance of leads and convert them into paying customers… something every business could use a little more of these days.

I’ll be sharing some of the best results-generating, cost-effective strategies that I know to quickly and easily make ANY business more profitable. These are the same strategies I teach our nearly 1,000 consultants operating in 34 different countries around the world to use to help their customers and clients.

And they’re the same strategies that I use with my private clients that pay me $55,000.00 per year to meet for one day, four times a year, and that my Executive-level clients pay $85,000.00 per year to meet six times a year.

I guarantee you that when the attendees leave this power-packed program, they’ll have more than enough ideas to put to work than they ever thought they’d have… ideas that work, that have been proven time and time again in nearly every kind, type and size of business.

The reason I’m writing this message is to not try and talk you into coming to our event… although, I’d really like to see you there and I know that our Make-A-Wish candidate could use your financial help. The real reason I’m writing this is to get you to think about what you can do… even when times are tough… even when you don’t have enough money to pay the mortgage… even when it seems that you’re going through the darkest time of your life… there are others that have it worse than you. And with a little stretch, most of us can generally find a way to dig a little deeper and help them out.

Maybe that “digging” is not into an already empty pocket. Maybe it’s in donating your time, talent, expertise, and some of your experience in a way that can help someone who has less than you.

If you can join us, that would be great. If you can refer someone, that, too, would be wonderful. But if all you get from reading this is the motivation to DO SOMETHING… and then go and do it, that would be awesome!

Now if you’re not in a position to help someone who is less fortunate than you, then (please excuse my bluntness) get off your butt and do something about it!

If your job is unstable or about to be, get some new training, some new skills, some new direction in your life. If money is tight, figure out how to offer a service that others will gladly pay to receive. Opportunities are so abundant, and money is so available. But not to people who don’t actively seek it. For our TopLine consultants, times have never been better, brighter, or more prosperous. They have skills, services, and expertise that others will practically crawl over broken glass to get because they can see the benefits if they do, and what will happen if they don’t. Worse yet, what the consequences will be if it’s their competitors who take advantage and not them.

But that’s another story for another day. For now, if you can attend or can find a way to help our young candidate realize his dream, please let us know. You can find more information about our program by visiting www.OvernightCashSurge.com.

As always, please let me know your thoughts, comments, and feedback. I really am interested!

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

Why Attending Seminars is So Important… Yes, For the Content, But Even More For the Connections

I was recently in Los Angeles for Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Manager (PLM) meeting with several of the Platinum members and others who were attending Jeff’s live event.

There was a TON of great content delivered by a great line-up of speakers including, Jay Abraham, Eben Pagan, Don Crowther, Paul Lemberg, Todd Brown, Chris Haddad, and Larry Benet. But more than just great content, there was a lot of networking, new introductions and friendships made, and business deals going down.

During one of the evening breaks, Larry Benet pulled me aside and asked if I knew Harvey MacKay… the “Swim With The Sharks” author. I told him that Harvey and I had spoken on the platform together a few years ago, and Larry handed me the phone with Harvey on the line and had us reconnect.

Turns out that Harvey will be launching his new book and asked me if I would help him. Of course, I said I would, and Harvey invited me to his home for lunch later this week.

When I got back to my office on Monday, there sat a stack of six of Harvey’s hard-bound books that he had personally delivered to me (Harvey lives in the next town next to me), along with a personal, hand-written note thanking me for my help and reminding me of our luncheon date.

This re-introduction to one of the most well-known authors and speakers in the business came because I attended a seminar, mingled with some of the people, and took some time to talk to Larry, an old friend.

Larry, in case you weren’t aware, is the founder and president of SANG (Speakers And Authors Networking Group). Twice a year the top speakers, presenters, trainers, and authors get together to network, trade ideas, leads, and strategies, discuss what is and what isn’t working in today’s economy, learn from those making presentations, and develop strategic alliances, joint ventures, and partnerships.

I’ve met some of my best contacts and friends at these events and others like them. And at Jeff Walker’s recent PLM program, I developed a bunch of new relationships and have several people wanting to interview me to help promote themselves to their clients, customers and prospects. Of course, I’m willing to do this because it gives me added exposure in the marketplace, and helps my business too.

I don’t attend every seminar that comes around; I’m pretty selective. But those I do attend nearly always pay off very handsomely with reconnections, deals, and exposure, and I always come away with more income opportunities than I had before attending.

If you have a business or are considering starting one and you’re not taking advantage of the great opportunities to learn, network, and collaborate that are present at these events, you’re missing some of the most powerful, inexpensive, and lucrative things you can do.

Next month I’m arranging for a handful of our consultants to attend a very high powered speaker’s training program, and passing on my affiliate commision to them to help offset their travel and lodging expenses. In addition, I’ll be conducting a special closed-door session for those who attend to give them some advanced training and hand them (totally free), a brand new course I’m developing that will sell for $5,000 when it’s completed next month.

When our consultants get together in small groups like this, the energy skyrockets, ideas abound, friendships are developed or rekindled, and results pour in. I encourage you to take advantage of all the training and networking opportunities you can… you’ll be better for doing it, your business will be better, and what you learn and the connections you’ll make will put more money in your pocket than you ever dreamed possible.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions

How To Interrupt Your Training To Get Testimonials, And Use Those ‘Interruptions’ As Teaching Moments

This morning I was helping one of our consultants in Australia with a presentation he’ll be making to some business owners on how to grow their businesses.

Part of our discussion had to do with what’s called, “Social Proof”… getting others to talk about their experience in doing business with you. It’s much more credible than you telling others how great you are.

It’s not so much what YOU say you can do for someone; it’s not even what someone else says you CAN do for them. What really counts… in fact, the ONLY thing that really matters, is what someone else says you HAVE DONE for them.

Good testimonials… the ones you can take to the bank… are “after-the-fact” comments. The “Heres what it can do for me,” comment isn’t nearly as strong as “Here’s what it did for me.” So it’s important to capture “done for me” comments as close to the moment as possible.

Here’s what I wrote to the consultant, using our own TopLine Consultant’s Training as an example:    
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Very often, I’ll get comments at the first or second break on the first day, where people will say, “That was so good… I could leave right now and get my money’s worth!” When that happens (whenever it is… first day, second day, etc.), stop everything, ask if they really mean what they said, and take out your little digital pocket camera and ask if it would be okay if you captured their comments so your could share them with others who are considering your program.

Once they give you their comments, stop, turn to the group and explain what you just did, and let them know that they need to be doing the same thing. 

I let them know that if I were to wait until the end of the 4 days to get their comments, they would be general comments and wouldn’t be related to anything specific. But if I hear them say something of value related to a particular point I made and then capture that comment at the time it was made, it’s more meaningful. 

That’s the first part… capturing a testimonial that I can use. The second part is that I stopped the presentation and used that testimonial capturing exercise as a teaching moment… I taught them how to do something. Now if I were to repeat that several times during my presentation, I’ll end up with specific testimonials, and won’t have to wait till the end when everyone else is trying to get testimonials from the other attendees, and when they’re trying to gather their things together to leave.

After about the third time of interrupting the meeting to capture what someone said (I don’t do it for every comment, obviously), people will start laughing. It gets kind of comical after a while. But every time I do it, I demonstrate the procedure, ask how many have already used the technique. I then repeat my encouragement for them to start talking to each other and practicing and getting testimonials they can use, and I use that brief interruption as a teaching moment.
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In our trainings, I’m very transparent and open, and let everyone know exactly what I’m doing, then let them know how they can do the same thing in their businesses.

Very often, I’ll get comments at the first or second break on the first day, where people will say, “I could leave right now and get my money’s worth!”. When that happens (whenever it is… first day, second day, etc.), stop everything, ask if they really mean what they said, and take out your camera and ask if it would be okay if you captured their comments so your could share them with others who are considering your program.

Once you get their testimonial, explain to the group what you just did, and tell them that they need to be doing the same thing. Let them know that if you wait until the end of the 4 days to get their comments, those will be general comments, and not related to anything specific. But if you hear them say something of value related to some point you made and capture that comment, it’s more meaningful. So what just happened is, you gave value, someone recognized it and commented on it, and you captured what they said.

That’s the first part… capturing a testimonial that you can use. The second part is that you stopped the presentation and used that testimonial capturing exercise as a teaching moment… you taught them how to do something. Now if you repeat that several times during your presentation, you’ll have specific testimonials, and you won’t have to wait till the end when everyone else is trying to get testimonials from the other attendees, and when they’re trying to gather their things together to leave.

After about the third time of you interrupting the meeting to capture what someone said (you don’t do it for every comment, obviously), people will start laughing. It gets kind of comical after a while. But every time you do it, you demonstrate the procedure, ask how many have already used the technique, encourage them to start talking to each other and practicing and getting testimonials they can use, and use that brief interruption as a teaching moment.

Many of our consultants are using seminars and workshops as major income producers. Some will put on no-cost or very low-cost seminars sponsored by a third-party as a way of introducing their services to business owners they couldn’t otherwise get in front of, and then using that “preview” seminar as a way to get consulting clients.

Of course, there are those who don’t like to speak in front of an audience at all… and that’s okay. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and that’s the beauty of the TopLine system.

My point in all of this is not that you have to do seminars or workshops… it’s getting comments from others who have good things to say about you and what you do, no matter what format you use.

It’s what we teach at TopLine… and it’s just one of the things that’s made us so successful for so many years.

Martin Howey
Founder and CEO
TopLine Business Solutions.

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