I had a meeting yesterday with a brand manager working on a billion dollar business.

As the meeting started, we exchanged pleasantries, but it was obvious he wanted to get to it quickly…which I understand…brand managers are busy. I thanked him for his time and asked him, “So I am curious, what was that I wrote in my email to you (which was unsolicited by the way) that made you want to meet with me? After all, your most valuable asset is your time.”

He paused and said, “I believe that your company can help me connect with my target consumer in a new way, and I know that my CMO is challenging me to think in that fashion”

Ok, so we now know what would be one of the most important things for him to achieve. Next question.

“That makes sense. Thank you. In addition, what are your primary objectives for this launch?”

His answer was among the most complete I have ever received.

“Good question. Thanks for asking. My plan is to utilize the three primary drivers of growth all at once. They are:

1. To bring new users into the franchise

2. To get current users to buy more during each occasion

3. To get current users to buy on more occasions”

I thought about that for quite a while and I can’t think of another driver of growth that doesn’t fit into those three buckets.

Late last night I emailed him, thanked him for his time, committed to get back within 24 hours and said, “Well done”. This launch will be a success.

I had a chance to meet and speak with Mark Burnett, the creator of among other things, Survivor and The Apprentice. THREE things that he said INPARTICULAR, stood out in a BIG way.

1) He credited the success of Survivor (a top 10 show for 2/3 of the past 16 seasons) to following a very systematic storytelling process first documented by Joseph Campbell in A Hero with 1000 Faces.
I have since read this and it is a must read for anyone trying to influence others.
2) When trying to move others to his way of thinking…while in his office, he uses dim lights, music and scent…so as to trigger all SENSES…utilizing a multisensory affect to influence
3) He simply WANTS deals to get done MORE than the other party DOESN’T want to get a deal done.

I have since employed each of these techniques to recreate a marketing product that was previously owned by CBS. We have secured more brand dollars in 3 weeks than CBS did in a year.

VERY powerful indeed. Thank you very much Mr. Burnett.

Want to Comment?

All are more common than you would think… especially TODAY.

We live in a world of enormous opportunity. Thinking a recession is the wrong time? Perhaps not.

Inventions from the Great Depression:
Electric Razor
The Supermarket
Tampax
Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie
Monopoly

Challenging economic times take us out of our comfort zone. They force us to think of doing it a different way. These are times when people take the money they have, invest in themselves & their ideas and create what is new. Much as it was THEIR time in the 1920′s to start a business and create something – like a chocolate chip cookie…etc – now is OUR time to do the same.

How to take advantage of this reality. The first step is to examine the industry you are familiar with and find the niches. They are always there. ‘Job security’ can only be found in ourselves.

WHY? Here’s one reason.

Humankind first appeared on planet earth 2.5 million years ago

We discovered fire 1.5 million years ago

We evolved into modern man & woman 200,000 years ago

The first city was settled 12,000 years ago Jericho

We began documenting our lives on paper 5509 years ago

The printing press was invented in 1475 which allowed information to spread rapidly.

This fueled the Renaissance, which gave way to the Industrial Revolution and now –
the Technological Revolution.

Roughly 10,000 generations of us, humankind, have come and gone. I have the good fortune to be surrounded by four generations. 1) My grandmother 2) My mother 3) My wife, friends, colleagues 4) My children.

We are four of 10,000 generations. I am one of 10,000 generations.

I, along with 40 Million others, are considered to be generation X.

Yesterday I stopped to realize that our generation was the first to grow up with convenient, affordable, safe, frequent commercial jet travel.

I flew to Beijing, China for a one day meeting.

That is astonishing to my grandmother. Imagine how other generations that came before her would react? What would they have given for a magic carpet to actually be real?

We can connect with 25% of the planets population through the internet…50% by cell phone.

How fortunate we are to have been selected to be among the 10,000th generation.

The other night I was in Madison Square Garden with a friend. It holds 20,0000. It was about half full.

I though to myself in this arena, if each of us represented one of the 10,000 generations that have inhabited this planet, how likely would it be that I was selected to now?

Not too likely. But I was..and so were you.

We have an unprecedented opportunity. Through technology, telecommunications and transportation, we can create and do things that have never before been possible at speeds unimaginable.

This provides us with a unique opportunity in human history. We can, if we desire to, create more faster. It makes it easier than ever before to create financial abundance for ourselves, our family and our friends.

And human history has also showed that the clearest, most assured pathway is through the creation of an enterprise, business, product, or service.