Getting Mastermind Group members to play - whose game is it?

Guest Contributor: Chris Barrow
Chris' Posts - Chris' Blog


Today is a call-in day for my Mastermind Group members.

What I mean by that is that part of the service we offer (as well as a quarterly Mastermind meeting) is unlimited email access to myself and my business partner, Simon Hocken, as the coaches - "just ask as many questions on whatever subjects whenever you like" and also, once a month, a full day that we set aside to attend 30-minute phone calls with each MMG member.

We use an on-line appointment scheduler at http://www.appointmentquest.com/ and each month the 18 MMG members receive a personal email from my business manager (10 days notice), asking them to get on-line and book their call with me.

So this morning I rise early, check the scheduler - and there are 3 calls booked for me - just 3 - and 1 for Simon.

Suppressing a feeling of glee that there will be loads of time today to catch up with business development work, I think about what's happening here and write to them all as follows:

Morning all

I'm not at all moaning BUT...

If you look at the attached spreadsheet you will see the call-in day schedule for today - and it's not really much of challenge for Simon and I is it?

Don't get me wrong:

1. The chance to catch up on my work between the 3 calls I have today will be very welcome - there is always loads to do and
2. The three people I speak to today (and I'm sure that the people that Simon speak to) will get 100% attention and coaching;
3. And I DON'T want anybody to try and book a call today - because I will not be looking at the appointment scheduler again.

I suppose I would like some feedback.

Is it because we are allocating what, for you, is surgery time? We could discuss alternatives, such as some evening calls or...

Is it because there is not such a desperate need for calls so I can just rest assured that you are all happy with the coaching?

I know I spoke to some MMG members yesterday in the main call-in day.

A bit of constructive feedback would be welcome.

I know my darling dentists can be a bit hard to tie down sometimes - we asked over 70 people to attend the 6.00pm bridge call last night (for our core programme clients) - 2 turned up at 6 and a third at 6.30pm - we actually had a darn good conversation about web site design, calculating average daily rate and dealing with procrastination.

Don't forget we have a call tonight at 6.00pm- just for you MMG'ers - maybe we can discuss this then.

Speak later. I love you all!

Cb

What happens as a result is that 2 more clients call before 9.00am with an "OMG - I forgot to book my call - can I speak with you later?"

And, so far (it's 11.00am) I have one email that reads:

"Hi Chris, I thought I had booked a slot but had put in my diary to do it but didn't action it. Can't make tonight's group callas my wife is out and making a conference call with a 1 year old crying at my ankles isn't a good idea, will be in touch soon. We have recently employed a bookkeeper and have found a business development manager who is starting in September ( will be bringing him to the workshop 2 in Belfast in June) so I have not been idle."

So I suppose that gives me some hope that they are enjoying the coaching.

More importantly, it reminds me that the clients take what the clients want from the overall service I provide.

Most of them just want to attend the quarterly meeting and get the benefit of the community, the golf on Sunday, the bar on Sunday night and the conversation all day Monday.

Some of them (a minority) put posts on the Forum we have created.

Some of them (a minority) want to send me emails.

Some of them (a minority) want to attend the call-in days and conference calls.

All of them seem to be happy - they are paying!

So I need to let go of the need for 100% attendances.

Joining / Starting A Mastermind Group

Guest Contributor: Doug Emerson
Doug's Posts - Doug's Blog


Looking through "Think and Grow Rich" last year about this time, I reread the section about Mastermind groups. Like a lot of people, my copy of "Think and Grow Rich" is quite worn and is filled with inked in arrows, circles and notes highlighting the passages of importance. Napoleon Hill's section on mastermind groups always intrigued me when I read it, but Fear had always stopped me from forming my own mastermind group.

• I was afraid of my invitation to join being rejected by potential group members; worse yet, a declination to join might also be taken as personal rejection.
• I was afraid that some members would not provide the right kind of support and input to the group and the messy process of rejecting them from the group would be controversial and painful.
• I was fearful that the project would die a slow death of apathetic neglect as enthusiasm dwindled by group members.

I wish my imagination for success was more powerful than my imagination for disaster all of the time, but at that moment about a year ago, my thoughts for the success of forming a mastermind group overpowered all fears of failure.

With the help of another member, we talked about and invited two others to be members of a mastermind group that met on a conference call weekly. We knew each other; not all of us had known each other for the same amount of time.

One year of masterminding weekly has provided these results:

• Accountability to members who understand me and my business objectives.
• A forum to whine a little and then be positively directed to move on.
• Education about others' business problems which are common to all businesses.
• Quick observations and suggestions from members in a spirit of helpfulness and camaraderie with no strings attached.

If you are thinking of joining or starting a mastermind group to help you in your business, the only thing you need to be fearful of is waiting another day.

Doug Emerson writes a blog about making money in the horse business.