Alan Weiss’s Monday Morning Memo® – 04/08/2024

We took the train for an overnight in New York City solely to have dinner in our favorite Italian restaurant (Il Tinello) and then to see one of our all-time favorite singers, the troubadour of our times, Billy Joel. It was his 100^th consecutive sellout of the 20,000 capacity Madison Square Garden. (He plans to be there until his 150^th, this coming July.)

We’ve seen Billy Joel in person before, starting around 1990 when he performed outdoors in Montauk, Long Island. Today, he’s 74, married to his fourth wife, apparently not drinking anymore, and in better voice than I’ve ever heard him. He’s been through a lot, along with three divorces—for example, one brother-in-law stole $30 million from him while ostensibly managing his affairs.

Joel has written 122 songs and he performed 34 that night, including a five-song encore. He had one of the finest bands I’ve ever heard, superb musicians playing multiple instruments and who sang as well, wonderfully, and at one point in five-part harmony. Jerry Seinfeld showed up on stage to pay his respects, and Sting wandered in to play guitar and sing. (Unbelievably, at one point there was total silence and a spotlight shone on one microphone where a guitarist walked over sans guitar and sang a flawless rendition of Nessun Dorma from Turandot—and I’ve heard both Pavarotti and Bocelli sing this and he ceded nothing to them.

Performers come and go, but Billy Joel’s first hit song was in 1971, 53 years ago. His newest was released about a month ago. I tell you this story because I stood on my feet for 2.5 consecutive hours (a personal best) to watch someone totally enjoying himself at 74 without a break and without restriction, while enabling thousands of people, across six decades of life, whether close to his body of work or distal to it, to enjoy themselves.

NO ONE should be “cancelled” or discarded because of chronology. Aging and age are two different things. As long as you’re on top of your game, as Tony Bennet was in his late 80s, stay there.

I intend to.

Developmental Opportunities

Thought Leadership 2024

I’m hosting a tenth Thought Leadership Conference, and our first such session post-pandemic, in Delray, Florida area on September 10-12, 2024. This will probably be the last such “live” event of its kind since my future plans are to create a quarterly Zoom subscription for this endeavor in 2025 and beyond. We will focus on:

• The No Normal® of the workplace and how to market and succeed in continually turbulent times. • What the impending US presidential election will mean for professional services. • How to create weekly, relevant, dramatic IP. • Staying ahead of the innovation curve using your own past and continuing “body of work.” • Passive, global income generation—creation and sustainability. • Options for successful use of discretionary time. • Financial realities and metrics for safety and security (and prudent risk). • Topics raised in the prep work sent to participants.

We will have a special guest speaker whom I’ll announce soon. My newest book, Building Dynamic Communities: creating an evergreen client ecosystem, to be released later this year, will be personalized as my gift to you when it’s available, and the morning of the third day of the 2.5-day event will be optional and included in the fee. I’ll be “riffing” on that day on politics, society, education, personal wealth, and so forth.

The fee is $15,000, which includes rooms, breakfasts, lunches, and a cocktail reception. Finally, if you attend this session you may join the quarterly Zoom sessions next year for free, a $2,000 value.

Register here, please: https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/

In the Buyer’s Office I’ve been asked to elaborate on the extremely popular “In the Buyer’s Office” videos on a regular basis. So I’m going to stop whining about doing it, and do it. I’m offering a 1.5-day, live session in Rhode Island during which everyone will get the chance to sell to the buyer and to be the buyer. You may record this if you like. You’ll learn how to, and apply how to:

• Open the meeting gracefully and move quickly to your objective.
• Handle distractions.
• Overcome objections.
• Reframe and pivot the conversation.
• Create trust, find key issues, create conceptual agreement, and “pour cement.”
• Create a resultant proposal with over an 80% probability of acceptance of options 2 or 3.

For those of you who can’t travel or are afraid of TSA, I’m offering the same experience (as much as possible) virtually over the course of three mornings. All of this will be recorded for distribution. https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/in-the-buyers-office/

Building Dynamic Communities I’ve been asked for years how people can replicate my worldwide community, which is operating 24/7 virtually and in real time. Is it solely possible with entrepreneurs and the “retail” market, or can it be done with corporate clients and executives?

These communities (don’t confuse them with “tribes” which are exclusionary) provide huge business development benefits:

• Evangelism among members to engage more thoroughly
• The Chain Reaction of Attraction® which creates exponential growth when community members themselves attract others
• A laboratory to test ideas and allow others to suggest ideas
• High profile as THE expert and THE thought leader
• “Guaranteed” subscription to new offerings and projects to create immediate critical mass and success
• Instant marketing with zero investment
• Smooth progression form virtual interactions (e.g., internet-based) to real-time experiences (e.g., conferences, symposia, and so forth)
• Impressive creation of high quality marketing lists (a good return on most lists is considered 2%, my lists generate 10%)
• Powerful brand building and brand extension
• Value accruing to you even when you are not present because members wouldn’t know each other without you
• Immediate tests of new IP
• May 15-16, 1.5 days, at my place! $5,000 Includes my hosting dinner and 60 days of support. https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/

Million Dollar Consulting® for the World: I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It’s only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 47 countries. https://milliondollarconsultingcourse.com

Million Dollar Consulting® for the World ADVANCED: The new program contains over 60 videos and has 15 modules focusing on what to do in the buyer’s office, overcoming crises, financial planning, and much, much more. https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/advanced-global-learning-program/

Sentient Strategy Certification: My new book on the topic (above) has been released, so this is an ideal time to market Sentient Strategy. Write me to apply, join over 70 people certified in six countries. One-time fee of $12,000, includes 90 days of my support, free admission to all future certifications, and admission to a private web board with other Sentient facilitators. In a recent program a participant sold a $100,000 strategy program within 48 hours. Write me at [email protected] 

NOTE: I’ve reinstated my inexpensive, limited coaching program I last used during Covid because I’ve found people who need help right now growing their practices. I’ve offered it to past coaching participants, but I can handle two more people at this point. Five calls at your desire: review proposals, prepare for meetings, create passive income, etc. $2,024. You simply have to use them before the end of the year, 30 minutes each. Should pay for itself 20 times over. You can write to discuss ([email protected]) or sign up by paying here: https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/