The concept of the Master Mind Group was formally introduced by Napoleon Hill in the early 1900s. In his famous book "Think and Grow Rich" he wrote about the Master Mind principle as:

"The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work towards a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony."

He continues ...

"No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind."

Essentially, a Master Mind Group is formed by a collection of like minded people, often from different backgrounds, who come together on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis to share their successes, goals and problems from the previous month. Everybody within the group is on a par, and time is allocated to each member equally. Everybody’s participation is key. Your peers give you feedback, help you brainstorm new possibilities, and set up accountability structures that keep you focused and on track. You will create a community of supportive colleagues who will brainstorm together to move the group to new heights.

One way to think of it is as if you were a company, then this is a supportive board of directors. Each person is there to help a different part of your business and has their own area of knowledge. However, nobody comes with an agenda, and there should be no sub-divisions, deliberate selling or other behaviour which detracts the group from its main aim – helping each of its members to become more successful at whatever it is they wish to do.

At the start of 2006, I formed a Master Mind Group with a colleague. Between us, we gathered six other people for a one day event to see whether by the end of that day, they would like to form a Master Mind Alliance. Sitting in the room on that first day, I was a little in awe of my colleagues. One was a millionaire, another had recently been awarded an OBE, and others included successful coaches, consultants and business owners. I imagined how much the hourly rate would be for their combined services! Would people as knowledgeable as these people really be able to gain from a Master Mind Alliance?

However, by the end of the first day, it was clear that not only had everybody got far more out of the day than we thought possible, we had all decided to go forward with the monthly meetings.

• The experience, skills and confidence of the other members.
• Real measurable progress towards your business and personal goals.
• A valuable support network from people you respect and trust.
• A sense that others are supporting your endeavour.
• A monthly progress check that stops key projects from drifting.
• A palpable sense of energy and activity from the group.
• A formal reporting structure – we need to deliver on what we promise.
• A challenge to what we assume to be correct and guidance on the way forward.

If you are interested in forming your own group or finding out more, the next step is to sit down and think about suitable prospects for membership. The wrong people will kill a group before it begins. Cynical, negative people will stop others from sharing, whilst people with no experience or knowledge to offer make the group worthless. Here are a few tips on the type of people you should consider:

• People who have a similar interest (such as a group who run their own businesses) but are not direct competitors.
• People who have a broadly similar skill and/or success level.
• People who are experts in different areas of business. For example, a financial adviser, an accountant, a business coach, a marketing person etc.
• People who have a genuine desire to ‘better’ themselves financially, professionally and personally.
• People who already set and achieve their goals.
• People who are willing to share their ideas and happy to help the group.
  

Because of the nature of the group, a firm commitment is required. Look for highly-motivated people who are willing to ask for help and support, and are willing to offer help and support to others.

Our group meets once a month on or around the first Monday of the month. We meet at 7.30am. In our agenda, we discuss progress we have made with our goals from the previous month. We then review four books that members of the group have read on aspects of success, and share the main findings. After breakfast, the rest of the morning is spent on each member of the group in turn. We each raise a problem we have encountered, an idea we have had or an experience that has occurred. We then ask for feedback, comments and help. The group listen and share their best ideas, contacts and supportive and/or critical comments. The meeting ends with the group sharing 5 to 10 goals for the next month.

During the month, each member of the group has a ‘buddy’. It is their job to talk to each other to make sure that their goals are on track and being fulfilled.

As I write this down, I must admit it doesn’t sound like much, but ask any member of the group and they will tell you the same thing. The effect it has had on each of us has been extraordinary, with a great deal more being achieved as a result of our monthly meetings.

A Master Mind Alliance creates a win-win situation for all participants. New friendships develop and everyone grows because of the support and encouragement offered.

If you are interested in setting one up, by all means e-mail or call me and I’ll be happy to answer any questions I can on how to take the next step.

The next £100,000 Marketing Seminar is on Friday September 8th. I usually rest this event during the summer, so the September seminar always proves very popular. The event runs from 10am until 4pm and includes more that 100 proven marketing ideas – each of which has generated at least £1,000 for my clients - including:

• 14 rules and marketing principles that every business should adopt as part of their marketing.
• 14 rules about advertising that will generate greater responses for your business and save you money. One delegate used one of these ideas and by lunchtime had saved more than £2,000 on an advertising campaign he was running the next week.
• 16 ideas on how to retain your existing customers for longer, how to increase the value of your sales to them and how to create a newsletter that gets read. Marketing is not just about new customers – marketing should be about retaining your existing customers.
• 14 ideas for creating successful direct mail letters which combined have generated well over £3,000,000 in sales. One marketing letter using these ideas alone won a series of contracts worth over £60,000. The cost was just £40 for stamps.
• 15 ideas on making brochures work better, including alternatives to brochures such as special reports which can be used as part of your marketing activities.
• 5 ideas on branding – how to create a memorable brand and why so many Marketing Managers from large companies get it wrong so often.
• 8 ideas on how to get your business in the news, how to create a news release and why getting your name in the paper is only half the marketing story.
• 12 ideas on low pressure selling that get results. Why the ‘gift of the gab’ is not the best way to sell, how marketing and sales need to be closely linked and a checklist of ideas to help you close more effectively.
• 10 ideas to make your website more effective, including how to generate more traffic, what to avoid on your site and how to recycle your marketing material online to generate more enquiries.
• And finally, 10 marketing and business ideas that will help every entrepreneur and marketing person become more successful in what they do.
  

You could argue that there is enough material here for at least four marketing seminars, but the £100,000 Marketing Seminar contains them all. Over 100 proven and tested ideas - plus we have time for a full lunch, 2 coffee breaks and some time for networking and ideas from delegates.
The cost is just £100 plus VAT. Call 01858 44 55 43 to find out more or e-mail seminar@idealmarketingcompany.com

Olympic athletes, Oscar winning actors, millionaire business owners – wherever they started from in life, they became a success because of one common factor – they knew how to set and how to achieve goals. SET for Success is an intensive one day seminar that will show you how to work out specifically what you want from life, and then show you how you can achieve it. This life changing day costs only £100 (plus VAT). If you are a business owner, have responsibility for staff or work in a sales role, it could be the best money you will ever spend.

“Today really made me stop and think about where I am going with my life and was a really interesting and comprehensive insight into goal setting, work life balance and how to get to where you want in your life.”
Richard Hobbs

“If you are looking for a seminar that will help you get more out of your business and your personal life then look no further. You will come away with your priorities in order, feeling inspired and with a strong sense of belief that your goals are achievable. This is a day with a serious intent to it, but you’ll love every minute of it.”
Jenny Berg

The next SET for Success seminar takes place at Hothorpe Hall near Market Harborough on Friday June 23rd.

Your 6 Month Guarantee. If you apply the ideas taught on this course and fail to see a significant difference in your life, we will refund every penny of your admission price. You have absolutely nothing to lose - so reserve your place or to find out more. Call 01858 44 55 43 or e-mail seminar@idealmarketingcompany.com