100 people can change your life

It takes just 100 people to change your life.

I explain this, to every client I work with. I know this as it changed my life and the trajectory of my life and I hope the below will do the same for you.

In this week's newsletter I am going to explain how 100 people can change your life, your work, and your business.

Then I will show you various ways you can apply it to your business.

Let’s go!

What is the Dream 100?

In online marketing, the Dream 100 is a process for finding and infiltrating the online congregations of a specific target market.

It was created by Chet Holmes and popularized by Russell Brunson, the founder of ClickFunnels, in his Secrets Trilogy…

You can think of the Dream 100 as the 100 people who simply by knowing you and what you offer with your business can help you exponentially.

Once you’ve identified your Dream 100, the rest of the process involves infiltrating those communities to get your offer in front of your target market, drive people to your sales funnel, and grow your business.

There are a lot of different applications of the Dream 100 — and we’ll discuss those in detail here shortly.

But first let us talk about Sarah

In 2000, Sara Blakely, described how she cleaned out her $5,000 savings account after a "sign" from Oprah and turned her simple idea into a $100 million business.

Sara Blakely was once a door-to-door fax machine salesperson. Now, she’s known as the founder of Spanx, a billion-dollar company that sells undergarments, leggings, and swimwear. Learn the tactics she used to go from a struggling entrepreneur to a high-net-worth business mogul but it started with an idea and a list of 100 people who she knew could change her life if they only knew about SPANX.

One of those people was Oprah.

If any entrepreneur knows how to hustle, it’s billionaire Sara Blakley. She started SPANX with a $0 marketing and advertising budget. The company relied entirely on networking, social connections, and customers’ word-of-mouth.?Before affiliate marketing, ads, and sponsored posts were a thing, Blakely paid her friends to show up in various cities and create hype around her product. When she’d schedule a live demonstration in a store, she’d pay people money to show up and act excited.

Most importantly, Blakely became razor-sharp focused on her product getting media attention. She knew she shared a target audience with entertainer Oprah Winfrey.

She sent a prototype to her show with a handwritten note. The pair of SPANX caught the attention of the person who dressed the celebrity. After wearing the product, Oprah was sold.

She loved SPANX so much, she featured Blakely on her infamous “Favorite Things” episode.?In 2000, The Oprah Winfrey Show shared Sara Blakely and SPANX with the world and everything changed.

Oprah was one of the 100 people on Sarah's Dream 100.

Applying the Dream 100 to Your Business

You should now have a basic idea of what the Dream 100 is.

Shortly, we’re going to walk through 6 detailed steps to making it happen.

But you might be wondering how you’re supposed to apply the Dream 100 process to your marketing efforts — what exactly can it help you with?

Here’s a list!

Public Relations

Want to increase brand awareness by getting published on top media outlets? Create a list of the top 100 writers/editors on those outlets and send them information from your podcast.

What, you didnt think I was gonna miss the secret ingredient to how I have used the dream 100!

Influencer Marketing

This is one of the best uses of the Dream 100. Make a list of the top influencers that your target market follows and try to connect with them organically through your podcast. Offer them a chance to be on your show, to share their mission and message, and then use that to find out how your product and/or service can help them. Use the show to build rapport and a relationship and find out how you can be of value. Then be of value, help them, and then have them return to the show to talk about it. Suddenly you have a friend, a client, an ambassador, and proof of your value to your audience and their audience.

Social Media

Social media is one of the best places to apply the Dream 100 strategy. You can find influencers, groups, or forums where your target market congregates. Then get them on your show, create content from your podcast, and share it on your social media AND their social media.

Affiliate Army

What if influencers in your market were selling your products or services for you? Better yet, what if you only had to pay those people when they made a sale? That’s how influencer marketing works and the Dream 100 is a wonderful strategy for finding and building relationships with potential affiliates.

Let us look at a master of this.

John Lee Dumas is one of the most successful business podcasters of all time, with more than 1 million listeners, more than 100 million podcasts listen, and many millions of dollars of revenue.

Just last month, John’s?Entrepreneurs of Fire?show generated $162,345.

In John’s case, he doesn’t only produce a podcast. He has other revenue streams such as affiliate marketing, books, online courses, a membership site, and more.?

Lets talk about affiliates. He gets people ( his dream 100) on his show with the same audience as his, and promotes their products ( he gets a percentage) on his site - and they promote his products and services on their site.

“I’ve always fostered my network, and that’s why I’m so obsessed with?Entrepreneurs on Fire?and interviewing the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and surrounding myself with the right people,” John said. “I truly believe that to the core.”?

Podcasts/Newsletters

Use your podcast to also make a newsletter as it's a great way to build brand awareness. And the Dream 100 is how you make it happen systematically. Make a list of the top 100 people to be on your show and then a list of the top 100 podcasts you want to be on, once done - create a newsletter from that show - and the shows you were a guest on included in your newsletter.

Step 1. Identify Your Dream Customer

As we’ve discussed, the Dream 100 process consists of finding the places where your dream customers congregate and then infiltrating those places with your message/offer.

But you can’t do that if you don’t know who your dream customers are.

So that’s the first step.

Identify your dream customer.

You should know your dream customer so well that it materializes as a person — you might even consider giving her a name and finding a picture to represent her.

Consider the following story that Russell tells in his bestselling book, Traffic Secrets — it does a great job of illustrating just how important having a customer avatar is…

• “I don’t know if Alexis will like this,” said an executive at Sally Beauty Supply.
• Confused, my friend Perry Belcher asked, “What?” He set down his new scented hand sanitizer that he had brought in to pitch at the meeting.
• He picked up his new UV nail polish and handed it to the group. “Okay, well, how about this product?” he asked.
• They looked at it, opened it up, and smelled it. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that Alexis won’t like this either,” they replied.
• More confused than ever, and now a little frustrated, Perry brought out his third and final product to pitch to them.
• In a similar fashion, they looked at the product, gave it a quick once-over, and then said, “Sorry, Alexis definitely wouldn’t be interested in this one either.”
• More frustrated, Perry looked at the two execs he was talking to and finally blurted “Who is Alexis?! Is she the decision maker? Why isn’t she in this meeting instead of you two? Is she here? Can I just talk directly to her? I know that I can convince her that your company needs to sell these products!”
• There was a moment of silence, and then both execs burst out in laughter.
• “Alexis isn’t a person. She’s our customer avatar!” one replied.

So how do you identify your dream customer?

We’ve got to work backward.

Step 2. Find Where Your Dream Customers Congregate

So you’ve identified your dream customer and you’ve built a compelling sales funnel that will turn traffic into leads like clockwork.

Find them - get them on your podcast - follow up via email

The next step is where the Dream 100 really comes to life — it’s also where it gets its name.

Create a spreadsheet and make a list of the top 100 (the “dream 100”) places where you want to get your sales funnel in front of your dream customers.

There are different ways to create this list based on your specific marketing goals (as we talked about in the section about various applications of the Dream 100).

But here’s a good starting place…

• 10 websites and forums
• 15 active Facebook groups
• 50 influencers on Facebook & Instagram
• 30 podcasts
• 40 email newsletters
• 20 blogs
• 20 YouTube Channels

Keep in mind: these should all be relevant and specific to your dream customers.

That is, the websites, forums, podcasts, newsletters, etc. that you identify should be the places where your dream customers love to hang out already.

What you are going to do next is simple.

You’re going to inject your message and offer into those communities by either working your way in or buying your way in.

But before we get into that, here’s a question that people often ask…

How prestigious should these blogs, podcasts, newsletters, and influencers be?

The answer depends on where you’re at in your business. If you’re just getting started then you might choose some lower-hanging fruit. Or if you have a more established business, then you might be willing to shoot for the moon.

But one thing’s for sure: your list should make you excited about the possibilities.

You should be able to know for a fact that if you get attention from the places on your list… your business is going to grow beyond your imagination.

That’s why it’s called the “Dream” 100 — you’ve got to do a bit of dreaming. ??

Once you have, it’s time to start “working your way in” to those communities.

Step 3. Work Your Way In

Great!

Let’s get into the fun part of the process.

You’ve made a list of 100 or more places where your dream customers are already hanging out online.

Now we’re going to infiltrate those congregations with your message, brand, and offer.

There are two ways to do that. You can either…

• Work Your Way In — This is all about building authentic relationships with key decision-makers and turning those people into fans of your products or services so that they’ll promote them to their audience.
• Buy Your Way In — This is all about paying to get publicity. That includes ads, sponsorships, and paid influencer marketing.

Where possible, I recommend starting by trying to work your way in — it’s cheaper and it has a much bigger long-term impact on your business.

HINT. USE A PODCAST

(Because people don’t just stop being fans. They stay fans… and they keep telling people about your business for years to come)

But…

How do you turn your Dream 100 into die-hard fans for your products or services?

Here’s the process!

Days 1-14: Find, Follow, & Engage With the Right Person

The first step is to identify the person whom you should be trying to connect. For a list of influencers, that’s easy… you just want to connect with the influencer.

But what about the other categories?

Here’s a quick reference guide for who you should be trying to connect with based on the platform.

• Forums → No one in particular. Forums are just a place where you should start engaging regularly to build rapport and drive periodic traffic to who you are and what you do.
• Facebook Groups → The admin or owner of the Facebook group.
• Influencers → The influencers themselves or, if they’re big enough, their agent.
• Podcasts → The podcast host or, if they’re big enough, their manager.
• Newsletters → The editor-in-chief of the newsletter is a good place to start.
• Blogs → The writers of the blog or the editor-in-chief.
• YouTube Channels → The creators of the Channel.

Once you’ve found the right person for each of your Dream 100, write down their name, email address, and social media links.

(Hunter is a great free tool for finding email addresses)

Then?

Subscribe to all of their stuff and follow them on every channel.

During the time you’d normally spend scrolling social media, instead use that time to engage with your Dream 100. Like their posts, comment on their videos, and share their most interesting content.

But be authentic.

Stay true to yourself and your business.

Your goal for the first 14 days is to start organically connecting with these people so that they see your face a bit and recognize you as a fan of theirs.

Days 15-30: Contacting the Dream 100 (No Pitches Allowed)

By this point, your Dream 100 will be a bit familiar to you.

You’re not a stranger anymore… you’re a fan.

That makes you more approachable.

And so this is the part where you contact your Dream 100 directly via email or direct message (ideally on their primary platform) and try to open up a dialogue.

You’re not trying to pitch them anything at this point except to be on your show/ your podcast and share with your audience, all the reasons you are a fan of theirs!!

You want them on your podcast so that you can start a conversation, build rapport, and start an authentic friendship.

Here are some ideas for conversation starters…when in the DM phase

• Ask a clarifying question about something that they posted.
• Tell them a SHORT story about how their content/products have personally impacted you. Thank them.
• Present yourself as a newbie and ask for the opportunity to have them on your podcast!

Follow the conversation wherever it goes.

And try to do this a few times over the next couple of weeks.

You’ll find some of your Dream 100 who you vibe with better than others — that’s okay, that’s an important part of the process.

Keep momentum with the budding relationships and allow the incongruous ones to fizzle out.

Red Flags ??

Don’t send a templated message –

So many times I see copy/paste emails that have been sent to 500 other influencers that day, and these messages don’t get a response.

Write each person a personal message or don’t send anything at all.?

Don’t tell me your story yet –

There will be a day and time that your Dream 100 will care about your story, but it’s not with the first message.

HINT - ITS IN YOUR PODCAST EPISODE WITH THEM.

You telling them your story is them serving you, and you have not built up the reciprocity yet.

Serve first, or they will never have a chance to serve you later.

Green Lights ??

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen your face –

Most of your Dream 100 spend time publishing things they believe in, and if you don’t think they read the comments on the things they publish, you’re wrong.

Make sure that they’ve seen your face actively participating in meaningful ways in the discussions they create, so when they see you pop in their inbox or as a direct message, they recognize you.

During this phase, you are selling yourself to the Dream 100, not your product. If they don’t like you, they’ll never want to be on your podcast or know more about your product and or service.

They tell me how great I am –

I know that sounds shallow, but come on, there’s a reason we’re doing this.

I personally feel very uncomfortable when people give me direct praise, especially in front of people, but I love reading it in comments or messages, and I remember the people who tell me how what I’m doing has impacted them.

They’ve done their homework –

They know who I am and what I care about, so when we do talk, they ask me about stuff that’s important to me. When people ask me about my wife or kids I know they don't know me but when they ask me about traveling or things that I’m really passionate about, I relate to them differently and I remember who they are.

They don’t ask for anything now –

Just don’t do it. Trust me. If you ask too early, the answer will always be no.

There will be a time, but that time is not now unless it is to be on your podcast.

But even that I would sometimes wait on it.

Days 31-60

By now you should have a pretty decent relationship with some of the people on your Dream 100 list.

You’ve engaged in some conversations with them and maybe even offered some tips back and forth. Now the goal is to try and make them a die-hard fan of your products or services.

This is when you ask them to be on your podcast!! ???

THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART ??

After being on the podcast, after emails thanking them for being on your podcast and emails sharing content from your podcast and results and positive praise from your podcast - that's when you can ask for something or offer to solve a pain they shared with you on your podcast!!

Or this is when you can ask them to help you promote your product or service.

How do you do that?

Let’s start by reading a couple of stories about how Russell Brunson did it with two separate book launches.

This is also interesting to an amazing woman I spoke with, this morning in India.

The first is for DotCom Secrets…

“When I launched DotCom Secrets, I knew that I was going to spend a lot of money on paid ads (i.e., buy my way into the Dream 100), but I also wanted to get as much free initial traffic as possible. I started by sending a pre-release copy of my book to everyone on my Dream 100, including dozens of podcasters, bloggers, email list owners, and influencers. I wanted them to read the book, and if they liked it, I hoped they would promote it to their followings. A few days later, I sent them a certified letter in the mail (I could have sent an email, but I wanted to make sure I got their attention) telling them that if they liked the book, I would love to have them help promote the book on the launch date. I’d even be willing to pay them $20 for every book they sold.

Now see how he took that to another level for Expert Secrets…

“When we launched Expert Secrets, I wanted to take that same strategy to the next level. We took our Dream 100, and as soon as I had a cover designed for the book, I sent them a copy of the book with 300 blank pages inside. I hadn’t started writing it yet, but I wanted them to be aware that I was writing another book. As I got closer to my launch date, I sent them a copy of the book with the first four chapters in it (to help them get excited), and as soon as I had the first, unedited draft, I sent them another copy. They had a chance to see me create this book with them, and because of that, many of them had a vested interest in its success.”

Genius, right?

By the time the books launched, he had this huge ecosystem of people he’d connected with via the Dream 100? process — people who liked and trusted him.

The next step was simple.

Make them a generous and compelling offer.

Something that will be difficult for them to refuse because it’s so good.

Start by giving them your products or services 100% for free. Then tell them that you’re willing to pay them $XX (the number should be compelling) for every item they sell for you.

You might not make much money on the products that you sell through your Dream 100, but that doesn’t matter because you’re turning all of those people into traffic that you own… and you can easily monetize them down the road.

That’s how you systematically work your way into your Dream 100 and gain tons of free publicity for a book!

Final Thoughts on the Dream 100

The Dream 100 is a wildly powerful and effective marketing strategy for creating viral promotions, for selling to one and then many.

For creating extra revenue streams, to get seen by more people, to get trusted by more people.

ITS THE MOST POWERFUL THING YOU CAN DO AFTER STARTING YOUR BUSINESS PODCAST!

It starts with identifying your dream customers and finding the places where they congregate online. Then you must build a rapport, either work your way in ( as I have explained above) or buy your way in, and finally, craft compelling follow-up emails sharing success to keep moving these new relationships forward, they grow as you grow.

It's the 8th wonder of the world.

COMPOUNDING.

That’s the process.

It’s simple and mind-blowingly effective for growing businesses.

It's also how I have done business, made incredible money and opportunities, been on incredible podcasts, like MindPump, and met my idols but the best yet..is that I can now call many of my Dream 100 my friends.

I engaged with them, added value in comments and reposting, started rapport, asked to add value to them with my audience, proved value on my podcast and then with emails - and offered to help sell their products and services on my site and through my channels and then offered to be on their shows to offer more value too.

Mind Pump is a top 10 health, fitness, and wellness podcast and generates over 1 million listens every month in over 100 countries.

Again, the relationships have been the real greatest success of my Dream 100 and that is what I wish for you the most.

Hope this helps, it is the only reason I do what I do.

Each one, reach one. Each one, teach one. Until all are taught.” — Mark Victor Hansen