Marvin V. Acuna

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Remember, this special offer expires at midnight Pacific Time tomorrow – Friday, January 22nd!

May Your Life Be Extraordinary,

Marvin V. Acuna

Click HERE to get all the details!

Remember, this offer expires on Friday, January 22nd at midnight Pacific Time!

May Your Life Be Extraordinary,

Marvin V. Acuna

In his immortal self-improvement book, “Think and Grow Rich” — Napoleon Hill describes a Mastermind Group as:

“Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”

And I’m a huge proponent of the Mastermind Group principle.

Why?

Because my personal participation in a Mastermind Group resulted in the creation of the BOSI community!

It’s the Mastermind Group’s spirit that challenges, inspires, and advises me to ensure that the BOSI is innovative, dynamic, and affords its community invaluable tools to propel careers forward.

And I urge you to experience the benefits of a Mastermind Group for yourself.

What is a Mastermind Group?

A Mastermind Group is a group of like minded individuals committed to the attainment of a definite purpose. The Mastermind is greater than the sum of the minds of the individuals in the group.

We’ve all heard the saying that “two heads are better than one.” Well, just imagine tapping into the infinite potential power of many minds when you create a team to work on a problem!

It’s important to remember that it is not the mind of one of the group members providing solutions. It is a mind that exists only as a result of all members coming together, an additional mind, a group mind… a Mastermind.

Each member contributing to the Mastermind can receive benefit far greater than could otherwise be generated from the same efforts if working by themselves.

What are the Benefits?

While there are innumerable benefits derived from a Mastermind Group, I’ll focus your attention here on just a few:

• Ability to leverage the group’s expertise
• Constructive feedback
• Emotional Support
• Inventive Solutions
• Accountability

How Do You Put a Mastermind Group Together?

If you already belong to a writer’s group, that’s fine. But that’s not a Mastermind Group. If you can’t find a Mastermind Group that fulfills the benefits above, you might want to consider putting one together on your own. Here’s how to do that.

What I’d do is to start first within your personal network. Rather than concentrating on the profession of the people you select to be part of your group, go with their personal attributes. Will they offer the benefits listed above? If so, they’re probably a good match.

It doesn’t matter if they’re actors, insurance salesmen, attorneys, high-powered business people, or other screenwriters. If they are dedicated to helping your career and you are dedicated to helping theirs, that’s all that matters.

In fact, you’ll be shocked at how these different, non-Hollywood perspectives will help you in your screenwriting business, and open up new orbits in your brain!

Important Point: Bring new members in slowly, but be quick to throw out non-contributing members! You’ll feel the energy shift when someone’s not in alignment with the group’s purpose.

Every week, take turns so that each member reviews their goals in front of the group. Set weekly and monthly milestones.

Offer suggestions, see how each other’s networks can help the attainment of group goals, and most importantly, let the energy and ideas flow! Be fair but firm with each other. This is how steel sharpens steel. This is the essence of a Mastermind Group.

The New Year is upon us. Therefore, as you embark on your mission to attain your definite purpose in your screenwriting business this year, I emphatically advocate that you participate in a Mastermind Group immediately.

Whether you join an already existing group, or put one together on your own — it can be one of the most advantageous tools you ever implement in your business.

Consider this: Thomas Edison, Andrew Carnegie, and Henry Ford all had Mastermind groups. The American Declaration of Independence was the result of a Mastermind, so was man’s first powered flight and the first man into space and eventually to the moon.

In fact, nearly every great achievement or massive fortune in history has been the product of a team of minds united in achieving the same definite purpose. Why not put this incredible power to use in your screenwriting business in 2010?

My inbox is already crowded with multiple invitations to participate as a speaker at the various screenwriting conferences/film festivals that will pepper cities across the US and internationally.

Soon you too will witness your inbox bursting at the seams with opportunities to attend the upcoming events in 2010.

As I considered what to share with you so that you could maximize those opportunities it occurred to me that an old friend, Stephanie Palmer, had written a very powerful book entitled Good in a Room.

Here are ten tips that she personally selected from her book and, more importantly, drawn from her experience as a former MGM executive.

If you learn them, you can join the ranks of those who know that they are “good in a room.”

1. Silence is the strongest start of all.

Don’t start talking until the decision-maker is ready.

If there have been a lot of people popping in, urgent phone calls or other interruptions, ask the executive if he or she is ready for you to begin. Make eye contact. Then, start slowly and deliver your first line. Make sure it is dynamite. Pause. Gauge the executive’s response. Then proceed with your presentation at a relaxed pace. Remember, even though you’re intimately familiar with your project, the buyer will be hearing it for the very first time.

2. Understand the buyer’s secret dream.

Even though top-level buyers can seem cold and recalcitrant, this is the result of seeing a seemingly endless stream of poorly prepared and emotionally needy sellers deliver mediocre pitches. Decision-makers don’t wake up thinking, “I can’t wait to disappoint people and pass on 30 projects today.” Instead, they hope today will be the day they discover their career-making project. Thus, you must position yourself and your project in a way that differentiates you from the masses and speaks directly to the buyer’s highest-priority needs.

3. Build rapport. Then, build some more.

People want to work with people they like.

Think about what you have in common with the decision-maker you’re meeting. Be ready to share a few brief, personal stories which demonstrate the attributes you believe will be most attractive to the buyer. Be prepared to ask a few open-ended questions that will encourage the buyer to speak about a non-business interest in a positive light.

All else being equal, you will have the edge if you can establish a personal connection.

4. Make your pitch repeatable.

Though you are selling your project to a decision-maker in the room, after the meeting, the buyer — if interested — becomes the seller and must pitch your idea to their colleagues or superiors. In Hollywood, this is known as the “logline.” If you can’t summarize your project in a brief, compelling statement, you haven’t thought about it enough.

Remember, the more you say, the less people hear. Choose your words carefully.

5. Acknowledge the competition.

Be prepared to answer questions such as, “What does my project have in common with other successful projects in the same industry? What were the last projects that the company purchased, and were they successful? Which of their projects is most similar to my own? What makes me the best person for this project?” Answering these key questions early in your presentation demonstrates that you have done your homework. This will encourage them to listen to what follows more closely.

6. The best meetings are conversational and interactive.

Many professionals make the mistake of performing an over-rehearsed spiel that sounds like an infomercial for their idea. Instead, pause frequently, especially when there is an opportunity for the buyer to give you a reaction or ask a question.

In an ideal world, you’d spend more time in a dialogue with the buyer, than performing a monologue.

7. Start from the beginning — always.

Even if you had a long and productive conversation the day before, you’d be surprised how much can change in the buyer’s mind. After all, you’ve been thinking about the meeting and they have, too. Assume that they’ve done more research, talked to some people and something has changed since the time you last spoke. It’s your job to figure out what that is. After some initial rapport building, do another information-gathering session. If appropriate, ask for a recap from their perspective.

8. Watch for hidden opportunities.

The buyer’s goal for the meeting may not be the same as yours. In addition to hearing your idea, the executive may be evaluating you to see if you would be a good fit for another project. Remember, when you are in the room, you are selling minimally two things: your project and yourself. Even if the meeting doesn’t result in a “yes,” making a favorable impression can be the beginning of a long-term professional relationship.

9. Don’t claim your expertise — demonstrate it.

Don’t just talk about your experience; show your expertise by positioning your project as it relates to the competition. Don’t brag or boast about past wins. If you must mention a past success, do it off-handedly and with humility. This is similar to the common rule about storytelling: “Show, don’t tell.” Remember, a lot of people talk the talk.

Those who are “good in a room” are focused on meeting the needs of the buyer and not on boosting their own ego.

10. Save a surprise for the end.

Plan multiple strategies to exit gracefully. Some techniques are to have a callback to a personal topic that you discussed at the beginning of the meeting, thank them for a specific, useful contribution they made during the meeting, or leave them a polished piece of material that they haven’t seen previously. Use a summary statement that you design specifically to be remembered and repeated.

Remember, last impressions last.

Surprise!

11. You are always in the room.

Develop your skills so that you can handle meetings that occur unexpectedly, like on a plane, at a party, or in a waiting room. More business starts from casual interactions than formal meetings across a conference room table.

The polished professional who is “good in a room” is ready for anything. But don’t feel the need to talk business in all situations. Often the best move is to say, “Why don’t we just enjoy the party, and I’ll follow up with you on Monday.”

These are invaluable tips, but they represent only the tip of the iceberg. I strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of the book for yourself. (NOTE: I receive no financial interest if you choose to purchase a copy of the book.)