Over the last few years, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know over 100 millionaires. And I didn’t get to know them just casually either… some of them have become my mentors while others have become good friends.
It’s crazy to believe that I’ve accomplished this in just a matter of a few years, especially since I live in the middle of nowhere.
Connecting with millionaires can change your luck. Follow these 7 steps to connect with them in a meaningful way.
So, you’re probably wondering how I did it, right? Well, it wasn’t easy by any means, but with some hard work you can do it too. Here’s how you can connect with 100 millionaires.
Interview millionaires
When I first started out, I didn’t know one millionaire. I live in Maine, and there aren’t any around. So, it made sense that I decided to interview millionaires as none of them lived in my city.
I didn’t know where to start… so I went to iTunes and looked up the word “millionaire”. I found a few people that were okay with saying they were millionaires. I sent a few quick emails asking them for an interview. I assumed that none of them would say “yes” because I didn’t have a podcast, website or anything… but to my surprise, they all said “yes”!
Interviewing millionaires is a great way to connect with them! It allows them to be the primary speaker, and they usually agree because it’s a great way for them to market themselves and get more exposure.
You don’t have to do a weekly podcast. You can just do a millionaire series of five of the key millionaires you want to reach to be part of the series.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Request an interview via email – simply email a millionaire and ask them for a quick interview. You can usually get their email address or contact details from their website.
- Start your own interview show – this is what I ended up doing, and it was the key component that helped me become friends with a few millionaires.
- Leverage other sites – sites like mine Eventual Millionaire or Mixergy, for example, have a big list of millionaires. You can use them as a starting point to come up with your own list of millionaires.
- Always use multiple touches – don’t just contact these millionaires through emails. They get bombarded with so many requests each day that they forget to respond to all of their emails. Make sure you also contact them through the social profiles… such as Twitter or LinkedIn.
Action item: Email three people and ask for an interview a month or two in advance. That way you have a hard deadline to figure out all of the tech aspects of recording, etc. Some might say “no”, but just keep asking!
Use Help A Reporter Out (HARO)
After I did my first three interviews, I realized it might be tough to find more millionaires. So, I decided to try HARO. I didn’t know how many millionaires would respond. I thought that I might get a couple. But I ended up verifying and scheduling over 30 millionaire interviews from HARO.
Not only did I connect with 30 millionaires, I also have been featured on MSN, Fox Business, Success Magazine, and many more from HARO!
Here’s how you can do the same:
- Sign up – register on HARO’s website as a Reporter.
- Submit queries – submit queries for what you’re looking for, and HARO will email you sources that match the requirements.
- Help reporters out – respond to the pitches to get press and links. You can get major press coverage and great backlinks to your site by using HARO too.
Action item: Register as a Reporter on HARO and submit a query. If your site has an Alexa Rank of one million or less, this will be more effective. If it doesn’t, keep cranking away, and you will eventually get there.
Attend networking conferences
When I attend a conference, I like to have an event to invite people to. That means I get all of their cell phone numbers to be able to text them the location and time. It feels exclusive, so people ask if they can invite other people.
When I was at a conference in Vegas, a friend of mine had a complimentary suite. I asked if we could plan something in his suite, and I invited another friend, a mind-reading sword swallower, to join us and bring his swords.
When I was mingling with people and found someone I wanted to further connect with, I said, “I’m putting together a little gathering. There will be a sword swallower and a crazy card game called Cards Against Humanity. Just give me your cell, and I’ll text you the details.”
There were a few millionaires I knew at the conference, and I was able to connect with their friends, who were also millionaires. One of the millionaires I invited was John Hall from Influence and Co, and he brought the alcohol! It cost me zero dollars. Great connections were made, and it was a really fun night.
This strategy is effective because you’ll get to know millionaires on a personal level, which is better than just getting to know them over the Internet. These in-person networking events will help you transform your relationships with successful people from being acquaintances to friends.
Here’s how you can replicate this:
- Set specific goals – before attending a conference, set goals that describe who you’d like to talk to or how many connections you’d like to make.
- Meet someone before you go – ideally you want to be friends with a key influencer before you go to the conference. That way you have someone to vouch for you. Find out who is going and start to build that relationship early. When you meet, make a point of meeting that person early in the conference.
- Get introduced by your successful friend – when you already have one friend that knows others, it’s easier to have them introduce you. It’s harder to walk up to someone successful and build a trusting relationship within minutes.
- Plan dinners – like my story above, plan a party in a suite or plan a dinner at a restaurant near the conference and invite several people with whom you’d like to connect. They have to eat too, and having a reservation or arrangements already made so that all they have to do is show up makes it super easy for them.
Action item: Register for and attend at least one networking conference where very successful people will be. You don’t want to be just a conference attendee. You want to connect with the most successful people at the conference.
Use social media
Most millionaires manage their own social media accounts and actually respond on them. Use this as an initial contact to start building a relationship.
Many times I “friend” or add a millionaire on Twitter before I ask to connect. You can start to build a relationship by retweeting or sharing their content. Engage with them first and then connect with them later.
I had a list of amazing millionaires I wanted to connect with, from Gary Vaynerchuk to Dani Johnson. Eventually, I emailed both Gary and Dani, and both ended up saying “yes”.
Introducing yourself on social media first is a great way to get people to recognize your name and face. Once I became known for interviewing millionaires, it became a lot easier to make new connections with the people on my list.
Amy Applebaum, a guest I’ve had on my show twice, found me on Twitter. Her sister connected with me and said she loved what I was doing. We set up a quick chat and have been friends ever since!
This is just one example of the countless connections I’ve made on social media. Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn offer a great platform for a first connection.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Leverage Facebook – friend millionaires with whom you have mutual friends. Normally I send a quick message that says, “I noticed you were friends with so and so too, and I thought it would be cool to connect.” Or “like” their page. This gives you an initial forum in which to interact.
- Twitter – follow them on Twitter. Retweet relevant tweets, share their articles and begin conversations with them by tweeting a question.
- LinkedIn – join LinkedIn groups they’re a part of and join the conversations.
Action item: Pick one social media outlet and connect with one millionaire.
Pay for their time
Offering people money is a great way to get some of their time.
“Listen, I realize your time is valuable, so I am happy to pay whatever you think is appropriate for an hour of your time even if that’s more than your normal rate. Whatever you feel is appropriate, I am happy to Paypal that to you. Can I get on your calendar in the next two weeks?”
Every single person I emailed responded with:
“That sounds really interesting. Yes, let’s schedule it. As for payment, no need, I’ll do it for free.”
What’s even more interesting is that every time I got on the phone with one of these millionaires, they explained how they appreciated that I respected and valued their time as most people send them email asking for free advice.
I know this sounds like an odd strategy, but it works. When I find there is a millionaire with whom I want to connect and I am not getting traction with the other ways described above, I take it a step further and offer to pay them for their time.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Ask them for their time – if you already have someone in mind, see if they offer one on one time and purchase it. Otherwise, simply email them and use the template above.
- Use Clarity.fm – If you want to talk to successful people and actually pay by the minute, go to Clarity.fm. That site has very successful people that can give you advice.
- Be prepared – when time comes for your paid hour, be prepared with the questions you want to ask. Their time is valuable, and you’ve paid for it, so get the most value for your money.
Action item: Email or look on Clarity.fm for one successful person you have been wanting to get a hold of and offer to pay for his/her time… assuming the other strategies above haven’t worked for you.
Find a mentor
Meeting millionaires is one thing, but being able to call them a friend or mentor is a huge asset. Networking with so many people has offered me many opportunities to go to millionaires and ask for their advice. They check in with me, and I ask strategic questions.
One of the first millionaires that really helped me was Chris Gravagna. I did one interview with him, and we connected after the show talking about his consulting company.
We talked for a long time, and he said if I ever needed help to let him know, and I ended up asking for it later. We spent hours on the phone, and we met in person. He was an invaluable asset when I was starting out.
Mentors are a vital business resource I recommend to everyone. A mentor is a person who guides and advises you. This person will also push you forward in your business. Many times, a mentorship emerges out of a business relationship.
Here’s how you can get a mentor:
- Get connected – meeting more people will provide you with more opportunities to find a mentor, so go out and connect with more people. That way you have more potential mentors.
- Give first – depending on your prospective mentor, offer to work for them for free for a certain number of hours per week in exchange for mentoring.
- Deepen the relationship – you may need to give more in order to deepen the relationship into one where it is appropriate to ask for a mentorship.
Action item: Write a list of at least 10 potential mentors. Check Facebook, search online or ask friends. Connect with them and start building a relationship.
Create your own mastermind group
After one interview with one of the millionaires I met through HARO, we chatted for hours. I mentioned I had created a mastermind group, and he said he was looking for one. Once my group had an opening, we invited him and he has been part of our group for years now.
I am asked all the time how to find a mastermind group. I always suggest creating your own. You then have control of who you invite and the structure of the group.
Select a few people you admire and ask them to be in your group. It may take a while to get the right group of people, but in the end, this group will help you in many ways. For templates and emails on creating your own mastermind group, check out this Smart Passive Income article on Mentors and Masterminds.
Action item: Commit to creating your own mastermind group with amazingly successful people. Sometimes it’s scary at first to approach people that are at a higher level, but once you have one of them say “yes”, it’s easier to get others to say “yes” too.
Conclusion
So, there you have it: you’ve now learned the 7 ways I have gotten to know over 100 millionaires and how you can do it too. For me, it was a learning process every step of the way, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without doing each of these things.
Just choose ONE action item from the article and write it down. Just one! Put it on your To Do list or schedule it in your calendar now.
What do you think? Do you have any tips for meeting millionaires? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
S & G 