“We grew by openly sharing and swapping our best ideas. With radical transparency.”
That’s how Bill Bonner, founder of Agora Inc., opened his talk at the 2017 Publisher’s Roundtable in Rancho Santana, Nicaragua.
In a room filled with some of the sharpest direct marketers in the world, all eyes were on the 69 year-old billionaire.
As one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world of direct response publishing, even an off-hand comment from Bill can be worth its weight in gold.
Here, he was behind the lectern, giving a prepared presentation. A rare treat.
So attendees were glued to his every word. Me included…
“We freely share our most profitable marketing methods because we all benefit from an open exchange of what’s working. By giving away our best stuff, the collective group benefits and expands. That’s how our little publishing company has been able to grow to over one billion in annual revenues.”
This spirit of intellectual generosity has been a staple of Agora Inc. since I can remember.
Even the Publisher’s Roundtable itself is an example — an open and transparent forum of top direct marketing companies freely sharing their marketing, copy, and offers which have produced the best results.
The Opposite Of The Average
Yet, this “open book” mentality and approach to competition is the antithesis of the way most marketers and entrepreneurs operate.
Most are terrified of their best ideas getting out. They’re hush-hush about them. Don’t mention them publicly. Guard them.
They think if they’ve stumbled on some idea or method working for them that it’ll give them a competitive advantage in the market if they keep it as a closely-guarded secret.
But, today, everything done online can be reverse-engineered.
So no idea or strategy or tactic is a competitive advantage. It’s not a matter of if, but when, every idea becomes public knowledge.
So attempting to keep your best stuff hidden is futile.
Not too mention, it creates a mentality of scarcity. And only serves to slow down your own growth and insights if you’re not participating in an open exchange of ideas with other equally generous entrepreneurs.
A Prime Example
My friend, Joe Schriefer, has cultivated this exact type of “open book” mentality and approach with the weekly private Agora Financial marketing and copywriting discussions.
Every week a couple dozen of the top copywriters and marketers in the world freely share their best gems, insights, and methods with each other for 30 minutes.
Nobody is guarding anything… holding anything back… or fearful of sharing their absolute best stuff. Everyone lays it all out, bare, for everyone to hear, enjoy, and benefit from.
In fact, check this out…
One of our recent weekly discussions was about how to quickly create a little book and drive it to best-seller status on Amazon in a matter of days.
There were a handful of attendees who have experience doing this many times over.
So, in the group’s spirit of tremendous intellectual generosity, these attendees recorded some videos and worksheets of their methods… along with marketing examples of how they did it… for all attendees to enjoy.
All free for members of the weekly private Agora Financial marketing and copywriting discussions.
Their best stuff… given away… openly.
And I love it — both the content and the spirit behind it.
I encourage you to do the same.
Either assemble your own group of savvy, “open book” entrepreneurs… or take one of my invites and join me and Joe on the weekly Agora Financial marketing and copy discussions.
Personally, I’ll continue to openly share my best nuggets on the weekly calls and with you and our tribe. Treating my marketing methods as if they were “open source”.
You should do the same.
You may not quite recognize how just yet, but this will absolutely bring you to a new level with your skills and results.
Enjoy,
Todd
P.S. I try to never miss a single one of the weekly private Agora Financial marketing and copywriting discussions. They’re some of the most valuable 30 minutes of my week.