INFORMATION FOR THE INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD GOUTAL

Regarding Your Collaboration Experiences


First of all, thanks!

I appreciate your willingness to participate with me in a telephone interview.

Have we agreed on a date and time when I can interview you? If not, what's easiest for you - -

  • Do you want to see all my available time slots and choose one? Go to my appointment book.
  • Do you want to contact me and suggest your best time? See telephone, Skype, and email contact information at right.
At the date and time of your call, you will call me. Click here for the number to call.

On this page, I hope to clarify any questions you may have about...


Purpose of the Interview - Background

I am writing a book series called Collaboration Simplified. It's premise is that collaboration with other entrepreneurs can accelerate one's business growth. It can be used at many stages of one's business development, from relative beginners to seasoned gurus.

The particular book in the series for which I most seek your interview concerns "Types of Collaboration." It will describe in detail various types of internet marketing collaborations. I intend to sprinkle the stories that I learn from these interviews throughout the book to illustrate the types of collaborations.

I believe people will be inspired by the stories --real life examples-- to implement the information I write about.

I have released two "free" special reports that is designed to whet the appetite for the subject of collaboration, and build some buzz for the books. You may download a copy of one of the reports to see what it is all about. You can also see that I am serious about what I am doing for this topic. (Click on the image at right; wait at least one minute for 7 MB download.)

You can also see the sales page for the first (completed) book in the series, Build Buzz for Your Blog.

The interview should take about 20 to 40 minutes. I will record the call as a way of taking notes. I will later shrink the information into a few paragraphs for the book. The material can include a link to a site of your choosing.

Collaboration Special Report


Content and Terminology in the Interview

I use the term collaboration broadly, as in "working with others to benefit each participant of the collaboration." Collaboration ranges from brief informal sharing of information to legally created partnerships. And everything in between.

At this point in my writing, I am using three general categories and terms. I am describing them here because I know people use different terms that can have either the same or different meanings. I hope this helps:

  1. Mutual Support --
    2. A group forms that in some way is used to promote every member's business. Examples:
    • "Tribes" - Small, informal, content syndication groups.
    • "Tribes" - Larger, more organized groups, both free and paid membership type groups.
    • Paid content syndication (like SYNND)
    • Ad sharing, and other joint list building efforts
    • Referral networks, online and offline (BNI, for example)
    • Two or more people brainstorm to help one person conceive ideas for a solution to a business challenge; then the favor is exchanged.
  2. Joint Ventures --
    3. Sometimes called Promotional Joint Ventures. One or more people share existing assets or skills to enable each to make money. Examples:
    • One person has a product, someone else has a large list
    • One person has skills, another has ideas, another has a large customer list
    • Etc.
  3. Partnering --
    4. Sometimes called Co-Ownership Joint Ventures. Sometimes included when the word "Mastermind" is used. One or more people come together to create new business for one another. Examples:
    • Two or more people conceive and jointly create a product: like a conversational webinar
    • Two or more people cooperate and joint create a product: like different chapters of an eBook; different posts on a blog (co-blogging)
    • Two or more people brainstorm to help create a joint product.
    • Two or more people go into business with each other, creating a legal partnership
I will be interested in:
  • How you got started with the collaboration.
  • What you contributed. What you did.
  • How it helped you, ...or
  • How things went wrong.
  • Lessons learned.


Interview Questions

You may wonder if an exact list of questions could be provided in advance.

I know it sounds reasonable. But even the best reporters cannot know all of the questions they would ask when trying to "get a story."

Please keep in mind, the recording will never be heard by anyone but myself. I am not interviewing you to create a public podcast, for example. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to read the few paragraphs that I write BEFORE they are published.

I don't know for sure what direction the conversation will go. It depends greatly on the type of collaboration we are talking about, and beyond the three main types there are many variations.

That said, here are some examples of questions . Naturally, it is unlikely that all of these would be used with one person!

  • For content syndication or tribe type stories:
    • Are you involved with any content syndication network or tribe?
    • How did you hear about it? Paid or free?
    • Did you organize it? What were your goals? Method of communication with members?
    • Number of members? Pros and cons of size?
    • Expectations of members? Tracking and accountability of member contributions?
    • Main benefits for you? Side benefits?
    • Did this collaboration accelerate your growth, slow down your growth or make no difference to your growth?
    • Was the tribe also like a mastermind group? Did the tribe create any joint projects or activities?
    • Are you involved in any referral groups- offline (like BNI) or online?
  • For mastermind stories:
    • Have you participated in any mastermind group? Was it primarily for developing group projects together, or for supporting one another in each person's individual projects?
    • How did you hear about it? Paid or free?
    • Why did you get involved? Was it your first mastermind? Did this experience work out as expected or were you surprised by how it worked out?
    • Did you organize it? What were your goals? Method of communication with members?
    • Number of members? Pros and cons of size?
    • Expectations of members? Rules / Guidelines?
    • How long involved? Open-ended or completion date?
    • Main benefits for you? Side benefits? Would you have more or less accomplished the same thing(s) without the group?
    • If you were not the organizer, would you consider organizing one?
    • Did the process go well? People have any conflicts?
    • Did this collaboration accelerate your growth, slow down your growth or make no difference to your growth?
  • For joint venture or promotional stories:
    • Did you partner with someone else, where you both had existing assets that you wanted to leverage together?
    • What different things did each person bring to the table?
    • How did you meet?
    • How did the process work? Did you agree to things verbally or in writing?
    • What was YOUR purpose? (list building? cash? exposure?) What was the purpose of your partner(s)?
    • What it successful? Lessons learned?
    • Did this collaboration accelerate your growth, slow down your growth or make no difference to your growth?
  • For partnering or co-ownership project type stories:
    • Did you partner with someone else to actually create things together? (a blog, business entity, a book, webinar, etc?)
    • What different things did each person bring to the table?
    • How did you meet?
    • How did the process work? Did you agree to things verbally or in writing?
    • Have you actually merged into a single company / legal partnership? Or do you remain individual businesses?
    • What have you made? Could you have done it yourself?
    • Who worked full time / part time?
    • How do you complement each other?
    • What is your greatest accomplishment together? Disappointment?
    • Have you finished your collaboration... or is it ongoing?
    • Knowing what you know now, what could you have done differently to make the process smoother, faster, -- if anything?
    • Did this collaboration accelerate your growth, slow down your growth or make no difference to your growth?


Mechanics of the Call

  1. I will send you email reminders of the appointed time to call me.

  2. At the appointed time, call 507-726-4200. This a conference call service, but there will just be two of us: you and me. I am using this service because it very simply records the call for me. Again, the recording is for note-taking purposes only.

  3. Enter the Pass Code 162415 followed by # key.

  4. When asked to confirm, press the "1" (ONE) key. (For some reason it is hard to understand the verbal direction. It's a ONE.) If you are early the system will put you on hold until I get there.

  5. If something fails to work, or if I do not hear from you, I will call you.


My Humble Thanks Offer

If I decide to include your "story" in my book, and you approve the content of your story that I give back for your review:

If I do not use your story in the book, you are still welcome to sell Collaboration Simplified as a 75% affiliate, as thanks for your time spent.

What you are sharing is important to me, and I hope that my appreciation will be felt in more enduring ways than this simple "offer."


Recap on Possible Concerns

Just in case you wonder or forget to ask, I want to assure you that:








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Richard Goutal
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 A series of 12 "orientation to collaboration" lessons start your subscription. After that they are intermittent letters about collaboration, networking, live events, and related resources.