8 tips cashflow game
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8 Tips To Running a Successful Cashflow Game

I wish I had 10 bucks for every time I am asked about my Cashflow 101 game events. I might have enough to fund a small deal.

Here are 8 things you can do that will help you create a great game experience for your participants.

  1. Start a Meetup Group.

I say this in almost every live Q & A with J episode, and I will say it again here. There is a great website that gives you the ability to almost effortlessly find like-minded individuals who will want to play Cashflow with you. It is Meetup.com and it’s pretty easy to use. A lot of things on meetup are automated. It offers:

  • A scheduling tool so you can schedule your events regularly and for a year if you want.
  • Automated email invites and updates.
  • Free templates you can use to create table cards, bulletin board messages with little tear-off bits (for your phone number), name tags and other goodies.
  • Tools to help you find other Meetups you might want to join to help you draft members to your group.

Starting a Meetup group is free and easy to setup.  If you are computer illiterate, don’t let that stop you.  Go to any Starbucks, and I bet you can get someone there to help you set one up a group in exchange for a coffee (it is that quick and easy).  One of the things it does not automatically do is share the link on your social media pages. That’s on you to do.

  1. Talk to people about your events.

Even if you don’t have a date in mind yet, that should not stop you from inviting people to your game. Get their info so you can stay in touch and let them know when your next game will be.  Better yet, pick a date and a place right now and stick to it.

You can have the game in lots of places.  I’ve had plenty of games  in my home and in my neighborhood clubhouse.

I know someone who has Cashflow games at a Round Table Pizza in my neck of the woods. I like pizza. Sounds like a great place to have a game to me.

Here’s the deal… Just do it. Then tell people you’re doing it. Invite them to join you for a fun game. Don’t overthink it. There’s no better way to learn the game than by playing and helping others to play. (There’s a rule book in every game board box!)

  1. Give books as prizes!

Most people like to win things. Why not include that component in your games? We usually give a book or two away to the first people to get out of the rat race.

Where can you get lots and lots of great books, pre-owned and brand new? Your local dollar bookstore! There are books galore and you can walk out with 10 books for 10 bucks. Not bad.

There are Rich Dad books, investment books, business books, thought leadership books, etc. You get the idea.

Promoting the ideas in these books is great for you. Of course, you should read those books, too. That way you will know what’s in them and how they fit your conversations around investing, cashflow, business and entrepreneurship. The people at your games will be interested in these topics just like you are.

  1. Set your room up right.

This is for games of 2 or more board games.  This setup does not apply to a single game, but as your game grows, you will get to a point where one board game is just not enough.  I have personally held games as large as 180 people so knowing these things will help you once your group starts to grow.

I talk in depth about this in a few of my video courses, but the way you have your tables arranged for your games can be helpful. You want people to be comfortable and you want them to have enough room to play the game.

According to the room configuration there are different ways to set the game tables up. Here are some basic guidelines to setting up your room:

When it comes to setting up your room in general, you want to do your best to have tables at a 30-degree angle and not straight on in a stuffy classroom style. You want players sitting at an angle so that they can all see you talking at the front of the room.

If you can, use six-foot rectangular or round tables. You want to have at minimum of four people at each table. That doesn’t include the banker – unless you need to become that fourth person and then you need to be the banker, as well. You’re going to do your best, even if it adds a degree of difficulty by being banker and player at the same time. We recommend having 7 per table, 6 players and 1 banker/facilitator.

Depending on how large your room is, you want no more than three people at a table who have never played the game before. That way you or the more experienced players can help those newbies. You’re going to want to take a break approximately every 20 to 35 minutes to have a discussion, answer questions, and give direction. We use the Cone of Learning as a teaching tool during one of the breaks.

  1. Have a sign-up sheet at the front of the room.

You want to thank people for joining you and playing the game. You want to keep in touch, because these people may participate in your deals.  I have personally found the large majority of my buyers, sellers, investors, and team members by play Cashflow.

When I first started hosting Cashflow Games, I didn’t think about collecting people’s contact information. I think about it now and know I may have missed opportunities back then. I assure you I don’t miss opportunities now. And I still host Cashflow games.

All you need is the person’s name, email and phone number. Then you need to follow up with a nice email thanking them for attending your game and getting feedback. Give the experience a personal touch.  Your follow up can make or break your game.  Meetup makes it easier to do that, but you still want to collect that contact information.  It is one of your greatest assets you have for your business.

  1. Serve the food before you play.

If you are hosting your game at a place that serves food, let’s say a pizza place, be sure that everyone gets a chance to eat 30 minutes before you begin the game.

You don’t want food on your game board. Plus, this gives latecomers a chance to arrive. (Not that being late to your games is a good habit.)

If food cost is involved you can always charge a small cover fee that covers the participants’ food. For example, if a pizza costs $25 and there are beverages, too, you can charge maybe $10 per head to play. Most people will be fine with that. They understand that they are getting benefit by being there, too. It’s not just about the food.

  1. Give a chance for introductions.

As the host, before the game starts, allow a brief time for your guest to introduce themselves to their table/game.  Tell them to keep it short.  We go over a Code of Honor before every meeting.

code of honor

You should have your elevator pitch down because you will get a lion share of the guest coming to you before, during, and after the game.  This is one of the huge benefits of hosting your own game.  Make sure you are ready for it.

  1. Mix it up.

Something I like to do is change the rules.  If you have ever been to one of my games, you will know that it is a lot of fun because it is different each time.  I try to change the rules up to mimic real life situations or to make people think more about what they are doing and why.  This is more of an advanced thing to do, but something you should be thinking about once you get a consistent game going.

For example, I like to give everyone 800 FICO, Take a loan with No income, No Job, and No Collateral. But the catch is all loans 120% APR. Interest Only. Borrow in $1000 increments, repay back in $1000 increments. Come up with your own changes because life does not play by the strictest rules of the game.

Keeping it fun and new each time will get your attendees coming back for more.  It will be a little chaotic, but it will only make for a better experience.

So Now What?

I know I haven’t given you every answer to who, what, when, where and how of hosting your Cashflow game events. That could be an e-book of its own. But these tips should help you a lot.

All I can say is don’t let not knowing the game really well stop you from hosting a Cashflow game. The more you play, the more you’ll learn. The more you learn, the more you’ll be able to help others by providing solutions to their problems. What happens in the game happens in real life. I guarantee that is very true!

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