Who wants to be a millionaire?

How to become a millionaire

How to import a millionaire's TV program

   The millionaire program is bought by ABC from a European television company where the program is a blockbuster winner. (The same with Survivors and Big Brother). And ABC had to agree to use the same set in order to produce the show in the United States.

   Unbelievably, the millionaire program airs in 27 countries.

   To start the "Who wants to be a millionaire?" series, ABC and Walt Disney did pilot test programs. The air time was 9:00 P.M. on Sunday nights. One of the best programming slots on TV.

   When the results from the ratings and 1-800 calls were in, they knew they had a winner and had to react quickly to produce a whole series of programs. AT&T provides the 1-800 toll-free phone number. Can you imagine the number of people they need to answer the calls?

   Their test pilot proved the show crossed cultural boundaries and made it an instant success.

How to choose the best host for
"Who wants to be a millionaire?"

   Regis Philbin is an MC on the Regis and Kathy Lee talk- show program produced by Walt Disney who owns ABC. Of course, he was the premiere candidate to MC the program. He is well-liked by the public and loves the limelight. Also, this made the promotion of the new blockbuster quiz show a lot easier.

How to play "Who wants
to be a millionaire?"

   To play the game, you call a toll-free 1-800 number to answer a three-question test. In fact every day, millions of people call the number but only 250,000 people get through.

   If you are lucky, a random selection makes you one of the chance players to play the game to get the millionaire's opportunity.

The Three-Question Test
over the phone

   The three-question test uses the same format as those seen on TV during the millionaire's Fastest Fingers Competition to sit on the millionaire's hot seat.

   You put 4 events, or birth dates, or locations in the proper order in 10 seconds only.

   According to the producers of the millionaire's show 98 percent fail this first step.

Still five more questions to
answer over the phone

   Then you are put into a pool with other first-round winners and a computer randomly selects contestants to go on to the semifinal round.

   The odds are 125 to 1. When you are selected, a staff member from Millionaire calls you to tell you what to do next.

   Finally a producer from Millionaire calls you to confirm you're a winner and to make arrangements to fly you to New York.

Free Millionaire’s gifts

   When contestants arrive at the airport, they meet two officials from Millionaire and receive a free souvenir T-shirt, $50 dollars per day in expense money and explanations on the millionaire's taping procedure.

   The next day, all contestants are briefed by the Millionaire's producers and escorted into the studio for a dress rehearsal.

   And all ten contestants practice the Millionaire’s Fastest Fingers Competition several times before breaking for dinner in the ABC cafeteria.

   Then contestants wait in the Green Room (a waiting room for future millionaires - no, it’s the name for a room where people wait before they’re called to appear in a studio - but gee green sure makes me think about money!).

   And finally at the last minute, makeup is applied and contestants are instructed to act lively and upbeat.

The Millionaire’s Dress Code

   Of course, the dress code helps to highlight the contestants on the program and showcase them on the viewer's screen.

   Now here are the 6 millionaire-contestants’ dress code rules:

1. Bring 2 changes of clothing for the taping

2. No shorts or jeans

3. No all-black or all-white shirts

4. No shirts with logos or brand names

5. No stripes

   Regis (no I don’t know him personally but I feel like I do) gets to wear a 3-piece suit and sometimes appears to be dressed like a gambler (subliminal suggestion). It's part of the success program formula to attract attention to the MC and make him a star.

   Also contestants and winners become celebrities in their own communities as local media outlets make each of them stars in their own right. You give interviews on TV and radio, give newspaper reporters the inside story and write stories about your experience.

   It's all part of the marketing strategy to sell the program and condition viewers to watch the "Who wants to be a millionaire?" quiz show.

   Now here are the 7 millionaire's studio and on site rules:

1. No cell phones

2. No cameras

3. No laptop computers

4. Can't leave the building until the taping is over

5. Can't make phone calls until the taping is over

6. Trips to the bathroom and smoking breaks are escorted

7. And ABC employees cannot speak to contestants

How to warm up a crowd for
the reaaally big shoow

   Each contestant is introduced to the audience. And like many sitcom tapings, a live comedian warms up the audience.

   Then suddenly Regis appears on the set with the holdover millionaire contestant from the previous show.

   First, TV viewers watch replays of the previous contestants' appearance. And as you watch your TV screen, you see clips from the previous show as contestants answer questions.

   Repeatedly you get to view replays of millionaire winners with the confetti, music and fanfare that accompany the excitement.

Stimulus-Response
Powerful cues

   Powerful cues make you the viewer react on time and play the game at the same level of intensity as the contestants. Why do more than 20 million viewers watch Who wants to be a millionaire? every night it airs on TV?

   The laser lights flash, dim and sparkle, spotlights highlight the MC and contestant,  the music is cued to each event, the camera moves in and out, the lights are dimmed, and the audience applause sign flashes on and off.

   Also a special camera picks up the reactions and emotions of beloved ones in the background.

   All positive reinforcements to encourage you to watch and play the game, Who wants to be a millionaire?

Let the Millionaire game start

   The Millionaire Fastest Fingers Competition always includes a put these answers in the correct order from the earliest to the latest.

   Then the names of the players with the correct answers appear on your screen and finally the name of the winner flashes on and off with the best time in green (of course).

   During the quiz, the color scheme in the answer box at the bottom of your screen reinforces the excitement. After the final answer, a green flashing box indicates a correct answer and an orange colored box indicates a wrong answer.

   Of course, continuous background music and sounds add to the effect of winning or losing.

   Also, you play along when you choose an answer and what you think is the best lifeline for the question in play. Get them involved!

   The lighting and camera movement zoom in and out to control your eye movements.

   And the music and sound effects are dramatic to trigger emotional reactions and control the rhythm of your heartbeat.

   Also at times, Regis Philbin dresses like a gambler (subliminal suggestion), or a highly paid official MC, or a multi-millionaire himself (with extremely lucrative contracts).

   He is also very friendly with contestants and empathizes with them in defeat as well as in victory. He also adds in the fun factor with jokes and parodies from the millionaire-contestant’s life experiences. He invites them to sing, rap or even recite a poem.

   Here are the 4 Millionaire's phone-a-friend lifeline rules:

1. Be available twice on the taping date, one to talk to the producer and 3 hours while the program is taped (the phone friends are on standby and know they’re maybe going to get a call from Regis).

2. No cell phones.

3. Pick up the call on the third ring.

4. Personally answer the call.

Quick Millionaire Facts

   As you know, the millionaire program is imported from Europe and airs in 27 countries. Unbelievably, the figures for the three contestant lifelines, audience, 50-50 and phone-in, are almost identical in all countries where millionaire airs.

Millionaires talk it out loud

   Self-talk is a cognitive strategy that helps the viewer, audience and players discover the millionaire's player strategy (elimination process, best choice option, past memories - song, word of mouth . . .) to find the correct answers.

   And the players are encouraged to reason out loud to make it easier for the viewer to understand their reasoning (how their brain ticks). Agree or disagree.

Quick Millionaire Fact

   By June 2000, the "Who wants to be a millionaire?" program had given away more than $23 million dollars.

   Big money winners demonstrate nerves of steel or iceberg focus like a Michael Jordan, Venus Williams, Bjorn Borg or Tiger Woods.

The Millionaire's ladder to the jackpot

   The first 5 questions are fairly easy to answer and enables every age category to play the hottest quiz show of the millennium (kids and seniors alike).

   There are 15 questions on your way to winning a million bucks. Once you reach the $1,000 mark, you are guaranteed to win at least that amount. Again when you win $32,000, you can't lose that money.

   Also Regis flashes a signed check in the amount of $32,000 or more up to a million when the contestant answers correctly the last 5 questions.

   Bet you a million, he has a stack of cardboard checks already signed under his platform and ready to flash to a camera for a close-up on your screen.

   Sometimes when you listen carefully to the tonality of Regis' voice, the rise and fall of the pitch, and the wording of the questions, you can get hints to the correct answers. 

   Also, he sometimes gives the answers away with his body language. For example, his head moves up and down to say yes, especially for the easy answers (remember he is paid big money to host the show and he can act with his body language whenever he wants to do so).

   The 50-50 option leaves two choices: The right answer and the second most likely choice.

   And of course, the cue phrase "Is this your final answer?" makes Regis go down in history. Who will ever forget the leitmotiv from the millionaire's TV-HIT program? Hasta lavista, baby!

   And at the end of the millionaire program you get to preview clips from the next show as winners sit and watch with you. And like Regis and the big winner remind you at the end of the Millionaire show, "remember to join us next time at 9 eastern daily time, 8 central and 6 pacific time."

   Now are you in the millionaire zone or what?

How to make more money
like a true millionaire

   Well Walt Disney publishes the millionaire's software game. And wouldn’t you know it, they've sold more than 1 million copies of the first edition.

   But that’s not all, the second edition with 600 new questions and new Regis voice-overs is already on the shelves and selling at a brisk pace (all back-end products for uncle Walt).

   Successful direct marketing pros use this back-end strategy to make millions of dollars.

   When you watch the millionaire program, you have surely noticed how computers and high technology play an important role in the selling of the "Who wants to be a millionaire?" quiz show and software game.

   Are you ready to play "Who wants to be a millionaire?" again? Call now 1-800 for your chance to be a millionaire contestant or go online to play the game for fun.

   Well I hope you enjoyed this exclusive special free millionaire report.

   And if you want to read more success programs like this one, click

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to go to my website and receive more free success stories.

   Please forward this article in its entirety to all your friends to help them become a millionaire with the success program.

   Bye for now . . . and Best Of Success to You,

   Pierre Provost

© 2000 by Pierre Provost
pierre@thesuccessprogram.com

The "Media" Doctor!
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