3 Useful Ideas — Be So Good They Can't Ignore You
Be Present At The Right Time At The Right Place For The Right Person. Don’t Say “I Want To” But “I Am” While Having Supreme Faith And Belief In The Process.
Every Sunday I share 3 Useful Ideas to help you pursue a rich life.
This week:
Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You
Be Present At The Right Time At The Right Place For The Right Person
Don’t Say “I Want To” But “I Am” While Having Supreme Faith And Belief In The Process
You can find all past editions here. Also check out my Master of the Deal podcast and the M&A This Week newsletter.
Let’s dive in 👇
(1) Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You
If you are the best in the world at what you do, you will stand out. It will be difficult to ignore you. You will deliver results that others cannot. You will be able to do work that others cannot. You will be in demand.
But how do you become so good?
How do you even know what you should become good at?
I believe we all start with innate superpowers. The cards you have been dealt at birth is the result of nature. Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you have a high level of EQ, IQ or both? Are you analytical? Do you thrive in teams or are you better off behind the scenes? You discover your superpowers by getting rewarded and recognized over the years. That makes you aware of what you are good at.
If I take myself as an example, I know that I have an unusually high level of EQ. I am able to connect, motivate and lead others because it feels like second nature to me. I can sell and I can manage. Most people are either good at one or the other. I enjoy both.
Last week, on my way to the gym, I stopped to give a ride to an old man. He told me that I had given a ride to him before and that the last time I had also paid for his auto. I did not remember. As I drove off I asked myself - “Why did I do that?” I can only blame it on nature. I tend to feed off the human connection.
Nature, however, is not enough. When you step into the real world you are competing with others. You are competing for money. You are competing for opportunities. You are competing to make your mark.
The world is full of talented people who get nowhere!
This is where nurture comes in. You need to nurture your nature. You need to work. Everyday! You need to think, read, write and constantly evaluate the inputs and outputs to keep on iterating your way up the mountain. I do this by being obsessive about processes. I break down the playing field and then divide it into inputs (leading indicators) which get me to the outputs I desire (lagging indicators). My EQ gives me an added edge in terms of judgment and conviction. But I still got to put in the work.
Lastly, you should always circle back to question yourself. Fortune is going to throw unexpected roadblocks. Just when you think you are gaining momentum, it will make you feel like a fish out of water. Here is where the winners and losers get made. The ones who win do not blame the world or others. They question themselves.
What did I do wrong?
What can I do better?
How can I get to where I need to be?
Every such roadblock is an opportunity for you to step-up a notch. It is these moments of stress that actually make you anti-fragile. When you look back it will be these moments that will define you.
Be so good that you can’t be ignored.
(2) Be Present At The Right Time At The Right Place For The Right Person
Imagine a dream world where you are a genie and turn up just when someone is in need of your product, has the money to pay for it, has the ability to decide and you say just the right words to make them open their wallet. You will be unbeatable!
Here is a simple framework to quickly qualify if you should be spending time on a prospect:
B - do they have the budget to spend?
A - do they have the authority to decide?
N - do they have the need for this specific thing?
T - is now a good time?
If the person checks off the above BANT framework then you should immediately ask yourself:
How can I make it fast, easy and risk free?
Speed - Things that are fast will sell better than things that are slow. See what everyone else is doing and then do it in half the time.
Ease - Things that are easy will sell better than things that are hard. What are the bad things that they hate doing? Do it for them.
Risk free - Things that are risk-free will sell better than things that are risky. Show that you've done it for others. Give guarantees. Shift risk to yourself.
If you master the above framework, you will be ahead of 90% of competitors.
If you want to be ahead of 99% of competitors, you need a sales machine that keeps you headed in the right direction everyday, while also learning and evolving. I shall write about this in future posts.
(3) Don’t Say “I Want To” But “I Am” While Having Supreme Faith And Belief In The Process
I love listening to world class performers talk about how they achieved the unthinkable. It all comes down to the same message every time i.e. a maniacal focus on process and a solid mental framework to support it.
I was listening to two-time Olympic medalist Jake Kaminski talk about his process. This is what he said:
Not "I want to" but "I am".
Present tense not future tense.
I think a lot of what took me out of that negative spiral was just believing. And using a present tense affirmation, never a future tense.
Because the future tense is you always setting yourself up to want. Its not done. If it's done and you shoot from a position of "I have arrived", "I am that", "I am what I want to be", then everything else can click.
Here is how he turned smart goals into positive affirmations
"I am a 2012 olympic champion because I win my mental program more than any other archer. Period."
It wasn't just "I am an Olympian." It was "I am an Olympian at this specific time at this specific event for this specific reason. And that specific reason is something I have identified as an absolutely crucial thing to do every single shot in order to succeed.”
“In my mind there was no doubt that we were ever going to lose, despite us barely getting to beating Korea in the semi finals. I was so supremely confident because of these affirmations. We were the first medal of the US.”
Have supreme faith and belief in the process, no matter how the results are going. There is always a short dip when you cross the chasm to elevate your performance. Just stick to it.
“I’m well over a million shots the same way—same technique, same thought process, same thought at full draw. … Sustained effort is what really makes you good.”
Do you have a process in place? Do you have a system for improving it? How many reps have you done? Are they more than anyone else?
The person who is going to have these three things will always beat the person who does not:
The system - the map you use and tweak everyday to get to your destination
The mindset - “I am the best at [….] because of [….]”
The work ethic - Rain or sunshine, you got to turn up
“I am” the best in the world when it comes to building businesses because I am maniacal about processes, have a gift in spotting and inspiring talent to do their best, like to get my hands dirty to help them achieve their targets, and do what I love and love what I do.
What is your “I am”….?
👋 I’m Harsh. Every Sunday I share 3 Useful Ideas to help you pursue a rich life. Read by 7000+ founders and CXOs. If you’re curious about what I’m building, here’s where I spend most of my time:
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