The other day I was talking about positioning.

Want to give a bit more of an in-depth view on that.

1 - Positioning
2 - Leverage (or "Unfair Advantages")

Are by far the most powerful concepts I've learned in the past year.

Let's break it down in an applicable manner

Thread:

I believe these two concepts are two of the major driving forces behind being successful at anything you do.

You want to put yourself in situations and position yourself as someone who has leverage and can bring *exclusive* value to the person on the other side of the table.

What does this mean?

I see a lot of people trying to do too much at the same time because they want to give as much as possible in hopes they get something out of the other side.

Applicable scenario for guys on Twitter trying to build a business

Let's say you're going for the Agency Model and you sell a service

You go out and cold DM hundreds of people in hopes one of them gives you an opportunity.

This is what I like to call "non-leveraged" work, you're throwing s*** and hoping something sticks. Not good.

You could even land something, but it won't probably be the opportunity you were hoping to get/looking for and in the end, it will probably do you more harm than good because it could lead to a bad experience leaving you with the perception that this is how the industry works.

This would then leave you demotivated and with a negative experience towards that specific business model. Not good.

Here's an alternative that you could do instead.

Look at 10 to 20 people you'd really like to work with.

1 - Do a ton of research on them, send them a very personalized message (a video DM complimenting something they've done or their work)

2 - Lead with value (make a suggestion that could improve their business in some way, find their address and send them a gift etc)

Tons of guys on Twitter have done this.

But you can always get creative.

3 - Present them a unique value proposition. (I could do xyz suggestion for you.)

But here's the trick

You want to present this solution/suggestion as something that only you have exclusive access to.

They wouldn't be able to get this type of deal or opportunity anywhere else.

Now, how does this relate to Positioning/"Unfair Advantage"

Let's talk about positioning first.

If you do a ton of research on someone, send them a personalized video DM complimenting them/relating to them/leading with value etc...

It positions you not only as someone who knows what they're talking about but most important positions you as someone who cares.

Coming off as someone who cares (and actually cares because you've put the time in to prove it) is a huge advantage in digital marketing.

Because the truth is, most people don't care.

When you send hundreds of cold messages to people all it showcases is:

"Hi, you don't know me, but I need X and I want you to give it to me with no guarantee that you'll get anything in return whatsoever." Not good.

Instead, if you care, the likelihood that the person you're reaching out to ends up actually liking you is exponentially increased.

"People do business with people they like and trust even if the other person is offering a better product at a lower cost"

You also give them upfront value, specific to their business or their personality.

Shows that you went above and beyond.

Now, where is the leverage in all of this?

The leverage is in the fact that you stand out from everybody else.

You're sending fewer messages, spending fewer hours scouting for prospects, but by doing what nobody else is doing (doing the research/sending the video DM/making it personalized/giving upfront specific value, etc), you're asymmetrically increasing your chances.

Asymmetrically increasing your chances of actually getting opportunities/business.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

To summarize the above, when reaching out to anyone or trying to establish a relationship, never come from a place of need, always give first, and remember that business is a People's game.

Build actual relationships with people.

Be a likable guy, provide value as often as you can.

Do this enough times and you're exponentially increasing the likelihood of an opportunity come knocking on your door instead of you having to go out and chase it.

Hope this was valuable in some shape or form.

Thank you for reading.

Wishing you all an amazing Sunday!

Love, David.