Somehow people keep asking me how I have got to where I am in such a short space of time.
Its simple.
‘pay to play’
It’s a concept that seems really alien to some people, and – sadly – you will usually find these people doing EXACTLY the same thing 6, 12 even 24 months from now.
Bugger eh?
But, alas…true.
So I’m going to explain the ‘pay to play’ model.
If you want:
Advice
Help
‘to pick someone’s brains’
Introductions
Leverage
New contacts
Job opportunities
Shortcuts to the top
Then you NEED to pay!
It’s amazing the amount of people who don’t get the fact that you have to invest SOMETHING in someone BEFORE they invest in you.
Sounds a bit harsh?
GOOD!
Look, I know what its like to be doing the ‘credit card shuffle’; deciding what shall you treat yourself to today –
Food or fuel…
Happy times!
So first of all I’m going to suggest if you don’t have a pot to piss in, there are OTHER ways to get help from the people you admire, want help from or want to connect with – but without breaking the bank
Look, when I started I didn’t have much – but I realised that people were far, far more likely to connect with me IF I had at the very least bought there course, book, or membership – then I would have a reason to connect with them.
It could have been a simple message on FB with something I had learned from their course…
It could have been a testimonial that their product helped me achieve X….
It could have been a simple ‘thank you’ for putting something truly epic out there that had made a difference to me/my life.
But the key thing to take away from this is:
I paid them some money, for something
I not only CONSUMED, but USED the product and IMPLEMENTED
What I messaged them back in response to the above was GENUINE
Nothing is EVER canned with me.
All bespoke, done as if I was speaking to them.
Like as a real person and everything!
This ^^^ I see as level ONE
Level 2?
This is a little more bold
Coming out of left field here.
You ready for it?
You offer the person you want help with some money, to help you.
What, in fact you are doing is paying them to help you with the skills that they have paid no doubt:
Invested a small fortune in
Poured 1000’s of hours of there time into honing their craft
Spent years connecting with the right people
Paid their dues
Now when you put it like that?
Can you see why getting annoyed at someone who is maybe to busy helping their paying clients to take more than a few minutes out of their day to help?
They are not being bastards, they are just BUSY.
But if you show a degree of respect – offer to pay them for their time – from the outset?
At the VERY least they will be far, far more receptive – that and see you as someone who is a serious ‘player’; and you know the value of their time AND see paying them as an investment.
In a nutshell, you value their time.
Which is the one thing that you cant get back.
Trust me, this works.
Very, very well.
‘But Dan, you rich bastard – I have NONE of the monies, how the bloody hell am I supposed to pay them when I have none myself?’
I hear you cry
(maybe)
Well, that’s simple.
What are you good at?
Selling?
Writing copy?
Design?
Speaking to people?
Lifting heavy shit?
Look, we all have skills that other people don’t have. For example, I am blessed (as in I trained myself not to have) any shame.
That, and I’m not bad on the phone.
So when I couldn’t afford my mentor/coach at the time, I offered the one thing I did have.
My time.
Or ‘sweat equity’ as it were.
In essence I offered to do whatever the fuck was asked of me – without bitching and moaning – and without ever asking for money.
For example, I remember doing 2000+ ‘customer care calls’, HUNDREDS of individually written emails and 100-200 social media posts every day.
For MONTHS.
Seriously.
So yeah, the money for their time method is without a doubt my totally preferred method of getting to where you want to be as fast as possible.
But if you don’t have that?
You have a backbone; you have shoulders – take some of the weight off the person you are wanting help/advice from – and do the crappy, thankless jobs as your payment.
Is it sexy?
No.
Does it work?
Yes.
Now stop being a cheapskate with your time and your monies, and get out there and make it happen.
You’ll thank me in 6 month, I promise. 😉
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