Jason Leister: The Secret to Instant Attraction (Part II)

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Polarization is Not the Goal, It Is a Byproduct of the Goal

Ahhh… now we’re getting somewhere. But if becoming a polarizing figure isn’t something you pursue directly then what is it, exactly, that you should be pursuing?

And that leads us to the quickest and most effective way I know to cut through the noise these days.

It’s not easy, and often times, it takes a whole lot of deep thought before you’re able to do this. This is actually good news. Because most people simply won’t do the work required to pursue the real prize. The prize that, if done correctly, will transform you into a polarizing figure.

Ok… enough mystery. What’s this magical activity you do to create instant polarization in your marketplace? This thing that allows people to instantly know if they’re “with” you or not?

You Must Stand For Something!

I’m not talking about starting a socially responsible business type of “standing for something.” I’m simply talking about the 2 or 3 things (even 1 will do) that you or your business believe are true about the world. I’m talking about a unique way of seeing things, or doing things.

This isn’t about the color of your stationary. That’s not going to polarize anyone because it’s not meaningful to anyone. Standing for something is about DEPTH. It’s about you being the champion of SOMETHING for your prospects and clients.

As you read this, is anything coming to mind? If it isn’t, then your work is clear. Because you’ve probably been working at the shallow level of the tactical. And that’s not really going to speak to anyone.

But if you go deeper, to the level of principle, to the level of values, then you might get closer. What do you stand for? What does your business stand for?

The Good News

The good news in all of this is that your answer is probably staring you right in the face. In the case of most people I work with, the clues are all over the place. You can’t always see them right away, but they are there.

If you’re lucky, you can spend some time and come up with your answer pretty quickly. More likely is that this will be a process for you.

You can’t just “choose” something to stand for. You basically have to take a look at your words and actions over the previous months and years and try to find some common threads.

As you’re doing this, you want to keep in mind that “what you stand for” ideally needs to be something that hits your prospects and clients right in between the eyes.

No one is going to search out the guy who “stands” for something no one cares about.

Isn’t This Too Touchy/Feely For the Big Bad World of Business?

I’m coming to the conclusion that business is about trust. It’s about solving problems too, but at the core, people are going to search out those solutions from people they trust.

You can’t earn trust if you can’t get attention. So figuring out how to be the lighthouse out in the middle of the storm, in my opinion, is one of the most important things you can do for your future.

Standing for something that your target clients resonate with is one way to create an instant connection with them. It gets their attention in a way that doesn’t scream “I’m trying to sell you something.”

But there’s another practical reason for going to all of this trouble.

When you identify the 1, 2 or 3 BIG IDEAS that you are about, it gives a structure to your marketing that simplifies things a great deal.

One you identify those core things you stand for, you just start to hammer on that message. Over and over and over again.

Eventually, the marketplace puts you in a box. And provided you engineered it well, this box is exactly where you want to be. Because now your prospects can look at your box and instantly figure out if they belong there or not.

This is ideal. Because confused prospects tend not to take any action at all. They just move on.

But when you give them something they can use to make decisions, it’s far easier for the right people to know that they’re exactly where they belong.