From the book The Psychology Of Money: “Optimism sounds like a sales pitch. Pessimism sounds like someone trying to help you.” Let that soak in for a minute.
It does explain why people tend to ignore and skip over all the 5-star reviews on a company and put far more weight on the 1-star reviews (admit it – you go straight to reading the 1-star reviews all the time). It’s also why negative news thrives while positive stories never get off the ground, and why online trolls get far more attention than they should. But YOU need to be nuanced in who you take advice from. Not all pessimists are wrong, but when you allow a total stranger posting anonymously under the username of “Bingus Bunghole” influence your decision, you need to pause and reflect.
Joe Green, Mark Zuckerberg’s college roommate, turned down an offer to help Zuck start Facebook, at the advice of his father. When the two were at Harvard, they created a Hot-Or-Not-style website called Facemash, which got the pair in trouble with the university. Because of his involvement, Green was threatened with expulsion. When Zuck later asked Green to help him with Facebook, Green’s dad discouraged his son from doing another project with Zuck to avoid getting into more trouble. I’m sure his dad felt the best course of action for his son was to stay in school, get good grades and avoid ruckus-makers like Zuck. Had Green not followed his advice, he would have owned stock that would be worth an estimated $400 million today.
As I’ve often said, the most expensive advice is WRONG advice, and you really need to watch who you are allowing to influence your decisions. Are they really an expert? Have they actually done what they are advising you on? Upon what FACTS are they basing their advice? There are a lot of “gurus” out there pushing the latest method of how to become a passive millionaire in 30 days while sitting at the kitchen table in your underwear (which WAS a program at one time). Most of the people selling lucky charms are empty suits with a good sales letter and a publisher.
Never forget that EVERYONE around you has an opinion, qualified or not, and they’re not afraid to press it on everyone else, with supreme confidence. An ex-brother-in-law used to repeatedly give me investing advice despite the fact he was illiterate, lived in a trailer and didn’t have two nickels to rub together. That one was an easy iceberg to avoid, but not all bad advice givers are that obvious.
A member said to me last week that some people in our industry are saying my marketing is “too aggressive” and wanted to know my response to that. I asked him to consider the source first (this was on a competitor’s site). I then explained to him that what one person thinks is aggressive another person considers mild or timid.
A person who believes in holistic medicine thinks chemotherapy is an “aggressive” approach to curing cancer, which they say could be solved with aromatherapy and meditation. Is that a good or bad opinion? I suppose it depends on the person with the cancer, but were it me, give me the drugs, please. I’d like an aggressive treatment plan to ensure I live to see another day. Vegans give steakhouses nasty 1-star reviews for murder – and that’s pretty aggressive. Many of the basic cybersecurity and compliance services being sold by MSPs are thought by business owners to be “too much” or “too expensive.” They’ll say, “We don’t need all of that!” Does that make their opinions correct? Nope. It just reveals their ignorance about the matter, cheapness, sheer stupidity, carelessness or all of the above.
But to go back to the question about being too aggressive, I think Zig said it best: timid salespeople have skinny kids. I know my approach seems aggressive to those who have never succeeded in a commission-only, eat-what-you-kill outside sales position. They’ve never had to hunt in the wild and carry a quota. I would also bet my house that the people on that forum giving that advice are 1) grossly ignorant about my approach, seeing only one campaign or seeing one initiative, or hearing this from others and then jumping to a conclusion, or 2) are technicians with helpers who’ve never grown a business to $10, $20 or $50 million or beyond – many who might not have ever gotten to $1 million.
It IS easier to believe I’m wrong, safer to play small and more comfortable to dismiss my methods. It saves you from a lot of work.
All of this said, I don’t think you shouldn’t just drink MY “Kool-Aid” either. I explain to my members the WHY behind my advice. I encourage them to not just believe what I say because I say it, but because they understand it, thought it through and agree with it. I repeatedly tell them the truth: I’m not here to simplify your life. In fact, I’m going to complicate your life because that’s what growth requires.
I don’t have a quick-fix, no-work, all fun, EASY path to success, but I DO have a solid, proven track record. I DO have optimists and fans – far more than the haters. You can choose your camp or stay undecided, but at least get the FACTS straight from the source first.
It’s crucial to listen to the right voices so you can take control of your business’ direction. Ensure you’re on the path to success by getting your tickets for our upcoming MSP Growth Day tour. Don’t miss out on valuable insights and strategies to help you achieve your goals. Grab your tickets now at https://mspgrowthday.com.
