By the Ocean
Cloudy and Cool 71 Degrees
9:47 a.m.
Over the years of this journey together, we’ve established that shoving people down a funnel in order to get what you want is a rather shortsighted way to build a business.
We use the “grandma test” to make sure we’re not crazy, because when the gurus talk about funnels, it sure does sound exciting! Like money will just rain down from heaven.
But explaining to your little old grandma that you shove people through a sales funnel to get them to buy your stuff…and then, when they do buy that stuff, the next thing you do is ask them to buy MORE stuff, that’s not really something we want to have to tell grandma. And because of that, perhaps we should consider the “funnel” as a not so smart way to build a business.
A funnel might support a promotion. But a promotion is not a business. And a business is what we’re after. Because that’s something that can grow, become stable and evolve into a value creation machine for the world.
How should we build a business then? With service. In my view, every business is a service business. That doesn’t mean you have to offer a service, it means that, no matter what you offer, the foundation of the business is built on service.
This is what the media platform is about. Leveraged service of MANY, CONSISTENTLY. But it’s not just the way you sell stuff, it’s the way you live. It is a view you have of the world.
This is how you build preeminence. You provide a large scale demonstration you’re not just looking out for yourself.
No one will believe you if you just say it, you have to show it.
You will probably be laughed at by the funnel guys. And that’s fine. Because when you go looking for them next year you’ll most likely find them doing something completely different. They’ll go from selling supplements to selling relationship advice. Because the first “funnel” stopped working and they had to “pivot” to the next funnel.
When you are asleep, you build a business that is an expression of your own need to get.
When you are awake, you build a business that is an expression of your own desire to give.