Taylor Newsletter (2/4/24)

Email 1 Subject Line: Quality of Your Questions? If I've learned anything from the great leaders, historians and icons I've studied over the years, it's this: The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your questions. Another way to look at this: The quality of the questions you habitually ask yourself will set the depth of happiness, achievement and fulfillment you experience. So let’s focus on a good question that’s probably pretty useful for you…. How Do You Improve Your Influence? I need you to be honest with yourself, how many times in the past year have you asked yourself that question? Influence isn't just for politicians and it isn’t just a book that you should read if you want to understand how to sell products (Thanks Cialdini) Influence can mean the difference between mediocre and phenomenal results in your business. The way “influence” works is that it acts like a magnet for talent, money, attention, and inevitably, freedom. The more specialized your influence, the more leverage it carries across everything else you pursue. I'll prove it to you. Think of someone right now who you KNOW is influential... got someone in mind? Now picture them doing a podcast interview, writing a book, launching a seminar --- anything. You'd probably check it out right? You'd be intrigued? Even if you didn't buy, you'd at least listen. At bare minimum, you'd see what they had going on and why so many others pay attention to them. And if you did happen to buy, it's likely because over time, they've earned your trust and respect by providing insane amounts of value. That's influence. The more of that you have, the more attention you get. So doesn’t it make sense to ask yourself the question, “How do I improve my influence?” It definitely doesn’t happen overnight, it’s not like you pay a PR firm $50,000 and then boom you have influence. (Sorry to those people who have tried to do that and seen no results) Improvement in influence happens in small daily increments. It's not always flashy or quick --- true influence builds steadily over longer periods of consistent effort. Like a boiling pot of water, most people see the bubbles at the top and think "nothing's happening"... meanwhile down below, momentum & energy builds until suddenly, it boils over. This same concept applies to you trying to expand your influence. - Taylor Email 2 Subject Line: False Dichotomy *This email was fueled by cigar smoke and coffee* I have an important philosophical belief I use to guide most big decisions: "Both/and" beats "either/or" almost every time. Instead of limiting yourself to just ONE option, realize in most cases you can actually choose BOTH. Or multiple options. I see this come up often when I consult and coach people on the marketing for their business. They get stuck thinking it has to be either: A) Focus on marketing to gain awareness... B) Focus on sales conversions... But the best pros know: it doesn't have to be binary. Just like some of the greatest coaches from the NFL and NBA run both an effective offense AND defense. You want leads coming in the front door from marketing... And you also want to convert those leads into sales on the back end. A "both/and" approach means you get the best of both worlds - continual new inbound interest, combined with healthy backend monetization. This applies to far more than just sales funnels by the way. For example, going on vacation doesn't have to mean your business goes dormant. Or one more, being a good parent or partner doesn't require completely neglecting your career advancement or passion projects. "Both/and" thinking requires upgrading from outdated, limiting mental models that say you have to choose this or that. You just might surprise yourself at what's possible with an expansive, abundant perspective focused on "both/and". * Taylor Email 3 Subject Line: Do they like you? I need to have a blunt, straightforward chat with you today about something that impacts your bottom line. Why do people tell you "NO"? Over the years, I've boiled it down to two core reasons: 1. They don't KNOW you 2. They don't LIKE you Everything else stems from a lack of awareness or a lack of trust. Let's start with reason #1 - They Don't Know You. This one seems obvious right? Like I think my daughter understands this and she’s 3.[a] But it runs deeper than you might realize at first glance. You see, just because someone is aware you exist doesn't mean they KNOW you. True “knowingness” comes from intimacy - multiple exposures over time to who you are, what you stand for, how you think, and WHY people should care. So when people tell you "no" because they don't know you, what they're often really saying is: "I haven't seen enough of your value, passion, or character to feel comfortable moving forward." Makes sense doesn't it? Think about your own buying behavior. You'd hesitate to drop $5K, $10K or even $25K investing in a person you barely knew too, right? Yet we take this personally when prospects we've just met decline to join our program or service. The fix? Patience and consistency in delivering insane amounts of value. No quick hacks or gimmicks here - just good old fashioned relationship building through generosity. Okay, now reason #2 gets a little more uncomfortable: They Don't LIKE You Ouch. No one wants to hear they have an unlikeable personality or presence, but ignoring it won't increase sales. The tricky part about improving your likability is that authenticity still rules. You can't fake it till you make it. At least not sustainably long term. True magnetism that continually attracts opportunities comes from the inside out. That means doing the hard work on yourself first - resolving inner conflicts, banishing insecurities, releasing past baggage and trauma. THEN you'll give off the energy that pulls people in vs pushing them away. One of the best pieces of advice I got early on was: "Spend more time making yourself someone worth listening to...so when you speak, people lean in." One other area commonly overlooked regarding likability? Your language patterns. They MUST connect with your audience if you want them to be customers. I still cringe thinking back at some of my early pitches and presentations...no wonder the offers flopped! I was using all kinds of jargon and terminology that went straight over people's heads. Or worse - alienated them entirely. If people can't comprehend your messaging quickly, they automatically dislike it. So in summary: When hearing NO, first assess if it's a knowingness issue (lack of awareness) that simply requires more value delivery over time... Or if it's something inherently about your approach, personality and language that needs some fine tuning. Easier said than done of course - but understanding WHY people say no puts you light years ahead. - Taylor [a]Dane please fact check