I heard Bill Gates speak at a college graduation.
He sucked.
His speech wasn’t bad, per se, but it wasn’t good either. It was very forgettable.
But, the speech was given by BILL GATES. That’s all anyone will remember about it. The school feels Bill’s speaking fee was money well-spent, because they had BILL GATES in attendance.
And that’s all that matters.
Had I been on the stage that day, and given Bill’s same speech, no one would have even clapped when I finished. Because no one would have known who the hell I was.
Unknown people aren’t qualified to be mediocre performers. Famous people? They can get away with it.
Don’t hate the players — hate the game.

***

People are generally change-resistant.
As creatures of habit, humans settle into routines and will fight to keep things as they are. Change means learning new things, opening your mind to new ideas, and the anxiety that accompanies uncertainty.

Most people undergo significant changes for their first 16-22 years of life… then live the same age-22 year over and over again for the next 40-80 years. Then they die.
When it comes to establishing your brand and selling yourself, a large percentage of people will be just as resistant to the idea of Unknown You as they are to changing their toothpaste or driving a new route to work.
Which means, when you’re an unknown entity, you must be able to sell yourself, and your product must be great when you finally acquire a buyer.
Do that a few times and get the word out, and the game gets infinitely easier.
When people know you favorably, they’re predisposed to accept and approve of you. Even when you’re less than amazing, the crowd will be satisfied. Your reputation makes up for what your performance didn’t deliver.
This is why I’m the only person, out of the 10,000 in the stadium that day, telling you that Bill Gates’ speech sucked. Everyone else was just happy to be in the same room as Bill Gates.
When people don’t know you, they’re wondering why the known person didn’t show up in your place. Your every flaw and mistake will be scrutinized.
So, when you show up, don’t have any flaws. And don’t make any mistakes.
If you don’t like those rules, find something else to do.
Don’t hate the player — hate the game.

To be clear: Opportunity does exist for the unknown person. But —
1) Those opportunities are much fewer in number. You’ll have to hustle hard to get them. You’re competing against all the other unknowns out there.

And since people won’t experience your skill until/unless they’ve chosen you (which, remember, hasn’t happened yet), you have to be REALLY good at talking yourself up while still sounding believable.

2) You better be damn good when you get that chance. All your flaws will be magnified 10X.
Your reputation precedes you — when you have one.

When you’re a Nobody, your nobody-ness precedes you. And you have to prove that you’re a well-kept secret rather than a bum who’s unknown for good reason.

When has your reputation — or lack thereof — helped or hurt you so far this year? How good are you at selling yourself? Reply and let me know — I read all responses.

By the way, I have a course called Sell Yourself that isn’t for sale — it’s accessible only through the Game Group Membership.

You can start a FREE 2-week Game Group Membership trial here, and access the course after your trial ends: http://WorkOnMyGame.com/GameGroup

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