Why it’s better to be the king-MAKER than the king…
Or, in Shakespearean terms:
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.…”
(Brownie points for whoever knows the Shakespearean work w/o Googling it…)
Now.
A LOT of different ways we can attack this one today…
But I want to focus on just ONE thing.
Because it relates to your marketing (and your career) – in a profound way.
But first…
Raymond Tusk.
Who is this dude?
Basically…
One cup Warren Buffet.
One cup Ted Turner.
With 3 tablespoons of Dick Cheney sprinkled in there.
For our discussion today…
We’re gonna talk about:
The secret of partnering “up”…
(Not what you might think…)
But first…
Just to set the stage:
Tusk is the wealthy businessman who – through a number of different activities (both legal and arguably illegal) – was responsible (in part) for putting President Walker into the White House.
The question is:
How does this relate to marketing?
Well, it goes like this:
You see, Tusk picked his horse in Walker….
And not only BET on him…
He fixed the race.
And in a way?
This is exactly what I do with my private clients:
Step #1:
Identify the market I want to be in (e.g. Golf)…
Step #2:
Pick my horse (i.e. My golf client, who in 2012 – when we started working together was a fast up-and-comer in the market…)
Step #3:
Fix the race (i.e. turn away everybody else, work with that ONE client, and build a cold-traffic system that transforms THEM into the market leader.)
And then lather, rinse, repeat…
In market after market.
Now, that’s all fine and dandy…
But where’s the big marketing lesson in all this?
And how does it relate to YOU?
Well, it goes like this:
You see, Raymond Tusk is a “King” in his own right.
Billionaire businessman.
And HE’s got his own list of people…
From assistants, to lobbyists, to attorneys…
Responsible for putting him in his OWN financial throne.
Just like someone like me does…
(On an infinitesimally smaller scale – with my assistant, graphic designer, copywriter, etc.)
Yet one of Tusk’s BIGGEST projects…
Was putting WALKER on the ultimate political throne.
Which tells you…
No matter WHAT level you’re at right now…
No matter HOW successful you are…
One of the single biggest SECRETS to getting ahead (and staying ahead) in business?
Is to constantly partner “up”.
Let me explain:
You see, because this whole “partnering up” thing can take a few different shapes and sizes, let’s take a look at what this looks like in a MARKETING context…
So, in my business…
I recently hired a “Copywriting Apprentice”…
Awesome position.
The guy in this position, has amazing opportunity to learn, grow…. and here’s the kicker:
Ride my coattails to the top.
Or to put it another way…
Partner UP.
Yep.
That’s right.
I knew, when I hired for this position…
One of the big bennies was the opportunity for someone to hitch their ride on a fast up-and-comer, whose business is seeing explosive growth.
And I’m totally cool with it.
Why?
Because as long as he delivers the goods…
Provides MORE value than I’m paying…
Then I’m happy to have him join me for the ride.
That’s the FIRST example of Partnering UP.
Next level:
What I do for my golf client.
Now, they’re an EIGHT figure business.
More than 10x the size of my own biz.
They pay well…
But they’re getting a LEAST a 50x return on what they pay me.
And I’m cool with that…
Because as long as I get my pennies.
I’m happy making THEM into market kings…
Partnering UP example #2.
But it doesn’t stop there.
Next level:
What my CLIENT does for THEIR clients.
Companies like Porsche and Rolex.
BILLION dollar companies.
You see, my client connects Porsche and Rolex with their most AFFLUENT customers…
Selling lotsa cars and watches in the process.
And they get paid handsomely as a result.
Partnering UP example #3.
So.
The moral of the story here?
No matter WHAT level you play at…
There’s ALWAYS the opportunity to partner up.
And THIS is how you pull a Raymond Tusk:
Decide what it is that you want…
Figure out what can you offer that’s worth WAY more than what you’re getting in return…
(And be OKAY taking the short end of the stick…)
Pick your horse.
Fix the race.
And lather, rinse, repeat.
And by the way…
The side benefit to all this?
Especially if you’re like me and you’re more of an introvert and like to keep a “low-ish” profile….
When you’re focused on becoming the king-MAKER instead of the king?
You don’t have to be in the limelight all the time…
And everybody wants to work with you.
If you’re like me, and you’re the best in the world at what you do…
You’ll have a line out the door a mile long… And a wait list that extends 6 months into the future…
Remember:
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.…”
Partner UP…
And you’ll never have that burden.
Peace out!
Ryan 
P.S. Next month, I’m *thinking* about releasing a new program teaching my EXACT process for building the funnels I build for clients.
Interested?
I’m not sure how long I’ll make this course available (b/c I honestly have mixed feelings about revealing the magic behind my methods…)
But if you’re at all interested, here’s the link to get on the priority notification list:
http://forms.aweber.com/form/37/633023137.htm
More HOC stuff to come tomorrow…
Ryan Levesque, has been cited as a marketing expert in countless media including CNBC, Yahoo Finance, The Miami Herald, The San Francisco Chronicle, Mass Market Retailer, and many others. He is author of 3 books, and creator of 34 information and software products - most famously the award-winning RocketMemory™ course system, and the Best-Selling SurveyFunnel™ Software (since sold). As "The Funnel Specialist", companies quietly bring Ryan through the back door to go from good to great... Ryan has generated over $37 million in additional revenue for his private clients since 2008.
