If you have never heard this expression “clicks on a dial” before it’s one I realize I’ve been “living” for 30+ years.
I believe we all experience this phenomenon to some extent, especially once we have some knowledge in a particular area—with varying degrees of proficiency.
But make no mistake about it…we all have a “dial.”
I believe it was Gary Halbert (and any Halbert groupies in my online family can email me with other interpretations or objections) who coined the phrase.
It pertains to the laser focused advice he gave anyone on anything…and he was as prolific at this as anyone. In fact, this concept gave new depth to “hot seats,” especially when Gary did them.
How did he do it?
When he was asked a question about anything that pertained to copywriting, marketing or related subjects, he had a storehouse of knowledge in the computer between his shoulders (i.e. his brain).
In that brain was a dial of information…and he simply clicked, clicked, clicked until he arrived on something that related to what the person was asking—or sometimes not directly related but related enough to enable him to create new thinking on the question.
Pretty simple right?
Now not everyone has a computer/brain like Gary’s…or Dan Kennedy’s…or Frank Kern’s…or John Carlton’s or Mark Ford’s…or a myriad of other experts and gurus.
Actually now that I think about it, it’s a lot less than a myriad. There are a myriad who think they have this kind of repository of knowledge…but not many who have as much as Gary (and a select group of others).
It’s safe to say that it doesn’t come easily.
You have to put in the time and pay close attention to everything around you (e.g. “marketing by walking around” continuously and for a long time) so you have enough clicks on a big enough dial.
And it’s interesting that the more you repeat your clicks, the smarter you get–because repetition is how you learn, how you can re-test your premise once again, and you can then expand or revise your views if you choose.
And with guys like Halbert and Kennedy at some point you’ve heard it all (or close to it)…you have to be on reruns at some point and you might have to revise or change your thinking.
Also: The more narrow or niched your expertise, the faster you can create a big dial.
Regardless your dial always gets larger as you add new clicks.
My dial is decent…and my dial gets bigger every day in all areas of marketing and copy (and even entrepreneurship).
But when I think about Halbert and Kennedy for example, I realize I have some catching up to do.
When I was brainstorming with my team about Titans Xcelerator, I felt that one of the member benefits could be a live “Ask Me Anything/Hot Seat Call”—a bold move—because with a membership of now 150 smart and shrewd direct response marketers and copywriters, I thought:
“Is my dial big enough to handle that?”
Well…it was…partially because of what I knew and also because of what I learned.
On our first call this past week I also learned about the “wisdom of the crowd”; and I was reminded of my myriad of contacts and resources (which really is a myriad!).
That is, my dial expanded right before my eyes with each question on the call.
I have to admit, with the first few hot seats I felt I had to have all the answers…but I learned quickly in the spirit of “everyone knows everything about this much” (picture my thumb and index finger 3 inches apart—watch the 6 minute video Knowing everything about something ) that I didn’t need to know “everything about everything.”
My dial was more than big enough once I let others in on the action (i.e. I took the question to everyone on the call) and they were eager to participate in the Facebook and Zoom chat…some even spoke.
Additionally, I thought about how I had lived in the world of marketing for 40 years paying pretty close attention along the way to not only concepts, techniques and philosophy…but to people.
For example, one hot seat was about “qualifying writers and creative types” and I went off on my 7 things that are evident in every great copywriter (which was helpful but not the entire answer).
Others then chimed in with many other ways you can assess creative and writing talent–and one person in particular had already done it, not just with copywriters (which was my angle) but with content writers as well.
That got the guy on the hot seat motivated to re-vamp his landing page immediately.
And there was another guy that had a website with “Copywriter” in the title that realized that it was “Content Writers” he was really looking for…we killed two birds (hot seats) with one stone (click).
And the resources (i.e. people) that could help him directly from me and the group (and indirectly from people all of us were connected to) was a huge added bonus.
On another hot seat, the person wanted to take what he had done for himself and teach it, template it and sell it to others—a noble thought—but my click on my dial went right to how most copywriters I’ve known and worked with, at some point, realize the opposite:
Why keep making multi-millions for others when I could be doing it for myself…and create something that I own?
I’m not crying for the copywriters who have made nice money for their clients and have been paid handsomely for it…but they don’t own anything and that is a dream of many.
This guy on the hot seat was thinking of going from “owning to creating for others”—which was interesting given those copywriters who were trying to go from “creating for others to owning.”
It’s not always a “direct click” on your dial.
My advice here was to make sure this marketer had maxed out for himself (and wasn’t spreading himself out too thin) or teaching it too soon.
He was in the opposite position of those copywriters—I suggested he should take a closer look at what he had built to date and see what else he could still do (not just to maximize income but to make the product he would take to others later on so much more valuable).
Putting the oxygen mask on himself before putting it on his “children” is the analogy—and he agreed that this might be a better approach to gain a more powerful, ultimate case history-.
There seemed to be more than enough time to do what I advise everyone to do at some point in their career: If you did it, teach it.
However, this particular marketer was just gaining steam and frankly, he was kinda young (not a criterion for not teaching what you’ve done but just something to think about).
I’m at the “teaching what I did (and what I am doing) stage,” for example, now– and I only started teaching what I had done at 56 (not old mind you—but older for sure).
I just wanted him to consider this as well…which is another click on my dial.
Then the group chimed in with all sorts of ways to expand his current business further.
And resources/people/books to consult on this topic.
The conclusion was that it would be a bigger decision than he had thought for him to possibly dilute what he was building to make this pivot.
He might still want to create the course or methodology for others in the future…the group and I were just suggesting it might be too soon.
Others agreed…and he did too. For now.
There are only two times: Now and not now. His time will come regardless.
And then there were hot seats where the marketer, copywriter or entrepreneur wanted to find out where to find certain kinds of lists, or an expert on a specific medium, or advice on the premise or design of a website.
I know a lot about all of these things but not nearly everything so I went looking for a click…but I realized I was tapping into a different dial:
That is, all the amazing people I’ve met during 40 years in marketing–and I was able to give out names of the top experts to help them.
Thank goodness my memory is still sound…and there are records of everyone I’ve met…somewhere.
What I learned on this first “Ask Me Anything/Hot Seat Call” for Titans Xcelerator:
I actually had three dials.
1) The dial that was my accumulated knowledge over four decades (nothing to sneeze at).
2) The dial that I created by launching and then interacting with Titans Xcelerator the way I was doing (on a live call once a month)…creating an incredible database of knowledge for the call and beyond…with 150 other dials with lots of clicks on each.
And then tapping into the “The Wisdom of the Crowd”
3) The dial that was my rolodex (I know—an old fashioned term) of all the people classified by their expertise in my brain and clicking on the one (or two or more) that had the precise skill needed for that person asking the question.
And I knew my recommendations were best-in-class since I go a mile deep with the key people in my direct orbit.
I can’t wait for the next call to tap into those 3 dials once again; and the beauty of it is that your dials only get bigger every day if you are always mindful and paying close attention.
Those of you who were on the call (and those that were not) should all realize that all knowledge is cumulative, and each day is a new chance to learn and get better.
And because all of our dials are always expanding, we will be in service to each other in bigger and better ways into the future.
Competition is coexistence.
I realize that I have a new tribe expanding my dial—I encourage you to find yours.
Warmly,
Brian
P.S Just got this post in the Titans Xcelerator Facebook Group from my partner Chris Mason…addressed to the entire group.
It proves that everyone has a huge dial!
You got a compliment. Check it out…
Got an email this morning from someone who was on our group call. This person has never been part of a mastermind and was skeptical. So he only signed up for the monthly payment option.
I get it…
But after yesterday’s call, this person asked to switch to paying annually and commit long term.
Want to know why?
Because of YOU.
Here’s part of the email:
“You all did such a wonderful job and had so many smart business owners I can see the benefits from committing long term.”
Pretty cool right?!
This is why masterminds are so powerful. It’s not just about tapping into Brian’s experience or my experience, although that’s part of it.
But when you bring smart, hungry and generous people together…exponential growth happens.
It can’t NOT happen. <===Grammar people just keep reading 🙂
Now…I’m sharing this with you for two reasons:
1. If someone pays you a compliment, I think you oughta know. 🙂
2. I want to say thank you!
Thank you to everyone who was on the call yesterday.
And thank you, especially to everyone who participated by sharing resources, ideas, etc…
If you missed the call, it will be included in this month’s package.
And for annual members, you’ll get access to a digital version in the next few days.
Next group call is 2/13 at 11am EST.
And I have a special guest interview I’ll be doing live in the group on 1/23.
More to come!
Thanks for sharing that with the Titans Xcelerator family Chris!