Unfair advantages.
Everybody has one.
And everyone can use their unfair advantage to open up doors in business and life.
You just need to find YOURS.
I served in the Marine Corps – that is an unfair advantage I capitalize on.
Instantly this experience helps me create trust, credibility, and a relationship with many of my viewers.
Other unfair advantages are me being a father of four, a husband, a Texan living in Wisconsin, and being a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
I'm not saying that I am better than anyone.
I’m simply making my life experiences more visible and using them to build bridges that work in my favor.
What’s my point?
You need to look at yourself and find the elements that no one can compete with you on.
This is what makes you….. YOU.
In a crowded world, your unique life experiences can be used to separate yourself from the pack and build relationships that lead to more business and authentic friendships.
Examples of Unfair Advantages
Right out of the top of my head here are a few:
- Your background & family history.
- Your ethnicity.
- Your sex.
- A physical characteristic or disability.
- Military or service experience.
- A language.
- The schools that you went to.
- The clubs and organizations that you participated in or are still currently active in.
Some of these may appear to be not politically correct.
That's fine – this is real life, not a college campus and the competitive advantages listed are common bonds that those who have them recognize and quickly use to build a base of trust with others.
Want to watch this video – How To Leverage Your Unfair Advantage – on YouTube? Click Here.
Why Leverage Your Unfair Advantage? 3 Reasons!
First – It Immediately Separates You From The Competition
Let’s use my business as an example.
There are many other guys out there talking about men’s style.
But as far as I know – I'm the only one with
1) A military heritage,
2) using video and
3) info-graphics to get across his points in a
4) practical manner because
5) I tie it into being a
6) family man and
7) business owner.
Second – An Unfair Advantage Quickly Builds Trust
When people find out I was an officer in the Marines – that’s a huge trust builder.
Most people know there are barriers one must overcome to go down that path. They assume I must be at least an “OK guy” to have accomplished this. 🙂
Another advantage I leverage is that I own a custom clothier.
I can talk about designing and making clothing because I have actual experience building it.
Third – It’s A Great Conversation Starter
Anything great that has ever been built has started with a conversation.
One man can rarely build anything of great significance by himself; we need other people.
Strong teams are built on relationships that start with a conversation.
Use your unfair advantage to capture the attention people and get the conversation going in the direction you want.
Not Sure What Your Unfair Advantage Is?
For some people finding their unfair advantage is a challenge.
If you are one of those men, here are a few tips to get you going:
Know your history
Research your family history. Know where you came from, where your parents came from and if possible your family lineage.
Use this to build relationships – whenever I meet someone from Mexico, Spain or Portugal I can immediately speak of my families historical ties to these countries.
Sharing a common history with other people is a great way to form friendships.
Start To Make History
Your past and roots aren't the only thing that determines your unfair advantage.
What you've accomplished, and finding subtle ways to bring this into the conversation, is one of my favorite uses of an unfair advantage in business and life.
Start a company. Volunteer. Intern.
These are things that you can actively do that will immediately make your life more interesting and gain you a wealth of experience!
Practice Talking To People
You walk by a hundred people every day.
If you don’t talk to them you may never know that you share something in common.
It can start with a smile and a simple hello.
After your initial chitchat you should be able to determine in a few seconds if this person is someone you want to get to know better.
Become a master of small talk – worse case you come off as friendly, but more likely you'll start to find this practice opens up unexpected doors of opportunity.
As always, I hope you found this post interesting, entertaining and educational.
If you want to see more posts of this nature please feel free to subscribe to the Real Men Real Style Youtube channel by clicking here.
Want to watch this video – How To Leverage Your Unfair Advantage – on YouTube? Click Here.
