What Dating Taught Me About Business
“One guy wanted to take me to a campfire in the woods with his friends for a date.”
She continues after I raise an eyebrow in disbelief.
“I didn’t go because I didn’t know him. We had just met. Maybe after a few dates with him, I would have, but not the first date.”
Once I went back out in the dating game, though, I learned something very quickly.
Dating, like business, can be very easy if you pay attention. For example, some of the women I dated were responding or acting in certain ways because of what had previously happened to them in their dating experience.
I had this one girl rush to grab her debit card and pay for her drinks before I could because when guys pay for drinks, “they expect something in return,” she said.
“All I expect from you is to have a good time on the date,” I rebutted.
I get it, though. Guys aren’t always the greatest when it comes to dating. As one of them, I can vouch for this because we weren’t exactly shown how to court a lady. Much of our education comes from either TV or the horrible advice of our friends. So we do things and say things, thinking that is the way to grow closer with someone. This time around, I took a different approach.
I shut my mouth and listened.
I listened to all the mistakes other guys made, to what they didn’t do, and to how they cared about themselves.
Thus, I did what the great Ben Settle says to do when you have to defeat your competition.
…I just did the opposite of what I was learning other guys were doing.
I never worry about competition in business or personal life. My mission is to perform so well that the other person cannot continue without me because they see no other option as a better one.
My girlfriend told me on the first date that she was dating other guys; she went on a date the day before ours. I didn’t care; I appreciated her honesty; I just knew that I was going to outdo the other guy anyway. (She canceled their next date a few days later)
The point of all of this is twofold.
First–Never worry about the competition. The field seems fierce, and the options are low. More than you may realize, people are sick and tired of what they’re dealing with. So, the time is ripe for just the right business to showcase their flare, style, and personality–to build an audience, community, and a money-making machine. But you have to build this confidence so as not to worry about the competition. It’s hard to do if you don’t know what the competition is doing or their mistakes, which is the second point.
Second, Listen to your market. What are they tired of? What are they dealing with that nobody seems to care about solving? What do they believe to be true? (For example, all guys want something for buying an $8 drink.) Understanding their reasoning, logic, and emotional level gives you insight into how you can gain an advantage over anybody.
