The stories of those who “got in on the ground floor” of some big company or opportunity are pretty much American folklore. Like those people that bought Microstock in the 80s. Or Kramer and the Manzier.
If you’re a direct seller or network marketer, these stories are only amplified. The thought is that those at the top of the pyramid are in the best position, and if you can’t be in that position, why bother?
The problem with that thinking is that it takes a heck of a lot more blood, sweat and tears to get that ground floor opportunity off the ground when you’re there in the beginning than it does later on.
You suffer through learning curves.
You filter customer service issues.
You overlook crashing websites.
The fact is that most people who got in on the ground floor are still there, cuz the company never got any further than that.
After reading through Brian Clark’s post How to Dominate Your Niche, and his point on not looking for new niches, but territories within niches, it got me thinking. I was reminded of the importance to not look for ground floor opportunities, but rather groundswell opportunities.
A couple definitions for groundswell:
- A sudden gathering of force, as of public opinion
- a rapidly developing general feeling or opinion
The people who really take off are those that get in at the right time, not necessarily the first time. When the company is just starting to generate some buzz. When the company is finally shedding its first skin. When people are just starting to take notice.
When it’s created a groundswell.
We might hear stories about those who were courageous enough to get in on the ground floor, but they are few and far between. Many a determined and gifted person has been left in the dust, swept away with the rest of the leftovers on the ground floors of many an opportunity.
Groundswells can actually amplify that dedication and talent. Or maybe even compensate for the lack thereof.
Similar Posts:
- 4 Fundamentals of Marketing for Direct Sellers
- The Top 10 Posts, 2009, on Marketing In Progress
- 12 Tips When Starting a New Job
Brett,
Just one minor clarification since I have spent W-A-Y too much time watching Seinfeld (but loving it). Kramer actually wanted to call the male support undergarment “The Bro.” It was Frank Costanza that thought that sounded too ethnic and wanted to call it the Manssiere. Any-who…
I just wish I new when the “right” time to move into a groundswell was. I can see them in my rearview mirror in hindsight fairly clearly. But as I’m zipping along looking out my front windshield, many things look appealing. That is why social media can be a beautiful thing – it allows you to listen to the chatter.
Bill – shoulda known you’d come through on that. I always preferred Frank’s “Manzier,” and I’m sure that clouded my memory. I actually should have included the picture of him wearing it; would have been much more impactful.
I’m starting to think that the opportunities we think have passed us by are actually the ones with the best timing. Take Twitter, for example. It might seem to us that the ship has sailed, but we’re still way on the front end of the early adopter stage when looked at from a societal perspective.
The market for something great is rarely as saturated as we think it is.
[...] The Illusion of the Ground Floor (March 18, 2009): You don’t have to be the first to succeed. In fact, it’s probably smart if you aren’t. What you’re looking for is momentum. And that never happens at the ground floor. [...]