Success Is a Numbers Game – A True Story
Alex Hormozi, brilliant businessman and best-selling author, talks about the conversation that made him realize how success takes a lot more work than people think.
This conversation was with a friend who owned a successful chain of brick-and-mortar stores, and as they talked, Alex mentioned how frustrated he was with results from the advertising efforts for his gyms. He had put a lot of work into distributing flyers all around the area, but the customers were just not coming in through the door like he had hoped.
The friend then asks him, "What was your test size?"
Confused, Alex stammers, "Test size? I've probably put out like 300 flyers, but they're just not working."
The friend then laughs, and says, "Dude, you can't have a test size that’s less than 5,000. I usually put out about 100,000 flyers a month; that's the reason why we're successful."
This statement led to a complete paradigm shift in Alex’s perception of what ‘hard work’ means. It took 100, 000 flyers each month to bring in 30 great clients, yet he’d been disappointed after only putting out 300.
How much is too little?
Alex then goes on to say,
“My understanding of the volume of activity that I thought wasn’t working was dramatically under what it really was supposed to be, and in that moment, I had a belief broken about what volume really means. When people complain that things are not working out, they are usually just NOT doing it at the volume it is required.”
For example, you may do 10 to 15 sales calls or outreach messages every other day, then say, this is not working. You need to be doing 100 daily calls/outreach messages instead.
Numerous companies share maybe 5 to 6 posts a week, then complain they are not getting traffic, you need to be doing 20 to 30 pieces of content daily, across channels, to get cut through.
The same Alex sums it up very well: “The reason you are not being successful is because you are not doing enough of the activity. Whatever you’re doing right now, you need to 10x or even 100x it.”
Story #2: How the DOAC Podcast scales through volume
Just this weekend, I listened to an insightful podcast featuring Grace Andrews, the Marketing Director for Steven Bartlett & The Diary of A CEO (DOAC) Podcast, that ended up being a great real-life example of what Alex is saying.
I mention this story because there is something Grace said that is closely tied to Alex’s realization about quantity of input Vs. quality of output.
On the show, Grace explains how they transformed the podcast from a small channel of about 10,000 listeners to over 10 million monthly listeners, in about 2.5 years.
She then goes on to break down in detail the sheer volume of work it has taken for DOAC to achieve cut-through and become so successful in what appears to be a relatively short period of time.
With this level of attention to detail, of course they would be successful!
If you’re on the outside trying to replicate what they are trying to do, you will have no idea of the invisible details and dedication to volume that is involved. And until someone breaks it down bit by bit, you too, like Alex, will greatly underestimate the sheer volume of input required to succeed in some of these things.
Which then makes it so easy to give up, because you're working blind.
She very eloquently sums it up like this; "Don't try to replicate what anyone else is doing because you are completely blind to the work that goes on behind the scenes to create the result you are trying to copy."
The next 6 months are dictated by what happened 6 months ago
Instead of trying to copy what you do not understand, Grace is adamant about focusing instead on what you can do differently from everyone else, and testing every tiny detail.
On the podcast, she makes a profound observation. She says;
“The next 6 months are dictated by what happened 6 months ago. You can’t change that. All you can do is focus on what you can do right now to get the results you want to achieve in 6 months from now.”
In this simple quote urging us to focus on the input as opposed to the output, Grace manages to summarize a powerful foundational concept that underpins the most effective growth strategies.
The principle behind her quote forms part of a business management methodology called the 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX), introduced by Stephen R. Covey, Chris McChesney, and Sean Covey. ?In a book by the same name, Stephen and his team introduce the concept of Lead measures Vs. Lag measures.
Understanding Lead Measures Vs. Lag Measures
Briefly put, lead measures are the actions directly impacting the desired outcome, whereas lag measures represent the actual result.
Here’s an illustration:
Let’s say you want to grow your business's revenue or shed a few pounds. Lead measures are the specific actions or behaviours that have a direct impact on your desired outcome, and they are usually within your control.
For example, growing revenue could involve optimizing your sales strategy, expanding your marketing efforts, etc. For weight loss, lead measures might include committing to a consistent workout routine, adopting a healthier diet, etc.
On the flip side, lag measures represent the actual result or outcome, like the overall revenue figures or the pounds lost on the scale. They are largely a result of something from the past (lead measures). And because the past is out of your control, lag measures are also out of your control.
For example, you cannot change the marketing campaigns launched last quarter, or all the junk you ate last holiday, even though you are facing the consequences today.
DOAC's volume-based strategies, like testing 100 thumbnails per episode, are a lead measure. The new subscribers they gain each month is a lag measure.
Similarly, in Alex’s story, giving out 100, 000 flyers per month is a lead measure, onboarding 30 clients each month is a lag measure.
These two examples showcase how success depends on understanding and strategically executing measurable actions. And then 10xing your results by 10xing your efforts.
In trying to understand what made both Alex’s friend and DOAC so successful, the clear lesson is that it’s the actions you take (lead measures) that influence the result you want (lag measures). Understanding this distinction is crucial in navigating the path to successful growth.
领英推荐
So, what’s the key takeaway?
Because success is a game of volume, you'll realize that merely dipping your toes in the water won't create waves. To reach new heights, you must continually challenge the limits of what you believe to be possible.
If you understand that the only thing you can control is the input (the lead measures) and that success (the lag measures) requires 10x the effort you thought it does, you can then be informed enough to focus only on what you need to do to achieve that thing you want, and then multiply those efforts by 10.
And if you’re dedicated enough to 10x your input, you will end up looking like you’re playing chess when everyone else is playing checkers.
The 10x Principle
Of course, two things must be true for you to 10x the quantity of your input so that you get the results you want in 6 months.
1.????? You MUST know what result you want
It may sound obvious, but many people do not have a clear goal for the activities they are taking part in.
For instance, when you’re sharing that post or article on your company page, what’s the goal? Is it to build a community, or make a sale?
When you’re going to the gym, is it to lose weight, or add muscle, or meet someone you could potentially start a family with?
Another great Hormozi quote, always ask yourself, what problem are you solving for?
2.????? You MUST know what your current input is.
You can’t 10x a number you don’t know. And here is where it gets tricky.
It is absolutely baffling how many companies pour money into ‘blind marketing’. They do not have a sales management process that clearly logs how many leads they receive each week, and how many of those turned to bookings, and how many closed.
This sales management process is what Daniel Priestley, another brilliant business man and best-selling author, calls ‘Weekly LAPS’. LAPS in this case stands for Leads, Appointments, Presentations, Sales.
You don’t have to have a fancy CRM, but do you at least have something to track your numbers? Even if it’s just a simple excel sheet that shows how many calls were made each day, how many picked up, and how many turned into bookings or appointments. Or how many DMs were sent, how many were seen, how many were responded to, and how many turned into bookings, or closed?
The magic word is ‘MEASURE’
Grace Andrews form DOAC once again provides an immensely useful framework we can use both for our marketing, and our personal goals. Here’s the breakdown:
Step one, be clear on your goals. Step two, execute. Step three, create a framework for measuring at the other end.
You must have a framework for measuring everything after 3 months; this is the only way to know how you are performing, if you are performing at all. This applies to our personal life as well.
In Conclusion: Know your numbers
Jim Rohn once again captured it beautifully when he said; “We’re asked in life simply to make measurable progress in reasonable time.”
“Success is a numbers game. You’ve got to understand what the numbers are. How many books have you read in the last 90 days? In the last six months, how many classes have you taken? How much money have you saved in the last six years? How many pounds overweight should you be at age 50?”
“How many job applications are too many? Or proposals before you get frustrated? Or cold calls before you give up?”
“How many complaints before you listen? Or missed deadlines before you lose that client? Or cancelled hang-outs with family and friends before you lose them? How many play dates with your daughter should you miss before it’s too late?”
Ultimately, the numbers aren't mere figures; they're like guideposts, showing us the way on our life journey.
They help us understand ourselves, our goals, and the intricate network of connections that shape who we are.
The wise thing to do would be to use these numbers as tools to navigate and gain insight into the path we're traveling.
ADDENDUM:
I write these articles primarily for my personal reflection, as it forces me to examine what I wish to communicate, and whether these ideas hold genuine significance.
Throughout the process, I stumble upon valuable resources that not only enhance my professional acumen but also contribute to my growth as a better human being.
In the spirit of shared learning, here's a directory of the assets that have influenced and enriched the content of this article:
?
?