Leaders Light The Path

PODCAST EPISODE

How to out-compete bullshitters

Basically, there’s only one way how to outcompete bullshitters … 

Transcript
Speaker:

Whatever industry you're in, you will be competing with bullshitters.

Speaker:

People who promise big, but don't bother whether they can

Speaker:

actually deliver big – if at all.

Speaker:

I see two theoretical ways to out-compete bullshitters.

Speaker:

Out of which only one I think is practical.

Speaker:

First there's patience.

Speaker:

The one problem that bullshitters can’t solve is trust.

Speaker:

Sooner or later, people will start to discover that that

Speaker:

bullshitter just, well, bullshits.

Speaker:

However that doesn't really solve our problem.

Speaker:

For two reasons.

Speaker:

First there's the Lucy approach, which basically means that they will try

Speaker:

ever harder to bullshit even better.

Speaker:

They will never get tired of trying to bullshit people, just like

Speaker:

Lucy never got tired of tricking Charlie brown into kicking the ball

Speaker:

only to eventually pull it back.

Speaker:

But apart from that, the next bullshitter will always be

Speaker:

waiting around the next corner.

Speaker:

Therefore, I think it's best to just face it.

Speaker:

There's always going to be bullshitters trying to catch your customer.

Speaker:

So patience is not really an option.

Speaker:

Which leaves the second approach as maybe the only way to out-compete bullshitters.

Speaker:

Become so good at telling true stories that they resonate better

Speaker:

than their bullshit stories.

If you liked this post

consider subscribing to my week-daily thoughts on the art of communicating.
We never use your address for anything else. Please see our privacy terms.