Why Some Prospects Will Always Reject You, And How To Persuade Them Otherwise: The Resource Needs Availability Hierarchy
How to become the better option in your customer's eyes
In my previous article I talked about stockpiling
Gather information in one place to maximize learning
Truth is, most people are horrible at it
They’d much rather scroll TikTok all day
But they are still doing it, even though they are learning nothing
And because they do it, you have a problem
Let’s use me as an example
If someone tries to sell me something..
I immediately lose interest
Not because they don’t have the answer
But because I already have the solution
This happens all the time
Freelancers, creators, writers, marketers, agency owners etc.
Day after day they are rejected, because people are not interested in their product
That lack of interest is happening, because of their level of access to resources
The more experience you build up, the more resources you have
Swipefiles, archives, notion documents, templates etc.
If you’re experienced, you probably have the theory based solution already
This makes it difficult to sell things to those people..
They can solve the problem themselves, or know someone better than you who can
These people already have human resources, connections, and documents..
These documents and people have already replaced you
This is why networking with a business account, or selling something to someone on X, making $50,000/mo is much harder.. Than selling or connecting with a 100 follower account
Now of course, some CEOs only have 200 followers, so that’s the exception
But this problem of yours.. There’s a way to get around it
To sell and connect with the newbies all the way to the top dogs
By understanding the “Resource Needs Availability Hierarchy”, you can become the replacement to their resources
First, take a look at this image, then read further so we can get started
The Resource Needs Availability Hierarchy
Level 1 in the Hierarchy - Newbie
To build a connection with, and sell to this person, is the easiest
Their availability to resources is extremely low
If you offer a solution to their problem, chances are, they have never seen someone else offering it before (product or service wise)
This makes it easy to sell to them, because you are the only solution to their problem
They don’t have a swipefile or resources, so the first opportunity there is to solving their problem, will be the most appealing
Building a connection with this person is simple, but not 100% effective
Just as with every person you’re building a connection with, you can’t just straight up sell to them
Human beings trust those they’ve interacted with multiple times
So you need to keep this in mind if you want to sell to the person in the newbie level
It should take at least 5-10 messages for you to offer a solution to their problem
Assuming you know how to sell in the DMs on social media
If you’re interested in getting a tried and tested framework for selling in the DMs, you can grab my “Simplified Selling Framework” here
IMPORTANT: You’re not manipulating people, you’re solving their problem
If your main goal is not to sell, but to connect, then connecting with this person will be simple
Open the conversation, find common ground, chat about relevant topics, add them to your twitter or X list, check in with them every 1 or 2 days, BOOM! Lifetime connection
Most of the time, this person will have aobut 50-400 followers
Level 2 in the Hierarchy - Intermediate
The person on this level of the pyramid already has a few resources at his or her disposal, but that doesn’t mean your product or service isn’t better
But remember, since the resources they have, they got while they were on level one, convincing them that your product or service is better, won’t be easy
They took the first thing they saw that worked, and stuck to it
If they are on this level, it means you need to do some research
Who have they worked with before
What made them build something on social media
What are their past experiences
How good are they with technology
Who do they trust to solve their problem, and why
Once you have all this information, AND you are actually at a higher level than the person who solved their problem previously..
You can start positioning
On this level, to replace the old solution, you need to be seen as the better solution
You do this by comparing your solution to their current solution
This needs to be done subtly
If you don’t do this, you won’t get past the solicitation barrier
The barrier between them seeing you as a sneaky salesman, and them seeing you as a person who genuinely wants to help them solve their problem
Of course, you just want to solve their problem..
But until you establish the right level of trust, they won’t see it that way
Worm comparisons into the conversations, but do it subtly
Again, this isn’t manipulation
You are doing this because you FIRMLY BELIEVE, that your solution can help them even more
If you don’t believe it, and you know their current solution is better, then leave it
To network with this person is simple, and my “Simplified Selling Framework”, does that for you. If you’d like it, you can grab it here
You build a connection with this person exactly the same way you build a connection with anyone on level 1
Find common ground, connect over relevant topics, talk about similar interests, add them to a list, check in with them every few days
This person typically has 5000-1000 followers
Level 3 in the Hierarchy - Expert
The person on this level most likely already has a guy who does what you do, but better
They most likely have a massive document filled with information that solves all the problems you solve, and most likely better
To sell something to this person, you need to give it time
Build a connection with them using the same methods discussed in the previous levels, then check in with them every few days → This can be a 3 month process
But at the same time, you need to be improving your skills
If they have a solution to the problem you fix, you need to offer a better solution..
And to do that, you have to deliver better results, or be able to do things their current resources or connections cannot
The only way you can do that, is by improving your skills
Assuming you don’t have a lot of followers, you’re going to need to sell to people in the DMs
To build solid partnerships that could result in large payouts down the line, read my article on it here
Grab my selling and networking in the DMs guide here
And most importantly, build your own resource library
Once you’ve sold to enough people in the DMs, you will have better results..
And with those better results..
You can use the subtle comparison method to replace the old solution of the person on this level
People on this level usually have 5000-10000 followers
Level 4 in the Hierarchy - Master
The people on this level have the lowest chance of buying something from you
They have every resource imaginable, they have a lot of experience, and they have a massive network
Keep in mind, not every situation is the same
But in general, someone on this level rarely works with people who pitch them
First of all, to contact this person, you’re most likely going to need their telegram
Their main X account will have flooded DMs, and they won’t reply
There are some who still reply even if they have a massive following..
But there are many you will encounter who won’t be able to reply
Even then, they might not like you messaging their telegram..
So its best to keep that in mind
After you overcome the hurdle of contacting them, you are going to need 3 things:
Massive credibility → Incredible achievements as proof to sell them
Massive Authority → Incredible reputation to get them to trust you
Advanced Persuasion Skills → Know how to build real connections
I teach my Digital Philosopher University students all of these things..
But for free resources I suggest you read every article I wrote on writing, business, development, and marketing here
Only with advanced experience, at least 20 case studies that resulted in an increase in revenue, and months of experience in outbound marketing, will you be able to close someone on this level → They have seen every sales tactic imaginable
BUT, networking with this person is much easier than selling to them
They will already have an inner circle of hard working business owners
To join this circle, you need to do the following:
Do not sell them straight off the bat → They can spot salesman from a mile away
Show genuine interest → Do not fake caring about them
Build a genuine connection → You are connecting with a human being
Offer genuine solutions to their problems (if you can)
Listen to their advice, and actually implement it
Like and engage with their posts
Read their newsletters or emails
Build a long term partnership
DO NOT QUIT → They only surround themselves with those who are consistent
The people on this level usually have from 10,000-100,000 followers
Level 5 in the Hierarchy - Apex
This is the level most big shot Agency owners and CEOs are on
They have every resource imaginable, they have all the money they need..
And they most likely have an entire system setup that solves all their problems
There’s 3 ways to reach these people:
Reach out to them, find common ground, and establish massive authority
Create content that solves their problem, and grow your following
Send cold emails to massive companies to land a client
The conversion rate on sales with these people are incredible low
People are sending out 1000s of cold emails every day, and get basically 0 leads
But because of the level they are on, one client can turn into a $50000-25,000/mo retainer fee (yes this actually happens)
I’ve never actually reached out to someone on this level, but in the event I’d like a mentor to go to the next level, or an Angel investor or business partner..
This is most likely what I would do to make it happen
People on this level can have 0 followers, 300 followers, or 15,000 followers
They usually run their agencies or companies off X, and stalk the timeline
They won’t be engaging with your tweets
If they like what you’re putting out, they might follow you
They are unlikely to reply to you, because they are too busy
If you get contacted, it will be because they’ve been watching your content for a while, and depending on the situation, it might even be their VA contacting you
To Conclude: Your ultimate goal, should be to reach Apex Status
Gain so many resources and connections, that you have the answer to every possible problem you encounter
You do that by stacking resources, expertise, knowledge, courses, articles, and also building your network
Your ideal target market when selling services or products, will be at the “Newbie” level, the “Intermediate” level, and the “Expert” Level
You need to find a balance between making the new client process as fast as possible (getting as many clients you can in as little time as possible)..
Creating social media content in the form of articles and posts..
And living a balanced lifestyle
That’s all for now, cheers
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