Attack of the Clones

Avoid Cloning

In junior high a kid named “Red” liked to take on the popular kids’ talk and style.

Red would use their language, “That slams.”

He would wear their fashions. (Just a note, leather zipper type gear doesn’t work well when you’re about 50 pounds over the limit. Instead of fashion it looks a little more like leather Jello.)

Red would use their gestures and expressions.

Sherlock Holmes is not needed to decipher how well this went over.

Bottom line: Red tried too hard to be something he wasn’t so he could fit in and be accepted.

Red was funny, smart, could tell a great story. Folks liked him. We all liked HIM. We didn’t like him trying to be someone else.

Heck, that was junior high. You sorta expect people to step over the line of cool into creepy. Com’on there’s so many crazy adjustments happening physically at that age, that just making it out of 8th grade with a little dignity is a major accomplishment.

Now then…

Look around in the online business world.

It can be a little like junior high.

You’ve got a whole crowd of adolescents trying to be like the cool kids.

Using phrases like, “Money getting;” “Traffic getting;” “List getting.”

Dressing like the popular kids with the exact same style headlines, sale pages, squeeze pages, launch processes and pitch-o-rama email sequences.

Yawn.

Boring.

Zzzzzzzz…..

(Apologies. Fell a sleep thinking about the sea of sameness.)

It’s an internet business clone factory out there! :-0

Four Ways to Avoid the Invasion of the Body Snatchers

It’s super easy to follow the crowd and enter the assembly line. Since so many others are joining the parade it just seems natural to keep step with the band.

Stand out from the clones by…

Invasion Blocker #1: Getting to Know You

Who are YOU?

Every person has stories of success, failure, brokenness, struggle, heartache, loss, talent, victories and defeats.

What’s your story? The masses want to hear it. They want to connect and feel they know you and can trust you.

(Of course, I’m not suggesting you get weird and share a private fetish like your attraction to Chihuahua paws. Please take those photos off of Facebook.)

Focus on “common ground” stories. You know…

Mom yelling, “Phillip David Gere!!! You get in this house right now young man!!” Always making it loud enough for the good folks two cities over to learn your name and know that doom was in your future.

Your disastrous first kiss that was both exciting, awkward and confusing. I mean, after all the build up it was clumsy at best.

The loss of a parent, a sibling or a child. Death is universal and sharing a story of loss without losing it in the process makes you real.

Please, tell us about you.

Invasion Blocker #2: Say It Loud and Say It Proud

Another sad trait of clones is having no personal opinion. They just repeat what the mad scientist programs them to say. It’s like pulling a string on Buzz Lightyear, “To infinity and beyond!”

We have no problem giving a strong opinion to a friend. We’ll argue, fight, and get totally illogical about our beliefs. We will defend our strong and poor positions equally.

But for some reason, when we step into the light of business, we begin to care what others think. We stagger toward safety. And along the way we get lost. We lose our voice. We clone.

STOOOOOOOOOP!!!!

Where’s your passion? Where’s your fire? Where’s your zeal?! (I don’t really know what zeal is, but it’s a word that seems to say, “Get off your duff and make a difference.”)

Make a few enemies.

Draw a line in the sand and tell the crowd, “OK everyone who wants to go on this adventure cross this line. The rest of you go home to mama.”

What are your thoughts on ______________________.

Don’t whisper or whimper, be bold!

Invasion Blocker #3: Own Your Space

It’s fine when you’re starting out to copy the cool kids to begin with. We all need to try on the leather jacket just to see how it fits. But pretty quick we need to get our own clothes and make our own fashion statement.

Does your Twitter background look like everyone elses’ or is there some flair?

Maybe you’re a funky flower person, – then plaster some pastels sister!

Perhaps you’re a dog lover – then slap those puppies on the page.

I know it can be scary being yourself, but it can’t be worse than what I saw at the last conference.

There was a dude prancing around in a wizard outfit. Called himself the “Internet Marketing Wizard.” Personally, I stayed as far away as possible, but the guy has a following.

Listen, you don’t need everyone, you just need a few folks who like you and trust you. Then you can make a great living online.

And NO ONE is trying to clone the Wizard. Being yourself is like a clone protection amulet.

Forget looking like everyone else – look like you.

Invasion Blocker #4: Rescue

Can we be honest? Sneak in here close, OK?

The “average” online opportunity seeker is just out to make money, not to help people. They sell or recommend products that just don’t work and are not built around solid business principles.

And who wants to clone that?

Not me and you, that’s for sure.

To really stand out in your market rescue people with your writing and products.

Maybe you’re rescuing Kelly from a baby that cries all night.

Perhaps you rescue Mike from a golf slice that killed three ducks and a cat.

How cool when you come to the rescue of Bob who’s tried for 3 months to get his blog up.

And when all is said and done you get to hear those two words said to every hero, “Thank you.”

There’s no reason to be a clone. Be you.

It’s a lot more fun, a lot easier and a lot more welcomed.

Oh… and by the way Red’s reformed.

We took him to the side, peeled the leather off of him, gave him a Twinkie and a slap on the back and reassured him, “Red. We love you just the way you are!”

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