3 Steps to Omnipresence Be so omnipresent unforeseen setbacks will not set you back.
By Grant Cardone Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
In order for your life not to feel like "work" -- or like you're running on a hamster wheel -- you must think in terms of the right volumes. Omnipresence -- the goal of being everywhere at all times and at the same time -- is exactly the kind of massive thinking that is missing from most people's expectations of themselves and their dreams.
Can you imagine what it would be like if you, your brand, and your company could be everywhere all the time -- and how much power this would give you? Although it may seem impossible, this should be your goal. The things that are assigned the most value on this planet are believed to be available everywhere. It is impossible to amass true success without thinking in terms of making your ideas, products, services, or brand universal. The things upon which people depend on most are omnipresent, from the oxygen you breathe to the water you drink to the fuel you burn in your car to the electricity that runs through your home to the most impressively branded products on earth.
Show me one great company that has not accomplished omnipresence. Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Google, Starbucks, AT&T, Bank of America, Apple, Ford Motor Company, Visa, American Express, Wal-Mart—these names are everywhere. Each of these companies is in every city—some on every street corner—and most are available around the world. You see their ads, you know what their logos look like, and you can even hum some of their jingles and use their names to describe not just their products; but in some cases, their competitors' products as well.
There are also individuals who have accomplished omnipresence so well that the world immediately recognizes their names, such as Steve Jobs, Oprah, Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, George Bush, Barack Obama, Abe Lincoln, Elvis, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Walt Disney, Will Smith, Mother Teresa, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, and so on. Whether you like them or not, each of these people has created such a name for himself or herself that most people know who they are—or at the very least, recognize their name and align it with importance.
Unless people know who you are, no one will pay attention to what you represent. You have to get people to know you which means that you have to get attention. The more attention you get, the more places you will be; the more people you are with, the more you can be everywhere. I want to share with you 3 steps you can take to become omnipresent.
1. Get involved.
Start with your community, school system, neighborhood, and local politics. You have to attend and be seen at events, write in the local paper, and get connected to the players in your community. Once involved do everything possible to stay active, have people see you, read you, hear you, and think about you. You want people to see you so often that they think of you constantly and instantaneously identify your face or name or logo with not just the offering you represent but even the offering made by those similar to you.
Many people incorrectly assume that they can make a handful of phone calls, a personal visit or two, and send out some emails and somehow command people's attention. But the truth is that none of these actions will cause people to think about you enough to have a considerable effect.
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2. Say 'yes.'
Say yes to every opportunity to get your word out. Write about it, talk about it, give lectures on what you do, and even bark on the street corners if you have to. Make yourself available everywhere. Take every opportunity that comes your way. For example, my wife is an actress and I tell her all the time to say yes to every audition, regardless of whether she is prepared or whether she thinks the part is right for her. It's better to suck and be seen than not to be seen at all! "But what if I bomb?" my wife asks me. I tell her, "Hollywood is filled with terrible actors that are still somehow working." Maybe they won't pick you for the part you went up for but will see that you're perfect for some other part.
The goal is to be seen, thought of, and considered—in one way or another. Your only problem is obscurity, not talent. In order for the endeavor you've chosen to work out for you, you have to make constant, relentless effort. Massive action can never hurt you and will always help you. This is also one place where quantity is more important than quality.
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3. Commit to omnipresence.
My goal these days is to get 7 billion people to hear my name constantly, know it when they hear it, and then when they think sales training, they think of me. Although this may seem unrealistic, probably unattainable, it is the right target, thinking, footprint, and concept for my business—to be everywhere. The mere commitment to doing something this big will be an adventure in and of itself.
Even before I'm able to fully attain my goal, I will achieve some greater level of success in the attempt. This mindset will then allow for us to make all our decisions with the goal of moving me in the direction of getting everyone on the planet to know about me, my products, my company and my efforts!
Every decision we make at my company is based on this one mission: Introduce the entire planet to Grant Cardone.
We don't ask what a project will cost or whether it fits in the budget or if we have time to do something. We ask: does it help us accomplish the mission of being everywhere? We don't stop to figure out whether I want to travel or speak to a smaller group or what the outcome may be. We simply do not allow any excuses and distractions that could limit expansion.
Are you operating at the right level of targeting, and thinking big enough? If you're not already, you need to expand your approach and enlarge your footprint with the goal of dominating and being everywhere. Burst through obscurity and let the world know what you can do for it—and then do it relentlessly. Although it might sound like a grind, it will only be a chore if your goals are too small, self-serving—and unattained. Get involved, say yes, and commit to having your brand, idea, concept, company, product, or service make a footprint on the planet!
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