Authorities don’t nudge. They move.

“Focus on the things that move the needle, and don’t worry about the things that nudge the needle. Because, if you dissipate your energy to the things that nudge the needle, you’re going to end up worse off than if you had just concentrated that energy on the thing that really does move it.” - Cal Newport

Cal Newport is a bestselling author who’s not on social media.

Podcast host: “Cal, wouldn’t you sell more books if you were on social media?”

Cal replies, “Social media… allows people to talk about your book, but it actually doesn’t move a ton of books if it’s just you talking to your followers.”

He has Steve Martin’s words drilled into his brain – Be so good they can’t ignore you.

“[Steve Martin] says, don’t get distracted. You’re going to get a much better return making your act so good it can’t be ignored. That’s the way I’ve always approached my books. Don’t get caught up in all those other things that may add a little bit of value… focus on writing better books.”

Having studied authorities in expertise-driven businesses, the people and firms widely recognised by the market as leaders in what they do, I’ve observed…

Three areas move the needle

The first is identifying a painful frustration that a particular group of people would pay to solve. Let’s call that frustration.

The second is mastering the delivery of a solution that unquestionably solves that problem. Let’s call that solution.

The third is developing the craft of writing and speaking about the two above. Let’s call that communication.

Frustration selection is upstream of everything.

It’s easier to sell an average solution to a painful frustration than an outstanding solution to an average problem. Notice also that very average content around AI seems to generate enormous attention. That’s because it’s targeted at a painful frustration (FOMO new opportunities or being left behind).

Mastery of the solution leads to two core outcomes:

• Clients are sticky
• They refer others

Solution mastery can take years to develop, but it’s a worthwhile investment of time when you’ve selected the right frustration to solve.

That combination inevitably leads to success, but growth is slow, one customer at a time, and owners feel powerless to ramp it up.

Undisputed Authorities add the third to the mix – communication. The message is compelling to strangers who immediately get what they do. Unique points of view, contrarian insights, book deals, and speaking opportunities all flow from developing the craft of writing and speaking about the frustration and solution.

As Rory Sutherland would say, you’re no longer searching for opportunities. Opportunities start coming to you.

In time, you build momentum, the owner is no longer powerless regarding growth. The more they communicate, the more opportunities they receive.

Everything else nudges the needle

Things like SEO, social selling, commenting for visibility, a/b testing subject lines, social ads and conversion rate optimisation are ‘nudgers.’ Maybe they have a small, positive impact on your business, but as Cal Newport says, they dissipate your energy that’d be better spent on the three movers.

What makes this hard is that things that move the needle are slow movers, whilst things that nudge the needle are fast.

What also makes this hard is all the noise from influencers championing needle nudgers.

Authorities don’t nudge. They move.