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I want to share with you a story that completely changed how we at Boom think about business, marketing, and making money. It's about a guy who figured out something so counterintuitive that it sounds like complete nonsense until you see the results.
You probably spend more time researching which Netflix show to binge than most entrepreneurs spend understanding their customers' actual problems. Meanwhile, 90% of startups fail because they build products nobody wants, but they'll pivot seventeen times before asking one simple question: "What outcome do you actually need?"
We're living in the age of "growth hacking," where founders obsess over click-through rates while their customers feel like walking ATMs. The average person encounters 10,000 marketing messages daily, most of which feel about as authentic as a politician promising to "fight for the middle class" while boarding a private jet.
But buried in this chaos is a different approach that sounds absolutely insane until you realize it's generated over $50 billion in revenue. It's called the Law of Preeminence, and it was perfected by a guy who figured out the secret to unlimited customer loyalty by doing the one thing every business book tells you never to do: telling prospects NOT to buy your product.
I know, I know. It sounds like business advice from opposite day (basically a day where nothing means what it should, and the dumber something sounds, the more right it probably is).
Meet Jay Abraham, the marketing strategist who discovered that the fastest way to get rich is to care more about your customers' success than your own profits. Companies that have implemented client-first strategies consistently show improved retention, higher referral rates, and increased customer lifetime value according to multiple business studies.
The kicker? Jay learned this lesson the hard way, through spectacular failures that would make most entrepreneurs curl up in a corner and start a nice, safe accounting practice.
How a Door-to-Door Reject Accidentally Cracked the Code to Unlimited Loyalty
Let me tell you about the 1970s, when Jay Abraham was grinding it out as a door-to-door vacuum salesman. And I mean GRINDING. He's got the whole thing down to a science - the pitch, the pressure tactics, the "limited time offer" that expires in exactly 47 minutes (because 45 minutes just doesn't create enough urgency, apparently).
Classic sales playbook stuff that would make Jordan Belfort proud.
But Jay had a problem. He was absolutely, spectacularly terrible at it.
Not because he couldn't talk - the man could sell snow to Eskimos and probably convince them it was a premium ice experience. Not because he didn't understand the product - he knew those vacuum specs better than his own social security number, which honestly might be a red flag for work-life balance, but whatever.
Jay was failing because he kept doing something that made his sales manager want to fire him on the spot and maybe reconsider his entire hiring process.
He kept talking customers out of buying.
"You know what," Jay would tell prospects, probably while his manager quietly calculated the cost of replacing him, "I've been thinking about your specific situation, and honestly? This vacuum might be overkill for your needs. Have you considered this other option that might work better?"
His manager was probably having an aneurysm watching Jay actively sabotage slam-dunk sales calls. Like watching someone miss an open goal from two feet away, except instead of losing a match, Jay was apparently trying to lose his commission.
But something absolutely unprecedented started happening in the vacuum world.
Customers who didn't buy from Jay started referring their friends. People who bought smaller alternatives became evangelical advocates who talked about Jay like he was some kind of vacuum whisperer. Word-of-mouth exploded faster than a TikTok dance trend.
And eventually, Jay's long-term results didn't just beat everyone else's numbers - they absolutely destroyed them.
That's when the lightbulb went off (probably a very bright one, because Jay was clearly seeing something nobody else could). He realized he'd stumbled onto something that would completely reshape how business works.
The fastest way to lose customers is to prioritize your sale over their success.
Quick example: Starting a freelance graphic design business? Don't immediately push your most expensive package deals. Help potential clients with smaller projects first, maybe even offer some quick feedback on their current branding for free. When they see the quality of your work and trust your creative judgment, they'll come back for bigger projects like full rebrands.
Why Customers Started Begging to Buy After He Stopped Trying to Sell
Jay's vacuum failure led to his "aha moment," except instead of inventing Post-it notes, he cracked the code on human psychology.
Most people hate being sold to because most salespeople are trying to extract value rather than create it. It's like emotional pickpocketing, but legal and somehow socially acceptable.
But what if you flipped the entire relationship on its head? Instead of positioning yourself as a vendor trying to make a sale (aka professional pest), what if you positioned yourself as a trusted advisor whose primary job is protecting the customer's interests?
Jay discovered that when you genuinely put someone's needs first - even when it means recommending competitors or talking them out of purchases - you create something infinitely more valuable than a single transaction. You create trust.
And trust, my friends, is basically the business equivalent of owning prime real estate in Manhattan. Once you have it, everyone wants what you're offering.
"You must understand and appreciate exactly what your clients need when they do business with you," Jay explains. "Once you know what final outcome they need, you lead them to that outcome."
Notice he said "lead them," not "manipulate them toward that outcome" or "convince them they need that outcome." Like a sherpa for business problems, except with better commission potential.
Trust is the ultimate competitive moat. Once you have it, price comparisons become irrelevant.
Example: Starting a fitness coaching practice? Don't push expensive personal training packages on every potential client. Some people might be better served with group classes or online programs first. When clients see you genuinely care about their success over your commission, they trust you with their health goals and refer their friends.
The Client Protection Mindset That Actually Prints Money
Jay's breakthrough came when he stopped thinking about "customers" and started thinking about "clients."
Customers buy products. Clients receive protection.
When you treat someone as a client, you're taking responsibility for their success. You're not just selling them something and hoping they don't return it. You're protecting them from bad decisions, like a business bodyguard except instead of protecting them from bullets, you're protecting them from poor choices.
This shift changes everything about how you operate:
You recommend solutions that actually fit their situation (revolutionary concept, I know)
You invest time understanding their real problems instead of just pitching whatever's on sale
You optimize for long-term success rather than short-term revenue hits
You compete on insight and guidance, not who can offer the biggest discount
The result? People who feel genuinely protected become loyal advocates who refer everyone they know. They stop shopping around because they trust your judgment more than they trust Google reviews, which honestly says a lot about the state of modern decision-making.
Example: Running an online tutoring service? Don't just take payment and hope students pass their exams. Actually invest in understanding their learning style, warn them about common mistakes, and celebrate their progress. Students who feel genuinely supported stay longer and their parents refer other families.
The Math That Makes CFOs Weep With Joy
Jay's Strategy of Preeminence is built on powerful mathematical insights about customer relationships.
According to Bain & Company research, increasing customer retention rates by just 5% can increase profits by 25-95%. But the real magic happens when you move beyond basic retention to actual protection.
Consider these eye-opening patterns:
Companies focusing on retention can be 60% more profitable than those prioritizing acquisition
Harvard Business Review shows customers with the best experience spend 140% more than those with bad experiences
Referred customers have 16% higher lifetime value and 18% lower churn rates (Wharton)
Referred customers show 37% higher retention rates (Deloitte)
When you genuinely protect people and help them succeed, they don't just stay longer - they become your unpaid sales force. Protected clients actively advocate for you because they trust your judgment completely.
Example: Starting a Web3 content creation or education business? Don't hype every new token launch or claim everything will "go to the moon" like you're some kind of crypto fortune teller. Be honest about risks, explain complex concepts clearly, and genuinely help people navigate the space safely. When your audience trusts your judgment in a world full of scams and hype, they become loyal followers who value your insights over flashy promises.
When This Strategy Doesn't Work (And You Need to Know This)
Let's be honest - preeminence isn't magic. It doesn't work everywhere.
This strategy struggles in:
Highly commoditized markets where price is the only differentiator
One-time transaction businesses with no relationship component
Markets where customers genuinely don't care about service quality
Emergency situations where speed trumps everything else
Preeminence works best when:
Relationships matter more than transactions
Trust reduces risk for the buyer
There's ongoing interaction beyond the initial sale
Quality and outcomes are more important than price
Most businesses fall into the second category, which is why this approach is so powerful. But don't try to force it where it doesn't fit.
Example: Creating online courses or digital products? Don't optimize for how many people sign up. Optimize for how many people actually complete the course and achieve the outcome you promised. When students succeed using your material, they become walking testimonials who attract higher-quality customers.
The Authenticity Advantage That Eliminates Competition
Jay discovered something counterintuitive: being vulnerable about what you don't know creates deeper trust than pretending to be perfect.
Most businesses try to appear all-knowing and capable of solving every problem from global warming to your neighbor's annoying dog. It's like corporate peacocking, except less colorful and more expensive.
Jay found that the opposite approach - being honest about limitations and motivations - builds stronger relationships than any polished marketing campaign. It's like business therapy, but instead of talking about your childhood, you admit you're not actually the world's leading expert in everything.
This means:
Admitting when you don't know something (shocking, I know)
Referring people to competitors when they're a better fit (yes, really)
Being upfront about your limitations instead of pretending you invented the internet
Sharing your real motivations for being in business (spoiler: it's probably money, and that's okay)
The vulnerability paradox: the more honest you are about your weaknesses, the more people trust your strengths. It's like reverse psychology, but without the manipulation and with more long-term revenue potential.
When you're genuinely the most trusted advisor in your space, you don't compete on features or price. You compete on judgment, insight, and track record of success. It's like being the only sober person at a party - suddenly everyone wants to talk to you, and not just because you're the designated driver.
This positioning is almost impossible to replicate because it requires authentic expertise and willingness to sacrifice short-term profits for long-term trust. Most competitors can't or won't make these sacrifices because they're too busy chasing the next shiny growth metric.
Example: Starting a content writing or copywriting service? Don't compete purely on price with other freelancers on Upwork like you're in some kind of digital sweatshop. Become the go-to expert for your specific niche, whether that's healthcare, finance, or e-commerce. When clients trust your industry knowledge and writing skills, they don't shop around because why would they need to?
The Simple System That Turns Strangers Into Evangelists
Jay's approach to value creation isn't about giving away free stuff. It's about understanding problems so deeply that your solutions create disproportionate impact.
The framework works like this:
Step 1: Understand the real problem (not what they say, but what they actually need)
Step 2: Identify the ideal outcome (not their requested solution, but their desired result)
Step 3: Design the optimal path to bridge that gap
Step 4: Guide the implementation while protecting their interests
Step 5: Exceed expectations without being asked
This transforms you from vendor to strategic advisor. The value you create becomes the foundation for long-term relationships that compound over time.
Instead of promising rewards upfront, focus on delivering massive value first. When people experience genuine care and protection, they don't stick around because of your loyalty program. They stick around because they can't imagine working with anyone else.
Example: Building an audience through blogging or social media? Don't promise followers rewards for engagement like you're running a digital popularity contest. Focus on helping your audience solve real problems first, then surprise your most engaged community members with exclusive content or early access to your products. Earned recognition feels infinitely better than mechanical incentives, and it creates stories people actually want to share.
Why This Works Even Better in Web3
At Boom, we've seen preeminence principles transform how Web3 companies build lasting communities and sustainable revenue. The principles that made Jay successful with traditional businesses are even more powerful in decentralized ecosystems.
In Web3, trust is literally the only currency that matters. You can't fake authenticity when everything is transparent and your reputation follows you across every platform. The vacuum salesman approach of putting people's interests first becomes your competitive advantage in a space full of hype and broken promises.
Traditional marketing tactics feel manipulative in Web3 communities. But genuine care, honest communication, and protecting people from bad decisions? That builds the kind of trust that creates lasting value.
For ambitious entrepreneurs: Building a SaaS platform or tech startup? Don't push premium enterprise features on day one like you're trying to upsell a Happy Meal to a Big Mac. Help smaller businesses succeed with your core product first. When they grow and trust your platform, they'll upgrade and become case studies that attract bigger clients. In Web3, this might mean launching a simple, secure protocol that solves one problem really well, rather than promising revolutionary features you can't deliver and ending up as another cautionary tale in crypto Twitter.
What Are You Waiting For?
Jay Abraham's journey from failed vacuum salesman to $50 billion marketing strategist proves something that sounds insane: the fastest way to get rich is to care more about other people's success than your own.
Companies implementing the Strategy of Preeminence consistently outperform competitors because they're playing a completely different game. While everyone else optimizes for transactions, they're building relationships that compound over time.
Want to see how these principles can transform your approach to building authentic business relationships?
The vacuum salesman who told people not to buy became the most successful salesman of all. Your next customer is waiting for someone they can trust completely.
What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Go make some friends and accidentally get rich while you're at it.
Want to learn more about implementing the Strategy of Preeminence? Jay Abraham's complete framework is available through his training programs and consulting services at abraham.com.
Visit https://boom.money to learn more about the project or follow us on X @boom_wallet
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