If you have a skill (that’s useful) that no one else in the world has, the amount of money that people would pay you for that skill would be astronomical. You wouldn’t even have to advertise yourself because people would do the research to find you. You would have a waiting list out the door. You would have emails and messages coming in constantly…This is an extreme example, but even something on a smaller scale has similar principals.

An example of this:

I grew up playing music. I started taking piano lessons from my sister when I was two. I started cello lessons when I was ten, and then I picked up various other instruments, including guitar, since then. What I’ve found as I’ve gotten older is that almost everyone is most impressed by my ability to play the cello. This isn’t because I’m the best cellist. It’s not even because it sounds better than the other instruments (though I must admit, I am partial to the sound of a cello). It’s simply because it’s unique.

If you walk into a room with a random assortment of people, odds are that 25%* of them can play piano, 15%* of them play guitar, and less than 1%* play the cello. These, of course, all depend on what level of skill is meant by “play.” But let’s just calculate it as someone who plays the instrument 2 or more times a month.

*Percentages based on absolutely no research except for my experience.

The point behind all of this is that the reason people are so often impressed by my cello playing is simply because it is a skill they are not used to seeing. If 25% of all people played the cello, much of the uniqueness would be gone. It would still be a beautiful instrument, just as the piano is still a beautiful instrument, but it wouldn’t have that surprise skill factor.

This is not the end-all means of how you should find a skill to go after. The reason the cello is so rare is that the demand for it is significantly less than that of guitar or piano. However, it has grown significantly in recent years. And that’s the trick. Not to go after something that nobody else is doing, but to see the value in something nobody else is doing and then using that thing to create value that nobody expected.

This can transfer into the work environment, it can transfer into the home, into school. Always be looking for that creative niche that you can dive into. Whether it’s pain points you can solve, or something beautiful that you can add. If you have a skill that people need, your skill will do 90% of your marketing for you.

3 months ago, I moved to a new city. 1 month ago, after telling only one person that I play the cello, I got a call from the worship pastor at one of the biggest churches in the area. He asked if I could play for a big Crossover Worship event involving over 10 different churches. He didn’t even know how well I could play, but his need was great enough that he was willing to track someone down and get the position filled.

Unique skills = opportunity

Find those skills, learn those skills, and then, show the world.