Business Lesson from Mexican Cartel? (What You THINK People Want vs. What They REALLY Want)

He thought he was walking into a deal…

But he was actually boarding a plane to prison…

That is… until he talked his way out of it.

Here’s a quick story about a former Mexican cartel leader that's got me thinking about making business offers:

Text version:

NOTE: If you haven't seen the Narcos: Mexico TV show and don't want spoilers — this is your official warning to click away and come back later.

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So, my wife and I have been watching the show. The American government is closing in on the main character — cartel boss Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo — because he was involved in the killing of a DEA agent.

So he's trying to figure out ways to get the heat off his back.

He knows the CIA is running a secret war in Nicaragua... and that one of their planes which was delivering guns illegally was shot down. So he heads out to Nicaragua to meet up with a CIA guy and make a deal.

At first, you're under the impression he's bringing cash — to help fund the war in a backdoor way that the CIA couldn't do through official American channels.

He shows up to the military camp. Gets patted down. Then, they walk him to a plane.

Miguel hesitates — says he wants to meet in one of the tents. They make an excuse like “the CIA guy's already on his way somewhere, just hop in, you'll have privacy for a quick meeting and then you can get out again before they take off.”

So he does… because he knows he doesn't have many choices left.

The CIA guy's response: “I got you. I don't need your money. It's worth more to me to drop you off in the US and get justice for the dead DEA agent.”

With a gun to his head, Miguel says: just look in the briefcase.

The CIA guy opens it...

There’s no cash, but maps instead.

He'd already mapped out new routes to help the Americans bring arms into Nicaragua — routes that didn't involve whatever former delivery system got that plane shot down... and routes only he could provide.

The CIA guy was surprised… and genuinely delighted. Miguel brought him something valuable that he couldn't get anywhere else.

It got me thinking about the gap between what I might think someone wants right away... versus what they really want.

A real world example: if you're marketing to established business owners and you're only using language about “growing big, making a lot of money, “10X’ing things” — there's a time and place for that…

But a lot of times, people in those positions are more worried about risk management... “How do I not lose what I already have, and find safer ways to grow?”

Miguel could have just brought cash...

But instead he thought ahead and came up with something unique that this guy could truly want and need. And he asked himself: what can I offer that nobody else can?

The routes through Mexico into Nicaragua — that's something he could uniquely deliver. The CIA guy might have found money somewhere else, but he couldn't find THAT anywhere else.

That’s a good lesson in business/ deal making...

• Go deeper…

• Figure out what you can uniquely offer…

• Figure out what they really need…

And close the gap between what you first think they might need vs. what they REALLY need.

Michael McGovern

The Wildman Path

Who I am and how I work:

I'm an ex-filmmaker turned direct-response marketing strategist who co-founded the Business Acquisition Summit (the premier virtual M&A event for entrepreneurs)...

I’ve worked with 7 and 8-figure companies in different niches, from financial publishing to online education to eCommerce to health & wellness.

Now, I help entrepreneurial businesses unlock hidden growth with campaigns that actually sell & drive real enterprise value — using Hollywood storytelling techniques and deep buyer psychology.

Primarily, I work in one of three ways:

1. Creative strategy, full-stack marketing execution, and/or copywriting for companies ready to scale with a LOWER cost per customer acquisition (CPA) and a HIGHER average order value (AOV) & lifetime customer value (LTV)

2. Equity “growth partnerships” where I bring an owner’s mindset to your long-term growth as we prepare for an exit in 1-3 years, together…

3. Full acquisitions of $1-10M businesses as an investor alongside my experienced M&A team with 20+ deals under its belt.

Behind the business stuff — I'm a former digital nomad now resettled back in my hometown of San Diego, California, a lapsed Jiu Jitsu blue belt, a student of Portuguese (because of my Brazilian wife), and a newly minted Dad of the world's cutest baby boy.

To get the conversation started, simply reply to this email with the word "GROWTH” now. Feel free to add extra info/ context if you’d like.