The Game with Alex Hormozi

Episode 979: The System I Use to Make People Actually Listen

Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Alex Hormozi

Episode Overview

In this episode, Alex Hormozi unpacks the framework he uses to build real influence with content—the SPCL system (Status, Power, Credibility, Likeness). Rather than chasing empty views, Alex emphasizes building influence that leads to meaningful action and loyalty from your audience. He details actionable strategies, mindset shifts, and share-of-market realities to help entrepreneurs, educators, and business owners build content that actually moves people to listen, trust, and buy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Most Content Fails to Gain Real Influence

• Not Enough Content, Wrong Kind of Content:
  • Creating too little content or making content that attracts the wrong customers blocks growth.
  • “The types of content that you’re making are not attracting the types of customers you want.” (00:49)
• Promise of the Episode:
  • Alex promises to break down a repeatable framework that anyone can use to build true online influence.

2. The SPCL Framework: Four Levers of Influence

SPCL = Status, Power, Credibility, Likeness

A. Status (05:20)

• Definition:
  • “Status is someone who controls reinforcers in a given environment.”
  • Example: A bartender has status in a busy bar because he controls access to drinks.
• Key Insight:
  • Status is domain-specific and not binary—a person’s status can increase or decrease depending on the situation.

B. Power (07:31)

• Definition:
  • “Power comes from say-do correspondence... If I say something and you do it, and then a good thing occurs, you are more likely to comply with a following request.”
• Application:
  • Influencers gain power when their audience follows their advice and receives positive results.
  • Stacking status and power compounds influence.

C. Credibility (11:50)

• Definition:
  • Third-party validation and observable proof relevant to your domain.
  • Ex: Alex paid for Guinness judges at his book launch to objectively verify his business results.
• Quote:
  • “The reason that my ads do well when I have my $10 million building behind me is like, oh, well, that’s hard to fake…you have credibility there.” (12:37)

D. Likeness (14:07)

• Definition:
  • Audiences are drawn to people who resemble them, share their values, or simply seem relatable.
  • “There’s zero ROI in trying to be or act in a way that is different than who you are.” (15:20)
• Gender and Audience Observations:
  • Layla Hormozi’s audience is 54% female vs. Alex’s 89% male despite similar topics—likeness plays a major role.

3. How These Elements Stack to Maximize Influence (17:12)

• Influence = High probability your audience will comply with requests (buy, subscribe, attend, etc.)
• Stacking all four (SPCL) exponentially increases influence.
• Analogy:
  • Dungeons & Dragons charisma stat—stack your “influence points” for better outcomes.

4. Relating SPCL to Parenting & Human Behavior (20:42)

• Parents as the Ultimate SPCL Example:
  • They control resources (status), issue directions with results (power), have credibility (to varying degrees), and often look like us (likeness).
  • Childhood conditioning explains why parental influence is so strong, even subconsciously.
• Continuum, Not Binary:
  • “To what degree do you have status?”—influence is measured on a spectrum, not as a yes/no.

5. Domain-Specific Influence (28:48)

• Influence is more powerful and relevant in specific niches, not generic.
• “So these things are…way more domain specific to whatever their thing is, right?” (29:59)

6. Applying SPCL in Content Creation (32:17)

• Demonstrating SPCL in Intros:
  • Alex shows his status (views, sales), promises actionable steps (power), references external validation (credibility), and just “shows up as himself” (likeness).
• Influence Leads to Compliance With Future Calls-to-Action:
  • When you consistently deliver SPCL, audiences are more likely to take action when you ask.

7. Content Format & The Power of Long-Form & Live Content (36:12)

• MrBeast and the UK vs. US Soccer Game Story:
  • Levels of audience connection and applause:
    • A-listers (traditional celebrities): little applause
    • Shorts creators: more
    • Long-form creators (YouTubers/podcasters): much more
    • Live streamers: stadium erupts
• Key Insight:
  • “How many reinforcing cycles do you think you can have in 30 seconds compared to two hours? It’s like not even close, right?” (43:31)
  • Long-form and especially live content deepen “reinforcing cycles” and trust.
• Prediction for the Future:
  • Moving from polished, scripted content (A-listers) to raw, real, interactive content (livestreaming).
  • “I’m focusing on two words. You can write this down. Live, interactive.” (41:00)

8. Content Volume: Why Quantity Matters (49:59)

• Hormozi Media produced 35,000 pieces of content this year.
• Volume compounds reach and results.
  • “We’re just quite literally doing 100 times more [content]. That’s it…we get 100 times the prospects.” (51:10)
• Formula is linear for reaching your audience—outwork your competition with volume and relevance.

9. Interest Media vs Social Media & The “Right” Views (54:01)

• Stop Chasing View Count; Start Chasing Targeted Impact:
  • “The content is the targeting.” (56:32)
• Algorithm Insights:
  • Platforms now optimize for true interest, not just social virality.
• Example:
  • “If you make content about how to fix pianos…you will find people who are trying to fix their pianos.” (56:54)
  • Smaller, high-quality audiences are more valuable for business than viral general interest videos.

10. Market Math & Realistic Expectations (1:01:22)

• Concrete breakdown of small business audiences:
  • Only 9% in the US own a business
  • Of those, 5% do over $1M/year in revenue
  • Only 0.4% do over $10M
• Even with massive reach, actual target customers are a small (but powerful and lucrative) segment.
• Quality matters more than raw numbers, as long as your content speaks directly to your avatar.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authenticity:

  “There’s zero ROI in trying to be or act in a way that is different than who you are.”
  — Alex Hormozi (15:20)

• On Content Strategy:

  “If you want to attract the right avatar, make content for that avatar...The content is the targeting.”
  — Alex Hormozi (56:32)

• On Why Long-Form Content Builds Influence:

  “If someone watched two one-hour pieces of content from me...someone would have to watch 480 shorts to have the same level of exposure as watching two hours with me.”
  — Alex Hormozi (43:58)

• On Influence and Requests:

  “Influence is high likelihood of compliance with requests.”
  — Alex Hormozi (17:34)

• On Expectations for Views:

  “It doesn’t make sense to look at, you know, Mr. Beast’s video with 100 million views and be like, oh, man, I suck. We have different games.”
  — Alex Hormozi (1:04:10)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:49 — The biggest problem is not enough content and the wrong type for your audience
• 05:20 — Explanation of “Status” and its operational definition
• 07:31 — How “Power” compounds influence (“say-do correspondence”)
• 11:50 — What is “Credibility” and why verification matters
• 14:07 — Understanding “Likeness” and why being yourself is most effective
• 20:42 — How your parents had maximum SPCL influence
• 28:48 — Why influence is domain-specific
• 32:17 — Applying SPCL to your videos’ structure
• 36:12 — Live vs Short vs Long-form content: lessons from MrBeast and creator events
• 41:00 — Hormozi’s future media strategy: live, interactive
• 43:31 — Long-form wins: reinforcing cycles and audience bonding
• 49:59 — Content volume: how 35,000 pieces of content drove exponential impact
• 54:01 — “Interest media” and why algorithmic targeting matters more than viral social content
• 1:01:22 — Market math: realistic audience size and strategizing for your actual TAM
• 1:08:50 — Summary of SPCL and closing action steps

Action Steps & Takeaways

• Focus on stacking Status, Power, Credibility, and Likeness in your content for maximum audience influence.
• Play the long game with long-form and interactive/live content to build trust and relationships.
• Go for massive, relevant content quantity—not just quality—and speak directly to your ideal customer.
• Measure success by the impact and quality of your audience, not just vanity metrics like views.
• Set expectations by knowing your market size and industry math; a smaller but more relevant following can be massively profitable.

For entrepreneurs and creators, Alex’s advice is direct, tactical, and measurable—aim for real influence, not just attention.