Honk That Horn, Baby!
This guy comes across as a complete tool, obviously, but you have to admit he has confidence. Egotistical, hyperbolic confidence that might make you reconsider your stance on gun control, but confidence nonetheless. He’s the kind of guy who gets attention. No matter where this man is in a room he’s going to be noticed. Regardless of his methods, that’s a valuable skill. Whether you’re introducing yourself or a product, in marketing, getting attention is half the battle. The other half is engaging your audience with useful content.
By all means learn from this guy, but please don’t let him be your role model.
I read an article that claimed ”not enough women have what it takes to behave like arrogant self-aggrandizing jerks.” I was intrigued. Why would we want to? But as I read on it became clear that not doing so is a limitation. Men are more likely to embellish the truth (lie) to get ahead and succeed because of it. In the introduction phase of a relationship, confidence trumps honesty, or one’s perception of honesty. The details, it seems, are secondary. The goal is to WOW your audience, excite them to the point that they need to take action! Telling people to buy your book because it has a really good story isn’t nearly as compelling as saying it will change your life. People want the WOW. You need to convince them that with your product, that’s what they’ll get.
Now let’s flip to the other side of the coin: there’s self-promotion and there’s shameless self-promotion. Shameless self-promotion happens when you neglect your audience. The conversation stops being about them and focuses on you. At this point you’ve lost your claim to their attention and are now alienating them with your conceit.
If any of these signs are familiar, you’re in the presence of a shameless self-promoter:
• The product is mentioned continuously, ad nauseam.
• Every response is a talking point about what the product can do for the listener.
• The goal of a conversation is to sell a product, rather than fulfill a need.
• Any topic is turned into a sales pitch.
Do you get the idea? Respect your audience and give them a reason to listen to you. Their expectations will be high. Your competition is great. Open your mouth and risk failure. Leave that inner wimp at the door. Go forth and conquer!
