Persuading Crowds Part 3: A Crowd of One
Be Present: Dale Carnegie was a master at this. If you haven't read it, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' absolutely has to be the next book on your reading list.
If you want to persuade you have to be interested and engaged in the other person. Talk less, listen more, ask questions, basically shut up and get out of your own way.
To use a great theatre term, 'live in the moment' with your other. There cannot be anything more important than the conversation you have in the moment. Your other is the most interesting human being in the world. That's the role you play in 1-2-1 crowd persuasion.
Persuading Crowds Part 2: A Crowd of Self
The Crowd of Self
This is the crowd that shuts us down again and again before we even have the opportunity to persuade others. This crowd has been growing inside of us for decades and reminds us constantly of perceived failures, humiliation, shame, regret, harsh criticism all in an effort to emphasize we are not enough. Not smart enough. Not talented enough. Not attractive enough. Not--insert your own limiting belief here--enough.
Persuading Crowds Part 1: An Introduction
Crowds come in all shapes and sizes.
Some of us are skilled in persuading crowds of one, but we struggle to persuade crowds of many.
Others, myself included, feel much more comfortable persuading crowds of many but find it more difficult to persuade crowds of one.
Still, there are those who find it extremely challenging to persuade crowds of one or many because they haven't persuaded the most important crowd: the crowd of self.
'Commitment and Consistency' or 'How Your Business is Like a Rom-Com'
Too often I see businesses make the "Easy A" mistake. In a vain effort to build an experience which will attract everyone, they struggle to lean into and fully explore an experience capable of attracting anyone.
They offer too much, are consistently pivoting for a new perceived client, always changing their messaging and ultimately creating distrust in the experience of their business.
Just Keep Creating
A friend of mine and LinkedIn connection, Matt Bishop--CEO of Open City Labs, commented on a video of mine from a couple of weeks ago which sparked a discussion about the benefits and challenges of following your creative spirit. Matt mentioned wanting to write a blog--"The Curse of Creativity"--which I'm eager to read when it's ready.
But it got me thinking about this idea: The Curse of Creativity. I've always thought of creativity as being solely good, positive, and productive. But Matt mentioned an interesting point. He says, "My challenge is on which creative idea to prioritize and implement."