Article: Creating Curiosity:
Three Ways To Be Compelling
RainToday.com, October 2007
By Vickie K. Sullivan
What makes potential clients check out your website? What
drives reporters to call you and feature your comments? What
is that first spark that compels people to act?
Curiosity. In this crowded marketplace, it's not enough
to be different. You have to stir the pot, sound the alarm,
and drive home the belief that "without me, you will
miss out." The more curiosity you create, the more compelling
you are to media, the marketplace and yes, potential clients.
Below are three ways to present what you know and create the
curiosity that makes people act.
Warning! Big Change Ahead
Politicians have done it for years: sound the alarm, own
the issue. Everyone is curious about what's next. That's why
futurists are so popular on the speaking circuit. The real
question on our collective minds: Is this new development
going to hurt me, and if so, how can I avoid the pain?
Even in crowded markets, being the first to identify the
upcoming storm is possible. But if you're not the first mover
on an issue, the best alternative is redefining the problem
already on the table. Redefinition of what is already known
creates curiosity and opens the door to agreement on new solutions.
Many of us do a pretty good job at talking about the big
challenge. The problem: We rush too fast into advocating a
new solution. Just like a comedian needs a primed audience,
every solution needs a warm-up act to stimulate agreement.
Experts who outline their version of the challenge create
curiosity and build buy-in for their views.
Who does this best: Everyone talks about
business growth. So how did Jim Collin's From Good to
Great become the bible on the subject? Collins created
curiosity by redefining what getting to the next level really
looked like. He used research to dismiss conventional wisdom
and to describe the abyss of the journey. This redefinition
set up buy-in to his flywheel effect and his ten factors of
success.
Your next steps: Look at how your most
profitable buyers describe a central issue and ask yourself,
"What are they missing? Where are the crossroads and
why was the wrong route chosen?" Redefine the challenge
around that, and you'll signal to the marketplace that you
are a fresh voice with out-of-the-box thinking.
Heads Up! Good News Is Coming
The second way to create curiosity is to throw a party.
Everyone is attracted to good times. And who doesn't want
to have an advance heads up, so they can take full advantage
of opportunities before everyone else? By showing the way
to grow and prosper in the future, you become the pied piper.
This method uses the attraction of being first. There is
a strong desire to win, to be triumphant in our culture. Anything
that suggests a way to get ahead of the pack will create curiosity.
The key element in this approach is focus. This strategy
is a very delicate balancing act. Go too broad, and you become
a futurist who is a moving target. Go too narrow, and you
become a one-trick pony. To become compelling, the focal point
has to be narrow enough for the market to grab on to. To become
lucrative, the focal point has to be deep enough for multiple
revenue streams.
Who does this best: Harry Dent built an
empire around his best-selling book Roaring 2000's,
complete with six-figure speaking fees, advisory services,
and book advances. He narrowly focused on the economic growth
angle, without getting sidetracked by how this dynamic would
affect work life or other issues. Not only did he create opportunity
by showing the good times ahead of us, but he also created
urgency to act by predicting when this party will be over.
Your next steps: Look to the horizon and
search for the opportunities. Where can you focus on just
one aspect of the landscape? Ask yourself, "Where are
the opportunities here? What can my clients take advantage
of if they only knew about it? Is there a window of opportunity
that will close at some point?"
Extra! Extra! The Inside Scoop
This strategy is used by every tabloid, and by every celebrity.
The secret is out. Everyone wants to know the "inside
scoop" that only the "cool kids" know. There
is always curiosity around scarcity. We naturally want what
we don't have, especially if we think the "secret"
will help us.
This approach also uses the power of comparison. Advertisers
use this subtle tactic all the time. It goes like this: The
dorky guy gets the girl when he uses this product, drives
this car, etc. The message: You don't want to be this person,
so do this and you won't be. When you paint a vivid picture
of pain, curiosity naturally moves towards pleasure, even
in unknown territory.
Many experts know to use scarcity to make themselves more
compelling. The problem arises when they don't deliver the
goods. When the "secrets" don't match the hype,
this approach can backfire and often does. The best benchmark
is going against conventional wisdom. The more your material
provides a credible alternative to the status quo, the more
curiosity it will create.
Who does this best: Robert Kiyosaki's Rich
Dad, Poor Dad empire. Let's stop and think about this
for a minute. Who does not want to learn what the super-rich
know that we don't? The super-rich are the adult version of
the "cool kids" from high school. Everyone wants
to be them, and everyone wants to know how to make that happen.
Just look at how the "poor dad" was portrayed.
Hard-working, good-hearted, but we don't want to be him. Setting
up the comparison created curiosity toward Kiyosaki's solution
and made it more compelling. And his definition of liabilities
and assets defied conventional wisdom enough to pass the,
"Is this really a secret?" test.
Your next steps: Use comparisons to couch
your solutions. How can you respectfully describe the "don't
want" alternative? How does the "inside scoop"
differ from what everyone else knows and why is that important?
What is conventional wisdom and how do your views differ?
The Power Of Curiosity
Curiosity is our radar system. It gives us early warning
to change and opens the door for innovation. All of us use
this emotion to be inventive and fulfilled. The media and
the marketplace use curiosity to search for the latest thinking,
a fresh perspective that jumpstarts conversations and originality.
Help your market get what they don't have, and watch buyers
run to you to learn more.
Since 1987, Vickie K. Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker
Services, has generated millions of dollars in speaking fees,
book advances and ancilliary income for her clients. Sign
up for her free market intelligence at http://www.SullivanSpeaker.com
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