Friday, August 17, 2012

What's Your Lucky Number?



Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!

Welcome back to Graceland Ontario, your one stop location for success advice based on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Today we’re going to take a break from our Olympic series to focus on the number of this post − 34 − and of the symbolic importance it can impart to you.

So, let's start by saying Elvis is my favourite singer. Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard, Nat King Cole all come close but Elvis rocks #1.

But Why?

Well, for me, Elvis became my idol. He looked the way I wanted to, he acted the way I wanted to. But I knew I couldn’t be him. So, instead, he became my guide − ideally, I’d enact his positive habits and dodge his negative aspects (which, to me, seemed few).

Elvis became a friend of sorts, the favourite person to look at when I needed advice. Being dead only meant that he was closer to me in spirit than if he’d been a real person, living his own life across the world instead of ‘some other place’.

In turn, 34 became my ‘friend’ number. Over time it became a symbol of me − it’d keep showing up time and again around the things I wanted and liked. And when it showed up, subconsciously I’d want those things more because fate had linked that item, event, person, etc. to a symbol of me.

So, I’m a bit crazy, but what else’s new? Ok, before you turn me off, let’s have a think: I’m not so different from everyone else −they have their favourites, too. And they want to get as close to those favourites as I do. Wouldn’t it be nice to be that person’s favourite number? The one people felt brought them luck? Was somehow part of them?

When you’re the favourite, people are already looking for you. They trust you and want your stuff. Meanwhile, you keep the quality high and monopolize the market.

Not bad, eh?

But how do you become favourite?

Not an easy question, my friend. It’s not clear cut and changes from person to person. But, looking at the information above, there are a couple ways that might help.

1) Be Around: Remember number 34 − it kept on showing up until I felt it was fate putting us together. Was it? Who knows. But when you’re about, it’s easy to get put into someone’s subconscious mind, easy to be made favourite. You see, when you see a brand all the time, you’re more likely to belief it’s legitimate than if it suddenly appeared on the shelves and said “I'm best.” With the later, you’re liable to say, “if you’re best, why did I never hear of you before?” When you’ve been around all along, people feel like you’ve always been about, and when you’ve always been about, you must be safe and trustworthy. Otherwise you’d have been pulled years ago. In a way, by being around, you build trust. And when people trust you, they’ll buy you and you stand a chance at becoming their favourite.

2) Act as Best as You Can: Elvis became my idol. Why? He was simply who I wanted to be. Why? Because he seemed better than everyone else. That’s the lesson − when you act better than everyone else you, logically, must be best. People want to have the best to help them, be the best, act the best. Making your product best will slowly but surely change the dynamic so that people realize your goods, or act, are consistently better than the other guy. Therefore, they’ll go for you rather than settle for less than they deserve. As I wanted to be Elvis, they’ll want to have your stuff because they’ll think it’s the best they can do or get. And, if you play honest, they’ll be right. Again, this builds trust; trust in you, trust in the brand. And with trust, you’ll eventually become favourite.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Elvis and 34 are two examples of favourites in my life. Everyone has favourites and, when you become favourite, it becomes a very profitable situation to be in. When you or your product is around and you act, or build, it as best as you can, you stand a good chance of being someone’s new favourite. This in turn builds trust. With trust, it’s easy to become a favourite. And once you’re in that situation, that person’s going to be attracted to you or your product, returning for your product or service time and again. Not bad, my friend, not bad…

P.S. Remember to leave a comment; I’d love to hear what you have to say about today’s post.

P.P.S. If you’re interested in seeing Elvis being favourite, here’s a Youtube clip of him arriving in Hawaii for his Aloha from Hawaii Concert. Notice how people react to him, trying to attract his attention, be near him. They’ve grown up with him, they trust him, and he’s their favourite. And that’s where you want to be. It's a private video by a fella who was present at the event which makes it even more awesome, and rare.

P.P.P.S In case you're wondering, up here in good ol' Canada, we spell 'favourite', not 'favorite' like in the U.S. (even though we're geographically close). So, if you happen to be reading this from the U.S., I can spell, but differently to how you do.

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