[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U18VkI0uDxE[/youtube]
You’ve seen “The Most Interesting Man in the World” Dos Equis beer commercials. The guy who just attracts what he wants and goes through life without a care. He is the ultimate embodiment of pure marketing genius.
Here are some of my favorites…
- If he were to visit the dark side of the moon, it wouldn’t be dark
- His business card simply says ‘I’ll Call You”
- He once won the world series of poker using UNO cards
- When he was young he once sent his parents to his room
Check out the rest here: 100 “The Most Interesting Man in the World” Quotes – courtesy of Jay Abraham.
So how can you become The Most Interesting?
To find out let’s look at what makes these ads so magnetic. And how the aura of “The Most Interesting Man” is created.
Great Quotes
The backbone of the ad campaign that draws you in is the great lines.
“He never wears a watch because time is always on his side”
Always using an unexpected play on words, often using a well-known cliches as the backdrop.
They also have a visual basis (like wearing a watch) where you can picture the scene, laugh a little, and admire the moxie and bravado without ever feeling like he’s just a dumb-ass or overly cocky. He just IS the most interesting man in the world.
Pure Alignment
He IS that man. He doesn’t have to pretend. Or practice. Or try. He just does. And everyone just follows his lead without question. It is the power of complete alignment of self. Something we all struggle with – from the everyman to the beautiful, to the rich, to the famous. We all have self-doubts inside us. And seeing someone who appears not to is intoxicatingly attractive to us.
This is also similar to the power of celebrity and why we follow people in the public eye. Think “Housewives” or “Trump” or “Kardashians”.
A Great Story
Great story-telling is a skill we all deep down wish we had. Story-telling is a great sales tool (both for the beer and for the interesting man) because it draws you in. People love stories. They are great to listen to and great to retell.
Along with the great story, the headline/meme is great, “The Most Interesting Man in the World”. It is easily captured and communicated around the water cooler. And all the commercials and quotes support the theme. Building it into an indisputable force. That harnesses the power of repetition without seeming repetitious.
Just check out the video above to see how many different ways they sell the most interesting man concept.
Social Proof
The most interesting man doesn’t tell people that is who he is. Others say it. That is the ultimate way to build a brand or an aura. Demonstrate it and have others observe it so they retell your story. It is like going for that raise or new job. If someone else sings your praises the sale is already made. But it you say it it often comes across as bragging or being conceited.
Video
Although words and audio often sway more than video (just try turning the sound off on your TV vs closing your eyes and listening to the TV. You pick up much more from the audio than you realize. That being said however, video…particularly short video clips no longer than a couple minutes (in today’s soundbite culture) with a scene that catches your attention (as these commercial spots do) is very effective.
You’ll notice these days video is hot. YouTube is the number two search engine behind Google searches.
What makes these interesting man videos so watchable, beyond what I already mentioned, is the star, Johnathan Goldsmith. A distinguished gentleman who young men look up to as a model of what they could be – attractive to women and respected by men. For the women he is someone who appears rich, famous, a little bit the bad boy, and unattainable. And this makes him the ultimate man to them.
Then there is narrator Will Lyman who delivers the lines effortlessly, setting the scene and nailing the punch lines.
Then with the movie-scene quality sets that these commercial are staged in, you’re just drawn in.
What About You?
Now I know we all can’t be like the Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man. But we can all learn a little something from him about how to promote ourselves better without seeming too pushy or conceited.
- Get clear on who you are and what sets you apart
We are all different and everyone brings a different set of gifts to the world. The key is not trying to be someone you’re not. The Most Interesting Man is effective in the role because he IS that man. You can do the same once you’ve found your own personal niche.
Not sure what that is? Contact me and I can help you find it out.
If you try too hard and start telling people how great you are, people will be turned off. But if others do the telling for you (because they see how good you are), then you’ll get much farther in life. Yes, there are ways to tell without coming off as too into yourself, but it takes a little bit of skill and underselling. Much better if others sell you to others.
- Tell stories that support your message
We all have great stories inside us. And telling stories that demonstrate your gifts and expertise don’t seem like you’re bragging. So work on the key stories that reinforce your personal brand. And get good at telling them.
One key to being interesting that I heard from my mentor Jay Abraham was a story (there it goes again) about how he chatted with a man for several hours, listening intently, only asking a probing question or two. When the time was up and Jay had to leave, the man commented about how interesting Jay was – even though Jay said nothing about himself.
Too often people are so busy trying to get the next word in or telling their next thought, that they never truly listen. A good listener is a true gift to someone else. Very few people are truly listened to intently. And by listening fully, they will value you.
We live in a Facebook culture. You know those people on Facebook who post their pics of trips to Europe, Hawaii, beaches, mountain skiing and hiking. It seems like all your friends are having fun all the time. They really aren’t. Yes they look like they’re smiling all the time. But that doesn’t count all the dreary, boring, annoying things they do every day that they don’t post. But if you look at your news feed, you’d think you’re the only one not having fun.
You really aren’t, but there is a small group of people actually posting cool things and taking exciting trips. You don’t have to keep up, but it does help you to be engaged and share something. You can choose – family occasions are often popular. Skip the food posts. Share the funny videos. And if it reinforces your personal meme, share it.
Life’s too short to worry about everything. One thing you learn as you get older is to not take things so seriously. Life will be over in an instant. The best you can do is live in the moment, share your gifts, and do those things you would wish you had done. Remember the bucket list? Start doing some of those things. They don’t all have to cost money. And if they do, save up for that instead of buying the next latte.
Enjoy!
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