What Your Company Can Learn from The Pick-Up Artist
by DanSummer television has become like summer beach reading for me: filled with guilty pleasures. Lately, I’ve enjoyed the VH1 series The Pick-Up Artist in which a guy named Mystery in a fuzzy hat and/or goggles teaches a group of nerds how to pick up women. It’s got many great cringe-worthy moments and is strangely entertaining.
Midway through the first episode, I found myself thinking: Why can’t companies use the same advice these nerds are using but instead of picking up women, using the advice to make themselves more attractive to partners, customers, and clients? Turns out, the advice translates pretty well. To whit:
Peacock theory. No one is going to come talk to you unless you put on a display. Make yourself stand out. Don’t be afraid to be unusual. But don’t take it too far. You don’t want to be a freak.
Have a gameplan. “If you don’t open, you won’t get the girl.” Have something to say to get the conversation started — with partners, clients, customers. But don’t be overly invested in them — don’t depend on their validation for your self-worth. But have something provocative to say. A question works well.
Attract, don’t comfort immediately. Once you have caught attention, don’t immediately make the other person comfortable. You want to interest them instead. This makes you more attractive. You can make them comfortable later — after they are attracted to you.
Be interesting. “If you are interesting, people will be interested in you.” Speak with passion and enthusiasm — it almost doesn’t matter what you talk about as long as you care about it. You need stories, lots of stories. These let people know you have a full life and don’t need them in it, necessarily. Make them want to be part of your life.
Demonstrate your value. Show through stories that you are interesting and worth talking to.
Set boundaries. You have to set up the rules for how you want to be treated. Be willing and able to walk away. Make them earn your interest.
Looks aren’t enough. You need game!
The Pick-Up Artist airs Mondays at 9 on VH1. More insights as “Mystery” reveals them!
August 30th, 2007 at 5:41 am
[...] Doing Better Demos A post today on Adaptive Path’s Blog seems apropos to the discussion of tradeshows. Want to do a better demo? Learn the secrets of pick-up artists! [...]
August 30th, 2007 at 7:59 am
This is so true. There are so many companies that are like the nice quiet guy. They do great things, but nobody ever notices. They just sit there getting mad that companies that are half as good but get twice as many clients beause they’ve got game.
August 30th, 2007 at 11:03 am
[...] Seems like sound advice: What Your Company Can Learn from The Pick-Up Artist. [...]
September 7th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Hey Dan, the comments beginning and ending with “[…]” are link spam you know… how about not approving them, since they are moderated?
Anyway, re. “Be interesting,” is best reversed, to “be interested.” Too many talk about themselves too much and are terrible (self-centered) listeners. I read a book called Customer-Centered Selling that proposed reversing the conventional talk talk talk approach. And I agree, the best sales people really are the best listeners. So I’d say “Be Interested,” instead.
http://uxdesign.com
September 7th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Funny, I always thought those were called TRACKBACKS.