Last weekend while playing fetch with my dog, after a few throws he lost interest. Just holding up the ball and tossing it didn’t interest him anymore. In an experience most people have been through while playing fetch with a dog, I picked up the ball and feigned excitement. My excitement got my dog excited and he took took off like a cannon when I threw the ball.
Often the action we want to invoke out of others is an action we must first express. Act happy, feel happy. Act sad, feel sad. Act excited, feel excited. What we feel and express then in turn influences how other people feel.
Great CEO’s and leaders at their best, connect with people on an emotional level.
Whenever Steve Jobs introduced a new product, the audience could feel his excitement and confidence, which in turn made them feel excited and confident enough to spend a lot of money on the product.
When trying to get someone to be excited about something, the first instinct is to think “What can I say that would excite them?” but what is far more effective is showing genuine excitement and enthusiasm. People won’t always remember what you say, but they’re far more likely to remember how you said it.
Going back to the fetch example. The one catch with showing excitement to transfer excitement is that you eventually have to deliver or it doesn’t work. You have to eventually throw the ball.
Connect with me on Twitter: @BenNesvig
