Okay folks and FOPs, the lesson today
is a brief, but simple one.
But first, as always is the
case with me, a little preamble.
I’m currently in the throes
of promoting my book “Pow! Right Between The Eyes! Profiting From the Power of Surprise,” and one of the tasks foisted
upon authors in the promotional process is the penning of your-book’s-subject-related
Op-Ed pieces for magazines and influential websites.
So…how do I put this in a
nice way? Let’s say that one such Op-Ed
piece—about applying Surprise Marketing tactics to an industry that will stay
unnamed to protect the guilty—was refused by an editor on the grounds that “in
the (unnamed) industry, you have no credibility.”
No credibility?
No credibility?
Hey babe, I’ve got something
WAY better than credibility…
I’ve got what your industry,
what EVERY industry, needs (especially these days).
Forget credibility..
I’ve got
INcredibility!
That, my friends, is the
lesson.
The promise of a loud,
eye-popping, surprising tomorrow trumps the achievements of one’s past…no
matter how big they are. (If this were NOT the case, John McCain would now be
President.)
Last week, I spoke to a
university marketing class. These 100 or
so leaders of tomorrow were being “taught” by a guy with LOADS of
credibility. He had written academic
papers and had multiple degrees. But he
was dull as cold porridge. Kids were
plucking arm hairs and jabbing themselves with sharp instruments just to stay
awake. They weren’t learning anything;
they were trying to maintain consciousness until the class came to a merciful end.
Credibility is
overrated. It’s yesterday’s news.
Really now, who cares where
you’ve been? Does it matter? As they say
in the fine print disclaimer of every investment prospectus: “Past
performance is not indicative
of future results.” And given the
current state of the investment industry…well, you get my drift.
These days, we all live in
the present, and have access to the same amount of influence. A student video can overshadow a Hollywood blockbuster.
A blog post can overthrow a government. As Crosby,
Stills and Nash sang: “Don’t let the past
/ remind us of what we are not now.”
These days, it’s all about
where you’re gonna go. And, trust me, you’re
gonna go further if you’re Incredible.
This, I know from
experience.
Just kidding.
