courtesy of oxandoak
What do Robert Plant, Maya Angelou, Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Diane Sawyer have in common…?…Aside from talent, what helps Snoop Dogg sell records and Andy Samberg sell his (sometimes off-kilter) ideas…?…why do we pay far too much money for a pair of jeans or (what may seem like) a simple hair cut…?
Swagger.
This is nothing new: Swagger has been a determining factor for a lot of things. Think back to your time on the playground: the one kiddo that was the captain of the kickball team…it wasn’t because he/she showed up with the ball…it’s because he/she had that little (at the time) indescribable quality that just brought everyone together. I can recall this one kid that just made things a little bit more fun on the playground – it’s like he knew what to say, how to play fair, when to break out the Big League Chew…he just got it.
It’s like he walked to a ‘Billy Bad A**’ song that only he heard…
Don’t underestimate the power of Swagger – it can help move the needle for a company in the right direction. It can bring teams together and unite them for a worthy cause. It can help create some excitement for a team when the chips are down. It can help you identify with a product or service. Swagger can help you sell.
The great thing about Swagger is that everyone has it. Some people come by it like their distributors, while some may not even realize they have it.
But it’s there.
All you have to do is just tap into that a little and you’ll find that extra bit of courage to pitch that story…present that idea to the board…sell that product…write that great American novel…start that business…ask that girl out.
But, how, you may ask, does one ‘tap into’ that Swagger? Look, I’m no doctor, nor an expert on how the human brain works. But I can tell you what works for me: (big surprise) music. We’re all emotional people, and the best way to tap into that place of Swagger is to find a song that makes you sway with confidence. A good tune goes a long way.
I recall a time when @ArikHanson, @StoryAssistant, @DMullen and myself were talking over an idea and came to a particular song that could serve as opening music to our entrance. We each have our own strengths and talents (making us sound like Charlie’s Angels), but this song would’ve helped amp up our Swagger.
I’ve been using songs and poems to pump up the swagger for quite some time…
What do you think? Am I overrating this whole thing?
Method + Moxie 