Now we come to a technique all politicians use. In fact, some political
pundits have credited the election of both John Kennedy and Bill Clinton to
their mastery of the technique I call Tracking.
How to Make Em Feel Like a Movie Star
In the 1940s, movies were different. Before experimental films, ciema
veritŽ, and nouvelle vague, they had stories. Americans hopped in their
Buicksa foxtail tied to the radio antenna and baby boots suspended from the
rearview mirrordrove to the movie house, and watched a story unfold
before them.
Almost invariably, the hero and heroine on the silver screen would
meet, fall in love, overcome seemingly impossible obstacles, get married,
and (presumably) live happily after. Oh, the stories varied slightly. But there
was always a leading man and maybe a leading woman. Then there was the
rest of the world. The suporting characters could live or die without much
brouhaha. But every minor event in the stars life was significant.
Well, movies may have changed. Human nature hasnt. Everone feels
like the star of a 1940s movie. Every trivial event in their lives is
momentous. Theres ME. Then theres the rest of the world.
What someone had for breakfast, what shoes he chose to wear, and
whether he took time to floss his teeth can be more impotant to that
particular someone than the fall of faraway nations or the rise of global
temperatures.
Husbands and wives sometimes share their spouses minutiae:
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What did you have for breakfast, Honey? You didnt wear those shoes,
did you? Did you remember to floss? To create an interesting intimacy, big
winners make a point to
remember minute details of important contacts lives. They obvously
dont feign interest in what they had for breakfast or whether they flossed or
forgot. But to make someone feel like a big star, they remember details their
contact does happen to share.
Take their lead. If a prospect mentions he had Rice Krispies for
breakfast, allude to it later. If, in chatting, your boss tells you she wore
uncomfortable shoes to work one day, find a way to refer to it on another. If
your client mentions hes a resolute flosser, co pliment him at a later date on
his discipline. It hints he or she is a memorable star in the galaxy of people
youve met. Its called Tracking their lives. When you track their minutiae,
ooja
(Ooja)
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