The FOMO Effect

Fear of missing out…the FOMO effect.

My friend Mike McCarthy is a true master of the FOMO effect, in that he gets you excited and enlists your help. He can recruit you before you know you’re being recruited. He makes it impossible to say no. The version of this that I’m good at is a part of my suite of “salesman of ideas” strengths. I, too, can get people excited about something and sell them on the cause, but I draw them in not only by the merits of the cause, but by mentioning their peers and what their experience/responses have been.

Selective name dropping, I guess, but not in the normal sense.

Most people name drop to elevate your opinion of them. I clue people in on a person’s connection to our cause to interest them by association. Sometimes, the person I mention isn’t necessarily a well-known person, but it's someone with credibility to the person I’m talking to. Beyond mentioning the person to build credibility, I use how the person responded to move who I'm talking to to be convinced of my arguments. It’s essentially using persuasion and third-party validation all together in one conversation. For me, it happens organically, because like ideas naturally spring to mind. That may work for you, too.

Above all, be genuine. Don't force it. YOU are a believer in your ideas, and your thoughts, your reputation as a leader and your sincerity should be the keys to getting people on board with your cause.