Wanna Boost Your Influence?

Maybe You Should Pick a Fight, Says Bestselling Author

According to writer and speaker Michael F. Schein, vying for attention in today’s oversaturated world is best achieved through a mindset involving the “mastery of using shameless propaganda for personal and social good.” 

In his book “The Hype Handbook: 12 Indispensable Success Secrets From the World’s Greatest Propagandists, Self-Promoters, Cult Leaders, Mischief Makers, and Boundary Breakers” a book I first stumbled upon at the Barnes and Noble in Glendale, Colorado, Schein asserts that influencers have long deployed the power of hype to get what they want. In fact, we have never been so susceptible to propaganda’s impact and persuasion as we are now. 

So he poses the question “what would it look like if you could ignite and leverage hype for your own positive advantage” — like personal or business success, supporting people, or fueling purposeful change in your community.” It is in his book that Schein, a no holds barred marketing strategist delivers 12 proven perspectives on how to create and leverage hype for good. 

Undergirding his message is Schein’s belief that whether it be a job interview or promoting one’s small business, we live in a world that requires us at some level to sell ourselves. These demands, he believes, are becoming more and more challenging as we are confronted with endless media and other forms of marketing interruptions throughout our day. But, according to Schein,  what our brains cannot disregard are messages that trigger us to take sides. 

Schein says that in order to influence others, we need to take a bold public stand about what we are either for or against. He notes: 

“Human beings are driven to define themselves as part of an in-group, which they see as existing in contrast to some ‘other.’ Our tendency to identify as part of a tribe based on what we are not is not rational and its pull is incredibly strong. If you’re able to accept this facet of human nature, it places you in a powerful position.”

Schein believes that there is nothing more effective for getting people to rally around a leader than the existence of a common enemy, adding: 

“ While this doesn’t mean you should go around calling on people to commit acts of violence or cruelty, you will need to publicly take a bold stand about what you’re against, in addition to talking about what you’re for. Human beings are driven to define themselves as part of an in-group, which they see as existing in contrast to some “other.” 

He cites former U.S. President Donald Trump as someone who is exquisite, some would say disgustingly good at deploying this tactic. 

“The press and large swaths of social media spend a lot of time wringing their hands about this behavior. Yet the more feuds he starts, the more his followers continue to adore him. Quite simply, the man has an intuitive understanding of human nature.” 

In the book’s introduction, Schein describes a pivotal moment early in his writing career where he himself wrote a Forbes Magazine article that threw shade on popular internet marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuk. In it, he takes Vaynerchuk to task for his obsessive championing of the importance of hustle in the achievement of one’s success. Ultimately, this counter move exposed a previous unexposed truth, namely, that scores of others had felt the same way but hadn’t spoken up about it. 

“When they saw my article, they now had a way to put a structure around their beliefs and antagonisms.”

The trick, he says, is “to pinpoint a point of view that you’ve always disagreed with and that you strongly suspect a sizable number of others do too but aren’t speaking up about.”

“Are there business gurus out there that you believe are enriching themselves by giving bad advice? Take a public stand against them. Are there popular ideas floating around that you’ve long felt are absurd or harmful but that no one seems to be talking about? Be the one who does. What you’ll find is that when you take these sorts of bold positions, the many people who feel the same way you do will gather around you.”

In the end, says Schein, this is how influence and movements are created. 

“Find a prominent figure in your field whose view you disagree with and point it out. Publicly. Repeatedly. And make sure you offer a viable alternative. What you’ll find is that when you take these sorts of bold positions, the many people who feel the same way you do will gather around you…..

…..” if you carve out a contrarian and challenging position, you will cause those who tend to see the world your way to rally around you and evangelize your ideas, even if others vehemently disagree with you.”