How To Get The Attention Of People Whom You Want To Emulate

Maybe it’s a famous wedding planner, talk show host, or a local business man or woman. Whoever it is you admire, and want to be like, has qualities that you want to possess. You may already have these qualities but just haven’t freed them from within yourself yet. Selecting someone who you look up to, who can serve as a mentor or even just a connection who might be able to open doors of opportunity for you, is something worth investigating.
Now comes the question: how do you get Extremely Successful and Busy People to notice you?
Get over the fear.
Before you do anything: let go of the fear. Humans have a habit of putting other humans upon a pedestal, perhaps falsely perceiving that they are somehow unworthy of said successful person’s attention?
So what if they’re famous? They’re still human like you. Whoever they may be “to the public,” they’ve still got a mother and a father, a family to care for, bills to pay and a little child inside of their own head who pipes up every now and again wanting attention and recognition in the most basic of ways.
Once you get over the intimidation, approach this person just like you would anyone else on the face of the Earth. And if for some reason they are rude, dismissive, or condescending to you? Then they likely aren’t worth bothering with, anyway. Know, though, that many Highly Successful people are also happier and more spiritually evolved than most. It’s due to their life experiences and the adversity that shaped who they are today. To your surprise, they might just be kind to you — and they might just have something important to teach you. Remember this before you approach - they’re human and fallible, just like you. And just like you - they want to be appreciated, and they want to be understood.
Ask an intriguing question.
If you’re truly a fan of said person, then dig up some information that validates this fact. Know their history, know their company, know their political position and their philosophies. This should go without saying, but believe it or not, lots of people are “blind followers,” chasing after famous celebrities and high profile individuals simply because they’ve seen their photo on the internet or heard their clip on Fox News. Remember, you’re not a groupie or a stalker - you’re a real person with real ideals, and you want to select role models who reflect your inner values. Look deeply and closely at the person you admire, and be prepared to challenge who they are on the inside.
Once you’re sure that this person would be on your wavelength if you knew each other, you need to take steps so that you eventually WILL know each other. So prepare questions. These should be REAL questions that you actually have - about their industry, their profession, what they think about current issues of the day, how they got themselves into (or out of) situation X, Y, or Z, and so forth. If you dare, probe deeply! Go out on a limb and ask something controversial that will get them thinking and talking. That’s really the first way to capture attention - to ask an intriguing question. Go on, be bold and push the envelope!
Tune up your elevator speech.
An elevator speech is essentially your “personal sales pitch.” It could be about your business, but it could also be about your Personal Mission or the goals you’ve set for yourself professionally. They call it an elevator pitch because you should be able to deliver the meat of the message in the time it takes to ride up an elevator.
Keep in mind that said Successful and Sought-after Person could get off the elevator at any second or minute. You’ll have to work fast, but you also need to be smooth with your segue into the conversation. If you’re looking to get a foot in the door, whether at their company, on their radio program, or what-have-you, you should be ready to whip out that personal pitch and ensure a smooth delivery. DO try, though, to NOT sound like a walking infocommercial. There is nothing less interesting than someone who is trolling around in robot-like fashion, spouting off canned self-promotion. We are all tired of these types of people, so don’t be one.
Network in their general direction.
One of the keys to approaching people who you admire and want to emulate is through networking . Again, this may be a face-to-face connection or it may be social networking through sites like LinkedIn or Facebook. Either way, you have to be prepared and know how to work the room and the individual. Of course, I can’t say enough about NOT coming across as stalkerish or desperate. But DO practice being memorable (think about those Questions we talk about earlier) — and if you’re not sure how to do that, let’s schedule a coaching session to work on your people skills.
After you have your elevator speech prepared, practice it over and over again until you can say it without even thinking about it. Be sure you sound natural - not phony or Crazy-Eddie like. Pick your networking targets and make it a point to meet them and talk to them while you are at the event.
If you know you’ll be someplace where your favorite money expert, Suze Ormond, is speaking, then make her your target. You may or may not get the opportunity to speak to Suze, so have some backup candidates on your list as well. This helps you to organize your networking efforts, and with your prepared speech, you’ll be ready to get the attention of those you admire most.
Networking is also a way to get someone you meet or know to introduce you to someone they know that you want to meet. That may sound confusing, but it goes back to the six degrees of separation theory. This theory is the basis for websites like Linkedin and Facebook. You add friends and colleagues that you know to your network, and through the people that you know, you can “get introduced” to people that they know. And they’ll tell a friend, and they’ll tell a friend… and so on… and so on… (remember that old commercial from the 1980s? Oops - dating myself here!)
Establish a mentor/mentee relationship
If you’re still shaky about getting out there and connecting with people who you want to be like, then get yourself some crash coaching in this area. A personal coach can work with you on honing your skills, zoning in on your greatest assets, and getting you up to speed with networking savvy that you MUST possess if you want to persevere in this competitive world we live in!
Just think - connecting with that famous wedding planner (legal expert, green business developer, etc.) might mean that one day you can know the feeling of being the next greatest wedding planner (legal expert, green business developer, etc.). And that’s definitely something worth looking into.
So are you ready to let go of the fear that stops you from “socializing up” - surrounding yourself with people who you want to be like?
Great. Whatever you do, be prepared and be persistent. With concerted time and effort, and a bit of personal ingenuity, you WILL attract the attention you desire and achieve your goal!