Do I Fascinate You? Do I?!

Have you ever seen a company's twitter feed comprised of nothing but boring links like...

"Click here for more info ... http://bit.ly/boringlink"

"Sale! Click here for more info ... http://bit.ly/anotherboringlink"

"Friend us! ... facebook.com/boringcompany"

Would you ever click on one of the links? No.

When you're being interviewed would you answer the interviewer's questions by saying "Look at my résumé. That will answer the question?" No. 

Every interaction you have with someone, is a continuation of a story. Every conversation is another chapter in the mental book they write about you. The same goes for companies. 

Everything is a brand, even you – Yes, you ARE a brand.

Everything that you communicate from tweets and Facebook posts to stories you tell your friends tells a lot about your brand and how you communicate. Corporations and people must convey their stories to achieve whatever message they’re trying to get across, whether it is influencing others to buy their product or to hire them for a job.

According to SallyHogshead (@SallyHogshead), there are 7 triggers of fascination that everyone uses to persuade and captivate in telling a story and achieving their goals. Everyone has a primary and secondary trigger that combined forms an archetype.

The 49 Fascination Archetypes

Knowing your archetype can help you discover your strengths and weaknesses of how you persuade people and use that knowledge of both to your advantage.

After taking the test, I discovered that I have a primary trigger of Passion and a secondary trigger of Mystique forming the archetype The Intrigue. Everyone also has a trigger that they use least, their dormant trigger. Mine is Alarm

Unlike other tests, which focus on how you see yourself, this test focuses on how others perceive you. 

I was a bit surprised to see Passion score as my primary trigger. I tend to see myself more reserved though upon reflection I do try to draw people in by getting them excited about an issue/item/show as I am.  

I have taken several other types of tests before (I’m a whole-brained, INTJ with a cusp I/E) and these previous results have a definite correlation to the results seen in the overall fascination archetype. All of these tests show a prevalence to be somewhat even-keeled and to choose for quality over quantity when sharing information.

Companies would be wise to find their archetype - their strengths and weaknesses, the triggers they use to connect with their customers. 

Companies are dedicating more energy online and consumers are spending more of the sales funnel online researching companies and products. With the increased detachment, companies must engage consumers better - fascinate them. This is the first step in creating a lasting connection with that consumer that will, hopefully, shape into a lasting profitable relationship. For example, a company whose primary or secondary trigger of Mystique might prefer using Twitter where their message is delivered piecemeal. 

Listen to Sally's TED talk for her insights into how to fascinate.