“There’s two things I really like to do, and that’s whoop ass and look good”
Looking at the techniques Conor M cGregor has used we can learn new ways to market our own brand through the art of positive selling.
THE ART OF POSITIVE SELLING
The past 12 months have seen one of the biggest rises of a superstar in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in recent memory. Over the past 12 months and 2 fights Conor McGregor has gone from being a name that only hardcore MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fans recognised to being one of the UFC’s biggest names.
There’s two things I really like to do, and that’s whoop ass and look good. I’m doing one of them right now, and Saturday night, I’m gonna do the other.
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE:
When McGregor broke into the UFC it was on the back of a successful career within some of Europe’s smaller and less known MMA organisations. What started off as a slow and ordinary start of 4 wins and 2 losses exploded since 2011 into a run of 8 straight wins. This run resulted in the UFC taking notice and in the beginning of 2013 offering McGregor a multi fight contract. His skill for the art of positive selling propelled him into the public eye.
If you are looking to make the step up from a smaller organisation to a larger one the key is to sell your previous experience. Companies want to know what you have learned from your previous roles and what you can bring to your new role. Not everyone is going to start off within the top organisation in their industry and your previous experiences and the success you had in these roles is going to be the key to creating interest.
WHEN YOU GET YOUR CHANCE TAKE IT
When McGregor made his debut in the UFC he did not disappoint. The reason that the UFC had taken a chance on him was his attacking style and his dynamic personality. McGregor responded to this with a first round knockout and a funny and charismatic post match interview and press conference. McGregor took it to the next level to justify working within the larger organisation.
When you get the opportunity to show your potential employers what you can do, make sure that you utilise this opportunity. Back up what you have told them in the past and don’t hold back, positively sell yourself. Take any lessons from your last role and bring them to the next level, as the organisation will expect its employees to think and work on a larger scale.
PERSONAL BRANDING
Along with being a world class fighter, some of McGregor’s biggest tools are his personality and his charisma along with his skill for the art of positive selling. He has used these tools to explode as one of the UFCs biggest stars. From his presence on social media, to his interviews, to his dress style, McGregor has used every trick to help sell himself. This has resulted in McGregor headlining the first UFC event in Ireland in a number of years after just over a year within the organisation and a great deal of that time spent injured.
What candidates need to take from this is the understanding that nobody is going to promote your own brand as strongly as you are. You need more than just experience to impress employers. You need to understand the company, what type of personality they want. You also need to understand what the job entails. If it is a leadership role you are going to have to portray the personality of a leader, if the role is for someone to work with a team you need to portray the personality of a strong team leader. Your experience is what gets you in the door, your personality and brand is what helps you stay.
BE AMBITIOUS
Since McGregor has come into the UFC he has always spoke about wanting to fight and become the featherweight champion. McGregor, albeit new to the organisation, has not backed away from any challenges and has promoted himself as someone who is ready and willing to take any chance that comes his way.
A lot of time people are perceived to have got promoted or hired by that great company as a result of luck or a fluke. However when we examine these people, what we see are people who are prepared to put themselves in situations that our out of their comfort zone. For these people ambition is everything and they are willing to take a risk to achieve their goals. Although these risks may not always work out, when it does it can result in them achieving that promotion or that dream job quicker than people who are not willing to take the risk.
“From the first day I signed last year, my eyes were on the gold. I don’t understand people who don’t think like that.”
