Why Creating Enemies Can be Essential to Your Business Success

By Vincent Harris

You may be thinking “Why on earth would I want to create enemies?” I’ll get to that in just a moment; the reason will probably shock you.

I love science; it’s what allows us to determine whether the things we do that are just “common sense” are truly worth continuing, or, whether they are just a stupid method that is being mindlessly passed from one generation to the next.

Vicki Kunkel is someone who is near and dear to my heart. Vicki is the author of “Instant Appeal: The 8 Primal Factors that Create Blockbuster Success”. Vicki is a scientist at her core, and her research has found it’s way into courtrooms, political campaigns and social causes. Vicki and I share a love for human behavior and the fact that what drives most people is anything but what they think it might be.

I have a number of friends who are devout Republicans. I have about as many who vehemently defend, and identify with the Democratic party.

My “Democrat” friends would love to pluck the eyeballs from Bill O’Reilly’s head and slowly crunch Sean Hannity’s head in a vise. My “Republican” friends would enjoy-and be just as passionate about placing Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann in a trash compactor and squeezing them into a neat little cube they could then place next to the curb. This is by design, and oh how brilliant it is. It’s brilliant for the networks, but are you using it to your advantage?

Fox news understands, as does MSNBC, that creating enemies is good for business. Oh, sure, they could appeal to a larger number of people, perhaps, by taking a “kinder and gentler” approach- Olbermann often spends a great deal of time bashing O’Reilly, and O’Reilly loves to point out who the “pin heads” of the day or week happen to be- but both networks know that they could never create the level of commitment and loyalty they have in their fans unless they were willing to have just as many people despise them.

As Vicki points out in her book, one key factor in the success of Joel Osteen can be found in his well designed strategy of powerfully promoting a message that more traditional religious leaders throw rocks at with regularity. Osteen understands the value of enemies-whether he would define his opposition as “enemies”, or not. He has benefited in a tremendous way from the spotlight his enemies have placed on both him, and his message. The more traditional leaders attack, the more Osteen fans defend. The more they defend Osteen, the more convicted they become; conviction to the tune of some 70 + million dollars in revenue last year. Think Osteen isn’t running a business empire? Think again.

Many men and women-millions of them-are sickened by Howard Stern and his vulgar, crude and obnoxious message. Stern is well aware that without his enemies, the loyalty of his fans would be weak…very weak by comparison. Do you think that it’s a coincidence that one of the highest paid broadcasters in the world has millions who think he is a slimy little worm? Not a chance.

Why do some of the most hated people around have fans and supporters who will stick with them forever, defending them, standing up for them, and doing anything they can to further their cause? It’ simple; these fans know they have the opposition to combat and resist, and, to the degree that one of Howard Sterns fans is battling the enemy, they are also radically increasing the level of commitment they have regarding Stern.

Vicki is dead on when she suggests that the masses have been trained to be “namby-pamby” people who walk softly and make sure they are politically correct for fear that they might offend others.

Many who read this will feel a knot in their stomach when they consider the possibility of “creating enemies”; doing so flies in the face of getting the acceptance they secretly-or not so secretly crave.

The desire for acceptance is strong. I have seen speakers who were reduced to tears by one bad evaluation, even when they had 250 that said “spectacular!”

I get emails weekly asking “how do you deal with criticism?” My answer? I don’t; if there is something of value in what people are saying or writing, I’ll incorporate it, if not, I delete it from my awareness much like a forgotten grocery list. It’s really just as simple as that.

But this is not typical of most, and many will ruminate on harsh words for weeks-even months. Get over that, or miss out on one of the most powerful methods of branding your business…of branding YOU.

To create die hard fans one must ask “What do I strongly believe and support?”

The next question is “Do I communicate my belief clearly in my words, writing, etc.?”

Some people know full well what THEY believe, but then water their blog post or other mode of communication down so as not to offend those who might not feel the same way.

Billions of dollars and years of research tell us that while this might be a “nicer” way, and appeal to a broader group, it will NEVER build the loyal fan base that sticking our necks on the chopping block will provide.

Yes, Bill O’Reilly is abrasive, arrogant, and cocky. And, Fox understands that if they replaced him with someone who was softer, kinder, and not willing to offend others and create enemies, their network would stand to lose millions, perhaps billions of dollars. The fact that many hate O’Reilly to the point that they make death threats is why he earns millions of dollars a year.

Am I suggesting that you should focus on offending others? Of course not. I’m suggesting that if you are willing to let who you are shine through, and allow others a more intimate look at who you are, a natural by product of this will be people who are offended; that’s just a given. As this unfolds, those who share your beliefs and values will discover these powerful indicators of “sameness” with you, and quickly realize you are both “fighting” a common enemy.

I’ve been reading Kevin Hogan’s newsletter for years now. Why? Well, other than the obvious fact that he always leads the way when it comes to the latest research regarding influence and persuasion, I also identify with his willingness to refer to a politician or well known figure as an “idiot” and that he often writes in a way that is bound to really irk some readers. Hogan lets you see who Hogan is; if you don’t like who he is, you are free to hit delete, but if you discover that you feel just like Kevin does about something, the commitment deepens.

Fred Gleek is another beautiful example of this. You know what I like about this guy? (I’ve never met Fred personally-he won me over with his writing) He does not care whether you like him. He’s smart, he’s successful and he has a great deal to share with anyone who has the desire to succeed with an online business. Fred will give it to you straight, and if it pisses you off, well, that’s your problem. He’s not going to dilute his message and put on his “please like me” face for your benefit. Many people follow Hogan and Gleek because they know they aren’t going to get some glossed over line of B.S.. Do either one of them strive to offend? I would suspect not. They are simply authentic in a way that, sadly, many are too scared to even attempt.

What aspect of yourself have you been hiding or suppressing? While that part of you might very well offend some, it will strengthen the bond you have with others.

How comfortable are you with creating and having enemies? It might be wise to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Here’s the most ironic part of this; you would never succeed in getting the acceptance of everyone no matter how “soft and kind” you were willing to be. The only thing you would succeed in doing is watering down who you are so much that you become insignificant to most everyone.

Most would tell you that the world would be better without violence, and yet, the world has never seen a time, and it never will, when violence will cease to exist. Violence is a vehicle that instantly allows people to meet their most primal needs on a very intense level. This combination of “fast” and “intense” is why violence will be with us until the end of time.

Likewise, enemies will be with us until the end of time. If your number one priority is to feel nothing but love and peace and never “rock the boat”…good luck to you. If, however, you wish to create a brand, or strengthen the brand you already have, you’ll want to get Vicki’s book and read more about this fascinating topic.

© Copyright 2010-Vincent Harris-All Rights Reserved.

Vincent Harris is a Body Language Expert and the author of "The Productivity Epiphany" Get your FREE ebook at http://www.facebook.com/l/e31b6;www.VinceHarris.com.