Net Business Talk, one of the forums that I am active at, recently had a discussion titled Do people want to associate with winners?

Well, this is an interesting topic. Even though I had already posted a reply to it but still could not get it off my mind. Here’s what you may consider an extended version of my reply there.

The short answer is yes! I bet anyone can attest to it that, be it business, office or school; people will always be gravitated towards the star performers. Yeah, some might hate them to hell or even publicly disclaim them but the fact is that most people will want to associate with them.

Now this association can have a lot of types — using their names, literally sticking to them, using what they endorse or use themselves and consuming what they have to offer.

Being the psychology buff that I am, this got me trying to find the reason why people do it this way. Well, there were a few reasons that I could think of depending on the kind of association.

Using their names: How many times have you heard people saying some Mr. Hotshot to be their distant uncle or from the same place they hail from or perhaps to have have studied in the same college as he? I bet a lot of times.

They don’t just do it for raising their self importance but because it gets them more attentions. When they are anyway, no matter how distantly, related to someone then people think them to have some of their characteristics.

One of my distant uncles (pun indeed intended but I ain’t fluking) is in the entertainment industry. Even though I absolutely do not know shit about the Indian entertainment industry but still whenever I have anything to say about it, people do listen to me.

While this doesn’t always work (there is a thing called perception) but most of time it works. And guess what? Getting attention is addictive.

Literally sticking to them: Okay, not in that dirty way but by always trying to be seen in their vicinity as much as possible. Reason? They just want to give a physical proof of their association with them.

Using what they endorse or use themselves: There are two reasons why people may want to do it. First one is again association. If they are able to match some finer details which others may not know then this may give them an opportunity to talk about them and prove that they actually know about them.

Another reason is that people will want to use what they endorse or use themselves because they think that it may be good for them too. The other person is not successful just like that… they know something or have an advantage that you don’t have as yet. So, why put in effort hunting something good when someone else has already done the effort for you?

Consuming what they have to offer: Before you even think about it, I am not talking about making yourself their charitable cause. I am talking about the information and services they have to offer.

Say they write a book, start a forum, write a blog or give a seminar — people will want to attend it. Why? No matter how much they deny but they want to be winners themselves too.

And, by consuming this information they want to see how they can themselves achieve what that person has achieved (albeit the fact is that there are no secrets; but that is meant to be the topic of another post ).

As much I hate to confess but Mea Culpa! Yes, I have been there done that at some stage of my life. I don’t think it is bad or even wrong thing to do. It is a dog-eat-dog world and if something gives you an unfair advantage over others, then why not?

Another question which the thread starter at Net Business Talk asked was — Why is it that new ventures of already successful (as in business) people are an immediate success?

Here’s the reason : experience. Having run other successful ventures, people know how to make other ventures a success.

Remember what Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, once said – Making your first million is the most difficult part. What he meant was that things get easier once you have an experience.

Oh, I forgot the explain one reason why I myself try to associate with winners. Ever read the excellent book Science of Getting Rich? Well, this is one of the things that the author suggests. I can’t say if associating yourself with the winners can make you look like them but it does indeed have the ability to make you one of them.

Any disagreements?