Fascination Trigger #5: Prestige

It's good to be back on the blogosphere! I haven't ever taken a week off from blogging (to my albeit limited memory) and I enjoyed it so much. Definitely think there is something to this whole "unplugging" thing.

But on to our regularly scheduled program.

This week, I'm covering the fifth fascination trigger as discovered by Sally Hogshead, the author of Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation. In it, she talks about seven ways people can harness their natural personalities to be captivating to others. I've been going over these triggers on Wednesdays.

[If you missed the introduction to this series, click here. If you missed Power, the first trigger, click here. If you missed Passion, the second trigger, click here. If you missed Mystique, the third trigger, click here. Alarm, the fourth trigger, is found here.]

People who have the primary trigger of Prestige have high goals and seek even higher goals. They always want to improve and have tangible evidence of their success. They crave respect, but want to earn it.

In layman's terms, this is the respect due to someone having rank. The President is instantly fascinating upon election (or re-election). We would rather hear speeches by someone of note than someone we've never heard of before. Apple products once again made Randy Ingermanson's description of this series in that whether you think it's true or not, much of the world believes that owning an iPhone gives one more prestige than owning a Blackberry or Android.

According to Sally Hogshead, there are 5 defining characteristics of Prestige personalities:

1. Ambitious - Prestige puts high goals out there for themselves, and they push themselves to reach the next level. A lot of energy goes to characteristic.

2. Detail-Oriented - These folk are most often perfectionist in how they present themselves and in the work they produce. They observe details better than most, and have an inner desire to fix even the slightest problem.

3. Admired - Most people perceive Prestige people as somewhat of an expert in their field, and definitely an achiever. They are often consultants and looked up to by others.

4. Uncompromising - "Good enough" is the kiss of death for Prestiges. They pursue improvement constantly, and making concessions and settling in less than the best is very uncomfortable for them.

5. Focused -Since Prestige people focus their attention and energy on "knowing more, doing more, having more, being more," they are well-suited to leadership in various forms.

I didn't have to think long to produce an author who meets these criteria. Martha Stewart has written dozens of bestselling books on a variety of subjects, and her name is synonymous with domestic goddess. She described herself to Oprah as a "maniacal perfectionist." (And come on...anyone who could cook and keep house like this woman must would have to be.) Even the stock trading scandal she was involved with was a result of her ambition and desire to avoid even the slightest problem.

But she made a comeback in 2005 and her company was profitable once again in 2006. Since then, her reputation has only gone up, a result of her drive and will. She's once again highly respected in her fields of expertise.

Let's Analyze

Any other Prestige authors you know? Someone who's a bit obsessive about editing, perhaps?
And just because I'm curious, who among you adhere to a regular "unplugging" from the internet, whether forced to (like what happened to me when we moved) or because you wanted to?