One of the biggest football stars of today, ace Liverpool goal scorer and Uruguay’s deadly striker, Luis Suarez went down in football history books with one of the most shameful acts ever committed on a World Cup pitch. He bit the shoulder of Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini in a horribly display of savage human tendencies. It shook the world at large, not just because the act in itself was unjustifiable, but also because he is a serial biter who has paid heavily in the past for committing this atrocity! FIFA have officially charged him with a big penalty which includes a 9 match and 4 month complete suspension and a monetary fine too. Many believe it is an insignificant fine because of the nature of the act and the seemingly easy manner in which he commits them regularly at international venues.
Is Luis Suarez really a victim of his own emotions?
Psychologists have tried to understand the underlying reasons for this barbaric display of aggression. Many believe that it is a childish display of uncontrolled emotions that is seen in children and is unacceptable when exhibited by adults, because let’s face it, we as adults should be able to control emotions. The interesting fact here is that humans are not very good at controlling emotions after all, what with the amount of violent crimes we see all around us. Some eminent psychologists say that it was a clear case of emotion trumping reason, a moment of temporary insanity if you will. Such nasty issues have come up previously at the football World Cup. It is one of the most competitive events the world sees and understandably so, things can get pretty hot on the pitch, for example the infamous head butt by French legend Zenedine Zidane during the 2006 World Cup.
What role does emotion play on the pitch of business?
Businesses are run by humans and hence, emotions play a significant role here too. We may have created machines and automated processes to an ungodly level, but in the end, it all boils down to the emotional quotient of the seller and buyer that determines the revenue trajectory. Making millions off of emotions is exactly what the largest and most successful businesses do and they do it well. Most of the large format corporations use the psychological expertise of professionals to target strategic emotions and place their products or services at the right spot. This has been going on for decades and will go on in the foreseeable future as well.
Advertising is one of the largest areas where emotions play a significant role. My colleague in a previous post on emotional advertising has showcased the concept with some classic examples on how strong these can be. Creating a product that is required and needed by the consumer is the first step in the emotional journey that any business takes.
Put your heart and soul into it– When you do this, people will feel it and that is guaranteed. When a product is created, it needs to be marketed in the right way. Getting emotions into the frame only increase your chances of creating a connection with your target audience.
Market with conviction– If you believe in something; it does not take a lot of effort to convince another about it. Believe in your product and only then will it be easy to sell it. We see innumerable instances of people who are unhappy with their jobs. This directly affects their performance and pulls down the business as a whole. If you are not comfortable with your job and lack conviction in what you do, step out, it’s time to move on.
Don’t let emotions cloud rational thinking– Businesses may need emotions when it comes to selling, but logic reigns supreme when it comes to matters of importance. We have seen many businesses ruin themselves due to the tussles that happen between teams, managers, clients and their big fat egos. If you want to see success, leave your ego at home, and one of the biggest examples of this was Steve Jobs. Read up about his meteoric rise after the company that he founded, fired him!
Football is the world’s favorite game and there is a reason for this. Watching a match is a constant adrenaline trip with such intense actions and amazing skills. 99% of players convert this intensity into beautiful passes and strikes and create history as they do so. Don’t be the 1% percent that fails. Emotions can make or break you. In business as in football, the one who wins is the one who channelizes these emotions and creates magic on and off the field.
