recorded, “Uh Oh, The Jaguars Super Bowl Song,” only to lose in the American Football Conference Championship game.
The “Super Bowl Shuffle” stands alone as the only musi- cal sports prediction that rattled the cage and actually lived up to its expectations.
OFFENSE, DEFENSE, AND COMMON SENSE
The Chicago Bears stuck their necks out in a big way by predicting a Super Bowl victory. Conventional wisdom would tell you that it isn’t wise to fire up the opposing teams that way, but the Bears felt that they could back it up with action.
Whether on the playing field or the field of life, going against conventional wisdom can appear to others as cage- rattling—and in order to get their point across, some 800- Pound Gorillas have used a well-placed dose of common sense.
Dave Ramsey is a financial author, radio and television host, and motivational speaker. His three-hour syndicated radio program, The Dave Ramsey Show, is heard Monday through Friday by nearly 4 million listeners on over 400 radio stations across North America. In the words of Ramsey’s web site (www.daveramsey.com), the show
“focuses on life, love and relationships, and how they hap- pen to revolve around money.” His program is also on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, as well as appearing as a regular televised segment on Fox Business Network. His best- selling books include Financial Peace and More than Enough.
Ramsey’s commonsense views of less conspicuous con- sumption, more saving, and getting out of debt are widely
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36 THANK YOU, AMERICAN TOURISTER
praised by those who understand how money works, but are not widely adopted in most people’s lifestyles. Ramsey’s life work is, in his words, “to teach others how to be finan- cially responsible, so they can acquire enough wealth to take care of loved ones, live prosperously into old age, and give generously to others.”
In order to get his point across, Ramsey often has to rattle the cage with his callers.
A large part of Ramsey’s program is taking phone calls from all over the country, with listeners’ questions on every- thing from what to do with a $2,000 car loan in a divorce case to paying off half-million-dollar mortgages. “Debt is dumb, cash is king and the paid-off mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice,” Ramsey proclaims at the opening of each of his radio programs.
“If you’re winning, we’re gonna win with you. If you’re struggling, we want to help you win.”
By taking calls from real listeners with real problems, and helping them solve those problems by asking them what are often difficult and revealing personal questions, Ramsey is getting his message across to not only the individual caller, but the thousands of other listeners who may be going through similar dilemmas in their lives.
“Sometimes we have to take you by the shoulders and shake you up—ask you some tough questions on this pro- gram,” Ramsey says to his audience during a recent radio show. “We assume that when you call, you’re gonna be okay with that. It may even be why you called in the first place!”
As a dominant voice in the media, Dave Ramsey is doing right by his callers, one at a time—and doing right by his many listeners at the same time—by rattling the cage to get his callers and his audience to see the light.
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TAKEAWAYS 37
TAKEAWAYS
Rattling the Cage
The 800-Pound Gorillas of the world are the ones who can rattle the cage and attract significant attention to their cause, if necessary. When you wield enough influence in the marketplace to affect a major change, alter policy, or challenge steadfast tra- ditions, rattling the cage may prove to be a beneficial thing to do.
Cage-rattlers get their message across in a bold way. Whether it’s a cause, a point of view, a proposal, or a solution, 800-Pound Gorillas aren’t afraid to be heard.
Cage-rattlers need not be mean-spirited. The infor- mation or help that you supply by rattling the cage can actually be in the best interest of those who you’re targeting. By virtue of your dominant posi- tion, however, it may be construed as domineering, heavy-handed, or forced. Be aware of this, and use caution in how you choose to act.
Dominant players should rattle the cage only when necessary. Excessive use of cage-rattling techniques are ill-advised, because they tend to color you or your business in an unfavorable light long-term.
When there is mutual interest in standing up for something, however, such as using your dominant status as a way of going to bat for a customer on occasion, it’s one of the highest and best uses of your status.
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