After squaring off in a boxing ring, Conor McGregor makes his return to The Octagon at UFC 229 against bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is a cold, calculated, precision striker inside the steel cage and he takes that precision outside into his media appearances.
Currently, this is tracking to be the biggest fight in MMA and UFC history, aiming at 3 million pay-per-view buys. With potentially over 3 million people watching him this week, Conor McGregor is sure to make sure those eyeballs are transferred onto his other business endeavors.
But surprisingly, he hasn’t been in the spotlight as much as his other fights.
For his boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, he did a world tour.
For his fight to claim a two-division title against Eddie Alvarez, Conor was all over the media, press conferences, and interviews.
Against Jose Aldo, he did tons of television interviews that he used as a time to wage mental warfare on him.
So why change his pattern now?
There might be many reasons but certainly, one not to ignore is that he has to prepare for the toughest match of his life. He doesn’t need the distractions of media obligations and certainly doesn’t think he needs it to whip up anticipation for this fight.
But you would think with everyone watching, waiting for him to say something outlandish, you would think Conor would be front stage, but he is not.
And he has left everyone eagerly waiting, which is exactly what he wants.
What this is creating is demand.
Because scarcity creates demand.
And a scarce Conor creates a huge demand for him and his products.
He wants people to want him around.
Being too available might make people tune him out.
He makes a lot of noise, and people might get tired of hearing it.
This makes falls in line with the rest of life.
Advice from that one person who is always there for you is never as powerful as it should be. It doesn’t really matter if it’s good advice, you’ve just heard it a million times.
That person who always tells you “I’m always here for you” wonders why you never go to them when you need help. Well, because they are always there.
It’s funny and backward, but it’s true.
In business, this is why you want to put a scarcity on any discounts your run. Because no one will take you up on an offer, doesn’t matter how good the offer is, it will always be there. That’s why you should take it away.
“24 Hour Flash Sale!”
“Get it now, this deal won’t last long!”
This is what prompts action.
People might want your product or service at a discounted price, but if that discount is always available procrastination causes their inaction. Scarcity drives their action.
For Conor McGregor, scarcity is his tool to lock in millions of people world wide, demanding his presence in their lives and on thier screens,
We love our time in the spotlight, but we never want to overstay our welcome.
Its always better to leave it on our terms, than to be pushed out on someone else’s.
Always leave them wanting more.
But to do that, leave them… but only for a little bit.