When do you give it everything you’ve got? Every time.
I’m watching my hapless Kansas City Royals lose to the Houston Astros. We’re down 3-0 in the seventh. It’s a small crowd in Minute Maid Park, and the Royals are noticeably flat. On the broadcast, Ryan Lefebvre (one of the underrated broadcasters in MLB, in my opinion), is asking color man Rex Hudler if the crowd (or lack of it) might be affecting the players. The analogy he used was about public speaking – and suddenly my antennae went up.
“Let’s say you’re at a speaking engagement,” Ryan said, “And only four people show up. Can you get as motivated for that as you could for 400, and give your speech with the same energy?” I was screaming, “YES!” at the screen, as Hudler said, “Yes, because you’re a professional, and that’s what you do.” I totally agree. I recently had a speaking engagement where the room attendance was much smaller than what I had anticipated. Still, the meeting organizer was paying me well, and more importantly, the people who were in the audience deserved my best. So, that’s what I gave them.
Does a big crowd give you something extra? Sure, it can. I’ll never forget – I was in Dallas in February speaking at a show, and as I approached the meeting rooms, I saw a long line, probably at least 150 people, snaking around the hallway, waiting to get into a session. I thought, “Wow, I wonder who they’re waiting to see?” Turns out that it was ME. Yes, that’s exciting. And, it’s possible that the energy in the room gave a little extra ‘push’ to the whole experience (of course, those workshops are interactive, so everyone contributes to the experience). Still….I always give it my best.
It works that way in sales, too. Can you get as amped up for a small sales call as a big one? You’d better. If you can’t, why make the call?
I received this advice from a famous speaker a few years ago. “Whenever you go out there, remember that there’s at least one person in the audience that will never see you speak again. How do you want that one person to remember you? At your best or your worst?”
The point is this. Whether you’re a speaker or a salesperson, you’re a motivated professional. Part of that is that you give it everything you’ve got, every time out.
And, hey….as I’m finishing this, the Royals have runners on first and third…..
