The audience doesn’t care about you

You’re watching a movie in the cinema & the projector breaks down, leaving you in the dark for 10 minutes.

You’re watching a play at the theatre & suddenly, due to a technical problem, the curtains can’t be raised.

At an important presentation, the wireless microphone’s batteries go ‘flat’ & you wait for ages while the technical crew looks for new batteries.

The laptop doesn’t open the Powerpoint presentation; the speaker arrives late; a guitar string breaks right in the middle of a solo.

What do all of these have in common? Who cares?!

The audience doesn’t care what caused the problem, they don’t care that it can’t be helped, they don’t have empathy for you at all, ever.

In the ‘Show Business’, the reason performers practise & rehearse is not only so that they know what to do to that the show goes as planned, but more importantly, they’ll know what to do when things go wrong. It’s been said that the difference between a professional performer & an amateur performer is how he handles himself when something goes wrong on stage.

So why would your customers behave any different in ‘normal’ business?

What’s your ‘Plan B’? Have you worked on ‘Plan C’? What if B and C fail – have you rehearsed Plan D?

Your customers don’t care if there are problems, they don’t care about your apologies.  They only care whether or not you deliver on your promises.

When things go wrong, make a plan.  The audience is waiting for you.

“People are selfish, lazy, uninformed and impatient. Start with that and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.”
– Seth Godin ( What Every Good Marketer Knows : 9 May 2005)

TIP: If you’re doing an important presentation & you’re using a wireless microphone or Powerpoint presenter, carry a set of brand new batteries in your pocket.  That way when the batteries die, you’ll save yourself some embarrassment by being able to throw out the old batteries & replacing them with the new ones within seconds.  If the sound quality of your amplified voice is deteriorating, it’s almost always because the batteries are low – replace them immediately so that your audience can focus on your message & not on trying to hear you.