Have you got anything to say?
If the question sounds a trifle odd, I’ll shed a bit of light on the motive behind it.
I was watching an educational video on marketing, which was explaining how to go about getting the attention of big-time players who have, shall we say, earned their way onto the stage in front of thousands, millions, billions of people.
I found the prospect a bit daunting.
But I’ve learned a very useful skill in the last year.
Whenever I detect within my psyche a knee-jerk emotional response to some input, I pay attention.
Real. Close. Attention.
Because it’s usually a clue to something significant.
So I now always ask the question, Why am I responding to this in such a knee-jerk manner?
For example:
Why should I be daunted by the idea of having the attention of big-time players in my industry?
Picture this:
You’re wandering down a corridor in a huge conference facility. It’s a back-room corridor, the kind used by staff and employees to get around behind the scenes. You’re running an errand for someone. They’ve told you the number of the door you need to find, and the object you’ve been sent to fetch is behind that door.
After a bit of a search, you find the specified door, and open it. And . . .
“TA-DAAAAAAA! Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, our featured speaker for this evening . . . . {INSERT YOUR NAME}!!!!!!!!!”
You, of course, slam the door shut, muffling the sound of the audience’s applause, and you pause for a second to tell yourself that what you just saw did NOT in fact happen, and . . . .
The door opens. It’s the emcee. And yes, you are the featured speaker for the event.
I’ve been stitched up. When I get home, I’m going to kill him.
(FYI, British comedian Michael McIntyre does just this stunt in his latest comedy tour. Hilarious. The responses of the victims are fascinating, entertaining, insightful, etc, etc)
Emcee grabs your arm and DRAGS you onto the stage. The house is packed. They are cheering. (And thoroughly enjoying your predicament.)
He thrust you in front of a microphone, and starts to introduce your history to the assembled masses.
In between thoughts of abject terror mixed with How-the-hell-does-he-know-this-stuff-about-me and I-am-not-dressed-for-this-occasion, you start to recognize a few faces in the crowd.
You’ve watched their videos on YouTube. Read their books. Maybe even been part of some online community that they lead, or some such.
As the emcee leaves the stage, you realize:
Their. Eyes. Are. Fixed. On. Me.
And they are waiting.
Park for a moment the fact that public speaking induces that Fight-or-Flight response in you, and you are very firmly in the Flight camp on that front.
Here’s the really important question:
HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING TO SAY?
Most of us have a corner of our minds that would like to set the world to rights. Oh, if I could only give Trump a piece of my mind . . .
Well, the Donald is sitting in the front row, and God help me, Hilary is sitting next to him. And for once, they’re neither of them paying each other the slightest heed, their mouths are jammed, and their whites are pointed your way. They look, they actually look, politely attentive.
This is your kick at the can, the one you’ve always said you longed for.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY?
Go on. Get on with it. Time’s a-flitting. You won’t get this 60 minutes back again.
You can’t screw this up.
*****************************
I realized, when I experienced that knee-jerk emotional response, that my problem was:
I wasn’t sure if I’d have anything to say.
Not with sufficient articulate conviction, at least.
That’s a tragic state of affairs. And one I’m going to fix.
You should too.
