This morning I picked up a book on my shelf that has been frequently drawing my attention, “The Law of Success” by Napoleon Hill. My goal is to take a little time each day reflecting on something that I enjoy but perhaps have been neglecting. Today, “self help” and “self-improvement”.
The opening of the book got VERY spiritual and philosophical very quickly. There was a lot of talk about “vibration” and how we are living in a vibrational universe and how things are attracted to one another. The build up, led me to day’s thought for the day, what draws people to other people? What makes a person a great “leader” or “communicator” or “teacher”? I strive to be an effective teacher and unifier of people but lack the skills to do so.
Self doubt is perhaps my greatest obstacle. I feel embarrassed to tell you that I want to be a great “unifier” because immediately I think you’re response will be “good luck with that” or “what makes YOU think you’re so special?”
What the small portion I read today made me contemplate is that to lead people, effective leaders have an ability to get people on the same wavelength as them. Master communicators and leaders know how to “warm up a room” and get everyone in the room on board with the message. They have a way of melding the minds and generating a space where people are all in and moving in the same direction.
A lesson, I think, can be learned from churches. Churches know how to set a mood and get people moving in the right direction. People of course given a call to action. A sign outside the church welcoming them in or a friend or colleague inviting them to “try it sometime”. But that’s just the beginning. Once a person walks in the door you must give them a reason to stay and be interested. You must give them a sense of purpose and belonging. You must, more than anything, give them a feeling of being part of something bigger than themselves.
Churches employ methods to generate this momentum even if they don’t fully understand what they are doing. People are happy to see you and thus you feel welcome while you’re waiting for the “sermon” to begin. If you walk in and no one smiles at you or no one speaks to you, you will feel the group “cold” and likely leave before it even gets started or you’ll have a sense that this really isn’t “your type of people”. Being recognized and accepted is a base human need. We are all looking for our people and where we belong. Effective leaders know how to make people feel like they belong to the group.
Churches also employ other “warm up” tactics in a group setting. Music is played, which sets the mood and warms people up. And then there is the teaser. The speaker often starts with an attention getter and a promise to deliver something important. “You don’t want to miss today’s message” or “what I’m about to say today, if acted on, will change your life”. Once the “hook” has been set, the speaker then must deliver. He or she must deliver a message that makes people leave wanting to DO something different. In churches that often is to become a better person, pray more, love more, treat others better, or study your Bible more. Whatever it is, the speaker not only offers a word of advise, but then motivates people to go and DO something with that new advice.
As I look at myself and how I run my LIVE shows on YouTube I find myself wondering if I’m doing the right things to be an effective leader. Do I make a call to action? Sort of, but I could do better. Yes we put up a thumbnail and we schedule it so people know what to expect, but we don’t spend a lot of time reaching out to tell people why they should come tonight. Perhaps that is something I could work on. How can I better deliver the message, “You should really come today”?
Once they are in my LIVE do I greet them and make them feel welcome. NO. I SUCK at that. I am often in my own little world preparing myself mentally for the “sermon” or performance. In a church setting there are “greeters” for that very reason. There are actually people who’s “role” is to greet people walking in the door and make them feel welcome. I again wonder if we are doing that effective. Because I’m in my own little world I don’t pay attention to my “moderators” to see if they are greeting people and making them feel welcome and acknowledged. I need to fix that. I need to watch the chat and PERSONALLY greet people as they come in the door. I don’t see them, unfortunately, unless they leave a comment but I CERTAINLY can respond to those who leave a comment of any kind and let them know I see them and that we are GENUINELY happy to see them. I take for granted that people will show up and don’t express enough that I am TRULY grateful that they have come and taking time out of their day to come see us.
While I employ music to set the mood and I “warm up” the audience with my intro and panelists, I don’t often set an expectation or “hook” for the night. I’m doing some of this right. The music and the panel “warm up” is good but then, perhaps, I need to set the expectation for the night. What should they be looking for. What will be the take away tonight. Why should they care. I should tease that there is going to be something worth taking away from the LIVE tonight and putting into action. I should think about that EVERY night. What do I want them to learn today? What do I want them to DO with that when they leave? How do I deliver the message and then make them feel motivated to do something, even if it’s just deciding that they are going to come to the next LIVE because being their nightly is an important thing to do.
My key take away for today is that I want to start thinking about my LIVES like a church. Greet people at the door. Make them feel genuinely welcome and part of the group. They belong here and we are happy they came. Then I need to know what the message is for the night and deliver that message. Lastly, I need to give them a reason to return. I need to inspire them to do something. Sure, I won’t reach everyone, but I should try and inspire people somehow.
So today, I’m going to think about how to warm up a room and inspire.