There’s a reason comedy shows and live performances have openers.
Sure it’s a chance for that artist to strut their stuff and perhaps grow their following, but, above all, they are there to warm the audience up for the main act.
Unfortunately, life’s daily routines don’t include openers.
When we enter a meeting, it’s unlikely those who are in your meeting just had one that warmed them up for yours. (If anything, chances are they’re colder now because of the one before.)
And warm ups before a client presentation? Forget about it.
Fortunately, we can add in our own openers if we choose.
We can choose to start a meeting with an inspiring quote before we dive in. We can start it with a story. We can start it with snacks. (All the above maybe?)
The risk is the same of the extra minute as it is the extra 15 or extra hour or – heaven forbid – the extra day.
When the meeting is set, keep to the time. When the promise is made, keep to the commitment.
Better yet, end a minute early or ten. Deliver 15 min sooner or – heaven-be-blessed – a day early.
Whatever value can be pulled from the extra time you take from others will never rise more than the trust you establish by ending on time or earn by delivering early.
It’s not just beneficial to arrive early. It’s beneficial to end early, too.
Just being forward can come off as being an asshole.
Just having empathy might not help another person overcome their challenge. (Certainly it helps them de-stress and find comfort in a bit of familiar, but empathy isn’t advice, it’s not actionable once it’s received, it’s not a fix.)
Combine the two, however, and you have a meaningful set of building blocks for the other.
Forwardness, candor and honesty combined with empathy, vulnerability and care is the best way to help someone.
Stay Positive & There’s The Equation To Lending A Hand
That coffee shop doesn’t have to have custom drink carriers. They cost $1 each to get. That might sound cheap, but there’s a minimum order of 8,000 and after shipping, tax, and employee time to accept delivery, unpack, organize, and pre-open (because they arrive compacted and nearly stuck shut) it costs them around $11,000 to have custom drink carriers.
We could stop the math there and forgo the carriers. Not worth it. Except…
Except the carriers have artwork on it from a local artist. The carriers have social profiles printed on them for people to follow the brand. The carriers help those who carry them share a story without words – that they’re clearly the coffee runner, the one that’s bound to surprise and delight others with caffeine, the person that’s willing to hit pause in their hectic day to do something for a group.
Along the way back with the carrier, about 15 people notice the colors and designs and wonder where the person is coming from. One person a week ends up asking the person with the carrier. “Where did you get that coffee from?” The carrier tells them about the coffee shop – happier than ever that they got to spread the word. The asker heads to it.
Can you begin to do the math of how many people notice the brand and how many might go in each week because of a custom carrier? And this is exponential. It’s not just one person per week because every few weeks that new person gets coffee for a group and subsequently walks out with a carrier … of which 15 people notice and one person asks where they got the coffee from…
And so on.
Of course, this is harder math to calculate. It requires assumptions and hopes and good design. It requires a little vulnerability to be wrong and it requires a hefty down payment on those first 8,000 carriers.
When you’re faced with math, it’s worth pausing to reflect if you’re calculating to survive (oh god, we have to save that $11,000!) or if you’re calculating to thrive (there’s no limit to the return on investment from these carriers if we do it right!).
Neither is wrong, per se, but important that we know the math mindset we’re in.
Asking others this question doesn’t just put a little accountability on them to see if they have a leg to stand on.
It also opens the dialogue, gives them a voice, and enables a grander discussion than questions like: Is this right? Is this fair? Does this look good? Why aren’t I getting the sales we want?
Go ahead. Ask someone how they would do what you have to do (especially critics, friends and advisors).
