EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION MEANS KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Have you ever tried reaching people, but instead of responding, they lay around like a bunch of logs?

Effective communication says there’s two reasons for this:

One, they might be logs, and two, you need to work on your presentation.

Check carefully to know which is which.

Logs, or bumps on a log, are a traditionally hard reach. They are wooden, and if you play a wooden instrument, there’s the chance of jealousy. Guitars are made of fine wood, logs are not so fine.

It sets up the classic conflict, “So you think you’re better than me?”

And we know how that usually ends up.

The logs take a long time to get rolling, but that doesn’t mean give up.

Work on presentation for effective communication.

A personal trainer shouldn’t greet clients stinking of booze with yellow nicotine stained fingers from chain smoking unfiltered cigarettes.

An investment counselor shouldn’t go to work dressed in rags.

Where does that leave a guitar player with a log audience? Find another way to make the timber dance the dance.

One way was to engage the audience.

One guitar player made them part of the band, the rhythm section, and trained them how to hold a beat. Once that happens the logs start to groove.

I had eight shakers and recruited the same number of players. After explaining they couldn’t make too much noise, that they had permission to let it fly, they did.

And we flew together. With my back turned to the logs and helping the band, one fan decided to cut loose with the dance of the ages combining jazz and ballet.

If the logs didn’t hop to it, the dancer did. Lots of hop, I’m told. Since it’s the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, I thought of a song, then moved on.

The best move of the night was talking to the parents about the good things music brings, that they need an old guitar in the house, and how impressive their kids were. What parent doesn’t want to hear that.

This time is was true. My effective communication shifted, but the message was the same: play.

Permission to think outside the box is granted.