A $10 bet in Santa Fe, New Mexico with Art, the one-armed Navajo

Driving across country is something everyone should do at least once in their life. My trip across country included some "SIPtacular" spots, many of which will appear in future blog posts.

Today's SIP is a throwback to the mid-1990s and a stopover in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Just off the main square downtown was a restaurant with a bar in the front and a pool room in the back.

Ten minutes into our visit, a 6'5 Navajo named Art approached us. He was wearing a jean jacket and boots...and oh yeah, he had one arm.

You guys want to play some pool?

What a nice gesture! Here we were, 5 guys from out of town, who were being welcomed to this fine establishment. And we didn't even have to wait to join their game of pool.

A number of games of 8-ball later, and our wallets a little lighter, we left Santa Fe while we still had enough money to buy our next tank of gas.

Alright Lane, tie it in with #betterpresentations

Well it's pretty simple:

Know your audience.

• Be aware of their level of expertise.
• And address them as appropriate.

Our read on Art was somebody who was a gracious host. But don't let the fact that he only had one arm fool you.

• He was able to beat us handily, and as we grew to realize, he had the dexterity to get our money into his wallet just fine.

When sizing up your audience, here's a quick excerpt of some questions from a PORTICO worksheet to guide your efforts...

After your talk goes really well, and an audience member invites you to a local pool hall to celebrate, ask them one question:

• Do you have your own pool cue?