Tales from the Front: The Value of Attention

The moment is finally here, and it’s time to step up and WOW THE AUDIENCE! In one day, I can change my life for the better and move forward with what is truly next.

Did I get your attention?

I have an interview tomorrow that includes giving a presentation to a large group of people via WebEx on a topic of my choice. While this would scare most, I am quite excited about it. In deciding what I want to say, I have to pick something that resonates with the business as well as speaks to what we are living today. 

What is the true value of attention? Ken Burns, in his Masterclass presentation, discusses the value of attention, and it fired off so many things in my mind. Obviously, he got my attention. When speaking to a group, you have to give your total self to your words, nothing less. The reason for this is simple. If your words don’t portray your true desire to have their attention, your audience won’t give it to you.

Take for example my speech to the students at Lake Erie College that took place on the day after I was laid off from my job. Those words resonated with students, powered by a dream, who discovered that reality has a way of getting in the way. The response to the setbacks is what defines us all. Upon finishing that presentation, the professors who hosted the talk, were amazed that this group, known for not paying attention, known for being on their cell phones, were all focused on the words. It wasn’t because what I was saying was important to me. It was because what I was saying was important to them.

So while tomorrow’s talk will be about a subject that I am passionate about, it is the value of their attention that will determine whether it is successful or not. A good speaker inspires, motivates and connects. Unless the attention is there, those actions are not possible.

It’s said by some that you have 6 seconds to get a person’s attention, 30 seconds to keep it, and if you keep them for more than 2 minutes, you have been extremely successful. I have 15 minutes. Give yourself the task. What do you do to get that 6 second instant fix? What keeps them there for the next 24 seconds? How do you keep that energy up to hold them for 2 minutes? I have 15.

(Quick aside: I had actually used proper writing etiquette and wrote out all those numbers in the previous paragraph, but felt that it would distract you from the impact by having to think about reading the words instead of just being able to easily translate the numbers, and thus making it easier to keep your attention.)

It’s all about the story you want to tell. It has to have highs, but it can’t stay in those highs for all fifteen minutes. The audience has to breathe and be able to take in those highs. They need to let things sink in, but you can’t lose the attention in those moments. In fact, it is in these moments that I find you can bring them even closer to you. These are the moments you live for.

I once did a one man improv show, which might have been one of the craziest things I ever tried. It started out as an April Fools joke, but the joke was on me when many of my cast had to drop out of a show at the last minute leaving me with a theater and no show. Instead, I determined to myself that I would take the leap, and put myself on stage for 45 minutes with no script and entertain an audience. 

About 20 minutes into the show, I identified an interesting person in the front row and decided to gift him with the role as the bully that used to pick on me in high school. His response was that he was jealous of my dancing ability and wanted to prove he was a better dancer. So, we, then and there, performed a dance off to the delight of the crowd. It was a high energy moment that left the people in stitches. 

As I was physically worn out from the dance, I grabbed a bottle of water and took many breaths, when I saw a woman seemingly cowering in her chair holding a can of Coke. A story entered my head of how I met this woman as a child. She was a neighbor and used to say hi to me when I rode my bike back home from school. She actually was the one who hooked me on sugary sodas with her offer of a can of Coca Cola when I came by. Until one day when everything changed.

I paused and asked the audience if they had ever had a cat in their life. I asked if they had the kind of cat that was waiting for them when they got home… the kind that curled up in their lap when they were reading… the kind of best friend that would know you were not feeling well and get close to you to make you feel better… the kind that would nestle themselves right up against you when you sleep. The kind you can never imagine losing.

I stepped to the other side of the stage and spoke of my happy go lucky self riding by bike into her driveway one day when I felt a thud and discovered that I had hit her cat. Being so scared, I rode my bike as quickly as I could, fleeing the scene. The problem was, every day, I would have to ride my bike past her house and every day, she would look out the window at me.

Now, here it was, 30 years later, and she’s sitting in the audience with that same look. It was not one of anger, but rather one of sadness. It was not one of accusation, but one that seemed to be looking for closure and even possibly forgiveness.

“Will you please forgive me, Mrs. Jones?” 

Many in the audience started crying. I started crying. 

When she looked at me, and nodded yes, I responded “can I give you a hug?

With that, most of the rest of the audience was now in tears.

Now, remember this was an improv show. All of that was made up, but it is a great example of the value of attention. How was I going to keep an audience at the same energy as they were when they were hooping and hollering at the dance off? I wasn’t, but it didn’t mean that I wouldn’t keep their attention.

The value of attention is the ability to guide someone through a story and never let them go. The value of attention is creating a world for them that connects them not just through the mind, but through the heart.

Think about your work. How does your work connect with people? Does it speak only to the mind, or does it connect with the heart. I used to give the creepy analogy that I wanted my video audiences to be sitting back in their chairs when they begin to watch, and wanted a virtual hand to circle to the back of their neck and draw them in towards the screen, making them lean forward, until the moment I would release them, and they would stay there. Let’s face it… that was just creepy in this day and age, but still, that story got your attention as you imagined that happening to you. But of course, in this age of social distancing, I would never do that! 

The value of attention. In today’s marketplace, it is a currency that is so very valuable, and one that doesn’t cost a dime. It simply takes thought. It takes emotion. It takes passion. 

Simon Dixon, the founder of Dixon Baxi, a company that inspires me with their work every day, said this in an article today on LinkedIn.

People buy people. So the more natural, interesting and positive you are, the more you'll connect. You don't need to be overly gregarious. Just passionate.

The value of attention. I thank you for yours and I hope you found value in it as well.

This is the latest entry into a blog that chronicles my journey from layoff to new opportunity. The entries are done in real time. If you are looking, I hope the blog gives you inspiration. If you are hiring, my wish is to share what the journey is like from the other side. Thanks to all of you for being a part of my journey, and as always, thank you for reading.