WORDS

Music feeds my soul, and I can sometimes be heard singing and playing guitar around the Fort Wayne, IN., area as part of an acoustic duo. It’s a hobby now, but many years ago I had hoped to make it a full-time profession.

At one point in time I had traveled to Nashville, TN. to audition for “You Can Be A Star,” a late 80’s country spin-off of the “Star Search” phenomena. I didn’t make the final cut, but did make it to the final round. Later that weekend, I headed to an open mic venue just outside of the Nashville area. Alligator and gumbo were on the menu and Johnny Cash’s son-in-law would play guitar for me. I was focused and determined.

I clearly remember singing “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” in the style of B.J. Thomas.  I was a huge hit, at least for the forty or fifty people in attendance. As the evening winded down and people headed to the parking lot, a woman flagged me over and handed me her phone number. She insisted that I was the next big discovery and wanted me to call her the following week. She was a self-proclaimed talent agent and made everyone around her aware of the same. She spoke loudly, and it all seemed a bit awkward to me.

I was so excited about the possibilities. Finally, I thought, I’ll catch a break. I made the call a few days later and it fell flat. The “talent agent” acted like she didn’t know me. In fact, she acted like I had somehow offended her. And BOOM, just like that I realized she had never had an interest in me. I was just a pawn, a tool for the evening, someone she could use to manipulate the moment, to make her seem more important than she was. It was never about me, it was always about her! I remember how the experience jolted me. It just didn’t make sense. Why say something you don’t mean? Why toy with someone’s hopes and dreams? She had played with my emotions. She had given me something to look forward to. She had lied to me.

Fast forward a few decades. You guessed it. Some people are still saying things they don’t mean, especially in business. I deal with it all the time. Talk is cheap, and if you don’t back your words with sincerity and follow through you’ll lose your audience and your credibility. You’re dealing with human beings. Don’t de-value us. We’re smarter than you think. We’ll see through you quickly. If we’re a customer, we’ll take our business elsewhere. If you’re a friend or a significant other, we’ll dismiss the relationship. If you’re a leader, you’ll no longer be given permission to lead.

People are generally a bit skeptical to begin with. Choose your words carefully and think before you speak. The message you send is important and it will resonate in one way or another. It will make a difference or it won’t. If you don’t say what you mean, you will mean exactly what you say, and people will take notice!

E. Jake Gamble

[email protected]

765-661-4478