Last weekend, I went back to my hometown for my 30th high school reunion. I was actually excited about it – we had an amazing turnout for the previous reunion.
As I walked into the reunion, I was shocked. Only a handful of people showed up. And, most of them were good friends with one another. As we were discussing the lack of attendance, someone said, “I don’t know why people aren’t here. I put it on Facebook.”
And, that was the problem. What worked 10 or 15 years ago no longer works. Our preferred communication channels change.
Some communication vehicles are timeless, whereas others are passing trends.
Case in point: while we were driving last week, my son pointed out a telephone pole. It was covered in poster remnants. People had been using that poll to advertise their band or event for years! It was still an effective way to catch someone’s attention!
It’s easy to get lazy when trying to communicate something. Rather than taking the time to figure out how an audience likes to receive information, people use whatever vehicle is easiest for them.
Effort does NOT equal engagement or communication.
And, if you know me, you know this is one of my favorite points to share. Just because you sent an email doesn’t mean your message was communicated. Just because you announced it, doesn’t mean the message was communicated.
Find out the preferences of your target audience and communicate via those channels!
"Fly Off the Handle"
Where did the phrase “fly off the handle” come from?
When we say, “she flew off the handle,” we are describing someone who has become irrationally angry.
In the 1700s, homeowners needed hatchets and axes to chop the wood that heated their homes; these axes were in high demand. Unfortunately, if the axe was poorly made, the head would detach from the handle while chopping. The axe literally “flew off the handle,” which resulted in a very angry owner. They needed the axe to be in one piece, so they also flew off the handle!
Do you ever use this phrase?
A MUCH-NEEDED LAUGH!
INSPIRATION
Al was restlessly sitting on his horse, waiting for the director to yell, “That’s a wrap!”
As soon as the words were spoken, Al took off on his horse toward the highway. He rode five miles, dismounted the horse, and nudged it back in the direction of the stables. After his horse left in a cloud of dust, he stuck his thumb out to hitch a ride.
An hour or two later, an eighteen-wheeler picked him up. Al told him he was trying to get to an audition in LA. The trucker said he could take him to Las Vegas. The trucker dropped Al off at the airport in Vegas, and Al slept in the terminal. The next flight to LA was in the morning.
Al had less than 24 hours to get to this audition and return to his job. He was desperate for this next opportunity, as he was the main provider for his wife and four kids.
He miraculously caught a flight to Burbank, California, and hopped in a taxi. He arrived at his audition with minutes to spare.
Al walked into his audition and saw a skinny kid standing there. The kid was wearing a funny hat and was waiting in front of the camera.
That audition changed Al’s life. He would get the part, and his show would enjoy five decades of syndication!
Alan Hale, Jr., earned a role that would take him on a “three-hour tour to a deserted island.” He would be known as “The Skipper,” and the skinny kid he auditioned with would forever be known as Gilligan! “Gilligan’s Island” debuted in 1964, aired 98 episodes, and enjoyed years of syndication.
⭐⭐⭐
We live in a society where we only see the highlight reel. We rarely see the “before” – only the “after.” Al snuck away from his job, traveled 12 hours for an audition, and returned to his job in St. George, Utah, before they started filming the next afternoon. He didn’t hop on a jet and fly to his audition; he rode a horse, hitchhiked, slept in an airport, and caught a taxi.
His audition story reminds me that you never know when the next great thing is going to come. Your ideal project, job, or audition might be right around the corner!
Alan Hale, Jr. (on the right)
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