Monday, October 15, 2007

Talent and Sparkles For Your Business

On Saturday night Chris Isaak rocked a nearly sold out crowd at The Backyard, a great concert venue here in Central Texas. I will begin this post with the honest confession that I only went because my wife and her best friend wanted to attend, and I was being a good husband. I had no idea that I was in store for one of the best rock 'n' roll performances that I had ever seen.

Isaak and his band are true showmen. They have talent, but talent in the music business is not uncommon. They had a stage presence that was both as rare as it was delightful. The California born Isaak played to the Texas crowd in a way that few from the Golden State can. Playing up the Panhandle birthplace of his drummer, the lead singer became "one" with the audience. Wearing a bright pink suit with sparkles you could not miss him on the stage, and on his third song he jumped down an wandered through the audience singing a love song directly to the women all the way in the back. He had them at hello!

An eclectic mix of ballads, country, blues and rock...they provided something for everyone and had the people on their feet for most of the show. His own material along with a sprinkling of Elvis, Roy Orbison, Cheap Trick, and others along with the bands choreographed moves were as entertaining as anything anywhere. When he returned for the encore wearing a suit covered in hundreds of one inch mirrors the crowd went crazy screaming for more of the man the band called "Mr. Hairdo".

The evening was more than a concert, it was an experience. Every couple of songs the band was repositioned on stage and Isaak allowed each of his team the time in the spotlight, giving them a chance to show off their collective and individual talents. Isaak's self-deprecating banter with his band and the crowd was more than just an "act". This guy was having a great time on stage with his friends (the band has played together for twenty years) even though they are not in the last week of a long national tour. They knew exactly how to excite and make those watching more than spectators.

There is a lesson here for business. Is your company, law firm or other organization just another cover band doing the same things as everyone else in your industry. Sure, you have quality products and service, but if you are not making your customers say "WOW", who cares?

You can and should put on a spectacular "show" for your clients every time you have an interaction. Make sure that your passion shines through. You don't need a pink suit and mirrored pants, but you do need something that makes you stand out. Isaak joked that his older brother told him in show business he would need either talent or sparkles, and suggested he get some sparkles. The truth is that Isaak has both, and you company needs a little "sparkle", too.

Have A Great Day.

thom
http://www.thomsinger.com/

2 comments:

Liz said...

Great post. Even though I don't need them I think I am going to get a pink suit with mirrored pants because that sounds cool.

Have a great day.

Liz

Anonymous said...

Thom,
This was one of the best reviews I've read about Chris & the band. I didn't make the Austin show, but I did go to other shows during the tour. Your observations are right on the money. Looks like Chris has a new fan.