I thought I would get in big trouble…
To celebrate the Red Sox making the World Series, instead of our usual patriotic song, I led my Rotary Club singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
I braced for the feedback.
Rotary is an organization steeped in tradition and I was sure that by breaking protocol I would offend someone.
But what happened was the opposite.
When we sing our usual “God Bless America” or “America the Beautiful” or even occasionally “This Land is Your Land,” I get no feedback.
None.
When we sang “Take me out to the Ball Game” I had four people come up to me afterwards to say “Great song today!”
That’s 20% of the audience that took the time, after the meeting, to approach me and comment on something I did at the very beginning of the 60 minute meeting.
And it gets me thinking about your Elevator Pitch.
Do you want to be memorable?
Do you want to be so memorable that people approach you after the meeting to start a conversation?
Then it’s time to take a risk.
The fear of getting in trouble is real.
Very real.
How do I know?
Because I almost talked myself into singing the safe “God Bless America” three times – then once more four seconds before I started singing.
Any time you step outside your comfort zone, or what you think is your group’s comfort zone, you run a risk.
The risk that you’ll be noticed.
The risk that people will enjoy a breath of fresh air.
The risk that people will seek you out to start a conversation.
Take that risk.
Talk yourself into the risk.
Be different.
Authentically and thoughtfully.
But different.
That’s how to be memorable.
That’s how to grab people’s attention.
Go Sox!