Continuing on in my log on how to become a cruise ship speaker.
I am generally not a sociable person. I don’t not like people. I am just not as outgoing as I used to be.
Still, Rick told me that it makes sense to be friendly, strike up conversations, meet new people. So, I tried.
Since I traveled alone this go round I decided to sit at the table where you didn’t know who was going to sit with you. The meet new people table or something like that.
Other people looking for others to chat up or just chill with show up.
It was a good thing I did.
Half of the people who showed up at my second talk were people I had eaten with. One big reason was there we so few people at the second talk. I was really disappointed.
The first time was a full house. I was expecting everyone to come back, tell their friends and bring some of them as well for an even bigger crowd.
Didn’t happen.
Later the cruise activity director told me why. It was the time slot. The first time I spoke was at 2 pm. The second time was 4 pm. He apologized. He said, people just don’t turn out at that time. Still I had more than a dozen people. But not like the first time with nearly 50 people or so.
And of the dozen, half were people I had met at dinner. And they came back for the remaining talks as well.
Point: Be friendly outside of your talks. The people you meet might be all that show up.