Continuing on in my log on how to become a cruise ship speaker.
I don’t usually get nervous before I talk. But I did this time. Not antsy or anxious. But with high anticipation. The ship is full of young people. Lots and lots of families. I couldn’t be sure who was going to show up. People my parents age. People my age. People with teenagers. College kids. Teenagers. All of them. None of them.
Would there be the 2 people I met at dinner who promised to come? (They didn’t.) Or others? Or nobody?
Not to be disappointed people starting showing up early.
“You here for the talk or to get drunk?” I asked.
“Not sure yet. I will let you know.”
More people. Then more.
“Yay!” I shouted to myself.
Then more.
I gave late-comers a 2-minute grace period and then started right off.
Nearly all the seats were taken by 5-8 minutes into my talk.
Then the aisle behind the seats started to fill up as people were wanting to get a head start to get into the show. They were quite noisy, so I stepped up the level of my voice a bit. It worked. I got their attention, too.
They were there to get in early to get good seats for the ice show. But I not only got their attention. I kept their attention.
On Social Media?!
Yeah, on Social Media.
What can be so interesting about social media that you can grab the attention of people on vacation?
Why would people interrupt their vacations to hear some old guy talk about something they really don’t know anything about? Why? How? Really?
Yeah, really. You should have been there.
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“When is your next one?”
“How many more do lectures do you have?”
“Only two more? How come?!”
“You really are a teacher, aren’t you? I can tell.”
Point: Throw your heart out there and the rest of you will follow. No matter what it is you’re talking about. Or who you are talking to.
