Director of Communications Practice ·
When I was in my final year of drama school, I was called into a critique session after one of our first shows that was open to the public. The session was with the Director of Drama – someone who I didn’t always see eye to eye with, but whose opinion I certainly respected.
His words were something along the lines of “it’s all great, I enjoy watching you, nothing‘s wrong, but I’m missing something”.
“Where’s the danger? I need you to perform with danger “
It sounds an odd idea, but it’s one I immediately understood. What he was effectively saying was that in the performance in that show, I was being ‘safe’.
It was fine, but there was no captivating spark that would lead the audience to me specifically.
What It Actually Means To Perform
The role of an actor is one which asks you to accomplish a number of things:
You have to tell a story as an individual and as a group, you have to create a realistic character that inhabits the world in which the story is being told, and perhaps most importantly, certainly in theatre, you have to convince the audience that what is happening to you is happening for the first time.
As actors we would describe this as being ‘in the moment’. Your job, is not simply to recite lines, but to live and breathe and respond with risk to what is happening around you.
When doing that, the nuance of the character and story will change subtly through each individual Performance.
There are behaviours and techniques that actors can use to be ‘in the moment’ or be present as you could otherwise describe this.
Attentively listening as opposed to pretending to listen. Not thinking ahead, trusting that the words will come out when required rather than pre-entering them. Being open to change – not fixating on what happened before, but rather enjoying the journey. Finally giving up self for the need of the team and the story that is being told.
Each of those things as a performer holds an element of risk and the way you achieve them takes a lot of practice. To some extent honing that craft through practice is what drama school is about.
When it happens, the impact on the audience is electric. An actor who when watched live you believe could take the story in any direction at any given time. One that is truly living in the moment and is responding rather than performing.
I will die on the hill, that these exact techniques and requirements for practice are fundamental for successful sales professionals.
Let me be more specific. They are fundamental when a sale is non transactional, when it is focused on long-term value and when the relationship is important
We work in an industry where 15 years ago we would regularly hear the words _“our product sells itself_“. Back then, on occasion, there was an argument that it did. Now this is rarely if ever true.
‘People buy people’ is a hackneyed phrase, but like many things that are overused, it’s origins are built in truth.
Safety vs Danger
Think about common approaches to sales meetings – “this is what I need to say… I have to get these points across… I need to make them understand that…”
This approach can be physically represented by a pre-prepared sheet full of bullet pointed ideas, values, finances, or even worse (God forbid) the pre-drawn up script.
It’s well prepared, well-meaning and probably all makes sense.
But that’s the safe actor.
Now consider another approach
“I have no idea how this is going to go. I have an idea of how I want it to go, and I have key elements of information that I believe will help everyone achieve their outcomes, but I’m not going to drive those”
I’m going to wait, to put that customer or potential customer first. I’m going to be inquisitive, attentively listen and then respond accordingly – even if that takes me away from where I would immediately like to be. I’ll be open to that change, ready for it and thankful to it and by doing this, I’ll create a partnership or team dynamic. It is more collaborative than personally driven.
That’s the dangerous actor
All great ideas, and as I’m reading that previous paragraph back, I’d be surprised if sales professionals disagreed.
So, what’s the problem?
Firstly, that’s difficult. Like the actor, there’s risk involved here. You’re opening yourself up to not knowing what may happen. You are relinquishing an element of control that you would otherwise have and you’re relying on skills that need honing.
The second problem is that that takes time, and in a sales environment that is driven by results time is rarely your friend. Telling your sales lead and it’s going to take more time to close a deal may not always be met with the most effusive response. As a sidenote here, and at the risk of making massive assumptions about age versus experience, your sales lead may be someone who did your role when the product was more likely to sell itself…
So what’s the point?
The Impact of Actors In Business
Well, actors in business is not a new idea. Not by a long stretch. But there can still be a preconceived idea of what working with actors is like: enigmatic lovies, proposing arm swings, embarrassing role plays and the reciting lines of Shakespeare – and genuinely if you do experience any of this, you’re working with the wrong kinds of actors.
The reality however, is that when done well, actors who work with sales professionals are not only specific, driven, prepared and relatable they are also often the only people who are able to give you that missing ingredient that will set you aside in your most important business interactions.
Top Tips For Being In The Moment
- Attentively listen – don’t fall into the trap of pre-empting your response
- Don’t think ahead, trusting that your words and thoughts will be flavoured by what you hear
- Being open to change – don’t fixate on the outcome. Enjoy the journey of the communication.
