Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen!
Welcome back to Graceland Ontario for another week linking the success lessons of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll back home to YOU. Today, we’ll be returning to the final episode of this Olympic series to explore how YOUR support (and the support of those rooting for you) helps you, and others, perform at a higher level.
At the beginning of the London 2012 Olympics, I recall seeing an advertisement essentially saying “They work harder when you’re there”. The idea was to boost views for the Olympics which would lead to more advertising money and souvenirs and so on, like any sports advertisement. But the advertisers had a point − Olympians do perform better when you’re watching.
Look at Usain Bolt, the Olympic (and World) record holder and gold medalist of the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay athletic events. After the Olympic trials, everyone thought Bolt was going to be beaten by his team-mate, Yohan Blake, who’d runner faster than he had. But, given the real event, the power was pulsing, the crowd was singing and this all gets to Bolt. The extra energy from the crowd is what made him reclaim his gold medal − their support shaves off those last few milliseconds.
Bolt’s a showman and hero to his country − and so was Elvis. Elvis did some good recordings but they rarely matched the passion and energy he showed live. In fact, one of his three Grammys was collected for a live recording of “How Great Thou Art” in 1974. The crowd’s support got to him, too, and pumped him up to that next level, like Usain Bolt, so Elvis could break his records for the quality of his music.
For these great performers, the added crowd, the added support, inspires them to go further than they have before, work harder than they thought possible. Their responsibility and love for you, the listener/watcher, makes them want to do better. Because however scary it is getting on the line for the 100m, they’d rather take it and go as fast as possible than disappoint their fans with a losing performance. I mean, you don’t see Elvis sing “He Gave Me a Mountain” while watching his designer boots. He was there to give a gift to you, the gift of his voice, and he was going to do a good job, too.
So, what’s the lesson in this for you? Well, like Bolt and Elvis, use the energy given to you by your customers’s support to work harder for them and break your own records.
“But I work in an office and don’t see anybody all day?”
Yea… but the people you work for will still be impacted by your work. Do it for them, or better your family. Imagine they’re sitting next to you watching you − you don’t want to disappoint your kids do you? Give it your all so that when you look back at your day, you can smile at the extra swing you gave your work.
“But I work in Wal-Mart and no one cares what cashiers say there anyways…”
Wrong! People do care how Wal-Mart/McDonald's/local petrol station workers react to them. When they’re excited to see you, you can feel that energy. It’s like when you meet someone serving you at the store and you go, “Wow, that’s one awesome gal− I wonder what she’s doing working here…” She’s pushing her limits in doing her best for you, and you like it. On the other hand, the people who lack energy come across as snobs. And they don’t win your business. You know who I mean…
So, push your limits for your customers, family, or any other crowd you serve. After all, you “work harder when [they’re] watching”, when you have their support. And they are watching… not in the creepy, Big Brother way that sounded, but they do care how you react to them. When it’s dead and below level, they don’t want to support you (and that includes paying your salary by giving you business). When you break records, like Bolt or Elvis, they want to help you, you get their business, your boss pats you on the back, the sun shines a bit brighter and you feel fantabulous. I mean, what can you lose?
Elvis’s Lessons:
Be aware of the crowd that’s ‘watching’ you. When you use the energy from their support, as Elvis and Usain Bolt did and do, you perform that bit harder and push to the next level. This is a great technique to win your customers over and earn their business. And when you earn their business they pay you, and isn’t that just the greatest thing!?
P.S. If you want to see Usain Bolt reclaiming his 100m Olympic title, here he is on that fateful day in London.
P.P.S. Remember to leave a comment − love to hear from you!
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