As each person at the executive group took turns introducing themselves, something horrible happened: My energy drained to almost zero.

I was supposed to be giving my keynote on The Power of Being Unreasonable. I couldn’t go on. Not as planned.

Hi, I’m mumble-a-name, and I do BankingRealEstateContractingTechBlahBlahBlah. 

I wasn’t sure than any of those in the room cared what they did, or by the way they said their names, I wasn’t sure they cared about who they, themselves, were.

And if they didn’t care, how was I supposed to? I couldn’t care about them more than they cared about themselves, not at this professional meeting. The air was being sucked out of the room. 

Annnnndddd… I’m up! This room needed an energy pump and a huge in-the-moment lesson. 

I temporarily abandoned my prepared presentation on the Power of Being Unreasonable.

Instead, I shifted to an in-the-moment exercise, inviting them to introduce themselves with some enthusiasm. This time, instead of talking about what they did (finding the best rates, homes, ad spaces, etc.), to focus on the effects they have on-and-for their clients. 

They had become too comfortable in just giving the rote elevator speech that followed the formula. I suggested that they use more air as they spoke. Instead of sounding like what #RogerLove, my amazing vocal coach, would call a “squeaky hinge,” to let the sound of their voices flow out on a continuous pillow of air.

I suggested that they sit differently so that they had more energy as they spoke. Air + Energy is a game changer. And then, I inquired as to whether they actually liked what they did for their clients. 

If you know that your product or service helps someone else, wouldn’t you be enthusiastic about it?

You can’t show up expecting someone else to inflate your balloon. You don’t stand in front of a fireplace and yell, “when you give me warmth, then I’ll get you some wood.” Nor do you engage in a group with low energy and expect them to respond with great positive energy. YOU NEED TO BE THE LEADER. 

You first! Start with a smile and a voice that says that you love what you do. Say your name without throwing it away. Honestly, even if I’ve heard you introduce yourself before, I want to hear you say your name again. (Don’t you? When someone else introduces themselves at a meeting or a party, don’t you like to hear them say their own name when they’re enthusiastic about the introduction?) And then, say something fun about what you create for your clients. I don’t care what the current interest rates are, I want to know that you’re so good, you made your clients wealthy enough to buy that home they’ve always wanted. I want to know that you, as a real estate agent, found them the home that wasn’t even listed yet. I want to know that as a consultant, you helped to move their business from just getting by in this shifting environment, to thriving by staying ahead of the game.

We want to thrive with you. 

Say your name and what rocking results you get. If I’m interested after that, I might just be your next client because I might just want those same results.

No guessing – don’t make me guess what the results are. “Interest rates are in your favor now” doesn’t say the same thing as “I’ve helped my clients to leverage their investments so well that they’re getting to buy all the things that they had put off.”

A little enthusiasm that shows that you care about what you do will go a long way. 

Don’t get too fancy. Just say what you’re excited about on your clients’ behalf.

So yeah, keep making your magic.

= Wayne = 

By the way, I’m Dr. Wayne Pernell, the CEO and founder of DynamicLeader, Inc., and through scalable leadership development and elite coaching, we create the organizational culture that team members crave: increasing engagement, decreasing turnover, and ultimately enhancing the bottom line.