A few weeks ago I did an event, called a “fireside”, where the entire city was invited, and the high school auditorium rented out, with an expected audience of over 1,000 for a Saturday evening.
From the looks of things about 100 people showed up.
When you get 10% of the audience you were expecting, as an event planner, you are disappointed, especially when it’s a free gift to the community to deliver a presentation that they feel is valuable to bring in.
I have had this happen so often in my career, where many are expected and few arrive (for a variety of reasons), that it has become something of a running joke to me. And that’s the only way we can look at it, as I can’t take it personal or I would have given up my career by now.
If you judged it by your performance and delivery on the backend then you would never continue with your projection and dreams, but when you judge it by people’s schedules and life getting in the way of attendance and showing up in the first place, I don’t hold it against people, I have learned and written about this extensively:
Never punish those who show up!
And another lesson, relearned every time this happens, and not as many people as you hoped would come end up showing up:
You NEVER KNOW who’s listening and needs to hear your message!
I didn’t know in that audience that very night my message was needed for one particular person, who later posted his thoughts online {SEE BELOW}. And what a major blessing it was for me to read his words, as I drove the long hour home wondering if I should continue with particular types of events…
Truth is this also: Nearly 100% of people THINK about posting their thoughts and never do.
And so, today I highlight that ONE person whose life was changed, and I’m grateful they shared this online so I could continue to know that one lesson:
No matter how many people are in attendance there is always THAT ONE who is listening! (and very likely many others were listening and gleaning, too…who will never share their thoughts with the public, or with me.)
This is The Promise of The Audience:
To share good reviews instead of only bad ones!
This is The Promise of The Performer:
To give 100% no matter how many are in attendance.
You just never know who’s listening.
How are you living The Promise?
