Last week I saw Bret Michaels perform on pre-New Years Eve. Yes, Poison, Rock of Love and the Apprentice – that Bret Michaels.
I live in the far-far-far western suburbs of Chicago. We’re so far out that we need to watch out for cows and tractors far more than pedestrians. We are a good 90 minutes from the Loop. Anyway, Bret was playing a Best Western Hotel & Convention center very close to me. That’s right a Best Western. Poison used to fill arenas and here he is playing a room that also holds wedding recpetions. Now to make it even worse – it didn’t sell out. Not even close. I believe the room holds 2500 people and they were lucky if 2000 people were there.
So where does the business lesson come in? Well, Bret rocked the house! …that’s it. That’s the lesson.
What absolutely impressed me (it wasn’t the music – not a fan – my wife drug me) was the total commitment and effort he put into this show. It would be so easy for someone of his background to say “crappy little venue- didn’t sell out, screw ‘em!” but he didn’t he rocked that room like it was 25,000 people. He put every bit of his heart and talent into that room that he could muster. After 25 years of playing the same songs he performed them like we were the first to hear them. Kudos.
So, are you treating your customers like they are the first? Are you bringing everything you have to that small client that you don’t think deserves your full attention? If you are phoning it in, it’s time for an attitude adjustment. No one wants to pay to see a beat-down, shadow-of-their-former-self rockstar. Keep on rockin!!
Can you relate? Share your experiences in the comments below.