3 Holiday Lessons from My Presentation with the Baltimore Ravens

     Donning a purple blouse in support of the Ravens’ team colors, I interacted with the 17 Rookies during the hour long session.  The guys were fun loving, engaged, and attentive.  I had such a fantastic time and was completely at ease as I shared how to do the right thing in making decisions.  But, during my time at their complex, there were some basic principles they reinforced that we all should keep in mind when dealing with others and the busy time during the upcoming holidays.

1. Treat your guests/customers with upmost respect and courtesy.  From the man who picked me up from my hotel to the receptionist when you walk in the Ravens’ front door, I was treated with such impeccable manners.  Harry Swayne, the Ravens’ Player Engagement Director, gave me an insider’s look tour of the facilities, as well as introducing me to several of his co-workers after we finished eating a delicious lunch in their lunchroom.  During my brief stay at the Ravens’ complex, I was treated like a queen.  This is definitely a sign of a first-class operation.
   
2. Know your audience/customers and make them feel comfortable.  Not only did the receptionist know that I was coming, she knew who to contact when I got there.  And, she had a visitors badge already printed. Again making me feel important.  On the flip side, a sign of a good speaker is to know your audience – demographically, mind-set, background, etc.  Before my session, I tweeted each rookie player who I could find on Twitter.  And since there were only 16 of them, I printed off their picture, name, and position and put this information on flash cards so that I could be familiarized with the rookies when I talked with them.  This extra effort allowed me to connect with the guys on another level and allow the message of making good decisions more personal to them.  What are some things you can do to know more about your customers or your child’s friends to enhance your relationship?
   
3. Prepare for distractions.  Sometimes, it seems like the best laid plan has some sort of snafu that is unexpected.  Your child (or you) could get sick, there is a traffic delay on the way to work, etc.  It is frustrating when things don’t go as planned, isn’t it?  During my Ravens presentation, I knew that I only had an hour to engage the players, share the content the NFL wanted, and apply it through scenarios.  Well, the first distraction which took away from the designated hour was that a couple of players were a little late, as they were still eating.  So, it was almost 8 minutes into the hour before I began.  As a result, I had to modify and leave out some of my presentation on the fly to make sure that it all fit into the hour.  Not a big deal.  Had I not been prepared, I could’ve blown it and missed some of the important information that I needed to say to the players.  Instead, I knew my material and was able to adjust with ease. 

What about you?  With the holidays approaching, how do you treat guests?  How do you handle it when your turkey is a little on the dry side or your pumpkin pie is burnt?  Can you go with the flow or does the little snafu rock your world?  If you follow the above tips, your holidays will be much easier and have less stress.  I wish for you a Happy Thanksgiving!