What will you be known for in 2021?
What if you were so good at your work, such an asset to your company, that your employer would do almost anything not to lose you?
What if you performed in such a way that people buzzed about your remarkable performance and wanted more of the product, service, or ideas you provide?
If you knew how to consistently get people to demand more and more of you and whatever it is you do, it would be because of the encore effect.
You’ve seen an encore. In fact, you’ve probably been partially responsible for a couple. You go to a concert and are so moved by the performance that you, along with the rest of the clapping, cheering, “Bravo!”-yelling, bouquet-tossing crowd absolutely refuse to let the artist leave. You are prepared to applaud all night if need be, just to hear one more number.
Your goal (and mine) should be to have people shouting for more of whatever it is we do. If we imply we’re ready to move on, we should have people clamoring for us not to leave. The world is desperately looking for those people who make such a difference, produce such results, have such a positive impact, that they make themselves indispensable. Whatever their stage, they simply will not be allowed to leave.
And that person can be you.
If three people in your life—for example, your boss, a customer, and a family member—used one word to describe your performance in life, what word would they choose?
Would they describe you as . . .
Disappointing?
Marginal?
Fair?
Okay?
Good?
Excellent?
Great?
These responses run the gamut, from the negative to the positive. But wouldn’t you like to hear: “His (her) performance is so amazing that I would do whatever it took to keep him (or her) on my team.”
What kinds of words might describe such a performance?
Amazing
Remarkable
Unbelievable
Unique
One of a kind
Inimitable
Awesome
Extraordinary
Phenomenal
Incredible
Those are the kinds of words used to describe the performance of an artist who is called back for an encore. And they are the kinds of words you should want others to use to describe your own performance in life.
There is one word that embodies all of these adjectives, with no need for an exclamation point: remarkable.
All of us would like to have our performance described as remarkable. All of us would like to excel at the things that matter most to us. And it is by giving such performances that we achieve the Encore Effect.
What can you do to create encore performances on the important stages of your life?
Six ways to go for the encore:
1. Add passion. Passion is what separates the extraordinary from the ordinary. We’ve all seen people going through the motions of their work; encore performers invest emotional energy and it demonstrates their commitment to both their performance and to you.
If you can’t be passionate about what you do, you can be passionate about how you do it, why you do it or for whom you do it.
2. Prepare better. There are many things in life you can’t control, but you can always control how prepared you are for a sales call, meeting, interview, performance review or any other important performance. Encore performers don’t “wing it;” they prepare more thoroughly than ordinary performers.
3. Practice more. It isn’t enough to do the same things over and over: deliberate practice helps you identify best behaviors and practices and repeat them. Make time to practice.
4. Perform interactively. The best performances engage the audience, whether that “audience” is a customer or colleague, spouse or child. Design your performance to make people think, act, feel good and/or laugh. Remember, encore performers don’t focus on themselves; they focus on the “audience” because only the audience can demand an encore.
5. Keep polishing. After every important performance identify what worked and what you could have done better. Don’t consider a performance as “over” until you’ve determined how you can improve it next time.
6. Anticipate pitfalls. Pitfalls can ruin an important performance. Anticipate for what might go wrong and be prepared. Many pitfalls can be avoided by simply thinking ahead and eliminating them in advance.
In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It—Act II, Scene 7, he said “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players…” While we can agree with his overall sentiment, don’t settle for being “merely” a player; always go for the encore!
Mark Sanborn is an award winning speaker and Leadership Expert in Residence at High Point University, the Premier Life Skills University. For more information about his work, visit www.marksanborn.com.
He is also a cofounder of the Virtual Presentations Institute (VPI) that teaches professionals how to master digital presentations and increase results.
