I shall force you to see me and know that I am here

March 30, 2016 1:07 PM

Part of the appeal of busking is, the audience has no obligation to engage with the performer. They don’t have to listen to you. They can easily pretend you’re invisible and just keep on walking.

And so, it’s the busker’s job to earn their attention. To create a unique demonstration of love and generosity and vulnerability, delivering something worth noticing and worth crossing the street for and worth dropping a dollar into the case for.

It’s an exhilarating challenge. Amuse them or lose them. Because the feedback is instantaneous. People vote with their feet. Meaning, if your performance doesn’t have stopping power, they’re gone. No tips for you.

Of course, that’s the beauty of the process. You don’t take it personally, you channel it strategically. Because the perpetual risk of losing your audience is the dangling sword of obligation that pushes you to fight for your life. To give it everything you’ve got.

I shall force you to see me and know that I am here.

And that makes it all the more satisfying every time somebody stop and smiles and claps and throws a dollar into the case.

Whereas, if you signed up for an open mic to perform in a cold room to a crowd of crossed arms who are only there for the free wifi, there’s no incentive to win people over. And that fundamentally changes the complexion of your delivery.

The lesson is, everyone should try putting themselves in this position where they have to sing their way out of a corner.

It’s the refining fire that molds you into a stronger artist.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What do you deliver that’s worth crossing the street for?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…

For a copy of the list called, “20 Ways to Make Customers Feel Comfortable,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

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Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Filmmaker. Inventor. Singer. Songwriter.

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com