Recently I had the privilege of seeing Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster star in The Music Man on Broadway.
The performance exceeded my already-high expectations. The two leads married talent, charisma, and chemistry to put on quite a show.
Toward the end, Hugh and Sutton shared a pivotal scene where Hugh's character, Harold Hill, finally wins the heart of Sutton's Marian Paroo.
Before the big kiss, Hugh got the giggles.
And then Sutton got the giggles.
On Broadway! These two pros both broke character and couldn't stop laughing!
The audience went nuts. WE LOVED IT!
(I've since read that this isn't the first time this has happened between the two friends.)
After about two minutes (and a lot of applause), they regained their composure and proceeded with the script. They didn't apologize, start the scene over, or walk off the stage with embarrassment.
They just caught their breath and kept going.
Through their goof, these two big stars were instantly
- relateable
- authentic
- human!
More than ever, the world craves authentic moments like this.
Even in the work world.
The next time you're leaving a voicemail to a prospect and stumble over your words, catch your breath and KEEP GOING.
When you're an interviewed guest on a podcast and say the wrong word, even though you knew the right one-- catch your breath and KEEP GOING.
When you're giving a presentation, and your slides don't load, catch your breath and KEEP GOING.
When recording a video and you flub near the end, catch your breath and KEEP GOING.
Use these moments of humanity to connect with your audience. You don't need to draw extra attention to your mistake or start apologizing profusely; just keep going.
If you're still not convinced, consider this:
I recently concluded a six-part sales enablement series for a worldwide payment company. Through their A/B testing, they told me that the more "authentic" (i.e., not overly scripted or sales-y) they make their:
- email subject lines
- video messages, and
- cold-calls
the more success they have with open rates and responses.
The world craves connection and authenticity.
Catch your breath, giggle inside, and keep going!