Kling-tastic!

Just got back from a big show in Orlando and I think I’ve coined a new word – Kling-tastic!

That’s because we had a chance to work with storyteller Kevin Kling, and no other word in my lexicon comes close to describing the feeling he creates in a room.

We’ve done a lot of high-tech, high-energy, high-power opening events at meetings before. However, you’d be surprised at the impact it has when the lights come up and there’s a lone guy on-stage and he starts telling the audience a story.

I’m not saying you could hear a pin drop, but I will say that he had them at “Hello, my name is Kevin Kling and I’m from Minneapolis, Minnesota.” And he never let them go after that.

His stories were simple, funny, involving … and what was really cool was how all subsequent speakers at the event referenced key points from Kevin’s stories.

And what was ALSO really cool was seeing the attendees chase Kevin down in the airport to offer congratulations and get autographs after the meeting was over! Who knew the line between storyteller and rock star was so thin?

I know we’ll be seeing more of Kevin on our stages in the future and I’m sure that our clients will all come to the same conclusion: He’s Kling-tastic!

Put Down the Program

We just finished producing a big awards show for a national client. A new client. Since this was our first time to the races with them, we were extra-eager to exceed their expectations. And did we!

But the funny thing was, the thing they were most impressed with was “table stakes” for us. Their big takeaway? How engaged the audience was. And, how engaged THEY were. One client told us, “I love printed programs. I always read the program, sometimes to the point where I miss out on the show. But this time, I put the program on the floor and never picked it up again. That’s how engrossed I was in the show.” Man, do we love to hear that!

Now keep in mind that this was a show full of world-class, nationally-known personalities. It shouldn’t have been hard to get the audience engaged. But in past years, it hasn’t happened. Our goal for the 2010 show was to really give those honorees personality; to let the audience get to know each one of them (in a limited timeframe, of course) so that by the end of the show, everyone felt like they had an “in” with the honoree … like they knew something about them that wasn’t available online or in the stat books. And of course, it had to happen in a perfectly-executed show, so the audience could be carried along on the waves of emotion.

5 standing ovations later, it’s all history. But we’ll remember this one as “no programs necessary.” Sorry, printers!

Thanks, Pardner!

I’m not sure this analogy is going to hold together, but stick with me for a minute. Compare and contrast the following two experiences:

You go through the drive-through at your favorite local fast food provider to pick up lunch for your best customers or co-workers or vendors. You place your order (“Do you want fries with that?”), pull around to the window, hand over your money and receive several saggy, bloated bags of food in return. You head back to the office with the food and a persistent odor that permeates your car for weeks to come.

Or … you plan a dinner for your co-workers (clients, vendors, dealers, take your pick) with the chef at a local restaurant. You work together to create the menu, you offer suggestions and ideas throughout the process, taste test all the items, and then sit back proudly on the night of the reception as your guests enjoy a meal that you helped to create.

Which experience is more satisfying for you and for the people eating the food? Which experience is more likely to be successful and produce a return on your investment?

I’d argue that the second scenario will be more successful, and I would further suggest that the degree of success is in direct proportion to the level of partnership between you and the people creating the meal.

Such is the nature of partnerships. They create better results.

But don’t take just my word for it. Here’s what Bob Moore, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis, USA, has to say on the topic of partnering with clients:

“All the best work I’ve done has happened when there was a very close relationship between agency and client. For example, with Nike, we’d spend weekends together, party with each other, run races together. And that was a great model for me in terms of seeing how good work happens. You’d walk into a room at Nike and it wasn’t like the agency arriving; it was a friend who understood the brand and cared about it. If you trust your clients and your clients trust you, amazing things can happen.” *

And here’s what one of OUR clients said about partnering with MB:
“You truly have been the best partner I’ve worked with in my business career. You asked about the expected outcome, learned about what we wanted, and provided a project plan with dates and costs. When we moved into production you took charge and had suggestions when we asked for your opinion.

I knew we’d be in good hands with Martin Bastian, but I was overwhelmed by how great you guys really are.”

Aw, shucks.

But really, in our experience, the best shows and videos that we’ve produced are the ones where we had a tight partnership with our client … where we’ve worked hand-in-hand from original idea through execution … and where we completely shared the objectives and the outcome.

Working that way is not only more effective, it’s infinitely more fun.

Or, to tie things nicely back to the opening analogy, the meal you make together is always going to taste better than the fast-food you bought from a pimply teenager. ‘Cause who wants anything that’s saggy and bloated, anyway?

* Creativity, October 2007.

Telling Stories

Is it just me, or is there a storytelling renaissance going on today?

We see it more and more in the corporate world – a concerted attempt to fortify/strengthen/communicate a company’s culture by telling stories that reinforce what the company is all about.

Now, obviously, storytelling is nothing new. Since the days when we made hand shadows in front of the fire in our caves, mankind has always depended on the power of a story to move people to tears, action, or self-reflection.

Storytelling is still a big part of our lives; the methods may have changed a bit, but the basic concept is still intact. What is YouTube but a story around a fire … however, in this case, the fire is the Internet and the audience is in the millions.

Yes, it feels like we’re returning to stories en masse … and that return is reflected most powerfully in our popular culture. We’re seeking out stories that are longer and more complex. Why are millions tuning into Lost or Heroes or Desperate Housewives? Why do they turn out in droves for multi-part movies, like The Lord of the Rings? What is it about Harry Potter that has turned millions of kids into reading junkies?

The answer is: Compelling stories.

The better the story (more involving, more interesting, more memorable), the more likely your audience is to take action. To learn. To remember.

It’s an idea we all understand but often forget when it comes time to make our next training video or product intro video or CEO message video: What story are we telling and what can we do to make it more compelling? How can we emulate the best stories, by involving our audience, surprising them, and providing them with a satisfying conclusion to the story we’re telling?

The best corporate videos do that and that’s what makes them the best corporate videos.

So when you think about your next video, check to make sure that you’ve included a healthy heaping of the elements of a great story (humor, empathy, surprise, suspense, resolution) and remember that as sophisticated as we may think we are, we’re still basically sitting around a fire, waiting to be enthralled. Be sure your video has a story that will grab your audience and hold them tight until the words “The End” appear on the screen.

A-ha!

The other day, we were in a pitch meeting with a prospective client (LOVE those). There we were, rambling away, discussing our perspectives on meetings and talking about some relevant case histories, when the client suddenly stopped us and said something like, “Yes! That’s it! For too many years we’ve focused on entertaining our clients. Hearing you today makes me realized that we need to think less about entertaining people, and more about engaging them!”

Well, we felt great. At MB, we talk all the time about engaging audiences – it’s what we do. But it’s nice to help someone else think about their event that way, and be given the chance to help them see the difference between an entertained audience (temporary fun) and an engaged one (fun, with long-lasting, calculable effects).

A couple days after the meeting, an e-mail from the client popped into the inbox: “Pleasure meeting you. Thanks for the a-ha moment!” No really – the pleasure’s all ours! If we could deliver just one a-ha moment a day to our clients … wow. There’s our new mission!

Share your stories of a-ha moments here … or let us know if we can deliver one to you!

But Don’t Take Our Word for It …

Apropos of the posting below … take a listen for yourself and hear the magic of the Keb Mo/Jearlyn Steele impromptu duet of “Summertime:” www.martinbastian.com/Keb_Js.html

It might take a minute to load but yeah, it is SO worth it. That’s the kind of magic you get when you have engaged entertainers in front of an engaged audience … * sigh. *

Let’s watch it again, OK?

If you’re not on the mailing list for our Speaker Series and want to be sure to catch the next unscripted magic moment, drop us a line at info@martinbastian.com, and we’ll make sure you’re in the mix.

Thanks!

Set Phasers to … Engage

There’s a lot of talk in the industry these days about corporate “junkets” (*shudder*). Lots of complaining about expensive trips, with big-name, high-maintenance, high-buck entertainers. And yeah, I suppose those trips happen.

But I am here to tell you, it’s not always that way. Yesterday, at Minneapolis’ uber-cool Dakota Jazz Club, we saw first-hand what can happen when you put the RIGHT kind of entertainers in front of an audience. Entertainers who ENGAGE the audience … deliver a message … unite the crowd … and lift them up with a feeling that they’ve just been given a spectacular gift. And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Yesterday’s event was MB’s 7th intermittently-held Speaker Series event, where we offer our clients and friends … FREE … the chance to hear spectacular presenters and performers in unique venues around the Twin Cities. This most recent event celebrated affordable, engaging entertainment….and it was all that.

First off we had local legends Jearlyn Steele and Patty Peterson, who brought down the house with the story of their “unlikely friendship” (their words) and some high-energy, high-powered songs. Moral of the story? Be open. Expect to connect. Talk to the person next to you on the plane. It can lead to a lifelong friendship!

Next, Jazz Impact played some hip tunes and brought us all to the realization that … really, organizations are like jazz players. We all improvise, all day. We rely on others to play their parts, take the lead when necessary, and step back to let others shine once in a while.

Then it was a solo set by Keb Mo, Grammy-winning blues guitarist/singer … and all-around amazing entertainer. He had us from hello.

And when he brought up Jearlyn for an impromptu duet of “Summertime,” the whole audience was riveted, feeling the joy those two had in that performance and their love of sharing their gifts with as many people as they could. Magic moment. First time they’ve ever performed together … but I’m guessing it’s not their last.

So, see? No bowls of green M&Ms backstage, no enormous technical riders, no “junkets.” Just the right people, at the right time, with the right message. And an engaged audience who will never forget what they saw.

Magic.

(Keb Mo is represented by Monterey International)