Authentic Communications: Being in Concert

Have you ever been to a concert for an artist whose music you already owned? Me too. Many times. So the question becomes this: Why?

We gladly “over-pay” for concerts for good reasons

It doesn’t make much sense from a purely logical and financial perspective.  We easily pay north of $100 (more if we include food, beverages, parking, and perhaps treating ourselves to the band’s newest t-shirt) for a few hours of music when we could have downloaded the same songs for $1.29 each and listen to them multiple times. The savings comes to about $80.65 (by my calculation).

And yet, concerts often sell out. I’d suggest it’s because they are not the exact same as listening to the songs that we’ve downloaded. We go for the experience: the energy exchange with the artists. That’s right: the artists gather energy from us as active participants in their concert—from our hoots and applause, singing along (even if we’re off-key), and the occasional toss of flowers onto the stage.

That’s what being “in concert” means — it’s combined action with both parties exchanging energy. We feed off of each other. Now that’s worth the price difference.  

Communicate like an artist

Have you ever thought about being in concert in your daily conversations? How about your presentations at work? How might that small mindset shift create more authenticity, engagement, and frankly, more fun in your life and the lives of those with whom you interact?

Here are four tips to help you live more in concert with others in your communication:

1. Be Fully Present. Attend to the people fully. Listen beyond the words. Build on their energy.
2. Ask Questions, Even in a Presentation. Our brains are marvelous things: Just by asking them a question, they re-engage. Even something as simple as “Have you ever been to a concert?” awakens our neurons and draws us in.
3. Invite Feedback. It shows you’re open and willing to hear a different perspective. Bonus points if they can see you take action on it in the moment. (Plus, feedback is a gift— someone cares enough to help us get even better!)
4. Thank Them. Gratitude is the ultimate exchange of energy. Who doesn’t love feeling appreciated?  And who doesn’t feel better after giving appreciation? So why don’t we do it more often? It’s a win-win.