I’ve attended a few concerts this summer at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and one at the Comcast Theatre (formerly the Meadows) in Connecticut, and have found the experiences to me amazing. What has appealed the most is the bands who really seem to understand the value of fan interaction.
The bands who have done the best at this this summer (Goo Goo Dolls, Maroon 5, Tim McGraw, Counting Crows, NOTAR, Augustana) have either provided a new spin on old material or have interacted with the fans in some way. The ones who haven’t done so well (a couple of the opening acts that I can’t remember, and Guster) have either insulted the fans with comments like “I wish you guys would get out of your seats” or by not bothering to introduce themselves or their music.
As it applies to the workplace, these concert experiences provide the following points to illustrate how to best understand your audience (either your customers or your employees) in the workplace. If you are able to make every day a new and exciting experience and interact with your staff in unique ways, you can make the same old song and dance seem interesting. However, if you come to work just expecting your staff to appreciate you or ignore the obvious, you are doomed to having animosity and resentment rear their ugly head.
So take it from this summer’s top performers – if you reach out and slap a few hands, talk to your audience, and make people feel like you aren’t “phoning it in”, you can have people come to work and stay there, customers repeatedly frequent your establishment, and always leave them guessing and wanting more.
