"Just make it perfect, OK?"
I say this all the time. You too?
It's been quite a while, but the last time a
surgeon had to fix my "whatever", he didn't
ask me to list what to do or how to do it.
And thank goodness he didn't ask me
to watch and give advice all along.
If he did, I probably would have replied
"You know what I want. You're the pro,
so let's leave all the details up to you.
Just make this procedure perfect, OK?"
Sound familiar?
And the last time I flew on an airplane,
the pilot didn't ask me how to do his job.
But if he did, I would have replied
"Just
get me from here to there. Make it quick
and painless, keep me totally safe and
as comfortable as you can."
In other words,
"You know what I want.
You're the pro, so let's leave all the details
up to you. Just make this trip perfect, OK?"
Have you ever said something like this?
Every day, probably.
And in almost everything you do -- for
yourself, your friends, and your clients.
So here's that story:
Recently we entertained about 300 guests
at a benefit cocktail party at the Computer
History Museum, in Mountain View.
The host is one of my favorite event planners,
and we've worked together many times.
She tells me something like this:
"Robbie,
you've got just the cocktail party. I'm focusing
on the entire evening. Promotion, registration,
facility, volunteers, caterer, dinner, auction,
and everything else."
"You know what I want. You're the pro,
so let's leave all the details up to you.
Just make it a perfect cocktail party, OK?".
No problem, I say. We do this all the time.
And sure enough, the evening was a huge
success. Another triumph!
What songs we played, and how to pace
them, was up to us.
At most events like this, the host usually asks
us to select the perfect cocktail party music.
Select the perfect music? Put yourself in our
shoes. What would you do here?
Suppose you're planning cocktail party music --
say, for a wedding, banquet, or private soirée.
- How would you begin?
- What would you want to know?
- What questions would you ask?
Here's how WE usually proceed.
First thing, I ask the host to tell me
about the atmosphere she's hoping for.
That way, our experience can guide us
to the kinds of music that will create
the mood she wants.
Our job is to help her guests enjoy being
there. So we select the music to help make
whatever they're doing easier and more pleasant.
- Casual chatting among friends?
- Serious ballroom dancing?
- Formal business discussions?
- Wild and crazy "dancing your brains out"?
Whatever they're doing, this usually means
keeping everyone in a happy mood. Creating
the right mood with familiar favorite tunes
and a few nice surprises.
Naturally, the specific songs we choose always
depends on who's in the crowd.
- Who are the guests?
- What songs will be familiar?
- What songs might be favorites?
- What songs might be pleasant surprises?
At the start, we'll glance at the group for a
few minutes and guess about what songs will
be sure-fire hits for dancing, or singing, or
a soft background for conversations.
And throughout, we always talk with the guests,
especially when they approach us to request
their personal favorite songs.
Big clues there!
Frequently guests like to chat with us about
their own experiences playing music. Or their
son who is learning to play guitar and loves
the Beatles' music.
Another big clue!
In fact, a bride and groom-to-be who reserved
us for their wedding next month came by last
March's party to preview us again, and they
requested a few of THEIR favorite songs.
Another big clue -- now we know what we'll
surely include at their wedding reception!
So here's that valuable tip I promised:
Whenever it's YOUR turn to be the host or hostess,
decide what mood you want, tell your musicians,
and let their professional experience guide them.
Next time you catch us at a party or a wedding,
you'll see this in action!
