So, to answer my subject line question “What do you and a famous comedian have in common?”, the answer is “a good bit” (I’m here all week).
I’m confident you can apply his approach to writing jokes to writing your own content with these takeaways:
Be fearless:
I get it. Cliche. Way easier said than done and downright impossible for some.
How about we think of it
as more ‘don’t let your fear get in the way of the punchline’?
Putting your thoughts, your product, or any bit of your true self out there for the world to
judge can be wholly terrifying. A reality Steven endured for years at the beginning of his career, every time he took the mic.
Like Steven’s, your anxiety will dull with experience. Use every tool at your disposal to help you craft your message that you want others to hear.
Once you learn to trust yourself to deliver that message, it’s actually much easier to trust your audience and vice versa. It also becomes much easier to trust your success.
Be forever aware and curious:
Steven detailed how he functions in his ‘day to day’ from a place of constant
curiosity, fully aware of the everpresent swirl of thoughts, reflections, and ideas.
He called life a ‘great mosaic painting’. His jokes are born by
looking at those seemingly unconnected threads and tying them together to illustrate a point.
Much like I’m attempting with this newsletter, you should
reflect on your experiences and recognize those moments that when shared, can really help your audience relate to you, your product, or your service.
Inspiration can easily come from anywhere (I got inspiration for this newsletter at a show taping), but it’s also really easy to miss if you aren’t receptive to it.
Draw connections for your target audience to easily see how what you’re offering can benefit them.
Don’t be precious:
What
I mean here is don’t fall in love with every idea.
Use the gift that is your audience’s reaction to your premise to figure out what works and what
doesn’t.
Steven gives each new joke just three attempts in front of a crowd. If it kills and just one of those audiences responds, it makes the
larger act. If it doesn’t get a chuckle, or simply bombs, it’s quickly deposited in the discard pile.
As Steven so beautifully stated and I am
paraphrasing, ‘That doesn’t mean that the joke isn’t funny. I think it’s funny. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have written it.’
It just didn’t work with
that particular audience. Your content may be great. If your audience isn't engaged, it’s simply not attractive to them.
Keep plugging away until you find
what resonates with your audience and garners the response you want. In short, you should have a discard pile. It should be unapologetically large.
Steven says only one of every three or four jokes he pens becomes a keeper, what’s your batting average? How can you improve it?
Build peer relationships:
I was nerding out a bit as the interview concluded and Conan O’Brien popped into the room. When the applause died down, I had the pleasure of hearing these three creative powerhouses briefly chat about what they are up to and and the state of the industry.
In those few minutes I picked up best practices around how a good interviewer should approach a conversation, from both the interviewer and the guest’s perspective. (I’ll share those insights in a future newsletter.)
For me, this conversation really reinforced the benefits of developing a peer group. It’s important to know how other ‘experts’ in your field are approaching their business or industry.
Learning how folks navigate external pressures, present their product or service, promote themselves, and ultimately hearing directly what feeds their success - will certainly help you achieve your own.
It’s your turn
In just those couple of hours spent at the SiriusXM studios, I was reminded of these important lessons relevant for both creators and marketers.
By embracing the key takeaways you can enhance your creative process, refine your message, and ultimately achieve greater success in your business.
