“When you make your ex sing your breakup song…”
I mean if that’s not clickbait while you’re insta scrolling, I don’t know what is. I was baited. I clicked. And…
👀 👀 👀 👀
I would type the actual number of eyeballs of the amount of times I’ve watched the full video since, but these newsletters already run long (and riveting!)
The video: Fleetwood Mac Live at Warner Brothers Studios, circa 1997.
The moment happens around 4 minutes in. Stevie LOCKS IN on Lindsey and Lindsey LOCKS in on Stevie and when I say lock in well go watch it yourself AFTER you finish reading because if you’re like me you’ll watch and watch and watch because WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THAT LOCK IN LOOK?!
Well turns out there’s a whole lotta stuff happening with that look and you can Google it yourself and find out all the dirty deets but I am here to tell you if you are a remotely feeling person, in that if you are a human being, you watch the last 2 minutes of that video and you FEEL SOMETHING.
It is not OK the amount of times I’ve watched that video. It’s not OK the amount of people I’ve discussed that video with. It’s not OK the narratives I’ve created about what they are really saying with those looks.
It’s perfectly OK for me to be writing a newsletter about it, and here’s why.
The energy that was happening between those two was palpable.
Turns out there were more layers of feelings and history and drama than a multi-tiered wedding cake. During that concert, at that moment, they were feeling those feelings.
They felt it. The audience felt it. I keep feeling it.
Now…during a webinar with some financial service type folks the other day, we were talking about how you make your client feel when you’re pitching your service.
Talk about 👀.
All eyes were on me like yeah cool that’s cute but we don’t talk about “feelings” in financial services.
“Our clients don’t care about feelings.
The leaders/executives we’re pitching to don’t care about feelings.
They want the facts.
They want the ‘do.’
Fact, yes. Feelings, no.”
To which I ask, “Is that the truth they don’t care about feelings? Or is it that we don’t give them anything TO feel?”
👀 right back atcha!
Do we decide, “No body wants that…” or “That’s a little extra…” without even trying?
Are we eliminating the possibility of connecting through feelings before we even let it happen?
Are we opting them out before they can even lock in?
Fine. I’ll read the room.
Don’t talk about feelings.
Don’t say feelings.
You want to create connection?
You want to make them remember you? (In a good way?)
You want to stand out from the sea of sameness out there?
Show some feeling. Show you care. Bring some energy.
They’ve heard the data.
They’ve seen the deck.
They’ve been transacted to.
They’re bombarded daily with bots and bullshit.
Am I suggesting that you walk into your pitch meeting, pause, dramatically open up your thumb mic, lock eyes with your potential client and bellow at the top of your lungs I’LL FOLLOW YOU DOWN ‘TIL THE SOUND OF MY VOICE WILL HAUNT YOU! YOU’LL NEVER GET AWAY FROM THE SOUND OF THE [TEAM] THAT LOVES YOU?!?!?
No. Not at all. Although if you do make that choice, please record it and send it my way. I’m into those sorts of videos apparently.
What I am suggesting is that the reason that moment has me raptured (and apparently a large amount of folk on the interwebs) is because that night, during that song, something rekindled in both of their bellies and the layer of feels and emotions couldn’t help but come through. Everyone leaned in and wanted to know what was happening, because they sensed and felt the emotion between them.
Stevie and Lindsey were feeling their feels.
Which is making a whole lotta people watching that video on repeat feel theirs.
What are YOU feeling when you’re pitching or presenting?
What are you feeling…
When you think about the person you are pitching to.
When you really wonder about them and their circumstances.
When you ground in to how much you, yourself, and whatever you’re pitching can have a massive impact on them and that YOU, yes YOU are the one that can deliver what they need to change/improve/grow–that YOU are the one that create that impact, well hot damn if that shouldn’t stir up some feels in you.
Credibility. Power. Authenticity. I GOT THIS energy. In the confident not performative way.
Those, my friends, are feelings.
THOSE are the type of feelings we bring that make people sit up. Take notice. Lean in.
Because when we bring those feelings, people can feel US, they trust US, they can tell that WE CARE, and that evokes a rare feeling these days indeed.
You don’t have to talk about your feelings.
Just lock in and show ’em, just like Stevie and Lindsey.