I was one of THOSE kids in school. The kind that sat in the front row…sort of. (I was actually placed there because I had the attention span of a gnat.) My desk was a disaster. My hair was askew. BUT I was a great example to the class. People pleaser to the core. The moment the teacher asked a question I knew the answer to, my hand shot up in a, “Me, ME, MEEEE”, “notice me”, “pick me”, “LOVE ME” frenzy.
Have you ever noticed teachers never call on the front row kids? Their eyes dart frantically across the room for someone-ANYONE-else to raise their hands. We’re the last resort kids because we ALWAYS have our hands up. Front and Center- in a visibly, highly annoying fashion.
NOW as a funny speaker…nothing’s changed. N-O-T-H-I-N-G. I have to sit on my hands because that same tendency to throw up my arm and scream, “PICK MEEEE” to meeting and event planners burns within.
Here’s who I’ve discovered Meeting and Event Planners Call On and It’s Not Looking Good for Me:
1. The Good Kid. The kid whose desk is perfectly straight, homework turned in, solid grades, steadfast and follows through like clockwork. When a task needs to be done-such as sending a note to the office-this kid is who gets called on. No messing around, talking in the hallway, tripping over shoelaces…This kid does the job dutifully, responsibly, and does it well. When in doubt-send the good kid/speaker out.
2. The Cool Kid in the Back of the Class. The kid that walks in a room and doesn’t have to say a word. His leather jacket, good looks and magnetism says it all for him. He never needs to throw up his hands. He’s just IT. All that. (Aka-my husband. He was one of those kids… Whatever…) He doesn’t need to even make eye contact with the meeting planners because he knows everyone wants him and eventually-if they know what’s good for their business- they’ll want him, too.
3. The Mad Scientist. The kid who gets written off by his peers that no one pays attention to. Then one day he turns in an earth shattering algorithm that solves world hunger and alleviates class oppression all in the time it took me to locate my lunch box. His appearance and presentation may not be polished, but THIS kid’s a stinkin’ genius. He’ll graduate college with honors before I figure out how to walk, talk, chew gum, and roll my eyes in middle school-mean girl-synchronized perfection.
4. The Class Clown. Witty, lovable, maybe not that brilliant, but always has the class in stitches at just the right time. Attention getting, creative, unpredictable, but the audience’s response is always worth the risk.
5. Me. The kid who eventually gets called on for the mere fact I’ll put my hand down. Ok- not exactly…. (There’s a good chance my hand isn’t even up because I didn’t hear the question. I was distracted trying to locate my ruler that’s buried behind the green and red paper chain I made for Christmas but forgot to give to my parents…2 Christmases ago.) It isn’t until just the right question grabs my attention that my head and my hand shoot straight up… “PIIIICK MEEEE!!!! I actually know this one!! I can do this one! Hire me! ME, ME, MEEEE!!!!”
This article is my passive, completely non-effective, overly obvious way of putting my hand up to be noticed. Think of the movie, “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie gives the teacher a fruit basket…and a wink…
StacyPederson.com…wink
Hand raise- PICK ME link: https://youtu.be/AuOS57PjTKY
Stacy Pederson is located in Colorado where she can be found second guessing herself as an actor, writer, speaker and clean comedian. She is obviously not a skilled marketer.
#meetingplanner #eventplanner #speaker #obvious #PutYourHandDown