...and I saw it in action recently.
My wife and I drove to Thousand Oaks, CA,
for an overdue visit to one of my sisters and
a few friends.
While there, we attended a memorable show
featuring Garrison Keillor.
Know him? Author, humorist and until recently,
radio host of "A Prairie Home Companion".
If you ask me, for all his talents, he's best as
a marvelous story-teller, spinning a yarn in the
finest tradition of Mark Twain and Will Rogers.
The auditorium held hundreds. All were long-time
fans, I'm sure, and knew pretty much what to expect:
2 hours of humorous, witty jokes and stories about
"Lake Woebegon", his fictional home town.
At last he walked out on the stage, which was
bare but for a microphone and a chair.
Without saying a word, he began singing softly.
A continuous string of slow, old familiar songs
beginning with words like
"We were sailing along, on Moonlight Bay..."
"Wise men say, only fools rush in..."
"Anytime you're feeling lonely..."
"We shall overcome..."
"Oh beautiful for spacious skies..."
"My eyes have seen the glory..."
A few dozen of these good old favorite songs
that most of us knew.
Hearing the first few words of each song, the
audience sang right along, song after song.
This unexpected sing-along lasted maybe 10 minutes.
I felt like he was making a personal connection,
and so did everyone else, apparently.
Sure enough, two hours later, as he thanked us
for attending, he said how nice it was to stand
in a large dark room with friends who knew the
lyrics of his favorite songs.
Stunning and we loved it! It was the personal touch
in action.
Right from the start, he developed a soft, warm,
familiar connection with everyone.
We were comfortably "with him".
And from that beginning, he entertained us with
witty stories and jokes, and we loved every minute.
Now, why am I talking about a personal touch?
Because it can make YOUR wedding or next
party the success you're dreaming about --
making each guest delighted to be there.
For example, suppose you're planning your wedding
and you want a sensational
reception -- a catered feast,
timeless photographs, gorgeous flowers, and music
to create a memorable atmosphere for your guests.
You'll need to work personally with your coordinator,
caterer, photographer, florist, musician, and the rest.
That's how to customize their services to create exactly
what you want for your guests.
Selecting some faceless service "off the shelf" just won't do.
So here's that Tip I promised you:
When you select wedding and party professionals,
create a warm personal touch with each one.
That's the best secret for working effectively.
Now, about planning your music...
You can ask me for lots of tips for selecting and
arranging the perfect music for your celebration.
Read our testimonials on Yelp. They praise my personal
touch -- that I'm inviting, helpful, and easy-to-work-with.
The helpful tips I post on Facebook, Instagram, and
my blog -- and my personal videos -- show how I help
people celebrate.
It's the thoughtful ways I help people planning,
selecting music, and arranging musical details.
It's not just about the band -- what you see and
hear -- but it's the personal touch that makes
us a part of your celebration, gives it a special
excitement, and helps it come to life.
