I succumbed to a horse-drawn carriage tour of Charleston, South Carolina’s charming downtown district last week. 

What did our tour guide talk about for the first 5 minutes of our 60-minute adventure? Mr. Edwin – our horse, of course. We learn that Edwin loves his job. In fact, Edwin chomps at the bit to schlep 11 people on a carriage ride on cobble stone streets for three to six hours each day. We hear that Edwin gets three weeks off to hang out on a horse farm every six weeks. (Not bad) Finally we digest how much food Edwin digests. FYI – Edwin eats a lot every morning and evening and drinks bushels of water at the conclusion of each tour. We know this because we actually watch Edwin slurp.

Why does our tour guide spend his pivotal gain-a-great-first-impression-five-minutes on Edwin?

He HAS TO. HE HAS TO OVERCOME OUR CONSCIOUS OR SUBCONSCIOUS NEGATIVITY ABOUT CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

Our tour guide makes us understand that Edwin is happy. We are now capable of hearing everything else and giving our guide a much deserved tip.

IF Edwin could talk he might say, “I don’t like carrying around all this weight. There’re too many people in my carriage! And let’s talk about my carriage. It’s old and heavy too! And I hate my outfit! Why do I need to wear a jeweled harness, for horses sake?”

Take Away for YOU:

1. Ask yourself, “What are the obstacles for your listeners on your topics? Where might your audience/client/prospect get distracted from your messages due to some conscious or even subconscious judgment or assumption?”
2. Overcome these obstacles EARLY ON in your presentation, one-on-one sales pitch, or meeting.