We’ve all done it–made reference to a quote from a book or a scene from a movie or TV show to make a point in conversation.
However, you can be obscure or out of date with these cultural references.
For example, at a recent sales meeting where I was asked to speak, I made reference to Ted Baxter on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show”. I caught myself when I realized that the 20- and 30-somethings in the room might have a problem with a 40-year-old TV show reference! We all had a laugh as I pointed it out (the presentation was on networking skills, fortunately).
(I was also fortunate that there were a number of “Caddy Shack” fans who knew I was talking about Ted Knight!)
Being current and engaging is critical to gaining and holding the attention of your audience. While being a veteran can be helpful, being out of touch is worse. Get hip and understand just because it isn’t something you know doesn’t mean it’s wrong–it’s just different and key to connecting with your audience.
Sometime I’ll tell you the story of my playlists of music used at the youth ballpark. Reach out with what they know.
Relentless
