Usually, I share stuff you can learn from awful stand-up comics.
Once upon a time, long before my ego grew to that of a moderately competent comedian, I too was pretty goddawful.
My third time performing stand-up was an unmitigated disaster. It was for an “audience” of mainly stand-up comics at an open mic.
I was bombing. Hard. Like, painfully.
I then hit the “Royal Trifecta of Comedy Misery” when I was heckled by an intoxicated comedian (who, incidentally, broke a code).
I was taken aback. It was like I’d been wobbly before my opponent hit me with The Haymaker.
I blanked. HARD. Took me a solid 30-45 seconds (aka…FOREVER!!!!) to recover.
I have the memory of an elephant – a dead one. Sure, I’d remember the giste of my bits, but comedy is tied to order of words and ‘beats’. I didn’t have the reps/stage experience to shrug the moment off.
It temporarily destroyed my confidence.
I couldn’t let this happen again. I began rehearsing like mad. I’d talk it out. Over & over & over. If I screwed up, I’d start from the beginning.
Some comics mocked me (I’m more structured onstage than most), but practice PREPARED me.
My tip: PRACTICE your stuff to the point where you’re fully prepared. Role play cold calls. Rehearse/dry-run demos. Be prepared for objections. Hell, even practice being more personable and chatty with strangers that aren’t your prospects.
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