PIANO MAN

Over the weekend, I noticed the anniversary of Billy Joel’s album ‘Storm Front’ hitting #1 on the US album charts back in 1989.

I loved that album and recall getting tickets for the concert when the tour rolled through my hometown of Houston, Texas. I saw the show a few days after Thanksgiving and it was rockin’!

As a matter of fact, it was so good that when they announced they were coming back in a couple of weeks to do a second show, I got tickets for that one too.

One of the highlights of the show is when Billy Joel plays his signature hit, “Piano Man.” At both concerts, when he came around to the chorus, the audience would almost drown out the singers on stage. Toward the end of the song, the band stopped completely and let the audience sing the entire final chorus.

It must have be a great feeling to be on stage hearing 15,000 people sing your song back to you. When that happens, you know the crowd is with you.

Guess what? When you are with a prospect and they start repeating your sales story back to you, you know they are with you and ready to make a purchase. But if you don’t take a break from your performance, they will never have a chance to “sing” back to you.

Take a tip from The Piano Man and pause during your ‘performance’ so your audience can participate. When you hear them telling you the reasons they should buy from you, it’s time to close the sale and take a bow.