Two juicer salespeople are working on 2 different sides of the mall. They look the same, sound the same and are working from the same pitch.

The juicer salesperson on the west side of the mall nails her presentation and flawlessly hands out juice samples.

The juicer salesperson on the east side of the mall also nails her presentation, but while pouring juice samples, spills, makes a mess, and then recovers the best she can.

Who do you think sells more juicers?

In this 2-minute video, Nick Offerman talks about how he was able to remain patient and happy while waiting for his big break on Parks and Recreation.

After watching this video I thought about how much of my own happiness I’m withholding until after I’ve “made it”.

I hope it also inspires you to take some time for yourself this summer and put happiness first.

The formal definition of The Fourth Wall is a theatrical term for the imaginary “wall” that exists between actors on stage and the audience.

Obviously, no such wall really exists, but to keep up the illusion of theater, the actors pretend that they cannot hear or see the audience and the audience gets to enjoy the wonderful sensation of being a fly on the wall.

Successful comedians and sales professionals alike know how to break the "4th wall" and truly engage their audiences.

How To Use Story Details To Draw Your Audience In

This story about Jeff Bezos building door desks for Amazon’s first employees was told to me years ago by Tim Shisler. I never forgot it. Nor did Amazon’s early investors.

Details like a door desk is what draw your audience in and makes your story memorable.

What can UX designers learn from stand-up comedians? Apparently enough for the fine folks at UX Magazine to let me publish an article about it!

What's in it for you?

5 tips to make you more engaging during your next presentation. Why the Netflix comedy special "3 Mics" is a must-see. Plus 7 minutes of one-liners from my favorite comic Demetri Martin!

In 3 Mics, Neal Brennan deftly moves between, you guessed it, 3 mics.

He uses one mic for one-liners, another to talk more seriously about dealing with depression and his relationship with his father, and the third for traditional stand-up comedy.

So what the heck does this have to do with your next sales pitch?

This simple post took me way too long to write because I care what you think of me.

The mere thought of you reading these words made me want to sound perfect instead of just connecting with you for a second while you’re skimming this blog.