Be a Pro!

Imagine yourself in an airplane for 44 hours. To some that might sound like an eternity or torture, but to me it sounded like a prime opportunity.

Last week, I was given the opportunity to speak in Singapore and without getting into the detail, I took a long ride and it didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to go.

Some people might say, “After 44 hours in a plane, you didn’t get the results you wanted. What a shame. Weren’t you disappointed?”

The answer is no.

In fact, I got one of the greatest compliments of my professional life. One of the organizers for the promoter said to me, “Scott, you’re a total pro".

Stop for a minute and consider what he told me. Basically, he indicated that I was a pro…no matter what the circumstances. I went a great distance and gave it everything I had in me. That's what pros do....time and time again.

Why would I do any less? The point is you must give it everything every single time you have any opportunity. You can’t just size up a situation and say, “Well, I’ll coast here because it’s not the ideal opportunity or it's not an audience of A-listers.” Every opportunity, big, small, neat or messed up, is a great opportunity.

As for my Sinapore trip, let me give you a few particulars: I flew 13 and a half hours from the US to Toyko and then 7 more to Singapore. The conference had about 15 speakers who would conduct seminars over four days. It was truly an honor to be asked to do this work, but things didn’t go exactly as planned. Audience attendance was a bit off, which was disappointing.

But it wasn’t a signal to give it my B game instead of my A game. Instead, I tackled my topic with gusto because my audience deserved it. Plus, how did I know who was listening and where that could lead someday? I was there to present the material requested and the best Scott Schilling and that calling card was important. And when I was done, the promoter took me aside and said, “You’re a total pro. You engaged the audience and gave it everything--thank you!”

People don’t toss around those words too often because most people are not total pros. That’s why I consider it to be a high compliment. To me, it means that you did what you were asked to do. I was there to educate people and help them. I did this professionally and spoke longer than necessary to answer questions after the presentation. So what if the room wasn’t packed? The response was enthusiastic and the information was exciting. Control what you can control--yourself and your effort!

If you give it everything you got, the rest will take are of itself. The way those people did respond signaled to the promoter that I was someone who should be asked to other functions. This would certainly mean even more opportunities and connections.

On the long ride home, I wasn’t disappointed at all. I connected with some great speakers and teachers, which was an added bonus. Plus, I was thrilled because I took a long journey and did what needed to be done.

Sometimes all you can do is all you can do.