So You Bombed Your First Chapter Meeting
Five Tips to Help You Crush The Next Your Next Chapter Meeting
Hello, I’m Vince Fabra - a stand up comedian and career speaker/trainer in the fraternity/sorority space. This blog post is a colliding of my two worlds. Enjoy!
by Vince Fabra
ONE: Seek Out Feedback - The best thing about performing comedy for a live audience is the certainty. Laughter is really the only goal. So, how well you did is never a great mystery. You either got laughs or you didn’t.
When leading a meeting, the feedback isn’t as clear, and your performance isn’t as binary. That’s why you should seek out honest assessments.
Who are three people in your chapter that you can trust to provide a measured, fair grade of the previous chapter meeting? Meet with them individually over coffee or lunch before the next meeting and ask them to give it to you straight.
Note: Don’t ask your BEST FRIEND who is going to give you a glowing review, and don’t ask the most toxic person who hates everything! You want to find people that will respond logically not emotionally. Hear it. Take what is helpful. Leave what is not.
TWO: Review Your Set List - Putting together a set of comedy is such an exciting exercise. It’s a puzzle that is as frustrating as it is fun. Comedians can spend hours crafting a 5-10 minute set. I wouldn’t recommend that same analyzing-to-performing ratio, but take some time to review the agenda from the last meeting. Ask yourself, where did I have them? Where did I lose them? How can I tighten this up?
Being prepared not only allows you to stick to the script, but it also affords you the ability to go off script too! Sometimes as a comedian, you have to respond to something that happened in the moment - someone in the front row has an obnoxious laugh, someone in the back shouts something out, a drink is spilled, the mic cuts out - Preparation allows you to respond to these things, which builds a stronger connection between performer and audience - or in your case between president and chapter.
THREE: Control the Environment - When most comedians bomb, they are quick to point out all of the things working against them - the TV’s that were on in the bar, the room was too bright or too dark, the previous comedian weirded out the crowd - It’s never our fault, right?
You have an autonomy that most comedians don’t. How can you set the room to your advantage? Are there distractions you can eliminate? Is this the optimal seating arrangement or just “the way we’ve always done it”? Do you have a projector for some visual aid? If not, how about a flip chart at least? Drop an agenda in the GroupMe so your members come prepared as well. Get some Valentine’s Day candy and have a piece on each chair when people walk in.
There are countless ways that you can control the environment. Be intentional and start crushing before you even recite the creed.
FOUR: “How ‘Bout a Round of Applause for Your Waitstaff?” - In a comedy club, the waitstaff is working hard. They are waiting tables… in the dark… communicating mostly in whispers… and on a time crunch. So when a comedian says “give it up for your waitstaff”, not only is it an easy applause from the crowd, but it is highlighting the hard work of those out of the spotlight.
Who are the people in your chapter that just popped in your head? - The folks that are working hard and not in the spotlight. Taking a brief moment to recognize them for all that they do will rightfully celebrate them AND it will create a goodwill in the room that can propel you through to that final gavel bang.
FIVE: Honor Your Influences. Don’t Mimic Them - When I started comedy in 2008, it was an easy trap to just mimic Dane Cook (listen, it was a different time - and I stand by a decent chunk of his material). Over time, I realized what was unique about my own comedic voice. I started to sound less like my influences and more like myself.
I would bet that the chapter presidents before you inspired you to step into the position. It is natural for you to model your meetings after theirs. However, you’re going to crush your chapter meetings only when you begin to chart your own path. Reflect on what you love about your influences and combine that with what you love about yourself. What are your strengths as a leader and how can you inject those into “Old Business. New Business. Officer Reports. Announcements.”?
Thank you, that’s my time!
Follow me on instragram @veryfunnyvince and don’t forget to tip your waitstaff!
Let Vince Cook
What if…
…our leaders (better yet, our emerging leaders) had the confidence and cadence needed to capture the attention of a room full of brothers/sisters?
…our juniors and seniors could work a room and make that lasting impression the way charismatic performers do?