I remember a radio interview I was doing in with a supposedly enormous audience and I hoped I sounded good.

Why?

Because the tissues stuck up my nose to stop the bloody nose made me think I sounded stuffy!

But do the people on the other end know I had a bloody nose? I don’t think so – I think I hid it fine.

SHOULD THEY HAVE KNOWN?

Absolutely not.

There is no reason for you, listening to the radio, to know that I’m… um, human.

Why not?

Because it would only distract from the few seconds that I get to be in front of you, or have your attention.  And for those few seconds, I’d rather be “the expert.”

I get this idea from the story in Jeffrey Fox’s Rainmaker book, about the sales guy who lost a sale/opportunity because he spilled a bit of coffee on his shirt right before (or during) a sale.

It was too distracting.

Yes, I’m human, I can’t hide that, and I’m not ashamed of it. But if you are going to give me some brain time for a few seconds, minutes or hours, I want to make sure we’re on-topic the entire time.

Even if I have tissue stuck up my nose.

Even if I stub my toe right in the middle of our call (but you never know).

Even if I can’t stop yawning, or have extreme fatigue, or can’t stop coughing, or hiccuping (thank goodness for a mute button!).

Even if I have pnemonia or whatever else.  You might care about me as a human, but many times I can work through it to get the job done.  I’d rather not wait until a better time.

Why?

Because that better time might not ever, ever happen.

Now.

Even through the bloody nose.