As Jimmy Buffett has been known to tell his audience from the stage,
"It's not nice to beat Jimmy to the words of his own songs". Can't relate? Have you ever told a joke, and had someone steal the punchline? See, it's not cool when someone steals your thunder. Well, this holds true with product presentations on TV Shopping shows.
As a guest expert, I spend a considerable amount of time before I ever appear on TV with a product, crafting my presentation. I carefully choose my words, the demonstrations, and the order in which they'll appear. Just like a piece of music, the presentation needs to build slowly to a crescendo, not flop all over the place without rhyme or reason, jumping from one point to another. But, I've seen some serious flipping and flopping on occasion because people jump the gun. We can't help ourselves! It's like a child knowing the answer to a question in class and just blurting it out...it's human nature. I've experienced this as both a host, and as a guest expert. I've seen it happen on every TV shopping network out there at one time or another. While it's not an epidemic, it certainly happens often enough to take note, especially with successful products, where everyone gets to know the pitch over time, due to the frequency of airing. So what can you do?
Be patient, wait your turn, and know your role. Sounds simple doesn't it? But it's not. It takes discipline to hold your tongue, and give someone else the spotlight for a moment. You have to be committed to your role, and revel in the fact that it's every bit as important as the person doing the presentation, telling the joke, or playing the music.
"Remember: there are no small parts, only small actors." - Constantin Stanislavski
So, play your part, be it show host, wingman, or straight man (or woman). Those are important parts too, and in some cases even more important than the person talking. Timing is everything, and in the end, someone has to react to the pitch, laugh at the joke, and applaud Jimmy Buffett's songs.
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