This past weekend we went to the 20th annual Buskers on the Boardwalk in Saint John.  Along with some great weather, we saw some great performances.  One performance that stuck out to me was the one by Rob Roy Collins

Rob has entertained around the world including Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand appearing on TV, radio, at festivals and as a street performer in places including London’s Covent Garden, the home of street performing.  This was his first visit to Canada.

Combining comedy, escapology and acrobatics, there is a perfect blend of laughter, danger and excitement. Improvisation, quick witted wise cracks and crowd participation create a unique atmosphere that leaves audiences both in amazement and hysterics and this highly polished show has made Rob a favourite among all ages and nationalities.

So why did Rob's performance stick out to me?  The way he did his work!  While being entertained by Rob, there were four things I learned from him that I think will help any entrepreneur.

1. Follow your passion - We have talked about this before numerous times on this blog, but Rob is another perfect example of someone following their passion.  Rob quit law to become a street performer.  Why?  Because he loves it!
2. Build your audience - At the beginning of his show you can tell Rob is slowly building his audience and he does a great job of putting himself in their shoes, while being very approachable and personable.  Like a customer visiting your website or your business, you have about a 5 second window to impress them.  So be relaxed and give them a feeling that something impressive is going to happen.  Just like Rob does.
3. Confidence - People by attract to confidence and it's the first step to building a rapport with your audience.  Set the tone and let your audience know that you can entertain and provide the goods.  
4. Trust - Do something to set the scene.  Educate and let them know what is going to happen and as your crowd builds, this will attract more people and win them over.  Just like Malcolm Gladwell suggested in The Tipping Point, when people see others doing something they feel it is ok to participate.  This will build trust within your audience.
5. Don't take yourself to serious - Have fun with what you do and have fun with the people you deal with.
6. Make them feel apart of something - Rob does this by making his performance unique and when he builds his audience, he hopes to address each individual in his audience intimately.  He does this by making the audience feel great when they join in and cheer on the finale.  Remind your audience that they are a part of something special and include them in your messaging...we, all of us, everyone, etc.
7. It's not what you do, but how you do it. - Pretty self explanatory, but so true.  Others may do what you do, but your specialty is how you deliver it.

Maybe another reason I enjoyed the show, is my brother Adrian got called on the volunteer with Rob and I know how much Adrian loves audiences.

If you are ever at a Buskers event, I recommend you definitely check out Rob Roy Collins.

PS - Point #8, notice how much attention Rob pays to his web presence.  :-)