Communication is 15% content (the words you sing). In every part of the music industry people have the idea that the words are everything; but it just isn’t true!
30% is the tone or emotion you bring it with. How many times have you heard a singer that really brings it emotionally, and you can’t even hear the words. But you’re captured by it – you’re saying “yeah, I dig that!…what are they saying?” You’re caught in their emotion because they’re passionate. And, hopefully, as a praise team member or a Christian artist you’re passionate about your message.
Finally, 55% of communication from the platform is what people see.
So, you tell me, knowing all that, what does that mean? You better bring it, and you better bring it all the time! And that doesn’t necessarily mean movement – the visual part, I mean. It has to do with confidence (in God’s calling), the authority they see (the humility to be used by God), and also the creativity on the platform (the gifts God has given you).
Let me ask this: do all your songs sound exactly the same? No? Well then, why do they all look the same? With so many artists and praise teams, that’s the case. And with 55% of communication being what the people see, then after three or four songs they have seen the whole worship set, and they start checking out mentally.
We need to work on more than just the musical part of what we do – we need to work on how to communicate with the people who see us, on creating moments for them to not only hear what God has for them, but to see what God has for them!
So the key is, get creative. And now we’re into what some people might call “entertainment.” Entertainment means capturing and keeping people’s attention. But that’s not wrong! Read more about this in another article I wrote… “Going for Moments with God”…
Run everything you do through this grid: the people who are listening to you want to 1) be captured and engaged, 2) experience moments, and 3) have their lives changed. Now, not one person out there is thinking about this consciously; but when those things happen…
That’s how you build a ministry!
