A flight attendant mom named “Mandy” approached me after my recent performance at the Hollis Social Library in New Hampshire. What she said next meant all the more to me because she was there with her two kids and their grandmother, who was also a flight attendant.

If you’ve seen me perform, you know that I always start with The Rules. It sounds more ominous than I make it. For example, at one point I have the kids sit crisscross applesauce, tell them that the best listeners will be chosen as volunteers, then have them raise their hands, then their elbows, then their hands, then their elbows. And then I say “we’re all doing the “Thriller” dance,” which gets a laugh from the adults.

If you’ve ever been on a plane, by now you probably ignore the safety briefing. After all, you already know how to fasten your seatbelt and that that the closest exit may be behind you. And, perhaps, if you’ve been on a Southwest flight, you’ll recognize what flight attendants mean when they refer to having good “Cabin Game.” It’s fun. It’s funny. It’s entertaining in a place you don’t expect to be entertained.

So this flight attendant mom named “Mandy” paid me perhaps the best compliment I’ve received in my 20+ years of performing. She said that I have good cabin game.

How about you?

Do you explicitly set the expectations for your presentation?

Do you read the rules off a slide, or use a funny story, quote, or quiz?

How do you make the normally dry more entertaining, engaging, and fun?

How’s your “Cabin Game?”

Ready to improve your “Cabin Game?” Let’s talk.