I hope you had a good weekend!  I went sailing on Saturday.  I had no idea how much concentration is required for do-it-yourself sailing.

It was just the two of us. We had to put up the mast and get the boat to the dock.  I didn’t have the strength to help him lock in the mast, and someone offered to help.  We were thankful since this allowed us to drive toward the dock.

We finally set off from the dock.  We needed to keep an eye on the lake, what was happening around us while putting up the sails. Afterward, we constantly had to figure out which direction the wind was blowing.  We had to work as a team to switch the sail if the winds changed.  If one us had trouble or a rope got caught, we had to help each other fix the problem.  For the most part, it was smooth sailing since we did work as a team and kept our attention on the elements around us.  The other boats around us were doing well too.  There was no competition for space and no one collided since we all made sure to give extra space for maneuvering.

When it became cold, I was thankful I was told to bring a sweatshirt and jacket.  We planned our lunch in advance and anchored in the middle of our voyage for our meal of quesadillas.  During this intermission, our little porta potty was very helpful too!

With the tunes cranked up, and the wind taking us in wonderful directions, all in all, we had a very fun outing!  I was hands-on involved yet able to enjoy the scenery and the overall experience.

There have been numerous comparisons to sailing and running a business.  Such as, you want your business to be in ship shape, right?   I’d like to add a few audience development comparisons.  In order for audience development to work right (true audience building), so you don’t tip over or go in the wrong direction:

• You need to plan and set up properly before your outing, your run, event or season: which lake, date and time (when the weather and winds are best), costs, what each person will pitch in, who will be doing the heavy lifting for set up, sailing, take down, etc.
• You will want to have comforts for everyone on board – ask what your “shipmates” for the event want and need to be happy.
• Make sure they know what would be good to bring on board to be comfortable.  If it is going to be a chilly experience, either provide blankets or tell them to bring a sweater.  Tell them the best places to park to be closer to the dock.  Let them know if you are providing food and drink, or if they need to bring their own or eat ahead of time.  If ahead of time, suggest some places close to the lake. Etc.
• Every person involved is part of the team and is doing their part to make everything run smoothly.  In order for people to fulfill their roles, make sure they know what to expect and what to do (especially if this is a new experience).
• As a team, if one person is having a challenge, the other members of the team will automatically offer and go to support him/her.
• You must keep an eye on the elements, on what is happening around you.
• Keep in mind that you may need to change direction (plans) if the elements around you change.  Maybe you simply cannot go East anymore due to the wind dying down and you have to go West instead.  Maybe this is what people want and need now in order to provide for happy sailing.
• Have a fun intermission planned (if a longer event). Set anchor and allow people to do what they want and need to get ready for more sailing. Provide for what they want and need as much as you can.
• Ask for help when needed from other people/entities around you.
• Help others if they need a helping hand.
• Learn to collaborate with others around you so everyone sails to where they want to be.
• After you dock, close the event well by organizing and tracking what happened.
• Follow up to thank everyone and get feedback.
• Make note of feedback and figure out what you can do to make your next event even better.  How can you make the people on board happier? What can you do to provide them a better experience?  How can the event run more smoothly?  Who might be interested in being more of a shipmate?  Who might contribute to the funds for the next sailing event?
• Plan your next outing accordingly.  Invite the people that were on board to attend again, volunteer and/or donate (respectively via your notes).
• Offer ways the team can share the experience and invite others to come aboard the next time.
• Also, think about doing special sailing events in the future for the benefit of your community (educational and fundraising opportunities).

For smooth sailing and audience building, being aware of what is happening around you, planning and working hard to make the sailing happen smoothly, and making everyone on board feel comfortable to have a good time, is the best course to take.  Audience development and sailing will become a breeze and your arts business will be in ship shape for all your future outings!

Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,
Shoshana

Shoshana Fanizza
Chief Audience Builder

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