“You think that I don't even mean
A single word I say...
It's only words
And words are all I have
To take your heart away”

Prophetic words from a Bee Gees song

I was taught that communication could be broken down into 3 categories Words (7%), tone (38%) and Body Language (55%). I have always smiled at political correctness (rather smugly), along with creative job titles like Global Business Development Executive (Sales Rep). 

I recently watched a video where a teacher labelled 8 year old children, who had been together for a year in class, by the colour of their eyes, those with brown eyes were told they were inferior and those with blue eyes superior and within minutes, the way the blue eyed children treated the brown eyed children changed. The blue-eyed children strted to treat the brown-eyed children badly and  prejudices arose. The following day the teacher reversed the blue-eyed brown-eyed status quo and the brown eyed children were the superior lot. After the experiment, the teacher explained to the children that labels can be misleading and cause hurt and that differences were not necessarily disadvantages.

Does this mean that our title/label creates a state of mind that translates into how we communicate with others? Do words actually matter?

Can people who are labelled security guards actually deliver the ultimate customer experience, or do they, by the nature of their label, act accordingly and concern themselves with safety? More importantly, do they tend to become paramilitary in their behaviour? Last week, we had a major event at our stadium and as I strolled through an area, I felt my lanyard grabbed by a lady posted at an access point. She stared at my ID and then at me before saying ‘you’re okay to pass through here’. The way she treated me made me want to explode!I After all, I am senior management and of course, have  access to all areas. I wondered what her briefing had been and given how she treated me, how she would treat our guests who may have wondered into that area. Did she confuse patron safety with building security?

Those who come to our venue come with a various titles; they could be fans, guests or clients, and each of those words conjures up a person of different  station.

A guest is someone you invite into our homes. My home is a second home to many friends, especially the friends of my children. I treat guests in my home like family. When a guest asks where the toilet is, I don’t ignore them or point in the general direction. I smile at my guests, I treat them with respect and I love them.

‘Fans’, in my mind, conjure an image of excitement and loyalty. Fans wear the colours and come to the venue support, praise, feel and connect.

Clients are about business. It’s professional. Clients are about service and quality.

Labels, I believe, do matter. We need hosts, services and experience providers rather than security, ticket sellers, cleaners and event coordinators.

It is thought  that we only have six emotions: anger, disgust, fear, sadness, happiness and surprise. I have certainly seen these all displayed at stadium events. After all, our business is emotional.

The reason people come to live events is to feel those emotions. Parton safety, security and operational excellence should be aimed at delivering an emotional experience. The reason sport and entertainment are so powerful is because it creates liminality.

Liminality, in dictionary terms, is is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of rituals, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the ritual is complete. During a ritual's liminal stage, participants "stand at the threshold" between their previous way of structuring their identity, time, or community, and a new way, which the ritual establishes.

In our business, this means we connect with each other on a level of equality. Men can high five strangers and even hug each other. We are all equal and all connected. Our masks are down and we are one in standing. It’s why sports marketing and advertising is such a powerful tool. Its why “LIVE” works and will always trump TV. Venues are our home away from home, and the manner in which we label the people who create that home experience may be the determining factor in ensuring our guests, fans and friends come back for more.