I’m listening to an album of The Three Tenors. You may remember them. Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras in Madison Square Garden singing to opera buffs as well as general admirers of their immense talent.
On the album at this point is My Way, the song that Sinatra made famous. Placido Domingo is singing it. But, you know, there is something different when he does. He has a gorgeous voice, of course, and there’s no one that can question it. In fact, when it comes to sheer technical capabilities, Domingo’s voice is far purer than Sinatra’s.
But there is something about the Sinatra rendition of the song which is far different, far stronger, and essentially, more compelling.
It’s not that Domingo’s isn’t strong, but it’s not compelling. It doesn’t take you there.
What is it about Frank Sinatra’s rendition that takes you there? That forces you to understand? That grabs you out and says, “listen, this is truth?”
There is certainly something in the sheer timber of Sinatra’s voice. Frank’s voice is never purer. And if you remember the early movies that I used to see on rerun (I think the first one I ever saw originally was Come Blow Your Horn), and occasionally I wondered why he was the star when other singers in the movie had better voices. But there was something about that timber.
In addition, there was also something particular and unique about his style. The cadence. The accenting. The rhythm that he endowed the song with that the song, itself, didn’t carry on its own.
In fact, it was much more the cadence and style — the uniqueness of his voice — than it was any aspect of his technical or vocal quality.
Even more than that, My Way was compelling because it was clearly told as “his story,” his history. Why would you listen to My Way? Because you knew it was true. Pure and simple. He wasn’t singing it from his nasal passages. He wasn’t singing it from his lungs. He was singing it from his gut. And you knew it. You sensed it. You heard it.
What makes the successful creation of a delivery? I think My Way helps us to understand.
First, you need technical competence at what you do. And technical competence is important.
But, far more important than technical competence is your own style of delivery. The uniqueness that you are as a person. Your own personality. Your own special way of handling it. That is far more important than technical competence.
And third, even more important that style is conviction. Belief. If you truly believe what you say, you can botch the technical components of the delivery. And your style might not be the most appealing. But what overwhelms, what compels is belief. Belief in what you are saying and belief in the outcome you are espousing.
While we are providing solutions to people’s desires and needs. We are clearly coming to the table with a proposal that we believe is best suited to solve your clients’ and customers’ needs and desires.
What do we need to do that? Technical competence, of course. More that that, our own unique style. And above all, belief and conviction that what we are doing is absolutely in our customer/client’s best interest and that we have genuine value to offer.
Technical competence. Unique style. And conviction. The three of them, in combination, provide a compelling outcome.
Original writing date: September 1997