A few weeks back I listened to an interview that Joe Rogan did on his podcast with Elon Musk.

Immediately after it finished, I thought: “Great interview. Lots of thought-provoking stuff” and went along with my daily activities, thinking that nothing too crazy happened on it.

Later that day, I heard everyone flipping out about the interview!

Those who saw the video version on YouTube watched Musk smoke up and drink whiskey with Rogan. It became a huge deal, with business fall-out for Musk since the shareholders didn’t think it looked good for the company and it reinforced the notion that he’s unhinged.

It’s funny that people who listened to only the audio (like me) came away from the interview with a different take on it than those who watched it.

Here’s another example of this phenomenon:

In the 1960 US Presidential election, Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy squared off in a debate.

Those listening to the debate on the radio awarded the win to Nixon, who they thought performed better,

But the television audience gave the win to JFK.

Those watching could see that Nixon had a five o’clock shadow and refused to wear makeup, which made him look nervous since he was sweating profusely under the hot lights in the studio.

Kennedy presented himself much better on TV. He brought his own makeup artist, and had spent a few hours in the sun preparing for the debate that day, so he had a nice glow to him.

Coaches can learn a lesson from these examples, as they serve as a reminder that you should stick to the platforms that put you in the best possible light.

For example, if you hate writing and enjoy doing video, stick to YouTube or Facebook Live instead of the written word.

If you’re uncomfortable with a platform, it’ll show with the content that you’re putting out there.