How to run the biz on a pink cloud

Many of you will have been there. Sat in a meeting, mid-pitch, getting nowhere with a prospective client and wondering what you can pull out of the bag to seal that lucrative contract.

Many of you will have been there. Sat in a meeting, mid-pitch, getting nowhere with a prospective client and wondering what you can pull out of the bag to seal that lucrative contract.

Well, fortunately, the Diary has the answer. A little footsie under the table wouldn’t do any harm, then maybe turn the lights down low and put a Barry White CD on. Finally, lean in, and nibble the marketing director’s earlobe.

This may sound a little unconventional, but according to professional services guru David Maister, the principles of building a strong business relationship are the same as those of building a strong romance.

Maister explains further that romance and business are essentially the same, as for relationships to work, you need to listen, empathise and spend time with one another, even when there’s no particular agenda.

That doesn’t sound like any relationship the Diary’s even been in, but Maister continues/ “A good relationship of any kind, whether it’s business or pleasure, is based on trust, and that trust has got to be earned.”

Maister is holding a seminar at The Lighthouse in Glasgow on October 31 to explain his theory. Scented candles and boxes of Milk Tray will not be provided.

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