Page 247 - ConvinceThemFlip

find the right approach
places you choose have the right atmosphere for business.
Besides cleanliness, reputation, and accessibility, bear in
mind three things: Does it look good? Is it comfortable?
Can we talk without shouting (or being overheard)? Get to
know the staff. You invested time and money learning your
business and honing your skills. Now go out and invest a
little in getting to know the manager, the maître d’, and
the waiters—these folks can be the tools of your trade as
much as your briefcase and your BlackBerry.
On the Golf Course
Thomas sells financial products. In fact, he does it very
well, but some of Thomas’s coworkers wonder how he
has both great sales numbers and a year-round tan.
“Sometimes I’ve just got to get out of the office to get any
business done,” says Thomas, laughing. He calls his golf
games the four-hour sales call, but when pushed a little
further, he admits they’re really just a great way to build
relationships and have some quality time with his clients.
A game of golf is a chance for four hours of uninter-
rupted information gathering and connection building
that you could never accomplish in an office, where the
phones are ringing and a crisis walks in the door every
time you start to get to the good stuff. I followed Thomas
out to a driving range, where we had this conversation in
between working on our short irons.
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