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Ten Greatest Quick Tips for
Building the Dream

Introduction

If you talk to successful dream builders, they will all come up with their list of tips.
Some require no explanation; some need some additions to the one-liner to get the
point over. All have stood the test of time and represent good advice to the novice
dreamer.

Idea 74 - Don't let today's mail set today's agenda

A large business can turn a small business on its head with one phone call. You get
a call, for example, from BT asking if you would be interested in quoting for a
training course that will eventually be rolled out to all Level 3 staff, a huge number
of people. 'You are in a bit late, actually, because I did not know of you until I spoke
to one of the target audience who said he had attended one of your courses when
working for another company. Sorry to put pressure on, but I need to brief you in
the next couple of days and get your proposal within a week.' What do you say?

Most people will drop everything for such an opportunity, and on some occa-
sions they would be right to do so - which makes the decision less than straightfor-
ward. In most cases, going from experience they would be wrong. The individual
making the request is a training person - so you have no contact with top manage-
ment. Existing competitors are driving the timescale. You only have the word of a
past candidate that you can understand and meet the need. And so it goes on. It
takes real courage to turn such an opportunity down, but almost certainly it is the
right thing to do. Do it positively, of course, saying that this is not the right time for