This past Wednesday I had the pleasure of enjoying a fine cigar and a few beers with my friend and colleague, Paul. I haven’t seen much of him lately as he has been traveling. Our cover story was to discuss his August presentation to ITB Partners and to update one another on our activities. Well, we did all of that of course, but the real mission was to introduce Paul to my favorite cigar bar. As a subscriber to my blog you already know that I strive to mix business and pleasure whenever possible.
I arrived a little early and noticed that Paul was already there, still in his car talking on his cell phone. Later, he told me that he was finishing a business call. Life in the digital age. I continued inside and went straight for the humidor. Although it was a bit understocked, I found a favorite brand and paid the attendant. Paul entered the humidor at that time, so I showed him around. He made his selection then we lit up, found seats at the bar and ordered our drinks. After exchanging a few pleasantries, I told him the history of the establishment. I pointed out that the venue is designed to accommodate people who come in during the day to enjoy a cigar while working. They offer WIFI and provide ample outlets to charge electronic devices and to power laptops. In addition to seats at the bar, there are several workstations and a private room suitable for meetings. I went on to say that I am there at least one afternoon each week, usually working on my blog post. I confessed that I have branded those visits as “going full Hemingway.” That elicited a hearty chuckle from Paul. He was impressed with the venue, including the humidor, and the layout. We were off to a good start.
As the primary business reason for our meeting was to discuss his presentation, we got right into that topic. Paul wanted to know how to position his talk as the audience wouldn’t be his typical prospects. I told him that there were two main points to consider. First, the members want to learn about him. They want to know his background and how he came to be involved in his current situation. Secondly, they want to know about his employer and the product he’s selling. I said, “keep the discussion at 40,000 feet.” They don’t need to get into the details, they just need enough information to make good referrals. Also, I told him that I had adopted the Guy Kawasaki 10-20-30 rule for presentations. Ten slides, twenty minutes, using a 30pt font. As our members don’t need to hear a lecture or an infomercial, I advised Paul to facilitate a discussion. He agreed to send me his draft and I offered to help arrive at the final product. I noticed that his stress level had dropped significantly. That could have been the effect of the cigar and beer. Who knows?
We moved on to chat about his progress. He is selling an innovative, one might say disruptive, integrated software package. Paul began by telling me about a major QSR brand that contacted him to complete a request for proposal, (RFP). I asked if an internal contact had provided the invitation. He said no, but that it came by way of an obscure article that spoke well of his product. I felt instant validation for my resent admonition on the importance of writing articles to leverage one’s brand. He went on to say that his team built a solid relationship with the client by demonstrating their familiarity with franchising and the challenges of store development. Apparently, his competition was represented by technicians who lacked knowledge of or an appreciation for the requirements to manage the challenges of a growing franchised restaurant brand. I said that closing this deal should propel his business to a whole new level. He agreed and moved on to talk about his negotiations with a non-food franchising concept.
Having heard of Paul’s recent successes, I reminded him that we are prepared to leverage his efforts through our social media and public relations platform. He said he had forgotten about those benefits. So, I spent the next few minutes reminding him about our capabilities. He was sold. My thoughts moved to other possible referrals. By the end of our conversation, I had a long list of connections to make on his behalf.
Paul and I had a productive meeting, as I knew we would. I have long understood the boost I get from spending time with friends and colleagues in a relaxed, fun environment. If you don’t enjoy your work, you are probably pursuing the wrong career. Your job should be fun, so find every opportunity to work in a place that stimulates your creativity and provides personal satisfaction. You will be glad you did!
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
ITB PARTNERS
While engaged in recent networking activities I became acquainted with a Senior Consultant assigned to the Atlanta office for a National Outplacement Company. He had heard about ITB Partners and wanted to learn more about our program. During our discussion, I asked about their activity level, given that the economy has improved, and unemployment had reached a historic low. I was somewhat surprised to learn that their business was still strong. He said that, notwithstanding the strength of the economy, many companies are reorganizing their workforces to better serve their customers and achieve a competitive advantage. I found this interesting and made a mental note to explore the issue further as I thought it would be a good topic for an article. Two weeks ago, my health-care-consultant-friend and colleague, Faith told me that she had just finished an engagement to help a client through a major reorganization. That triggered the memory of my conversation with the Outplacement Consultant so I asked her if she would like to collaborate on a blog post. I find it interesting to learn how large companies endeavor to maintain a competitive advantage as we transition further into the Digital Age.
