We can all make wrong turns and I believe everyone deserves the benefit of doubt until such time that they demonstrably don’t warrant it (hard evidence, strong anecdotal information). Some of my best client relationships have taken unplanned detours and I have needed assertive efforts to get them, not as the The Beatles lyric goes, “back to where you once belonged” but to where our ideal future lies.
Here is what I have seen it takes, as entrepreneurs, to succeed:
- Recognising and adapting to the other party’s comfort zone (levels of assertiveness and responsiveness).
- Appealing to their self-interest (what’s in it for them).
- Not taking their behaviour or comments personally (we’ve all walked into another meeting still hot under the collar from a conversation that didn’t go the way we visualised or hoped).
- Confronting behaviour or points that you deem critical or highly important to achieving the immediate goals (relationship building, converting interest into business, implementing agreements or expanding relationships). Ignoring the rest.
- Not being afraid to take and articulate a contrarian viewpoint.
- Knowing where you want the conversation to lead to and re-directing it with appropriate questions back into the “swimming lane”.
- Having in place definitive next steps (follow up in person, by phone or email, or exchange of information).
- Sticking your courage to the wall. The perseverance and resilience to see your conversation gets back on track or the acceptance it is pointless pursuing it further, and moving on, irrespective of the “potential” rewards on offer.
