Today I met with someone who had other things on his mind. Despite inviting me to his office, not only didn’t he offer me a place to sit, he also didn’t offer to take my coat or go through the ritual of exchanging business cards. The message was loud and clear: “I didn’t really want to take this meeting; state your business and get out.” Obviously, the meeting ended quickly.
I can understand lack of interest. That’s OK. But don’t agree to a meeting if you’re going to go into it with a closed mind In that few minutes, even though this person is a powerful business executive and leader in his community, any positive impression I had of him completely vanished. It’s easy to say that we’re all too time-pressed to keep an open mind, but the fact is that it takes only a few more minutes to listen, and the potential for return on investment is high.
If you invite someone to your office, offer him/her a place to sit. Exchange business cards. Turn off cell phones, email, and other technology. Don’t let anyone or anything interrupt the meeting during the time you’ve allotted. Open your mind. Listen for new ideas. Ask questions. Then decide on next steps. As they say in ads for the New York Lottery – “Hey, you never know…
