Log0019

Business Plains

I walked into the room and two guys from Goldman were already there. Straight away one of them came up and introduced himself “Steve – Goodman Sachs”. 

I immediately knew that this guy could sell. However, it took me an embarrassingly long few minutes to realize, he was selling to me. Never enter a room with wolves and think that you are a collaborator. There is always an angle. 

The two men from the east coast played the game well. One from Florida – sharp words, fast and frequent. A born salesman. He was impeccably dressed in a suit that could cover the cost of my annual rent. The other from New York – smooth talking, easy going. Completely unguarded. He dressed in a more casual formal. The way one does with sheepskin. 

Articulate beyond reason they both knew just what to say, when to say it and how. As far as the skill of communication went – these two were seasoned professionals. Their demeanors intentionally contrasted. The Salesman made you feel like you were ahead, while the Yank made you feel unthreatened. Both had a disarming effect on the room. 

Interestingly, the product was always hidden. You’d have to read between the lines to find it. Goldman really just wanted to help. To provide a service. 

Halfway through the presentation I learnt that the Yank was the boss. The ones from New York always are. Don’t be deceived by a chic suit or casual loafers. I figured he used the hired guns from Florida to step in, to swoon, to sell when the room needed tempo. But depending on the audience, he had a full list of accomplices that he could call on. 

Steve, with all his slick backed hair, who did 95% of the talking, was on that list. He was the sort of person to still wear a suit on an airplane. And the first to tell you about it. This is not an exaggeration – it’s literal fact. 

He talked to trust, empathy, and connection, and had a graphed slide for his theory on emotional intelligence. It wouldn’t have been hard to picture the man reading verses from Dale Carnegie before bed each night. 

But try as I might, there is always some part of me that snaps back to reality. For any salesman, you’re often just one step removed from secondhand cars, and it doesn’t take much for a prospect to be reminded. 

As Steve talked, a subtle few inconsistencies surfaced – and there was one phrase I couldn’t shake.

“The other day I spoke with my girlfriend and she said, “I can’t believe how well you connect with people.””  He explained after they’d spent an afternoon together. 

This seemed like an oddly ironic statement for a man in his 50s and while there are many great explanations, I wasn’t well placed to give him the benefit of the doubt.

When the presentations ended, we naturally finished with lunch. I don’t know if the food was better or worse than expected. I guess that depends who paid – I never found out. Unsurprisingly, neither of the two golden men ate, as in the wild, wolves don’t graze with sheep.