Selling Your Expertise

CHAPTER 6Mining for Gold: When You're Searching for a Real Need

Chapter 6: Mining for Gold: When You’re Searching for a Real Need

While vacationing in the Caribbean, Michael Haugen, a partner at ghSMART, a Chicago-based leadership advisory firm, was looking forward to some well-deserved R&R with his wife and young daughter. On the way there, as they waited for their flight, a family with kids sat nearby, and they struck up a casual conversation. After landing at their Caribbean destination, they all realized they were staying at the same resort.

The two families hung out together multiple times that week, as their kids were all about the same age. Haugen and his family mostly spent time with the mom and their kids, learning that the dad was frequently on business calls, even during vacation. The times Haugen did see the other dad, he would keep the conversation light, not wanting to take up even more of the other dad's scarce vacation time talking about work or reminding him of any worries he'd left behind on the mainland. After the week was up, and they went to say goodbye, Haugen and the other dad swapped business cards so the families could keep in touch. Turns out this dad was the CEO and Chairman of a major retail chain in the US; he invited Haugen to meet with him next time he was in town.

Haugen couldn't believe his good luck. Still, landing business with this CEO's company was by no means a done deal. The two men kept in touch. Haugen let the CEO know whenever he was ...