The Reluctant Entrepreneur: Turning Dreams into Profits

A SIMPLE TRICK THAT WILL MAKE IMPORTANT PEOPLE WANT TO TALK TO YOU

There are two ways to instantly make a good impression on just about anyone. Flattery works. So does asking questions about something they know a lot about.

Case in point … 

The other day, I was sitting in my office working on some disagreeable problem when the door cracked open and the head of a man I’d never seen before popped through. My first reaction was alarm and annoyance. Then he gave me a big smile, and I felt compelled to smile back.

“I’ve come to ask you a question,” he said, and stepped inside.

I suspected he was up to something but I couldn’t resist. “What is that?” I responded.

He said that he had heard I was a marketing genius and was hoping I could give him some quick advice on a marketing decision he was trying to make.

“I’m kind of busy right now,” I said.

“A minute of your time is all I’m asking,” he replied. He looked at his watch and added, “I’ll time it.”

How could I say no?

“Go ahead,” I consented. “Ask your question.”

He sat down. “How does a person know if he has any talent for marketing?” he asked.

It was, in retrospect, a devilishly clever question. On the one hand, it was too big to answer in an hour, let alone a minute. On the other hand, it was indirectly flattering (the assumption that I would know), and so I was seduced into carrying on.

We ended up spending an hour together, at the end of which he left with:

• a list of three potential employers he could contact
• specific recommendations ...