What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School (Summary)
You can learn more about a potential business partner during a single four-hour round of golf than you can in four months of meetings. Do they cheat on their score? They'll likely cheat in business. Do they throw their club in frustration after a bad shot? They probably have a short temper. Are they a gracious winner or a sore loser? Their character on the course is their character in the boardroom.
Read the Person, Not the Spreadsheet
The most crucial business information isn't found in reports or financial statements; it's discovered by observing people. Understanding their motivations, insecurities, and personalities gives you the ultimate competitive edge.
McCormack suggests paying close attention to someone's office. Is it meticulously organized or a chaotic mess? Are the photos of family, or awards and trophies? These small details are powerful clues into their priorities and personality, telling you how best to approach them in a negotiation.
Silence is a Negotiating Weapon
In negotiations, your most powerful tool can be saying nothing at all. Most people are deeply uncomfortable with silence and will rush to fill the void, often by improving their own offer without you having to make a counter.
If a client makes you an offer that is unacceptably low, instead of immediately rejecting it or countering, simply pause and remain silent for an uncomfortably long moment. More often than not, the other person will become nervous and start talking, sometimes saying, '...but we could probably stretch to X,' sweetening the deal for you.
The Little Things Are the Big Things
In an era of formal communication, small, personal gestures have an outsized impact. They cut through the noise, build genuine rapport, and differentiate you from the competition.
After an important meeting, instead of sending a standard follow-up email, McCormack championed sending a brief, personal, handwritten note. This simple, unexpected gesture demonstrated genuine appreciation and made a far more lasting impression than a typed letter or email ever could.
Sell by Listening, Not by Talking
The best salespeople aren't the ones with the slickest pitch; they are the best listeners. By asking the right questions and genuinely listening, you allow clients to tell you exactly what they need and how to sell to them.
Instead of launching into a prepared presentation, McCormack would start a client meeting with broad, open-ended questions like, 'What's the biggest challenge you're facing right now?' He would then spend 80% of the meeting just listening, letting the client essentially write his sales pitch for him by revealing their exact pain points.
