Last night, we enjoyed a lovely October evening in the Atlanta area. The temperature had cooled to the low 70’s making it very comfortable for al-fresco dining with friends. As it would have been somewhat tragic to miss this blissful weather opportunity, my wife, Jill, and I enjoyed an evening out with another couple. The other couple, David and Dana are my wife’s business partners for her residential remodeling and construction business. We agreed to meet at Avalon around 6:00 p.m. Avalon is a trendy new mixed-use venue in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. Most Friday evenings during the Summer and early Fall, people congregate there to listen to a live band, enjoy a casual dinner and drinks, and participate in lively conversation.
David arrived a little later as he had to attend an event with his son. That gave us time for a few drinks and conversation with Dana. At some point during the conversation, Dana mentioned how interesting it is to watch Jill and David work together, especially the way they work through the creative process. As Dana explained it, she facilitates their work by helping Jill and David communicate. She said they spend a lot of time talking past each other, not actually hearing what the other has said. That’s not a surprise, as they’re both strong-willed, creative types, successful in their own right. Dana is their interpreter. Our conversation reminded me of the awesome power of listening.
Reflecting on this past week, I spent a lot of time listening. I listened to several job seekers talk about their career interests. One was much more interesting than the other, as his experience was broader and deeper. I made a presentation to The Business Executives Networking Group (The BENG) which I designed to be interactive. I was successful as my presentation generated a lively discussion. As a result, I received a lot of input from the group. While editing the presentation video I recorded, I became aware of opportunities to improve my delivery. While careful listening facilitated the editing process, it also revealed some cringe-worthy speaking habits. I had the same experience listening to the webinar I delivered on Thursday. Listening to my presentations as if I was a member of the audience, became a self-improvement exercise. Wednesday, I conducted my monthly Executive Leadership Meeting which was an opportunity to hear from my advisors. As these people represent the leadership counsel for my company, it is important to hear from them and to ask questions for clarity. As that meeting was conducted via ZOOM, I have a video recording to refer to as I prepare the meeting recap. Hopefully, I will hear something interesting that I missed during our meeting.
Friday morning, I had a meeting with another colleague. We discussed many opportunities, including the possibility of collaborating on a seminar about professionalism. During that meeting, I observed that my favorite way to close a deal was by listening to the prospective client talk about their issues and thoughts for corrective action. In those situations, I listen carefully and ask questions for clarification and insight. I listen without judgment or offering an opinion, asking questions to understand the prospect’s desired outcome. I believe that conducting myself in this manner demonstrates a sincere interest in understanding their situation. By showing interest in learning about the prospect’s problem, I demonstrate my respect for her and empathy for her situation. This process helps build rapport, the foundation for all relationships. It also shows the prospect what to expect from me if hired to help her resolve an issue. This discussion brought the power of listening to full focus.
It was a late evening, Friday. However, it was most enjoyable and a great bonding opportunity for all of us. Best of all, listening to Dana talk about her role as a facilitator reminded me how important listening is to one’s success.
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Jim Weber, Managing Partner
ITB PARTNERS
North Fulton Business RadioX Interview, September 26, 2019
I landed a new client this week, referred to me by another of our coaches. The client, John, had recently purchased a franchise for an online business. He reached out to us because he’s having trouble generating revenue. John’s an occupational therapist. This is his first experience as an entrepreneur; however, he has the presence of mind to know that he needs help. As we were getting to know one another over the phone I asked about the training he had received from the franchisor. He provided a brief overview but admitted that he wasn’t comfortable with some aspects of the Brand’s training, especially regarding customer acquisition. That revelation gave me a clear direction for our first meeting. There is obviously a disconnect between John’s desire to have a business and his willingness to follow the franchiser’s model for success. To be helpful, I must understand his rationale for acquiring the franchise compared to his personal strengths and interests.
As the primary business reason for our meeting was to discuss his presentation, we got right into that topic. Paul wanted to know how to position his talk as the audience wouldn’t be his typical prospects. I told him that there were two main points to consider. First, the members want to learn about him. They want to know his background and how he came to be involved in his current situation. Secondly, they want to know about his employer and the product he’s selling. I said, “keep the discussion at 40,000 feet.” They don’t need to get into the details, they just need enough information to make good referrals. Also, I told him that I had adopted the 
Having heard of Paul’s recent successes, I reminded him that we are prepared to leverage his efforts through our social media and public relations platform. He said he had forgotten about those benefits. So, I spent the next few minutes reminding him about our capabilities. He was sold. My thoughts moved to other possible referrals. By the end of our conversation, I had a long list of connections to make on his behalf.
While engaged in recent networking activities I became acquainted with a Senior Consultant assigned to the Atlanta office for a National Outplacement Company. He had heard about ITB Partners and wanted to learn more about our program. During our discussion, I asked about their activity level, given that the economy has improved, and unemployment had reached a historic low. I was somewhat surprised to learn that their business was still strong. He said that, notwithstanding the strength of the economy, many companies are reorganizing their workforces to better serve their customers and achieve a competitive advantage. I found this interesting and made a mental note to explore the issue further as I thought it would be a good topic for an article. Two weeks ago, my health-care-consultant-friend and colleague, Faith told me that she had just finished an engagement to help a client through a major reorganization. That triggered the memory of my conversation with the Outplacement Consultant so I asked her if she would like to collaborate on a blog post. I find it interesting to learn how large companies endeavor to maintain a competitive advantage as we transition further into the Digital Age.
