As I write, the political landscape has changed. Labour has lost over 300 local government seats, and Ken Livingstone has been ousted as Mayor of London. But the Tories, the key beneficiaries of this sea change, are all too aware that this was not a pro-Tory vote. It was an anti-Gordon Brown vote.
For whatever reason, and it’s not my duty to delve into it here, Gordon Brown isn’t perceived as a safe and trustworthy pair of hands on the tiller of this country. The sad thing is, he’s not a slacker. Brown reputedly toils away, working as hard as any premier before him- and then some. He also has plenty of policies- considerably more that the Conservative party appears to be sure of.
So what’s gone wrong? Unlike his predecessor, Brown neither displays confidence, nor daring. There’s no chutzpah, no personality, no flair. Boris’ buffoonery may not be to everyone’s tastes, but at least he may inject some enthusiasm into the city of London at a time when it needs it most. It’s certainly a chance that the electorate has chosen to take.
Why is this relevant to business? Many of my business heroes are similarly flamboyant; or at least have a character which inspires confidence. Search this blog for Vijay Mallya for one example. Or think of Richard Branson, who apparently started his first venture whilst still at school, making all his calls from a public phone box.
Every entrepreneur has to feel comfortable pushing beyond their comfort zone. Every entrepreneur must be able to sit in a meeting and say “Yes, we can do that”, despite knowing full well that it’s something they’ve never tried before. It’s the only way to get bigger, better business.
If a client gets a whiff of Brown-style wavering or discomfort, rather than Branson-style positivity, enthusiasm and bravado, then the deal will be off. The point is, Brown may be good at the job, but it doesn’t look that way. Branson may be hopeless (and he’s had some failures) but you’d never think so. And whether we like it or not, perception is twice as important as reality.
If you have at some stage perused the “About” page of this blog, you’ll see a rather gormless looking hairy hippie-type chappie. That’s me. If I wore sandals too, I’d probably never get any work. Luckily, I talk for England and generally ensure that I’m unconventional but unforgettable. It’s a high-risk strategy which seems to work. But for high-pressure meetings, even I slap on my favourite suit- not to impress everyone else, but to make me feel ready for the big pitch. I want my client to see the best in me. I need to believe, as much as I want them to believe. I have to walk the walk. Because if you can’t walk the walk, nobody will trust you to talk the talk.
Filed under: current affairs, people skills, sales | Tagged: confidence, negotiation, people skills, presentation, presentation skills
