Chapter 85 TECHNIQUE 76 BUSINESS CARD NOTEPAD
A few years ago, I was at a political fundraiser in the American West.One of the guests was a great inspiration to me.I saw him chatting cordially with people for a while, and standing there by himself for a while, holding a business card in his hand and writing non-stop.When I looked up at him again, he was chatting with another group of people, and after a while, his hand moved again.For more than an hour, he repeated the pattern over and over.I was curious like a nosy neighbor.Who is this person?
Later that night, I happened to be standing alone at the dim sum table.He came up to me with a big smile on his face, shook my hand affectionately, and introduced himself. "Hello, I'm Joe Smith." He asked what I was drinking, and I said liquor.Then the two chatted about their preference for wine, and I casually mentioned my favorite liquor brand, Sancerre.Chatting and chatting, I could hardly help asking why he was taking notes like crazy.
A few minutes later, I saw a friend in the distance, and I took my leave of Joe.He asked me for his card, and as he turned to walk away, I stole a glance at him.I found it!He is taking notes on my business card.So I turned around and asked half-jokingly (in order to hide my suspicion): "Hey, I didn't tell you the measurements, what's there to remember?"
After talking to someone at a party, get out your pen and jot down the back of his business card to jog your memory of the conversation.For example: his favorite restaurant, sport, movie, or favorite drink.Who she admires, where she grew up, what awards she won in high school.Jokes told by the other party can also be written down. The next time you connect with someone, mention these small details in passing: restaurants, movies, wine, hometown, high school awards.Or reminisce about the ridiculous jokes at that time.
Although my joke was a bit clumsy, he laughed heartily and said, "You caught me right!" He turned over my business card, which had Sancerre on it, and to assuage my uneasiness, he put the card in his pocket. I took out all the business cards and showed them to me, with notes on the back.I thought at the time that Joe was using this as a way to remember everyone.A few months later, it dawned on me. One morning, I opened my mailbox and found a postcard from Joe.He said he was running for governor of a certain state, and at the bottom of the postcard, he wrote a line: "Have you had a good Sancerre lately?" He won my heart right away.If I had lived in his state, such a small gesture might have been enough to get me my vote. Politicians are constantly promoting themselves.To figure out what to promise, though, politicians must turn to the next trick: salesmanship.
After talking to someone at a party, get out your pen and jot down the back of his business card to jog your memory of the conversation.For example: his favorite restaurant, sport, movie, or favorite drink.Who she admires, where she grew up, what awards she won in high school.Jokes told by the other party can also be written down. The next time you connect with someone, mention these small details in passing: restaurants, movies, wine, hometown, high school awards.Or reminisce about the ridiculous jokes at that time.
Although my joke was a bit clumsy, he laughed heartily and said, "You caught me right!" He turned over my business card, which had Sancerre on it, and to assuage my uneasiness, he put the card in his pocket. I took out all the business cards and showed them to me, with notes on the back.I thought at the time that Joe was using this as a way to remember everyone.A few months later, it dawned on me. One morning, I opened my mailbox and found a postcard from Joe.He said he was running for governor of a certain state, and at the bottom of the postcard, he wrote a line: "Have you had a good Sancerre lately?" He won my heart right away.If I had lived in his state, such a small gesture might have been enough to get me my vote. Politicians are constantly promoting themselves.To figure out what to promise, though, politicians must turn to the next trick: salesmanship.