| Hi Friends, During Wednesday’s meeting, something looked different with Tony. Tony and I have worked together on his business for about six months. He went through a lot during these last three months. The surgery was successful, and physically he is doing well. But mentally, it still weighed on him. And I could see it in his face. And as we discussed what had occurred since last week’s meeting, I noticed a pattern. I expected that coming off significant surgery, Tony would need time for his energy level to return. So, I did not, nor did Tony, expect him to be able to perform at the same level as prediagnosis. Tony is a high achiever, billing more than $1.5M in direct hire fees last year. It’s him and his VA. And as Tony talked about the critical conversations from last week, it seemed mechanical.I am not good at hiding my expressions; Tony could see that in my face. He said, “Mark, you don’t look like I gave it all that I could.”And I asked him, “Tony can I be brutally honest with you?” Tony nodded, and I said, “Tony, you are going through the motions. It’s very unusual for you not to earn a retainer or close a placement almost every week.”I asked him if he would hire himself for a retainer during the last few weeks. He asked, “Mark, what do you mean? I know how to execute a search and help my clients land great talent. That’s what I do.” And I said, “Yes, I know you are damn good, if not great, but not the last couple of weeks. I am not talking about the eight weeks since surgery. I am talking about the last few. I don’t see the passion in your face or hear it in your voice”. I saw Tony taking notes. I knew that he had heard me. And next Wednesday rolled around. Wow, I could see that Tony but looks and sounds like a different man. The fire was back in his eyes and in his voice. I asked what he got done last week. Without taking his next breath, he said, “I earned two retainers worth $180k and closed one search worth $75k”. And we did our happy dance. Then his face got serious, and he said, “Thank you for last week. It resonated with me. It caught my attention. No one has been that honest with me. Your caring kick in my a** was what I needed. Thank you.” Finding someone to help motivate you to reach your goals is not easy. Also, finding someone to hold you accountable to reach your goals is not easy. Both may not be the most comfortable conversations to have, but these are some of the things I do to help my clients reach their goals. Thanks for reading, Mark P.S. Would you like this delivered to your email? click here |
