The woman sitting next to me is puzzled. “That’s not what I learned in the last sales seminar I attended,” she says.
Dov nods. “And how did that make you feel?” he asks.
“Slimy,” she admits. “Manipulative.” She thinks a moment. “Your way is much better.”
He smiles. “Telling a person the truth is the most respectful thing you can say to them.”
He’s practical, too. “Don’t leave a meeting without agreeing on a clear next step,” he advises. “If you’re getting mixed messages, call them on it. Describe the behavior, and ask them to help you understand what it is that they want.”
Our time is up, though people are still asking questions. Dov gives us his web address (www.dovgordon.net) and moves to the side, off the stage. He’s immediately surrounded by women who want to ask just one question, and just one more. I edge toward the crowd, reluctant to leave, but I’m aware that I’ve been gone all day and my family is waiting.
My neighbor comes in. “I’m leaving now and wanted to offer you a ride,” she says. I glance toward the front of the room, then thank her and we head out together. On the way, she gathers the others who came in the taxi this morning.
In her car on the way home, we compare notes. “I went to Shoshanna Jaskoll,” one friend says. “On using your ‘so what’ factor to stand above the competition. She was great.”
Another friend nods. “I took copious notes. I have to think about what she said and how to apply it to my business.”
A third friend went to Leah Kaplan’s workshop on strategic marketing. “It was interesting,” she says. “It’s the next step that I needed for my company to grow – I just didn’t know it till today.”
As we pull up in front of my house, I see my younger kids waiting for me outside. I pull out the pens we got as freebies and prepare to hand out these prizes.
It was a good day. Tired as I am, I feel refreshed and accomplished – and grateful to the Temech organizers and volunteers who pulled it all together. Already, I’m looking forward to next year.