Don’t Tell This Story When You Want To Make Sales

Back when I lived in Seattle, a speaker opened his talk with, “I’m sure you’d rather be outside on this beautiful day when we’re not having rain for a change.” Suddenly everyone’s focus shifted from the speaker (who was pretty good, by the way) to a rare view of Mount Rainier.

That speaker just lowered his own value in the eyes of 100+ people attending the event. Up to that moment, he was viewed as an authority, even a thought leader. After all, he’d been invited to speak to the crowd.

This one casual remark blew his cover. He admitted to us, “I’m the default option — the place you go when you don’t have a choice. You’re dining at a fast-food chain because you don’t have access to a 5-star restaurant.”

If you attend business events, you probably know this one-sentence opening isn’t unusual. Even established, high-profile business people are reluctant to promote their personal brand. They’ve been brought up with sayings like:

“The nail that stands out gets hammered down.”

“If you’re really good at what you do, the world will find you.”

“Humility is a virtue.”

These ideas make sense in a purely social or personal setting. If you’re joining your family for a holiday dinner, you probably won’t tell a story about…