Our generation(s) have had the distinct privilege of not having to deal directly with war, at least on the scale that we may anticipate post-September 11th; consequently, our business analysis may resemble the conjecture often represented on CNN. Contracting Larry King or Jack Welch is a flip-of-the-coin decision.
Whether you are a start-up company or a multinational success, your business is not the same. Period. Referring to the MBA textbooks on the shelf is likely of little use as well. OK - so now you are desperate, you are queuing up behind people at the local fortune teller...:-)
In reality you KNOW where the answer lies...with your customer or with your prospect. Getting intimate with the nature of your partners business is even more critical - you need to be in lock-step with their decision-making and rapidly changing set of needs.
With travel being restrictive, you will need to sharpen your telephone conversation skills, email communication skills, and "spider sense". There is basically no excuse for not understanding your customers' businesses as well as they do - especially now as groups will tend to focus inwardly. To penetrate their "lines of defense", you will need some ingenuity.
Just like the boy scout motto goes, "Be Prepared"!
Good Luck and Be Nice.
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