2. A Good Proposal Is Hard to Find
A while back I was invited to speak at the annual sales kick-off meeting for a major software corporation. The morning of my talk, I waited in the ballroom, where breakfast had just been served to 450 salespeople, while they went off to hear the president present the “state of the business” address. After that, it was my turn.
As I sat quietly, sipping one more cup of coffee and gathering my thoughts, a fellow came bustling into the ballroom. He glanced around at the dozens of empty tables, spotted me, walked over, sat down, and said, “You’re late for the meeting.”
“No, sir,” I replied. “I’m the next speaker, so in a way I’m early. But why aren’t you in there?”
“Oh, I’d like to be, but I’m waiting for a limo. ...
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