Raza Jaffri

When I was in high school, my dad closed a $2 BILLION sale (about $4.5 billion in today’s dollars). It was the largest deal in the history of his industry. Nearly 35 years later, I still think about the story of how he closed it every time I’m in a sales meeting. At the time, my dad worked for a hazardous waste remediation business that helped manage, among other things, landfill waste. One of the major industries they served was auto manufacturing and my dad developed a relationship with one of the biggest players. The word went out that this manufacturer was bidding out a massive, long term agreement for landfill waste management. It was a career making opportunity. My dad worked his way to the VP who was responsible for the project and positioned his company to be one of the bidders. The day came for my dad to make the pitch. He sat in the VPs office nervous as can be. But before he could give his presentation the VP said, “I want to run something past you.” He went on to explain there was another option the company was exploring. Rather than hiring a third party to manage this project, they could manage it internally. He paused and asked my dad what he thought. Sheepishly, my dad replied, “That’s actually a good idea and I think it could work for you.” The VP nodded, asked my dad to give his pitch, and the meeting ended. My dad left gutted. Why would he have told this VP they should manage it internally and not buy from him? Because, it was the truth. He had lost a sale but kept his integrity. And that had to be enough. A few weeks later, he got the call that they had been awarded the contract. Needless to say, he was shocked. To celebrate, he took the VP to dinner. During the meal, the VP opened up. Dave, do you know why I awarded you this deal? I had 7 companies bid on this proposal. In each of the pitch meetings, I presented them with the option for us to do it ourselves. That option was my idea. I already knew it would work. But the other 6 people immediately started firing off reasons why it wouldn’t. You were the only one who told me the truth. Today, I’m the one sitting across from the prospective customer. When I am, there are three things I always remind myself of: 1 - You can never assume you know why a prospect is asking you a question or sharing a certain piece of information. Ask instead of assuming. 2 - If you’re willing to be honest with a prospect, even when it goes against your best interests, it inspires trust. People buy from people they trust. 3 - At the end of the day, you may lose a sale but still have your integrity intact. And that’s always enough. I may never land a $2 billion deal, but I’ll never forget the lessons I learned from a man who did. *** I'm David and I write about being more thoughtful as a spouse, parent, and business leader. Follow me @wdmorrisjr for more content like this.