I met the guy at an all day seminar on Saturday. He sat two chairs to my left with an empty seat between us.
During a fifteen-minute morning break, I stuck out my right hand and introduced myself. “Hi, I’m…”
He shook my hand. “Pleased to meet you, I’m…”
We did the small-talk thing, talked about the seminar speakers, the weather, no sports, but touched on our family; then I asked, “What brings you here? What’s your business?”
He said, “I am an investment consultant. I talk to people about how to improve their lives.”
A little thrown off, I studied his face for meaning. He studied mine, too. He didn’t appear to be joking. “Interesting,” I said. “So, what does that entail exactly? How do you do that?”
He cleared his throat and said, “Well, let me give you an example; let me ask you a couple of questions, alright?”
“Yeah, sure.”
With an intentional look, watching me, he asked, “What are two or three things you’d like to accomplish?” And he clarified that with, “Could you list two or three things you’d like to get done?”
“Um okay…” I hesitated because talking about personal dreams and desires is not something I readily do, especially not with strangers. Yet, I decided to give him my list of three things.
When I finished he said, “Great! Now as you’re thinking about those three things, here’s my follow-up question: How would your life improve if you completed your three things? In other words, what would your life look like?”
Wow! No one had ever spoken to me like this. “Well, it’d look different than right now.”
He appeared to read me through my eyes. “Very well. Next, let me press you a bit. Why haven’t you already realized your three things?”
“Um, well, I…” I searched for adequate reasons why I hadn’t realized my three things, but I couldn’t come up with any plausible, satisfactory answer.
He held up a hand and made a whoa gesture, and said, “Whatever you’re thinking or planning to say, let me add, if I could show you a way to have what you want―not in the far off sweet by and by, but beginning tomorrow―would you be interested?”
This time, I didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely, for sure!” My mistrust began melting.
“Good, let’s set a time when we can sit down and talk for about thirty minutes. How does that sound?”
I thought of a question. “How much will it cost me?”
“Fair question,” he admitted. “My initial consultation is free. If, at the end of our meeting, you decide you want to meet again it’ll be your decision. What’s a good day for you?”
I was intrigued. I wanted to know more, so I said, “How about next Tuesday?”
“Terrific!” Obviously, he had done this before. “What’s better for you, morning, afternoon, or evening?”
“Lunchtime?” I suggested.
>
We entered the following Tuesday lunchtime appointment in our calendar phone app.
He pulled a business card holder from his shirt pocket, handed me a card, and said,
“Before we meet for lunch Tuesday, please look at the three short quiz questions printed on the back of my business card, and we’ll start with you telling me your answers, okay?”
I smiled at him. I looked at his card. Read the back. Then nodded my head in agreement and said, “I’ll look forward to it.”
>>
The seminar was about to resume. People shuffled to their seats.
(To be continued)
-30-
Lee’s Nite Radio 