Prepare A Closing Vigil

Your deadline is Friday. It’s the end of the month, quarter, year. Everything is in place. You’ve been promised the deal, signatures, purchase order, deposit. Zero hour looms and Bang. One small thing is amiss. The person who can fix it is back in on Monday. What’s the big deal, they ask…

It only happens once in a career, then you know what you must do in future.

A scenario unfolded where this could have happened with a piece of business I was involved with just this last month-end.

The potential stumbling blocks featured an approval process that touched two separate computer systems as well as, we uncovered, a dozen different individuals.

Despite assurances that everything was in order, we made sure one of us still travelled three hours to be in situ. A desk was provided so that he may work in between being on hand. This was all especially pertinent as we realised that if we missed this window, the next would be at the earliest a tear-inducing three months hence.

Of course, the inescapable roadblock ensued. Not just one though. Three. On three separate occasions, a piece of info was either not considered quite right, or was asked for completely afresh. Thankfully, the whole team was on hand to email the necessary, as well as the person on-site being able to physically chase the approval and info trail around the building.

Experience then tells you to be there, whenever you can, for the big ones going down to the wire, especially when you’re exchanging rings for the first time.