What's Changed

One terrific way of opening a meeting, whether during a first-time campaign or as part of an account management process, is to start off by asking “what’s changed” since you last got together.

Yet the other day I was in a meeting where our last get-together was only the day before. Due to the typical ebb and flow of business, our previous forum was curtailed and we’d agreed to recommence the next day.

‘What’s changed’ was hardly relevant, so I fell back on that other banker for getting a revealing and positive conversation going; the search for true feelings.

Before re-confirming the agenda, my initial question was along the lines of ‘during the past 24hrs, when you’ve caught yourself thinking about our project, what’s gone through your mind?’

The answers flowed for several minutes. Each one gave both crucial insight into where we stood and provided opportunity for further emotional assessment.

We found out what was slightly scary, what gave rise to excitement and where the timelines were considered challenging. All priceless intel that, in the words of one attendee, would help figure out “how we can fix the puzzle”.