Every once in a while we have an opportunity to get outside of our bubbles. For me, that means leaving the United States and visiting a new country and meeting new people. My many years on the Board of InfoComm International took me to some great destinations like Moscow, Beijing, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Dubai - but I had never visited Africa. Fortunately for me, the
Congress Rental Network invited me to speak to their members this past month in Cape Town, South Africa.
First of all, let me confirm that Cape Town is indeed a fantastic destination. You won't get to check Africa off your bucket list because the region is not representative of the rest of South Africa, much less the continent. However, it is a beautiful, vibrant city with a turbulent history of colonialism, Apartheid, and rejuvenation. Poverty and privilege uncomfortably co-exist as economic segregation is still lingers, but the mood is pointedly positive.
Tourism is a large part of the visible economy, and restaurants, hotels, and small museums are everywhere. Service is great as is the food. There's a life to Cape Town that one needs to experience to appreciate. We stayed at a resort, a game preserve, a bed & breakfast, and finally a boutique hotel. There's no shortage of variety.
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| A view of the historic Bo Kaap District looking towards the Central Business District |
On our way out of town our taxi driver typified our visit with his story. He explained how he came from his homeland in the Congo to escape violence. He worked his was through many jobs to learn English. Eventually he bought a taxi, then another. He talked about customer service and hard work. His goal is to own a fleet of taxis and tour busses. I think he might just make it.
Stop Negotiating: A Discussion of Value
The Board of CRN and I discussed many topics before zeroing in on the universal shared business issue for my Keynote: How to deal with price-shopping buyers and price-driven competition. CRN has members from over sixty countries and despite the language and culture barriers - negotiation and value proposition are universal concepts.
A fundamental message in my keynote was the importance of credibility. The more confident you are and the more credible your reputation, the less you will need to justify your fees. Conversely, the less legitimate you appear, the more the customer will demand details that will later haunt you in negotiation. This tug of war between details and expertise is what drives the need to negotiate - or not.
If your company or group is in need of a fresh look at important issues or a jolt of Intentional Success, I'd be happy to visit your exotic meeting destination too! Learn more about Tom Stimson's
speaking engagements here.
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