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AN "OFF BALANCE" PRESENTATION
It was the final presentation in the sales process. I was going
to be speaking before the CEO, President, Vice President of Sales
and Marketing and a few senior level human resources people. I was
meeting with them to sell them a sales training program. It was
a French company in the resort hotel business. Three of the top-level
executives had flown in the day before from Paris to meet me and
see me in action. (And boy did they ever!)
The meeting was going very well, everyone seemed to like the plan
that I had custom-designed to assist in increasing corporate occupancy
at the resorts. Midway through the meeting I started to facilitate
a brainstorming session regarding ways to increase sales. As the
participants threw out comments, I captured them on a flip chart.
The group was really into the exercise and I was rapidly writing
down their ideas.
When I hunched down to write the last comment on the bottom of
the page of the flip chart, as I rose to stand up, I was abruptly
pulled back down. At first I couldn't figure out what was happening,
so once again I attempted to stand up, and once again was pulled
back down. I finally realized that the heel from my shoe had gotten
caught in the hem of my skirt. But by the time I discovered that
it was too late, I was starting to lose my balance.
Out of sheer desperation, I grabbed the flip chart in an attempt
to regain my balance. But, unfortunately, it was attached to a flimsy
aluminum stand. As soon as I reached out and grabbed it, it ended
up falling on top of me and knocking me down to the floor. In shock,
as I was falling down, I exclaimed, "OH NO!" And then
I hit the floor. So there I was, lying in the prestigious boardroom,
at the foot of the majestic conference table, with a flip chart
on top of me, and my heel still caught in my hem.
The top-level French executives watched in horror unsure at first
of what was happening. Then as I was falling down, I saw them all
started to jump up to my rescue. I heard some of them emotionally
exclaim, "Mon Deiu" (SP?) Which means "My God!"
in French. Needless to say, I was beyond embarrassed I was completely
mortified. Somehow I regained my composure and successfully finished
the presentation and won the business. To this day the client and
I still talk about that unbelievable moment. Amazingly enough, that
awful incident actually strengthened rapport.
LESSONS LEARNED
I learned from this experience that sometimes things, beyond your
wildest imagination and beyond your control can happen on sales
calls. The best thing to do when they do is acknowledge what occurred
and move on with dignity, or self-effacing humor if you can think
of any. (At the time I couldn't.)
Also, while wearing the same suit I wore on this sales call a few
weeks prior, I did get my heel caught in the hem, but it was a minor
mishap and didn't think twice about it. Now I know how easily history
repeats itself. Any finally, I was relieved when the chunky heel
for women came back in style. This new thicker heel prevented my
heel from getting caught in them again.
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