We need to re-learn how to break bread again in business

When I was a junior sales person my boss sent me to Dubai to close a deal that he had set up.

He said that if I didn't close the deal I was going to get fired. (No pressure)

When I arrived and met my potential client we sat down for tea.

Immediately I started talking about business and he asked about my children, my hobbies, where I grew up, what my family was like, where I had traveled.

I remember being frustrated and we had this conversation over tea for over an hour.

He would not talk business!

In my head at the time I was for sure going to get fired. We wrapped up tea and he said he had a few meetings and then wanted to meet for an afternoon lunch by the pool of the hotel.

I returned to my hotel room and poured over some sales process books, looking at my strategy, the process, the rebuttals.

We sat down for lunch and I was ready to close the deal!

Isn't this pretty, he said as I was sweating in the heat in my shirt and pants.

"Yes, our company is known for...."

Do you like having children he replied...

So for the next two hours we had lunch and talked some more.

Lunch was done and he asked what my plan was for the evening and invited me out to a hookah lounge.

"My boss is going to kill me" I thought.

So I went for a walk through the streets of Dubai. It's a beautiful place and the people are kind and it is hot! I walked through the gold district and there really is so much gold there in the stores. It's wild and amazing.

So we went to the hookah lounge and had tea and a drink and some hookah.

and we talked and often sat in silence next to each other watching the audience and crowd.

Are you enjoying yourself Neal?

"I'm getting fired" (in my head)

As the evening concluded Iram invited me to breakfast the next morning by the pool.

F*ck - this is torture.

The next morning we met for breakfast and as I sat down Iram poured my tea and asked if I had the contract with me.

I was shocked.

I pulled out the contract, Iram pulled a pen out and signed it and as I started to talk about the price Iram said "I trust we will do business together for a long time"

I needed to get to know you Neal. We only want to do business with people that we can grow with as we grow.

There is a harmony, a cadence, and a rhythm to doing business well. Even if the product or the service does not land we want to keep the relationship intact forever and that is how we all grow together.

Those are my clients. Those are the people I serve.