What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School: Notes from a Street-smart Executive

The quickest way to make a lasting negative impression is to waste someone’s time:

What people say and do in the most innocent situations can speak volumes about their real selves.

Coco Chanel once said that if a woman is poorly dressed you notice her dress and if she’s impeccably dressed you notice the woman.

generally, the less knowledgeable one appears, the more forthcoming and revealing the other party will be.

The smarter you make the people who work for you look, the smarter you are going to look as a manager.

Yet it is your insight into people that gives you the ability to predict the future

believe you can learn almost everything you need to know—and more than other people would like you to know—simply by watching and listening, keeping your eyes peeled, your ears open. And your mouth closed.

Effective selling is directly tied to timing, patience, and persistence

You’re Known by the Office Company You Keep

But in business there is no end to the game. There are no insurmountable leads. The competition always has time to catch up.

Heiniger’s comment summed up the essence of “marketability.” It is knowing what business you are really in and understanding the underlying perceptions that connect your product to the people it is being marketed

Realizing that it isn’t personal doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take it personally. If you don’t, in fact, it may mean that you haven’t put enough of yourself into the effort.

Part of knowing your product is knowing all the reasons someone might not want to buy it. Anticipate the reasons. State them clearly in your mind, spell them out on paper if necessary—and have an answer ready for each of them.