One of my rules for business buyers and sellers is:
The bigger the spreadsheet the less chance of a deal.
This means, don’t get analysis-paralysis. There can always be another question. I recently said this working on a spreadsheet for a buyer of a business we’re representing. It was a lot of busy work as the information was already in other files.
The same philosophy applies to when a client called rather than emailed. She rightly said it was easier to talk than write a message that might be misinterpreted. We got it done in three minutes versus who knows how many emails.
On the call we were able to “get to the point” and post-pandemic I find a lot more willingness of people to do so by skipping in-person meetings for an online meeting (when appropriate). Or even a call so nobody must travel to the meeting.
Recently I read the book “Smart Brevity” (Workman Publishing Co. Inc., 2022 whose tag line is, “The power of saying more with less.’ It’s what the above is all about and if you’ve noticed, over the last few months all these memos are about 200 words.
“It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.” Bruce Springsteen (in honor of Memorial Day)
