Jay Sachetti joined Jeff O’Brien, partner at Husch Blackwell and Dyanne Ross-Hanson, president of Exit Planning Strategies talked about the market for mergers and acquisitions, exit planning opportunities for companies that don’t end up for sale and how companies can maximize their eventual sale price during an early October panel at the first Upsize on Tap event at Summit Brewing Co. in St. Paul.
When the state Legislature passed a law requiring employers to provide paid leave and safe time for employees, Justin Bieganek started hearing differing details from friends, colleagues and peers.
Felicia Boyd,
Faegre & Benson:
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Lost. Dancing With the Stars. Simon Cowell. Angelina Jolie. Ferris Bueller. Jackie Chan. Oprah Winfrey. Harry Potter.
Each of these names should immediately bring to mind a pop culture icon, a TV show, movie or book. If it doesn’t, here’s some advice: pay more attention. Pop culture is not just entertainment-it can also be your ticket to better business relationships.
Anyone who has client relationships can attest to the fact that sometimes the relationships are smooth, and other times they are rocky. Whether you can pin the reason down or not, what we do know is that any business relationship depends on a personal connection.
Clients are not just faceless, interchangeable figures that are to be maintained and attracted as a matter of necessity. Like you, they have diverse interests, tastes and life experiences. My clients want to work with people who are as vibrant and as passionate as they are, regardless of what triggers that intensity.
By making an effort to be aware of pop culture, you give yourself more opportunities to connect with clients.
What were the big movie releases this week? What big sporting events are going on? What was on the front page of the newspaper, or that magazine you saw in the lunch room? If you have a reservoir of knowledge, you have more to draw upon when making a connection with a client on a level outside of the business task at hand.
Of course, you shouldn’t feign knowledge you don’t have. Faking interest in or knowledge about a certain subject is unnecessary and distasteful. But by being aware of current events, social trends or the latest sporting event, you have created points where your interests may intersect with those of clients or potential clients.
Keep current. If you follow a pop culture trend, make sure that you are up to speed on the current trend. While you may be able to speak about the first season of American Idol, or Lost, or your favorite TV show, others may be focused on the current season.
Similarly, if you are interested in politics, be aware of the issues that are pressing this week, like the current state of the Franken-Coleman ballot situation. If you are woefully out of touch on a topic, tread lightly before initiating a conversation on that point.
Or, even better, solicit the latest from your client, showing your interest yet avoiding spoilers!
Keep pursuing your interests. Do you secretly love “The Bachelor?” Do you harbor a talent for knitting or chess? Do you listen to heavy metal music in the shower? Every individual has their own tastes and talents-and there is no accounting for taste.
So, whatever your interests are, don’t be ashamed to pursue them, and be prepared to speak intelligently and authentically about them. Sincerity is a plus in any person.
Keep listening. When starting a conversation about pop culture, it is easy to talk about your opinion, especially if you are passionate about or involved in the subject or trend. Sometimes when the other person shows a sliver of a sign of interest, we launch into a monologue on what we think, feel, like, dislike, etc. Be careful; conversation is, at minimum, a two-person event.
Your contribution can help start a great conversation about pop culture, but it should not be a monologue. You may have to very literally tell yourself to close your mouth and not speak any more so that you can listen to what others are saying. It is only by listening that you will be able to connect with your client on a personal level.
If you don’t listen, you may never discover that others have read the same books that you read, have visited the same places you have or have the same secret addiction to Project Runway. Only by listening to what people say will you be able to find a possible starting point for a relationship.
Keep calm. We are flooded with information and advertisements relaying pop culture throughout our day-and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Don’t worry if you feel behind in your pop culture knowledge. It is impossible for anyone to keep up with everything all the time.
Find two or three cultural pursuits that really interest you and stick to them: reading the daily newspaper every morning, or watching Grey’s Anatomy every Thursday, or seeing a new movie every other weekend. Once you identify those couple of pursuits you enjoy, you can carve out time for them.
Keep upbeat. Despite all the potential for pop culture connection, sometimes there is just no commonality between you and a client. You don’t own a television; the client does not read books. Both of you are tone deaf and refuse to listen to any music. You are a Packers fan and the client is a Vikings fan, and thus, no civil discourse on football is even possible. Laugh about it and perhaps suggest lunch. Everyone eats at some point.
The most important tip is to be authentic. As mentioned above, being sincere and genuine in your interests is far more important than feigning a love for some TV show or sporting event because you think the client will care. Ultimately, clients want to learn about you just as you want to learn about them, and part of that is discovering those interests and oddities.
When you do find those personal connections with a client over pop culture interests, it will go a long way. By tapping into today’s pop culture trends and icons, you may have gained a toehold into a new relationship or strengthened one that already existed.
As Paris Hilton would say, “Now, that’s hot.”
