Knock on the Doors Others Avoid

A note to young leaders.

A friend of mine is a successful capital raiser.

The other day he said something to me that I thought was telling:

“When people tell me not to bother with a particular person because they’re really difficult, dismissive or just plain rude – my ears prick up. I get excited. Because it means no one else is talking to them.”

Don’t be deterred by other people’s assessments of a prospect.

People who are labelled difficult are usually just direct. They have high standards. They don’t hand out their time or trust easily. But once you earn it, you’ve got it for life.

Crowds flock to open doors. Learn instead to knock on closed ones.