
What Isn’t Said Speaks Loudest
Listen intently to what’s being said but remember – that’s only half the message. The other half is what’s not being said.
In 2001, the late John Caldon and I had a meeting with a senior operative from a US, multi-billion dollar conglomerate looking for a significant Australian presence.
We pitched a variety of bold ideas to him: from manufacturing, to defence contracts, to real estate, to private equity.
The meeting progressed well and ended enthusiastically, with the US executive saying he would get back to us shortly.
Immediately after the meeting, as was customary for John, he asked: “So how do you think that meeting went, Adam?”
“Disappointing”, I replied.
“Ahh very good. Why is that, Adam?”
“Because the guy said ‘yes’ to everything, which means he isn’t yet serious about anything.”
John clapped his hands in appreciation.
In effect, he was telling me: keep listening to the secondary soundtrack.