In face-to-face meetings, I enjoy picking up cues from the environment. An office is never “just an office” – as in the German saying, “Wie der Herr, so das Gescherr” – each person’s space is a carefully curated reflection of their identity. Whether it’s intentional or not.

Take one I visited recently:
– Opulent furnishings, designed to impress and signal long-lasting prosperity.
– Bookshelves bursting with titles: this prospect clearly has a studious mind.
– A white lab coat: still active in teaching, research, or medicine.
– A small flag and a photo with the king on the desk, plus a large royal portrait behind: there’s patriotism and prestige on display.
– There was even a guitar in the corner, inviting a conversation beyond business, though having zero musical talent myself, I was stumped by how to talk about this!

Every object there tells a story. More importantly, it tells you what this person wants you to notice.

Lean into those cues, ask the questions, show a genuine interest, and you’ll be amazed how quickly rapport turns into relationship.

Contact me if you’d like your team trained to the highest levels of proficiency in sales and negotiation techniques.