GigaOM

I find business (for me) is a lot like dating. I want to get to know someone a little bit…see if we like the same things…chat a bit…discover some commonality before I’ll have a cup of coffee. I don’t want to be rushed.

Your partner may have just been trying to establish a bit of a relationship…and he may have felt the deal points were being rushed?!}

Jamy’s right. The more connection you have to the people in the room, the better your chances at success. Moreover, the more you know about them and their stories the better you can tie them into your story, and that’s the point, right?}

Maybe it was really nice wood. Or maybe he was using it to build rapport… for example maybe the CEO of the company you were meeting with is a wood nut and by taking two seconds to notice it and comment on it your partner could have opened up a real relationship instead of looking like every other guy / company who only cares about his agenda. I’m not saying you are like that at all, just saying that actually noticing and commenting on things in peoples homes and offices can be a great way to learn about THEIR interests. See Dale Carnegie How to Win Friends and Influence People. Or just use common sense, which is all that book is (or should be) anyway. Cheers, chrisco}