Buying Conversation

In a formal context, every conversation buys the next one.

(I’m not talking about friendship, here – hopefully those conversations flow organically and are enjoyed by all for what they are!)

Whenever you’re working with someone, imagine there’s a little gas gauge on the relationship. Every conversation, every interaction, uses up a little of that gas. When it hits “E,” that person won’t want to work with you anymore.

In sales, that means you lost the deal. In an interview process, that means you didn’t get the job. In a working relationship, that means losing the rapport of a great teammate. All things you want to avoid!

So your job is to make sure you’re putting in more gas than you’re taking out. Every conversation has to buy the next one, by making sure the other person is getting something valuable out of every interaction. It can’t just be all focused on a big end goal – people need milestones.

In a sales process, for example, you might know that closing an eventual deal will be very beneficial for the other person, helping them solve a problem in a big way. But along the way, you also have to put gas in the tank, or you won’t have enough to make it across the finish line. Make sure that the demo you’re showing them isn’t just helping you, but also giving them something actionable or helpful to do right now. That’s putting gas in the tank; that’s buying the next conversation with this one.

In a professional context, think of every conversation as an interview for the next one, and go into it with intention and purpose. If you do, you’ll never run out of gas.