Page 137 - [Donald_J._Trump,_Meredith_McIver]_Trump_101_The_(BookFi)

T R U M P 1 0 1 : T H E WAY T O S U C C E S S

BUSINESS IS A RELAY RACE

Business is like a relay race. All team members must be fast,
focused, and able to coordinate with each other. Each member
has to know how to run with and pass the baton. No runner can
lag behind or the entire team will suffer.
I once hired a very qualified young man who I expected to
be great. Boy, was I ever wrong. This guy took so long to
explain everything that I began to dread talking with him. He
was just too slow. Yes, he was thorough and painstaking, but
he couldn’t keep pace. He wasted too much time. I had to let
him go because he couldn’t adapt to the environment and
keep up.
Someone who analyzed my negotiating technique concluded
that I had an advantage because I got to the point faster than
anyone else. He said that while my adversaries were formulating
their sentences, I had finished writing the book. I cut straight to
the point because, before I speak, I map out the deal in my
mind. I know the deal inside and out. I understand exactly what
I need, what I want, how I want to proceed, and how far
I’ll go.
I didn’t develop that ability overnight; I’ve worked at it for
years. Once you start editing yourself, the process moves into
other areas of your life. Before long, it spills over to virtually
everything from relaying messages to writing letters, e-mail, or
reports to ordering lunch.
When you watch The Apprentice, notice how candidates who
present facts most succinctly stand out. Nobody wants to listen to
five-minute explanations that could have been said in 15 to 20
seconds. Long speeches are a red flag to my advisors and me. We
don’t have time for verbose dialogues, and we won’t hire people
who can’t promptly make their points.

116