The table · minute by minute

The 20 minutes.

1. Minutes 0 to 5

   Cards first. Your name and role, then one line on your company. No pitch yet. Read their history first: never pitch a partner as new.

2. Minutes 5 to 12

   The pitch: services in one breath. Then their lane, what their country sends the Gulf and what goes back; then the pain line for the Gulf country they care about. Hand over with a question.

3. Minutes 12 to 18

   Them. The six questions that work, below, in this order. Plus the trade question: "What do your customers actually ship to the Gulf, and who clears it for them today?" Rules while they talk: never quote a rate; money terms go to whoever signs them off; a word you don't know: "How do you use that word?"; never run down their current agent. Write one line while they talk.

4. Minutes 18 to 20

   Close. Say the overlap back once: lane, cargo, direction. One lane, one task each, one date. Then the next partner is waiting.

The six questions In this order

1. 1

   "What moves most from your country into the Gulf, and to which of our six countries?"

2. 2

   "Who handles your Gulf cargo today, and what is missing?" (this opens the pitch)

3. 3

   "Which port are you strongest at?"

4. 4

   "Do you have Gulf buyers or old customers we can go and see for you?" (this leads into the profit-share talk)

5. 5

   "Are you mostly sea or air for the Gulf?"

6. 6

   "When I send you a rate request, who answers it, and how fast?" (this is the close)

Plus, when a job is on the table: "Give us your target and we work to it."

The audiobook →