The $26,000 Cigar

Finding a spark that connects people is part of good business. It could be a spark they remember for a decade.

About ten years ago, I needed to install completely new heating and cooling systems in my home. Multiple local contractors visited and provided quotes for the HVAC systems they could offer. I’d walk them through the house and together we’d discuss where vents could be positioned, where ductwork would go, or what walls would need drilled through or rebuilt. Basically, they would tell me how they were going to destroy my historic home as we walked through it together.

During this process, a salesperson from one company noticed a large stack of wooden cigar boxes I had collected and stacked in a hallway. He instantly got excited and inquired how many empty boxes I had (I had dozens). He proceeded to call out the names of the cigar brands on the boxes, just by seeing the artwork on them. His happiness was infectious and certainly put me in a better frame of mind to talk about how my house could be ripped apart.

After the walk-through the salesman and I went outside to review his notes, and he said he wanted to show me something. He had a travel humidor filled with at least 20 cigars in his vehicle and started naming the ones that matched the boxes in my house! He then pointed to his “absolute favorite” - one he bought for $12 - and handed it to me saying “this one’s for you”.

I didn’t have the heart to tell the man I didn’t actually smoke all the cigars in those empty boxes; I simply collected them for small projects and to store nuts and bolts in them like my grandfather did. But it was the simple act of finding a personal connection with something he was passionate about that struck me as extremely smart and memorable. The resulting effect from his absolute elation over cigar boxes lifted the mood for our difficult home remodeling conversations too.

In business, we often find ourselves spending an inordinate amount of time problem-solving, putting out fires, stressed over deadlines, and simply wanting to get the hard work over with. But to complete the difficult work it’s also vital to have exceptional relationship and salesmanship skills, especially in high stress environments.

Slow down for a moment. If you spend just a little time finding out what connects you to the people you rely on, it makes everyone’s day a little brighter and builds relationships in preparation for challenging conversations ahead. It can be helpful in the long run to truly connect with those you work with, even if it’s about something as simple as empty wooden boxes.

The salesman with the exceptional relationship-building skills? I heard he moved his way up in his company and eventually got a job working directly for the one of the world’s top manufacturers of HVAC systems. To this day I still have the cigar he gave me - and the $26,000 worth of heating and cooling systems I purchased from him.?