Men generally avoid clothes shopping, especially when a beady female eye is watching one’s every move. I steeled myself for months to venture out to buy a new belt and a pair of new shoes, and finally, bravely, hit Parc Royale in West Vancouver with Rika yesterday, warning her to keep a safe distance. I had flounced petulantly out of three or four shops where brain dead mercenaries with no taste posing as salespeople had narrowly escaped my wrath, when Rika kindly pointed me at Ingledews. I braced myself and marched in, only to saunter out 30 minutes later with beautiful Italian shoes and belt, grinning from ear to ear, one’s querulous disposition gone and miraculously replaced with an urgent need for steak at the Keg. The long-suffering Rika breathed a sigh of relief, remarking, “Good salesman.” Not quite, one mused.
Yon salesman was an expert in shoes and all things pedalic / orthopedic / related to one’s sometime weary hooves; he understood his trade. He was well versed in the width, manufacture, quality, history, and application of the shoes he sold and the shoes sold by others. He had, as it were, done his homework for close to twenty years. One might be tempted to utter, “The boy understands shoes.” He didn’t have to sell; I had to discipline myself not to buy several pairs. He didn’t have to persuade, and price was never an issue. The only difference between the $500 pair and the $350 pair was the level of fit and comfort. One was so chirpy that one almost succumbed to the latest style instead of sticking with the conservative.
My point is that when you package and present a Joint Venture well to the right people, with sufficient incentive and shared value, there’s an easy transition into the alliance. If you have to sell the deal, it’s probably not a good fit, with a predictably limited lifespan and and a few uncomfortable and pricey bunions arising in short order. One will have to endure a sour taste in the kisser, and the relationship might never be quite as rosy again. People might choose to meander along the other side of the street, meticulously examining storefront displays when they see you coming - not ideal. No. By taking the time to put together a juicy, well planned, and liberally oiled Joint Venture, and then being selective in one’s choice of JV partners, you can expect to see an easy flow.
