Many years ago, I was sitting with a number of top executives in a business meeting. We were discussing the possibilities of getting more customers. The thought came to me that we should call Jim, a certain competitor, and ask him if he would send us some of his extra business. The thought seemed so ridiculous that I didn’t even voice it. What? Ask a competitor for business? It was too far-fetched to consider.

A week later at a trade meeting, I bumped into Jim. We talked f…

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