Member-only story
Do Not Underestimate The Person in Front of You!
Sometime around 2010, I was in Monaco with my wife. We were dining in backstreet Italian restaurant. There was a table next to us with about a dozen people who are all obviously English. At some point I got up to use the restroom and noticed that the man at the head of the table hard dropped his jacket on the floor. I picked it up and said something to him. He thanked me in a very strong northern accent, and I asked whereabouts they were all from. He said they were all from Leeds and that he was the owner of Leeds United football team. His name was Ken Bates, and I had a vague idea of who he was since he had previously owned Chelsea football club.
He then asked what I did? I told him I was a Marketing legend. He laughed and said, “Well do you think you could help me sell tickets at Leeds United?”
I said, “Yes I’m sure I can, I can usually help anybody improve their marketing.”
He gave me his cell phone number and instructed me to give him a call next time I was back in the UK.
About six weeks later I called him and told him I had time to visit Leeds whenever it was convenient. At first, he didn’t remember me but after a while it all came back to him, and he agreed to call the club and fix up a meeting with his business manager Paul.
