“You get 2 minutes. The 2nd is a courtesy.”

I’m currently reading a biography on Anna Wintour, written by Amy Odell, and I really love this quote. Anna never said this quote out loud, but it was implied based on people’s interactions with her.

It reminds me of a meeting I had with the owner of a digital marketing company back when I was consulting. It was a connection that a mutual acquaintance had made, so I’m sure this person was doing that other person a favor by meeting with me.

When I walked into his office, he immediately, “big-timed” me. I categorize people this way when they invite me into their office, sit me down across from their desk and continue to “work” i.e. shuffle papers around, check their phone, spin their chair around all while I’m speaking to them.

As his behavior continued, I thought, ok this guy is not interested in what I have to say and he’s obviously testing me to see how I handle it. Not a great first impression, but I will not be intimidated and I know my stuff. So I continued my pitch, trying to get him to make, at the minimum, eye contact with me. Finally, after about 5 minutes, I passed this test, or he gave up on his act, and I was able to sign some business with him.

The reason why I resonate with the quote from the biography is because people knew what to expect from Anna. They had to have their shit together and when they spoke to her, they did not waste her time. I think most executives feel this way. Some manage it better than others, but their time is limited and everyone wants some of it. So working as a consultant for many years, I learned to get to the point and quickly.

Meeting with that digital marketing company owner for the first time, I did not know what to expect. I assumed there would be 5-10 minutes of niceties (it’s Minnesota after all) and then we’d get about the business. What he modeled in that first meeting was that I didn’t have 5 minutes, I needed to get to the point quicker and it was a good reminder to always be prepared to state your case in 5 minutes or less. That, or he WAS just “big timing” me.