• You will hear five short recordings.• For each recording, decide what the spe

No matter what kind of business situation I’m in, it’s always important to know exactly who the individual is I’m communicating with. The worst mistake you can make is to fail to find out what drives them - money, status or whatever. Once you’ve worked that out, you’ll be able to ensure you communicate what’s in it for them personally. This should essentially govern the way you respond to people, enabling you to stay in control of the situation and achieve the desired outcome.

When I first started running my own business I made some dreadful mistakes in the way I handled staIf. The worst thing you can do is stick to one strategy and apply it to every situation. Sometimes you just need to show ’em who’s boss; other times some gentle persuasion is more effective - in my opinion, anyway. I’m sure I was often criticised for my management style - not that I let it bother me, though.