Lunch For Success

Tipping the Scales of Power (Bending the Power Curve)

Posted on 09. Jan, 2009 by Craig Peters in Uncategorized

One of my readers asked what I meant when I said that bending the “power curve” is what you’re trying to do when you conduct your power lunches. I was borrowing the term from Fox News in that earlier post, and I’d like to elaborate here. We explain it in our video as tipping the scales of power, but it’s the same thing as bending the power curve. Here’s a clip:

When you’re in a meeting with prospective clients, there’s a power difference. For example, if you’re proposing business to prospective clients, they have something that you want. You want the contract. You want the opportunity to do the job and showcase your skills. You want to be compensated.

Because your prospects have something that you want, this gives them power. They have the power to decide if they’re going to give you the contract or give it to someone else (and negotiate terms, etc.).

You have expertise, ideas, connections and solutions that your prospects could benefit from. In that sense you have power, but only to the degree that your prospects perceive the value of what you offer. It’s your job to make it clear to him or her how much value you bring to the table. The more you convince them, the more power you have in the conversation. As you convince them, the balance of power begins to tip more evenly (the power curve begins to bend towards you).

Ideally, you convince your prospect that your ideas and expertise are so valuable that it would be foolish to let you go to a competitor. Then the scales have not just leveled out; they’ve tipped clearly in your favor (the power curve is bending in your direction).

Subscribe to The Power Lunch Blog by Email

Tags: Bobby Chinn, How To, power, power curve