David Horne

Once you’re consistently meeting the expectations of the majority of your customers, you’ve already done the most economically valuable thing you can do.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccles. 12:13).

flushing out the Black Swans—and exploiting them. Remember, your counterpart might not even know how important the information is, or even that they shouldn’t reveal it. So keep pushing, probing, and gathering information.

you’re ever stuck, find your own “in case of emergency” questions. Here are some examples: Listening to you, I can see you work hard. I have to pause and ask: what’s your motivation? Before we continue, I want to check in: how is this interview going for you? I hate to switch gears, but with so little time together, I have to ask you about … And if

Small steps matter. Your ability to be at your best is linked to how strong you are when you’re weak. Being stronger, or sucking less, in critical moments can be transformational over time.

Customer service is the crucible of the customer experience—the place where all of the company’s claims, its mission and its values, are tested. And it’s been a long-held belief in business that when your customer is most in need of help and you deliver an “above and beyond” service experience, you are effectively building a moat around your custom

Set your target price (your goal). 2. Set your first offer at 65 percent of your target price. 3. Calculate three raises of decreasing increments (to 85, 95, and 100 percent). 4. Use lots of empathy and different ways of saying “No” to get the other side to counter before you increase your offer. 5. When calculating the final amount, use precise, n