The Man with the Moustache
by Jeremy ChanceBack in the 1980s, I negotiated a deal with an upmarket Chiropractic Centre in Neutral Bay, a suburb full of married woman who practised Yoga because they hadn't heard of Pilates yet. Luckily, Alexander was in vogue back then, so I could demand my terms.
I told the Manager: I can pay you when I teach, that's it. No monthly rent, sorry.
I was happy to walk away from the deal.
*** SIDE BAR ***
That's the simple secret to being strong in a negotiation. As English billionaire Felix Dennis puts it in 88 The Narrow Road:
"Whoever depends the least upon the outcome will usually prevail... If in doubt, walk out."
*** END SIDEBAR ***
The Manager caved in.
Which is how I came to meet man with the moustache.
An ancient man like him would never normally bother with a youngster like me. It was a chance passing of two generations. He was tall, majestic - a Hjalmar Schacht figure supplanted from the 19th Century.
I was a wild young boy with a foolish idea that I could change the world. And Yet – there I was in an posh clinic in one of the most expensive suburbs of Sydney, peddling my Alexander wares for whoever cometh…
He cometh.
I was a chair-and-table guy back then, but my Manager (finally asserting his authority) allocated a room so small, no table could fit. Oh dear.
I did a 30 minute chair lesson with the man with the moustache.
Up and down, up and down…
ME: Did you notice?
No.
Up and down, up an----WAIT!
ME: Did you notice?
Perhaps.
He was monosyllabic and utterly unreadable.
I did my "hands-on" thingy and hoped for the best. Finally, the lesson was over.
He stood up one final time, walked to door, stopped, turned back and peered at me like a wonder in a Science Museum…
What an extraordinary way to earn a living!
And he left.
I never saw the man with the moustache again.
Cheerfully
Jeremy
To Your ATSuccess !
P.S. If you enjoy my emails, you or a student of yours might also enjoy the 2nd Edition of my cheerful little book on Alexander's discovery - full of stories that have populated my long career.
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