A business professor assigned his MBA students to give a sales presentation for their year end final.

They had to convince the professor that “spending a $10,000 on a digital marketing campaign” was a smart decision.

So most did what anyone would do…

Prepared.

Data. Facts. Slide decks. 

Rehearsed talking points. 

One guy printed a 12-page handout. 

Someone else built an actual excel model. 

They were ready.

One guy was given a time slot on a Friday morning.

But when he arrived…he saw a note:

"Come back later. Prof’s not here."

Annoyed, he rescheduled, and came back.

"Can't meet. Pls. send an email."

So he did. 

The email was over-polished but professional. 

Thorough. 

It deserved a response.

Still …Nothing.

A week went by. 

No presentation. 

Two weeks went by.

Nada.

Classmates started texting each other. 

This is when things got interesting:

"Wait …he blew you off too?"

“Yo man, I’ve tried twice to meet him."

"I sent two emails dude!” 

Nothing.

Many gave up.

But some started to get a strange feeling…

This wasn't incompetence. 

It was deliberate. 

The presentation wasn't the assignment… 

Finding a way to meet with the professor was the assignment!

Those that figured this out passed.

The lesson hit hard. 

In business, in sales, and in life… no one guarantees meetings with you. 

Finding ways to add value, learning to keep showing up, and removing the notion that “because you know something” means someone else needs to listen — those skills are the difference makers.

The professor saved his best business lesson for last.

This past week, I made a guest visit to speak with the business & sales students at Capital University.

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