Last week I read a cartoon in one of the trade journals that said; “In a desperate fight for ratings, Survivor producers have returned to marketing. In their next series, Management Consultants, Creatives, Researchers, and Media people battle each other for dominance. The losers will forfeit their egos and the winners become insufferable.”

          The joke reminded me how integral my attitude towards ‘losing’ has been to my career. You see, if someone doesn’t buy my proposal, I have always conditioned myself to believe THEY are the losers, not me.

          And it’s true. If you have integrity, identify and understand your clients’ problems and opportunities, and present the best possible solutions and ideas to them, it really is they, who lose when they say “no”.

          Understanding and believing this not only helps you to present more confidently, it also prevents you from having to “forfeit your ego”.