The meeting had been going for hours.
We were pitching two brothers. They run one of the Philippines’ major universities and were considering expanding into our region. They’d toured the site, heard the numbers, sat through our case for why this matters: world-class training, global shipping partners, young Filipinos from poor families building careers at sea.
At the end, one of the brothers leaned forward.
“We have met many others in this industry. We have seen other sites. But we have never met anyone with the passion and enthusiasm you have shown today.”
He paused.
“It is for this reason alone that we are interested in partnering with you.”
Not the numbers. Not the facility. Not the names on the letterhead.
The passion.
We talk a lot about relationships before transactions. But I think there’s something underneath that. Passion is the relationship. It tells the other person you are not here to extract value. You are here because you believe in something. That belief is contagious. It crosses language, culture and balance sheets.
In a world of polished decks and rehearsed pitches, it turns out the most disarming thing you can bring into a room is genuine conviction.
Nobody fakes that. And everyone recognises it.
PS If this resonates, I’d love to connect. Find me on: linkedin.com/in/davidthomas-asia/
