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It's only a letter
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Look. The phrase “It’s only a letter” can be the most dangerous in PPP language. Sometimes, it genuinely is only a letter. An update. A clarification. Something routine. But sometimes, that letter gives away a position worth millions. Or… It accepts a risk nobody intended to accept. Or… It creates a precedent that will be quoted back to you two years later by someone charging $900 an hour. Or it says something perfectly reasonable… In precisely the wrong way. The problem is that you normally don’t know which type of letter it is until after you send it. And after you send it, the discussion changes. You are no longer deciding what to say. You are explaining what you meant. Very different game. Indeed. I have seen smart people, supported by good lawyers and experienced teams, send letters that made their lives considerably more difficult. In most cases, just because they did not go further in their analysis… or they had not seen the little monster before. So… They didn’t anticipate how the other side would interpret the words, the implications or what they would do with them next. That is precisely why I created Before You Send. A simple retainer that gives CEOs, project directors and commercial teams access to an experienced second pair of eyes before an important letter, notice or response goes out. Not to rewrite every email. Not to create another approval process. To stop for 30 minutes when the commercial or contractual consequences could last for years. Sometimes… yes… it is only a letter. But, sometimes it is a multimillion-dollar decision disguised as an inoffensive lamb. If you would like that second pair of eyes available before you press Send, click below.
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Vicente Valencia
Weekly insights on how to perform when it matters | High-stakes decisions. Real situations. No BS. | 👇JOIN +2k readers 👇
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