“Another client for a major industrial property to buy? What happened?” I have been in Romania since 2004 and there were months when I did not have any request for major industrial projects out of Bucharest. And that moment I found myself having two! My colleagues were ready to kill me, as the papers we received by the owners were… crap. We had plenty of extra work to do, before we would have been able to decide if a property was suitable for what we were searching for. “Mister Ilias, you like to complicate your life” one of them told me. “Not only mine, when we have to work for clients, yours as well” I confirmed…

My “salvation: Mr “Goldneck”

Yes, everything is up for sale nowadays. But do you have any idea how difficult it is to find 5 serious properties, when you search for something in specific? After having rejected about 25 – 30 cases, we remained just with 3 interesting offers which we checked and prepared for one of the two clients. And he came 2 days later with his team of experts. While I was wondering where else to search, the phone rang: “Mister Ilias, someone here says they have exactly what we need”. I left my office and almost ran to one of our conference rooms…

I was quite excited but I cooled down immediately. My colleague introduced me to a lovely gentleman. James Bond had to fight with “Goldfinger” back in the ’60s and I found in front of me a new collaborator, the… “Goldneck” (or “Goldhand”). He didn’t stand up to shake my hand, I guess his 4 – 5 golden necklaces (visible from his shirt with open buttons) were heavy enough and prevented him from many moves. Tall, over 1.80 meters, short cut hair, “American marine soldier” type, dressed with rather dirty clothes, but carrying a jewelry store on him. “I am your salvation” he set the rules of our discussion…

“I have what you need. If you are serious, be fast and take it”

“I beg your pardon?” “You didn’t hear? Your colleague here told me that you want a property to buy and I have the absolutely perfect one for you”. “We need a large surface suitable to construct a new factory, from scratch. We also need utilities, approvals etc”. “Relax, relax” he lowered the tone of his voice (probably using a secret ancient technique of hypnosis…) “I told you I have the perfect property” he repeated and took a piece of paper. Pablo Picasso should not fear him as competing painter… he was drew even worse than me! “This is the new road. This is the intersection. This is our land. Here you have the utilities”.

“Why doesn’t your land have opening to this road, but it some meters away from it?” “It has, it has, you will see. I thought you had the eye of an expert, can’t you visualize the big picture?” his resumed his speech. He looked at me in a way that I guess he considers powerful, moving his eyebrows and partially closing his eyes. “I know it from somewhere” I thought. “What is the price here?” “Gold does not have a price. If you have a golden property, you simply take it. If you don’t have money, you stay home and watch TV”.  I was trying to find out more, but I only received verbal guarantees that everything is how we want it to be. Then he stopped the discussion, as all “macho” men would do: “I have what you need. If you are serious, be fast and take it”. “We don’t suggest properties to clients just like this, I will come to see it before I meet with them and present it”.

“I don’t do it for money, I am a dealmaker”

Our discussion ended with mutual oaths… I would definitely travel to see the property, while he would definitely send me all the papers we asked (and my colleague submitted the list). He stood up and walked to the door. All the millions of transactions he (said he) had concluded, plus the… kilos of gold carrying on him and the natural “toupee” that many successful business legends have really exhausted this distinguished gentleman. He was walking like he was incredibly bored, of absolutely everything. Before leaving, he looked deep into my eyes and threatened me: “I don’t do it for money, I am a dealmaker by nature. You’d better not make me lose my time, if you don’t have the money guaranteed”. “The only guarantees in life are dead and Jesus Christ’s Resurection, but if the property is what we are searching for, we will do our best to conclude the deal”.

My colleague was smiling: “Will you really meet him?” “Why not? I will go to present to the clients the other 3 properties we have. Before they arrive, I will see this one too and if it makes sense and he has all the papers with him, I will inform them”. “In papers the land looks good”. “In papers. We will see also how it looks in reality too…”

Dl. “GatDeAur”, un “Bentley” fals si o fabrica pe dealul lui Dracula (I)

 “Un alt client care sa cumpere o proprietate industriala importanta? Ce s-a intmaplat?” Sunt in Romania din 2004 si au fost perioade de luni intregi cand nu am avut nicio cerere pentru proiecte industriale importante in afara Bucurestiului. Si in acel moment aveam doua! Colegele mele se pregateau sa ma omoare avand in vedere ca hartiile primite de la proprietari erau… niste porcarii. Aveam de facut multa munca in plus inainte de a ne putea decide daca o proprietate era potrivita pentru ceea ce cautam. “Domnule Ilias, iti place sa iti complici viata” mi-a spus una dintre ele. “Nu numai pe-a mea, cand trebuie sa lucram pentru clientii nostri, ci si pe a voastra” i-am confirmat… 

“Salvarea” mea: “Domnul… GatDeAur”

Da, totul este de vanzare in ziua de astazi. Dar aveti macar idée cat de dificil este sa gasesti 5 proprietati serioase, cand cauti ceva anume? Dupa ce am respins 25 – 30 de cazuri, am ramas cu doar 3 oferte interesante pe care le-am verificat si pregatit pentru unul dintre cei doi clienti. Acesta urma sa vina peste doua zile impreuna cu echipa lui de specialisti. In timp ce ma intrebam unde as mai fi putut cauta, suna telefonul: “Domnule Ilias, este cineva aici care spune ca are exact ce avem noi nevoie”. Am plecat de la birou si aproape am fugit spre una din salile noastre de conferinta…

Eram destul de entuziasmat dar m-am calmat imediat. Coleaga mea imi prezinta un domn simpatic. James Bond a trebuit sa lupte cu “DegeteDeAur”(“Goldfinger”) in anii ’60 iar eu era fata in fata cu un nou colaborator… “GatDeAur” (sau “ManaDeAur”). Nu s-a ridicat sa dea mana cu mine, presupun ca cele 4 – 5 lanturi de aur (care sezareau de sub camasa descheiata) erau suficient de grele pentru a-l impiedica sa faca prea multe miscari. Inalt, peste 1.80 m, tuns scurt, genul “soldat in armata SUA”, cu haine destul de murdare, dar purtand un intreg magazine de bijuterii. “Eu sunt salvarea ta” a stabilit el regulile discutiei noastre…

“Eu am ce iti trebuie tie. Daca esti serios, fii rapid si ia”

“Pardon?” “Nu auzi? Colega ta mi-a spus ca vrei sa cumperi o proprietate si eu o am pe cea care ti se potriveste perfect”. “Avem nevoie de o suprafata extinsa, potrivita pentru construirea unei fabrici noi, de la zero. Mai avem nevoie de utilitati, aprobari etc.”. “Relaxeaza-te, relaxeaza-te” a scazut el tonul vocii (utilizand probabil o tehnica secreta de hipnotizare antica…) “Ti-am spus ca am proprietatea perfecta” a repetat el si a luat o bucata de hartie. Pablo Picasso nu ar avea de ce sa ii fie frica daca il avea pe el ca si oponent… desena chiar mai urat decat mine! Acesta este noua sosea. Aceasta este intersectia. Acesta este terenul nostru. Aici avem utilitatile.”

“De ce nu are terenul tau deschidere la aceasta strada, care este cu cativa metri mai in spate?” “ Are, are, o sa vezi. Am crezut ca ai ochi de expert, nu vezi imaginea de ansamblu?” a spus el iarasi cu voce blanda. M-a privit intr-un fel pe care el presupun ca il considera dominant, miscandu-si sparancenele si partial inchizand ochii. “Cunosc asta de undeva” ma gandeam eu. “Care este pretul aici?” “Aurul nu are pret. Daca ai la dispozitie o proprietate de aur, pur si simplu o iei. Daca nu ai bani, stai acasa si te uiti la televizor”. Incercam sa aflu mai multe, dar nu am primit decat garantii verbale ca toate lucrurile sunt asa cum ne dorim noi sa fie. Apoi a oprit discutia, asa cum orice tip “macho” ar face-o: “Am ceea ce ai tu nevoie. Daca esti serios, fii rapid si ia-o”. “Nu sugeram proprietati clientilor doar asa, voi veni sa o vad inainte sa ma intalnesc cu el si sa i-o prezint”.

“Nu o fac pentru bani, sunt om de afaceri”

Discutia noastra s-a incheiat cu juraminte reciproce… Eu voi face calatoria sa vad proprietatea, in vreme ce el ne va trimite toate documentele pe care i le-am cerut (si colega mea i-a inmanat lista). El s-a ridicat si s-a indreptat inspre usa. Milioanele de tranzactii pe care a spus ca le-a finalizat, plus… kilogramele de aur pe care le purta si tupeul innascut pe care multe legende din lumea afacerilor il au l-au epuizat pe acest domn distins. Mergea ca si cum era extrem de plictisit de absolut orice. Inainte de a pleca, m-a privit adanc in ochi si m-a amenintat: “Nu o fac pentru bani, sunt un om de afaceri innascut. Mai bine nu mi-as pierde timpul daca nu garantezi ca ai banii”. “Singurele garantii in viata sunt moartea si a doua venire a lui Iisus Hristos, dar daca proprietatea este ceea ce cautam, vom face tot ce ne sta in putere pentru a incheia  afacerea”.

Colega mea zambea: “Chiar te vei intalni cu el?” “De ce nu? Voi merge sa prezint clientilor celelalte 3 proprietati pe care le avem. Inainte ca acestia sa soseasca, o voi vedea si pe aceasta si daca are sens si are toate documentele cu el, ii voi informa”. “Pe hartie terenul arata bine”. “Pe hartie. Vom vedea si cum arata in realitate…”