Apple CEO Tim Cook was able to develop a personal relationship with Donald Trump during his first term, something that has proven unattainable for many other tech companies. Now other company executives intend to adopt their strategy, reports The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
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In 2017, Cook achieved changes in US tax policy that were beneficial for Apple, and in 2019 he managed to mitigate the tariffs initiated by Trump. In return, the former president had the opportunity to look like a winner in public: for example, Cook did not refute Trump’s claim that the new plant in Austin was opened thanks to his politics, even though the plant had already been in operation for many years. and was run by a contractor.
Part of Cook’s successful strategy was to avoid middlemen. According to the WSJ, instead of sending lobbyists or government relations representatives, Cook approached Trump directly through phone calls and in-person meetings over dinner.
In meetings, Cook followed a clear strategy: he would provide a key fact and focus on a specific topic to avoid distractions on other topics. This approach helped make conversations with Trump more productive, the publication clarifies.
However, repeating Tim Cook’s strategy will not be easy, company managers admit. Few organizations have the level of recognition that Apple has, or the stature of Cook himself. Some lobbyists and corporate consultants have already encountered the fact that unless Donald Trump has an existing relationship with an executive, it is now extremely difficult to arrange a meeting with him.
“Unless you’re Tim Cook, you’re going to have to meet these people three or four times before they remember who you are,” said former Aetna CEO Ron Williams. He emphasized that building those relationships takes time and a strategic approach.
Williams also warned that this type of contact can also have a downside: “If you have lunch together, you can be sure that one day your phone will ring. And it may not be what you want.”
As The Verge notes, some of the tech industry’s biggest leaders are trying to “follow the path of adulation.” Trump claimed that Google CEO Sundar Pichai told him about his search trends, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called repeatedly to express support and praise for Trump’s response to the assassination attempt.
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Author:
Karina Pardaeva
Source: RB
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
