Posts tagged networking
But I was always told not to eat and talk at the same time…
Sep 29th
Last week I was lucky enough to be invited to speak at the breakfast meeting of the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, held at a rather smart hotel just outside Bath. As is usual at these events, everyone gathered in a reception room first for a cup of coffee and then we were ushered into the dining room and had large plates of full English set before us. I picked at mine – after all, if you’re about to address a roomful of people the last thing you want is a palate thick with egg and bacon – feeling bad about the waste of food.
I totally understand the principle of networking over a meal. It saves time in a busy day to refuel at the same time as meeting people, but I find that all too often I eat automatically without enjoying the food and maybe end up eating too much without even noticing till it’s too late. Or I eat almost nothing and leave with a rumbling stomach and low energy.
There’s also the potential for so much embarrassment when you’re meeting and eating with strangers. Juggling with drink and food, not to mention exploding vol au vents and canapés that drip filling down your clothes and onto the carpet.
Food and people are both sources of fascination to me and I prefer to concentrate and enjoy each separately, but I’ve never heard anybody else express this opinion. Maybe I’m socially inept. Or just plain greedy. Is it just me?
A must-read for homeworkers
Aug 5th
I first heard about ‘Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty – The Only Networking Book You’ll Ever Need‘ years ago, but it didn’t appear to be in print in the UK and I didn’t follow up on it, partly because I share to some extent the British scepticism of American self-help books, despite having read and benefited from a few in my time. Then it was recommended again recently by Niki Hignett of www.inspired-entrepreneur.com, whose opinion I greatly respect, and this time I was able to order it from the wonderful local library.
It grabbed me from the first line and I finished it in a day. The style is friendly and down-to-earth and there are loads of stories. The chapters are short and so you keep reading on – just one more before I get back to the keyboard, put the light out etc. I think the book is so inspiring because it reminds you that business is first and foremost about people, whether they are customers, suppliers, employees or competitors, and actually they are probably much more open to being approached than you’d think.
Sitting in our back bedrooms, sheds and wherever else we perch, it’s so easy for us homeworkers to develop a kind of psychological split from the rest of the world and draw back from connecting with others. ‘They won’t be interested in me’, ‘I’m just a mum who does some freelance work’ and ‘What have I got to offer all those slick corporate types?’ are the kind of things we tend to say to ourselves.
So listen to Harvey and promise you ‘will never say no for the other guy’. Give it a try. If they do say no, try someone else. The other day I learnt that a large supplier of books has decided not to stock Work from Home because he believes it isn’t relevant to his target market. I was disappointed, but at least I asked, and actually the rejection didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. Just wait till his customers start asking for my book!
Thanks to Harvey, I’ve got a few ideas on other people to approach. I’ll let you know how it goes and I’d love to hear any stories of breaks you’ve got by being brave and chancing an approach to someone you might have thought was out of your league.
