Month: May 2023

You shouldn’t need a magnifying glass

Posted on May 28, 2023 by - Business opinions, Business relationships, Marketing, Networking

Recently I’ve been having some challenges at home because my beloved has been in hospital, it seems forever, following a heart attack. (As I type this, and after nine weeks, he is home now. Yay!) Now, you may be wondering “Why is she telling me this?” Well I think it is fair to say that my patience, which I have never had in abundance, has been even more lacking of late. I have a very familiar follow-up process when I network. I spend time afterwards getting in touch with the marvellous people I have met the previous week and adding their info to my database.

Most of the time this is a nice, relaxed process—a lovely cappuccino or two, maybe a familiar TV programme on in the background as I input to a spreadsheet. (Love a spreadsheet.) Anyway, in the last few weeks some cards have not made it onto the spreadsheet. (You might be thinking “Why does that matter?” Well I meet literally hundreds of people in any given month and not being on my spreadsheet means if someone says “Do you know a widget-maker in Scunthorpe”, or whatever, wherever) I won’t find the widget maker from Scunthorpe that I met ten years ago. It often happens that I have to look at a website to find out what someone I have met does, and, it has to be said, sometimes I still don’t know because their website is full of “management speak” but that is a whole other rant, so back to the current one.

Some of the reasons they do not make it to my spreadsheet?

In no particular order, (although if they are nearer the top than the bottom this is probably because they irritate me more). They have:

  • a sparkly card, usually with a sparkly, but different sparkly lettering. I like sparkly, but not when it makes the information illegible
  • very little information on the card (I refer you back to website comment)
  • cards which have no name and/or info/sales/enquiries@Idon’twantyoutogetintouchwithmepersonallyreally.com
  • tiny, tiny, tiny writing on the card.

My rule is if I have to get out a magnifying glass to try and read your card then it probably won’t make it onto the spreadsheet. OK, now all the above might just be me, however when we pay good money to have business cards designed and printed, we probably want people to keep in touch and for people we have met to be left with a good impression about my business. If the magnifying comes into use, then these goals have probably been missed.

Don’t have a process for your networking? Want some help with your networking? Then here is my gift to you: my Top 20 networking tips. Just follow this link: ebn.uk.com and complete the form to receive your copy.

Have fun,

Glenys

Not sure I’d want a new, full time, job at 74

Posted on May 15, 2023 by - Future dreams

Recently, I have been watching anything I can relating to the coronation of King Charles III. Now, some may be surprised by this, because I am that odd mix of Socialist and Royalist which can get a bit confusing, but I’m happy to explain it to you if ever we are sitting eating cake and chatting. I was not always a fan of Prince Charles but I have come to admire him through his actions over the last few years.

Full disclosure, I have not met the King—though I did get a Christmas card off him for a few years when I was involved in the Prince’s Trust—but we have never sat and chatted about his life and work. Everything that follows is based on perception rather than insider knowledge, but you guessed that right? I have always thought that his has been the longest apprenticeship ever known and that has been fabulous, because it meant that our beloved Queen was still there doing what, I think, she did magnificently.

It has seemed to me that. like all good apprenticeships, he has learnt from others, had the chance to have a go at some of the more straightforward jobs (I’m thinking foreign visits where my perception is you have to take some of the workload of the monarch, smile, eat unusual foods and try not to cause a diplomatic incident). Slowly his role has increased and last year he opened Parliament on behalf of his mum and…didn’t he do well?

Then, after 70 years of being head of this wonderful country and the Commonwealth Queen Elizabeth II died and it was turn for him to do the job. We have already seen some changes and I am sure there will be others. I have reconciled myself a long time ago to the fact that we have a Queen Camilla and in part that was for two reasons. The first that she obviously makes him happy, they are in love and, because I know how that feels I would never begrudge that to anyone, and the other reason is that the late Queen thought it was a good idea and I trusted her opinion.

However, as I approach 70 (yes, I know I look fantastic, thank you) I am looking for new adventures that do not include responsibility, alarm clocks or diaries. I am giving up the last vestiges of being a responsible adult are being kissed goodbye and I’m thinking of buying a motorbike

and sidecar. So, I wish our new King well. I hope he lives long and does the things he has wanted to do and wants to do and that he enjoys the new job. I know I certainly wouldn’t want to start a new full-time job at 74, but anytime he needs some help with networking, I will make myself available. I’m that kind of person and that’s what networking is all about.

So, are you starting a new job and need some help with your networking? Then here is my gift to you: my Top 20 networking tips. Just follow this link: ebn.uk.com and complete the form to receive your copy.

Have fun,

Glenys

Yes you can do it yourself

Posted on May 1, 2023 by - Business opinions, Business relationships, Networking

Recently I was talking to someone about IT. Now anyone who knows me knows I am a bit of a Luddite (OK perhaps more than a bit). Anyway this man knew his stuff, I mean really knew his stuff. He understood that I only want to know how to do something when I need to know how to do it. I accept that there are shortcuts, systems and apps that will make my life more efficient and exciting, but my life is as efficient and exciting as I can manage at the moment, thank you.

While we chatted another business owner joined our conversation.

It became apparent that this other person thought he knew a lot about IT, even though it was not what he did as a business. He talked about how many IT things he did himself. He talked about SEO, Cyber security, domain names, internet stuff and frankly he probably talked about other IT things but I had glazed over quite early on, partly because I didn’t understand most of what he was saying and mainly because I was really bored.

The IT expert was very polite, he listened and nodded. He nodded and smiled. I am sure that he would have said something, but the new contact didn’t seem to need air to breathe so there were few opportunities to add anything. Finally, there was a gap in the monologue and the expert said “It’s amazing how much you know. Have you ever thought about starting a business offering this as a service?” I smiled (I’m easily amused when I’m bored) At this point the back-pedalling began and it became obvious that he didn’t actually do all these IT things for his business, he had an IT supplier but thought he needed to know what was being done.

This is not how I work. Yes, I want to know why I need whatever it is, and why I need to spend this money. What I do not want is to understand the mechanics of whatever is being suggested. If I have a supplier, I use them because I trust them, I’m confident that they know their stuff and aren’t trying to rip me off. I was therefore happy when my IT expert said “Everything I offer can be done by the business person. But why would they want to? They would have to take time out of their business to deal with their IT needs, keep up to date with all new current IT issues, and there are a lot, and of course, if it goes wrong they could end with no IT and what would that do to their business? As he said that, I had a sudden picture of me taking care of my IT needs and wondered how long before I found myself dangling over the abyss of IT failure. I’m not prepared to chance it, so I don’t do it myself!

If you would like some help with your networking,  but not IT, here’s my gift to you: my Top 20 networking tips. Just follow this link: ebn.uk.com and complete the form to receive your copy.

Have fun,

Glenys