Nobody teaches you this (well, almost nobody)
Nobody teaches you this (well, almost nobody) I once sat in on a training day for newly qualified solicitors. Technically, it was excellent. Contract law, client care letters, billing targets, the lot. Nowhere on the agenda was “how to talk to a stranger at a drinks reception without wanting to hide behind the canapés.” That’s […]
Six Degrees to Your Next Client
Six Degrees to Your Next Client Ask a room full of businesspeople if they’d like more referrals, and every hand goes up. Ask them to name exactly who they’d like referred to, and the hands start dropping. That gap — between wanting referrals and being able to ask for one properly — is where most […]
Nobody refers the ‘what’
Nobody refers the ‘what’ We pour a fortune of energy into the ‘what’. The job title. The service list. The perfectly worded LinkedIn headline. All of it necessary – and almost all of it forgettable. ‘Business consultant.’ ‘Networking trainer.’ None of it really sticks, because none of it tells anyone why you bother getting […]
Why “anyone who needs me” is costing you referrals
Why “anyone who needs me” is costing you referrals You’ll often hear networking professionals like me tell you to be specific and targeted when asking for referrals. Unfortunately so many business people get stuck though. They might accept they should be specific – they just don’t know how to do be specific. Let me help. There is […]
I still hover over the send button
I still hover over the send button If we want to grow a business, we have to be able to promote ourselves. Simple in theory. Considerably less simple in practice. The word ‘promote’ comes from the Latin promovere — to move forward. Which sounds positive and purposeful. But do a quick Google search for ‘self-promotion’ […]
Is AI Killing the Human Connection? Why It’s Time to Go Back to Basics
I found myself in a slightly drafty cafe near the station last Tuesday morning. You know the type: the ones that are always about five degrees colder than they should be, where you keep your coat draped over your shoulders like a cape, but they make a decent enough brew to keep you coming back. […]
Where are the referrals
Where are the Referrals? I was stood by a lukewarm coffee urn at an accountancy conference recently, listening to a manager describe their “networking plan”. They were doing everything you’d expect from a busy professional team. Posting on LinkedIn. Turning up to breakfasts. Smiling for the group photos. Dropping comments on other people’s posts so […]
How long does it take to make friends?
How long does it take to make friends? Relaxing on the beach A 2018 study by Jeffrey A. Hall, a University of Kansas professor, looked at the amount of time it takes to become friends with someone. Given the need to build great relationships to become friends, and the need to build great relationships to […]
Why some professional relationships fade (and why that’s OK)
Why some professional relationships fade (and why that’s OK) I sometimes think about how many people I was once incredibly close to, and now barely speak to at all. There’s a mate from university who was, at one point, one of my best friends. We lived together, did everything together, and then, slowly and without […]
Coat Rack Networking
Coat Rack Networking Relaxing on the beach What I Learned Standing by the Coat Rack I once spent almost an entire Christmas networking event standing by the coat rack. Not on purpose. I’d arrived a bit too early (not a fan of that as an unnatural networker), hadn’t spotted anyone I knew, and couldn’t quite […]