Baffled, that’s what I am right now. Utterly baffled. In all honesty, I could leave this post right here and those two sentences (short though they are) would sum it up perfectly. However, two sentences would not let you into the strange and eccentric world of today.
On many an occasion, I write about how weird and wonderful work at FWL is. But it’s more than that. On Friday, I was in Wolverhampton at The Business Networking Show (TBNS). If you weren’t there, you should have been. Meeting up with business friends old and new, there just wasn’t enough time in the day to do everything with so much on the agenda. If you are in business, keep an eye out for the announcement of TBNS2017 and get there….
The return journey was tiring on Saturday, with a few drink and food stops required to keep the energy up and the eyes wide open. How anyone managed to drive back on Friday after the Curry Evening (congratulations to Michele Ibbs for the awesome planning and execution of that part of the day!) is quite beyond me.
So, what is the point of this event? Why do I go to TBNS and other networking meetings? It may surprise you but it’s not to ‘sell our stuff’. We don’t need to do that. We have enough work as it is! It’s to make connections with other people in the business world across the nation. With 4N, it’s 50% social, 50% business and (for me and a whole load of other people) it works. I met lots of people who we will pass business to for a whole host of reasons – new FWL pens, mugs and other paraphernalia, an alternative (and cheaper) way to transfer money abroad, improving our call handling skills….
Today and yesterday, we have been inundated with new LinkedIn connection requests, Facebook friends, Twitter followers and emails as a result of TBNS. Having recently done some work with On The Button Digital Marketing, we are now geniuses/genii (true, because Katie said) in engaging online. I think, after today, I have about twenty people who need On The Button’s help. To me, it’s obvious that when you send a friend request to someone you don’t ‘know’ but you have mutual friends with, if that request is accepted, you send a private message explaining the reason for connecting. Maybe it’s just that ‘we clearly roll in the same circles’ but say something!! And for heavens sake, don’t post on my Facebook wall, ‘Let me know how I can help you!’ You just connected with me! I didn’t connect with you!! What makes you think I need your help?
#buymystuff doesn’t work for me, nor for many others business owners. That’s obvious to me…. but clearly, not to all. Welcome to the learning curve… sometimes a steep curve.
On that note, signing off before launching the next brand new 4N group in the morning – 4N Devizes…. bring it on (with no #buymystuff allowed).
