Cellphone Are Good, Too!

You all have read how I feel about people taking cell phone calls during appointments. That is death of the relationship as far as I'm concerned if I am meeting with someone and they take a call.

But cell phones are good, too.

Or to be more specific, cell phone numbers are good.

Whenever I schedule an appointment with someone, I type their cell phone number right into the information about the appointment. That way if I need to connect (I'm running late, or I'm at the appointment and they are not) I have half a chance of saving the appointment and eliminating frustration.

The few times that I've not done this, of course, I needed the number. So that's my story today.

What tricks do you have when you are networking?

When is it Not Networking?

Today, if someone peeked in my window they might have regarded me as a failure at networking. I had almost the whole day at my desk and no appointments what-so-ever.

Wow!

That doesn't sound like the networking guru.

But taking a page from my son, Greg's, no distraction Fridays, I needed that time to get caught up. I usually leave my home office fairly early in the day (6:30 or 7 AM) and sometimes don't get back till the very end of the day. I don't carry my laptop with me. I know, I know, you're all rolling your eyes.

So at the end of the day, I usually have a pile of "stuff" that I need to do to honor commitments I've made to people during the day. Sometimes those don't get done right away. I feel bad, but I also want a personal life, too.

Today was luxury. I did so many of those little jobs and also reviewed the last of the homework from my Cerified Networker class that just ended. (sigh!) I did ccommunicate with a few people via email and even responded to a few phone calls. I can start the day tomorrow (and it will be a long one) knowing that the pile has been removed from my desk.

I will be a better networker because of it.

So phooey to those of you peeping toms out there. A day at the desk is a good day for a networker!

How often do you get a day in your office?

My Garden

This past three-day weekend was the first weekend I've had to devote to chores and fun around the house since the weekend before Easter. That also probably explains why the month-long absence from blogging posts.

Since I am truly an introvert by nature, playing in my garden all weekend was just the absolutely very best. My veggie garden is now all ready for the rest of the year. My final task Monday afternoon was to gain control of the raspberry plants. They like to go beyond their boundaries.

We harvested our first crop of radishes, sown about a month or so ago by Steve when I was out of town. They are the just the crunchiest and mildest radishes we've ever produced.

My garden also contains flowers. It is supposed to be a stylized, formal garden, with beds outlined in triangle shapes. Well, plants have their own mind. That's the way it starts out and then by season end, it is a crazy quilt of color and texture. Even so, I stick to 'tried and true' flowers that I know work and are not finickly about the care they receive. That means plenty of zinnias, marigolds, spider flowers, basil plants, loves-lies-bleeding, cannas, lilies and nasturiums. I love how these old-fashioned flowers look, smell and also pull in the hummingbirds. In the fall, I have to be careful not to get buzzed by a happy hummer!



What does that all have to do with networking?

Nothing!

Oh, I guess I could make a link to the fact that I stick with what works. In networking it makes sense to work with the people who have helped me before. Probably they will do so again, especially if I can help them, too.

How would you connect something in your life to networking?

Let's Get This Motor Rev'ed!

Whew! I guess I've had a vacation from blogging!

Well, not so much. Just busy.

Some thoughts to get me going again.

A couple weeks ago I met with a business owner, with whom I had previously briefly chatted. I wanted to learn more about her business. At the appointment, instead of learning more, so I could better understand, she spent the whole appointment selling to me.

Now you gotta' know that I am not her target market. She knows that, too. I kept trying to steer the conversation back on track, but there seemed to be rut that took us off track.

I left the appointment fairly frustrated. I spent an hour not finding out much more that when I arrived. This is not usual for me!