Saturday, April 06, 2013

Not Exactly What I Want

OK, I'm frustrated.  I asked a member of the staff of a networking group, to look at a short list of members to see which ones listed he would be willing to personally introduce to me.

The return email identified two people to whom he was willing to send an email about me.

While I am grateful for any help I can get, that type is barely on the helping scale.

We all know what is going to happen with those emails.  I will be copied.  Then when I try to reach out to suggest an appointment to connect over coffee, they will defer.  Usually their schedule is "too busy right now."

I don't blame them.  I'm sure that they've experienced throw-up appointments from others in the past.  They think I will do the same.  We all know that I won't, but they don't know that!

FRUSTRATING!

There I feel better...just a little.

2 comments:

Jamie W Franks, MSW LISW said...

Making the personal introduction is key. I completely agree. Of course sending an email is easy and takes less time but that's not how relationships are formed. We can't expect to maintain the friendships that we have with a minimal email a few times a year let alone a possible business relationship that isn't even established. It's important to give people time. When you don't give time, it sends the message that your referral isn't important enough or that your referral partner isn't important. Bad Message to send out there.

Debby said...

Jamie, you are so right. That's exactly how I felt, that I wasn't worth the time.