Comments on: Are You on Business Sat Nav? http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/ Helping small businesses attract the right clients Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:27:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Karen Skidmore http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-60 Karen Skidmore Sun, 10 May 2009 18:40:04 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-60 Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories about following your gut instinct. And I am sure all your contributions will be useful reading for others coming here to read this article. @ Sarah Orchard - you ask the question about walking away from a client and Alice has given some great advice. How you do it? Through good listening and communication. It isn't an easy situation to deal with - I don't envy you at all! - but it may be that the client wants out too. Try and see it from their perceptive too. Keep it business-like and avoid being personal at all costs. Thank you to everyone for sharing their stories about following your gut instinct. And I am sure all your contributions will be useful reading for others coming here to read this article.

@ Sarah Orchard – you ask the question about walking away from a client and Alice has given some great advice. How you do it? Through good listening and communication. It isn’t an easy situation to deal with – I don’t envy you at all! – but it may be that the client wants out too. Try and see it from their perceptive too. Keep it business-like and avoid being personal at all costs.

]]> By: Ida Horner http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Ida Horner Thu, 07 May 2009 15:08:06 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-52 I don't have a Sat nav and have resisted the urge to get one, because of the bad press they got in the early days, I don't want to end up in a river somewhere..LOL On a serious note though our gut feelings are incredible . I met someone at a networking event last year and his work is coffee processing. I am a tea enthusiast so I aksed him about tea and told him Uganda my country of origin has superb tea. He dared me to get hold of this tea for him and send it to him. I called Mummy dearest and a pack of tea arrived and I sent it to Mr coffee guy. He was so impressed that he started talking to me about providing him a service, that would enable him to source his coffee more ethically. This is not a service I offer but knew I could. Several months later I am due to take him out to Uganda next week so he can meet the producers and buy his coffe directly from them for a fee! It has been hard work to get here and a few of my associates had advised me to walk away as it appeared from their point of view that Mr coffee guy was taking liberties with my time and knowledge. But my gut feeling told me to hang in there and it transpired that he was afraid of going to Africa as he ahs never been and needed a lot of reassurance that ti would be OK! and not taking liberties as my associates had assumed! Great Blog Karen I don’t have a Sat nav and have resisted the urge to get one, because of the bad press they got in the early days, I don’t want to end up in a river somewhere..LOL

On a serious note though our gut feelings are incredible . I met someone at a networking event last year and his work is coffee processing.

I am a tea enthusiast so I aksed him about tea and told him Uganda my country of origin has superb tea. He dared me to get hold of this tea for him and send it to him.

I called Mummy dearest and a pack of tea arrived and I sent it to Mr coffee guy. He was so impressed that he started talking to me about providing him a service, that would enable him to source his coffee more ethically. This is not a service I offer but knew I could. Several months later I am due to take him out to Uganda next week so he can meet the producers and buy his coffe directly from them for a fee!

It has been hard work to get here and a few of my associates had advised me to walk away as it appeared from their point of view that Mr coffee guy was taking liberties with my time and knowledge. But my gut feeling told me to hang in there and it transpired that he was afraid of going to Africa as he ahs never been and needed a lot of reassurance that ti would be OK! and not taking liberties as my associates had assumed!

Great Blog Karen

]]> By: Penny Lowe http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-50 Penny Lowe Thu, 07 May 2009 10:04:25 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-50 Sat Navs do have one benefit - they ensure you know where you are going before you embark on your journey - and you have to write it down! I often ignore my sat nav when driving, but at the end of the day I know I have it there to help me reach my destination - just like a coach really! Sat Navs do have one benefit – they ensure you know where you are going before you embark on your journey – and you have to write it down!
I often ignore my sat nav when driving, but at the end of the day I know I have it there to help me reach my destination – just like a coach really!

]]> By: Alice Elliott http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Alice Elliott Thu, 07 May 2009 08:34:52 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-48 In response to Sarah's issue - if the client is bad news, you're better off out. There are certainly some unscrupulous people out there who wouldn't think twice for taking you for a ride, so just don't become party to it. If all your senses are crying out "I'm not happy with this" then terminate the project. It may seem drastic, but it will certainly save you time, angst and money in the long run, and will probably raise your status as someone who is not to be messed with. And never make a split decision on a large venture - on the door salesmen get short shrift from me as I don't agree with this NOW decision or you'll lose out stuff. And terminating during a 'cooling off period' is more hassle than it's worth and can lead to bad feelings for both parties. In response to Sarah’s issue – if the client is bad news, you’re better off out. There are certainly some unscrupulous people out there who wouldn’t think twice for taking you for a ride, so just don’t become party to it. If all your senses are crying out “I’m not happy with this” then terminate the project. It may seem drastic, but it will certainly save you time, angst and money in the long run, and will probably raise your status as someone who is not to be messed with. And never make a split decision on a large venture – on the door salesmen get short shrift from me as I don’t agree with this NOW decision or you’ll lose out stuff. And terminating during a ‘cooling off period’ is more hassle than it’s worth and can lead to bad feelings for both parties.

]]> By: Alice Elliott http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Alice Elliott Thu, 07 May 2009 08:25:15 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-47 If I had followed my gut reactions on various clients, I certainly would have been both time and quids in. But as Karen said, your thirst for money and to gain experience overshadows your basic instincts, and you become a cropper. But sometimes following your gut reaction on certain projects can lead to failure, as I have signed up to various activities or programmes thinking they were good for me, only to find myself out of pocket and none the wiser. Consulting others before you take on the venture (looking before you leap) has certainly saved me from many a sticky situation, and I wish I had done so for the projects I hadn't succeeded in (I would be a richer and wiser person now for doing so). But signing up for any of Karen's ventures is always a good bet, as my gut as proved many a time. If I had followed my gut reactions on various clients, I certainly would have been both time and quids in. But as Karen said, your thirst for money and to gain experience overshadows your basic instincts, and you become a cropper. But sometimes following your gut reaction on certain projects can lead to failure, as I have signed up to various activities or programmes thinking they were good for me, only to find myself out of pocket and none the wiser. Consulting others before you take on the venture (looking before you leap) has certainly saved me from many a sticky situation, and I wish I had done so for the projects I hadn’t succeeded in (I would be a richer and wiser person now for doing so).

But signing up for any of Karen’s ventures is always a good bet, as my gut as proved many a time.

]]> By: Sarah Orchard http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-46 Sarah Orchard Thu, 07 May 2009 08:10:44 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-46 Yes I agree about trusting gut instinct too. Sometimes you just get that feeling that a supplier, networking contact or client is going to be trouble and isn't in the same place as you on how you work and what you believe is right. I have recently taken on a new client and it isn't working out from my perspective due to one individual in the team's behaviour. The dilema is always how to tackle the issue. Do you walk away, confront the individual or grin and bear it? It's all too easy to to be tempted into sticking with it because the project is a juicy one! My style is to discuss it with the person who engaged me on the project but it's not always a pleasant or easy conversation to have!! How have others experienced such an issue? Any advice or tips? How did you approach it? Yes I agree about trusting gut instinct too. Sometimes you just get that feeling that a supplier, networking contact or client is going to be trouble and isn’t in the same place as you on how you work and what you believe is right.

I have recently taken on a new client and it isn’t working out from my perspective due to one individual in the team’s behaviour. The dilema is always how to tackle the issue. Do you walk away, confront the individual or grin and bear it?

It’s all too easy to to be tempted into sticking with it because the project is a juicy one! My style is to discuss it with the person who engaged me on the project but it’s not always a pleasant or easy conversation to have!!

How have others experienced such an issue? Any advice or tips? How did you approach it?

]]> By: Claire Brown http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Claire Brown Wed, 06 May 2009 20:47:24 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-45 I hate Sat nav, and always make sure i've looked at a map and printed out a page from streetmap before I set out, but I totally agree about the trusting your instincts bit with a new person. I met someone at a networking meeting last week, - seemed to have a good business idea, had a good chat until they asked me - do you give discount for people you meet at networking and will I do a one hour consultation for free, - nooooo!, why would I offer a discount to someone i've just met, - I give offers to those who are regular clients, returning clients or who recommend lots of new clients to me, - it immediately turned me off, and then when I got home, I got a sales email from them, - you know the kind that don't give any helpful advice or information they just say "do this as i'm wonderful" and by the way i've added you to my email list! - yuk I hate Sat nav, and always make sure i’ve looked at a map and printed out a page from streetmap before I set out, but I totally agree about the trusting your instincts bit with a new person. I met someone at a networking meeting last week, – seemed to have a good business idea, had a good chat until they asked me – do you give discount for people you meet at networking and will I do a one hour consultation for free, – nooooo!, why would I offer a discount to someone i’ve just met, – I give offers to those who are regular clients, returning clients or who recommend lots of new clients to me, – it immediately turned me off, and then when I got home, I got a sales email from them, – you know the kind that don’t give any helpful advice or information they just say “do this as i’m wonderful” and by the way i’ve added you to my email list! – yuk

]]> By: Tone Tellefsen Hughes http://www.candocanbe.com/featured-articles/are-you-on-business-sat-nav/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Tone Tellefsen Hughes Wed, 06 May 2009 20:42:23 +0000 http://www.candocanbe.com/?p=644#comment-44 I also belive in my gut instinct, but as a Chiropractor, you have to be careful as new clients may be in pain, distressed or nervous and therefore not showing their true self. Often, after their first consultation they feel calmer and more relaxed and then can give me a better idea of who they are. Thismay also be true at networking events.... I also belive in my gut instinct, but as a Chiropractor, you have to be careful as new clients may be in pain, distressed or nervous and therefore not showing their true self. Often, after their first consultation they feel calmer and more relaxed and then can give me a better idea of who they are. Thismay also be true at networking events….

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