Many people attend networking functions to meet people who can help them grow their business. They make a business connection, yet they don’t actually get business from those business leads simply because they don’t follow up. How many times have you heard this conversation?

“That sounds really interesting. I’d like to learn more about that.”

“That would be great. Maybe we could meet for coffee?”

“Yes! I’d really like that. Let’s definitely get together.”

“Maybe next week?”

“Sure! I’ll check my schedule.”

“Let’s talk soon!”

Then nothing happens.

This can be due to networking “drive-bys” as my friend, Sarah Michel dubs them, where people feel as though they are in a race to collect business cards as though it was the adult version of an Easter egg hunt.

Why don’t we follow up? A quick poll yielded these excuses.

Fear: The reluctance to follow-up can stem from uncertainty as to whether that other person’s intent to meet was genuine. Some people fear rejection. What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t value my product or my company? What if they were just being nice?

Not enough time: People get absorbed with the day-to-day activities and they just don’t make following up a priority. If you make a promise, keep it. Make the time.

Good intentions: You know what they say about good intentions? They don’t generate much business. Actions generate business.

Creating a monthly FOLLOW-UP ACTION plan.

Make a phone call a day: Pull out that stack of business cards and promise yourself that you are going to make a phone every day to someone you have been meaning to call, and then DO IT!

Send an email note: “Hi, I met you at ___ and I wanted to follow-up on our discussion. Can I send … Read More

Somewhat few people today recognize the underlying complexity of the existing telephone networking system that delivers virtually all of the communications to companies and residents in the UK. In its existing kind, you can find 17 interconnected platforms which function collectively to form the slightly muddled nervous technique with the market and this layout has been produced more than the years as new technologies and platforms happen to be introduced to compliment or supplant those already in existence.

The result is not surprisingly that BT has to commit a significant percentage of its price range in maintaining and repairing the disparate technologies, at the same time as keeping engineers trained in the use of them all. This drives up the charges connected with operating BT and is not held to become a specifically useful or sustainable technique inside the longer term.

As such, BT is arranging to introduce the 21st Century Network, or 21CN for quick, which will merge all of the current platforms into a single, unified program which will be computer software driven and reliant upon World-wide-web Protocols. Too as becoming far more advanced in function due to the sophistication on the software, it’ll ideally be a lot easier to manage and to preserve with simplified physical components requiring much less function and becoming of greater consistency, offering a much more reputable service for all.

BT recognizes that so that you can realize its plans for 21CN a vast volume of investment is required from each public funding and private investment as well as the technical challenge and possible legal roadblocks have to all be tackled and defeated if success will be to be accomplished. It’s going to take a minimum of 5 years for the complete course of action to become completed, so it truly … Read More