It Takes All Sorts

On an earlier post this week I wrote about 5 ways to make an impression and suggested that we tend to accentuate those traits that play to our strengths. Sometimes we miss out on making a favourable impression by not paying attention to things that others may see as important.

This week I learnt that lesson in spades. I have called a potential BforB member several times and e-mailed a link to our website, so I turned up for our agreed one to one.

Turned out my contact was not there and another staff member greeted me and ushered me into the meeting room. Whilst the meeting was all times polite, friendly and courteous it was clear from the beginning that my colleague's expectation of the meeting and mine were different. The meeting room was set up for a formal presentation, a sales pitch. I was asked about the literature had brought and if I wanted to begin a PowerPoint presentation.

Usually when I have a one to one with a colleague it is simply a one-to-one, a conversation. This was not what had been expected and so I fell short. I was vey fortunate becuase as I say the meeting was cordial, but clearly the mismatch in expectations meant that neither party go what they had expected out of it.

So the lesson for me was be prepared for all eventualities, make sure that when following up on a networking contact that any one-to-one that is planned has an agreed "agenda". This may be no more formal than agreeing that you are just going to have a chat. It takes all sorts and all sorts of people have different expectations of a meeting. I'd forgotten that.