Today I heard one of the more positive speakers I’ve heard in some time. And he used a device that can be trite, but he made it work. The old “how are you today” asked to a crowded room. When Vince Puente of Dallas’ Southwest Office Systems asked the group at the North Dallas Chamber […]
At the recent NACStech show, my first task was laying cables for the in-booth network. While at first, this seems like an easy task, it can be complicated. Trust me. While I could just as easily had the cables lay down next to electrical cables, the CAT 5’s were needed in specific places. Several rules
Laying and labeling cable Read More »
One of the rules of networking is “have stories.” My physician is one of the best examples of this. Whenever I go for a visit to The Good Doctor G, he greets me with “Brother Paul,” followed by “tell me a story.” That’s a great engagement line. But it also illustrates that being able to
Knowing when to end a conversation is just as important as starting a conversation. Timing is everything, but don’t sweat it. It is, after all, just a conversation. But remember to be polite and respectful of time (both your conversant’s and yours). You will really know when the conversation is either over or run its
You go into the hall, head down, heading for the space, ready for set up. Hmmm….can’t find the booth number. Why is this booth a 20×20 and not the 20×30 I paid for? Let me find that floor manager and see why they eliminated my space! Looking over the floor plan with the Freeman guy….what’s
Have you done this? Read More »
I recently attended a graduation ceremony at a university and heard these words from the speaker. Great guidance for students or anybody charting their life (which, really, is all of us). The speaker made four points: Accept your ignorance. While you may be very smart, there are things you don’t know. Be willing to collaborate.
A Lesson from Graduation Read More »
OK, which is it? I recently posted that the the FMI-Marketechnics show scheduled for Dallas the first week of May 2009 had been cancelled. I was almost immediately corrected (and subsequently posted a correction) by someone that the show was postponed. This week I read in Trade Show Week that the show has been cancelled.
Cancelled or Postponed? Read More »
We’ve all heard voicemail. We’ve all “talked” to voicemail. Here are some basic rules relating to voicemail: Be brief. Repeat your name. Repeat your number. Be polite. Call once and wait for the return call. Get to the point: “Hi, this is Paul Maynard of Zachry Associates at 214-675-0500. We met at last evening’s event
While his column was focused on selling, David Tyson, Jr’s “Strategies That Sell” space in the latest edition of the Dallas Business Journal, ended with a clear message that applies to all networkers: “Passion, commitment, action: it’s the formula for (selling) success.” The parentheses are mine because, while networking is a form of salesmanship, it
Passion, Commitment, Action Read More »
We all meet people for lunch. And if you’ve read the book, “Never Eat Alone,” you may even make it a philosophy. One of the challenges is the question of who pays the tab. We all want to be polite (see those entries), but there are some things to consider with this item. If were
