Business Networking Blog 30th June 2022

When I write these weekly blogs I normally make passing reference to the weather. I cannot recall the last time I had to admit to the rain falling when we assembled. However disappointing this might be, any disappointment was entirely mitigated by the fact that a first time visitor arrived at 5.55am, just ahead of me. He is an electrical contractor and was the first of two visitors, the other being Steven Holroyd who also visited us last week. It would also be a source of satisfaction to us all if both visitors were to join which seems highly likely. In addition to our two visitors 21 members were present which also perhaps made up for the inclement weather.

The Performance League

With this being the last meeting of the month Terry Maylin is likely to be this month’s winner as he currently leads the field with 147 points and was also very active in the referrals and testimonials round. He is followed by Howard Bullock and Scott Griffiths. We will know the month’s outcome next week.

Education Presentation

It was Jane Malyon’s turn this week to utter the words of wisdom and as always, she did not disappoint. The type of character that you are can have a very real effect on how you approach the promotion of your business. The Convincer Strategy, do you make a first time decision or do you wait to be convinced in assessing for example someone who has just done some work for you. Getting Over was her next heading. Do you make judgments based on micro detail or do you just look at the gist of the issues. Finally, self-assessment, are you a Towards or an Away From person. Are you positive in your decision-making or, as Jane put it, are you away from whereby you look at decisions from the ‘oh heck’ viewpoint

All very enlightening and as it happens linked with our 10 minutes presenter Toby Acton.

New Member Induction & Existing Member Renewal

Terry Maylin delivered the good news that Matt Barry has renewed his membership for another year.

The 60 Second Round

The recently retired Richard Reed was last week’s Oscar winner so Howard Bullock stood in. He also was anxious to emphasise that in uncertain economic times you should not panic. Markets to go up and down. This sentiment was echoed by Emma Taylor in relation to trends in the housing market which is showing signs of slowing down. Mike Rogers on the other hand, whilst not suggesting panic, suggested that with the potential of interest rate rises mortgage terms should be reviewed with a view to getting set up with appropriate fixed rates and that you should do this now rather than leaving it to the last minute when of course you would panic. Sarah Steel, a late arrival who had not heard Mrs Bullock, Taylor, or Rodgers’ efforts echoed their concerns over the volatile economy that is playing havoc with the cost of living. She might be able to help companies keeping the cost of wage rises down by providing webinars that will emphasise best management of your money to maximise your current income.

Kieran Peaty was upbeat and produced a concept report would he invited us all to look at after the meeting. James Humphries was equally positive. You only get what you pay for in insurance and he alluded to useless policies that he had recently come across relating to a plumber and to a scaffolder. Don’t just go for the cheapest and expect to rely on the expertise of a broker in selecting the right policy for you. Paul Dulieu is involved with different kinds of policies. He’s involved in company policies put in place for the company’s advancement. His wordsmith talents are aimed at making such policies crystal clear.

Utility Warehouse are not in the habit of buying energy company’s goodwill like Bulb who are currently in administration. They rely on attracting customers who will  have the benefit of using their services in a way that saves them money. Talking about companies in administration, that is one of the things that’s Melissa Jackson does for a living and she impressed Toby Acton over her explanation of what an administration was in one sentence. He might err on the side of being more verbose but he would definitely be faster.

Vincent Goode produced examples of children’s books that he has published. It doesn’t have to be a children’s book but he certainly had produced something that looked very professional and very appealing. Talking of things appealing, Jane Malyon regard’s the cream teas that she delivers as the equivalent of delivering a ‘hug in a box’. She even tried to demonstrate this with Emma Taylor as her victim.

This is perhaps not surprising that Howard Bullock should look to who commented upon the volatility of our economic situation by awarding the Oscar to James Humphreys whose message was clear and well presented.

This weeks statistics and points of note

For once Scott Griffiths was not all facts and figures. He talked of networking bingo coming up soon and also referred us to the LinkedIn page details he recently circulated regarding EBF.

10-minute presentation by Toby Acton

It was a high-speed tour of motivational mapping that was at the heart of his presentation. He spoke of the links between skills and motivation and even made mention of a ‘mystical tool’. No deep dives this week but a 100 mile an hour dash through his material that condensed 20 minutes’ worth of presentation into 10 and prompted a lively Q&A afterwards. We were all breathless after his performance but definitely better informed

Thank you all for contributing to a lively and interesting meeting