Extract . . .
In the musical ‘The Music Man’, a travelling salesman says that “You’ve got to know the territory.” Knowing the territory is even more important when doing business abroad. The wrong action or phrase could sink a deal. Here are a few tips on how to practice proper business etiquette in China.
Read more here:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2092415_business-etiquette-china.html
Q - Possibly not your field, and I hope you don’t mind me asking. Are some people really ‘thick’ and shouldn’t even be at a meeting, or is it that they just don’t ‘get it’ or can’t ‘get it’ or what?
A - Frankly, given my background, my experiences and my attitude I’m finding this a difficult question answer. Truthfully, as I’m sitting here typing this (Fleetwood Mac/Rumour/Bonus Disc) playing in the background yes, sad to say that there are really ‘thick’ people out there and yes they do crop up in meetings – as indeed they do in management and occasionally in leadership roles.
But hey, that’s a bit draconian isn’t it? Yes, of course it is. So, here are some additional observations.
Yes, quite a few people, under some circumstances just don’t ‘get it’. Rich politicians passing laws that disproportionately affect poor people being a case in point. And me. Yes me. I’m not without this fault although through discipline and an iron-will I’ve reduced it to a minimum. There are in this curious and perplexing world we live in situations that I just don’t get.
Is this ‘cos I’m thick’ or what?
Possibly thick within the context of the subject or topic. For example I just don’t get ballet. Nor football, nor X-Factor nor female circumcision. And that’s just four. So … be open to the possibility that it just … isn’t … possible … sometimes for a person to ‘get it’ and there’s probably nothing they can do about it. Which begs the question – why were they selected to be part of the meeting? And a full understanding – if indeed that’s possible (and yes I do have some knowledge about this) is beyond the scope of this Q&A. However …
What really, really disturbs me is the growing tendency of younger people to deliberately ‘not get it’. They may well be sharp, intelligent and articulate – and yet in commercial situations deliberately choose to hide these attributes. Why? No idea.
Frankly I don’t want to know and I care even less. For example, if during paid internship a person can’t be self-disciplined enough to turn off their smartphone when they are paid to be learning then I rapidly lose interest. Do it a second time, which I perceive is disrespecting me, disrespecting my decision to give them a chance and disrespecting their focused colleagues – and they’re out.
I have no sympathy for the wilfully thick. And when you get into management and/or leadership roles then neither should you.
However, I feel obligated to assist the person who just can’t ‘get it’ as distinct from those who just won’t ‘get it’ to be placed in a position/role where they can contribute to everyone’s benefit by demonstrating their skills in those areas they really do get and more often than not these are areas which people like me sometimes can’t get. It happens. Be open to this.
NB: Howard Popeck can be contacted directly on 07870 192618. Please leave a voicemail and your return phone number if he can’t take your call there and then. Thank you.
Posted in Your questions answered by Howard Popeck
Tagged get it, Howard Popeck, Meeting, thick
Extract . . .
Virtual meeting software is changing how small businesses operate. The speed with which it can allow business owners to communicate with remote employees, regardless of distance, has allowed geographically dispersed businesses to start up and thrive.
Sarah Dillon runs two businesses using virtual meeting services. She’s a professional translator working in French, Spanish and German, and also runs a company called ePCD Webinars, training professional linguists online.
For the webinar business, Dillon uses GoToMeeting as a virtual meeting solution, and finds that the ease it lends to global communications greatly improves the company’s productivity.
Read more here:
http://nett.com.au/technology/virtual-meeting-services-for-small-business-1979/
Your first meeting with a potential investor is in progress. Looking good so far? Oh good. That’s nice. No ambushes yet? What, none at all? Oh really? Look closely, just behind those ‘rocks’ and ‘bushes’. And so … there it is, as yet unseen. And it seemed such a good day too!
“How long is the money going to last?”
Inevitably entrepreneurs feel they have an unbeatable idea. Thus they believe they are offering an irresistible opportunity to a potential investor. There’s nothing wrong with confidence. Nothing at all – unless that confidence crosses the border into reckless optimism.
Q - Why do some, if not all attendees seem to be hearing a different tune in their heads when other people re speaking? Am I correct? How widespread is it? Does it matter? What can be done? Thanks.
A -
NB: Howard Popeck can be contacted directly on 07870 192618. Please leave a voicemail and your return phone number if he can’t take your call there and then. Thank you.
Posted in Your questions answered by Howard Popeck
Tagged attendees, Howard Popeck, Meeting, meetings
Oh wow. Nice looking man across the table. Not seen him before. Such lovely eyes, and looking at me too. But … what about the alarm bells? What can your friends at Meeting World mean? Okay we’ll tell you. It won’t take long. So … ready for this? Good. Here we go.
Don’t be taken in by excessive direct eye contact with you from your counterpart. It really isn’t a foolproof indication of awareness, agreement or anything positive. It might be, but don’t rely on it. Your counterpart may have been mentored in how to apply this technique.
During that crucial face-to-face sales presentation meeting, ask for the deal and then SHUT UP. Many sales people ramble through a pitch then don’t actually ask for the deal and those that do often talk themselves out of the deal.
Extract . . .
How do attendees feel about the meetings you conduct? Do they appear bored or listless? Or worse still, do they sometimes fail to turn up?
Meeting icebreakers are a great way to liven up your meetings. If attendees enjoy your meetings, their attention span will improve, leading to faster and better meeting results. And they are more likely to turn up on a regular basis!
Meeting ice breakers may require an investment of time, but can be very effective. Use them if you are building a team, dealing with an important issue or working on an inter-departmental project.
Every scenario is different, so think about the topic and the attendees. Select the meeting icebreaker that you think will get the best response.
Here are our top six favourite meeting icebreakers:
Read more here:
http://www.practical-management-skills.com/meeting-icebreakers.html
Posted in Time management
Tagged icebreakers, Management, Meeting, meetings, Time management