Networking irks ... Getting on my soap box
Brief #9
Meeting and getting to know people is something we generally want to do on a social basis (to some degree or another). When it comes to our professional lives, meeting people is essential. It seems (to me) we want this to be simple and easy. Apparently, not everyone agrees. Not only do some people introduce unnecessary friction into the process, they even appear to want to profit in some manner.
Maybe it's just me, but here are three things to be avoided when you want to meet someone in a business context. The first two involve using calendar scheduling tools. The third some people find more controversial. You be the judge.
Mandatory marketing permission - On your calendar reservation page, why include a mandatory check box forcing people you want to talk with into accepting content from you/your business? In the example below, this is what you must do to book time. This came from a networking referral for someone "I should talk to". Sorry, not if you're going to force me to accept whatever you want to send to me. And whose to say this person isn't out harvesting contact info to sell to spammers...I mean noble online advertisers?
Financial penalty - This next example is again a networking referral. If you thought the above example took gumption, this one is worse. This individual wants a person to agree to pay them for a cancellation inside of twelve hours notice or due to a list of other reasons.
Why would anyone do this? If a client bails on a contracted session, that's one thing. But to have this kind of requirement for a meet and greet conversation? Pardon my (very bad) francais, but go f*** yourself. And the horse you rode in on.
Free email accounts for business use - This is one I frequently get pushback on. If you are one of these offenders, save the electrons and time in sending an email/message. People who do this (with very rare exceptions) are just not serious people.
Can there be a more blatant demonstration of not investing in yourself at all than not setting up your own domain and email for your business? For a year, this will probably run you about $150? You might be able to do it for less. If you're opting to promote Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL (I have seen one of these addresses recently) instead of your business, that does not portend good things.
There is one person...one person I know and is my friend that uses a Gmail account for work things. He is the exception (and he is an exceptional human being). Other than him, I can only think of one group of people I would talk with that use these accounts for business purposes. Someone who is in a tough situation and spending this money would be a true hardship.
Other than that, most anyone else using free email for business in my experience has not been worth engaging. Could I be wrong? Possible, but I've found this to be a pretty solid guide for how to spend my time. Hundreds, if not thousands, of free email using wannabe business people constantly prove me right on this topic.