Once again hot on the acquisition trail, last week I attended another little get-together at a large energy provider. This company was located right in the middle of a city about 60 km away from our city, and that presented the first problem. Upon (final) arrival, after having been stuck in several traffic jams, I was greeted by the parking garage attendant with the words "We haven't been told about the conference!" yelled several times, over and over again, as the explanation for why there were no parking spots left. All this while holding his cigarette at precisely the level of your face behind the steering wheel, so I very quickly closed the window to avoid suffocation or nicotine poisoning. And all this from visiting a provider of green energy!
Fortunately I soon found several parking spots in the garage (one for motorbikes only, two temporarily closed for I'm not sure what reason exactly with one of those lay-flattable sticks in the middle of them and two parking spaces for the disabled) and made my way, quite disgruntled by this time, into the futuristic-looking company building.
Things did vastly improve once I got inside.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Your Bed In The Office
This year, I am hot on the acquisition trail. That means that I am trying to acquire new customers by various different means, one of which is not cold callings.
I've always said I can't do cold callings, and I was right! I'm hopeless at them. It's like, I call up a customer, might even get to the right person, and then I don't know what to say. And I'm thinking all the time, that they're thinking, what are you calling me for? What are you trying to tell me? Who are you, and why in the Sam Hill are you bothering me!
So I figured there must be a better way to do this. Us Cupcakes are good at thinking up schemes, so I thought it was only a matter of time before I woke up one morning and had one in my head. And so it came to pass, in fact.
I've always said I can't do cold callings, and I was right! I'm hopeless at them. It's like, I call up a customer, might even get to the right person, and then I don't know what to say. And I'm thinking all the time, that they're thinking, what are you calling me for? What are you trying to tell me? Who are you, and why in the Sam Hill are you bothering me!
So I figured there must be a better way to do this. Us Cupcakes are good at thinking up schemes, so I thought it was only a matter of time before I woke up one morning and had one in my head. And so it came to pass, in fact.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Last Yesterday
Today is the last day of my old year. Tomorrow I will be one year older and a whole new year of opportunity and adventure lies ahead.
I like that my birthday is in Spring because it coincides with the start of the new year for nature too. On my birthday it always feels like everything around me is also waking up and casting off the old skin, popping up its wide-awake head and asking, what's new?
Some years are good ones, other years, when you get to the end of them, you say, well glad to be seeing the back of that one! Last year was pretty good for me. I hope for another good one.
I like that my birthday is in Spring because it coincides with the start of the new year for nature too. On my birthday it always feels like everything around me is also waking up and casting off the old skin, popping up its wide-awake head and asking, what's new?
Some years are good ones, other years, when you get to the end of them, you say, well glad to be seeing the back of that one! Last year was pretty good for me. I hope for another good one.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Lucky April
I am so lucky to have been born in April! Seems like the weather is always lovely for my birthday. And it always seems to be even better, because the long winter is just behind us and spring has already got off to a usually shaky start.
Have invited friends for dinner on Sunday - that's my actual birthday. Only question now is, which restaurant to eat at? Round one corner is a good French one, round the other corner a good Italian one.
Will decide tomorrow morning.
Have invited friends for dinner on Sunday - that's my actual birthday. Only question now is, which restaurant to eat at? Round one corner is a good French one, round the other corner a good Italian one.
Will decide tomorrow morning.
Monday, April 4, 2011
More Alcohol Please, We're British
I'm always amazed how many people don't seem to understand the words "No thanks, I don't drink alcohol". Actually I've only not been drinking alcohol since last summer, but before that I only drank beer if I drank alcohol at all, and I was always amazed then how many people didn't seem to understand the words "No thanks, I don't drink wine" or "No thanks, I only drink Pils".
The response was usually, "But this is a really good wine" - even from people who knew me quite well and had never see me drink wine in their lives. Or, "Come on, you just have to taste this cocktail. No, you really have to" and before you knew where you were, you had it thrust into your hand or under your nose and were still trying to smile and remain polite before you waved it away or placed it untouched back on the table. People do seem to get very offended by that.
Yesterday I was invited to a brunch with some people I don't know very well and all of a sudden I found a glass of champagne in my hand. "Thanks, but I don't drink alcolhol", said I, to be greeted with the response, "But you have to - it's Thomas' birthday!"
Thomas was at the other end of the table and he'd just purchased a bottle of bubbly and here it was being opened at ten past twelve in the morning.
"Well, I'll just raise my glass, but I won't drink any", I said and everyone looked at me like I was a nut. "But it's only champagne!"
Indeed it is! I think it has about 13.5% alcohol volume! I don't understand why I should be forced to drink an alcohol that I don't like or any alcohol at all if I don't want it. Nobody would dream of trying to make a non-smoker smoke, so what's the deal with drink?
The response was usually, "But this is a really good wine" - even from people who knew me quite well and had never see me drink wine in their lives. Or, "Come on, you just have to taste this cocktail. No, you really have to" and before you knew where you were, you had it thrust into your hand or under your nose and were still trying to smile and remain polite before you waved it away or placed it untouched back on the table. People do seem to get very offended by that.
Yesterday I was invited to a brunch with some people I don't know very well and all of a sudden I found a glass of champagne in my hand. "Thanks, but I don't drink alcolhol", said I, to be greeted with the response, "But you have to - it's Thomas' birthday!"
Thomas was at the other end of the table and he'd just purchased a bottle of bubbly and here it was being opened at ten past twelve in the morning.
"Well, I'll just raise my glass, but I won't drink any", I said and everyone looked at me like I was a nut. "But it's only champagne!"
Indeed it is! I think it has about 13.5% alcohol volume! I don't understand why I should be forced to drink an alcohol that I don't like or any alcohol at all if I don't want it. Nobody would dream of trying to make a non-smoker smoke, so what's the deal with drink?
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Continuity At The Gym
Continuity is very important to us. We need rituals and rules and continuity to secure and anchor us. Some of us need it more than others. So for example if I find a restaurant or café that I really like, I will go there a lot and usually try to sit at the same table.
Change is all very well in its place and time, and of course especially if it is for the better. Without change we wouldn't have progress. But maybe that's the active side. Passive continuity, perhaps, is more important. Like having continuous peacetime not interrupted by war as a backdrop providing security, which means that on the surface, things can progress and change for the better.
Change is all very well in its place and time, and of course especially if it is for the better. Without change we wouldn't have progress. But maybe that's the active side. Passive continuity, perhaps, is more important. Like having continuous peacetime not interrupted by war as a backdrop providing security, which means that on the surface, things can progress and change for the better.
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