When 'FRE*E'' isn't worth it

Whatever I do in my business - from one-to-one coaching to delivering workshops - I always try to deliver the best value for money that I can. I want to deliver more than the client is expecting.

Now, I get invitations to lots of 'fre*e' business start-up and growth seminars, so naturally I go along. I want to meet the other delegates - they are usually in my target market. Not only that, I like 'fre*e' - don't you?

The expression "There's no such thing as a fre^e lunch" could have been made for these seminars! Yes, you get quite a lot of information - presented by people who want to promote their own company services. However, after attending a few of these seminars, you start to notice that while you get the 'what you need to do' you don't get the 'here's how you do it'. Some are better than others.

I find this really frustrating and a bit of an insult to everyone who has given up their time to go along. So many of these business owners really want to learn, they really want to work hard on their businesses and succeed. But these seminars are really only tasters or teasers. The main event won't happen unless and until you part with money you don't have yet.

Another saying comes to mind - "You get what you pay for."

Does this happen to you?

I had a meeting in a hotel lounge area this morning and arrived a few minutes early. While waiting for my contact to arrive I did a bit of people watching. There were a couple of men talking at a nearby table - business men, judging from the suits! One of them took several calls on his mobile phone, saying 'excuse me' each time. His companion started to look a bit fed up after the third call and I don't blame him.

I know one of the benefits of having a mobile phone is that we never have to miss an important call but surely, when we are meeting with real, live people, it is considerate to give them our full attention for the duration of that meeting and let the message service pick up our calls.

If we interrupt face to face meetings to take calls, aren't we giving the other person the impression that they are less important than the caller?

When I meet with people, I make a point of turning my mobile to 'silent' in front of them, while saying that I don't want us to be interrupted. This usually has the effect of prompting the other person to do the same or, on very, very rare occasions, to apologise and explain that they are expecting an urgent call (usually a family emergency).

Genuine urgency is one thing but allowing ourselves to become slaves to a ringing phone is ridiculous! I thought that's why they invented voicemail.