Moan: NO I am not willing to business develop for you with nothing in return!!!

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

Just wanted to moan. Have had the 3rd approach in a week from suppliers (one who I actually work with, which makes it worse) basically suggesting I should be sharing my contacts with them in order to help them develop their business. These are people that have bothered to find me and approach me in an area that is my niche, then they spoil it all by being all about them.

I am always up for a discussion as to how a supplier and I can help each other build our businesses, but why the ?!??! should I hand over my hard earned contacts to them!

Do people actually go for this, is that why they do it??!?!?

My standard response is: "Thanks, that sounds interesting. However, I'd be interested in finding a way that we can both build your network of contacts etc. If that sounds a way forward, then do let me know".

ARRRHHHHHH.

Thanks for reading if you did! I feel better now.

Yesterday I received a request from a PR-person to promote her event. Oh lovely thought I, that's nice of you to think of me. Then I delved a little deeper and saw that she'd sent the exact same request to my competitors.

Really? You can't even be bothered to personalise your message? :(

"We'd like your DH to do a stall at our event"
"Certainly his fee for the day will be"
"Oh, we are not paying, it will be publicity for him"
"You contacted us, not the other way round"
"well we are a charity"
"that's nice, he's not. No fee no show"

three weeks later
"could you budge a bit on the fee?"
"no"

two weeks before the event
"we can pay the fee"
"sorry, somebody else has taken that date"

Revenge is best served out of the fridge

Dolomites makes you feel so special doesn't it!!!

If nothing else it is a reminder to ensure our approaches/comms are taliored and include offerings something as well as asking.

Oh I get that all the time, at least your lot were open about it. 'How did you get into it' always, always turns into 'so where exactly do you get your work from?'.