Back to Basics

After so long with a Win-a-Mini stand and then the Networking event yesterday, it was back to basics today – just find six people to talk to while getting on with the rest of life.

The first one turned up while I was walking the dog: a builder’s van turning into the car park. So I took a small diversion, planning to talk to him as he got out – only to find him swinging round in a wide circle and heading for the exit. I didn’t care for that so I flagged him down.

“I was planning to talk to you as you got out,” I said. “I didn’t reckon on you leaving so soon. ,”

He told me he only wanted the visit the public loo but it was closed.

“Ah… Well the reason I wanted to talk to you is because I’m always on the lookout for small builders…”

In fact the walk turned out to be very productive because next I found myself going through the level crossing gates with a yachtsman heading for the sailing club.

“Are you a yachtsman?” I asked (daft question considering he was wearing the hat, the foul-weather jacket, the boots and toting the bag over his shoulder. “I’m going to give you one of these because I know boats are expensive…”

“What’s this?”

“Well I’ll tell you all about it if you like.”

Silence while he peered at the card.

“Takes me one minute and 45 seconds precisely. D’you want to hear it?”

“OK.”

Later on the dog met a friend. The dogs greeted each other as only dogs know how. The owners said “Good morning”, remarked on the weather…

One of them said: “Let me give you one of these…”

The other said: “What’s this?”

And the first one thought: “Three down, three to go and it’s only 9.15 in the morning!”

There was then a long gap while I did Meeting One with a new distributor, went for my clarinet lesson (not a huge success) and got to three in the afternoon still with a pocketful of cards and three people to talk to. So on the way home I stopped at a parade of shops – apart from anything else, I had a letter to post.

As I got out I almost collided with a man in a suit.

“You look successful,” I said. “I always give one of these to successful people.”

It was only after I said this that I realised he had a little badge on his lapel. It said “BT”.

Ah well, we mustn’t be prejudiced. He wanted to know all about it and the next minute he was sitting in the car with me for the Martini presentation.

Only two to go so I went round the Co-op, hanging around for a promising-looking couple who seemed to be posting a hundred parcels at the little post office section. I reckoned they must have a small business – or else they were profession eBay traders.

But while I hung around near the post office, an assistant kept having to ask me to move as she went back and forth with a trolley. Now, I don’t usually approach the staff in shops in case they realise what I’m up to and ask me to stop. But this lady was just so cheerful and polite that I had no choice: “Look, I’m always on the lookout for cheerful people. I’m going to give you one of these…”

“What is it?”

“I’ll tell you all about it if you like…”

It was only at that point, when I’d reached five that I remembered that I’d already called someone I’d been referred to by a colleague at my networking club. It’s said my piece to him over the phone without evening counting it!