Connections
Having been at the networking game both on-line and off-line for nearly a decade, I know a lot of people, some of them really quite well. Because it is how this networking thing works, I connect my friends and acquaintances to people they need to speak to, depending on their needs. I expect you do too?
Help! I need somebody
Now and again I have people come to me with an urgent need for advice which is not tax or business advice within my own expertise. It might be concerning an investment or finance requirements or whether I know someone who could advise on the latest news in a particular sector of industry.
If I have helped someone I may well have generated business for a friend, and it will always be the person / business owner who is the best one for the job or project. Recently I gave someone a good referral which will generate ongoing business for them. I don’t work on commission of course since it could cloud my judgement. It is too uncomfortable anyway. However my friend, being the good guy he is, took the time to thank me. No problem of course. He does a great job for me so he will do a great job for the person who asked me to help.
Casting a shadow
Thankless tasks
However, recently several people who have asked me who I think is the best person to help them have been silent when I have emailed back the names and contact details of their ideal match for the requirement. I have not heard from them again either via email or telephone. How long does it take to thank someone? I always try to express my gratitude when I get help. Most people do. Apparently some people don’t. It rather casts a shadow over trying to help.
Trust
The trouble is that I lose trust in those who don’t thank me. I begin to think they are unreliable. They might have been the people I would recommend next time I was asked to suggest a business owner who could help one of my networking friends. Ultimately, by not thanking me they may lose out on lucrative work.
Saying “thank you” is something we are taught by our parents and elders when we are very small. It should not be easy to forget. When someone thanks me I get a good feeling. I like to give that feeling to others. Do you lose faith in those who don’t take the trouble to thank you?
