Put on Your Walking Shoes

A walk in the spring sunshine from Mitcham Common to Beddington Park in Sutton was a great success. Being a bit of a day-facto walking enthusiast, I attended this spring walk from Mitcham to Beddington on March 26.

This event was arranged to help promote what should hopefully become the Wandle Valley Country Park. This was part of an ongoing series of activities that reflect the diversity of the community while leveraging environmental awareness to demonstrate the potential for this restoration scheme with funding from the Sustainable and Accessible Urban Landscape programme.

The current planning proposal, if approved, would see completion of the new sub-regional public park by 2023 which would cover approximately 500 hectares of open land from Mitcham Common, through Beddington Farmlands and Beddington Park. The area would be linked to the Wandle Trail and to the London Cycle Network. Currently the common in the north, and the park in the south, are marooned either side of the industrial ‘farmlands' area, with a single designated footpath linking the two.

Fortunately since 1980 permits are required for gravel extraction (due to concerns that gravel mining may be adversely affecting the park and its wildlife) and this has meant that conditions could be imposed on the current gravel extraction in Beddington Farmlands that will require the contractor to return the site to an ecologically sound one by the time the license terminates in 2023 This will enable the new park is to incorporate ‘natural' landscaping improvements similar to those associated with the landfill and gravel extraction operations and the additional hills created from the old tip sites found in the Common. These and the other past commercial operations would be repaired ecological importance would be conserved recreational facilities added and archaeological features would be enhanced in the area.
Tip! Always wear the same socks you golf in when trying on new golf shoes 2. Don't wear socks that are too tight or tend to scrunch up.

We and others, including walkers from local heritage groups, met at the bridge overlooking Mitcham Junction Train Station. The guests were joined by several local dignitaries who helped welcome us, including the Mayor of Merton, Councillor Judy Saunders along with the Mitcham Common Conservators and the Deputy Mayor of Sutton, Cllr Richard Bailey, symbolising the co-operation of the two councils in this project.

After a quick overture and photo opportunity, just off the bridge, we started off towards Carshalton passing through the woodland and scrub of the common, we came upon an area once occupied by anti-aircraft emplacements now unsurprisingly referred to as the ‘gun site'. The remnants and last trace of the batteries and billets of the troops are now largely restored to a natural state, with much interesting ecology.
Tip! Two or more pair of casual, warm weather shoes in a pale neutral or fashion color. Think sandals, ballet slippers, or flip-flops done up in a dressy material like leather.

We then crossed the railway line leaving the golf course on our left, and took the new footpath along side Beddington Farmland which already incorporates a wildlife haven and a major wild fowl reserve alongside the gravel extraction works.

At the end of this track, we emerged onto Beddington Park, a much more artificial area, but with an interesting diversity of planting. From the museum's point of view, there is a greater interest, because the Wandle enters the park here, and the many channels which still exist show man's interference with its natural course, and evidence the industrial history of this part of the trail, although the mill buildings are long gone (McGow 6- Wallington paper Mill: http://www.curator.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aboutus/mills/mcgow/mcgow6.htm).

We finished at the pavilion at the end of Church Road, and were provided with complementary hot drinks and beverages. All in all a good and interesting walk, and we look forward to repeating it over the years as the concept develops and improves.
Tip! Think about getting two pairs of shoes for your wedding day. You may fall in love with the 4-inch heel, but after the ceremony and formal pictures, you may be ready to change into a lower heel for dancing.

© I am the website administrator of the Wandle industrial museum (http://www.wandle.org). Established in 1983 by local people to ensure that the history of the valley was no longer neglected but enhanced awareness its heritage for the use and benefits of the community.

Getting into Your Buyers' Shoes

The story

A few weeks ago, I met Chris at a networking event. We chatted about what his company was doing and what my business was all about. He quickly realized that his company's online solutions could be beneficial for us and said, "Charlie, we should really meet soon so that I can show you our solutions that can lead you to more business." We had fairly good rapport and my company was then currently considering improvements to our online approach, so I was willing to respond to his suggestion.

A few days later, Chris called me and we set a meeting. During the meeting, he showed me a brochure with all his company's solutions and kept asking whether this or that solution would be of interest to me.

We finally nailed down one area of immediate interest and three areas for future consideration out of the list of around 10 solutions. Then I asked a few technical questions that Chris could only partially answer, so he suggested that I meet one of their software engineers for further clarifications. This was fine with me, especially because the engineer provided me with more satisfactory answers.

Before I left, Chris promised to send me a quote for the more immediate requirement, including some of the options that were briefly mentioned by the engineer. I received the proposal a couple of days later, and after a few more days, Chris called me to check if I received the quote and if everything was clear.
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Let's see which aspects of Chris's approach are in line with the "Stop Selling!" approach, and then I'll discuss what a person with the "Stop Selling!" mindset would have done differently:

In line with the "Stop Selling!" approach

The responsiveness and reliability that Chris displayed was perfectly fine and gave me, his potential buyer, the feeling that his is a credible, trustworthy company.

Even if Chris did not have full technical competence, it was not an issue for me as a buyer - I appreciated his efforts in having the engineer answer my questions. Furthermore, the situation assured me that in future dealings, he wouldn't suggest solutions unsuited to my expectations, and that he would understand my expectations in the first place.
Tip! Two or more pair of casual, warm weather shoes in a pale neutral or fashion color. Think sandals, ballet slippers, or flip-flops done up in a dressy material like leather.

The way I was received at his office was very welcoming and certainly immediately improved the already existing good rapport - an important basis for building trust.

What I would have done differently

It actually started at the networking event. As a potential buyer, I found it way too premature for Chris to claim that his company's solutions will lead my company to more business. If he would have shared that his company's solutions helped other companies similar to mine, it would have been much more attractive and believable to me.
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Also, instead of saying "can show you our solutions", I would have preferred if he said something like "I would like to discuss with you what you are doing today and what your potential is for more online business in the future." This way, he would have focused on my interests (potentially more business) as opposed to his (their solutions that he wanted to sell).

During our meeting, Chris immediately presented his company brochure with his company's products to see whether any of them would interest me. I would have preferred if he asked about my business first and what kind of online solutions we already had in place. He could have helped me discover which aspects of my current solutions work for me and which aspects create difficulties. Also, we could have developed a vision for my online business for the next couple of years and then together work out a plan on how to get there. His company's products could have been tools to make this plan a reality, and if they turned out unsuitable or insufficient, I would have been grateful for his suggestions on who else could help complement their solutions. As a next step, we could have discussed how to create the cash flow from the online business to pay for the necessary - perhaps high-cost - tools. Eventually, it could have even ended up in a strategic partnership with his company.
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Chris was not able to deepen the trust to a level that would have made this kind of exploration possible. To me as a buyer, it was quite obvious that his main interest was to sell any of their products even though he didn't do it in a pushy way. Instead, we stayed at the product level and in situations such as this, customers end up either buying a small solution, which will lead to some improvements, or buying nothing at all.

Conclusion: If you are focused on selling your product rather than on the best possible outcome for your potential buyer, you might miss out on great opportunities and will become a mere product consultant. Instead, if you coach your buyer through his best buying decision, you will not only create first-class relationships but will also expand the potential for doing business with your prospective buyers.
Tip! Always wear the same socks you golf in when trying on new golf shoes 2. Don't wear socks that are too tight or tend to scrunch up.

Charlie works with executives who are already successful and want to stay at the leading edge. They are often challenged by issues like: - How to improve staff retention, especially how to keep top performers - How to achieve a corporate success culture that guarantees longterm success - How to create new levels of excellence through high employee engagement - How to transform the business results through a different approach towards sales
Tip! Neutral Pronation, require shoes with a good balance of stability and flexibility. 2.

Charlie, an executive coach & trainer who is known for his innovative approaches towards leadership, change processes and sales, assists his clients in mastering these challenges. They achieve outstanding results through Charlie's unique application of latest findings in research combined with his own experience in international management and leadership.

Charlie is the author of numerous articles and of the book The Groupness Factor. He delivers speeches and keynotes on sales, leadership and coaching.