Cold calling is one of those things that I successfully manage to put off, vital to my survival in business as it might be. It's crazy really as it's such a simple thing to do and the worst that anyone can say (in various formats ) is "no". But that doesn't stop me from finding something else to be doing when I should be picking the phone up. I know what I need to so and I even have an outline of what to say and questions to ask and still it doesn't happen.

So,...

Simon Donnelly

What is it about meetings that seem to be interminable? Wouldn’t you rather be doing something useful rather than watching the agenda being pulped? When you’re involved in a meeting that’s meandering along, how do you feel? Can’t you just hear the clock ticking?

Enter the facilitator (like enter the dragon, but less dramatic and certainly less painful). Here is the saviour of wasted time! Here is the bringer of focus. Here at last is the person who provides the method and means to...

Simon Donnelly

The BBC reported last week that a fifth of students drop out of England and Wales university courses despite £800m spent on the problem.

Some students commented that the high costs of finding accommodation, course fees and general living force them out of courses. Some just chose the wrong courses in the first place.

Here at Inner Path we believe that if a student knows what career path would suit them best behaviourally, they would be able to select the most appropriate...

Simon Donnelly

Now here's a cheerful subject! Funerals. Many people really don't like to think about death and all it entails for those left behind. Actually, many people just don't like to think about death full stop.

As a funeral planner (like a wedding planner but on shorter timescales and with a less joyful outcome) my main purpose is to minimise the stress of the bereaved. Think about what happens when someone near and dear to you dies. You have to set about organising everything at a time...

Simon Donnelly

Recruiting the wrong person is expensive - research shows that the total cost of replacing a staff member averages in excess of £8,000. Having the right people in place, understanding them and using their strengths improves productivity and staff retention.

Using our online career guidance tool (at www.innerpath.co.uk) can dramatically increase the chance of selecting the right person first time, reducing costs.

Why use our tool rather than any other? It is available...

Simon Donnelly

Is neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) some sort of mysterious or dark art practiced by people dancing naked around an effigy in the forest at night? Is it just another form of "psychobabble" to rank alongside all those other things like psychometric testing? Could it be a means of making money out of those gullible enough to believe anything that a quack might offer?

Or is it actually something that everybody can use to gain win-win results out of every contact with another...

Simon Donnelly

There are just under 30 million people in employment in the UK. It’s estimated that two out of three are fed up in their jobs! Are you one of those nearly 20 million people? What is it about choosing a satisfying career that is so challenging?

Finding the career that really suits your personality and gives you satisfaction on a day-to-day basis is something that escapes the majority of people. How many people do you know who are actually happy in their work and are motivated to constantly...

Simon Donnelly

I'm very excited! Within a few days there will be a new, highly effective tool available to the UK that really helps you to define a career path.

Have you ever been in that situation where you're doing a job that is ok but doesn't make you want to get out of bed in the mornings? Are you sitting in a role that just doesn't satisfy you? Do you know any young students who really don't know what they want to do with their lives?

My colleague and I believe we have the answer....

Simon Donnelly

There you go - so weary that I posted a blog twice. There's a definite sign of inefficiency brought on by overdoing it.

Simon Donnelly

Long time, no write.

Here I was sitting at my computer today wishing that I was out in the incredibly warm Autumn sunshine. So why didn't I go out into it? All that work was beckoning - preparing for meetings later in the week, research to persuade people, sorting out what I'm going to say on cold calls and so on. And then there's the pressure to satisfy myself that I'm actually doing all the right things and not wasting my time. Now I'm sitting here in the evening in front of my...

Simon Donnelly

Long time, no write.

Here I was sitting at my computer today wishing that I was out in the incredibly warm Autumn sunshine. So why didn't I go out into it? All that work was beckoning - preparing for meetings later in the week, research to persuade people, sorting out what I'm going to say on cold calls and so on. And then there's the pressure to satisfy myself that I'm actually doing all the right things and not wasting my time. Now I'm sitting here in the evening in front of my...

Simon Donnelly

Here's a little exercise that I'm about to use in a customer service workshop. Its origins lay in another subject, but if I told you what it was it would give you an unfair advantage.

Think about your customers. Who are they? What is it that they want?

Now let's look at my good friend Lieutenant-Colonel Forsythe-Smythe. Imagine what the Colonel looks like. What is the Colonel wearing? What newspaper does the Colonel read? What kind of car does the Colonel drive? Where...

Simon Donnelly

I've just completed a seven-day intensive course to become a Neuro-Linguistic Programming practitioner and feel the need to share some of my thoughts.

Have you ever been through a wringer but instead of coming out all two-dimensional you are so full of new, interesting and amazing stuff that three dimensions don't seem enough? It's an astonishing experience. And in the process you learn a lot about yourself, opening doors that have, perhaps, been closed for a long time. I have to...

Simon Donnelly

A funny thing happened to me on the way home from a forum last night. It had been a really long day, concentrating and delivering a couple of talks, then going into London to listen to someone else talking for two and a half hours. So, M25 in the morning, M1 and drive through London from north to south and then the M23! The M23 ground to a halt for about an hour and a half. Until about midnight. Ho hum.

So, I was shattered and very quickly bored. After quite some time, a car whizzed...

Simon Donnelly

Having just read Stephanie's note on technology and brought up the subject of email in my response, I thought I might share some good stuff that I've drawn together over the years. Hope it's useful...

Good time management
• Diary times to deal with your email. Twice a day should be enough. Avoid the temptation to check email more frequently.
• If the system is set up to notify you visually or audibly every time an email arrives, then switch it off. It’s too tempting to...

Simon Donnelly

Having just been reading a blog by Stephanie on technology and saying I ought to put pen to paper, here are some hints and tips I've drawn together over the years. Hope it might be of some interest and use.

Good time management
• Diary times to deal with your email. Twice a day should be enough. Avoid the temptation to check email more frequently.
• If the system is set up to notify you visually or audibly every time an email arrives, then switch it off. It’s too...

Simon Donnelly