When you leave a networking event, or some similar business thing, there's often some badges left at the front desk, not used by people who said they'd turn up but didn't make it. I'll habitually have a glance at them. Around here, there are some people who are definitely serial non-attenders of things they've signed up to. Obviously, from time-to-time things might crop up at the last minute and you have to reshuffle. But there are some people who are missing more often than they turn up.
From their point of view, I guess they think it's no big deal, and at another event there will be an opportunity to tell people about what they do and how good they are at it. But, to anyone who attends events in a particular area on a fairly regular basis and pays attention to the delegate lists and how they match up to the people actually in the room, they're implying time and again that they're someone who can't be relied upon to do what they've said they'll do. Which is not a good thing, and means we're going to struggle to consider giving them our business, or recommend that our clients and contacts do. So don't leave a lonely badge - if you sign up, turn up!
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