What are the Welsh doing?

Since I appeared on this forum 16 months or so ago, I have noticed a consistency in that the Welsh contingent have the following traits:

Cue bullet points...

• A large percentage active on the forum relative to the overall population.
• More testimonials
• A massive sense of community
• Breakfast meetings regularly having the words, "full, lockout, 6,7,8,9, visitors..."

Please share what you're doing, I think some of us may be able to learn something?

It's called HWYL - a stirring feeling of emotional motivation and energy (Oxford 'English' dictionary).

That and a great team of Regional, area and team leaders (and support).

I miss the meetings

Not withstanding the fact that we are just awesome 

Please be more specific !!!

There are some strange and unique things that go on in Wales due to geography.

Most of South Wales is made up of valleys that run North to South, and this meant that it used to be easier to travel North to South than it is East to West. All the rivers, main roads, rail lines run North to South all of which are or were the main methods of transport in the region.

As a result most businesses choose to do business with businesses either north or south of them and not east or west of them. (For the last few decades this has been mainly out of long standing traditions and inter-valley rivalry, rather than the inability to drive across hills). People would literally prefer to do business with a company 10 miles north of them than 2 miles east of them.

With the digital age and more mobile businesses those traditional barriers are coming down and new opportunities are available. As a result we have a lot of traditionally separated communities coming together in to one big community to exploit these new markets

As a team member in south Wales, I can tell you that yes in large it's due to the regional and area leaders, but also a massive sense of community. We all want to help each other. We build relationships before we build sales figures, and most of us actually care about each other. We want each other to do well, and we are prepared to travel. I think the biggest difference is that we help push each other, rather than push ourselves as individuals to the top. 

South Wales just rocks!

Excellent post Adam.

I would echo a lot of the previous comments.  However, there is one thing I think that hasn't been mentioned.

We are blessed in South Wales with a lot of 4N'ers who have been there and go the T-shirt and are quite happy to share their experience/expertise with anyone else who asks.  That means that when you join (as I did), you not only find out some of the best ways to get the most out of 4N, but you then feel duty bound to help the next lot of people coming through.

George Savva and I have had many discussions about membership retention, and his view is that if you can help people get the maximum out of 4N, not only will that be beneficial to your business, it will mean that keeping them as members will be that much easier.  Not only that, but if a lot of people are getting a lot out of it, spreading the word and getting new visitors becomes much easier.

George and I hope to run some training sessions with this aim tacked on to the end of the Cwmbran and Newport meetings, in the not too distant future (and with the OK from the hierarchy, of course)

Adam - 

On behalf of South Wales "we thank you" for this fantastic thread.  It's really great that the whole region's actions and participation have been recognised.

As the people above have said it is a genuine community where people support each other in business and life stuff, we pass leads, pay it all forward and business gets done.  I passionately believe in giving testimonials on here and Linked In etc - testimonials are basic manners, if someone does a great job why not say thank you!

As Regional Leader for South Wales I am so proud of all the team members and passporters that work so hard to promote the meetings and support each other.  This means that we have a great platform for all of our businesses.

Are you coming to South Wales soon?  Would be great to meet you and if you fancy a chat please do get in touch - always happy to talk!

Michelle 

I think that it has always been recognised, certainly throughout the natural history of 4N that I can see, however, I think people are somewhat concerned to bring it under the limelight.  Possibly for fear of upsetting the status quo, or more likely in this day and age - a case of PC gone mad, singling out a certain nationality!

There was another thread recently about what's the best 4Sight you've seen and people didn't want to come forward for fear of upsetting the people who weren't named as the best 4Sights. This is really not the way things should be done.  We should be embracing the positive stuff and sharing it like crazy.

You guys have set the bar, now we as other regions (mine being the south Coast of England) need to rise to it.

So far then, the success comes from:

• An excellent community spirit
• Pay it forward mentality (movie worth watching)
• Fantastic leadership of AL and above
• The M4 motorway to go against the traditional grain
• Hwyl (I can find no English translation for this that really makes sense, but I get it)

What else?

P.S. One of you must take this on a 4Sight tour titled as this thread.

Don't all areas work in the same way then?

Great idea Adam - I am going to take this on the road! 

I do a 4sight about how to get the best from the forum as well so this can be my new one.  Lets talk soon!

Great post and as an AL based in the S Wales area  I thank you.

I did a 4sight at the Fully Ponty yesterday on... Cash Flow?  Debt Recovery??

No! I did a 4sight on how to get the best from 4N and how to make it really work for you. And yes Peter Maynard, I was wearing the T Shirt.

The region has never been in better shape and it's going from strength to strength thanks to our esteemed leader Michelle.

(Looking forwad to the party on Saturday btw!!)

Us welshies are definately all about supporting each other and working together.

As Peter Maynard stated, we are always available to offer each other free advice or help as we know it will pay back dividends.  Funnily enough, I called Peter Maynard this morning re: a slight issue with a speeding fine and he was more than happy to offer me advice for nothing.  I also have another more pending matter that needs dealing with and have already mentioned to Peter that I would like him to deal with it as I trust him 100% to give me the right advice.

We all look after each other, support each other's groups and it breeds confidence in us as business people for everyone to want to deal with us.  Leads and referrals are passed around on a regular basis and we all celebrate everyone's achievements together!

I am extremely proud to say that I run the Chepstow Eve group with a fabulous MA and OA and becuase of this(and the support of a lot of passporters, even those from the Bristol area)  we have 44 confirmed for this evening's meeting (and we have had 9 people cancel too!).

Why not have a road trip and come and visit a few of the groups and see for yourself what we are doing!!!!

I'd like to think that the South London region does most of what's been discussed in this thread, but no, not all regions are like this.