Networking Groups Offer a Variety of Choices
Why network? The number one reason people cite is that they don’t have to make cold calls any more. Other benefits are building relationships, meeting others in your field, finding a mentor and, of course, the social aspect of spending time with others.
There are a variety of networking groups to fit anyone’s goals, business preferences and schedules. Some organizations allow only one person from each industry per chapter, are very structured and require attendance. The best (in my opinion) and most successful with this format is BNI, the largest referral organization in the world. They meet weekly, at the same time and location; membership dues apply to the Chapter in which you belong. Passing good, quality referrals is the top focus.
Other networking organizations have less structure. I am Vice President of Rainmakers, which is a networking/marketing group that allows open membership. This means there are no restrictions to the number of members per industry, and when you become a Rainmaker, you can attend any meeting throughout the state, rather than just one chapter, or hub. Meetings are held early morning, at lunch and after hours to provide a variety of options to meet members’ needs. They have a template to provide the Chairman of the hub to follow, but are not a business-meeting format and do not require attendance. Building strategic relationships is the primary goal of Rainmakers.
Civic organizations, chambers of commerce, power circles, church groups, industry associations, etc., also provide opportunities to meet others and develop relationships. Though their focus is not helping you grow your business, the result is you now have a team of people who know and trust you. Fellow members will introduce you to their connections because of the relationship you’ve built over time.
Another networking format is social networking. There are a plethora of online sites – Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, MySpace, to name a few – where you find ‘friends’. You can post a profile, upload photos, select others to be among your connections, feed your blog to your home page, ask questions, and even form groups for people to join with like interests.
Twitter is a micro blogging site, and the newest form of online social networking. It serves the same purpose, but with a limited number of characters per conversation. It is amazing how quickly you can meet someone and begin to ‘follow’ them. Many tweeple most links to sites that they feel will benefit others. It’s like a moving, virtual library of information!
A more serious, business-focused type of online networking is also available. My favorite is One Degree Connected (ODC). As the name implies, you are just one degree away from the person you want to meet. You have the option to sort by a specific person or company. Or, if you want to meet a channel market category, or target market, you can search by title. For example, I like to meet insurance agents because they are a perfect channel for me. I enter “insurance agent” in the title box, and all agents who are in the databases of each of the ODC members are found. Then it’s as simple as asking the members for an introduction to the agent(s) in their databases. One Degree Connected! It’s fast and easy. The huge benefit is that when I make the call, they already know who recommended me, and have had an opportunity to view my profile. Unique to ODC over other business sites is you can request an intro from each of the members who knows my desired connection. You’ll create a buzz for yourself and pique the interest of the person you want to meet.
Ask friends and business associates where they network. Visit some of the meetings and check out the online sites. There are so many choices and opportunities; find the format, philosophy and meeting schedules that work best for you.
