Networking Meetings

Every city will usually have many meetings monthly where you can meet other business people and network. Some people call these leads groups but I like the term networking because you are sharing ideas first and exchanging referrals second. These meetings allow you to learn more about the other people, what they do and if you want to refer business to them. Just because they are at the meetings does not mean they are best contact for someone you want to refer. Ask questions before and after the meeting to see if you are comfortable with them and if they will provide the value you want for the person you refer.

There may be more than one person for a specific industry or business type (some groups are exclusive) and that will give you a choice as to which one is the best for your referrals. Just because someone is a member or attends meetings does not automatically mean you have to give them any referrals, decide first if it's best for each person. If you attend several different meetings, as you should, you will have more choices in each business group to select from. Make a file for literature and business cards and put notes on them for future reference.

I like meetings that don't have dues or very small ones and meet in restaurants where you just need to order something for breakfast or lunch. Some groups like BNI have high dues and send most of it to some home office out-of-town and the local group gets no benefit from it. They also discourage a member attending other networking meetings and you must attend all of their meetings or send a substitute. This limits the networking you can do and to me is not the going to get the best results. Try to attend 3 or 4 different groups monthly and always give referrals when you have them. The more you give the more you will receive to build your business.

Barry is a speaker, author and business coach & advisor.  www.idealetter.com