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Annie Armitage on Networking - part 3 of 1 2 3 4

by Annie Armitage Published 01/12/2015

Formal closed groups
These are restricted to one profession so you won't get two photographers in the same group. Organisations include The Athena Network, BNI, 4N, and a whole raft of similar offerings.

While some are more relaxed than others, they all share a basic formula. Members meet once a week, every fortnight, or every month, usually for breakfast or lunch.

The dreaded 60 seconds
At most groups, each member or guest gives a 60-second overview of who they are, what they do and what they are looking for.

And yes it can be a bit daunting - even for seasoned networkers. Everyone around the table is likely to be feeling anxious as their turn approaches. But you'll find people are very welcoming and supportive too. They are there to find out about you and your business. They want to know what you do as well as what you're looking for.

It's a well-worn cliche but it's true: people really do buy people and you can only do that if you know them.

Same goes for recommendations. You need to be really confident about people before referring them to your clients or other people you know. That's just one advantage of belonging to a regular group. And as well as the regular members, there will be guests at each meeting.

Do remember, it's not necessarily the members themselves who will buy from you. The value lies in the people they know and recommend you to. I'm still getting business via people I met through networking five years ago. My networking contacts have opened doors that would have been very difficult to open on my own. Once I got the opportunity to show what I could do, they quickly became loyal clients.

Is it working?
How do you know networking is doing a good job for you? Well, as a guide, you should be getting back five times the investment you put in. You may not see this in the first year - remember it's all about long burn and commitment.

It's also essential to remember that networking is just one element in the marketing mix so you need to keep up with other activities such as social media too.

We're all aware that it's who you know in business that can bring you opportunities. What better way to get to know people than through networking? And once you relax into it, you'll be surprised at how many friends you make along with the sales leads.

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1st Published 01/12/2015
last update 09/12/2022 14:51:07

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