Is your networking group filled with a bunch of pros or a bunch of cons?
Do you attend professional networking groups and meetings that are filled with sincere networking professionals that know the value of those relationships...
OR
Are your networking groups filled with a bunch of con artists that are there just for the food and to see how many business cards they can hand out or collect. Are they there to gather "prospects" to fill their data bases for some generic marketing effort?
Do you even attend networking events at all?
I am pondering this question after having time to consider what happened a couple of weeks ago to me as I invited a couple business acquaintances to my BNI visitor day. Now I understand that small business people are busy - particularly independent small business owners that also juggle jobs, family, kids, school, etc. So I am not picking on people that are "too busy."
But some of the responses I got when I asked people to join me were just plain - funny.
- "Those things never interest me. It's always the same people over and over. Why would I want to build a relationship with them?"
- "I have to spend time working on my business, I don't have time to add another activity to my to-do list."
- "I don't have the money to join those groups."
- "It's too early in the morning..."
- "I don't have my new business cards printed yet."
- "My business is growing so fast...I don't have time."
Those were just a few. I am wondering if you knew that you were going to a meeting with professional networking people if it would make a difference if you attended or not. I bet it would.
Today's coaching directional...look for real professional networking groups to belong to. Pick two or three that you can attend monthly, be sure they are filled with quality people and not con-artist networkers. And when a fellow business associate invites you to attend, don't make up an excuse like those above. You just never know who your business friend wanted you to meet in their group or who you might have met through another connection made at the meeting!
2 comments:
Almost five years ago a Mary Kay client invited me to her BNI visitors day. She just said, 'bring a bunch of biz cards, you'll meet a lot of people'.
I went back the next week with a check for a two year membership. My Mary Kay business has never been the same since!
This was timing with this posting considering all going on....but anywhooooooooo it is a pet peeve of mine when I hear people complain about business being slow and la la la la la, but when invited to come as a guest its the ballywho of "7:30, who the heck would do that--not me" or "you meet not-working" I hear that alot that networking is notworking. Bull S***, You get out of it what you put into it.
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