Networking Groups

I was at a wonderful networking group this morning and the exercise for the day was exchanging information about all the networking groups we all attended.  It was a good discussion that got me thinking a little about what I should be getting out of networking and what I should be contributing.

There was a lot of discussion around the number of members in a group, cost to join, networking effectiveness and the like.  Now I have done a bunch of networking in five years and I can tell you that there are lots of things to consider when networking, the least of which is cost and numbers.

As I thought about all the groups I have been involved in, I found myself thinking that what made a group “good” for me had nothing to do with its members and everything to do with me.  The return I get from any group is often dependent on my attitude toward that group.  People feel attitude and if mine is open and interested, I usually have a pretty good response from any group I am in.

Networking for me is all about making connections with people so that I might be able to connect them to someone else.  Along the way, I get referrals and business, but most of the time it is a result of connecting people to someone or something.  I truly enjoy networking, it actually makes me feel good.

A group is good or bad for me, not based on ROI necessarily, but rather on the groups openness to each other and to new people.  If a group is open and inviting, I always do well.  I know that it is important to measure in numbers the benefit one is getting from a group and some folks actually have hard formulas they use to determine if they will stay in a group or not.  However, I think it is equally important to look at softer issues as well.  Does the group seem to refer to each other?  Are they loyal to members?  Is there a general feeling of professionalism, respect and honesty?  Is there high energy in the room?  Do people enjoy being there and look forward to meetings?  Is the group centered around just one person or is it a team effort? All these are good indicators of the effectiveness of a group.

I also think it is important to evaluate one’s group involvement from time-to-time.  I do so about once/year.  I want to be effective in my groups so I want to be sure that I am not over taxed in my networking.  I do look at numbers, but when I find I am not getting business referrals from a group, I have to ask myself if it is my fault.  Are my commercials are clear and am I doing enough 1-1′s to be effective in the group.  It is not always a group’s problem if I am not getting referrals from the group.

So as we start a new year, think about the groups you are currently involved in.  Make sure that you are contributing and that people see you as someone who cares about the group.  Take time to get to know people well and help them know you as well.  Networking is an art, and art always takes time to perfect.

Keeping Your Business Focused in an Unfocused World

I admire folks who have the uncanny ability to “do it all”.  They tirelessly work several several businesses and manage getting kids to school, do some volunteer work, get to a couple networking groups, all while seeming completely in control of everything.  Sadly most of us find it difficult to do many things at a time.

And that is also true if you are trying to build a more than one busines simultaneously.  Trying to build a couple of businesses at a time can really be a challenge for the builder, but it is even more so for those watching the process.  The problem is that even though many people may be able to build a couple of businesses at a time, those watching them find it hard to decide how to think of them.  You see we all like to pigeon-hole people.  We think of our colleagues in terms of what they do.  If our colleagues do too much, we get very unclear as to how to describe them.  This can affect your business because if someone doesn’t know what you really do, they find it hard to connect you to others.

So what is the answer?  Before you start trying to decide what you love to do best, and eliminating everything else, let me offer a thought.  Like many of you out there I am not just one dimensional when it comes to business.  I coach and mentor, run a travel business and work to build networking groups to connect people.  The single thread that I have running through everything I do is “helping people make connections to people and opportunity”.  I try to create my message about who I am around that theme.  Whether I am coaching a business owner, mentoring a team member or developing a new group, I am helping people to meet people to help their businesses grow, or I can even offer them a business opportunity.  I think of myself, at the highest level, as a connector and I believe that one truth is what keeps me focused.  I get great satisfaction from helping people get to where they want to go and I enjoy helping people have fun in their daily lives.

So what is the message?  If you are one of those multi-talented, multi-faceted business owners that seemly does completely unrelated activities in the same day, think about the high level connections of all your activities.  Find a thread of commanality that you can use to brand your activities and help your business friends identify you easily.  Build your 30 second commercial around this common thread, make it part of your everyday language and soon people will see you more clearly and you will see your referrals pick up.

The essence of branding is to create focus.  Sometimes we think it is about spinning truth, for me it is quite the contrary.  It is creating an authentic message about you, your business or both that allows people to have a way of thinking about you that gives them guidance as to how to interact with you and your business.  I am a big believer in branding one’s self because, when you make changes to your job or business, you don’t necessarily have to change your overall message about your brand.  Personal branding for the solopreneur can keep your message consistent and real.  Life happens and changes need to be made, if you can keep people thinking of you and what you do as the brand, there is less to explain in the end.

So how focused are you about what you do?  Get clear on the message you want people hear.  What is your essence?  I believe at my heart I am a connector of people to information, opportunity, growth and other people.  Everything that I do connects people to something.  I love people and I get satisfaction from creating connections.  So what is your essence?

Stop Presenting and Start Listening

We have all had the experience of sitting down with someone to conduct a 1-1 only to have the other person give us the “presentation”.  Personally, I find this happens with folks who are building a multi-level or direct sales business.  In there defense I know they are taught to show their plan “X” number of times per week in order to build a team quickly, however a 1-1 is not a presentation opportunity.  It is an opportunity to look for presentation opportunities. When one moves too fast to present their plan, it serves only to solidify the listeners view of an MLM as pushy and manipulative.

As the leader of several groups, I find the biggest complaint I get from members is that the MLM businesses in these groups assume that everyone in the group needs to sign up for their product and service.  They trick, cojole and ram their business opportunity down the throats of members and then move on to the next group.  Quite frankly their are groups that will not allow MLMs in their membership roles at all to avoid the hassle.

As a person who works an MLM, I find this really sad.  I want to seen as a serious business owner because I believe my MLM is a serious business opportunity.   It is important to me to build relationships first and business partners second.  This makes for a longer sales cycle, but is more effective in the long run.

So if you utilize networking groups to build your business, and you feel everyone needs to hear your presentation, think again.  Try listening more at a 1-1 and perhaps those meetings will lead you more indirectly to your target market.  Get specific about your target audience, both for your business opportunity and for the product itself.  Just as with any other business, not everyone is a potential business partner or customer.  The more you know about people, and the more they get to know about you, the better your position to actually sell becomes.

By not bringing your presentation up at every 1-1 you take the pressure off of people to maintain their guard against you.  It will open their mind to hear what you have to offer if they feel you are not trying to “sell” them something.  Sometimes opening the door just enough for someone to see a small piece of your product, will actually make people more curious about what you do, which in turn opens the door for further meetings.

Just a little patience on your part can actually allow your business to grow faster than getting in the required number of presentations each week.  So how well do you listen?

Sum of our Parts

On our journey through life we wear so many hats and take on so many responsiblities and often it becomes difficult to stay focused on our goals.  We are all pulled in so many directions each day, and I think it is important to take time each day to really focus on what that day is bringing to us.  Choosing to work in 24 hour chunks of time can keep you from becoming overwhelmed with all we have to do each day.

Take a few minutes first thing in the morning, even if you have to get up a few minutes early, and view your day the way you would view the landscape.  Think about all that needs to get done, just that day, not that week or that month, just that day.  Learn to plan the day, so that you don’t become overwhelmed by the many demands that are on you.

Look at each of your roles, spouse, parent, employee, volunteer, business owner, networker, and so on and consider how all these roles work together to create the tapestry of your life and that your goals weave themselves in and out of these roles.  With all of the tools out there to manage time, choose one that allows you to keep your goals in focus each day, and lets you see how each activity of every day builds on the last and puts you one step closer to your goals.

Thinking in smaller blocks of time, makes even the most aggressive goals seem manageable.  I want to talk to 25 people about my business each month.  However if I break that number into  parts I want to talk to 6 or 7 people per week and only one per day, that seems doable.

I know you have heard this before, but if your still not doing it, perhaps today is the day to start.  Start your day with a plan and finish it with satisfaction.