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How To Benefit From Offline
Business Networking
Business
networking puts more money in your pocket by helping
you overcome the number one biggest problem facing new
business owners. Prospecting for new customers. Business
networking events can go a long way towards making the
whole prospecting problem go away. There are two main
kinds of networking opportunities available to the average
entrepreneur. Passive networking and strong networking.
Both have unique benefits and drawbacks.
The
most well known example of passive networking is your
local chamber of commerce. You can find a chamber of
commerce chapter in almost every major city worldwide.
Your local chamber of commerce gives you the opportunity
to meet with many of the movers and shakers in your
local business community. Through the many events they
plan on a monthly and yearly basis, they offer you a
chance to connect with a number of potential prospects
for your products and services.
Weekly
networking groups or clubs are an example of strong
networking opportunities. These kinds of business networking
events can be found in many major cities worldwide.
A strong networking group will meet on a weekly basis
for the sole purpose of exchanging business leads with
one another and learning better ways of networking to
grow their business. The most successful networking
groups require your weekly attendance and insist that
their members provide fellow members with referrals
throughout the year. They also allow only one person
from each profession or industry to belong to the group.
This keeps the quality of the referrals high. One such
group is Business Network International (BNI).
So
what are the advantages and disadvantages of each kind
of networking? They both have their place but strong
networking groups represent a bigger commitment than
passive networking groups. By belonging to a strong
networking group, you are committed to be on the lookout
for referrals for group members. Strong networking groups
also usually meet on a weekly basis whereas passive
networking groups usually meet monthly.
Passive
networks can have multiple people from one profession
or industry as members. They also have no requirements
for passing on referrals to other members. Referrals
do occur in a passive networking event but it is not
facilitated by the meeting and is totally up to the
business owner to initiate. You can belong to multiple
passive networking groups. Any business you get from
passive networking will most likely be a result of the
amount of effort you put in.
Strong
networks on the other hand restrict membership to only
one person per industry or profession. This greatly
increases the likelihood that you will receive referrals
from participating members. Meetings are structured
in a way to encourage referrals and there is a formal
referral exchange that happens every week. It is strongly
recommended that you only belong to one strong networking
group in order to keep the quality of your referrals
high.
In
either case, it is important for members of these groups
to see you as professional and competent. Referrals
will go to people the referrer knows, likes and trusts.
Want
more business? Start attending business networking events
in your area.
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