The BNI
Business network international are a power networking organisation that are world wide, if you want to know about true power networking groups then the BNI is an organisation who are experts.
We are organised into Chapters, we meet once a week, early. We only allow one company from each industry. We are encouraged and actively seek business for each other. Its like having a sales team of professionals, who know how to network effectively and actively practice power networking in a group structure.
I have attended many "networking" groups and events in the past, over the last 12 years in sales. I have found that often it becomes more of a social event and not one that will generate actual business. To have a talk from an industry leader and then afterwards stand, trying to balance a glass of wine, fumbling with business cards, trying to look professional and understand someone who is talking about an industry and perhaps products that are of no relevance, does not help me grow my business it is a waste of my time. For me at http://efastnet.com a growing web development company, I need leads, I need to become visible to the local business sector. I may need just to have conversations with industry experts like a solicitor or a civil engineer and if I don't need them now I will at some point, we all know people who need services.
To meet up with a group of industry leader driven type people every week, to be able to get to know them, to help them pass on their particular expertise means I get leads, I get business done and I get recommended which is worth more than any newspaper or high cost marketing campaign.
The format of the power networking group is so professional that regular training events take place, where they teach you to create a catch line, all the huge companies have tag lines that people remember, one of my favourites is "ronseal" does what it says on the tin, I use it sometimes to describe some of my mates! they also teach you how to present rapidly and effectively. With clarity and poise. They teach you in-depth how to use your own USP, unique selling point. All companies should have a USP if you are not unique in some way, it makes competing even more difficult. There is SOMETHING unique about every single business unless you are a carbon copy franchise.
We meet at 6.45 am in a hotel generally, although we have held one meeting on a building site as an interior designer (http://archway interiors.ie) wanted to show us her work.
Then we sit down at 7am and we all give a 60 second synopsis of our business, we use tag lines to create a lasting impression like "efastnet, shinning a light on your site" is mine! I havn't used it yet but I will on Tuesday.
After which we swap referrals, we are targeted with one each a week, it has been known that some members will bring in 3 maybe even more referrals. These referrals are all qualified and often mean that the business is actually done. It means that you have been recommended to a person by a trusted source for a service or product that you alone can offer well.
We are all asked to get more members from industries that are not already represented in our particular power networking group. What is even better is that we would create power chains within the power networking group itself. Right, I shall explain, I am part of a web design company, who and what sort of company would benefit my company? who do I need to be networking with to get business? IT companies because they could become resellers. How? well IT companies, like hardware maintenance companies hardware and software suppliers are the first port of call normally for any business retail or otherwise to enquire about web design. So they would be quiet likely to come up with valid leads. They are also happy to hand over that area as it falls just outside their remit, generally. Also Marketing companies would fall within my power group, maybe graphic design companies ones who are not focused on web design but just do the graphics they could generate leads and shorten the time it takes to get a web site out as we have found they hand over leads with the graphics done, they get paid for the graphic work, we host and charge for maintenance, everybody is a winner.
Another example of a power group is lets say the interior designer we spoke of earlier, the interior designer has, a mortgage provider, a construction developer, a professional letting company.
The mortgage provider also slots into the insurance broker's group, the financial management consultant, the tax consultant, the solicitor, the civil engineer etc etc the list goes on and on.
I have been power networking for just over a month now, I have generated nearly €5000 worth of business with another quote out for €8000. That's what I call results, that's power networking.
so there you have it my blog on power networking groups, if you would like to get involved or would like more information please send me a mail, I dont need any more information on viagra or enlarge body parts so no spam please,
alison [at ] efastnet . com
