4 Networking Secrets No One Shares
September is here and life is gearing up for another busy year. Kids are back in school. Church small groups are meeting again. Hunting and sports seasons begin to ramp up.
Now is also the time to ramp up your business to achieve a successful 4th Quarter and close out the year on a positive note.
But for many business people, this thought of necessary increased networking to meet their goals evokes groans, whines, and dread!
However, for me… the essential extrovert and ultimate optimist…. networking excites and exhilarates me. Networking provides endless possibilities of new friendships to make, more referral opportunities to develop, and new business opportunities to launch.
So, let me share 4 unique networking secrets to help get you geared up for growth:
- Build Your Sales Team. One of my greatest tips is to look into joining Business Networking International (B.N.I.), the world’s largest referral marketing organization. Groups meet weekly with the goal of promoting the business of all members, and only one business from a specific category can be in a group. BNI operates in a structured system and gives you a sales force of members who think of you and your business throughout the week.
I’ve been involved with BNI for over 20 years and always come away from meetings with new energy, increased positivity, and know I’m expanding my business through warm referrals. Check out www.bnimsr.com to learn more and find out where and when groups meet. - Become an Ambassador. Another interesting way to network without competition is to serve the Chamber of Commerce as an Ambassador. This volunteer position allows you to meet with area businesses to support the chamber, while also allowing you to meet with key business owners. You then can share what you do and how this could help them. Contact your nearest Chamber of Commerce to learn more.
- Go to Church. If you want to develop great contacts, both personally and professionally, joining a small group at your church is an ideal place. September is when many new small groups launch. Meet and get to know people with similar interests and grow deep friendships. While these groups are not business leads groups, in conversation you will naturally get to share what you do. Over time, business can spring up from these deeper friendships.
- Speak Out. Oh, no…is Reen suggesting I engage in public speaking to grow my business? ABSOLUTELY! Every week, all across town, various civic and business groups hold meetings where they offer speaking opportunities to bring new and engaging content to their members. This includes the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Kiwanis Club, and even company sales meetings.
Simply develop a 20-30 minute talk on a current subject and reach out to organizations inquiring if they have any room on their calendar for speakers. I love these opportunities and use Canva to create my slides. I never need notes as I use my slides to guide my talks. And once I’ve created a slide presentation and shared it in a talk, I own it forever and can quickly give a talk on short notice.
