For your second weekly meeting I suggest you get involved in a variety of organizations that typically get together just once a month. This would include groups like: Chambers of Commerce, industry associations, Breakfast Club Network, Independent Business Associations, Non-profit groups, etc. The idea here is to get some depth and to meet folks you wouldn’t ordinarily meet.
Here’s where the leverage comes in. In order to get referrals you’ve got to give referrals. The opportunity in this model is providing lots of referrals for your core network. When you’re out meeting new people each week at the Chamber of Commerce or association meetings be thinking of your core network. Who in these organizations could use their services? Refer, refer, refer. If you follow this model consistently over a period of time I promise you’ll be surprised at the results.
You’ll probably be able to develop relationships with several hundred people over the course of a year or so. A network of people who you’ve helped and who will be looking for ways to return the favor. We call this the law of reciprocity.
If you’re a more seasoned networker with a more substantial number of relationships you can probably get by with fewer traditional networking meetings. Your core network will consist of those that you already have ongoing relationships with. In this case I would suggest that you work more on cultivating these relationships rather than developing new ones. Focus on the top 10-20% of your relationships and make them stronger. Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t work on meeting more people. It’s important that you get out at least a couple times each month to establish new relationships, and look for business opportunities for yourself and your core network. What I’m suggesting is that you’ve already spent a lot of time cultivating your existing relationships. Don’t drop the ball now. Work on making those connections stronger.
Ultimately the decision is yours. What benefit do you expect from networking? How much time can you devote to working towards that benefit? Take some time to answer these questions and develop your own networking strategy. When you’re done I hope you’ll tell me about it. I’d love to share what you’re doing with the other readers of this blog. As always I love hearing from you. E-mail me your thoughts: scott (at) networkinaustin.com
