You’ve probably heard this before from motivational speakers and on Facebook posts . . . “Surround yourself with the right people.”
And it applies in networking as much as any where.
We moved to a new area about 18 months ago and I thought it would be a good idea to attend networking events in order to meet new business owners in the area.
I did some research and found that there was a variety of different events that I could attend ranging from . . .
free events to those costing several 100s of dollars per month.
The Range of Events
At the top end of the range are the highly structures, organised events like BNI and Leads Club, where the joining membership and annual fees amount to a lot of money.
In the middle there are what I call premium events costing around $50-$100 per event to attend as a one off commitment.
There are also some organised events run by independent groups that are based loosely on the BNI and Leads Club models, and the fees vary dramatically.
Then at the other end of the spectrum are the virtually free events. There is no fee to attend; you just pay for whatever coffee and food you consume.
The Distinction
The distinction that has really hit home to me in the last month about attending all of these events over the last 18 months, is that the price point of the event seems to attract different kinds of business owners.
The free events attract start-ups and business owners, who often are struggling to make their business work. Often, they don’t seem to understand what networking is really about. They are just showing up to see who is there on the day to buy their product.
That’s fine if this is your target market, but absolutely hopeless for you if you are looking for:
- people to really ‘network’ with, or
- well-heeled business owners with a budget to spend on your product or services . . . (and who see the value in using them), or
- the people who network with well-heeled business owners.
The more expensive the event is to attend, the more likely it is that you will find people that meet these criteria.
. . . and that you will eventually connect with a business owner who can afford your services and also who sees the value in using them rather than trying to DIY it.
. . . and who will network with and for you.
For example, a business owner who is not managing to pay the bills usually cannot see the value in paying a bookkeeper to manage their books.
And yet, in these networking articles I have talked a lot about the importance of delegating and working on your business instead of in it.
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Well, that is quite simple really!
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Watch this short VIDEO
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What should you do now?
- Decide to do business networking.
- Choose where and how to network carefully.
- Want some help or ideas? Just contact us at Hotpink Websites now.
Or, CLICK HERE if you need a new website – Website Enquiry.
Quote
Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves — to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today.
~ Stewart B Johnson
Remember – Networking Tips 16
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