Connecting the Dots...
Keep the personal in your Networking! With all the hype around social networking, it is easy to forget how energizing a great face to face networking event can be. It is important, though, to find the right group(s) to invest your time in. While I was revamping my business, I realized my ideal clients are those in the Promotional Products industry. After attending a few different networking organization meetings (LeTip, BNI, eWomenNetwork, etc.), I knew I wasn't going to meet my ideal client attending those events. It's just not where they gather. So, a few years ago, when the opportunity presented itself, I helped with the establishment of the Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC) San Diego group. This was a group specifically geared to my ideal clients and their ideal clients. Plus the people are great! After a while, circumstances prevented me from attending live events and I figured I didn't really need to network anymore. For the first time in a long time, I was able to go back and attend a live event. Boy, was I wrong about not needing the face to face time! The positive vibes I received from the group energized me with all kinds of new ideas and connections.
I don't have to do a lot of in-person networking as long as it is the right kind of group. Even if our lives only touch during that one evening a month, at least they have touched.
What does in-person networking bring to your business? If you haven't tried it, what might it bring to your business? And what are you waiting for? Give it a try!
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