The Business League

Why you aren’t getting a better ROI from your Networking

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Here’s why you AREN’T Getting GREAT ROI from your Networking

You network to get RESULTS.

Each person wants different things from networking.

For some its more clients, for others its support, for others its confidence, for others its partnerships, for some its all of the above.

It doesn’t matter what you are wanting from your networking.

The reality is you could be getting BETTER results.

There are 3 Reasons that you aren’t getting better results.

Know these and your return from networking can improve over night.

If you aren’t getting a GREAT ROI you need to change what you are doing.

I wanted to share the top 3 reasons most business owners don’t get the ROI they could from their networking.

Here they are:

So let me know which one do you need to improve most?

Networking Mistake #3

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Networking Mistake #3

Previously I have written about 2-mistakes that I witnessed in 2018.

This next one is critical and can be the difference between money and friends.

By friends I mean people you have relationship with, but don’t give you business.

By money I mean SALES, SALES, SALES.

In the past 12-months I know at least half a dozen Business Owners who have lost business or not won the business because of this mistake.

So I wanted to share it with you.

Mistake #3

I can list at least 6 sales that business owners didn’t get because of this mistake.

So here it is…

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Networking Mistake #2

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Networking Mistake #2

Last week I shared with you, as a direct result of talking to some of you, one of the major problems business owners have with networking.  

I now want to share with you the second mistake.

There are many variations to this challenge that business owners create for themselves, however at the core of it is this.

You are not clear on how you are creating value for your connections.

And NO I’m not talking about the widget you sell or the service you deliver.  This isn’t the aim in creating value. This approach causes you problem and gets you into the ‘sleazy salesman’ reputation. You don’t want that.

[Read more…]

3 Keys to Your Networking Success

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3 Keys to Your Networking Success

Last week I asked you about your networking goals for 2019. Many of you responded. And we’ve been able to help some of you already.

As a result of this though there were some key mistakes that jumped out at me that many of you were and are making.  As a result of these mistakes I wanted to share with you what they are and how you can overcome them.

These are THREE REALLY, REALLY, IMPORTANT keys to your networking success in 2019. If you don’t get these right from the get-go, your results are going to be hard to come by this year.

I’m going to share the first one below and the next two in subsequent emails – keep an eye out.

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The POWER of Vulnerability in Networking

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TBL Co-Founder, Rebecca

Last week we celebrated our 10th birthday. During the breakfast our guest speaker was, my wife and TBL Co-Founder, Rebecca who shared her story about the Business League, Overcoming anxiety and some personal experiences that have shaped who she is today.

During the presentation, Bec cried, other guests cried.  Bec was vulnerable and shared openly.

As a result Bec has been flooded with appreciation, gratitude, admiration and comments at the end of the breakfast, through texts, emails and public Facebook messages.

It was powerful.

[Read more…]

Do you think speakers make or break a networking event?

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Speakers Make Or Break

So, do you think speakers make or break a networking event?

Before I give you my opinion it’s important to have context. There are a couple of traditional networking styles that you should understand.

They are:

FIRST. Pass referrals in structured held accountable, slapped on the wrists if you don’t pass referrals style meeting.

SECOND. Free flowing networking, Think drinks style event.

THIRD. Networking Activities. Think Speed Networking, structured event to get you results.

FOURTH. Speaker Events.

[Read more…]

Train Your Mind To Look For Collaborations

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In the early days, months and years of business, it can be all-consuming to look for the right Clients – the people who can pay your bills and keep you being paid for doing something you love.
But, at some point, the ‘chasing’ of clients on your own can become …
– a bit boring
– a bit tough
– a habit that keeps you playing smaller than your potential.
That is where Collaboration comes to play.  But, how do you know who will make a good Collaborative partner? How can you work out if you will get as much as you will give, out of a relationship?
Collaboration
There’s no doubt about it that a Partner – someone you are jumping in to business bed with – needs to be as committed to the outcome of your collaboration as you are. And, it’s not always a fast thing.  Sometimes you can meet a Collaborative Partner who makes sense straight off the bat.  You have each other’s clients and offer different but complementary services.

[Read more…]

Would you like to know the best piece of networking advice I have to offer?

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Best Piece Networking Advice

You see, my wife and I have been at the helm of The Business League for nearly 6-years and the Business League is now nearly 10-years old.

So in the 6-years I’ve been running networking events, I think I’ve seen a thing or two, but before I give you the ‘BEST ADVICE EVER’, let me put it in context. I started networking over 10-years ago and whilst I didn’t mind it, I was CRAP at it.

You see I was naturally an introvert.

I didn’t want to be the centre of attention.

I wasn’t great at interrupting a conversation.

I would gravitate to people I knew.

I struggled to leave rubbish conversations.

I would get nervous when I had to stand up and talk about myself in front of 30-people (I used to give orders to 150-soldier… Go figure…

[Read more…]

Five Reasons Your Business Needs PR

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By Guest Contributor, Amanda Williams, Yellowpanda Ringleader

why-your-business-needs-pr-1024x684

FROM getting clients in the media, to building online reputations and establishing individuals as thought leaders, public relations can help differentiate businesses and brands from the competition.

While the role of a PR professional spans a range of disciplines, including corporate and crisis communications, digital and social media management, and strategic content creation, it ultimately focuses on building trust, reputation and lasting relationships with stakeholders.

Through multi-channel platforms, including print, online and audio, clients can build credibility, expand their presence and control the story they want to tell.

[Read more…]

Best Networking Advice

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Would you like to know the best piece of networking advice I have to offer?

 

You see, my wife and I have been at the helm of The Business League for nearly 6-years and the Business League is now nearly 10-years old.  

So in the 6-years, I’ve been running networking events, I think I’ve seen a thing or two, but before I give you the ‘BEST ADVICE EVER’, let me put it in context.  I started networking over 10-years ago and whilst I didn’t mind it, I was CRAP at it.

You see I was naturally an introvert.

I didn’t want to be the center of attention.

I wasn’t great at interrupting a conversation.  

I would gravitate to people I knew.  

I struggled to leave rubbish conversations.

I would get nervous when I had to stand up and talk about myself in front of 30-people (I used to give orders to 150-soldier… Go figure…

I was the kind of guy (and largely still am) where I’d prefer to have a few strong relationships. I am still friends with 3 kids I started school with and will catch up with them a couple of times a year.  Most of my good friends I’ve known for over 30-years.

These aren’t the actions of a dude who makes any changes friends quickly.  Beware – I hang around a long time.

So this was me 10-years ago. Yes, networking was a great growth driver for our businesses.    But I don’t think I did the best job at it.

I got sucked into some networking organizations, some of them charging $2000 a year not even including the monthly breakfast!!! And I stayed with them too long because I was loyal (a trait honed in from 17-years in the Army).

So this loyalty cost me time and money.

Then there were the social drinks I turned up to, which were pretty clicky, enjoyable, but not great for business.

To be honest I sucked at getting people interested in what I did and quite often was too ‘nice’ and let people talk about themselves for ages waiting for them to ask about what I did….

You guessed it – it was a long wait.

Some of you may relate to some of the above.  And so I immersed myself in the ‘ethos’ of networking and improving.  Yes there was some good advice.


Such as:

Be yourself – actually, this wasn’t one of those good bits of advice…

It’s about relationships, not quantity

Know your USP

Know your elevator pitch

Target your niche

Create Joint Ventures

Ask questions

Don’t hijack conversations

Give value

Don’t have a set agenda

Have a set agenda

Make sure you follow up

Don’t be the smartest person in the room

Be memorable

Get to know the organizers

Hand out business cards

Don’t hand out business cards

And the list goes on…

Many of those didn’t really help.  I remember Bec (my wife) rehearsing with me different questions I could ask to prepare for the event I was going to.  It was funny actually – Bec is an amazing networker, but hated it. I was a shitty networker but didn’t mind it.

So what is the one piece of advice that changed all this for me.

It actually wasn’t even advice, it was something I had to work out for myself.

So what is the one piece of advice that changed all this for me.

It actually wasn’t even advice, it was something I had to work out for myself.


So here it is…..

It fits into the following – I call it the SOS of Networking

SOS = Self, Others, Strategy

So firstly, I needed to work out how to be myself but in a more outgoing version.  How could I amp up the ‘true’ me to engage more people, initiate more conversations and connect with more people.  Self.

Next, I am awesome at connecting people. Enjoy doing this and do it. Whether it comes round or not. Do it. Quite often it hasn’t come round as big as it is been put out there.  Take for example a Business League Member who was introduced to one of our connections, which turned into a $180K agreement. So others are not about connecting to gain. It simply about help others. No agenda. No deep down desire to get it back.  Just help others and focus on what they need.

Strategy. Well, this one is for my right side brain. It’s about knowing the people I want to connect with to bring into my ‘inner circle’ or my partners/power group. It’s about knowing what the return is I want from my efforts.  It’s about bringing strategic planning to a reactive game. This helps me meet the right people. Last year on average, each month, I met two new multi-millionaires a month. Not to do business with, but to get to know them and to learn from. I then introduce them to my community.

So my framework for networking, that works for me is SOS.

It may not work for you. Or fit for you extraverts.

But hey, this was my best networking advice, not yours. So what is yours?



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