Ballantyne Business Network

I always said that if I ever moved to a new town the first thing I would do was join a BNI. Well, it took me a year, but I finally did it. I found a great group in Ballantyne, near Charlotte, NC. and I am so glad a did--in fact I wish I had done it months ago!

The Ballantyne group is a neat one - very diverse, and super friendly. But that is part of what BNI is all about. Now, I have been to other business networking groups, but this one is the same no matter where I go. The agenda, the philosophy, the goal - the only thing that differs is group dynamics -- and that is where your good groups shine -- the pass referrals, keep the meeting going, add new and productive members, and take the meeting seriously while having fun.

My new BNI group in Ballantyne, has been amazingly open and supportive. And best of all, the referrals are turning into solid business opportunities--and that, is what it is all about.

If you would like to know more about the business networking events in the Charlotte area, feel free to comment below.

Meghan Wier
www.meghanwier.com

What have you done for me lately?

Building your business is a lot of work... and depending on the business it can be anywhere from a bit of a headache to a gut-wrenching, utterly exhausting and sometimes disasterous experience. Every business is different - even the cookie cutter franchise businesses are unique - and why - because people are unique. We each do things a little different, even when given the same task.

Case in point - networking. You know you need to do it, you read all the books, do all the right things... but now what? You see others gaining... and you keep giving. You may ask yourself, "Networking... what have you done for me lately?"

You start pulling back, questioning the true value.

Here's the honest truth, you get out what you put into it... but sometimes it takes time! Sometimes it takes a long time. A REALLY long time.

The solution, network more--never stop, and don't expect immediate pay-back. Get better at networking, meet more people, cultivate the contacts that you have, act as a conduit for others to network. Learn to enjoy the networking for the satifaction of helping others, the pride in seeing your contacts succeed, the friendships that form. And learn that sometimes "paying it forward" has rewards... later.

Meghan Wier -

Getting More Referrals

The best advice I can give anyone looking to get more referrals is to ask. Ask and explain. Ask for what you want, (and be specific) and explain why you think that target would benefit.

In one networking group, we each have an opportunity to say what kinds of prospects we are seeking each week. I used to ask for “any business who wants a new Web site”. I think partly this was because it was easy to remember; I could say that and sit down. It wouldn’t cause anyone to take any special notice of me. The problem is, that garnered very few results in terms of referrals. It was forgettable. (In fact, it was what I wanted, and the exact opposite of what I needed).

People need specifics, and they need you to give them the tools to assist you. I learned after a while that a chiropractor that asks for referrals of “anyone with a back” will get a few referrals, even though we each have a back, and theoretically then he should have 5 billion referrals. However, the chiropractor that says “migraines have been shown to be relieved and reduced by chiropractic, so anyone suffering through migraine headaches would be a good referral for me” will get five times the referrals of the first chiropractor.
Ask for the referral, be specific, and give a good reason why your product or service will be of benefit to that company, demographic or industry. Using this technique will help your audience learn more about what you do, deliver to you more, and better qualified referrals.

Business Development and Networking

One of the most successful ways to grow a business is through Business Networking. Word of Mouth marketing and referral-based sales are generally the most effective sales techniques. It is important when looking at your sales and marketing strategies to include business networking in the plan from the beginning. http://businessnetworkingny.blogspot.com

By encouraging sales staff to make networking part of their sales routine, you will get more qualified prospects, have shorter sales cycles, and more repeat business.

The advantages to business networking for business development are numerous and important to any growing company.

Read a blog about business networking in New York, or business networking groups.