This is going to be a very short post but I did want to share with you some things I saw today that literally blew me away. I am being forced to re-examine many of my core beliefs as it relates to face-to-face networking groups. You know, those same groups that I own and run as a business.
I have always been one who finds a tremendous amount of security in conformity. I like everything painted the same color. I like my groups to march to the same beat. After all, I do know what makes these groups work. Oddly, when it comes to using new technologies to carry out our goals, I am very much open to that and quick to evaluate and embrace those tools that will make our groups even better. Mess with the basic group format, it’s core principles, and that’s where I have traditionally drawn the hard-line.
Here’s what works. You get some really great people together, they share some great leads, and strong relationships naturally form as the result. Simple. And, I see it work and work well everyday. With two of my groups. My third group, Business Minds, has essentially flipped the last two components. Sure, they talk a little about leads but, with some exception, that is not the focus. With even less exception, they will write these leads down so that I can enter them into their CRM. They march to the beat of a different drummer and no matter how hard I have tried to establish the correct rhythm, they continue to go their own direction.
Well, today I saw something incredible. Everybody went around the room and as opposed to the typical 60 second commercial, each shared their passions. Some of it was work related but a lot of it was very personal. We have discussed this topic before but I have never seen folks jump in like they did today. Mind you, this core group has now been together for close to four months so I am sure that has a great deal to do with it. I had absolutely no idea of most of the fantastic causes that these folks are involved in. I do now (smile). I feel honored to just be associated with them. I left the meeting with a new appreciation for each as an individual as well as a member of our group. But, the meeting did not stop there …..
For several weeks now, many of the members have stayed after the regular meeting to conduct round table discussions on areas of business that likely affect them all. While It may be constructed around an issue that a particular member is having with their business, fact is, most of us share these same challenges. What this has transformed into, however, is much more than just a round table. It has become a peer board. I’d like to take credit for this great idea but it sure wasn’t me. This credit goes to Brandon Wright of Ultra Clean and Wright Stuff Radio. Brandon called me after the meeting and we shared some feedback. I told him how my jaw had dropped at what I had seen and how I was seriously taking it all in and now examining how best to put it to work in our other groups.
Brandon and I did agree on one other thing. It would be nice if people would write their leads down. Someone had a great one for him the other day but he could not remember what it was. Of course, it’s not in the CRM. I had to smile because I know the system does work. Leads and relationships are not mutually exclusive. How we approach them may need to evolve.
Thanks for visiting!
Craig
Postscript 1/20/10: At our Wednesday meeting today for NetWorks! Boise Bing!, we asked each member to share his or her passion and obtained equally amazing results! Sweet! Oh yeah, and we also managed to post 28 leads to their CRM. Yes, you can do both (smile).
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Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. NetWorks! Boise Valley is a business to business networking organization for the most serious sales and marketing professionals only.
