The following questions are answered :
o What exactly is a professional networking group?
o How does it work?
o Where and when do you meet?
o What happens at the meetings?
o Who can join?
o Why only one person from each profession?
o Who from a company attends the meetings?
o What occupations are the most common?
o How do you know the members are reputable?
o How do you get invited?
o Do I have to speak in front of the whole group?
o How do I know I'll get additional business ?
o Why do they vote on accepting members ?
o What if someone joins and does shoddy work ?
o Do we have to bring guests ?
o What are the dues used for ?
What exactly is a professional networking group ?
It's pretty simple, really. A group of businesspeople meet each week at a pre-specified day and time and trade leads. This increases the number of contacts each business has access to, and helps all involved to make better profits and to build a wider system of connections in the business community.
The better organizations screen businesses for integrity and reputability before allowing them to join, thus ensuring the quality of work done by the members and making it easier for each member to make recommendations for the others.
Normally there will be only one business in any given field in a chapter. One lawyer, one accountant, one window washer and one restaurateur, etc. This prevents conflicts and insures a greater increase in business for each member. Once a chapter is set up, the members vote on the proposed additions to the group, based on their impressions of the prospective members character and business record.
Loyalty to the members in the chapter is strongly encouraged. This increases the strength of the organization, thus making the chapter more durable and more valuable for each member.
How does it work?
Throughout the course of the week, most businesses run into people looking for certain things which they themselves don't supply. Members of a networking group will keep these "leads" and pass them on to other members who are involved in the specific field required at the next meeting.
When you have a group of 25-50 businesspeople who know what you do and who you are watching for leads for you, this can add up to significant additional business.
Where and when do they meet ?
Meetings are every Wednesday at 7 AM. We meet at Beaman's Chuck Wagon , Center St. Cedar Falls. The gatherings generally last an hour to an hour and a quarter.
What happens at the meetings?
Meetings will be kept generally to a standard format, and will be somewhat formal to ensure the business mindset is maintained.
At each meeting, during the meal, each member will have an opportunity to stand and do a 30 to 60 second explanation :
o Who you are
o What your business is
o Where you operate geographically
o What kind of customer you are looking for - specifically.
There will be rotations from week to week giving individual members an opportunity to do more detailed explanations of their services and their needs in the way of customers. These will generally go for 10 minutes.
Business cards will also be passed around at each meeting.
Who can join?
The qualifications are simple. You must be a business of top caliber in your field and geographic area, you must be willing to invite similar guests, and you must be willing to provide leads for the others in the group just as they provide them for you.
Only one member from each profession is allowed. The members will invite guests, based on a quality reputation and the guests personal integrity. These guests will be seeing if they are comfortable with the group as much as the group will be deciding the same thing about them.
When a guest attends their first meeting, CVN pays for their breakfast. If the guest is interested, they will usually be invited back for a second meeting. (They will have to pay for the meal at the second one.)
After that, the group will vote on whether or not to accept them for membership.
Why only one person from each profession?
It makes sure that each person gets the maximum benefit from their membership. This is another reason for choosing top profesionals in their fields.
There is also the factor of avoiding conflict within the group. Many times, hard feelings could be generated if there were two or more people in the same profession competing for leads and the person supplying them had to choose who got them. This avoids uncomfortable situations for all involved.
Who from a company attends the meetings?
Usually it is the owner, but it can be a designated representative if the company chooses that form of representation.
What occupations are the most common?
Real estate professionals, insurance brokers and accounting and legal professionals are the most common professions. Each of these groups encounters generally more people in the course of a week. These groups also have a greater tendency to network as a part of their daily business.
People responsible in their companies for developing new business through associations and similar channels will also be common as members.
How do you know the members are reputable?
The process of selection involves checking references, personal recommendations from established members, and checking length of time in business.
It is in the best interests of CVN to make sure that only reputable businesses are allowed membership. Their reputations are also involved when they give someone a referral.
How do you get invited?
Usually you must be approached and invited by a member. If you are interested but don't know any members, other approaches may also work. One is to check with the chapter president and see if your field is represented, and go from there if it is not. If the field is open and you meet the criteria, the chapter president may assign you as the guest of an existing member.
Do I have to speak in front of the whole group?
Yes. You will get an opportunity to tell them about yourself and your business, as well as how they can help you. For the most part this will only be for a minute or less at a time. You may be required to speak for as much as 10 minutes at a time once or twice a year.
Many people who get involved find the confidence and speaking skills they gather to be worth the time by itself.
How do I know I'll get additional business?
The practice of limiting membership to one person in a given profession is partly to ensure this. Most groups also have listings of the types of businesses that benefit most from networking. It is not in anyones interest to have one-sided trades going on.
Why do we vote on accepting members?
CVN members will be recommending the new members to family, friends and business associates. Each of these people puts a certain amount of their reputation and their relationships with others on the line each time they recommend someone to them. They want to know that the person they recommend is someone they can trust to handle their dealings with integrity.
What if someone joins and does shoddy work?
Because of the screening process involved this will be very unusual. It does happen on rare occasion. When such an event occurs, CVN elected officials will look into the matter and make a recommendation. If the matter cannot be resolved and is in fact the fault of poor workmanship or an unwillingness on the part of the business to correct a mistake, the business will be expelled from the group.
Do we have to bring guests?
Yes. Members are expected to help increase the range of both available leads and services. You will be expected to bring businesses of similar quality as yourself.
Most businesses find this a fun part of the organization, since they will also be seeing the additional success they receive from their own membership. It is more likely that you will have people approaching you than that you will need to approach them.
What are the dues used for?
Mostly for the maintenance of CVN. We also have various functions to help get more public exposure and greater attention. This develops the members as business leaders, and increases the number of people who want to join.
CVN operates under a non-profit status. |
