How to make the most of your Women in Networking experience
Thank you for being a part of Women in Networking! We appreciate your involvement and participation in our monthly meetings and All Chapter Events. Below are a few “tips” to help you make the most of your experience. The focus of Women in Networking is to help you work “on” your business, not just “in” your business. Like our mission says, we like to share successful products, services, systems and techniques with each other to help us grow our business. We focus on business and personal development. Referrals come naturally within this informal yet valuable organization.
Monthly Meeting Preparation
60 Second Commercial. Your 60 second commercial is just that, 60 seconds. Please practice your commercial prior to the meeting to make sure you stay within the 60 seconds. This helps us stay on track for the whole meeting. Be specific. Ask members for a specific referral. The more specific you are, the more likely we will be able to identify a referral for your business.
5 Minute Commercial. This is an opportunity to go “deeper” about your business. Use the five minutes to fully explain your product or service and how it BENEFITS your clients and customers. You don’t need to spend a lot of time talking about why you got in business, tell us how we can help you GROW your business. These commercials will be timed as well.
Business Cards. Bring enough business cards to share with Members and guests. Bring a brochure or flier about your company, handouts or other materials that you might want to share about your business.
Before you sit down, make sure you shake hands with everyone present.
Bring paper with you. When Members share their referral request, write it down. You can review your notes when you get back to your office. You can share referrals with Members anytime.
If you have referred a Member, be sure to share that with the group. Sharing testimonials is appreciated too!
Promptness and Attendance. Plan on arriving at the meeting location 10 minutes prior to the start time.
It’s important that meetings start and end on time. Your promptness is appreciated. Sometimes the best networking is done in the first five or last five minutes of the meeting.
We request that you attend at least 75% of the monthly meetings. We understand things come up and
you can’t make it, but if you have a change in your life or with your business that makes it difficult for you to attend regularly, let the Leadership Team know up-front. They might be able to hold your spot for you, but they aren’t required to do so. Every situation is different.
Subs and Guests. If you cannot attend, you can send a substitute. She does not have to be a member of your organization. For example, a Realtor® might send the home stager she works with as her substitute. Your Chapter Members have the opportunity to meet the home stager and make a valuable connection. You can bring a guest with you to the meeting too. Be sure to include her information when you RSVP or send her the invitation and let her RSVP directly.
Other Networking Organizations. We do not prohibit our Members from being a member of other networking groups. We understand the value of networking and we know there are many organizations out there, all with different expectations and regulations. We keep WIN simple, effective, informal and valuable.
WIN Website, Facebook and LinkedIn
Complete online profile. Be as complete as possible with your online profile. Now is a good time to review your profile and the profiles of other members. The Membership Committee will reference your profile when making decisions about future Member approval. If you are on Facebook or LinkedIn, be sure to include those links in your profile. We highly recommend including a professional business photo.
Facebook. Women in Networking has an official Facebook page, Women in Networking (WIN). This page is available to Members to post your events and opportunities. Please do not post meetings for other networking groups. This is a public page and we have nonmembers as “friends”.
LinkedIn. We have an official Women in Networking Group on LinkedIn that is Private. Only for WIN members. Feel free to use this tool for connecting with other Members. You may add questions and requests to the discussion forum. LinkedIn is your link to other business professionals. Facebook is your best tool to reach consumers.
Direct Mail/Email Marketing. If you would like to include any Women in Networking Members on your direct mail or email marketing lists, please seek their permission first. We provide contact information on the website as a reference.
Membership
One-on-One. We encourage you to get to know the Members in your Chapter. Consider scheduling a one-on-one meeting or small group gathering to learn more about them. The Members have to get to KNOW you, LIKE you, and TRUST you before they can refer business to you. Help them understand exactly what you do and who your ideal client is.
Overlap with other Members. There may be members in your Chapter that overlap with some of your product or service offerings. If that is the case, we strongly suggest you set up a one-on-one with that member. Discuss what you each offer and what you will or will not discuss at Women in Networking out of respect for each other. If you have a difficult time approaching a member who is talking about a topic you specialize in, ask someone on the Leadership Team to assist.
For example, if a group has a professional photographer, and there is a marketing consultant that offers photography services to her clients, the two should meet to talk about this “overlap in services”. If photography is not one of the marketing consultants main services, then one solution might be that the marketing consultant doesn’t mention photography services during WIN out of respect for the photographer. Or maybe the photographer focuses on portraits and weddings, not photos of products or business locations. Educate your Chapter Members to know how you are different. Again, make sure your online profile reflects your core business offerings.
Approving New Members. When a new prospect comes to Women in Networking that you think might be a conflict with your business, speak up. Let the Chapter Membership Coordinator know how you feel before the application is approved. The Membership Committee will try to seek input from any business they see as a potential conflict, but you can approach them too. As Chapters get larger, there is more potential for overlap. Again, we recommend a one-on-one.
If you have any questions about Women in Networking, please ask a member of a Chapter Leadership Team or the Founder, Michelle Aspelin.
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