Improve the effectiveness of networking groups with member experiences

How often do guests visit your networking group and ultimately never join? Why do they come in the first place? What are they waiting for? What do they leave with each encounter? The last question is critical and that’s where you should start if your group is willing to try something new.

Start by giving your guests a printed “group bio” that includes the group’s mission statement, members, activities, rules, and meeting times. Make sure all of your members have read these documents.

Since most guests leave their first networking meetings with no references, you need to send guests off with new marketing ideas. Your group probably has a few more thoughtful people to share, more than you think, with valuable experiences. Start by asking your guests how they market their businesses. Then let your members suggest new marketing avenues. During the brainstorming roundtable, one of your members can offer a cross-market with the guest, increasing the likelihood that they will return.

Over 90% of the groups I visit have a “member showcased 15-20 minutes of practical details.” During these speeches, I consistently noticed that 50% of the audience was focused elsewhere, particularly the older members who have heard most of this information before. Why not take that approach with guests and apply it to your members?

Here’s a format I use that you can modify as you wish:

For two weeks each month in his group, attendees sit 5-6 people per table. 45 minutes of meeting time are dedicated to roundtables. Each table brainstorms one business for 15 minutes, then another business for 15 minutes, and then a third business for 15 minutes (15 minutes x 3 businesses = 45 minutes). If you have two full tables, six businesses (3 businesses x 2 tables = 6) will walk away from that meeting with new marketing ideas in addition to any referrals members bring in that week. Long-time members no longer feel guilty about attending meetings without referrals, as they can contribute in other ways.

To keep meetings within an hour, short introductions to start the meeting. Members could introduce themselves in less than 15 seconds in this order: funny catchphrase, name, business name, and then business buzzwords. After the presentations and announcements, dive into the brainstorming roundtables.

If you have four meetings a month, spend the other two meetings doing various activities (reviewing each other’s business cards, improving each other’s slogans, etc.).

To share the nuts and bolts of each member’s industry, I recommend one of two solutions. Create a website with one page for each member (it helps to have a web designer in the group, but Microsoft Frontpage is simple for many people and a domain name + hosting costs ~$50 a year) or have each member fill out an application with contact information, industry overview, industry tips, testimonials, have a member write up applications then hand them out in three-ring binders for reference when needed. Either approach will look stunning on guests.

Lastly, I’m not a big fan of fines or membership, but I think charging $5 per missed meeting (often less than the cost of attending and paying for breakfast/lunch) is acceptable if the funds raised are used to pay for group marketing costs.

People join groups to get referrals, get ideas on how to grow their business, help others, and socialize. You will find that the above approach maximizes your group’s time to improve the productivity and growth of the group and its members.