Online Networking – CIBN

Are You a Networking Pro or A Virgin? Part-2

Kerry George — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Here are the Five Remaining Tips for You to Become a Pro Networker

As much as there's a lot of leeway and forgiveness with people online these days, it is still best to have a professional background. This doesn't mean you have to go to the expense of buying a green screen and professional set-up. However, there's nothing more distracting than watching somebody appear and disappear as they talk using a background without a green screen.

You can have a professional environment by making sure whatever is in the field of vision looks tidy and professional. This does not include an unmade bed (or any bed, really), a bathroom, or roommates walking around in their underwear. A good rule of thumb is that if you had a brick-and-mortar location and wouldn't show it in your front window, you probably shouldn't be showing that in your online window. Another alternative is to blur your background. Keep it professional!

Be Courteous Do Your Fellow Members

Just because the people in the room are not your ideal client doesn't mean you can stop listening or leave. I have seen somebody leave a networking breakout room for whatever reason and say nothing. If you have a valid reason to leave, apologize and let the group know why you are dropping off. If you don't have an opening to let them know verbally, then put it in the chat. When you leave without notice, all that says is, "you're not important to me," which is downright rude.

Dress Professionally, Dress for Success!

Things have become more casual online. Dress based on the event that you are attending. If it is a casual drink over Zoom with family or friends, that's very different from a business meeting or a networking group. Your attire should reflect the image you want to convey for that meeting. I don't think anyone is attending meetings in Pajamas anymore, but a halter top or bathing suit may not be appropriate unless you promote a beach getaway. I'm not saying you should wear a suit but be mindful of your audience. If you want to be seen as an expert, you should dress like one (at least on the top that can be seen).

Be Sincere

I have been in some networking groups where after people give their elevator pitches or presentations, people clap. As for the elevator pitch or introduction, I don't clap as a rule. To me, it feels phony, not genuine. I will clap for a presentation even if the information wasn't relevant to me. At the end of the day, be sincere and true to yourself. If it feels right, do it. If it feels forced, don't.

Develop a Relationship

Networking is all about developing a relationship whether you're face to face or on screen. I wouldn't suggest this demands you attend a meeting every week or every meeting necessarily, but it is necessary to show consistency so that people get to know, like, and trust you. Determine what that frequency is for you. You'll know you are developing relationships as people start recognizing you in the group.

Bonus Tip!

One key thing that will help you with networking is to ensure you have your contact information and short write-up ready to copy and paste into the chat window so that you're not trying to type in the chat. It should contain your full name, company name, contact information, and social media links, including "https://" so people can click on it in the chat, and it will open in their browser.

Keep in mind you may need to revise your information based on each group's requirements, but if you have it saved on a Google or Word Doc or Google Keep, you will be able to change it quickly and easily.

Discover how to effectively utilize Google Keep.

If you're able to implement one or two of these tips, I'm sure you'll see a difference in how your networking is received by your audience, taking you from being a networking virgin to a pro.

IF YOU MISSED PART – 1, FIND IT AT HTTPS://THECIBN.COM/NETWORK-PRO-PART1/

Overall, health and fitness always played a part in Michelle’s life and continue to be part of her consulting approach today, differentiating her from others in the industry. Michelle guides business owners to develop a self-sustaining business, generate more revenue, and take back time to do things that excite them!

Raised by a strong, independent single mother, Michelle’s vision and values were instilled early. Michelle’s entrepreneurial journey started in the 90s in event planning and speaking. In addition to Michelle’s over 30-year Corporate career in Media, Logistics and Financial Services, her passions shaped Michelle’s experience, providing innumerable opportunities to give back as a volunteer.

Passionate about making a difference, Michelle is on a philanthropic foundation, “Board of Advisors,” building sustainable schools in developing countries and supporting Digital Samurai’s efforts, an entrepreneur focused on reducing youth unemployment in Africa through apprenticeships.

Michelle’s 35 years as an Account Executive spanned credit card processing and financial services, transportation, logistics, media, and consulting, with many projects including managing consultative alliances, live event management, and sales team leadership. In 2021 Michelle completed Wardell International Advisor training and had recently undertaken S.O.S. Sales Objection System group training with renowned trainer Joe Marcoux. Her career and entrepreneurial ambitions have taken Michelle outside Canada, providing extensive experience in multiple markets in North America and beyond.

You can find Michelle Ricketts on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/michellericketts

Are You a Networking Pro or a Virgin? Part-1

Kerry George — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 10:00:00 +0000

Networking is not a new way to meet. It’s been around for decades, but it's not for the faint of heart. There is some work involved. Originally face-to-face with a bunch of strangers in a room where one or two people would start to mingle and chat, like a high school dance, there were wallflowers. Some people would be handing out business cards, everybody was trying to convey what they do, who they are, and where they're from. Some were only there to meet new people, others to make connections, and then there was a misguided few who thought they would have a client jump out in front of them.

Whatever networking looked like changed in 2020. Groups moved online, others like CIBN were already there, and new ones popped up; the networking game changed. CIBN had face-to-face networking for years and went online almost three years before it became the place to be. For networking group attendees, it was now about learning how to engage through a computer screen or phone. It was figuring out what to say and how to say it; everyone had to transition.

Pros moved seamlessly from face-to-face to on-screen. Others continue to struggle even years later. My record in one week, at the start of 2020, was 16 networking events as I tried different options to find which worked for me. Along with CIBN, I now do a few weekly networking events with groups that have added value for me, and I am bringing value to them.

Networking isn't throwing “you know what” at the wall and seeing what sticks. It should be a plan in your marketing strategy. We only have so many hours in the day, make sure that they're used effectively.

Networking should be about more give than take. It isn't about expecting to find clients. Not to say you won't, but if your sole purpose of attending networking events is to find clients, you may be sorely disappointed. What networking can do for you is provide an avenue to make new connections who move in the same circles as your clients or make great connections that can become strategic partners for your business.

Here are Five of the Ten Tips for You to Become a Pro Networker

Prepare Your Introduction and Practice It

You shouldn't be fumbling and humming and hawing when you tell people about what you do. If you don't have confidence in what you're saying, they will not see you as an expert. Prepare what you were going to say ahead of time. Write it out and practice it in front of a mirror and record yourself. Repetition is how you will obtain comfort in delivering your pitch. Remember, practice makes perfect. Your words should slide off your tongue with ease every time.

Focus on One Thing

Don't try to be all things to all people. People won't remember what you're saying, and there is no value for your listeners. Pick one thing you want to discuss at each meeting and deliver that. You can create pitches for different areas of your business or expertise but don't try to deliver them all at once.

Layer Your Pitch

Networking events and breakout room time slots could be 30 seconds, 1 minute or 2 minutes. You will not be able to deliver the same information at every meeting. Create stacking or layering of your details. Start with a 30-second delivery of the most important information, then add additional information depending on the group. When I'm in a group that only allows for my name and what I do, I start with this.

"Hello, I'm Michelle Ricketts, I am a business consultant in Vancouver, Canada, but I work with clients globally. I guide entrepreneurs to scale their business, with a strong foundation, to become self-sustaining".

Then when I have more time in another group, I can add on or layer.

"...I work with individuals or in group training. We start with a Business Strength Test to see where they are today"..., and so on, you get the idea.

Being able to stack or add additional elements to your pitch will ensure you are ready for whatever time frame you're offered and not sell yourself short when you have more time.

Paint a Picture for Your Listener

Don't ramble off a list of things you do, people like stories. Incorporate what you do into a story around your business or client experience, which will resonate with your audience. Paint a picture, this may put someone they know in view as a potential client for you.

Don't Expect to Land a Client

You may be fortunate enough to meet a client through a networking event, but it is more likely that you will meet someone who knows a potential client. When you realize the person in the meeting or breakout group is not a client, don't dismiss them. Stay engaged. You never know whom they know. Treat everyone as if they are referral partners.

Join Michelle Ricketts next week as she continues to provide excellent information on how to make the most out of networking. https://thecibn.com/networking-pro-part-2/

You can find Michelle Ricketts on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/michellericketts

5 Modern Tips for Networking

Kerry George — Mon, 07 Dec 2020 19:59:29 +0000

5 Modern Tips for Networking

Networking is not new. It has been around as long as man has been around. It is very likely that there was a guy selling things from his cave and he recommended his friend who had a tent on the beach, and they all got together around a campfire somewhere. However, there is a lot of new technology today, so why not marry some of the old with some of the new and give Social Networking real meaning?

Networking will dramatically improve your bottom line when you do it well, and when you do it consistently. Today we have several great tools that will help you to do networking better than you have ever done it before. When you go out to an event and collect cards the next and most powerful thing that you can do is follow up with the people that you met, but have you noticed that they don’t all answer the phone the next day? It is also impractical to rely entirely on the phone because one just does not have the time to call 40 people within 24 hours. Those leads become cold when they are left too long. Using modern tools can keep those leads interacting
with you, and even warm them up before you get them on the phone. It takes 7 - 14 touches to get a sale, so why not start with some social touching? When you finally get together with them, it will make getting a sale so much easier.

Here are 5 tips for modern networking that will rock your world:

1. Put all of those contacts that you collected into a CRM (Customer Retention Management) system immediately. Going out networking for two hours was two hours you will never get back. You don’t want to lose that effort now by misplacing these business cards or not productively using them. You need to put them directly into a system. Find something that works for you whether it is Hubspot, Infusionsoft, Salesforce or even something as simple as an old fashioned Rolodex. Whatever you use, it should alert you to complete a task. I personally like Hubspot. Even the free version allows one to put the contact in and set a task to be reminded to call them again in three days if they did not pick up today.

2. Add your contacts to LinkedIn immediately. The one thing that you need to be accepted by a new connection in LinkedIn is their email address. It is usually on their business card. People who go out networking expect a follow-up. They are there for networking and connecting just like you, so go ahead and connect. You are building your social media following and they will see your future posts about your services, so this is a win/win!

3. Connect with people on Facebook. While Facebook is still primarily for making friends, it is becoming more and more common for business owners to use it to reach out to other business owners. Many will use Facebook as their primary online connection tool, and others appreciate the fast response system of Messenger for quick communication.

4. Twitter users are usually more socially savvy than most. It is an excellent idea to build a nice Twitter account and check to see if your new contact is on there. Usually, on their website, there will be a link to their Twitter account if they are an active Twitter user. You can often tell by reading their posts if they are there on a regular basis. Re-sharing a Tweet, or making a positive comment can win you a lot of social cred and build your new business relationship.

5. Send a real card. If you want to stand out from the herd, send a card that comes in the mail. Any fool can send an email card, and most fools do. The rest of us send them immediately to junk, but what do you do when a real card comes in the mail? A real card has an open rate of 100%. Some of the most successful people in the world have made a daily habit of sending a few thoughtful, well-written cards to prospects and clients each day. Today there are modern methods available to get the job done faster. Send Out Cards is one of those tools where you can quickly create a unique, customized card and send it to your prospect or client for less than $3 each. I still have the first one that was ever sent to me on the mantle of my fireplace because the sender was wise enough to put my picture on it. I still like him and do business with him to this day.

Once you’ve added your connections into these systems, you can make random posts or automate posts with a purpose using an aggregator like Hootsuite to keep talking about what you do in short statements. You can add quick tips through social media channels, and as they follow you back, you can like, comment on, and share what they say from your smartphone throughout the week. A few weeks of this activity and your cold prospect becomes a warm friend before you even get back together with them in person.

Kerry George

CEO, CIBN Connect

As the CEO at CIBN Connect, Kerry George inspires business owners with vision and passion and allows them to thrive in every circumstance.

Kerry is a professional networker who has attended over 6000 networking meetings and has been a keynote speaker for hundreds of online and live events.

As you can imagine, a few things have gone wrong in running that many events. Kerry always keeps a sense of humor during the chaos, which has allowed her to continuously be in good spirits to help other entrepreneurs work through their stuff. (linkedin.com/in/kerrygeorge)

Dealing With Competitors In Your Networking Meeting

Kerry George — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 18:58:10 +0000

Too Many Duplicate Industries In Your Networking Meeting?

Years ago when I started networking Jim Messner who had ran the Calgary Business Network who mentored me, was of the opinion that it did not matter how many other people with the same industry was in the same club. Jim had 25 years experience at that time, and he was a Realtor which was a very competitive occupation. He went to many meetings where there were other Realtors and they never felt threatened around him, mostly because he was confident in his own skin and he was not threatened by them. I never heard him stand up and say he was the best at what he did, and he always treated everyone in the room with respect. He always had something intelligent and unique to share to the group, but he always got some business from his networking. Most of it came from following up, and that was unique, because I can’t tell you how many people attend networking meetings who don’t follow up with those who were present.

In 2013 we took over an organization that had one person, per industry in a club, with no duplicates. In our live clubs we have always maintained that standard and we are very diligent with it. Even more so than our competitors who will put a life insurance agent, an investment broker, a group benefits expert, and a private equity guy all in the same group, even if they all work for Investors Group. In the live settings where people would meet for lunch each week, it was important to members to protect them from competition, so we honored that.

Why We Don’t Need To Limit Competition In Online Networking

In online networking things work a little differently. The room is capped at 25 attendees. The first 25 who enter into the group get to come in. After that we send them to later meetings. Each week the people in the room at that time changes. We have several meetings that people can attend. Some are Canada Wide, US wide, or Alberta Wide. As they grow in attendance we will even launch meetings for cities. The point is, there is always another meeting one can attend if you arrive and find there are 4 mortgage brokers in the room already and that is your industry. All of these meetings are included in the basic $59/month fee, as well as the training meetings.

The other possibility is you stay. Find out who you can collaborate with. Find out what your competitor does exactly? Is there any circumstance that they would refer you, rather than take the business? Recently we witnessed a Calgary mortgage broker recommending others to use the gal from another city, and he had some business in that city that he did not want to follow up on, so she got the client. Book one-on-ones with guests and Members, especially if they are from your city. If you are in the room from Red Deer and there are 3 people there from Red Deer and the other mortgage brokers are from Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver, how much of a threat are they to you anyway? The reality is, people want to do business with those that they know, like, and trust. They perceive that they can get to know you better if you are closer to them geographically, so that alone could win them over to use you or refer you.

We Are Not Your Competitor

Sometimes the marketers and IT folks hear that The CIBN puts on Social Media Boot Camp, and they see 2 other marketers in the room when they attend the first time, so they don’t join. That is a wasted opportunity. What they don’t realize is that everyone in the room probably specializes in something, and through collaboration and connecting they would gain more customers. They also do not realize that when we put on the Social Media Boot Camp we give away all of our secrets to whoever is in the room, and they can take that information and create new offerings for their clients or resell it. We have been doing some really out of the box things that have been working, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we have the data to back that up, and these are not things that can be found on YouTube.

Most importantly if they attended the Social Media Boot Camp we would continually refer to them as the professional in the room. We give away all kinds of strategies in those sessions. Most people are empowered, but they are also equipped with the knowledge that marketing costs money and that they should be spending significant amounts of money on their marketing. Whatever professional is in the room, is going to pick up all of that business as the afternoon progresses, because business owners do not have the time to do much of it on their own. If the marketer builds relationships with the attendees afterwards they will also get a significant boost in referrals because now these people see the value in what they do.

The Real Gold Is In The Follow Up

At every meeting I tell people over and over, book a meeting from the meeting. How many do it? Not enough. The reality is we will see 3 people from ACN in the room in a meeting (and three meetings where there are zero), and none of them follow up with anyone, because they are all thinking the other one is going to do it. Therefore nobody picks up the business. It is gone. The Members and guests continue to pay more for their gas, electric, POS machines, and phone bills, because zero follow up happened from that meeting.

The real gold is in the follow up for everyone. Even if someone receives 3 calls from people they are going to go with the one they identify with, and most often that is the one who reached out the most. It is usually the one who tried. The most money is made by the one who is most persistent and who follows a process. People usually don’t buy from the networking meeting directly, and even when there is a first meeting, there are only a few sales made. Most sales are made in the second, third, and fourth appointments. If you are not having that many meetings with prospects, that is why your sales ratio is low. It has nothing to do with, who was in the initial meeting competing with you. Chances are they are not doing it either.

Join The Network – Use The Network

Members do business and refer to other Members. That is how networking works. Don’t worry about who is in the room as a competitor. Many of them are also guests, which means the other Members are not that open to them yet anyway. Join the CIBN organization. Tell the Members that you are a Member when you call. They will immediately perk up to listen to you. If they don’t use your service themselves, keep talking to them. Ask them for referrals, because networking is actually not about who is in the room anyway. It is about who in the room knows the person that you need to know, and have you won them over, so they will search through their haystack to bring you the one needle and save you searching through hay.

As the CEO at CIBN Connect, Kerry George inspires business owners with vision and passion and allows them to thrive in every circumstance.

Kerry is a professional networker who has attended over 6000 networking meetings and has been a keynote speaker for hundreds of online and live events.