Networking..Evaluating Networking Groups
Greetings!
I don’t know about you but there appear to be more networking groups than ever before. They range from the lightning rounds where you move quickly from table to table and you have 30 seconds to one minute to tell about yourself and your business. Then there are the lead groups that focus on members providing leads to other members. These are usually small groups comprised of one of a kind businesses. There are networking groups that are targeted to singles, women, and specific age groups. And then there are all of the organizations who provide a variety of different networking opportunities for your membership.
How do you make the decision which one(s) to join?
One interesting approach is to determine hard and soft costs.
Hard costs include the price of admission, parking fees, transportation expenses such as gas, and the cost of the marketing materials that you carry with you. An event may cost $50 while another $250. Remember that just because an event is inexpensive doesn’t mean that you will obtain a better return. It might be more advisable to spend the extra money and attend the more expensive event rather than the two or three less costly affairs.
Soft costs are the opportunity costs and the cost of your time. Focus on the soft costs by asking the following questions:
- Who do you hope to meet?
- Is attending this event the best use of my time?
- Will this event draw the type of people I wish to associate?
- Do I have a realistic expectation of doing business over either the short of long term?
- And of course, I must add that you identify the “image” of the group.
In this day and age, I don’t think any of us have the time or energy to attend everything that is out there. It is important to focus on determining exactly what you want out of any networking group or event. So the next time you receive an invitation in the mail to attend a networking group or event, think about the hard and soft costs and answer the questions. By doing so you will make a better decision and make the best use of your time.
Have a great weekend and get out an network!
Nyda
P. S. If you would like to drop my blog…let me know.