Business networking is the fast track to growth and success. It involves making connections not only with customers or clients, but also with other individuals who have the potential of referring business to you or who might connect you with their network to find business. It gives you professional connections, establishes trust, and eventually leads to new business opportunities.
But building such connections can be a challenging task. Especially if you don’t know how and where to find the right prospects. But with help of networking groups you can establish strong meaningful connections in your industry. No matter where you live, there would be at least one local networking group in your area. The groups come in all shapes & sizes and rally up like-minded individuals who want to grow their business by cultivating new strategic relationships.
BNI is by far the largest and most well-known networking group. By participating in local business networking groups like BNI, business owners can improve their networking skills and also meet strategic partners and get referrals.
BNI’s local networking group
- allows only one representative from each profession to join a chapter
- screens new members through an application and screening process before joining the group
- facilitates the exchange of business referrals between members
- conducts in person virtual meets on a regular basis
- ensures equal consideration among members
- adheres to a code of ethics and/or meet quality standards
Here are some tips for using local networking groups to grow your business:
- First, see what you can do for others. BNI’s principal core value is Giver’s Gain. Based on the age-old concept of what goes around, comes around; we firmly believe that if you give without expectation then others will be motivated to give it back to you or others. So help people in your community and drive its growth with help of referrals, leads and stronger connections.
- Have an eye for opportunities. Business opportunities could come anytime and anywhere while you network. Have an eye for them and grab them as and when you see them. Whether you meet someone from your industry, a sponsor, or reach out to business people just build strong, relevant connections so that they remember you and help you with opportunities.
- Be specific about what you need. Quality referrals do wonders for growing business. In local networking groups, you’ll have an opportunity to ask for referrals. While you do that, be as specific as possible. Mention the details about referrals you’re looking for, ways you’d be helping them, your aim and everything else. This will be way more effective than a general request.
- Encourage knowledge sharing. Effective networking enables knowledge and information sharing. You’ll not only know about the latest market trends but also have like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs with whom you can learn and obtain advice regarding business and personal success.
- Increase your visibility. When people know who you are and about your expertise, they will be more likely to connect and work with you. And, they will also tell more people about you. A simple way to increase your visibility is by becoming a positive influence. Positive people naturally exude their best attributes because of which people tend to associate and spend more time with them.
- Get testimonials and reviews from your networking group. Did you know that 92% of customers read online reviews before buying a product or service? Once you know members of your local networking group, ask if they’d be willing to write you a review or testimonial from the perspective of a business associate. In most cases, you’ll get a yes for an answer.
- Don’t forget to follow up. The two main purposes of following up are generating results and building trust, reputation, and relationships. To follow up, take help of emails, messages, calls, you could forward a relevant article, invite them to a seminar, send a friendly note during the holidays or engage with their social media content.
With these tips in action, you’ll be able to grow your business and build a strong network that strives on trust, respect, growth and a shared belief. To experience the World’s Largest Networking Organisation in action, click here > http://bni.ae/en-AE/index
