Network Central and Business Chicks

Well looking back over the past seven days my time management has take a bit of a backslide - two networking events last week and no entries in the Blog.
So before this week catches up with me I thought I should remedy the situation and tell you about High End Networking at Network Central and Musical Chairs at Business Chicks.
The speaker at this month’s Network Central Breakfast was Julia Palmer from BConsulted. Julia is a business relationship specialist and an engaging speaker with a number of insights on effective networking plus some entertaining stories to share.
One point Julia stressed which is often forgotten is that you don’t have to share business cards with everyone you meet. Networking is about building relationships not becoming a serial card giver or card collector.Business cards are a way of sharing contact details with people you have met that you want to stay in touch with. They should not be treated like confetti and thrown at every stranger you meet. Similarly you don’t have to become a serial card collector with a bottom draw full of business cards from people you will probably never speak to again. The other point Julia made which really stood out for me was to do with building a network of mentors and advisors – people you can turn to for advice, encouragement and support .For small business owners this is particularly important as they are often alone and the benefits of being part of a team are something they often miss out on. (Plus remember don’t just be a taker – who could you help and encourage?)
I am sure we have all played Musical Chairs at sometime or another and Business Chicks Musical Chairs variation on Speed Networking was an excellent innovation. I have attended a variety of Speed Networking events over the past couple of years and this was definitely the best. (Unlike traditional Musical Chairs nobody was out and I got to meet a wide variety of interesting women.) What made it better than other Speed Networking Events? Firstly there was plenty of time for reasonable introductions – certainly time enough to decide whether or not to exchange business cards (no need to become a card giver or card taker). Secondly, and this has been lacking in most Speed Networking Events I have attended, there was plenty of room so quiet conversations were possible without the need to shout over the couple sitting next to you. Thirdly is was well managed by friendly staff who made sure that no-one wasted precious networking time hunting for a partner to talk to.
Overall well done Business Chicks for putting an excellent new slant on the Speed Networking Concept!
Now I have to dive off and do the follow up which also fell by the way side over the past 7 days. It is an alarming statistic that 90% of connections made networking events are never followed up on and I don’t want to become a statistic!
You can find Network Central, Business Chicks and hundreds of other networking groups and opportunities around Australia listed in the Networking World Group Directory. Plus get hints and tips on networking strategies to help you grow your business.