LBN Founder Shares Tips
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Chuck Gifford, LBN's co-founder and co-author of Minesh's book "Network Your Way To $100,000 And Beyond" offer his take one what makes a strong networking group. Here's his top nine criteria:
1. Compatibility of members - can you help each other
2. Commitment of members
3. Effectiveness of meetings
4. Convenience - location and time commitment
5. Quality of training
6. Enforcement of rules and regulations - accountability
7. Cross chapter networking opportunities (can be number 1 for some)
8. Commitment of parent group to your success rather than theirs.
9. Cost - return is really more important
Learn more about LBN at http://www.locbusnet.com/
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Chuck touched on a few items really important items.
Compatibility of Members is the number one foundational item. Without this, nothing else matters. The one complaint I hear again and again from people who don't like BNI or LBN is "I visited once and I didn't like it." My response? "Networking groups are not McDonalds - it's not the same burger in every location." If you didn't like one chapter, visit another until you find one that resonated with you. I visited more than 8 groups before I joined one. The chemistry of the people in the room makes a chapter. BNI and LBN provide the structure. The people make the group a success.
I think Commitment of Members is key. If the commitment is there you don't need the rules and enforcement, the meetings are more effective and the cost/value isn't a concern. Without commitment from everyone at the table, your chapter meeting becomes an obligation instead of one of the highlights of your schedule.
Cross Chapter Networking Opportunities are LBN's "killer app" in my opinion. BNI tries to keep it's members a secret.
One person added to or subtracted from a networking group can make an amazing difference. I saw my chapter grow from 32 to 60 in under 3 years, and then drop to 45 in 9 months. But I'd argue the 45 we have are worth, in terms of fun, energy and dollars twice what the 60 offered. We spend more time together out of meetings, show up having done deals, care about each other, frequently close as many deals as we pass new opportunities. We'll grow to 60 again, and this time we will bring in new partners with a greater energy, higher professionalism, and have more fun as a business family. (We don't issue fines.)
Charlie offers some really good ideas here. Cross-pollination is amazing. I remember one time when he stood on a chair talking about referrals using different sizes of note paper to illustrate the value of a referral. The little 3x2 sticky note was the equivalent of a Yellow Pages ad. and then a series of better things you could do like call for permission, got bigger paper sizes, all the way up to an 8.5 X 11 was when you set up a 3-way lunch or the like.
I got one of those awesome referrals as a result of subbing for about 18 months at another chapter. Donna Crawford, a networking angel some of you 3rd Thursday folks may know, spent 6 months setting up an opportunity for me. She contacted a dear friend of hers who works in accounting several times to get approval. Her friend contacted the head of IT to agree to meet. We all four met for lunch, and when it was time for business he already knew exactly what to expect, Donna and her friend left to chat, IT and I finished our discussion and he gave me the business a week later. That was 2 years ago. This has been my #1 account for two years. If LBN is actively encouraging cross pollination, sounds good to me.
Charlie could write a great
book
on effective networking (there would be lots of pictures) and he could also make any group he was in - BNI, LBN, SNG, whatever - the one to join. But I tend to have a rare disagreement with one point he makes above. I don't think BNI is really "devious" enough to try to keep members a secret. In the 40 or so BNI chapters I have subbed in here and back East, the most successful members seem to be the ones who individually take the initiative to network across chapters or build deep relationships with key groups in their chapter outside meetings. It feels like an individual thing, not a policy thing. Kind of like life?
One person added to or subtracted from a networking group can make an amazing difference. I saw my chapter grow from 32 to 60 in under 3 years, and then drop to 45 in 9 months. But I'd argue the 45 we have are worth, in terms of fun, energy and dollars twice what the 60 offered. We spend more time together out of meetings, show up having done deals, care about each other, frequently close as many deals as we pass new opportunities. We'll grow to 60 again, and this time we will bring in new partners with a greater energy, higher professionalism, and have more fun as a business family. (We don't issue fines.)
Charlie offers some really good ideas here. Cross-pollination is amazing. I remember one time when he stood on a chair talking about referrals using different sizes of note paper to illustrate the value of a referral. The little 3x2 sticky note was the equivalent of a Yellow Pages ad. and then a series of better things you could do like call for permission, got bigger paper sizes, all the way up to an 8.5 X 11 was when you set up a 3-way lunch or the like.
I got one of those awesome referrals as a result of subbing for about 18 months at another chapter. Donna Crawford, a networking angel some of you 3rd Thursday folks may know, spent 6 months setting up an opportunity for me. She contacted a dear friend of hers who works in accounting several times to get approval. Her friend contacted the head of IT to agree to meet. We all four met for lunch, and when it was time for business he already knew exactly what to expect, Donna and her friend left to chat, IT and I finished our discussion and he gave me the business a week later. That was 2 years ago. This has been my #1 account for two years. If LBN is actively encouraging cross pollination, sounds good to me.
Charlie could write a great
book
on effective networking (there would be lots of pictures) and he could also make any group he was in - BNI, LBN, SNG, whatever - the one to join. But I tend to have a rare disagreement with one point he makes above. I don't think BNI is really "devious" enough to try to keep members a secret. In the 40 or so BNI chapters I have subbed in here and back East, the most successful members seem to be the ones who individually take the initiative to network across chapters or build deep relationships with key groups in their chapter outside meetings. It feels like an individual thing, not a policy thing. Kind of like life?
I agree with your point, Dave. The way to get the most out of your BNI membership is to sub at other chapters, participate in joint visitor days and other multi-chapter social events.
I love my BNI chapter and have seen a lot of business as a result of my involvement in my chapter.
My point was simply that BNI doesn't have a formal event to bring all of the area chapters together. LBN's regional mixer and SNG's social nights encourage more cross pollination than the BNI model.
BNI, LBN and SNG are all good organizations. Each one a bit different. You need to find a chapter that's a good fit for you.
Which ever networking group you choose to join, make sure you put in the time and effort to be effective. Just showing up at a meeting once a week won't deliver results!
Couldn't agree more Charlie. Socialize, party, get as many chances to create the one in a hundred connections that really cook for each other.
The MCC model is one of abundance: In it everyone is welcome to play. So in my business I can supply any brand of laser toner, but I'd rather avoid some like Toshiba and Kyocera. If a supplier said they love those and want to share something with me - not even toner could be a great brewpub - I'm in. Most of us have something like that.
Thanks for MCC