Last week I went to a local BNI networking/information breakfast at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. This was the first serious networking breakfast I have been to in a long while.
This was an information meeting for a BNI group that is looking to establish a weekly group. I met many new business people, swapped cards, discovered by playing a speed networking game I had not lost my networking touch. I also heard Leo Petrik, Gold Coast Executive Director speak not only about BNI, but about networking and the importance of follow up after an event. His experience is that most people don’t follow up. He stated he usually waits a week, to see who contacts him, before he sends a follow up message.
I found this an interesting observation. How many piles of business cards do you have on your desk, do you know where you met the people? Have you followed up?
This brought me back to remembering many networking ideas and tips I have learnt from my friend Robyn Henderson, the networking expert. One was always write on the back of the card the date and place you met and follow up within the week. I have been interested that so far I have heard from 3 people only via email and not one of those emails was personally addressed. Even worse 2 included everyone’s email they had met I felt like I was back in the 8O’s. I can see there is still plenty of work for Robyn to do in the area of business networking. She has a great range of books on her website and a special networking strategies pack. The saying below comes from one of her postcards:
“Networking is like watching sunrises…..If you don’t show up – you’ll never know what you missed.”
This is sunrise at Currumbin Rock taken at the Dawn service on Anzac Day this year
