21 Errors Presentation Cheshire January 2015

21 Embarrassing ErrorsPresented To South Cheshire Business Club - January 2015
www.conspicuous-cbm.com

!
That Could Be Stopping Your Networking
Group From Achieving Its Full Potential.
And How You Can Avoid Them!

Member of a networking group &
sad at its growth and success?
!
If true, you’re probably wondering
what went wrong for you!

What You Will See
• Introduction

• The 21 Errors

• Final Thoughts

Who Am I?
• Chartered Accountant
• Social Media Addict
• + outside interests...
• Corporate Stooge
• Referral Marketing Specialist

• Recognised social media person - Linked-in,Twitter, Slideshare,
Facebook....
• Regular posting on CCBM website & other original content to share.
• Linked-in guru - 35 published posts (nearly 2400+ followers / 2300+
connections)
• 100+ recommendations & hundreds of endorsements on LinkedIn
• Most successful RD in BforB history
• Well respected in Staffordshire & beyond community - helped
hundreds of new business / start-ups / established businesses
• Friend of other networking gurus
Who Am I?

Introduction
• There are many reasons why a networking group
does not grow and achieve its potential to refer
great business for the members

• We have collected the 21 most common
embarrassing errors that we see that stops a group’s
growth

• Study this presentation closely, and see if your group
is not meeting its potential through any of these
“errors”

• Think hard how you are going to avoid these errors
yourself in the future?

3 Things We Won't Be
Talking About Today!
• The Venue!
• Your Personal Networking Skills!
• The Efficiency Of The Format Of The Meeting

• These are the 21 Errors Networking Groups Commit
• Study them hard
• See which ones you have tripped-up over in the past
• See which ones have cost you & your group business
• How are you going to avoid these errors in the future?

So are you joining us then ....
Over the table
EMBARRASSING ERROR 1

So are you joining us then ....
Over the table!
!
• Just not done, its both rude & unprofessional

• There should be no pressure on joining any group, it should be the right thing for the
person to do

Passing referrals to guests

Passing referrals to guests!
!
• Getting referrals & leads is a privilege of membership of any group

• However Guests are a great source of referrals & business for the members to enjoy

• But guests must understand that before we can refer with confidence, the group
needs to understand what constitutes a good referral for them which takes time &
commitment.

Guests arriving before the
exec team & members arrive

Guests arriving before the
exec team & members arrive!
!
•What does it say about any group when this happens?

Not having a group goal or
flag to rally round

Not having a group goal or flag
to rally round!
!
• What separates your networking group from the others

• It can be a business generated goal, a charity you support or something in the local
community the group wants to contribute towards

• What ever the group chooses as their goal, all members must contribute towards it, and
this must be clear to everyone else who visits

• All groups are not the same, what makes this one special - can the members explain this
with confidence to guests.

Not keeping track of business
generated & reporting results

Not keeping track of business
generated & informing the
group on business generated!
!
• If the group does not track business generated & report back then you cannot prove
the system is working for everyone (key point for guests)

No understanding of Club rules
- everyone’s responsible for
the good & growth of group

No understanding of Club rules
- Fact everyone’s responsible
for the good & growth of group!
• It’s not just up to the Exec team to do all the work eg bring guests - its every
member’s role to participate actively in all aspects of the group to prove above all
that they are referable.

• This is always a team effort

• Make sure you are all focused on your responsibility for ensuring the Good & Growth
of the Group

Accepting the wrong applicant

Accepting the wrong applicant!
!
• This is someone who will NOT put back into the group through contributions - a
taker not a giver

• It is an attitude thing

• If you think someone is a taker, don’t let them in, they wont make a good member of
any networking group.

I'll give you this
business if you join…

I'll give you this business if
you join!
!
• People must join a networking group on its merits & the merits of its marketing
system

• Trust to pass referrals & leads takes time, so you cant give business to someone you
don’t know just so they join.

Inviting people to a
networking event!

Inviting people to a
networking event!!
• Successful people are too busy to go to just another networking event.

• Most groups are not a networking event but a word-of-mouth marketing systems
that works in a particular way.

• A lot of networking works on the “law of recency”* where as a good system if
operated correctly will generate high levels of 3rd party referrals.

* Rob Brown

Butting in, being too funny,
fidgeting & not listening
when someone is doing
their 60 secs sound byte

Butting in, being too funny,
fidgeting & not listening when
someone is doing their 60
secs sound byte!
• For this to work for all the members, you need to give the meeting your full attention at
all times & especially the elevator pitches so you can refer with confidence

• And what does it say about you if you misbehave when others are speaking or presenting
- it will hardly encourage the other people present to refer you on to their trusted
contacts.

No one assigned to look
after a specific Guest

No one assigned to look after
a specific Guest!
!
• Nothing speaks more to the quality & vibrancy of a group than the way guests are looked
after.

• Guests as we know are a great source of business and referrals

• Looking after a guest is about asking the right questions, show guests the “ropes”, and
taking a keen interest in them and their business.

• First impressions count so make sure you filter Guests to someone who can look after
them well

All telling & selling and
no asking & listening

All telling & selling and no
asking & listening!
!
•No one wants to be sold too, so take the time to listen to the people present,
especially the guests.

Saying to a Guest!
- "oh we do that”

Saying to a Guest!
- "oh we do that”!
!
• Guests can have business interests that cross over Members activities. However they are a great
source of referrals and contacts for the Members

• Making these sorts of statements puts guests off - its embarrassing. Have a 121 with them and see
if there might be areas of fruitful cooperation

• Successful referral marketers have a laser-like focus on their perfect referral prospects and referral
partners

• Confuse your message by eg “I'm also a distributor for” & people won’t know how to refer you
with confidence to their trusted contacts.

Superficial networking with
Little or No follow-up

Superficial networking with
Little or No follow-up!
!
• Common error - This shows up with little or no follow-up of guests or opportunities.

• Most people don’t know how to follow-up effectively - keeping in touch means you have a
>90% of bring there when the buying is done. Not keeping up means you only have a
probable <10% chance of succeeding.

• Follow-up early for the greatest results

• Great members have 121s, contribute and follow-up assiduously every opportunity in line
with their networking & referral marketing plans.

Not contributing -
"I'm too busy”

Not contributing - "I'm too
busy!
!
• What you are saying that you are too important to be there at the meeting

• If you don’t contribute then don’t expect any referrals from the rest of the group.

• Networking is like a bank account, if you don’t get to make withdrawals unless you
make deposits via contributions.

Giving apologies,
excuses etc

Giving apologies, excuses etc !
!
• You can’t refer or connect to an empty chair

• Absence soon signals your lack of competence & reliability to the rest of the group
and will stop your referrals

Too many quick fix
merchants as Members...

Too many quick fix merchants
as Members..... It is about
longtime relationships!
!
• Networking is all about life-time value of long term relationships

• You can get lucky and get referrals early on, but long-term success in Networking
requires discipline, planning and hard work

It's not what's said - it's
all about the behaviours

It's not what's said - it's all
about the behaviours!
!
• How you act at a meeting is an indication of how competent you are i.e. Character =
Competence

• Reputation is one of the key differentiators for people who are successful - make sure
yours is top class at all times

I'm not a morning person

I'm not a morning person!
!
• Makes people look weak when they say this

• Sends the wrong message

• Ensures you close out all business opportunities with the more dynamic individuals of
the group

Quality guest from local
influential company &
everyone sells to them

Quality guest from a local
influential company arrives &
everyone tries to sell to them!
• There is nothing more embarrassing to see

• Networking is about long-term relationships & asking the right questions - not the
pursuit of immediate short-term gain from your guests.

What's your Embarrassing
Error?????

What's your Embarrassing
Error???!
!
•You have read the other 20 Errors - now see if your group has any other embarrassing
errors that might be stopping it reach its full potential

Final Thoughts
• There are many reasons or embarrassing
errors that you're group might not be
reaching its full potential

• If you see one from this presentation then
act upon it immediately for the good go your
group

• If you have “embarrassing error” no 21 in
your group, then please share it with us vis
Linked-in.

What Do I Want?
Continue the conversation
Social Media challenge!
Newsletter subscription
Let’s Do Mentoring
Opportunities to speak or network
Accountants

Contact Us
Phone - 01785 244481 or 07706 171851
Email - stuart@conspicuous-cbm.com
Blog - www.conspicuous-cbm.com
LinkedIn - uk.linkedin.com/in/stuartwalton/
!
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THANK YOU

QUESTIONS

21 Errors Presentation Cheshire January 2015

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