| Why do I like Meeting People at Meetups and Live LinkedIn events? | ||||
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| Marketing |
Business networking meet-ups are not necessarily new in business. We all know about trade shows, chamber of commerce meetings and product seminars but what's new is a vibrant community of local meeting groups tied into social networking groups like Facebook and Linked In. One service i found, Meetup.com , hosts over 300 meeting groups in Calgary alone. Groups convene locally in gatherings ranging from just a few members to over 100 attendees per event. These meet-ups are a fantastic way to build any network, however, a few words of advice to the newcomer. Don't use these meetings just to hand out all your business cards, shake hands and blab about yourself. Do that and you might find yourself quickly alienated from the group and walking away with a stack of business cards, frustrated with no meaningful opportunities. Meet-up groups, just like social networking online, are about sharing who you are with other likeminded people and at the same time about helping others network through your group of friends. Use the "Giving Forward" model and you greatly improve your chances of success using this type of networking. The first step to building a healthy network is to make an effort to connect people together. Being known as a relationship gatekeeper helps you become the point person in the network. People respect this characteristic tremendously and often return the favor by referring their friends to you. Use these meet-ups to help others first and you will quickly discover that these meet-ups will become your best tool to open new networking opportunities.So why else do I like Meet-Ups?I experience Positive Attitude –Most who attend business networking events are highly relational, genuinely outgoing and exude a "get up and go" attitude. I find this VERY motivating and find the attitude can become quite contagious. Needed Social interaction –Don’t we all need social interaction in our daily life? Human contact is an important component in maintaining work/life balance. As a solo entrepreneur I always struggle to keep relationships fresh. Companies do this through human resources departments and planned corporate events. Simply sharing an office space and partaking in daily "water cooler" talk fills this need. Meetups are my water cooler. Connecting with New Business Relationship –Smart people who communicate well as a group can accomplish amazing feats. I'm not attending events just to pitch my wares or to close the next deal. The "punch line" comes much later, after we have generated mutual respect and trust and as a group, we find solutions for common or complex problems and grow together. Sharing ideas and Inspiration with Inquisitive People –I enjoy sharing my experiences and struggles with like minded people and get my inspiration when I hear new ideas and solutions through those I meet.Take a look at these social meet-up groups:http://www.meetup.com/ If you know any others please post them in my comments section.
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