It will come as no surprise to most of you that I am involved in many different networking groups. Even if you don’t really know me, you can quickly peruse my website and see that I belong to the National Association of Women Business Owners (“NAWBO”) – I’m the current President of the Silicon Valley chapter; Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance (“AFWA”) – I served as the National President; ProVisors and Vistage, among others. I’m not just a dues paying member, I truly get involved in the organization, often at the Board level. Why? I believe that committing to an organization is about surrounding ourselves with other smart people who have similar purposes. And through those networking efforts, we make friends, business colleagues, and hopefully ultimately generate some business. I also believe that we can’t expect to get business immediately from being part of networking groups. Sure – it happens sometimes. But, as with so many things in life that are worth having, it’s about building a relationship first, and then being patient enough to ask for the work later.
Identify Your Target Market
In my recurring webinar series, “Jumpstart Your Rainmaking”, there’s a section on identifying your target market and then determining where to find them. The latter is important because if we know where they hang out (either physically or virtually – maybe via social media), we can put ourselves in the same room with the people who are in our target market. It is then up to us to dazzle them with our charms! As we work through that section of the training, I’ve realized that this is often the hardest part for people to get their arms around – figuring out WHERE the target market is. But it doesn’t have to be that hard, as long as you’ve defined your target market.
Where Are They?
For example, let’s say you are a CPA who wants to focus on medium sized closely held businesses in the construction industry. So, you might research organizations such as Chambers of Commerce, or community groups like the Rotary. Those organizations include many small to medium sized businesses. Or, go online and check out industry groups – either nationally or locally based. There may also be gender based industry groups that feel like a fit. Trust me – there’s a dues based organization for almost everything! And they are always looking for new members. Active members build good groups. And the more you can volunteer, perhaps by serving on the board or on a committee, the more exposure you will get to the influential members of the organization, and the more likely you’ll be to turn your networking time and money into success.
The “Right” Group!
That said, I also encourage people to attend as a guest (perhaps a few times) before signing on as a member. You want to make sure it’s the right fit. As I mentioned earlier, it’s an investment – referrals likely won’t occur overnight. So you need to be willing to investment the time. Make sure you like the people. Does the board seem competent? Are they friendly and welcoming? At events, are people smiling and having fun? Do they invite visitors into conversations, rather than being “cliquey”?
If you do your homework and experiment with a few groups before committing to your 2 or 3 “regular” groups that meet monthly (or even weekly), you’ll find a group that fits and that is likely to become a place for lead generation – once you take the time to build the relationships. You might even recruit some friends to join your new group as well. Remember the old adage: the more you put in, the more you receive. I wish you happy joining and happy networking.
Monika Miles is President of Miles Consulting Group, a firm specializing in multi-state tax consulting for middle market businesses. Clients include technology, manufacturing, software and SaaS based companies doing businesses across state lines. Miles Consulting Group assists them in determining the sales tax and income tax ramifications of creating a taxable presence in a state and how to address these issues with the various states. When she’s not assisting clients with multi-state tax issues, she passionately shares Rainmaker strategies with other professional services firms. Click here for more information.
