Taking the Fear Out of Networking

Few words can strike terror into the heart of business owners and salespeople everywhere like the word ‘Networking’. The thought of spending hours talking with virtual strangers for the purpose of meeting the next client roots some to their desks- and if they make it to the event they skirt the walls, collect a couple of business cards, and get out of there. Some hypothesize that genetically, people just aren’t programmed to walk into a room full of strangers, smiling, shaking hands, and sharing who they are. It just isn’t natural.

But the business world relies more and more on personal, one on one relationships to increase profit and productivity. Combined with shrinking marketing and advertising budgets, business men and women are being forced more now than ever to attend networking events in order to meet their next clients.

As a business growth organization, One Southern Indiana realizes more and more that we have to help our members make these connections. Most hesitancy comes from lack of knowledge. There’s nothing like attending that networking event and not knowing who in the room even fits your business’s profile, or how to find out.

For this reason, when 1SI began the Network of Champions almost two years ago, we introduced the fresh, new concept of having volunteers help our attendees with these very problems. These volunteers are called Champion Connectors and have several things in common, but the most important of these is their true love of meeting new people, and helping others meet new people.

If you attend a Network of Champions event you’ll find that as you walk in a Champion Connector will smile brightly, shake your hand, and ask you about your business. Once he or she gets a grasp on what you do, they’ll ask what your perfect prospect or client looks like. Sometimes, that’s a particular industry; other times, it’s a company that fits a certain size or demographic profile. That Champion Connector will scan the room to identify who there fits that description, and will personally introduce you to your targets. If they don’t know anyone that fits, they’ll introduce you to another Champion Connector and see if they can help. By the end of an event, most attendees will find that they’ve been personally introduced to at least three people that they’re comfortable calling to follow up with in the next few days.

Champion Connectors not only volunteer their time at the event; they also attend a once monthly training session where they discuss the upcoming format and how best to connect businesses to each other. The group meets at Workshop, the Creative Workplace, where creativity and idea sharing is encouraged and promoted, and energy levels run high. Workshop has been the birthplace of some brilliant ideas for the Network of Champions- but would you expect anything less from an innovative and stimulating meeting facility of that nature?

Champion Connectors do more than just help out with Network of Champions. At almost all of our networking events, you’ll find Connectors talking it up, walking people from person to person, and introducing everyone. This has taken the fear out of networking for so many of our new members and clients- and turned that fear into profitability.

Want to know more about Network of Champions, or feel you’d make a fabulous Champion Connector? Contact Kate Caufield at KateC@1si.org.