More on BNI West Bay Chapter.
Picture this is you can, it's 6:00 A.M. on Wednesday morning, the alarm clock goes off. I went to bed
at 2:00 A.M. after doing a gig in Boston. The gig ran 30 minutes late and we still had to breakdown all
the equipment, pack up, drive home, unpack and put the equipment away before hitting the sheets. Now it's
time to get this Wednesday started in fast-forward. I have to be at my weekly networking by 7:00 A.M. and
guess what? I can't wait to get there. Like anything else in life, you get back what you put into things.
I put a lot of work into this aspect of my networking over the past two years. It has paid off as it makes
focus on how I market and present my business to prospective clients and my peers. If you haven't tried BNI,
visit a few chapters and see if it's for you.
Network, Meet People and Create a Lasting Impression
Uncle Jay and the Best Buy Coffee Hour
Each month "Uncle Jay" hosts a coffee hour at Best Buy in Warwick. Yup another early morning event that
starts at 8:00 A.M. but I drag my ass out of bed and get there. Not only are the events ateended by a lot
of business people, but they are usually co-hosted other companies who tend to bring in a different crowd
of new faces each month. Jay is a great guy who runs a class networking event. Make a point to drop in and
do some fun networking, have a coffee and maybe create some lasting business relationships.
Peter George's Monday Night Networking
This is another great free event that often conflicts with an industry event I go to. I have been to several
in the past when I can and have many friends who make a point to go each month. The location changes each month
and it is always a big event. I have never been to one that isn't packed with people all looking to do some
serious networking. It's a great way to meet a ton of people each month without having to pay anything other
than for your drinks. Peter is a great host and always has a class event. This is a don't miss. If you don't do
any other networking, make sure you attend this event.
Chamber of Commerce Events
I belong to several chambers as do many people, including the Cape Cod Chamber. The events are not usually free
but the small fee to members is usually well worth it. The thing I enjoy about the chamber events is that I have
a chance to meet many new people that don't travel in the same networking circles I usually attend. When I go out
to the Cape for an event, I get to meet and see folks I don't see on a regular basis. I have built some very
strong relationships by moving outside my comfort zone of the usual people I network with. I think that is a key
thing to remember, push yourself to get outside the comfort zone. It's all to easy to do the same little group of
events each month, but you are seeing the same people each month. Make sure to get outside that circle and meet
new poeple!
Posted on June 30, 2009 by DJ Ra-Mu | The Human Billboard