Has 4N worked for you? If it has/hasn't why do you think that was?

4N like a lot of networking groups works for some and not for others. I thought it would be useful to understand common success factors where people have got the most out of it. That could be loads of meetings/forum postings etc but do please share your experiences good and bad!

I regularly attend meetings around the area I live but nothing beats turning up regularly at my local group (Huddersfield). I've had a lot of referrals resulting in solid business but have also built up some great relationships that have allowed me to select some excellent service providers to help support my business.

And it's worth it just to hear Robin Tones turn the air blue with his attempts at pronouncing "unfunny heckling".

I started going to the breakfasts properly in June last year (did 1 in the March before that).

We have had so much work from it, to the point where we've taken on 3 more employees due to the workload. 60% of our workload in the last 12 months has come from 4N.

I'm a changed person since joining 4N. My confidence has soared which I don't think you could put a price on!

I've also gained so many friendships along the way.

I  4N!!

Talking ROI on time spent and gaining customers, I can believe that the groups dont work for some - I have not had a great deal of success here, but others have had loads. I can also understand why the forums wont work for some, however forums have been a major source of clients for me.

What I cant believe is that people cant make something work between the two. One has great local reach and one has great national reach.

No matter where you get your ROI from in 4N the forums and the groups provide a lot more in the form of support and even ideas.

Today I'm working on a job for someone I met at my first 4N meeting and havent seen since and I have spent a good part of the day with an accountant from 4N looking at possible partnership

I am focusing on getting to know ppl and for ppl to know me and every meet I get work, new leads and potential leads. If you go to sell it doesn't work. It's like screaming pick me pick me when you want to be on someone's team.

I give loads of leads and referrals, I always leave testimonials and I've started thinking ahead of the 40 secs as to what I need to say.

It's like with anything the more work and effort you put in, the more you get out.

Do ppl get what you do from your 40 secs half the time I get lost in the first 10 secs. Are you offering to connect ppl? Are you shouting pick me? It all makes a difference and for gawd sake.....SMILE

Sara, well put I 100% agree.

What makes it work for us is the joined up approach with forum & social media etc, being regularly visible both at meetings & online, pro-actively passing leads & contacts to others, and following up / maintaining relationships once you've made them.

My week of getting business:

1. Existing client thru 4N - met in the room - asked for more training this year - have kept in touch and knew he'd come back when needed me

2 Existing cliet thru 4N - referral from someone in the room (a visitor who actually didn't join) - ongoing training contract but just asked for new project which means I'm most likely off to Switzerland to run training for big international company

3. New HR client for adhoc project - referral from someone who used to come to 4N but I've stayed in touch with him & he still refers me on & we have collaborated on projects

4. New HR client for adhoc project - referral from a solicitor who used to come to 4N - regularly pass work between us

5. New HR client retained contract - referral from Clive Mulligan who I've met a handful of times and have kept in touch with via forum, twitter, phone

6. Additional adhoc HR work for a client - used to come to 4N so met in the room and we've stayed in touch (including me referring contacts to her when they needed an accountant) until she became a client at the start of the year for one piece of work - business has grown & she wants my help again

7. Referral via twitter from Sam Millard of Greengages who I met at 4N (I've recommened her to clients before) - phone call booked for Monday with possible client

8. Phone call booked for next week with a 4Ner I've never met or spoken to before as a result of forum thread we've both posted on - may just want a bit of free advice, a chat, to disagree with what I said or might want HR support - who knows yet & I'm open to findng out :-)

So I reckon it is all in the mix

That's fantastic Sam,

My week last wasn't dissimliar:

1. Professional Indemnity policy taken up by 4N'er in my local group;

2. Getting quotes for a local 4N'er for an Ice Cream Factory, a fleet of ice-creams vans & other vehicles, and Liability cover for their shooting business (I already cover another business for them)

3. Had a meeting with a prospective client (and I am now quoting insurance for her) who was introduced to me by an ex 4N'er

4. I approached another ex 4N'er to quote on their PI Insurance as I know it is up for renewal. I got the information when I met her at 4N. She agreed I can quote and I expect the information this week

5. Helping a prospective client to cover a new cafe but turned into the whole charity with a premium of £1300. Introduced to me but yet another 4N'er

6. Put a 4N'er on cover for their Home Office policy. I didn't get the House Insurance but that was left too late for me to get decent quotes this time around. I have been assured I can re-quote next year and I was given the renewal dates of their 2 Let Property insurance policies and asked to quote at the appropriate time.

7. I was introduced to a local company by a 4N'er at my local Group (but at another event) and I put their Let Property policy on cover (5 properties)

8. I have dealt with another 4 enquiries that came from various IFA's in an IFA  network I joined. That network was introduced to me by another 4N'er.

I think 4N is working for me. I went to 2 meetings this week. One I arranged to take place at the Falkirk Business Exhibition and I helped man stand all day and helped run a networking taster session. Just be part of 4N, help run a group and get truly involved - like posting on the forum.

There is load of business out there. Go get it!

 

 

Thanks for the feedback, useful tips in there. I'm trying to adopt a meeting and social media focus at the moment so getting into the swing of the meetings, though still have to perfect my 40 seconds. So I'm going to meetings, making some posts on the forum and I make a point of reviewing the attendance list after each meetings and adding people on Twitter who have their handles on their profile or looking them  up and am starting to add more of those connections on LinkedIn as well.

What is the best way of follow up engagement though? Many people have have Twitter and LinkedIn but don't use them or very often and the same for posting on the Forum, many don't use that either. How do you keep those connections alive?

I think the best way is through returning to meetings where the contacts you have identified you want to target or work with will be, so you get to know them and vice versa.

When contacting them ask if they will follow / connect up on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Then Tweet, post on Facebook and connect them to LinkedIn. If you see them tweet or post on Twitter & Facebook always make a comment (and after a while perhaps suggest a meeting). With regards LinkedIn, once connected see what Groups they are members of and start discussions on these groups. Always leave a comment if you see them posting. The same applies to the 4N website.

It is just as if you keep "bumping" into each other, and if you have a product / service they need, you are priced competitively and you are likeable (I'm sure that you are) then the business will start following. One good tip I found was to give them a referral or business first and they are likely to reciprocate (if they can).

Bumping into each other, is crucial as is staying connected via twitter so that when you do bump into each other you have a rough idea what's been happening between times.

0-sales pitch forget it

Thanks Chris/Brad,

I do make a point of adding people on Twitter after each meeting and trying to do the same for LinkedIn, but some people are not very active on Twitter/LinkedIn or even on this forum which is wasting some big opportunities for engagement and promotion. Retweeting and #FF of others is important one hopes it builds the relationships over time.

I'm not so sure about connecting on FB though as it kind of blurs the link between personal and business. Likeing someone's Facebooks is one thing. Adding someone as a friend on Facebook might be construed as invading personal space by some people? I get round this by having a family/close friend face book profile and another one where I have business and other interests where I am happy to connect with biz folk etc but not everyone will have this separation and may consider being added on Facebook as intrusive?

Not quite so profilic on the 4N front last week but managed to do some new work for 4N'ers:

1. Quote for a 4N'er in another group I that I visited two weeks  ago (Livingston) - a Business from Home policy as he is working from a wooden structure in the garden on a part-time basis:

2. Quoted requested from another 4N'er, this time in Glasgow for Professional Indemnity, Employers Liability, Public Liability and some Contents;

3. A Referral from another 4N'er (down Manchester way) for Professional Indemnity & Public Liablilty;

 That's all.

40 seconds are over-rated

1-2-1s is where it's at in the meeting and outside the meeting. 

Keep in contact, keep dancing and keep networking

#wins

Not sure if 4N will ever work for me in £££ but works in other ways.

4N are opening more groups in my area but all this is doing is droping the meeting numbers.

So we have gone from meetings with 20 plus to meetings with 15 or less.