First Meeting

I have just signed up for my first 4Networking meeting! I will be attending the Cardiff meeting on the 7th April and after my experiences on the forum, I am looking forward to it.

Little bit nervouse (not much of a public speaker etc). If anyone can share any tips or pointers for my first meeting they would be a great help

Thanks

Relax - we are all nervous - Me at every 40secs I do :)

You'll have a blast and meet some great people that I can guarantee

Turn up with a parrot on your shoulder, tell everyone you are parrot hosting, take all the abuse and throwing of food and napkins, then tell everyone you were only kidding

It will go down a treat :)

Sit back and relax, enjoy your first meeting! I've always found saying something witty in the 40 secs round helps, though as I am thinking about sheets being spread.....

Smile. relax, enjoy the coffee and the company and the rest comes naturally. Have a great meeting !

Be yourself and enjoy it! I was petrified before my 1st meeting, but those feelings were soon swept aside by the warm and genuine welcome from a member of the group! Hope it goes really well for you.

Come this Wednesday instead and have a 1-2-1 with me!

Something Brad used to do was carry a pizza box...visual is very powerful and makes you memorable...if you have that cup with I love spread sheets on it - you could start by saying something like...

Hi my name is Carl Nixon and I have a confession I need to make....then say nothing and from no where hold up the cup with the your message on it and say I want you to help me be more addicted and help you at the same time....then just explain your service and the kind of people you want to connect with. Be very specific.

Just share this as a thought as I too struggle getting started...I have been speaking publicly for over 20 years and I still get nervous...it just shows you care friend...enjoy this mob will genuinely help you.

Carl,

Great advice from those before, Tamsen's offer is the best out there so do it if you can. If not get in touch with the (o)ops ass(!) and get a vibe for the meeting before hand as each one is different (some more so than others)

Real 4N and Virtual 4N are the same thing because networking is all about you and your belief. Nothing else matters!

4N is a great network and support community: we are all here to help each other and that is why it works.

Best

Bryan

Carl get on down and meet our Tam.. she's mint.

You'll love it Carl! I am new to the meetings myself, but like you have been on the forum for a while. I found this helped a lot as when I walked in the room I knew many people from online. Just be yourself and enjoy. Yes you'll be a little nervous, but everyone else in the room has to do the same thing too.

Good luck pal!

You'll love it Carl, no fear. They will make you welcome and as Mark has said you already have a presence on the forum and this will help.
Enjoy!

Thanks everyone, plenty of food for thought.

Hi Tamsen - I would love to but this weeks meeting is fully booked - thats the only reason I picked the following meeting

Carl - Just go & be yourself.

You will have a great time & really enjoy the event - Guaranteed.

Carl, keep the 40 seconds simple until you feel more comfortable.

Name, company, website, 1 sentence about your service "which means that" 1 sentence about the benefits to the client, name again and sit down.

I see and hear dozens of 40 seconds that ramble on aimlessly - making it simple and memorable is the real way to succeed.

And if you can say it in less than 40 seconds, all the better.