Thank you for visiting!
Greetings from Bull Run Networking!
Weekly Presentations
2/14 – Barbara Lloyd Kessinger, Lloyd Law, PLLC,“Powers of Attorney”
2/21 – Lana Schinnerer, Remax Gateway, “How’s the Market?”
2/28 – Candy Verrilli, Vanilla Orchid Catering, “Food – Instruction”
3/6 - Priscilla Myerson, Myerson & Myerson CPAs, “Business Deductions”
3/13 – Gary Howard, Ameriprise Fianancial, “Maintaining Your Sanity in Volatile Markets”
3/20 – Shannon Joy, Capital Group Benefits, “Healthcare Reform”
3/27 – Terri Aufmuth, Cornerstone Landscaping, “Spring Landscaping”
4/3 – NO MEETING – Spring Break
4/10 – Mary Histing, Lighthouse Chiropractic, “How to Get a Spring in Your Step”
4/17 – Barbara Bowling, Nokesville Print & Copy Center, Design/Standout
4/24 – Susan Reynolds, Tastefully Simple, “Fundraising with Tastefully Simple”
5/1 - Irene Ayala, Wellness & Bodywork, “Wellness”
5/8 – Networking Training
5/15 – Fran Herron, Frances Herron, LPC, “Stress and Anger Management”
5/22 – Jessica Carter, “TBA”
Hide & Seek
We are seeking businesses in the following industries to join us! Feel free to be our guest at one of our meetings. If you like what you see (and we know you will), we welcome you to apply to become a member. We have referrals for you, NOW! If you know of someone in any of the industries listed below, please feel free to invite them to learn more by contacting us at: membership@bullrunnetworking.com.
So don’t HIDE your business – come seek us out!
- Arborist
- Architect
- Auto Sales
- Auto Repair
- Carpet Cleaner
- Construction
- Contractor
- Dentist
- Electrician
- Event Planner
- Fence Companies
- Florist
- Furniture Restoration
- Graphic Designer
- Hair Dresser
- Heating/AC Contractor
- Home Improvement
- Interior Design (Residential/Commercial)
- Moving Company
- Nutritionist
- Outdoor Lighting
- Photographer
- Physical Therapist
- Plumber
- Public Relations
- Real Estate Commercial
- Restaurant Owners
- Sign Company
- Telephone Systems
- Vacation Planner
- Website Developer
- Wedding Coordinators
…and many more!
Business Ettiquette with Today’s Technology
Business ettiquette today is very different than what it was 10 years ago. With today’s technology, people are more and more accesible. Everyone carries a personal communication device (i.e. a smartphone, PDA, tablet, etc.) and with those means, there seems to be an expectation that emails and phone calls could be readily received. So as a business person, it is even MORE important to make sure that inquiries and messages are returned promptly, or clients will not hesitate to move on. But that is not all… here are other ettiquettes that should not be broken!
1. TURN IT OFF. It’s okay to be unavailable when you are in a meeting. Responding to a message or call after the meeting has concluded is acceptable! Remembering to turn your phone off completely (or silencing your phone) during a meeting is what you should do. Taking a call, responding to an email, or even surfing the web during a meeting is truly disrespectful to those around you. You should be fully present (physically and mentally) to those you are meeting with. (Remember, they have taken the time out to be with you as well!)
2. USE PROPER ENGLISH. Nowadays, people are getting more lazy when composing emails and texts. While it may be cumbersome to type out each word properly, it should be a habit that you instill, especially when speaking to your colleagues and clients. Replacing “are” for “r” is truly not professional. Using all lowercase or even ALL UPPERCASE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. Remember, everything you write and how you write it, creates and leaves an impression of you!
3. REREAD WHAT YOU WRITE. Don’t hit “send” too quickly! Make sure that you reread what you have written in your text or email before sending it off. Have you sent it to the correct person? Have you accidentally repsonded to an entire group when you meant to respond to just one? Have you written something that you would regret later on? Take time to prepare your responses and if you don’t want it to be recorded forever, consider picking up the phone and speaking to the person directly. If what you want to send has absolutely no relevance to the person to whom you are sending it to, you probably don’t need to include them! And definitely, if the email you want to forward asks the recipient to forward the message on to another 10 people to keep a chain going… JUST DON’T SEND IT.
4. DROP A CARD. It makes a bigger impression if you take a moment to send a hand-written note to thank someone for their gift or service. An email does not offer the personal touch.
5. 24 HOURS. That is how long it should take for you to respond to someone’s email, call, etc. If you do not have a moment to give them what they need, it is polite to respond and say, “I will get back with you with that answer when I return to the office tomorrow,” or “I will research the information you need and will be back in touch within the next 48 hours.” Giving your colleagues and clients a response like that is appropriate. It is NOT appropriate to disregard someone’s message completely. If you don’t have time for them, don’t expect them to have time for you. They will move on to the next business owner who WILL give them that courtesy! (Again, don’t forget, your clients/colleagues know that you have a smartphone… and you probably have one for the ability to receive emails directly to your phone, right? [Why else would you have spent the money?] Well, guess what? If you don’t respond, it will DEFINITELY appear that you are ignoring them… so don’t do it!) Are you on vacation or out of town? Make sure that your email has an automatic response or voicemail has a message clarifying your absence.
Authentic Networking
Many people think that successful networking is collecting as many business cards one can from every networking opportunity available. However, if you take a poll of those individuals who focus on this practice of “networking,” you will find that they have not made true, authentic connections with the people they have encountered, nor do they have a true “network” of professionals to work with. Authentic networking happens when you focus on the sincerity of the encounters, rather than number of encounters made. Instead of thinking about networking success in terms of the number of people you meet at events (or getting a big number of followers on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook), think about authentic networking as making real connections with people that you would actually like to stay in touch with.
Stay in touch with your new acquaintances because you share a real reason to be connected. This is the most successful and effective way to both grow and build real value into your network. Genuine connections are formed when a relationship is built on sincerity and true interest. Keeping consistent contact with people is the most important part of neworking. This is how you put value into your network. Meeting someone new has absolutely no value if you don’t put forth a genuine effort in growing the relationship!
This authentic networking approach works well at networking events. Attend networking events looking for specific people to add value to your network. You will soon realize that when you network with a purpose, you will end up creating a strong network of business professionals. Surrounding yourself with people who share your same goals and interests will help you make true and authentic relationships.
Maximize Your Network Potential
Networking is a fine art and it should be taken seriously! Most individuals think that networking is an vehicle for self-promotion and a venue to sell their product or service. But the personal relationships you build are much more important. Your consistent face-to-face interaction will establish you as a friend, confidant, business reference, and the best in your field of expertise.
The best advice for networking effectively is to first SHOW UP. “Dating” different professional networking groups is a fantastic way to find out if you are compatible with the members and their professions. Most groups restrict membership to one representative per profession (one industry per seat). Before you attend a networking event, check with the group organizer (Membership Coordinator or any other board member) to see if your industry seat is open.
Making friendships is the key to successful business networking. If you are unwilling to invest the time and energy into the members of the group, you will most likely not be maximizing your potential in the group. Remember, most successful networking & business transactions are made between friends, rather than simple acquaintances.
Most networking groups not only require a consistent commitment in attendance, but also a commitment monetarily. If you are unable to adhere to the rules of the group, it is best not to pursue membership within the group. Absences count, and should you fall below the group’s expectations, you could be asked to resign from your seat.
Another responsibility as a member of a networking group is for you to find leads and referrals for your colleagues. The ultimate goal is for you to refer all business leads to the members within the group, acting as a salesperson for each of them while you go about your daily responsibilities. You should be willing to give MORE than you expect to receive. If you have this frame of mind, you will be blessed with as much business as you give, if not more.
The importance of networking is to establish yourself as a person with integrity with the same level of commitment others have. Attending every meeting, volunteering for board positions, being present at different social events, and actively recruiting new members is very important. The more people you invite to the networking group, the more business everyone will have.
Work hard to develop good, solid relationships and a reputation that your group can rely on. After all, we’d rather do business with people we know and trust, rather than those listed in a phone book.
The 7 Critical Elements to Success
- Vision – a picture of what your business would look like
- Strength -your natural, innate talent or skill by training
- Passion – what you deeply care about - this is the fuel that drives you
- Resources - companies or people you can rely upon to do some of the work for your business
- Alliance Partners - companies in a similar line of business that increase your available customers
- Powerful Tactics - marketing strategies
- Action Plan - a logical business plan
