Officially our Business Networking meeting starts at 6:30am every Thursday, however there are usually members present from around 6am.
Upon arrival at Calcott Hall Farm our meeting is held in the Barnyard Cafe.
At our welcoming and sign-in table you will be greeted by at least two of our members who will record your name and details and then introduce you to our other members and guests.
“Open Networking” is perhaps the best opportunity to meet with the other guests and regular members and to introduce yourself and your business. Coffee and Juice is provided and this networking session lasts around 30 minutes.
NETWORKING TIP: Try to meet with as many individuals as possible during this time and to avoid any in-depth discussions with just one or two members. In this way you are maximising your opportunity to meet with as many new people as possible.
At around 7:00am our buffet breakfast is available. Most members opt for our “Traditional English” breakfast however other options are available including toast and cereal.
Members then return to their seats and enjoy what is a very high quality breakfast although there is an ongoing debate amongst the more curmudgeonly members as to whether the scrambled egg should be firm or soft!
Our Chairman opens the meeting by introducing himself and the other members of the meeting leadership team. This is followed by introducing the guests and giving apologies for absence for any missing members.
Our Membership Secretary then provides us with an overview of the statistics we record for our meetings including the value of the business passed amongst members and guests.
We also maintain a “Members Performance League” which aims to highlight which members contribute most effectively to the group in terms of giving business, receiving business, attending training and social events, conducting 1-2-1 meetings and lots of other factors.
Our Education and Development Co-Ordinator manages a weekly educational presentation which lasts approximately 5 minutes.
Mainly delivered by himself, or sometimes delegated to other members who have volunteered, this part of the meeting aims to this part of the meeting aims to highlight ways members can improve their networking techniques and make full use of their membership of Essex Business Forum.
One of the most important parts of our weekly meeting is the “60 Second Presentations round” where members first, and then guests, are allowed 60 seconds to introduce themselves and their business to the rest of the meeting.
Most members (and guests) will have prepared their presentation in advance so that it can be delivered effectively and on-time. Our time-keeper will give a warning at 50 seconds and a bell is rung at 60 seconds so that you know when to wind up your presentation and sit down.
Although some guests find this part of the meeting quite daunting we are all a friendly bunch and you will have the opportunity to watch all of the other members first and hopefully see how it is done!
The anatomy of a good 60 second presentation:
To ensure that you receive the number and quality of the referral to make your membership successful it is essential that all members know exactly what your business is, what you do and what constitutes a good referral. The 10 minute presentation is an ideal opportunity for a member to present the sort of detail that the 60 second presentation can never provide.
This opportunity occurs approximately once a year and is therefore a very valuable weapon in the members armoury.
Various techniques are adopted by different members to get their message over. A projector is available for the more formal presentation of your business. An equally effective presentation can be achieved with a verbal explanation. Whichever technique is adopted at least 2 or 3 minutes should be left at the end of the presentation to deal with questions and answers.
Immediately following the 10 minute presentation is the Referrals and Testimonials round. This arguably the most important part of the meeting.
Each member is given an opportunity to pass on the referrals he/she has been able to give during the preceding week as well as acknowledging monies received for business carried out as a result of a referral.
There are referral slips that are physically passed between members as well as thank you cards relating to monies received.
It is during this round that testimonials are also given both verbal and written.This round therefore celebrates and accurately records business passed and is at the core of our success as a networking group.
