e a referral to when each member represents the same category. There are bound to be hard feelings. People who make this mistake may have an attitude of scarcity. They feel they don’t have enough, so they are going to try to take it all. Members of each group who become aware of such a situation and the lack of commitment, wonder about the dual member’s integrity. Instead of getting it all, they may get less or none. Not what they had planned.<Deciding the best one or two networking groups to join is crucial to building your referral network. Many people make the mistake of thinking they should belong to every possible Chamber of Commerce, but then wonder why there is no return on the financial investment.

The statement above is one reason for the lack of ROI. Those who think only of budget concerns when deciding to join an organization are thinking of only one third of the equation. The second and third components are time and commitment. Someone who belongs to five chambers is only able to attend a few events each month per chamber. Their effort is diluted. They typically are time-extended and arrive late for many meetings. The also tend to leave a little early. They are doing themselves a huge disservice.

We have been taught that relationship building and trust are two factors that create strong referral partnerships. When someone constantly arrives late, they are limiting the opportunity to meet new people or connect with familiar people. Same thing for leaving early. The savvy networker brings her calendar with her to events and then uses the time after the event to immediately schedule one-to-one appointments with those in attendance. Those leaving early miss that opportunity.

Another common mistake is joining several strong contact network groups. The definition of a strong contact group is an organization that limits their membership to one person per profession. The members meet for the reason of developing relationships in order to be comfortable sharing referral business with others in their group. Sounds good, right? It is good, but when someone joins more than one of these groups, their loyalties are divided. How does this dual member determine which member of which group to give a referral to when each member represents the same category. There are bound to be hard feelings. People who make this mistake may have an attitude of scarcity. They feel they don’t have enough, so they are going to try to take it all. Members of each group who become aware of such a situation and the lack of commitment, wonder about the dual member’s integrity. Instead of getting it all, they may get less or none. Not what they had planned.<

n. The second and third components are time and commitment. Someone who belongs to five chambers is only able to attend a few events each month per chamber. Their effort is diluted. They typically are time-extended and arrive late for many meetings. The also tend to leave a little early. They are doing themselves a huge disservice.

We have been taught that relationship building and trust are two factors that create strong referral partnerships. When someone constantly arrives late, they are limiting the opportunity to meet new people or connect with familiar people. Same thing for leaving early. The savvy networker brings her calendar with her to events and then uses the time after the event to immediately schedule one-to-one appointments with those in attendance. Those leaving early miss that opportunity.

Another common mistake is joining several strong contact network groups. The definition of a strong contact group is an organization that limits their membership to one person per profession. The members meet for the reason of developing relationships in order to be comfortable sharing referral business with others in their group. Sounds good, right? It is good, but when someone joins more than one of these groups, their loyalties are divided. How does this dual member determine which member of which group to give a referral to when each member represents the same category. There are bound to be hard feelings. People who make this mistake may have an attitude of scarcity. They feel they don’t have enough, so they are going to try to take it all. Members of each group who become aware of such a situation and the lack of commitment, wonder about the dual member’s integrity. Instead of getting it all, they may get less or none. Not what they had planned.<

ships. When someone constantly arrives late, they are limiting the opportunity to meet new people or connect with familiar people. Same thing for leaving early. The savvy networker brings her calendar with her to events and then uses the time after the event to immediately schedule one-to-one appointments with those in attendance. Those leaving early miss that opportunity.

Another common mistake is joining several strong contact network groups. The definition of a strong contact group is an organization that limits their membership to one person per profession. The members meet for the reason of developing relationships in order to be comfortable sharing referral business with others in their group. Sounds good, right? It is good, but when someone joins more than one of these groups, their loyalties are divided. How does this dual member determine which member of which group to give a referral to when each member represents the same category. There are bound to be hard feelings. People who make this mistake may have an attitude of scarcity. They feel they don’t have enough, so they are going to try to take it all. Members of each group who become aware of such a situation and the lack of commitment, wonder about the dual member’s integrity. Instead of getting it all, they may get less or none. Not what they had planned.<

ps. The definition of a strong contact group is an organization that limits their membership to one person per profession. The members meet for the reason of developing relationships in order to be comfortable sharing referral business with others in their group. Sounds good, right? It is good, but when someone joins more than one of these groups, their loyalties are divided. How does this dual member determine which member of which group to give a referral to when each member represents the same category. There are bound to be hard feelings. People who make this mistake may have an attitude of scarcity. They feel they don’t have enough, so they are going to try to take it all. Members of each group who become aware of such a situation and the lack of commitment, wonder about the dual member’s integrity. Instead of getting it all, they may get less or none. Not what they had planned.<e a referral to when each member represents the same category. There are bound to be hard feelings. People who make this mistake may have an attitude of scarcity. They feel they don’t have enough, so they are going to try to take it all. Members of each group who become aware of such a situation and the lack of commitment, wonder about the dual member’s integrity. Instead of getting it all, they may get less or none. Not what they had planned.

Carefully choose the appropriate groups for you. Visit twice, talk to other members of the prospective group and understand your own goals before selection. The right decision can make a huge difference in your bottom line.