Dayton Ohio Business Networking Guide

Business networking puts more money in your pocket by helping you overcome the number one biggest problem facing new business owners. Prospecting for new customers. Business networking events can go a long way towards making the whole prospecting problem go away. There are two main kinds of networking opportunities available to the average entrepreneur. Passive networking and strong networking. Both have unique benefits and drawbacks.

The most well known example of passive networking is your local chamber of commerce. You can find a chamber of commerce chapter in almost every major city worldwide. Your local chamber of commerce gives you the opportunity to meet with many of the movers and shakers in your local business community. Through the many events they plan on a monthly and yearly basis, they offer you a chance to connect with a number of potential prospects for your products and services.

Weekly networking groups or clubs are an example of strong networking opportunities. These kinds of business networking events can be found in many major cities worldwide. A strong networking group will meet on a weekly basis for the sole purpose of exchanging business leads with one another and learning better ways of networking to grow their business. The most successful networking groups require your weekly attendance and insist that their members provide fellow members with referrals throughout the year. They also allow only one person from each profession or industry to belong to the group. This keeps the quality of the referrals high. Examples of such groups are Business Network International (BNI) and Professional Referral Exchange (PRE).

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of networking? They both have their place but strong networking groups represent a bigger commitment than passive networking groups. By belonging to a strong networking group, you are committed to be on the lookout for referrals for group members. Strong networking groups also usually meet on a weekly basis whereas passive networking groups usually meet monthly.

Passive networks can have multiple people from one profession or industry as members. They also have no requirements for passing on referrals to other members. Referrals do occur in a passive networking event but it is not facilitated by the meeting and is totally up to the business owner to initiate. You can belong to multiple passive networking groups. Any business you get from passive networking will most likely be a result of the amount of effort you put in.

Strong networks on the other hand restrict membership to only one person per industry or profession. This greatly increases the likelihood that you will receive referrals from participating members. Meetings are structured in a way to encourage referrals and there is a formal referral exchange that happens every week. It is strongly recommended that you only belong to one strong networking group in order to keep the quality of your referrals high.

In either case, it is important for members of these groups to see you as professional and competent. Referrals will go to people the referrer knows, likes and trusts.

Want more business? Start attending business networking events in your area.

If you want to get more referrals for your business, lead exchange clubs are a great way to go. There are several lead exchange clubs in the Dayton area. The two largest in the Miami Valley are Business Network International (BNI) and Professional Referral Exchange (PRE).

I personally prefer Professional Referral Exchange for the following reasons.

• Professional Referral Exchange has breakfast chapters and lunch chapters, so you are able to find something that meets your schedule.


• Professional Referral Exchange offers a money back guarantee. If you are a member of PRE for a year and do not at least make up the amount you paid in dues, you get a full refund. No other lead exchange group offers a guarantee like this

My chapter, the South Dayton chapter meets on Tuesdays at 11:30 am at Grindstone Charley's in Kettering. There are several other chapters in the area as well. If you are interested in visiting my chapter or any other local PRE chapter, email me and I can set you up. You must make an appointment before visiting as only one person per profession is allowed in each chapter.

I recently attended an event hosted by Cheryl Haynes, owner of eSmallBizNET. The event is once a month and it's called eSmallBizNETworking. It's a free event and it's held at Gregory's Piano Bar, just across from the Victoria Theatre.

The event was structured so each member had about 5 minutes to talk about their business and then other members could ask questions and discussion. The other members were very friendly and much more supportive and personable than at most other events in the Dayton region.

If you are a small business owner, I highly recommend attending this event.

For more details and info about other eSmallBizNET events, go to www.eSmallBizNET.com.

Want to find out the latest events going on in the Dayton area? Check out this calendar of Dayton networking events

Another great resource to check out if you are under 40 is Generation Dayton Here is the profile from their website:

Generation Dayton is a dynamic program of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, targeted at the diverse pool of talented young professionals who live and work in the Dayton region. The organization provides area young professionals with exciting opportunities to develop the professional skills needed to succeed in their chosen career, to build relationships with existing business and community leaders, and to forge friendships with peers in a professional and FUN environment. Generation Dayton keeps our region's young professionals interested, involved, engaged and connected to one another and the greater Dayton region! Typically, members of Generation Dayton are professionals between the ages of 21 and 40 who represent various sectors of the Dayton region.

Find a mentor, learn the ropes of the business world and become Dayton's next great leader as a member of Generation Dayton where we are forging a new generation of talent!

Click here to learn more about Generation Dayton.

If you want to turn your networking contacts into referrals, then you need to keep in touch with them on a consistent basis. One of the best tools that I have found for this purpose is SendOutCards. I have created a lens that explains the SendOutCards system in full detail.

More info about SendOutCards

If you want to turn your networking leads into referrals, you must work them correctly. I can't think of a better teacher of how to do this correctly than Bob Burg.

Bob Burg teaches companies and individuals
how to apply and perfect two skills dramatically important to personal and professional success. These are Business Networking and Positive Persuasion Skills. He has earned acclaim for delivering his programs in an entertaining style, while providing information that is hard hitting, immediately applicable, and most of all...profitable!

Bob Burg regularly appears on the motivational rally circuit featuring speaking legends such as Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, CNN's Larry King, Dr. Denis Waitley, Mary Lou Retton, Coach Lou Holtz, Radio Legend Paul Harvey, Les Brown, Brian Tracy, former U.S. President Gerald Ford and many others.

Bob's articles have been published internationally in hundreds of professional and trade magazines. His books are used by both individuals and companies to gain important interpersonal skills neccessary for success!

Bob believes in the free enterprise system, and puts his business success skills to use for charities as well, having been named the 1994 Palm Beach County - Leukemia Society Man of the Year for his fund raising efforts.

His background includes Television News Anchor, Salesman and Sales Manager, and in his "younger days", a New England A.A.U. and Golden Gloves Boxing Champion.

Bob is a proud member of the National Speakers Association.

Click here to learn more about how Bob Burg can help you generate Endless Referrals.