Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Networking challenges: Just what DO we do anyway?
Networking begets networking. At a recent luncheon, a nice attendee "Pamela" approached me. "So you're a copywriter. I belong to a BNI group and we are looking for a copywriter." Well, I've looked into BNI. The problem is, I have yet to find a single copywriter who had a profitable experience at any BNI group. (If you differ, please let me know.) I've met several who said, "Nice lunches. Fun people." But this group seemed genuinely interested. They meet at lunch (not an ungodly breakfast hour) at a place where I can walk in 15-20 minutes. They even chose a nice restaurant with good food. So I attended a meeting. Immediately after the meeting, we visitors were taken aside. We were given long application forms and encouraged to join. "You'll be in by next week -- for sure the week after," they said. "We just have to check references." So I got permission to give them names of 2 references. That took a little time. My references answered questions, also making time. Then nothing happened. I got a call. "We think there may be a conflict with another member. She lists marketing on her business card." My immediate reaction: "Why didn't you check this out before inviting me to apply?" My next reaction: "Any competent copywriter will be involved in some marketing. You said the group was looking for a copywriter. Therefore..." And then I wondered, "Do they really understand what a copywriter does? Will they assume I'll scrawl words for $35 an hour?" But there's a bigger question. BNI has thrived by allowing only one business category per group. These days business categories are blurred. It's not just copywriters who confuse these networking groups. A life coach "Kendra" applied to join BNI. She was blocked by a hypnotherapist who complained they would respond to the same challenges. Yet another group includes a hynotherapist, a life coach and a licensed psychotherapist. Even more important: customers and clients have to be clearer than ever on what they want. "Alan" confides, "I'm so disorganized! I don't seem to get anything done. My office is cluttered and I never seem to have time for anything." We can refer Alan to a professional organizer, who will de-clutter and suggest systems to save time. Some organizers talk about their clients' lives and lifestyles too. We could suggest Alan hire a life coach, who will help set priorities and create accountability and structure. We might even suggest a therapist who works with the "worried well." Some therapists actually target the same market as coaches -- self-pay personal growth seekers. They are licensed to go deeper: they might ask about Alan's life. If he just broke up a serious relationship or lost a job, he may need to talk about feelings before he can break through the clutter barrier. The flip side: Three people hang out shingles with identical labels like "chiropractor," "physical therapist," or "massage therapist." Most chiropractors work by cracking something in the body (I've never been to one so I'm not sure about this). But I just met a licensed chiropractor who works with a technique that doesn't call for cracking -- and that doesn't require repeated visits. I went to one physical therapist for chronic tendinitis. After many visits I saw no improvement. He didn't believe in ice or inserts. He believed in repeated visits. A second physical therapist made 3 recommendations in a single visit -- including ice and inserts. I am now nearly pain-free and I walk and exercise a great deal more. And massage therapists: Is a Swedish massage therapist competing with cranio-sacral massage? I have no idea. For copywriters, the challenge is to communicate just what the business offers and just what pain gets relieved. Many websites don't even have a "how we work" or "how we solve problems" page. Yet these days, the "how" page may be more relevant than ever. And I predict that leads groups will face tough challenges if they insist on labeling businesses in tight categories. I've told the group I am no longer interested. They're very nice so who knows - I may change my mind. But in the long run, we have to be increasingly aware that labels no longer tell the full story. |
Labels: bni, business, coaching, groups, internet marketing, labels, networking
# posted by Cathy Goodwin @ 10:02 AM 
