Contest!

It's contest time!

Yep, that's right. International Networking Week is coming up real soon as it is February 4 - 8. This year Certified Networker of Ohio is again sponsoring a one-to-one contest to see who can have the most meetings during those five days.

For those of you who do not know what a one-to-one meeting is, it is exactly as it describes. It is two (and only two) people meeting for the reason of getting to know each other better.

We'd love to have you participate. To do so, you can register at the website here. You'll find the info in the upper right corner of the home page. You can register now but cannot begin to list one-to-ones till 12:01 AM Feb 4 and can continue to list until midnight Feb 8. You are on your honor that these meetings are actually happening.

The prize for the most one-to-ones is $100 which will be presented at the CN monthly lunch February 20 if you are from the NW Ohio area. If you live out of the area, you will have to produce a mailing address for the check to be sent. Obviously, we will want your story too, so you'll have to be willing to be interviewed. Then we can relate your success to the world!

Some people are already getting their meetings scheduled for that week. Kathy Stringham, owner of Coffee News of Monroe, our winner from last year, managed to have 29 appointments and the contest was only three days. Her secret was staying in one place while her appointments came to her.

Don't delay. Go register and then begin scheduling. Everyone will win, because you'll get to know the people you meet with that much more. You'll be able to help them and they'll be able to help you.

OK, let's predict. How many one-to-one meetings do you think the winner will be able to have in five days this year?

All I Can Say Is, Wow!"

Now, I ask you how many of you would willing share the stage with your competition???

And let's take it a step further.

How many of you would be willing to let the spotlight shine on your competition as least as much time as it shines on you?

And let's take it a step further.

How many of you would be willing to give this person a major role in an event you are planning?

The reason I ask the above questions is that my friend Deanna Tucci Schmitt, Executive Director of BNI-Western PA did that just last week. As I have already written , I attended their International Networking Day celebration. In my opinion Deanna understands the two words "team" and "inclusive" better than anyone else. For this huge event she brought people from many groups together and each one of them received recognition as being a part of the team.

Tom Reda, TSBN, is Deanna's direct competition and he acknowledged it very nicely from the lectern. I didn't look at my watch, but I think Tom had more visibility time on the podium than Deanna did. Doesn't matter because no one was counting. In the professionally-crafted program we received, Tom had an ad that said, "Pittsburgh's Most Unique Networking Group congratulates BNI, the world's Largest Networking Group for creating the first annual International Networking Day." The ad ended with, "A special thanks to Deanna Tucci Schmitt for her vision, leadership and generosity." Tom, also was one of six people who was asked to write an article for this program.

BNI philosophy is Givers Gain. Could there be any better example of this than how Deanna gathered the team that created the successful event attended by over 300 people all having paid around $50 to attend????

My hat's off to my friend, mentor and idol. Deanna, I hope I can be like you when I grow up.

Who do you want to emulate when you "grow up?"

And the Winner Is

Last night at our first graduation of the year for the Certified Networker classes in Northwest Ohio, we also announced the winner of our first ever One-to-One Contest. This event helped to celebrate International Networking Day.

It was no surprise to announce that Kathy Stringham, Coffee News of Monroe, Bedford and Sylvania was the top contestant. I blogged about how Kathy set herself up for success a couple days ago.

Now let me tell you the results.

In three days, Kathy had 29 One-to-one appointments! The contest rules required that each appointment be at least 15 minutes in length. I think Kathy planned for hers to be 30 minutes. Instead of thinking only of herself, she planned in advance how to help the people she was meeting with. Over the three days, she asked each person to come to the meeting with three names of either people or companies that they want to connect with. But let me have Kathy tell you about it!

"From what I count right now I made 44 connection points between the people I met with. I still have some work to do to follow-up, but it is exciting."

When Kathy accepted her award last night, she said that winning was fun, but knowing that she was able to give to the people who had helped her by agreeing to meet was even better. She knows that these appointments will help her in the end, but additionally, she has been able to give back to her community.

How would you have organized this contest to help others?

Full Days

In two days, I feel like I've lived through at least a week!

Yesterday, was official International Networking Day. I started the morning with a Networking Breakfast at the Toledo Club, then had a one to one meeting before being the lunchtime speaker at the Sylvania Chamber of Commerce. As soon as that was done I jumped into the little yellow Cooper and drove to Pittsburgh for their evening celebration.

The PA event was awesome for a number of reasons.

Over 300 people participated.

Scott Ginsberg was the keynote speaker.

AND

The networking game/exercise was over the top!

The idea behind it was that each person had established goals they wanted to achieve at this event. As they talked with others, they were to ask each other about these goals. There were also worksheets to note what was needed. As the networking continued, people started to connect people to others to solve their challenges.

Personally, I was trying to connect with someone from Malaysia for one of the CN grads here in Toledo. While I didn't make the actual connection yet, I know the person who can make it happen.

Someone else, Neal Griebling, wanted to know about starting a Board of Advisers, or Board of Action. Sandy Pirwitz, who went with me, and I were able to give him information because I have a board of action and she happens to be a member of that board.

We also helped my friend, Michelle Donovan, by talking about the Certified Networker training. Sandy told one woman, Anne Martin, a Mary Kay representative, that she just had to do the program. Anne had considered taking the course in the past, but with Sandy's endorsement, my bet is that she will register for a class real soon.

Wow! Deanna Tucci Schmitt and her team put together one heck of a celebration. I am proud to be her friend.

How did you celebrate International Networking Day?