Does My 1 = Your 1?

The hallmark of a "good" referral relationship is one that has both parties feeling as if they are getting benefits.

Traditionally, that might mean that if you and I are in a committed referral relationship, then for every referral you send my way, I'd certainly send one back to you.

But this is where the real world clashes with the ideal world.
First of all, not all referrals are equal. The ten referrals I send your way, could be far outweighed by just one referral you send to me. Unit measurement is probably not the best way to quantify the results of such a referral arrangement. Measuring referrals exchanged by two people is probably better achieved by noting dollars realized.

Additionally, in strongly committed relationships, what one individual wants, may have nothing to do with a referral. This person may want a speaking engagement, an invitation to an event or even just your time. They may give business referrals in return. So the relationship is satisfying the needs of both, but the referrals are not equal.

What this all boils down to is that both parties have to talk with each other openly and honestly. Then and only then will the relationship thrive.

Winning Smiles

Lot of stuff goin' on.

Last week my friend Dave Bodner was one of twenty community leaders chosen for the 20 Under 40 Award. As a matter of fact, two other friends made it a trio. Angie Weid, see her Organized Solutions blog and Michael Temple were honored too. I felt like a proud mother hen, because all three are Certified Networker grads. That meant we (they) cornered 15% of the award territory that night.

Just so you know, my goal for next year is to increase that by 5% and have four people from our CN grad community win the award. Dave, Angie and Michael all certainly deserved the recognition. They do many things in the community to set themselves apart from the mainstream. Along with their high caliber comes the fact that they were nominated.

In the CN course we encourage nominations. It is a no-brainer in the way that it helps to develop the relationship between two people, when one person has to sit down and ask the other to divulge all the good things that have not been mentioned in polite (after all, mom said to never brag about yourself.) conversation. It certainly cements the friendship.

So a HUGE congratulation to Dave, Angie and Michael and also to the people who took the time to write and submit the nomination.

Now, what's next?

WIN Meeting, Oct 2nd - Who's Coming

Please note: Cancellations must be received by noon the day before the meeting or regrettably you will be invoiced for your registration fee.

1. Larry Callaghan - KawarthaToday.com
2. Ellen McCharles - SendOutCards
3. Cheryl Evans - RMT
4. Mary Ellen Gerster - Mary Ellen's Staging & Design
5. Eileen Thompson - CAPS
6. Heather Chapman - ExcluZiv Marketing
7. Bookie Bell - Checkers Entertainment Service
8. Joyce McCulloch - GoChi Juice
9. Cathleen Charlwood - Immunotec
10. Sandra McCrindle - Immunotec
11. Twila DelFatti - Silver Connections Inc.
12. Barb Smith - Silver Connections Inc.
13. Michele Dinga - PPPrint & Digital
14. Lorraine Allegretti - Shoppes Newsletter
15. Gayle Moynes - Lindsay Alternative Health Care
16. Colleen Collins - Jem Advertising
17. Margaret Cunningham - Tourism Officer, City of Kawartha Lakes
18. Judi Bishop-Chapman - Xocai Healthy Chocolate
19. Wendy Maycock - 'Wendy's Paintworks'
20. Michele Dinga - PPPrint & Digital Services
21. Suzanne Turnbull - Yoga, Body & Spirit
22. Mary Rose Finlay - Health & Beauty Systems

WIN Meeting - Thursday, Oct. 2nd

Hello Ladies,

Can you believe we're heading into October!? Even so, I have to say this is my most favourite season!

I'm very excited to introduce Larry Callaghan of KawarthaToday.com as our guest speaker for next week's meeting. As well, our very own Ellen McCharles will be telling us more about SendOutCards, perfect timing for the upcoming holiday season. Full details attached.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you will be attending next week and pass this flyer along to anyone you think may be interested in joining us.

Warm regards,
Heather Chapman

Friend or Foe

In the past week or so, I've been to several networking events.

Let me give you the contrast.

At one, I was welcomed, chatted up and general made to feel like it was a great thing that I graced everyone with my presence.

At another one, I signed my name at a personless table and that was it. No one welcomed me. Each was too busy conversing with someone they knew.

We've all done it. Friends are usually a lot more fun to talk to than unknown people.

What does your group do to make visitors feel welcome AND want to come back.

Do you have certain people who are there to be the link to the rest of the group?

Does your group view an outsider as an OUTSIDER, or do they see an opportunity?

Think about it.

In my opinion three groups that have done a wonderful job recently are WEN (The Women's Entrepreneurial Network), BNI and GreaterFindlayInc's morning Fresh Brewed event.

Tell us about yours.

Tomato Sauce Insight

This weekend as I stood at the kitchen sink coring and cutting tomatoes for the beginning of a huge pot of tomato sauce, I had the surreal experience of listening to author Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; A Year of Good Food." The premise of the book is that Kingsolver and her family decided to live for one year from food grown locally. As she talked about how many people don't know or understand how our food is produced, she began describing her asparagus patch and how most people ask, "What kind of ferns are those?"

Like Kingsolver, I feel very lucky to be able to grow some of our food. I too, have an asparagus patch, along with a fairly good-sized garden. As we move toward the end of the season, I have lots of peppers, giant eggplant, basil, beets and very soon, I'll pick the first butternut squash.

But this isn't about gardening.

After all, this blog is about networking!

I realized that we business people tend to think about networking from the "getting more business" point of view. But as my mind doodled, it occured to me that we also learn stuff, that at the moment doesn't seem important. But it adds to our knowledge that might be helpful to us or to someone else in the future.

As a little kid, my parent's garden was nothing more than a place to filch a sweet strawberry or perhaps a carrot with the dirt wiped off on my pant leg. In the fall the old cornstalks were bent over and between the two rows I created a cave/fort of sorts. Little did I know that I was learning the rhythm of the growing season. Little did I know that I was learning how all things grow, whether underground, from bushes or from vines.

That's what I think networking should be like, too. Learn a little something everyday that you didn't know before. What makes that industry tick? Where do the raw materials come from? What trends are affecting it. What is produced? Most of us only know the ins and outs of our own industry.

I challenge you to find out something about another industry this week as you are out there networking.

And by the way, what is surprising about yours?

Keeping My Commitment

Busy, busy week, so no posting.

I'd like to share a trick with you.

Well, it's really not a trick.

It's more of a strategy.

Yesterday my schedule said that I was supposed to go to Defiance (Oh) for a Chamber networking event starting at 4:30 PM.

Now I had gotten up at 5:30 AM and had a full day. I just knew that by the end of the day, I would find a reason not to go.

But to better develop our classes out west of Toledo, I need to be out there.

What to do?

Here's the trick. I invited one of my BNI members to take the 50 minute trip out there with me. It was a win for both of us. I got to know Cheryl Minifie even better than I did before and also was able to introduce her to a couple people including the director of the chamber and a Realtor friend of mine, Beth Sigg. Since Cheryl sells insurance for Allstate, that was a good connection.

Since I am most uncomfortable at these types of events, pretending that I had a job (intro'ing Cheryl to people) helped me to calm the nerves.

I can honestly say that if I had not had my commitment with Cheryl that I would not have gone, using a very "valid" excuse of being too tired.

Thanks, Cheryl, for keeping me on purpose.