During a recent 1-800-PLUMBING licensee conference call, one of our licensees had some great comments on the benefits of local networking groups. Thanks to Gery King of BK Plumbing and Bath for the following information. Gery informed us that networking groups provide “VCP” visibility, credibility and profitability. Gery has been going to local networking groups for over 7 years. It takes time to develop and build relationships with other members. He sees the first year as developing your visibility, and years 2 and on you develop credibility. As a result of taking the time to build this strong base, you then get into profitability. Gery indicated that he has gotten more business from networking groups and referrals (approximately 80% of his business can be attributed to what he has developed in the local networking groups he attends) These networking groups are generally a very small investment.
BNI is one of the more costly groups and that is around $50 per month www.bni.com Another group that Gery is involved in is $2 per week. Then there is the local Chamber of Commerce. Look up your local Chamber on line and see what you can contribute to that group. The main philosophy is that “givers gain” If you volunteer to greet new members or be part of a committee, that will help you get more visibility as more people get to know who you are and what you do. Gery also commented that since the yellow pages are going away, a company needs to change their marketing and advertising so the consumers can find them when they search on line using Google or one of many other search engines. When you interact with a variety of people in your local area it will help you learn what strategies are effective and you can compare results and help each other out. If you think about it, when you put a networking group on your schedule everybody in that group could be looked at as part of your salesforce. Once they get to know you, they will think about your company first when the service you offer is needed.