Probably more than you imagine.
Today at my BNI chapter meeting we talked about the mechanics of hosting a visitor day. A comment was made that we all had to agree to the number of letters we would each send out, that all of us had to equally participate. The number of possible invitations suggested per person was 40. One member said that she would not be able to do that because she didn't know that many people.
So here is the challenge. How many people do you know? They don't have to be best buds, but people with whom you are acquainted.
In the Certified Networker class one of the tools we use helps participates to remember people they know and yet may have forgotten. There are twenty four different categories of people. My guess is that we could all easily invite 50 - 75 people to an event if we just took the time to remember who we know.
Do you use all your social networking capital or do you just forget people after you've met with them?
5 comments:
I was amused you talked about hosting a visitor a day. I was at my parents over the holidays and my mother showed me a copy of my Great-grandmother's journal for 1943. On one day in May of 1943 she had 19 callers (not telephone callers, people who dropped by to see her and her family).
Every day she had at least ONE caller and often she had them for lunch or dinner or tea. Many of them brought their children too.
Can you imagine having people drop by unannounced every single day?
Makes for a pretty big network!
I'm wondering if the person who made that comment was really saying something to the effect..”I don't know 40 people who I feel comfortable/appropriate to invite to this event.” This could stem from a problem I sometimes find myself in...what if I remember them, but they don't remember me? I few months ago I was at a networking event in Maumee and saw Brenda from the Chamber of Commerce. I had contact with her when I worked in Maumee a few years back, but other than emailing her my monthly newsletter, I have not had face-to-face contact with her since. So I did not go up and talk to her.
Now that it is a new year and I am an official CN grad I resolve to stop doing that in 2008. Suggestions on how to do this are appreciated.
Back to the person you mentioned...hopefully we can get her into the CN class as it does help you to realize the extent of your network and how the members of your network might benefit from interacting with each other.
Wow, great comments from Jacki and Tami.
First Jacki - wow, that is so cool that you have that journal and wouldn't you have loved to live in those times, when you could just drop in and not feel like you were an imposition? Networking is nothing more than making friends and being nice to people. Sounds like your grandma had the attraction principle really going for her, way before the world "found out" about it!
Tami - I sometimes feel the same way. Why would they remember me? Well the truth is that they are probably afraid that they don't remember your name. One thing you can do is to reintroduce yourself and remind them when you met. If you can remember a part of the conversation, mention that, too. You'll be loved and remembered the next time!
I enjoyed Jacki's and Tami's comments too.
For Tami: you could also ask someone you know at the event if s/he knows the person you want to reconnect with. They could help you re-start the conversation as well.
For example, the next time you're at a Maumee event with me and Brenda, I would be happy to do that for you. (I know her quite well. Some may even say, we have a P-leve relationship.)
I have a similar problem and mine is self-inflicted. I know how to network (thank you, Certified Networker and BNI) - let me rephrase that - I know the very beginnings of networking.
I go to events with a goal. I meet people, get their business cards, and write on them what I promised to do for them, or that I want to arrange a one-to-one with them, etc.
But then those cards get neglected and ignored.
So that will be one of my 2008 goals = to actually do what I plan to do. (See a future post on my blog about goals vs. resolutions).
Thanks for the jump start, Deb.
And I like your new picture.
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