Networking 101: the better you know members of your networking group, the easier it is to pass leads and referrals. One-on-ones are the key to that, but our monthly My Pinnacle Network meetings also can provide some insight. We try to move that along by asking members and guests to answer a question that might not have been part of their elevator pitch or verbal brand. For example:
What epiphany did you have on your summer vacation?
This question was the topic of a recent newsletter by our sister company PR Works. The answers revealed quite a bit about people and also provided more information about members.
For starters, many members have vacationed in the same location. Even the times spent at that spot did not overlap, it becomes a talking point and discussion starter and something people have in common.
As for the epiphanies, those too become talking points. At our My Pinnacle Network-Bourne meeting, this question revealed that many members had a similar epiphany: namely, that you have to commit to and actually take a scheduled vacation.
Other members shared some ideas for improving their business so they could get away more often. Some had thoughts about how to optimize content for multiple outlets (guess who had that one).
The point is, it’s great to know about a fellow member’s business. But how much you know about the person as well as the business can make a difference, too.