Forum Contest: Smaller Indiana -- Rain Makers -- BNI -- Indiana Business Network -- IndyTweetUp

[Doug Vann]

Smaller Indiana -- Rain Makers -- BNI -- Indiana Business Network -- IndyTweetUp
If one so desired, they could fill their calendar up with meetups with all of the networking groups in Central Indiana or interacting online with those same networks.
Pat Coyle gave us SmallerIndiana.com It appears to have some good discussions going on but efforts to move from thr virtual into the physical seem to be challenged; by what, I don't know
BNI under the Indiana leadership of Hazel M. Walker boasts 12 weekly meetings in Indianapolis and many more across the state.
http://ibn.collectivex.com is Eric Kallin's network started about October 2008 and boasts 374 members. Like BNI and RAINMAKERS it charges fees for attending events.
http://indytweetup.com/ is a failed attempt by IUPUI Professor, Dr. Thomas Ho to bring the www.twitter.com/indytweetup group to the physical realm. Their website is down.
How many more have come and gone? Who's cooking up the next "big network?"

I'm asking you all. What's it all for? What's it all about? Why do we start these groups? Why do we join them? Why do we show up? Are we getting anything out of them?

You tell me. Are you spinning your wheels or are you finding value? If you're paying for these networks, what's your ROI? Why is one network better or worse than another.

I'm all ears... Some one tell me what's really going on here. It's not evident to me that there is any quantifiable, appreciable results from all of this. Maybe I'm wrong. Personally, I find that networking comes very naturally to me and thus I do it. As the founder and leader of the http://groups.drupal.org/indiana local Drupal Users Group, I Do very specific networking and it works well for me.
What I'm asking you is, what are you doing with all of these networks and is it worth it to you?
- Doug Vann
- http://dougvann.com
- http://www.twitter.com/dougvann

[Thomas Ho]

@indytweetup isn't dead...it has 246 followers! Actually, we probably don't need to use GroupTweet with @indytweetup anymore because we can now use twtvite instead. I'll leave @indytweetup in place anyway.

So, all ANYONE has to do is to CALL A TWEETUP...that's all it takes!

In the meantime, don't forget that we now have IndyTweets too! It's a good way to see what's going on in Indianapolis through the eyes of Twitter.

[Doug Vann]

Dr. Ho.
I stand corrected. IndyTweetUp isn't dead, its just suffering from an identity crisis. When I visited the twiiter.com/indytweetup page yesterday it had broken link to the dead page of indytweetup.com thus, I concluded that it was dead. Additionally, the most recent reference to a meetup is close to a month old. I saw twitter.com/indymike attempt to schedule a tweetup over the week and it was rather difficult and failed.
I'm not faulting anyone or accusing anyone of failure. I'm just saying that it is difficult to create a tweetup or keep track of them. Maybe twitter.com/drthomasho can offer some advice on this. The tweetups that I have attended have been quite valuable and very enjoyable.
Honestly, a service that would email me invitations or reminders about tweetups would ROCK!

[Lou Begnel]

Indy Tweetup is not necessarily a group with a mission so much as it is an avenue for connectivity, a communication tool using the Twitter platform as opposed to SI or Meetup.

[Deanna Sipe]

Doug,

This is a great question, thanks for asking. I hope you get a lot of feedback.

First of all I think the answer is YES. Yes some of these groups do seem have quantifiable results. BNI tracks their results for business conducted per group, as I understand it. The one group that I visited reported a significant $ amount of referred business. I have personally experienced some good $/business results with Rainmakers. Is it worth it to me? For now, it is.

I have traveled extensively in the last 2 years taking business training, doing trade shows, and networking. I have seen some amazing business modes for networking and joint venture... models that I have yet to find anywhere here in Indy. I would love to find real, solid, mastermind groups or networking groups where there are a few people in the group that each person is committed to helping attain their dreams, no reward, no obligation. Are there any network groups that have a model of
"You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar ?? A model of 'pay it forward?'

Sometimes, I have noticed at networking groups and with twitter, (here is my analogy) that it seems like there are 100,000 radio stations broadcasting what they want people to hear, but very few responses, very few connections. I sometimes wonder if anyone is listening to anyone elses broadcast. (another analogy) I especially like to play ball when I find one or two people who throw the ball back. I don't really enjoy buying a truck load of balls to throw out to people and finding that they are gone and there were none caught and thrown back. Now I have no balls. lol.

So- what's the lesson? I like to watch others throw balls first, catch some and toss back, then throw some of my own.

[Doug Vann]

Deanne,
Excellent response! Thank you!
I found both of your analogies very effective.
Thanks specifically for the quote:
"You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar ?? A model of 'pay it forward?'
That is SO my philosophy. I mentioned that I started the local Indiana Drupal Users Group http://groups.drupal.org/indiana in January of 2008. I paid out of pocket to get things going. 16 months later, I can thank the group for the job that I have at http://www.SlingshotSEO.com Additionally, I have committed myself to teaching web development to anyone who is willing to learn. Thanks to my efforts in the Drupal group, I have been asked to present at the cmsassociation.com/35.html 2009 CMS Expo. SWEET!

Deanne, I'd love to hear more about the "Mastermind" networking groups you mention. What did you see? How can Indy replicate this?

[Shannon Gross]

Go Doug! Fantastic topic - and certainly one that's gone through the minds of folks who've found themselves awash in networking opportunities.

First, let me note that Hazel "the Queen" Walker - I did not make this up! It's what she (rightfully) calls herself :) - teaches a mighty fine networking class at Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana. Best $60 you'll ever spend on networking!

And I've got to agree with Deanna. Maybe it's because I'm a Peak Potentials grad and I'm looking for mastermind groups; or, maybe it's because I just don't know where to look, so I'm not finding the groups. Either way, I'd like to settle down with one - a group of folks (10 at most) once or twice a month to help each other with our businesses.

For some people, masterminding is about leads, for some it's about business processes or marketing, but for all mastermind groups it's about the idea of getting there (wherever you're going in your business) together - knowing you've got 6 or 7 or 9 other brains who are helping you on your path.

Anybody else in Smoosierland want to play ball with a team?

See you Monday at (yawn!) 7.30 Doug. Thanks for putting the ball in play! :)

[Pat Coyle]

Doug,
When I started Smaller IN, I never thought of it as a networking group, and I still don't. Clearly there are hundreds of connections being made between members. Some of these connections occur in organized "sub-groups" and some in "private" coffee meetings. My hope for SI is that it would be a platform to support various activities including dialogue, connection and offline activity. I expect SI has actually helped the pure networking groups like Rainmakers and BNI and North Indy Networkers to grow. And I know SI helps events - like Chocolate Blues - to promote themselves and prosper. So to answer your question, I don't do much personally with the various networking groups, but I remain excited and pleased to see how SI is helping to support people and ideas and make them findable.

[Doug Vann]

Pat,
You make an excellent point of clarification. I knew that SI differed greatly from the scope and intentions of BNI and the like, but you worded it well when you painted SI as a "platform of support..." To that end SI is undeniably a huge success!
"...helping to support people and ideas and make them findable." That is exactly how I got here. I was looking for people who were looking for Drupal contractors and one of the Google results was SI and a lady specifically asking for Drupal bids on a project. It didn't end up as I had hoped but it got me involved in SI and for that, I am truly thankful.

You mentioned North Indy Networkers. I have not heard of that group. I wonder how many more groups there are that haven't showed up on my radar?
- DV

[Hazel "The Queen" Walker]

I can think of about 30

[Mike Seidle]

At least :)

[Hazel "The Queen" Walker]

Doug,

I really like this question...... First let me offer clarity on BNI Indiana and International. We charge a fee for membership and you must be vetted by the membership committee before you become a member. BNI is an International organization with about 120,000 members in 44 countries and we have been around since 1985. And we only have one purpose.....A structured environment to give and receive referrals to one another. There are 47 chapters locally but you must be a member to attend regularly. Last year Indiana BNI Chapters Passed $220 million in business to one another. So there are measurable results because we measure them by chapter.

Unfortunately people join a multitude of NETWORKING Groups because they think it is going to be the panacea to all of their prospecting issues, while others find it a way to build their network or just get face to face with their network and deepen the relationships. When I attend networking events it is to touch base with those in my network whom I have not see or talked to in awhile or to find business opportunities for my 5 referral partners. All things being equal, people want to do business with people they are in relationship with because there is a level of trust their.

I teach a program called Referral Dynamics and in that program we have a lot of discussion about spending too much time networking with the WRONG People at the WRONG Time and without a clear plan for their Networking activities and NO systems for measuring their activities or their results. It is our belief at the Referral Institute that too many business people spend too much time Networking and NOT enough time Working their Network. If you want a system that will generate referrals then you have to take the time to build relationships, implement a system and track activities and results. Not more networking, more time developing and strengthening your network.

Networking is a great tool, but you need to figure out which ones you are going to commit to and stop trying to part of them all. There does come a point of Diminished Return and we see that with EVERY person who walks into our program, when they see what networking is costing them, they are always shocked. It may feel like a cheap way of marketing but when you do the math it is shocking what it is costing in time and productivity. The Opportunity Cost alone can be staggering.

Thanks for such a great question and thanks for responding to the comments....I love the two way conversation about something I have a long history in and passion about.

[Doug Vann]

Minutes before the contest was posted I had posted an event notice under the "Referrals, Referrals, and More Referrals" group.
I am meeting with anyone who will join me at the Paradise Cafe at 9510 E Meridian St. Monday Apr 13th from 7:30 to whenever you need to leave. No plans, or agenda at this point; just hanging out and saying hi.
Learn about the group, join it, and read my post here: http://www.smallerindiana.com/group/referralsreferralsandmorereferr...
I'd be happy to meet any of you there!

- DougVann