Where to look for off-line groups:

• Business & Trade Organizations in the phone book
  
  
• Check local paper for business meetings/events
  
  
• Chamber of Commerce
  
  
• Jaycees
  
  
• Ask Friends & Business Associates
  
  
• BNI - Business Network Int'l http://www.bni.com/
  
  
• Profnet, Inc. http://www.profnet.org/
  
  
• Do a search on line for your local community websites.
  
  
• Start your own networking or mastermind group. I used a great book called Meet and Grow Rich: How to Easily Create and Operate Your Own "Mastermind" a guideline for starting my own mastermind group.

Off-line Networking Tips . . .

1. Wear your name tag on the right side so it is easy to read when you shake hands.
   
   
2. Take plenty of business cards with you. And don't leave with them. Make sure you trade them for other's business cards!
   
   
3. Develop a brief 20 second USP . . . Unique Selling Proposition. This is a brief, yet enticing blurb about what you do. Design it so that it leads the person to ask more.
   
   USP Resources:
   www.smartbiz.com/sbs/arts/jab19.htm www.businesstown.com/mindspring/marketing/strategy-positioning.asp
   
   
4. When you meet someone new, repeat their name several times so that you don't forget it. IE:
   
   New person: Hi, my name's Bob.
   You: Bob, it's nice to meet you, my name is Terri. So Bob, can you tell me a little bit about what your business. And then LISTEN. You must sincerely care about Bob's business before he'll give a hoot about yours ;-).
   You: Bob, it was nice talking with you. Do you have a couple business cards with you? (Give him some too.)
   
   
5. Have fun!
   
   
6. Call a couple of the new people you meet, whom you feel you could develop a mutually beneficial relationship with. Meet for breakfast, lunch etc. and discuss more about your businesses, and what "specific" types of referrals you are looking for.
   
   
7. Give before you expect to receive . . . Once you start referring prospects to others, you will begin getting leads coming your way.

Can't find ANYTHING in your local area?

Why not start a group? Or, if you don't have time, develop a relationship with some other businesses that compliment yours.

Or try these sources:

• College alumni association
  
  
• Your friends' parents and other family members
  
  
• Your teachers, coaches, clergy
  
  
• Your former bosses and business associates
  
  
• Membership in clubs, religious groups and other organizations

To break the ice with the above groups, consider sending out a letter announcing your "new" career, new product, or new service . . . hosting ;-) Follow up with another letter with some additional information, and a request for referrals. Be sure to send a few cards with each mailing.

About once a month send something out . . . a postcard with some online business tips, sites of interest (including yours) etc. Keep you and your business in their minds. Call them up and ask if they would like to get together for coffee, lunch etc. Refer people their way, if you can!

OR . . . Network Online . . .

Discussion Lists For Women:

• http://www.digital-women.com
  
  
• http://www.hbwm.com (Home-based Working Moms)
  
  
• http://www.fodreams.com (Field of Dreams)
  
  
• http://www.webgrrls.com/
  
  
• http://www.HerDomain.org (Austin based)

For Everyone:

• FrankelBiz - Listserv devoted to "doing" business on the Internet. http://www.frankelbiz.com
  
  
• We Talk Business - A moderated business discussion list for men and women in business. http://www.listhost.net:81/guest/RemoteListSummary/WTB
  
  
• Liszt - A website devoted to lists of lists! You'll find a discussion list for every imaginable interest . . . Liszt.com
  
  
• egroups.com - Again, another great site with discussion groups on all topics!

Discussion list tips . . .

NOTE: Following are some mailing list netiquette guidelines to help you enjoy your mailing list experience.

1. Help conserve bandwidth - when responding to a previous post, only include a small portion of it and not the entire message. Never attach documents to mail sent to a mailing list. Instead, you can direct folks to a page where you have loaded the information.
   
   
2. If you have a response to someone that is not of interest to the entire group, send it to them personally and not to the group.
   
   
3. Think about how you would like to be treated. Please do not criticize, belittle or humiliate someone in public via a mailing list post. If you must say something about a post that was made, please respond to the individual and not the list.

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