It's Tuesday, and the morning meeting I have attended for 7 years is scheduled to begin. As we go around the table we ernestly try to bring business to our fellow networkers, pieces of paper are passed, questions are raised about passed referreals; coffee and possibly a Krispy Creme donut is consumed. It's a friendly, social group for certain.
I dutifully did my part.
And the question each year arises about weather you are fit to maintain the membership you believe others cherish; will you pay the franchise holder his $325 (or did the yearly cost go up?) to get up and help people you already know to a business referral?
I flunked the process! After 7 years of attending meetings, finding referrals even for people you suspect are not so compitent, I was asked to leave! And was I upset for all of an hour!
Why isn't the concern here...the real question is why the hell did I spend seven years doing this? I can count on one hand the amount of business I was referred. I did a respectable job of bringing in new members, getting my partners business, attending the required awful, by anyones' admonition, TRAINING in how to get and give referrals.
I think we all had a dose of Emporor's Clothes...why would I not want to be a member??? There is $$$$$ value per seat!!!! Guard that like the asset it truely is.
At the end of my tenure with this world wide organization I came to understand that I am responsible for growing my company. Referrals still come, but these are real referrals from past clients, friends and family. Other Realtors from different states send me their clients moving to Virginia. I am grateful for all of these referrals.
I am especially grateful for the time and money I have reclaimed from my former networking group. It's all good and just One Man's Opinion.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
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