Zoom Zoom! Put your foot down! Zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds!
Yes, our Fresh theme this year is ACCELERATE. If you were at our Fresh Luau earlier in the year, you’ll have heard me speak about Acceleration, and it’s a topic that you’ll continue to hear throughout 2023.
Sometimes in business we can feel a bit disheartened, or sluggish, like we’re not getting anywhere. That’s the time to stop cruising, get that pedal to the metal and accelerate towards your goals. And when it comes to picking up speed, networking is the perfect kick start. Here’s the seven ways that networking accelerates your business:
1. Accelerate business growth – networking is a fantastic way to grow a business – I know because I’ve done it, with my own travel business, starting in a city where I knew no-one! The key to using networking to accelerate your business is, of course, your pitch. So now’s the time to decide whether you want your old vintage pitch, or a shiny new Tesla electric one. We’ve got people in Fresh who can help you with getting just the right pitch to connect with your fellow Freshies and accelerate business growth.
2. Accelerate conversions – the beauty of networking is that it brings you referrals. A referral is a ‘speedy lead’ – a qualified lead, with a much higher chance of conversion. It’s like having your engine already warmed up, ready to go, go, go. I know that in my business, a referral has a 90% chance of conversion, because the referrer has already done much of the work, finding my ideal clients and telling them what I can do for them.
3. Accelerate your ideas – brainstorming, or bouncing your thoughts off other people, is one of the best ways to come up with new ideas for your business. Networking connects you with people with a wide range of different skills and experience, helping you to see fresh perspectives and new ideas.
4. Accelerate your knowledge – we have the most amazing wealth of knowledge in Fresh – I call it the ‘Fresh Brains Trust’. It really can help you accelerate your business, as I found out recently. I was asked by Melton Council if I’d put a proposal together to run some networking events for their local businesses. I didn’t really know where to start, but was able to pick up the phone to six different Fresh members, each with specialist expertise, who helped me formulate a strategy, put together a proposal, build an agenda, get speakers, run the logistics – and guess what? I won the business. And how had Melton City Council found me? Through SEO and the Fresh website – again, built with the expertise and knowledge of Fresh members. That same knowledge is available to you – through our Fresh Webinars and Fresh Academy, and by finding the skills you need via the Fresh Directory.
5. Accelerate your goal’s success – when your business is going well, it’s great to celebrate your success. Networking makes you part of a team – a community that understands the importance of those successes and wants to sharing them with you. We saw that at the Fresh Luau – when our winners were announced (you can see a list of them in this newsletter), everyone there was so happy for them and wanted to help them celebrate.
6. Accelerate your energy – acceleration needs energy, and networking can provide the fuel that fires that business energy. Working alone can drain you, but every time I go to a Fresh meeting, or have a Get Fresh with a fellow member, I walk away with a full tank, ready to hit the road at full speed.
7. Accelerate friendships – networking isn’t just business. As we meet, we get to know, like and trust each other, and friendships are built too. I love knowing that beyond the Get Freshes and the meetings, Freshies meet up just to enjoy each other’s company.
Getting the most out of networking is like maintaining your car. If you want to be ready accelerate, you need to keep it serviced and maintained. You can’t just let it sit in the garage – you have to get it out on the open road with the engine humming. It’s the same with networking – you get the best acceleration when you go to meetings, visit other hubs, attend the Webinars, and Get Fresh with members and visitors.
So, to accelerate your business, get behind the networking wheel, put your foot down and go, go, go!