Most of the business people I speak with on nearly a daily bases are entrenched, at different levels, into some type of offline business networking.  The statements I generally hear them  say are:

• I been going to this networking group for two years and have not found one business lead
• The network group’s purpose fits my needs, but it seems the business from the group is going to someone else

Most people who go to networking group functions are looking for one thing..or should be looking for this one thing..business.  Unfortunately many of these same people are not receiving any business leads, but feel continually going to the group’s functions will eventually bring in a lead to some sort of business.

These business people who keep going to the functions but do not receive any kind of respect for continually showing up or generate any business leads are more than likely wasting their time.

Many times business networking group founders and leaders are more interested in filling the room with people than finding out if the people filling the room are getting anything out of the group’s purpose for having a business networking function.  Offline business networking is getting like online social networking…how many people can I get to follow me?

Many business networking groups judge their success by not how many business leads are generated; not by how many members of the group connect to do business; or how many businesses connect to members of the group.  The founder(s) judge their success on how many business people are in the room.

If this is the case, I suggest to my clients it might be time to move on.

Logic does not prevail in business networking groups who push for large memberships.  Having 250 people filling a 50’ x 50’ Barroom does not make for tremendous business opportunities.  Yet, this ‘fill the house and your hands with business cards’ attitude goes on everyday around the country..if not the world.

This is not to say that some business connections are not made, but to say as a whole there is no way in heck an individual can connect, in any meaningful way, with more than ten people in any two hour function.  Eventually the large number of people who came to the function  will, for whatever reason, not attend again?

For the people I talk to about business networking I often suggest they find a business networking group that is small..24 or less members.  More can be done business wise in a smaller group.  Usually the network is tighter in a small group.

In my next blog I will address offline Social Networking gatherings.

Let me know how I can help.