Who Are You Having Breakfast With?

by: Peter Biadasz

If you had met with 20 people before you got to the office this morning, how much would your business improve? People like you and me do it everyday and reap the benefits of success as a result. Every morning some where in this country there is a breakfast meeting with as it sole purpose to network the attendees with each other. In fact, this week there is a network breakfast event with-in driving distance of your home or office. Some of the meetings even have a person’s name - B.O.B. (business over breakfast).

I was going to list all the breakfast network meetings in this region, but it would be a small yet potent book. It seems that your local Chamber of Commerce is probably sponsoring a monthly or quarterly breakfast network meeting that you are invited too. If, on the rare occasion that your Chamber does not have one, start one (You can contact me at peter@getmoreleads.net for details). The average networking breakfast has between 60-85 attendees, has a speaker or topic of the day, 1-3 table rotations, seating of 8-10 people per table and a hot or continental breakfast with lots of coffee (Although your are supposed to be attending for the networking, not the food). One of the largest network breakfast meetings occurs every month in Tulsa, Oklahoma averaging 250 attendees per month. If you know of a consistently larger group, let me know.

When (notice I did not say “if”) you attend these meeting there are a few guidelines that will make it the most productive hour of your week. Simply put:

1. Bring alot of business cards,
   
2. Get there early,
   
3. Have a good 30 second commercial prepared,
   
4. Don’t sit with people you know (unless you are furthering a business relationship),
   
5. Make notes on the back of cards as you meet people, and
   
6. Follow-up with EVERYONE that you meet. If not, you just wasted an hour of your time.

Remember, everyone you meet at a breakfast network meeting also has a network of their own. Your goal is not always to do business with everyone that you meet (although that would be nice). The goal is to get plugged into their network and plug them into your network.

Now, don’t mornings seem a little brighter?

Copyright 2007, Peter Biadasz

Peter Biadasz is a noted author (Powerful People Are Powerful Networkers, etc.) and speaker. Learn more about him and his many books at www.bepowerful.net and www.getmoreleads.net