You may have heard of the principle of the Six Degrees Of Separation. It’s very simple; six people in the world connect us all. We all know from the six degree rule, that visitors are a key connection to those valuable business contacts we all wish to meet.

Why are visitors in our business groups so important?

Visitors help keep up the buzz! When there is more buzz in a room, it gives us all the more encouragement to pass on business.

The laws of networking have evidenced that the more numbers there are in a group, the more each member is likely to contribute by way of referrals, than they would otherwise, so the benefits are exponential!

So What type of visitors are there?

Visitors are not always those who may join a group. They could come to our group for many reasons. For example, they could be someone you ideally would like to do business with, however inviting them to a meeting to network with you not only gives you this opportunity, it also opens up a potential referral stream for more of the same clients.

Visitors often pass a number of referrals to those in the group, even though they may not be able to join for practical reasons such as an ongoing business commitment that clashes.

The person you invite could be exactly the sort of person someone in your group would do well to network with by creating an alliance, such as a graphic designer and a marketing specialist. As you contribute through referrals, another great way to contribute to your group is to bring along visitors. Once you become known as a ‘giver’ people will bend over backwards to help you, wouldn’t you if someone helped get you in touch with your ideal contact?

What do you want your visitor to see when they visit you at your networking group?

Perhaps jot down a few points that you think really make your groups different or unique, which will help define the way you communicate to prospective visitors.

Your networking group is part of your marketing strategy and visitors are an essential part of this, so what can we do to enhance their experience?

If someone were viewing your business for the first time, either in person or online or through a newsletter, what impression would you want to give out?

I presume you would want to give across a professional appearance, and make sure that their visit is not just informative but also fun! The same goes for your networking meeting.

When visitors come, they firstly want to feel they are welcome. They want to know what to expect and who to speak to for what, and they want to have a fun and enjoyable meeting that produces for them opportunities to do business. So that at the end of the experience they would want to continue networking with us, and developing a casual visit to a solid business contact that refers us wherever possible! Remember this visitor could represent you to your biggest client!

 To meet the amazing ladies who are part of our network, contact rita.hemraj@theathenanetwork.com