Even though most networking groups only allow one member per profession, there are always members with whom you can forge close links. These close teams, or Power Groups as some call them, consist of allied professions that can provide services or products complementing each other.
This is one of the true benefits of being involved in a business networking group, as it allows for providing complete solutions for customers from a close-knit group. For example, you might have a florist-photographer-caterer Power Group that can assist with parties, weddings, and other social functions. The building industry is another obvious example, as they often work very closely together.
On the attached worksheet, you will see a framework of columns. This is designed to allow you to sketch out your Power Group. Together, these teams are very strong and can generate a substantial number of referrals. Once complete, you should conduct recons with the Complementary and Business General categories as a matter of urgency.
By doing this, you will be able to refer them with confidence, but do not ignore the rest of the group. Everyone’s sphere of influence will be different, so for a rounded approach, alternate dances with a general member of your Chapter.
Complementary
These are companies you know you can find referrals for and work with on projects for customers.
Business General
These are the general services that will be easy to find referrals for a wider range of your contacts.
Specialist
These are the members of the chapter who are a bit more specialised and not so mainstream for day-to-day referring.
There are a few downsides to very close working relationships, the biggest being if the other person doesn’t quite measure up on a job you have brought them in on. What do you do?
You treat them like any other supplier who has not met expectations. You ask them why things went wrong and what they intend to do about it. Do not tolerate unprofessional work just because you have breakfast with them once a week. Often, the true measure of a company is how they handle mistakes, and let’s be honest, everyone makes them.
By discussing issues and working towards a resolution, your working relationship will become stronger, as the other member will know you expect their best work. Additionally, you will have more peace of mind when referring them.
Other issues arise when closely aligned professions have crossovers in their offerings. This happens quite often and may require good, hard, professional discussions to establish a working relationship. One area that has a significant crossover of skills is the Printer-Web Designer-Marketer Power Group.
I know from experience that all will probably offer graphic design services. This can be both an issue and a blessing. I have often had too much graphic design work to handle within my own company and was happy to pass this on to my fellow group members. I saw it as an opportunity, knowing I had extra capacity I could call on when needed.
There were occasions when working with these other companies that we only got the smallest part of the job, as the others used their in-house skills for parts we also could do. This should not be seen as a negative. The other companies knew our skills and used us for those.
Another potential difficulty of working with closely related businesses is that they will often have pre-existing relationships with companies similar to your own, quite often long-standing ones.
This is often seen as an obstacle but should be viewed as an opportunity. Imagine you are a house painter and a new builder joins the Chapter. Even though the builder may have a painter they already use, there will be times when that painter is unavailable. At this point, the builder should be prepared to explore what you have to offer. To do this, the painter and builder need to know what each other can do. The answer is to conduct recons and be totally honest with each other.
It may be that you have a building referral you can pass on to the builder. It might seem strange to give work to someone who you know never gives you a referral, but that is where the spirit of networking lies. Giving with no expectation of return or reward is the essence of networking.
Additionally, as you build a good reputation as a painter and receive good feedback from other members, the builder will start to take notice. It is a long-term process, but eventually, both parties will see the benefits of working together. Working as a team adds strength to all those involved, especially in networking groups where the members tend to be smaller companies that don’t have unlimited resources. You need to identify who is in your Power Group and work with them.
Module Actions
Define your Power Groups
Formulate a Recon Plan to cement relationships
