Networking Women

Charity Calendar (More Unclothed than Naked)!

Lisa and Sue — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:46:10 +0000

While the Summer months brought most of us a time to relax, refresh and rethink, it brought us, at Networking Women, an opportunity to bring together a group of Business Women to put together a project. Using Networking and Social Media, we wanted to demonstrate the power of communication, relationships and a collective desire to make a difference. We wanted to celebrate women, as Business owners, but also as all that we are! Through doing this, the aim of our project is to make lots of money for charity, to have brought women together who wouldn’t have ordinarily made contact, to highlighted the different businesses that we all run and allow us all to shine as individuals, personally and professionaly.

We had a lovely day and the people that came on board for the project were all exactly the right people. We had the most amazing Hair and Beauty contact, Kathryn Danzy, that I fell upon while tweeting who then took it upon herself to find us a lovely Hair and Make Up specialist who worked without a pause to bring out the best in us. We had a very patient photographer who took pictures of us through the eyes of a woman and then artistically and carefully brought those images to life. The location we had our photo shoot in was a classic and sophisticated venue which kept the images classy and worthy. They even provided us with a member of their staff for the day to look after our every whim (including the bottle of champagne during the mid afternoon slump!) And finally, the work put in to getting us to the final stages by our designer allowing the product to arrive safely at the printers. The print run is set to commence on Monday.

The Charity is Breast Cancer Haven.

The Launch, which includes the Calendar, is at Heythrop Park on the 7th October and tickets can be bought here.

The Calendar can be bought here.

The possibilities are endless. Anything is possible! Together we can achieve whatever we set our minds to…

What is Networking Women all about?

Lisa and Sue — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:05:55 +0000

While talking to someone recently about Networking Women, it occurred to me that we’ve never actually put together any sort of “mission statement” explaining what we are about. There are so many different kinds of networking organisations around that I thought it was time to define what Networking Women stands for.

Networking Women is a vibrant and friendly organisation that seeks above all else to be a supportive environment for everyone that attends. We hope that rather than thinking “What’s in it for me?” our members will be asking themselves “What can I bring to this?” Of course, Networking Women is a platform for all of us to do business but we also want it to be an environment where we can all support each other, whether we are just starting our own businesses or are more experienced. For example, the more established business owners among us can help by offering a mentoring approach to other members. We have started to forge links within the local community, by working with schools to enable their Business Studies students to experience networking first hand.

We have deliberately set out to make Networking Women as accessible to business women as possible. For that reason we don’t charge a membership fee and we understand that women with children have specific needs when it comes to the timing of events. Networking Women is an ever-evolving organisation and in time we will add to our ‘menu’ of networking events to give even more women the opportunity to benefit. We keep our costs as low as possible by not spending money on venue hire, and that means we can offer incredible workshops at a fraction of their usual cost. For example, our recent workshop on Social Media with Jane van Velsen from The Right Writer was only £45. Jane normally charges £850 a day for training but luckily for us she understands our philosophy and saw it as a chance to “give something back”, as well, of course, as recognising the potential to use the platform to grow her own business.

Most people understand that networking is not just about what you can get out of it. Networking Women is about building long-lasting, strong relationships with other women; through those relationships comes support and a sense of loyalty. I may not need your services today but I will come to you when I am looking for an accountant/a treatment/ a copywriter/ a holiday etc. Why will I come to you? Because we’ve eaten a few breakfasts together, because we’ve known each other for some time, because we’ve built up a supportive relationship, because I understand what you do, because I like you and because I am loyal to you.

Networking Women is not about walking out of every meeting with a new client. It is about meeting likeminded women. It is about making new friends. It is about supporting someone else who may be struggling, in business or in life. And finally, Networking Women is about creating a safe place for women to do business…

Top tips for an attention-grabbing introduction

Lisa and Sue — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:53:46 +0000

Most networking events give you the opportunity to promote yourself to the rest of the group – and Networking Women is no different. At each meeting everyone has a minute to talk about their business and what they offer. Even for those with a lot of networking experience it can be daunting – so here are some tips to help you make the most of your minute in the spotlight.

Sell yourself, not your business. It’s often hard to get across what you do in just one minute. Instead, think about promoting yourself and aim to get people interested and wanting to find out more about you. You can tell them all about your business in the resulting conversations!
Ask a question. People don’t always want to know about what you do but what you can do for them. Opening your “pitch” with a question instantly gets people thinking about their own challenges and how you could help them.
Use props. At a busy meeting, it’s a challenge to stand out from the crowd. Using a suitable prop – maybe a glove puppet, a hat or a magic wand – makes you more memorable.
Show off your wares! Not relevant to everyone, I know, but if you sell a product, show it! One guest at Networking Women Witney sells jewellery and accessories, so she introduced herself by showing off an armful of brightly colourful handbags – and it got people’s attention!
Rehearse – but don’t over-rehearse. Have an idea of what you want to say, and practice it a couple of times – but no more. If you over-rehearse it can come across stilted and lacking any passion. Same goes for reading from a script – instead stick to bullet points. They will keep you on target but allow you room to be enthusiastic!
Keep it short. At Networking Women you get about a minute, which is plenty of time to make an impact. Keeping it short and sweet means people listen to what you have to say. Ramble on at your peril – and watch those eyes glaze over!
Smile! However nervous you are, smiling relaxes the muscles in your face, makes your voice sound cheerful and gives the impression of confidence, even if you’re not!

Give these tips a go at your next networking event. We’d love to hear what difference it makes!

The third Networking Women Witney meeting!

Lisa and Sue — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:10:01 +0000

Our third Networking Women Witney meeting was incredible! There was a real energy in the room as women from a diverse range of businesses chatted over coffee and networked over brunch. We also had a very useful presentation from Debbie Austin of Wellers, who gave us lots of tips to keep our accounts under control (and our money out of the hands of the taxman!)

Networking Women Witney really feels like it’s going places and that’s down to you, the members. The next Networking Women Witney meeting is on Tuesday 27th July and we hope you’ll join us!

Finally, we were delighted that Jane van Velsen, The Right Writer, came along as she took some fabulous photos. I’m going to stop now and let the pictures tell the rest of the story!

And REALLY finally, here’s a little video clip that Jane took of the meeting!

"So what do you do?"

Lisa and Sue — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:15:00 +0000

One of the questions you’re often asked at networking events is “What do you do?”

I used to say “I’m an alternative health practitioner” but recently at Networking Women meetings I’ve been saying something like “I help women recover from the symptoms of stress, anxiety and exhaustion.” I’ve noticed it really makes a difference to how people react to me … instead of their eyes glazing over with boredom or confusion, they start asking me questions – how do I do it, who can I help, can I help them with their stress please?!

That got me thinking, and I realised that introductions are like most forms of marketing really, aren’t they? In those few seconds when you first meet someone, you’re marketing yourself – so instead of selling the features of your business, promote the benefits it offers to your potential customers!

It’s common sense when you think about it, and we can all apply this to ourselves, whatever our business. For example, an accountant helps save you taxes. A life coach helps you fulfill your dreams; a sales expert helps you double your turnover; a car mechanic helps you stay on the road. One of the best introductions I ever heard was a guy who said, “I can make your reputation soar!” Who’s not going to want to find out more with a hook like that?!

So have a think about your business and the benefits you give your clients – and then turn those benefits into a one line introduction. And next time you’re asked, “What do you do?” give people a good reason to want to find out more!

Business Networking – what’s that all about?

Lisa and Sue — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:46:04 +0000

Business networking. That’s where you put on a suit, visit a room of strangers armed with a ton of business cards, and flog them your services, isn’t it? Scary stuff!

If that’s what comes to mind when someone mentions business networking, then either you’ve been doing it all wrong, or going to the wrong places! In fact, networking is not about sales at all, not in the beginning anyway. It’s about creating a network around your business, and building relationships with other business owners. It’s about getting to know people, finding out about them and their business, and becoming friends with them. And then, when you’ve developed a strong relationship with them, it can be about selling your services – or buying theirs – but you’ll both be doing it because you like and trust each other, not because you feel you have to.

The secret to successful networking is all in the way you approach it. If you go to a meeting with one aim in mind – to sell your services and make money – then I’m sorry, but it’s not going to work! Very few people like to be pressured into a sale and in fact, you’ll be pushing people away rather than engaging with them!

Networking is not a quick fix solution with instant success; it’s more a slow burner that takes time and effort and commitment to work. Going to one meeting is not going to win you business – you need to stick at it, go back to meetings regularly and get to know people. It won’t be long before you start building relationships and developing your network. Then, when the time is right and people need what you can offer, you’ll find them coming to you – not because you’re the cheapest, but because they understand your business and they like and trust you.

So next time you go to a business networking event, don’t go thinking about making sales. Go with an open mind, a smile on your face and a desire to meet new people … and then sit back and watch your business network grow.