At 4BR, we’re focused on building a thriving community of professionals from all industries. We come together to build our businesses, develop our professional skills, and create lasting connections with other people in our communities to form a robust referral network. This year has been a challenge for all of us to build and enjoy our communities as we’ve adapted to health and safety restrictions due to COVID19. For many families and individuals in our areas, there have been financial hardships on top of the pandemic stress. While there’s nothing any of us can do to hurry COVID along, our 4BR members joined together this holiday season to give back with the Holiday Gratitude Project. 

The Holiday Gratitude Project

The Holiday Gratitude Project is an annual 4BR initiative to help our local food banks provide food and other necessities to families in need during the holiday season. This time of year should be full of family, friends, and food. While COVID has made two of those categories harder to do with limitations around seeing family and friends, no one should go without adequate food anytime of year. This holiday season, 4BR groups from across Colorado donated to the following food banks and charities: 

• Adams County Food Bank: $375
• Covenant Cupboard Food Pantry (Arapahoe County): $200
• Boulder Food Rescue: $250 
• Broomfield FISH: $75
• Grant Street Reach (Denver County): $100 
• Care & Share Food Bank (El Paso County): $370 
• Community Table (Jefferson County): $145 
• FoCo Cafe (Larimer County): $105 
• Weld Food Bank: $90

In total, our incredible group members have given $1,710 to food banks in their communities to help families who are struggling this holiday season. Some of our groups also chose to support a local family in need from their community. 

Like networking, when we come together to form a strong community, we can see even greater results than when we do it alone. We’re thankful for all our 4BR members who contributed to their local food bank for this year’s Holiday Gratitude Project. 

4BR & Non-Profit Support

4BR has leads groups in a lot of different areas, and each one holds a space for a local nonprofit in their community to join the group free of charge. This allows a local nonprofit to enjoy the benefits of a robust referral network and expand their reach for donations, volunteers, and support. Our nonprofit support is one of a few different ways that we support our communities throughout the year. 

When you build a strong professional network, you realize that we’re dependent on one another to see the most success in our business endeavors. The same is true of our communities. We’re all in it together, which means that we need to support our communities — the individuals, families, and businesses that call our area home. You can make a difference in someone else’s life with a financial or food-based donation to a food bank in your area. And if you’d like to join in on our giving back while building your professional skills and network, join 4BR!

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Lead generation is a sales buzzword that businesses of every size — big and small — are always trying to improve upon.

Build Long Term Relationships

The heart of networking is about building long-term professional relationships. The best networkers have contacts in a variety of industries and fields, who they can reach out to for advice, information, or as a referral. The same is true in reverse. When you put time and effort into building your networking connections, those professional relationships can turn to you when they have a lead looking for products or services that you offer. The more strong business relationships you have, the more likely you are to see considerable lead generation through your referral network. 

Building relationships is especially important for business to business networking. When you create relationships with other business owners or professionals in industries other than your own, you can drastically expand your reach to leads that you wouldn’t otherwise have any contact with. And businesses that support one another with referral efforts can both see a boost in lead generation!

Extend Your Sales & Marketing Reach

One of the biggest reasons to build a referral network with your business to business networking is to expand your sales and marketing reach. The more people who know about your business, the more leads and customers you have. Creating a robust referral network allows you to break into industries outside your own, expand to new locations, and carry your business further than you can on your own with word of mouth.  

Reward Your Referrals

When you do receive a referral from a networking connection, be sure to reward both your referral and your referee! How you reward them depends on your business and a reasonable offer you can give. Maybe it’s points accumulated towards a product or service. A discount or coupon is also a great reward to offer. 

As a 4BR member, that referral also earns your fellow member 1 point toward their semester point requirement of 12. (Members earn points with referrals, 1-on-1s, attending trainings and events, bringing guests, attendance at meetings and more!)

However you decide to reward your networking connections who help fuel your business to business lead generation, it’s an important step to show your appreciation. Networking relationships, like any other relationships, are built upon mutual interest and respect. So when your networking connection hands you a referral to help your business, thank them genuinely. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for any potential referrals you can send their way, too!

Get Started Networking Business to Business

There are a number of ways you can up your networking game and see more leads as a result. 4BR is a membership-based networking organization with hundreds of members across a huge variety of industries. Groups meet weekly to build and nurture lasting professional relationships. Check out 4BR groups in your area!

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Networking is more than an opportunity to meet other professionals or find a new job — it’s also an ideal way to further your professional development with consistent training. Networking events or groups often feature a professional development focus. Many of the industry-specific

How does professional development help your business when networking?

When networking for business development, you’re building relationships and connections with a wide variety of professionals across industries. You and your connections may be at different levels in your careers, but with networking events or groups that prioritize professional development training, you know that you’re both moving up in your fields. 

Attending a networking training event not only offers an opportunity to build a new or continued connection, it leverages you and your connections to a new playing field. Building up your professional skills can open new doors for your career. Which means a bigger audience or customer-base for your business. And when you network with other professionals who prioritize their professional development and are always learning something new, you can rely on them to spread the news of your business even further as their own career and professional bubble grows. 

Professional Development with 4BR

Professional development training is an important part of how 4BR members support each other and themselves in reaching their business goals. As mentioned above, learning a new skill or knowledge can open up new opportunities for your business. 4BR has three types of professional development training:

Group Development Skills

Each 4BR group completes regular development projects. The materials and instructions for each group are facilitated each quarter by your group’s development lead (member volunteer). This could be reading a book or a group project to build your business skills. 

Aligning Your Actions With Your Intentions (AAIDT)

4BR members and non-members can attend AAIDT trainings. These professional trainings cover a specific topic in depth, and help you learn or refine a strategy for building your business. Speakers are experienced business owners or professionals who bring a strong grasp of their topic to their presentation and offer actionable advice or tactics you can use when building your business.

MasterMind Round Table (MMRT)

4BR has members from a huge variety of industries and with years of professional experience. MasterMind Round Tables (MMRT) offer 4BR members an opportunity to learn from one another and these trainings are member exclusive. The topic of each presentation is up to the 4BR member who’s speaking, and past MMRTs have covered a wide number of topics, from socially responsible investing to why your business needs good SEO practices. 

MMRTs offer a deep look into a specific topic that’s guided by the participants as much as the presenter. These round-table conversations allow you to dig into the facilitator’s experience, knowledge, and expertise. The interpersonal, conversational format of these professional trainings allow you to gain knowledge on the topic being discussed while also forming professional relationships with the presenter and fellow participants. 

To join a 4BR group near you, checkout our weekly networking groups!

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The success of your networking endeavors depends on where and how you’re networking. The term networking is used to describe many different events, which can make it hard to figure out which ones will help you accomplish your business goals. So how do you find good business networking events that will help you succeed in your professional life? First, you need to know your purpose for networking. Then, you have to start looking. 

Finding Your Business Networking Purpose

There are a number of reasons you might be looking for networking events. Figuring out exactly what you’re hoping to get from your networking endeavors can help you actually achieve it. Without knowing why you’re networking, it’s easy to become frustrated with the process and it’ll be harder to establish connections with other professionals who are likely looking to achieve their own goals. 

Creating a professional network is at the heart of networking. Having an established network can lead to referrals for your business or leads on job opportunities in your field. But building that network in a new area or for the first time means knowing what to expect from networking groups and what you’re hoping to get out of it. If you’re looking for referrals for your business and your networking buddy keeps sending you job postings, you’re not in alignment. Knowing what you’re looking for in networking connections can save you time and hassle in the long run.

Where to Look for Events

When looking for networking events, the internet will likely be your best source of information and options. While off-line searching can wield results (ask your local library, friends, family, or colleagues), searching online is how most people find networking events in their area. 

Meetup 

Meetup is a popular resource for finding free or low-cost networking events by location. It is a great option if your networking budget is low or you’re looking for industry-specific events. The downside of utilizing Meetup to find and attend business networking events is that they can be irregular in both frequency and attendance. 

In order to establish lasting professional connections, you’ll likely need to interact with the same people multiple times. Friendships aren’t built overnight, and neither are professional relationships. With Meetup events, the members of a specific networking group can vary widely. Some people will attend a single networking event, get discouraged, and never go back. Other people will be regulars at events hosted by the group. When using Meetup for your networking needs, attend events with regularity and build connections with the people who also attend events often. 

Searching the Internet

It’s hard to beat a simple Google search in finding what you’re looking for. Using a search engine with a few key phrases (your location, your industry, and ‘networking events’) can show you results that may be listed outside of Meetup, Eventbrite, or other event listing pages. A web search may also lead to other online resources that can help like a library website or your local business bureau.

An internet search may also reveal established networking groups in your area. Professional networking groups are often closed groups, meaning that there are requirements for joining, which means that each member is dedicated to the networking time and purpose of that group. 4BR has many professional networking groups where members can focus on building their business referral networks while continuing their professional development. Checkout 4BR groups in your area.

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Networking successfully takes time and dedication. If you’ve ever networked before, you know that it can often feel like running in place — you’re working hard but not getting anywhere. At its core, networking is about forming connections with other professionals that last into the future. And once that connection is formed, you can see the benefits for your business and professional network with referrals or job opportunities. So how do you establish good connections? Here are four secrets to success when you’re networking for business.

1. Build Relationships

The biggest secret to success when networking is to build relationships. This may feel obvious, but it’s not how many people approach networking for business. We know how important building relationships is when making new friends or interacting with new coworkers, but when thinking of networking, there’s less of a focus on building lasting relationships. Instead, the focus is often on what another person can do for you. While there comes a point when a professional connection can be asked for business support or referrals, you have to build the relationship first.

1. Be Patient

Business relationships don’t happen overnight. Establishing connections that can help build your business takes time and energy. While networking isn’t a process you can rush, consider how you can maximize your networking efforts to see the most results for your business. Consider regular networking groups, where you’ll be more likely to interact with the same people more frequently — a crucial component of building networking relationships that will last.

1. Be Persistent 

When you attend networking events, there’s usually one or two people at any given event who have you thinking, “Wow, they’d be a great connection for my business.” In order to build a relationship with them, you’ll need to be persistent in your efforts to connect. At networking events, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd. With persistence, you can make yourself stand out to the people who you want to get to know further. Whether it’s asking for their business card, sending an email, or making a point to engage in conversation with them every time you see them at an event, it’s only with continual effort that you can transform a networking acquaintance into an established relationship that supports your business. 

1. Meet One-On-One

Networking in a large group of people can feel challenging when you only have a few short minutes to connect with someone before their attention is taken up by someone else. In order to establish a relationship that could help you grow your business by referrals, you’ll need to have the time and space to connect with another professional, share information about your business, and hear details about their professional work. The best opportunity to do so is with a networking one-on-one. One-on-ones can be a coffee, lunch, or Zoom meeting where the focus is on connecting as professionals without the distractions of a larger networking event happening around you. 

4BR can help you meet your business and professional goals with focused, regular networking groups. Our groups provide structured opportunities to enhance your professional development, meet professionals in industries outside of your own, and grow your business by building a referral network. Learn more about 4BR groups and find a group near you.

The post 4 Secrets to Success When Networking for Business appeared first on 4BR.

Business referral networking can occasionally feel like a sea of faces, where you’re meeting new people and introducing yourself to new business opportunities left and right. But maintaining those networking connections means staying in contact beyond your initial introduction. There are a number of ways to establish that lasting connection, whether it’s exchanging emails or scheduling a one-on-one over coffee. A tried-and-true method of exchanging contact information at a business networking event is with business cards. 

Are Business Cards Still Relevant?

Yes! Business cards are not as common as they used to be, with so much more of our business interactions taking place digitally, but that doesn’t mean that business cards are obsolete or that you shouldn’t have your own cards for your business. Business cards are an easy, compact way to exchange important contact details with connections, which is a crucial component of boosting your business referral networking game. If you don’t have business cards, you’re relying on contacts to remember all your information or you’re left to scribble your email on the back of a receipt, neither of which create a good impression. 

Make Memorable Connections

Have you ever met someone, had a great connection, and then forgotten their name and contact information by the time you got back to your office to reach out to them? Despite our world becoming increasingly digital, in-person connections haven’t (and likely won’t ever) disappear, which means the need for business cards won’t disappear either. An important part of growing your business or professional opportunities is getting your name out in your community. Business cards are a bite-size way to make sure that your connections remember who you are at the time they’re ready to get in touch. 

Build Your Brand

Business cards are also a bite-sized look into your business and your brand. Your business cards should be well designed, use the same colors and fonts as your business website and other promotional materials, and easily offer any necessary information on how to get in touch, including a direct phone number, email, website, or social media handles. Having business cards that align with your branding can create a cohesive image of your business that resonates with a networking connection after you’re no longer face-to-face. Branding is influential in creating someone’s mental image or impression of your business, which is a big determining factor in whether that connection will remember your business when offering referrals.  

How 4BR Groups Use Business Cards in Business Referral Networking

At 4BR, each group has its own business card book. The book includes business cards from all the group members along with any guests of the group. Having a book of business cards creates an easy way for group members to offer referrals or reach out to members and guests for their own personal business needs. Like a business networking phone book, each group’s business card book provides easy access to contact information, opportunities to distribute your business cards to other members, and for those members to easily share your business cards for referral opportunities. To add your business card to the book and join a networking group focused on professional development, visit a 4BR group in your area!

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Networking is something that many of us know that we should be doing more of. Creating a strong professional network can help you in your current business, open opportunities for future business or jobs, and provide invaluable support from other industry professionals. Finding networking opportunities can be hit or miss, depending on where you’re looking. While there are many free events listed on sites like MeetUp, networking events that are open to the public and have a rotating cast of participants can make it difficult to establish useful business connections. For

Reliable Professional Development

One of the biggest perks of joining a business networking group is the reliability of the events. When you’re part of a group, you can add it to your calendar and know that each week you’ll be building your professional skills. This is very different from less focused or non-exclusive networking events, where some weeks offer great learning or connection opportunities and other weeks provide very little take-away. With a reliable business networking group, you can have an expectation for each meeting you attend and the development or networking opportunities that you’ll have regular access to. 

Building Connections 

Effective networking is all about creating professional connections. Like building any relationship, doing so takes time and effort. Many people struggle with drop-in, topic-based networking events because they offer very limited opportunities to establish connections that can be built upon week after week. With a business networking group, you’re interacting with the same people regularly, which makes building sustainable business connections much easier. Many networking groups also encourage or require members to participate in 1-on-1’s. 

Public Speaking Opportunities

Public speaking is an important skill to learn in your professional development, but it can be uncomfortable or scary for people. A good networking group will provide you with opportunities to practice your public speaking skills in a supportive, encouraging environment. With regular practice, anyone can improve their public speaking skills and become more comfortable with getting up in front of a crowd. 

Business Networking With 4BR

At 4BR, we take business networking and professional development seriously, and structure our groups so that members continually have the opportunities to further their professional skills, create long term networking connections, and practice speaking before a group. 

Every week during group meetings, members will present their 30 second “commercial” so that you can perfect your elevator pitch. Additionally, group members regularly give 15 minute presentations about their business or professional knowledge. With dedicated public speaking time in an encouraging environment, your public speaking skills will be fine-tuned in no time. 4BR members also regularly meet 1-on-1 with other group members in order to foster lasting business relationships. 

It can be challenging to connect with others while in a group setting and to feel like your networking opportunities are supporting your professional development and goals. At 4BR, we’ve created business networking groups that provide effective, targeted opportunities to grow your professional skills and your business. Join a 4BR group near you today!

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Public speaking is a skill that can be learned like any other. For many people, overcoming fears of public speaking keeps them from building up the same skills that make getting up in front of a crowd easier. One of the best ways to become a confident, well-spoken public speaker is by public speaking. Which means that you’ll likely have to endure some discomfort to get to the place where public speaking feels comfortable. Here are three public speaking tips to help you calm your nerves before you go up in front of a crowd.

Start Small

As you build up your public speaking skills and your comfort presenting before a crowd of people, it’s best to start off with small events where you have support from encouraging people or have the opportunity to speak on a topic you’re passionate and knowledgeable about. A networking group can be an ideal opportunity for this, as many networking groups feature regular speakers and offer a small group and supportive environment to share your knowledge. As your public speaking skills continue to grow (and you build up your speaking resume), you can present before larger audiences and events.

Don’t Forget to Breathe 

When you get stressed or nervous, you may notice that your breathing gets shallow and you experience a number of other physiological occurrences. This is your sympathetic nervous system preparing your body to take on whatever predator is causing your distress. Unfortunately, this natural reaction is not helpful when you’re presenting. One of the most effective ways to calm down your sympathetic nervous system is through slow, steady deep breathing. Taking steady deep breaths is a practice that can be useful in the days leading up to your public speaking event whenever your nerves act up and is something you should take the time to do in the five or ten minutes before your presentation. With steady breathing, you can tell your body that it’s okay to relax, which can alleviate some of the uncomfortable physical experiences of nervousness.

Know Your Content

One of the best tips to put into place before any public speaking event is how important it is to know your content. Nerves are a natural part of public speaking, but unfortunately they can make it more difficult for you to remember what you’re talking about once everyone’s attention is on you. Make the time to prepare for your speaking event beforehand. If you have strong knowledge of your content and the topics you’ll be covering in your presentation, you can help avoid the empty brain feeling when your nerves start up. 

Memorization can be useful when preparing for a public speaking event, but avoid trying to memorize your entire presentation word for word. That is likely to have you sounding robotic or uncomfortable when giving your presentation, and likely won’t help you feel prepared or less nervous. Instead, memorize your introduction and your key points. Having an introduction memorized can help you get started, which is often the scariest part of public speaking, and having your key points memorized will help you keep track of your presentation without needing to remember every word you want to say. 

Public speaking is a useful and important skill to have in your professional career. While it’s not always comfortable, with practice it can become second nature. If you’re looking for opportunities to practice your public speaking ability and enhance your professional development, join a 4BR group near you today! Building public speaking skills is part of the professional development 4BR encourages in our members. You’ll share your 30 second commercial each week when you meet with your group and rotate with other members to share 15-20 minute presentations about your business or professional knowledge.

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Building your business referral network can be a crucial step in helping your business grow and finding customers outside of your marketing and advertising efforts. A strong referral network can increase your business reach, particularly when you are networking with professionals outside of your field. But creating professional connections that lead to referrals can be a challenge with large or irregular networking events. To start building an effective business referral network, you need to add regular 1-on-1’s to your networking toolbox.

What is a 1-on-1 networking meeting? 

Networking in a 1-on-1 setting provides greater opportunities for establishing a lasting business connection. Unlike larger networking events, where you leave with a handful of business cards from people you likely won’t ever connect with again, 1-on-1 business networking is a more connected method of networking with business individuals that could be good partners for referrals or to establish a deeper understanding of their product or service offerings. These more specialized meetings will help you see better results as you build your business referral network. 

1-on-1 business networking can be a more targeted interaction because you meet with another professional with the shared purpose of sharing business tips or creating a referral arrangement, or a 1-on-1 event can be more casual — meeting someone for coffee or spending an extra thirty minutes chatting after a larger networking event. 

How do I find 1-on-1 networking opportunities? 

This is where larger networking events or a regular networking group can be useful since they are often the gateway for you to create 1-on-1 opportunities. Business networking events are designed to provide a space where business people can meet other professionals. You may attend an event focusing on a specific topic in your field or join a networking group focused on professional development. 

As you attend networking events, set the stage for future relationships to develop. Make small talk, give your elevator pitch, and collect business cards while making a mental or physical note of which contacts you would like to network with 1-on-1 based on your goals. Within the first 24 hours after an event, get in touch via email, LinkedIn, or another contact method they specify. Ask if they would like to connect with a 1-on-1 meeting while you’re still fresh in their mind. If you have a specific agenda for your 1-on-1 with them, mention that, as well. 

Often a leads group will encourage 1-on-1 meetings between their members to foster the key aspects of building business referrals. 

Plan for your 1-on-1

1-on-1 networking can be intimidating when you have a meeting scheduled with someone you don’t know well. Small talk and awkward silences aren’t anyone’s idea of a good time. To avoid an awkward 1-on-1, plan ahead. Have a goal for what you’re hoping to accomplish in your 1-on-1 meeting or how you’re looking to grow your business referral network. 

Preparing for your 1-on-1 meeting is the key to ensuring that your time spent together is useful and isn’t all small talk and silence. Practice your elevator pitch before as a typical question that begins the meeting is, “Tell me about your business.” Come up with questions you’d like to ask based on your goal for the meeting. You may not cover all your questions, so highlight the ones that are most relevant to your meeting goals. Don’t forget to thank your connection at the end of your time together! 

Regular 1-on-1’s with professionals both within and outside of your field can help you create a robust business referral network. Building and maintaining professional relationships can be a powerful tool in building a business and finding new opportunities, but you have to put in the work to create and sustain those relationships. To add a regular networking event focused on professional development and building your referral network to your calendar, join 4BR!

The post How to Build Your Business Referral Network With 1-on-1’s appeared first on 4BR.

Very few people are naturally comfortable with public speaking. Every great speaker starts in the same place you might be in right now — where public speaking is an anxiety-provoking activity that leaves you feeling shaky and sweaty. Getting over your public speaking fear is a necessary step in furthering your professional development, as there are a number of areas where public speaking skills can come in handy, from giving a presentation to stakeholders to

Professional networking groups are a tool for building business relationships and can help you hear about sales opportunities, further your professional development, grow your business, and even find a job opportunity. Joining a networking group has another big benefit — it can help you overcome your fear of public speaking.

What does a professional networking group have to do with public speaking?

When you imagine your worst public speaking fear, it may include a large audience, bright lights, and a presentation you can’t remember. While throwing yourself into the deep end is one way to learn how to swim, signing yourself up to give a keynote speech for a large audience would likely be an uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing way to overcome your public speaking fears. Instead, a supportive professional networking group can provide opportunities to build your public speaking skills in steps and over several months.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

For many people, networking and public speaking are not high up on their list of favorite activities. Both networking and speaking before a crowd require stepping outside of your comfort zone and interacting with strangers, either in conversation or in presentation. By getting out of your comfort zone with one, it can become easier to do the other. 

Joining a professional networking group is an excellent opportunity to push the boundaries of your comfort zone a little further. When you first join a group, you’ll likely go through the typical introductions and small talk that come with meeting new people. This is your chance to build up your confidence in talking to strangers, talking about yourself and your business, and presenting yourself to a group of supportive peers. 

Practice Presenting in a Supportive Setting

One of the reasons why public speaking is so uncomfortable is because it’s an activity we don’t do often. Usually when speaking, we’re talking directly to another person and pausing to allow them a chance to contribute to the conversation. When speaking before a crowd of people, the dynamic is different. You’re presenting an idea or knowledge rather than sharing a conversation. 

In a professional networking group, there are many opportunities to practice presenting in a supportive environment with low stakes. After you’ve gained practice putting yourself out there with introductions, present your purpose for joining your networking group. 

– Hoping to build your business? Present your elevator pitch. 

– Looking to gain new professional skills? Share with your peers and see what advice or connections they provide. 

– Are you looking for a job? Describe your background and ask your group members to keep an ear out for you. 

As your confidence and comfort with public speaking grows, take on larger presentations. Many networking groups feature regular speakers. Prepare a presentation to share your knowledge on a relevant topic. Your first presentation may still feel daunting, but with a supportive, professional group, you can practice your public speaking before an audience who is excited to see you succeed! The more opportunities you take to speak before a supportive crowd, the easier it will become to take on larger speaking events and set aside your fears.

To find a supportive networking group in your area that is focused on professional development and building a strong business network, check out 4BR member groups today!

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