We all know we need to network. And most of us network at least occasionally. But is our networking paying off as well as it could be? That may not be the million dollar question, but these days when time is precious and upping the bottom line is a priority, the question needs to be asked. Since networking is so critical and we never get a chance to make a second impression, the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NEW) will feature a participatory Elevating the Art of Networking workshop during its September 19 meeting.
The workshop will actually start before dinner with a short presentation about the basics of an effective elevator speech. An elevator speech is basically the verbal equivalent of a mission statement. You want to be able to convey a sense of who you are and what you do in just two or three sentences—or in the time it takes an elevator to reach the next floor. If you can titillate your audience into wanting to know more even after those elevator doors open, you have a winner.
Without a solid elevator speech that rolls off your tongue as naturally as your name, your networking isn’t going to deliver. Presenter Linden Gross, a writing coach and writer of everything from books to website and promotional copy, learned that the hard way. “Before I’d finished explaining all the aspects of my business, people’s eyes would glaze over,” she says with a laugh. “I finally came up with a concise way to explain my One Stop Writing Shop by simply saying that I can write whatever you need or help you do it.”
Participants will bounce their elevator speeches off the people at their tables. After dinner, an interactive session will give participants the chance to practice and refine those elevator speeches. There’s nothing like hearing yourself recite your elevator speech over and over to give you a sense of how well it’s working or how you might improve it. The fact that you’ll meet scads of new people in the process doesn’t hurt either.
Helping members in business and in life is what NEW is all about, an ambitious mission that’s reflected in the diversity of programs featured in the organization’s monthly meetings. October’s meeting will feature Freedom Personal Development president Eric Plantenberg, who will be presenting a spectacular new program on the critical components of achieving the results you want in your personal and professional life. Other upcoming scheduled meetings will deal with topics related to business, financial health, and personal wellbeing.
Meeting: September 19, 5- 8pm
St. Charles Medical Center – Conference Room – Bend
For more information, call Amanda Albrich at (541-848-8598, check out our website at www.networkwomen.org or come see us in person. You can attend up to two meetings without being a member. Of course, we’re pretty sure that you’ll want to join after a single visit. After all, where else are you going to find such a mix of business opportunities, networking, friendship and fun?
