In an effort to boost sales and marketing efforts, remain in-the-know, and to stay inspired business owners and business professionals often spend large parts of their marketing budgets to belong to professional organizations while spending way too much time in meetings. Three areas often associated with this overage are Business Networking groups, Business Education Seminars, and Mastermind groups, also known as the Three Pillars of Networking, a term coined by a local networking group, The Easley Business Network (The EBN). For those that are thinking about joining a networking group in 2014, Lynda Colón, founder of The EBN, encourages professionals to consider the Three Pillars.
Pillar number one is Networking. The traditional principles of networking (introducing yourself at a meeting, handing out cards, shaking hands) still have value but in addition to that, an in-depth networking session should challenge participants to use their spheres of influence to give and receive warm leads and referrals. Not just cold leads.
Pillar number two is Business Education. In order to ensure a group remains up-to-date on issues that affect the business climate and are versed in topics of interest, make sure any group you visit attracts speakers who will truly educate members, and not just make a fluffy sales pitch.
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Pillar number three is Mastermind Sessions. While Mastermind groups, or alliances, have been around since business began, the idea was formally introduced by Napoleon Hill, in his famed book "Think And Grow Rich" written in 1937. Hill defined it as "The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony." He continues… "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the master mind]." Any group you join should have some form of Mastermind sessions.
The EBN is making each of these pillars a part of their 2014 calendar. The Three Pillar format allows each meeting to be different so there’s always new information, new ideas, and new leads and referrals to be generated. Marketing Communications Specialist, Lynda Colón, started The EBN in 2012 as part of the Professional Network Connections (PNC) family of business networking groups. Recent rebranding of PNC has encouraged a rethinking of what professionals value in a membership based, networking group.