What Are Member Only Meetings?

“When you’ve got your own army of personal walking ambassadors, you’ll have referrals coming your way faster than you can handle them.” From The Go Giver by Bob Burg & John D Mann

If you want your own army of walking ambassadors helping you to grow, then they need to know what to do to help you – right?

If you’ve been along to a Growth Community meeting then you’ve probably heard us mention our Member Only Meetings and wondered what they are. Well here’s the low down on why every third fortnight our meetings are for Members Only.

What Are Member Only Meetings?

Essentially they are a cross between a marketing team meeting and a mastermind. They are also a brilliant way to ensure that our members are building purposeful relationships and great friendships. Quality growth comes from really knowing people and what they need to achieve.

Some people find it hard to see the value in a networking meeting with no visitors. But developing a successful Relationship Marketing Strategy is the key to getting more sustainable results from your networking.

Why do we have Member Only Meetings?

Networking can sometimes feel like a repeating cycle.

It’s the same thing week in week out. Meeting new people; having a121; maybe making an introduction (or two); and then it’s off to meet someone new and do it all again.

You’re probably not gaining huge amounts from that process because you’re not doing enough to add depth to those connections.

If you want to forge proper relationships it takes more than one 121 meeting to create something proactive and lasting. In the same way you don’t build relationships with friends and partners after one coffee date!

To get more quality in the process, we believe that from time to time you need to press pause on meeting new shiny objects, and focus on developing something more sustainable with your ambassadors.

Taking time with each other and being genuinely interested in how we can help each other, means that we can deliver the ‘actual’ support that each member needs… (not what we ‘think’ they need based on a one minute pitch!)

What Happens In A Growth Community Member Only Meeting?

Like our visitor meetings, Member Only meetings are also relaxed and purposeful.

They are a safe space for members to talk about what’s going on in their business and get support, knowledge, ideas and advice. They are encouraged to share the actions that other members could take to help move them forwards.

The meeting usually starts with a discussion on how the group is doing and how members would like to progress it. We think it’s important that everyone is invested in the success of their group. We also update members on any community-wide information that is useful to them.

Then each member takes it in turn to talk for about five minutes about what’s been happening in their business over the past few weeks and what they are currently seeking support with.

What members discuss can be quite varied. From brainstorming or seeking feedback on a new marketing or business initiative; briefing other members on a target market they are looking to access; struggling with an issue or challenge to literally anything they feel that their team can support them with.

This takes the guess work out of helping each other. Everyone knows exactly what they can help each other with.

We all definitely get to know each other a lot better too, which aids the process!

Member Only Meetings Add More Purpose

FACT: Networking is a marketing activity. So, it makes sense to treat it like all of your other marketing channels. Plan it, action it and measure its effectiveness.

We encourage our members to set goals for their networking so that they (and the other members in their group) know what they want to achieve from their membership. It also enables them to keep track of their own return on investment.

Member Meetings are Enjoyable, Fun And Results Driven

Relationship Marketing is one of the most effective ways to grow your business. It takes some time and energy to develop and nurture a relationship, but once you do, it will keep sustaining your growth for many years to come.

Growth Community Member Only meetings help members to build a knowledgeable army of walking ambassadors.

Putting aside this quality time every third fortnight creates depth to their networking activity and enables them to target the growth and support they need.

Not to mention it’s a nice break from the networking hamster wheel and really enjoyable.

What Our Members Say About Member Only Meetings

“Member Only meetings are just so important. You get so many different people’s perspectives and then come away with an absolute tonne of ideas on how you can turn things around and solve a problem that you might be feeling really overwhelmed by. They are of massive value for me and I really look forward to them.”

Eve Whales, Eve Whales Property

“Member Only meetings are a unique part of The Growth Community and extremely valuable. It’s like having a team and  being able to  throw an idea or issue out there that  you’re experiencing within your business and that team of people that can give you advice and suggestions and just really help you  solve that problem.”

Nicola Page, Nicola Page Financial Solutions

Interested?

Only members of the Growth Community get to take part in our Member Only meetings but we are happy to tell you more about how they work and show you how it can make the difference to your networking. Just get booked onto a meeting and come and meet us or check out our affordable and flexible membership options.

Other Resources

Claire Taylor Foster’s experience of membership and Member Only meetings

Not sure if joining a networking group is right for your business? Here’s some food for thought…

How to build Trust into relationships to support your networking results