Inviting Visitors to Donegal Business Network
Ten ways to ask visitors to DBN
“Telling people to attend does not work, so find a suitable way to invite them, where they feel it benefits them”
When it comes inviting visitors you have to ensure that you sell the benefits of attending for the prospective visitor.
Why do we get visitors?
People will visit, if they see the benefits and if they feel comfortable about attending. They are afraid to be ‘sold’ anything including any coercion to become a member. So start by ensuring they do not feel ‘targeted’.
10 Ways to invite visitors
Here are 10 ways to get people to our networking meetings.
1. Set an appointment with them
How do you normally meet with your business colleagues? Usually by appointment. So why treat the DBN meeting any differently. Bringing a quality visitor to a meeting is a great opportunity for them and for you, plus the other Network members. Set a date for them to visit, this will help them understand that this is a serious business opportunity rather than just a casual weekly “come if you are free” event.
2. Invite them to listen to the speaker who is doing the 10 minute presentation
Check out who are the upcoming member speakers or any guest speaker and focus on people that may benefit by listening to their specific presentation. If the Architect is to speak, invite builders or trades
3. Invite them to meet a specific person
There’s nothing more appealing to a networker than a specific target. Who exactly is your guest looking to meet? Perhaps they are there in our Network already. Invite visitors to our DBN meeting on the basis of – “Come and meet so and so, they are ideal candidates for your service and you could do business together. Come along and meet this person next Wednesday –and I will introduce you both.
4. PR – Ask them if they like free publicity
Who does not like a bit of PR for their business? They have a product they are trying to market and you are offering them the opportunity to network and present it to a captive business audience.
5. Support – Invite them to come and support you and your business
You may have several potential visitors in mind that you would like to see attend with you, but they know perfectly well you meet every week and are put off by that or they do not like the early mornings. So how to get them to come THIS week? Well, for one if you are doing the 10 minute speaker role, you can ask them to come and support you, give a testimonial of your service or say some kind words about you and your business. No reason why they cannot even assist or be a part of your presentation.
6. Ask for their help in filling a category
Try the indirect approach. We want an Accountant in the Network. But instead of approaching an Accountant you might not know so well, get someone who knows one to invite them along. Both can come as your guest, and both will be impressed with the meeting!
7. Bring a happy satisfied customer with you
Bring a satisfied customer with you to give an actual testimonial at the meeting. A satisfied customer for you can very easily become a satisfied customer of someone else.
8. Ask someone who would like to recruit new staff members, as the chance to promote a position through the network could save hefty fees.
9. Offer to let them do a 60 second pitch for their favourite charity or club to a room full of successful business people
10. Introduce the opportunity for a business to attend to get feedback from other business people abut their offering, branding, business approach etc. That is such a low cost opportunity to get honest, fast feedback.
Not everybody who visits us will to want to join our Network, which is fine. We are not looking for more members. We are looking for more visitors. Maybe Lite members and possibly full members if it is right for them. But, membership is a secondary reason for inviting. Every single visitor to our Network gives us the opportunity to make valuable business connections and possible opportunities.
Go get them!
Suggested invite email wording
At Donegal Business Network on Wednesday morning, I had breakfast with William Keogh from The Pinnacle Office Furniture, amongst others. William was saying that he is finding a trend of people ordering furniture off him for their Home offices. As a consequence he wants to connect with Interior Designers, to show them what he has to offer. I asked him if he knew you and he said he did. I told him I would reach out to you, to reconnect you with him and to invite you to visit us at DBN some morning.
We meet every Wednesday morning in the Radisson Hotel at 6.45 and the meeting runs from 7.00 to 8.30 which is followed by a 4* Breakfast. So there is loads of time for Networking before and after. We are not looking for members, we are looking for visitors. As well as William you would get to meet Architect Bill Steele and builder Bert Galbraith. It is a very friendly group, who want to refer business to good suppliers.
See full details at https://donegalbusinessnetwork.ie/visit-us/ and let me know which Wednesday suits you to visit, when there is a suitable time. Meantime, William will be in touch about his new lines.
Hope you are keeping well.