BGG – Basic Networking Fundamentals

At BGG Melksham, we pride ourselves on being welcoming and friendly and we understand that attending a networking group for the first time can be nerve-wracking. So, to help you navigate your first meeting we’ve put together a list of the basic networking fundamentals, which includes what to expect when you attend one of our meetings and our general networking tips.

What to expect

When you arrive at one of our meetings, you’ll find a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You’ll be greeted by one of our Welcome Team, who will explain how everything works and introduce you to other members.

Our group includes a variety of people from different business backgrounds and we always welcome new members because we know that each new addition to our group adds a different set of skills and new conversation. We also encourage our members to have 1:1 meetings with the connections they make at the group so that everyone can get to know each other properly.

A referral system is in place for members, so that if you come across someone who is in need of a service that someone in the group can provide, you are encouraged to refer them and, in return, our members will do the same for your business.

Our Top 5 Networking Tips

1) Be prepared
At all our meetings, our members stand and give a one-minute overview, about themselves and their business. We do this as it’s a good way to get to know someone who you haven’t had the chance to speak to or learn more about someone who you had a brief conversation with. We understand that public speaking can be nerve-wracking, but we’re a friendly group so there’s nothing to worry about. If you are feeling a bit apprehensive about this part, we recommend having something prepared so you can get your main points across in your one-minute and convey your business message clearly and concisely.

2) Make notes
During our networking groups, there are a lot of one-minute’s from our members and it can be easy to forget important information, so we recommend noting down the main points of each one-minute, you will find a helpful notelet on the table with our names and business types listed for your convenience. Something you might not think you need to know at the time could prove important in the future, so it’s always worth making notes during the one-minute’s. There’s a lot to take in at a first meeting so it’ll help to write things down if you meet someone whose business you could refer, or you speak to someone that you would be interested in working with.

3) Give and take
At BGG, we are keen to help everyone succeed in their businesses, which is why we have the referral system in place, which relies on a give and take relationship between members. This works effectively because our members give referrals of each other’s businesses and also receive business through referrals. Everyone at the group has the aim of helping other members, as well as growing their own business. Our 12-month rolling total of the amount of business generated through referrals is currently at over £1.1 million!

4) Ask questions
We are always keen to learn more about fellow member’s businesses and asking questions is a great way to do that. You might have picked up on a particularly interesting point in one of the member’s one-minute talks that you would like to ask them more about, or you could discover that you have a mutual business connection. It might seem like a basic thing to do, but asking questions is one of the best ways to build relationships and get to know people when you’re networking and showing an interest in someone else’s business will make you more memorable.

5) Talk to someone new
When you’ve attended a few of our networking groups, there will be a lot of familiar faces and you will have got to know everyone better. It’s easy to stick to your comfort zone and only speak to the people you know, but networking is most effective when you make an effort to talk to new people and learn more about them. By talking to someone new you could meet someone who you have a lot in common with or discover something new that is beneficial to your business. We’re all very welcoming and easy to talk to so we enjoy getting to know everyone in the group.

Networking is a great opportunity to build relationships and we hope that these five tips have given you some useful things to consider the next time you go to a networking event.

We hope to see you at BGG Melksham soon!