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 The Importance of Peer Networking
Peer networking groups provide you with an opportunity to develop long-term relationships with your professional counterparts. This is especially important in a professional service business like coaching or consulting where the product being sold is time spent with YOU. Your time is limited, so once you get past the initial hurdles of building a client base, you will notice that some of your projects take more time than you have to give. There are two ways to handle this:
- Get more selective about who you take and refer the business you can’t or don’t want to handle to a respected peer
You can’t refer business to others for long before the energy of reciprocity sets in, and they put extra energy into sending good referrals your way. If you dedicate yourself to building a solid referral network, you can build your business to the point where all your clients come from referrals, and networking is your only marketing tool.
- Continue to grow by pulling together teams of peers to handle assignments that require more knowledge and resources.
If you choose to take on larger assignments and partner with other coaches, even more opportunities open up. Large profitable projects can feed you and your peer team for several months to several years at a time, and it really only takes one or two big clients per year to keep the momentum going.
Many people get impatient for these kind of results. I hear people say, “I showed up at this networking organization every month for twelve months and didn’t get any business out of it – so I don’t see it as a good investment”.
Showing up at an event doesn’t necessarily showcase who you are and what you can do. It takes getting involved and working with the team, so your peers can see you in action. They will make judgments about whether or not they want to work with you based on how you show up for your role in the organization. Do you complete your work, do you go above and beyond, are you a good team player, do you “know your stuff”, are you fun to work with? Then one day, your conversation moves beyond your role in the professional organization to opportunities to work together. You may experiment on several projects before one comes in that is extremely lucrative – but when it does, you’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of it.
I know groups of coaches who have bonded and moved into working together as teams in corporate settings; I know consultants who get 100% of their assignments subcontracted through other consultants. Doctors, lawyers, and accountants work in teams to serve their customer base – why not coaches?
Our upcoming July meeting is devoted to group coaching and the power of teams as we launch one of our latest ICF-OC programs dedicated to support your business growth and coaching mastery. All tier one participants are eligible to join a “Coach Success Team,” which is a group of 6-8 coaches who meet regularly to support each others’ success. This additional format of interaction empowers you at several levels:
- You get to be coached in a group setting, so you can be more successful at achieving your individual business and personal goals,
- You get to experience how your peers coach, so you can learn to coach better yourself
- You get to know your peers at a more intimate level, paving the way to long-term partnerships in the future.
Another July program you don’t want to miss is our special Saturday “Master Client Enrollment” event on the 14th with Michelle Schubnel. In addition to dedicating one full day to mastering your skill at bringing in new clients for your own business, you get the benefit of getting to know other local coaches at a more intimate level, paving the way for real opportunities to support each other in the future.
Come join us in July, and take advantage of the power of the group!
Sincerely,
Nahid Casazza
Aspyrre
(949) 495-1021
www.aspyrre.com
For insights and inspiration, check out my blog:
http://nahidc.blogspot.com/
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