Dinner Party Networking

After being inspired by Keith Ferrazi’s dinner parties that he recounted in his book Never Eat Alone, I threw something of a dinner party (ok, it was a pizza party <g>) last night with some like-minded entrepeneurs, and we had a blast.

A friend had invited some of his clients over so we could discuss forming some type of mastermind or networking group. We limited the group to a very small number of people, and had a discussion about what we wanted to get out of the group, how often we wanted to meet, and what we wanted the focus of the group to be. I had started out thinking the group might end up being something like BNI, but discarded that idea over the weekend, as I let Keith’s networking message soak into my head.

We agreed that we wanted the group to be comprised solely of other entrepreneurs who were interesting in creating a profit center from their websites.  I think this is a great idea, as it’s given us all common ground. We also liked the fact that the group members are from very different industries.  This allows each of us to gain new perspectives into what we do from others who know little or nothing about our expertise or target market.  We offered ideas and insights to each other, and agreed to meet twice a month on a regular basis to keep each other inspired and motivated.

For several months I have been carrying around the idea of a "Lunch and Learn" program that I heard about from another coach.  I may choose to make my event a "Dinner and Learn" program, where I invite others over to my house to talk about their ideas and opportunities.  Last night I ended up giving my guests a couple of hours of free consulting and brainstorming, but I had so much fun in doing it, that instead of having a prepared program to deliver at this even, I’ll just open the floor for general conversation and comments, and see where it goes from there.  My guests win, as they get great info at no cost, and I win, as I get to shine as the expert for online businesses.  And, if I make it a potluck, the expense of the event becomes minimal.

I’m pretty psyched about the idea–I’ll start to find local clients and develop deeper relationships with others for networking purposes while at the same time pave the way for increasing the number of friends I’m making.  Sounds pretty cool to me!