Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Make the Most of Your Membership

Just right now I am a participating the Australian Business WomanNetwork (ABN) webinar with the above title. As I am a member of this network I am following ABN's whole webinar series. The topics are pretty good, not deep knowledge, but a good reminder of things you better look at in your business.

So, how do you make the most of any membership anyway? When I look at my password list, I am a member of plenty of groups, networks and circles. More online than offline, but that's fine with me ;o) I don't think just "collecting" online friends is not very useful. It should be about communication. However, I don't mean heavy posting of your opinion/status or whatever, it is about smart communication. Just yesterday I followed a webinar with Paul Dunn from B1G1. Paul just made it again. He is not only the WOW wizard he is also a media Wizard. Amazing in how many way he tries to contact people and presents the idea of B1G1. It was a mixture of live chat and live presentation. Very well done!


Communication should be always 80% Listening and 20% talking. Exchange ideas, ask questions, give tips and hints for free ... there are many ways to communicate. This can be one way of making the most of a membership.

Some points to be aware of are:
  • It is important that you know what features the network/groups offers, but also use them. For example, blog your opinions or about things the group could be interested in and ask for comments. Such things allow you to reach plenty of people without spamming than.
  • It is also important that you follow the rules in a group. It is about respect other members.
  • If you are group or network is kind of a paid subscription, use it badly. Join every event (if appropriate), ask questions, get help. That what it is made for.
  • Put up a picture of yourself ... I personally don't contact people that are using the default image. You still want to see who you are dealing with.
As mentioned I am part of several networks. Feel free to join me in :
ABN just launched a forum section ... another way to communicate. It will grow you and your business.

No comments: