I recently was invited to go boating on the Delta with some BNI members who belong to my EBAR Chapter. At the time I agreed I figured my workload would be such that being out of the office for most of the day would not impact me that much.
I was also feeling a bit guilty about being out of the office and on a boat, enjoying the sun and BNI friends while deadlines and client requests loomed in my mind. How is this going to result in business? What if … fill in the blank … happens?
Well, I’m glad I went ahead and went on the trip. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and I got to know my fellow BNI members a bit better and in a setting where they were more relaxed. Not only that, but there were two other people who went along as well who were in other BNI Chapters slightly out of my area, so I got to learn about their businesses and conversely they got to learn about me and my business.
Networking on the Sacramento Delta
As it turns out, the trip resulted in a job lead for me and I also subbed at another BNI meeting (at the recommendation of one of the boaters from another BNI chapter) where I got to meet 20+ other business owners. I also was able to relax, get some perspective on my business, and made up the missed hours a bit on the weekend.
I learned that networking doesn’t always have to be conducted at a mixer under fluorescent lights. Now I’m thinking of even more ways to network in unconventional settings.
Do you have any suggestions or examples around this idea? Please leave a comment.