The Bridge Networking Group, Inc.

Following are the opinions sent to the BBV:

When you elect a president, you have to trust his/her judgment in the decisions he/she makes.  Some judgments are good and some are not.  Only time will tell.  From what I have read, not all prisoners will be on trial in the US.  Not all of them will go to trial.  And I imagine most will be sent to other countries.  I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us, but I don’t know all the facts that President Obama has to make the decision in the first place.

Closing Gitmo is about the craziest thing I have ever heard especially without having another location to place 245 detainees.  It’s like putting the cart before the horse.  Is this the kind of “Change” we have to look forward to for the next four years?  I have an idea.  Take some of that money that’s being handed out freely and put Americans to work building housing on the island Alcatraz in San Francisco, CA.  Great place for the potential terrorists.  Its governing body now is the National Park Service.  If building isn’t possible, take all the FEMA trailers that were used after the hurricanes and put them on the island for the prisoners.  So what if there is toxic gas in the FEMA trailers.  They put American families in them to live and it was okay.  We know that money invested in the FEMA trailers should not go to waste.  That solves two problems and it beats putting the prisoners in Supermax Prison in Florence, Colorado like they plan to do.

I’m not surprised this happened.  He said he was going to do this before he was elected.  I wish more people would have listened and researched President Obama before they voted for him to run our wonderful country.  This begins the “Change” he promised us.  Change is not always good.

My opinion is that it is irresponsible, puts the American people transporting these people at risk, the American prison officials at risk and increases the possibility for heightened terrorist activity within the borders of our great country which then puts all Americans at risk.  I do not believe he was acting in the best interest of protecting the lives of Americans on our own soil.  

Highly emotive subject but all these people obviously must have been detained for a reason.  If that reason was a good one then why haven’t they been brought to trail and sentenced like any other criminal in history?  If they were tried and found guilty in their homelands, most of them would have been beheaded by now.  Where they are now, they are not subject to any constitutional rights, but can be detained at our expense and make the US look as if they are no better than other countries where people can also be detained forever for no good reason.  Most of these countries are third world, where there is no democratic process and the comparison doesn’t really do the US justice on the world stage.

Fine, close Gitmo.  I have no problem with that.  Where is President Obama going to send the people who are currently incarcerated there?  The USA?  Our prisons are already bursting at the seams.  They can’t put them in the general population; even the murderers, thieves and no goods we have locked up have enough love for our country to fight (and probably kill) for it.  Oh, I know, we can spend another billion dollars to build a “Club Med” facility for the suspected terrorists.  That’s a fantastic idea!  Not!  President Obama needs to look at the possible consequences of his actions before he starts throwing orders around.

Profit Margin VS Membership Fees

Make the Most out of Networking

Do you attend networking events each month?  Are you working the event to get the most for your money? 

First thing first: Do a quick budget. Find your net profit margin on your product or service and divide by the yearly membership fee then divide by 12 (months.) That is how many sales you need to make each month from that group.  Are you doing what you need to be doing to just break even?

Just showing up once a month and meeting a few new people and giving them your card just isn’t going to do it.  Meeting new people is good, but remember, it takes an average of five times seeing someone before you feel comfortable in using his/her services.  Others feel the same.  A mixture of new and regulars are good at any networking meeting.

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF NETWORKING:

1.       Develop a great one liner about what your company does, without boring the person.  Make it fun, exciting and entertaining.  Did you know that the wild n’ crazy and the stupid commercials are the ones you remember days after you see them only once on TV?

2.       Volunteering at the group meetings is the best way for everyone to know who you are and what you do.  Just selling raffle tickets will get you noticed.  Work the front desk every once in a while.  You will not only get noticed, but you will meet everyone coming in the door.  You will know what he/she does for a living and you will know if it is a good fit with your company.  After working a few meetings, everyone will know not only who you are, but they will think that you are important and want to get to know you.

3.       Use the websites and goodie bags of the organizations.  Put a monthly special for only those members.  Most groups have goodie bags and all you need is some colored paper (always use colored paper), a copier, computer and a special. How hard is that?  Find out how many people are coming to the meeting and make enough copies for everyone attending.  Ask if the groups website has a page for specials and start posting one each month for the members.

Advertising is good for branding, but if your future customers know the price without calling you first, you will have more sales.  Some are afraid your services will be too much for their budget and they might be to embarrassed to ask.  So tell them before they have a chance to ask.  It will work.

4.       When you are meeting a new person, try to think of a great contact for him/her that is at the meeting and introduce them.  People will remember you if you take the time to help them connect and increase their business.

5.       If you see someone not talking to some one, go talk to them.  Make them feel comfortable.  Some people are shy with a large group of people.  If you are in a “circle” of people taking and see someone alone, invite them to the “circle.”  It may just be the contact you have been waiting for all year. If nothing else, chalk it up to your good deed for the day.  You made someone feel great.

6.       Follow up:  Get to know who you exchanged business cards with.  It is important to connect with the people you have met for a one on one.  You could meet for coffee, lunch, have a 20 min. phone conversation.  Whatever works for you to get to know the person and for them to know you.  Imagine if you got to know 5 people on a personal basis each month.  How much business do you think that could bring you in a year?

Remember, any kind of exposure is great for your company.  Doing commercials, speaking, volunteering, your logo plastered all over, etc. will get your name known.  We all have a mental rolodex.  When we need something or our friends ask who to use, we will think of the person/logo we see the most.  Test it.  If your friend ask you for a painter, who would you tell them to call?  It is the old ‘out of sight, out of mind.’  So don’t be ‘out of sight.’  Let everyone see you.

Happy Networking!