Face to Face or Cold Calling..

Is it really important to join a business network group? Many professional sales people have always been taught that if they make enough cold calls that they will succeed in sales. Sales IS a numbers game isn't it?

Sales IS a numbers game. But, it is not just
the number of people that you contact - it is the number of qualified people that you contact. 

Once upon a time (when everyone drove a "Model -T Ford" ?) the best way to qualify someone was the cold call.

The world has changed. With the advent of the Internet, it is more important than ever to establish personal relationships. One of the best ways to do that may be is joining a professional networking group. 

Visit a number of groups before deciding on the specific group(s) to join. Remember, the monetary cost to join a group should be a very minor reason to join a specific group.

There are FREE groups that are substantially more beneficial in relationships gained than some groups that charge $400/year.

However, be aware that if a group is losing members right and left, it may be a sign of a stagnant group, (or maybe the group has " temporarily " lost focus?) 

Time is an important asset, you may want to look elsewhere until the group stabilizes. But, anything is better that "cold-walking"

There is definitely a certain mindset to have when joining any referral group. More on that subject at a later date...

Merry Christmas, everyone! More on business networking in 2011.