Every Tuesday, I wake up at the crack of dawn to go to a diner 25 miles away. At this diner, a group of professionals meet at 7:30AM to share business referrals and socialize with each other. The group is called The Elite Professionals, and I feel privileged to be a member.
Business networking groups are far from uncommon on Long Island, but The Elite Professionals group is very unique in a few ways:
- Only one person is allowed per industry
- If someone from a similar industry wants to join the group, the existing members must decide whether or not to let them in
- The entire purpose of the group is for business referrals
That doesn’t seem too different from any other business networking group, does it? Actually, it is. Most people join networking groups in the hope that they will do business with other members, which is certainly the case with The Elite Professionals, however the primary goal is to refer business to one another. The incentive? Brownie points, really. At each meeting, members are asked to tell everyone what type of referrals they have received or given during the last week, and fill out a referral card to record the occurrence.
Also, consider the exclusivity of having one member for each industry:
- The group grows slow and healthily
- Members see great referral action, and in turn they stay more dedicated
- Members must attend an absolute minimum of 2 meetings per month
- You actually get business from it, I can vouch for that!
Each week, members give a 30 second infomercial, while one member gives a full 10 to 15 minute presentation about their business.
Visit the Eliteprofessionals.com (we built it, of course) and you can see what we’re all about. If you live in Nassau County and your industry is not already represented (check the members page) you can fill out a form to join the group.