Finding honest vendors is a networking benefit
Finding honest vendors is a networking benefit
February 7, 2007
We always talk about the value of business networking groups in terms of getting new business, but there are other benefits as well. One benefit not often discussed is that you find vendors who are reliable, who offer exceptional service and may even give you a discount.
This is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, we all want people standing up at meetings and saying: “I did business with Ed, and he did a great job for me!” That leads to more business, so we try hard to do well for others in the group.
On the other hand, we don’t want people standing up and saying (or even whispering): “Ed, over there, really messed up the job he did for me,” or, worse, “I did business with Ed, and he cheated me!” Once that happens, you might as well just quit going to the meetings, because your chances of getting business drop close to zero. So we all try hard to take good care of our networking friends, and build a great reputation.
So here are two stories for you.
Sergio Pinto saved the day!
We do on-line banking with BankAtlantic. Something new for us, after a lifetime of writing checks.
My wife had a telephone discussion with a bank customer service representative over how to stop payment on a check if necessary. That turned into a misunderstanding where the bank mistakenly actually stopped payment on a check.
This was not just any check – it was the premium to renew the homeowner’s insurance. By the time Barbara discovered the error, the premium was a week overdue, and she was sure the insurance company would cancel the policy.
She spent an hour on the phone, trying to get BankAtlantic to reverse the error. There was one comic exchange where someone told her she had to fax a signed document to reverse the mistake. “But you managed to stop payment without a signed document!” she said.
I was at a meeting while all this was going on. I got an earful when I walked through the door at 10 p.m.
“Relax,” I said. “I’ll take care of it!”
I sent an e-mail to Sergio Pinto, manager of the BankAtlantic branch in Palmetto Bay. “Help!!” And another e-mail to Phil Lyons of InSource, Inc., my insurance agent and chairman this year of Chamber South: “Don’t let them cancel the policy!”
First thing the next morning, Sergio cut a new check and hand-delivered it to Phil. Problem solved, all because of relationships developed through networking. Thanks, guys! I’m a hero! (Well, Sergio is the hero…)
This is Jo Carpio, left, and Jigo Cuison of Miami Airport Fast Park. If you see them at a meeting, ask them “Why did you cheat Ed?” Ask loudly, so everybody hears, then tell me what they say.
The second story involves Miami Airport Fast Park. They retained me to do some public relations work for them. We had a written agreement. I did the work, and they tried to get out of paying. They offered 25% of the agreed-on price, which I turned down. They expected a further service that I did not agree to provide, which was not in the written agreement.
This is a very rare occurrence within the networking groups, for the reasons that I stated above.
As small business people, most of the deals we make are relatively small in terms of dollars, and it’s not worth the cost of hiring a lawyer and the time and emotional involvement to sue. All we have to protect ourselves is the word-of-mouth within the networking organizations.
So you do not see the Miami Airport Fast Park people at the networking meetings anymore. They know, if I see them, I will walk over to their table and say: “Hello, everybody. These people cheated me, and if you are thinking of doing business with them, get cash up front. Don’t trust a handshake, and even a written agreement isn’t enough. Have a nice day.”
If you happen to see them at a meeting, say: “I hear Ed is coming,” and they probably will slither away.
That’s the penalty for cheating someone within a networking group. All of you have that power, and it’s a weapon you should not be afraid to use. Don’t be shy about speaking up. It’s in everyone’s best interest if we are honest about our dealings with others.
Unsolicited testimonial brings many sales
Unsolicited testimonial brings many sales
January 30, 2007
Sara Granzotti, certified health educator and founder of Health… Pure and Simple, left, and Jacqueline M. Pérez, founder of Business Professionals from Miami-Dade County.
Sara Granzotti had one of those moments that everyone in business dreams about.
A certified health educator, Sara was giving a talk about health and fitness to a new networking group called Business Professionals from Miami-Dade County at the Rusty Pelican on Rickenbacker Causeway. She was not-so-subtly working in some plugs for the product she sells – “Juice Plus+.”
Suddenly, people in the audience began calling out: “I use that product! It’s great!”
Now, we all bring friends to sit in the audience and be supportive (let’s avoid the word “shill”), and in fact Sara had satisfied customer Kathy Ramsey of Servpro of Kendall/Pinecrest and Brickell. But Kathy never had to open her mouth.
Instead, the endorsements came from complete strangers. Well, strangers to Sara, but familiar faces to the audience. Both Jessica Mora, regional sales consultant for Medco, and Philip A. Waldron, loan officer with Home Equity Mortgage Corp., offered testimonials. Both buy their Juice Plus+ products from another distributor, and never met Sara.
But based on their satisfaction, and the fact that they were known to the audience, Sara walked out with a handful of orders. We all should be so lucky!
Juice Plus+ is the nutritional essence of fruits and vegetables concentrated in pill form — “the next best thing to fruits and vegetables” according to the website. Visit Sara’s website www.MrsJP.com for additional information. The product fulfills the need that a healthy diet should include 7-13 servings of fruit and vegetables a day, and not many of us can eat that much. “Juice Plus+ is a convenient, affordable, and natural whole food based nutritional product that harnesses the nutritional power of 17 vegetables, fruits, and grains.”
Check out the website, and if you are intrigued you can ask questions or place an order with Sara Granzotti, at 786-521-2800 or sgranzotti@msn.com. Her Redland-based company is called “Health…Pure and Simple,” and she is a familiar face at several local networking groups, including Chamber South, the West Kendall Business Association, Business Referral Group and the Palmetto Bay Business Association.
Business Professionals from Miami-Dade County differs from most networking groups in that it isn’t one. There is no membership, no organization, no officers. The group gets together monthly at the call of Jacqueline M. Pérez, who describes herself as “an entrepreneur of sorts.”
The dinner meeting at the Rusty Pelican cost $50, which is a lot, but it is a fine restaurant, and the meal was excellent – churrasco, and a substantial portion – so there was value for the money. It was an interesting crowd. Also, since there is no membership, you don’t pay dues.
The group has no website yet, but if you want to know more about it and learn about the dates and locations of future meetings, contact Jackie Pérez at jacquelinemperez@bellsouth.net or 305-480-7032.
Pinecrest Business Association draws 100 to hear County Manager
Pinecrest Business Association
draws 100 to hear County Manager
January 23, 2007
Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess
More than 100 attended the January meeting of the Pinecrest Business Association, about twice the usual crowd. As with most organizations, many did not RSVP, and there was a flurry of new chairs and tables being produced as more and more people walked in.
This was the first meeting for new PBA president Kevin Charlton. Whether the attendance was because of Charlton’s efforts, or the fact that the speaker was County Manager George Burgess, or because the lunch – ribs and chicken catered by Shorty’s – was free, it was good to see the energy in the room.
PBA’s meetings have tended to run very long in the past, and Charlton had promised to get people out by 1 p.m. He hustled through the agenda and almost made it – it ended at 1:10 – but that’s because there were twice as many people introducing themselves than expected.
Funny, but this probably was one time that people would not have minded staying a little longer. Charlton cut off the questions to Burgess after only three, and there was disappointment in the room. After all, how often do you get to question the County Manager?
Burgess is scheduled to speak again at the Palmetto Bay Business Association in April. That group almost always finishes at 1, and the one time it really ran over was when County Mayor Carlos Alvarez was the speaker, and there were many questions. Probably the same thing will happen when Burgess appears.
Burgess talked about the new South Terminal at Miami International Airport, which he said will open this summer and be “spectacular” and “put MIA on the map as a quality, customer-oriented airport.” (I’ll believe it when I see it.) He said the North Terminal is still years away.
He also talked about the Performing Arts Center, and the Super Bowl (yes, he did buy tickets at face value), and about the 311 service which he said is answered in 20-25 seconds and can connect you to information and help from county services (I tried it, and it works).
On the controversial watershed study, which would allow for apartments a half-mile on either side of U.S. 1 and elsewhere, Burgess said people should not get upset about the details because it’s a 50-year plan. “It’s like trying to predict in 1920 what 1970 would be like.”
He misses the point (probably intentionally) that it’s not the details that trouble people, but the presumptions behind them. First, that the county can come along and decide that it’s OK for someone to buy your neighbor’s house and replace it with a 12-unit apartment building.
Second, that just because 1.5 million more people want to move here, that we have to find room for them. Imagine 1.5 million more people trying to get to work in the morning on U.S. 1? And didn’t we almost run out of water a couple of years ago? Wouldn’t it make more sense to figure out how many more people we can reasonably accommodate, and after that hang out a “No Vacancy” sign? Anyway, you can ask him more about that at the Palmetto Bay meeting in April.
As I watched the Pinecrest Business Association set out more chairs, it reminded me of a trick I learned years ago at a meeting of the Public Relations Society of America: always set out fewer chairs than you think you will need (but have plenty more easily accessible, just in case).
“That doesn’t make sense!” you say. “We should put out more chairs than we think we will need, just in case more people show up!” Ah, that’s why you are an amateur!
If you are expecting 50 and you put out 75 chairs, and 50 actually show up, the audience says: “Lots of empty chairs. I guess they were expecting a bigger crowd.”
But if you are expecting 50 and put out 40 chairs, and then have to get more chairs when those 40 are filled, people say: “Wow, it looks like they drew a big crowd!”
Same crowd. Different perception.
It’s an example of how much perception rather than reality guides our lives. Think about all the decisions you make because you think or believe something, and how little (besides 2 + 2 = 4) you actually know. It’s scary.
Things to watch for in 2007
Things to watch for in 2007
January 4, 2007
West Kendall Business Association holiday party drew a crowd of 130 for dinner and dancing.
Happy New Year! It’s hard to get back into “work mode,” isn’t it?
2006 was an interesting year in the networking community. What can we look for in 2007?
We saw a continuing trend in 2006 in the development of smaller groups, often centered around a geographic area or a subject. The energy has been flowing in this direction for some time. Not that people are giving up on the big chambers, but they are joining and forming smaller group in increasing numbers. Now, just about everyone belongs to a large group and at least one small group, sometimes a half-dozen.
2006 brought us the West Kendall Business Association and the Cutler Bay Business Association. Both have developed a personality and a following.
West Kendall was the success story of 2006. By year’s end, it topped 100 members, was getting 90-100 regularly attending monthly lunch meetings at Signature Gardens (good food at a fair price), had a wildly successful sold-out expo, and ended the year with a party for 130. It has drawn an audience from far outside the West Kendall area because it offers great networking, and people really have fun.
One of the interesting questions for 2007: will West Kendall level off, or will the dramatic growth continue, fueled by a geography where it seems a new shopping center pops up just about every week? Count on Jorge Pena of AFLAC, entering a second term as president, to keep things moving.
Cutler Bay’s success was more modest. It has a friendly little core group, but still struggles with finding a home for its lunch meetings. Recent meetings have been at RJ Gators, where I received The Worst Networking Meal Ever. Given a choice of chicken or fish, I ordered the fish. It came on a bed of black beans and rice (whatever happened to peas and carrots?) I tried cutting the fish with a fork, and when that didn’t work I tried the knife. And when that didn’t work I sent it back and traded for the chicken, which at least was pre-sliced. The only redeeming thing I can say is that the meal was free, underwritten by sponsors.
You would think that a restaurant, given the opportunity, would show off its food service, in the hope of winning repeat business for business lunches and family dinners. RJ Gators instead has turned off a lot of people. Question for 2007: Will Cutler Bay Business Association find a good place to have its meetings? It has tried a few meetings at the new OC’s on Old Cutler Road, and while the place has drawbacks, owner Mike Pace generally serves a decent meal.
My previous candidate for Worst Meal was the Perrine Cutler Ridge Palmetto Bay Rotary meetings at Tony Roma’s. But I’m told that has improved, and I need to attend a couple of meetings to check it out.
If you are wondering about my vote for Best Meal, that would go to the Palmetto Bay Business Association, which meets at Fleming’s in Pinecrest. Always an excellent meal for an inexpensive price, as owner Andy Hall offers members discount coupons to return for dinner, and really shows off the restaurant’s quality. Is food important to a networking organization? Palmetto Bay tripled its membership from 50 to 150 since moving to Fleming, and regularly gets 90-100 for lunch. So yes, food is a very important component of an organization’s success.
Another interesting question for 2007 is how will the Pinecrest Business Association do under new leadership? Kevin Charlton of Strictly Trailers becomes the president this year, and there is every indication that he will shake things up. Meeting attendance has dropped in recent years, but we can count on Kevin to make things interesting. I will certainly be in the audience to see what happens.
There is much overlap among these organizations. I can think of a number of people who belong to all of them. If you want to try a meeting, check the Events Page for details. If you want to know more about the group, check the Organizations Page.
Lottery idea brings 47 membership renewals
Lottery idea brings 47 membership renewals
Phil Ludovici enjoys the sound as Mary Petit tears up his dues renewal check at the Palmetto Bay Business Association holiday party.
Mary Pettit had one last great idea as she concluded her two-year term as president of the Palmetto Bay Business Association:
Every member was encouraged to bring their 2007 dues renewal check to the holiday party last week. The checks went into a box, and at 8 p.m. one would be drawn and torn up. That lucky member would receive free membership for the year, and free lunches, as well, at the monthly meetings for the year. Value: $220.
As every organization board knows, getting members to renew is an annual chore. How long do you carry someone on the books as a member before you start charging non-member prices for functions? January? February? March?
But with this one idea, Mary turned dues renewal into something fun. At the party, 47 of the 148 members turned in their $100 checks, meaning that a third of the members already have renewed, and the year isn’t even over yet.
The lucky winner was attorney Phil Ludovici, who is, indeed, lucky. Twice last year his business card was drawn for a free lunch, and now this big win. Well, at least he won’t be competing for the free lunch drawings next year.
This idea is so simple, how come you didn’t think of it first? You know that by next year, many organizations will be copying it.
Mary ends a great two years as the second president of the young Palmetto Bay Business Association. During her term, membership tripled from 50 to 148. Of course, some of that undoubtedly is associated with the organization’s move to Fleming for its monthly meetings, where owner Andy Hall provides a great lunch for only $12. But much of the growth also comes from the way Mary runs the monthly meetings.
The organization is known for promptness. People can count on being out the door by 1 p.m., and can schedule appointments based on that.
The group gathers for networking at 11:30 and sits down for lunch at noon. A great deal then happens: there are self-introductions, a “spotlight” where a member gets to speak for a couple of minutes about his or her business, a report from the village government, where Palmetto Bay Mayor Gene Flinn usually gives a report, and then the featured speaker makes a presentation and takes questions.
When it’s all over, you look at your watch and it’s hard to believe that it’s only 1 p.m., or sometimes 12:50, and the whole meeting took less than an hour. Some rush off to appointments, but many hang around, drinking coffee and networking until 1:30 or so. No wonder 80 or 90 come for lunch each month.
I was on the nominating committee that chose Mary Pettit to be the president. Actually, so was she. Ed Ludovici (Phil’s son) was the third member. We sat down in the conference room at the Ludovici law office and Ed and I said to Mary: “The purpose of this meeting is to convince you to be the next president, and nobody leaves until you say yes.” She was very reluctant to take the job, but she was the right choice, and she has done a great job.
Eleanor Winhold of Winhold Montessori School replaces Mary in January. Tough act to follow, but Eleanor is an experienced leader with a good board, and the organization will continue to thrive.
The holiday party, as usual, was a great event, drawing about 250 to the Palmetto Bay Village Center. The event is free for members and guests and featured food, drink, live music and great networking. The association does a party like this every July and December.
If you are interested in exploring membership, the next meeting is January 4. Check out the details on the Events Page.