Assumptions
You had orientations You’ve made the decision You want to grow your business You want to help others grow their business You want to be the leader
You want to stand out from the rest You are committed You are willing to learn & then teach
Your First Steps
Step 1 – Find The Venue Identifying few venues Zeroing in on the Venue What should an ideal venue be ? Venue should
Be Accessible Plenty of Parking Space Have a Closed Room (Banquet) Neat & Hygienic
Be FREE (Barter – in return for Exposure) NOT Be Noisy Able to accommodate 15-25 people easily
Step 2 – Identify Key Team Players Questions you should ask.. Are your team players Network Plus Pro members ? Do they come from different business backgrounds? Do they understand the value of networking ? Can they fill in your shoes, when you’re not around ?
Do they have complementary skillsets? Or at least - an appetite to learn ? Are they team players? Are they willing to give & receive referrals ? Are they willing to take on new roles & responsibilities within the chapter?
Step 3– Finalize The Grand Opening Date What should an ideal date/day be for Grand Opening? Date should Be workable for you Be workable for the venue Be workable for your team Be at least 3-4 weeks away from the date you decided to be a Chapter President Suggestions Avoid month beginning Avoid month ends Avoid week beginning Keep the date free (with zero to less appointments)
Step 4 – Create a Meet Up Group Why Meet Up Group? It’s an ONLINE tool to set up group meetings
Helps you automatically find your target markets Circulates your meeting invites in your geographical location Automates your meeting Helps you connect with REAL people online
How to set up a Meet Up Group? This will be explained in a separate video tutorial
When to set up a Meet Up Group? As soon as possible. The earlier you set it up, the more participants you will have for your Grand Opening and potential members for your chapter.
Step 5 – Create a Facebook Group Why Facebook Group?
You can invite people Improves interaction Builds confidence amongst members Best tool for Online Relationship building Let’s you to keep it as a “Closed” group
Suggestions Be consistent Add a ton of value Be social. But don’t overdo it. Share knowledge Don’t spam
How to set up a Facebook Group?
Step 6 – Create a LinkedIn Group Why LinkedIn Group?
Helps you pick professionals from your area Builds thought leadership Connects a thriving community of like-minded people Drives Traffic to your NPP Landing Page Builds Personal Network Sends Weekly Emails Constant Lead Generator
Suggestions Create a group relevant to Networking Create sub-groups Ask questions. Increase interaction Add ton of value
How to set up a LinkedIn Group?
Step 7 – Subscribe to Mail Chimp Why Mail Chimp
Helps you connect with people/ prospects One of the best mailing platforms Awesome analytics It’s FREE, if your list is less than 2000 (Highly unlikely that your chapter will have more than 2000) Great Deliverability (Reaches your mailbox) Awesome, professional looking templates Ease of use
Suggestions Follow the protocol. Do not add without permission Don’t send mails if you don’t have to 1 Weekly Newsletter is MOST ideal
How to set up a Mail Chimp Account?
Step 8 – Set Your Event on EventBrite.com Why Event Brite ?
Easiest ticketing platform Highly customizable Brandable You can sell tickets for your BIG Monthly events It’s FREE, if events are free. Small fee, if the event is a ticketed event Better than other platforms
Suggestions Create the event well in advance Generate a good URL for the event
How to set up an event on Event Brite ?
Step 9 – Make a List How to create a BIG list effectively
Find & visit local Networking Events on MeetUp.com Connect with Local Chamber of Commerce A good source for local contacts is YELLOW Pages Connect with NJ Small Business Development Center (NJBDC) in your county. You will get quite a lot of leads from them. Find ads in Local Newsletters Find local agents for insurance companies, mortgage brokers etc. Keep your eyes open for anyone looking to network Place FREE ads in local newspapers Recommend sources for paid ads Connect with small business owners on Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter (A separate video will be made to explain these) Finally, Word of Mouth is powerful
Suggestions Don’t do everything at once. Take one thing at a time, master it & move on to next. No rush!
Step 10 – Add the Contacts to Your Mailing List How to add the contacts to your list the RIGHT way
Ask Network Pus Pro for a landing/ lead capture page Ask for “autoresponder” integration Send mails to your contacts seeking permission OR directing them to landing page Ensure you made the connection before you sought permission Let them fill the form If permission is given by mail, add them to your Mail Chimp account
Suggestions Permission is extremely important. Don’t ignore Do some research on “Email Marketing Best Practices”
7 Days to Go for the Grand Opening
Things to Do 7 Days Before
Make a checklist of items Double check with the venue about the date & time Send a reminder mail to your mailing list Remind members on Meetup, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. about the event Ask Network Plus Pro to showcase your opening in their weekly bulletin Announce a SURPRISE GIFT (value $xx) for those who show up. Keep it surprise. Really! (it’s upto you, but recommended) Want Suggestions for a Surprise Gift? Ask your Zonal Manager for details
1 Day to Go for the Grand Opening
Things to Do 1 Day Before Send a FINAL Mail on your mailing list
Send a FINAL Reminder on Meet Up, Facebook, LinkedIn about the Grand Opening Also send a high level agenda
Make a visit to the venue, just to double check Get your Surprise Gift ready
On D-Day of the Grand Opening
On the D-Day
Show up 20-30 minutes before the event starts Ensure everything is the way it should be Welcome guests, greet them Make them comfortable Let them interact for the first 10-15 minutes Once everyone settles, follow the agenda Let everyone do the Introduction Give them opportunity to get to know each other Ask a theme-based question to all. Example – “What is their BIG why” Finally, show them the value of Network Plus Pro and how NPP can help them change their business in a structured manner. PN: Don’t try to sell. Show them the VALUE.
Chapter Meetings Basic Requirements
Chapter Meeting Format Recommended Timings Timing - 75 minutes + 15 minutes on the backend 07 AM – 08:15 PM or 07:30 AM – 08:45 AM 12 PM – 01:15 PM or 12:30 PM – 01:45 PM Feel of the 75 Minutes First 15 minutes – Checking in & networking Next 20 minutes Introduction Example Member’s Value Proposition to the team Next 15 Minutes – Testimonials Next 10 minutes NPP Overview Chapter Special Network Plus Pro Value Proposition New Member Sign Up Last 15 Minutes - Networking