We are delighted to be able to confirm a new GrowMyCharity.com is on the way in early 2012, as you can see from the YouTube video we made below.

If you want to know more then please add you email details to our newsletter signup and we’ll let you know more about it in early 2012.

On Friday I attended the East Devon Big Breakfast at Woodbury Park and listened to a humours talk from Neil Parish the local MP. He was asked a number of challenging questions and provided an entertaining speech.

This is what Jackie and I are doing with GrowMyCharity.com – COLLABORATING.

It’s true meaning is “working together to achieve a goal” Jackie has added some extra words – “people from two different organisations working together to achieve a goal“. The impact of having people from different organisations, companies, charities, nations working together has great potential. Obviously there has to be an agreed goal and a common aim to ensure that people work well together, a meeting of minds if you like, but think what can be achieved. If you increase the amount of creative thought, energy and enthusiasm you put into a project it’s not unreasonable to expect great results.

Recently St Loyes Foundation and Exeter Drugs Project combined forces to jointly employ an HR Manager, neither organisation required a full-time person for their role and they had similar workforce issues. Their offices are only a couple of hundred yards apart! Obviously, this type of collaboration requires careful planning and a clear understanding of how the relationship is going to work for it to be successful.

Jackie and I are looking forward to collaborating with others in the charity sector to provide great services, exciting events, lively discussion and already we have Mark Tyler of SAV Media and Anita Newcombe of Anita Newcombe Public Relations on board to contribute to the site, others will follow.

Long live collaboration!

www.GrowMyCharity.com

So with this in mind if you are one of those silent readers let me give you some benefits for YOU on leaving comments not just on this blog but on others.

• You are letting me and my guest authors know who you are

If you leave regular comments and feedback not only will I recognise you but so will all the other readers of this blog. And if you leave something really great – maybe you could guest blog for me at some stage?

Peter Stephens has with his post ‘The importance of quality photography for your Website’

Sue Haswell has with this post ‘Why we should all get emotional about our clients’

Why not drop me an email if you want to write a guest blog post here.

• The community grows

This community grows around its followers, readers etc, I am regularly out and about on the Exeter networking scene and you will be amazed how much that community grows. So even if you are just surfing in a spare 5 minutes, please make the effort and leave a comment, even if its short – I appreciate them all.

• You are connecting with others who read this blog

Maybe a potential client is searching in Google and finds this blog, maybe they find the link on Twitter or someone directed them here, either way they share a similar interest – doesn’t it make sense to show your interest to?

• Your site will get more traffic

Lots of people don’t realise that when you leave a comment you also leave a link to your website, which people can then click on to see more stuff about you.

Blogging isn’t just about me or any of the guest authors saying their piece it is also about us all joining the conversation when and where it is happening, about exposing yourself to new ideas and about leaving a comment not just on this blog but others you like, you never know you may get business out of it.

So get started leave a comment now and introduce yourself not just to me but everyone else who reads this blog.

Through a plethora of tools and features, including discussions forums, blogs, videos, photos, instant messaging, etc…. these sites quickly become a part of the day-to-day life of their users, who develop a rapport with, and trust in, fellow members, we cover all this in our introduction for Charities to Social Media.

Hello there! If you are new here why not subscribe to my RSS feed for updates on this and other topics.

So what did we cover? well we split this into a number of parts

Introduction to Social Media

We showed a number of Social Media websites we think you should be involved with and why

Today’s web is all about Social Media – which, in turn, is all about sharing, engaging and communicating with like-minded individuals.

Social networks and blogs are the 4th most popular online activities – beating personal email!

Through a plethora of tools and features, including discussions forums, blogs, videos, photos, instant messaging, etc…. these sites quickly become a part of the day-to-day life of their users, who develop a rapport with, and trust in, fellow members.

Attendees with myself

We showed how other charities are using these Social Media sites to their advantage

‘Our target audience is the entire community, all ages, interests and abilities; people have the highest expectations of us for transparency and accountability; we need to raise funds, friends and corporate supporters; we have merchandise to market; we need to involve and support volunteers and supporters; we need to report our activities.’

- Sarah Burden, PR Manager Devon Air Ambulance Trust www.daat.org

Finally offered tips on how you can get started with Social Media

Why not start a group for your organisation? Be sure to post a number of updates on recent progress – be it the introduction of a new product, service, client or a success story. It’s free and you don’t need any experience in computer programming… www.facebook.com

Consider uploading a product demonstration or welcome to your business onto YouTube. Don’t forget to ‘attach’ keywords to your videos so that it can be found by potential customers that are actively searching for the products and or services which you provide… www.youtube.com

Set up a twitter profile and start tweeting. Use tools like twitter’s search to see what people are saying about you and respond to them… www.twitter.com

Speak to professionals and get advice you wont regret it!

B2B Networking Lunch – Here they have a monthly lunchtime networking events for anyone in business, so you get a really diverse mix of people. I have met everyone form solicitors to sign makers – highly recommended.

Contact: Dave Barr – 0845 307 1954 / dave@tbx1.com

Exeter and East Devon Business Club – This went through a name change in recent years, it used to be the Heart of Devon Enterprise Agency Business Club. They still have a great monthly lunch at the Deer Park Hotel on the outskirts of Honiton with a speaker, a good turnout – I like it.

Contact: Linda Bennett – 01392 248263 / exeter@thebestof.co.uk

Exeter Chamber of Commerce
Exeter Chamber of Commerce is probably the oldest professional networking organisation there is, helping business and informing for more years than I care to remember. The ‘daddy’ of networking and usually a great lunch – highly recommended.
Contact: Lisa Vanstone – 01392 431133 / enquiries@exeterchamber.co.uk

thebestofExeter – With a very strong web presence and good and growing networking meetings at their new offices in basepoint, worth getting into. – highly recommended.
Contact: Linda Bennett – 01392 248263 / exeter@thebestof.co.uk

Women in Business – As it says a women’s support network, and yes I have been to one to present services to. A great example of support groups working and growing.
Contact: Kath Tatlock – 0845 643 9495 info@businesssupportnetwork.com

The Exeter Business Network – Been around over 15 years and offers a monthly, very structured and business focused networking event with a lunch. You generally get a high turnout of senior decision makers and business leaders from the local area. – highly recommended.
Contact: Sean Humby – 0800 032 9763 / sean@business-network.co.uk

I have been to other networking events, some come and go, anyone remember the Friday Club? The great thing about Exeter is you can give things a try meet some of the same faces, maybe some new ones but it all adds to new business leads, see my top tips for networking.

By focusing on the relationship first and not on the sale you put all customers at ease and removes the belief that a lot of customers have that they will be ‘pushed’ something they neither need nor want.

Simple strategy, and it’s all about building relationships.

Well fundamentally I believe good sales is about building relationships, I know it’s a cliché but people buy people and networking is a great way to meet new people and catch up with ones you have met previously.  A lot of people regard as a chore or even just a free lunch, I personally look on it as a challenge, a way to make those new contacts and farm the ones who know who you are and know what you do.

1. Make sure you have all your networking tools with you, business cards, flyers, free pens etc basically anything that can promote your business and allow people to recall you when you have gone.
2. I always like to set a target of how many people i want to meet.
3. If you want to be empowered then act like the host not just a guest.
4. Listen to what people say, you may learn something!
5. Don’t be afraid to give a lead or referral.
6. Practice before hand your product or service so you are able to give it in just 60 seconds.
7. Don’t forget to swap cards with all the people you meet.
8. Try to spend a maximum of 8 minutes with everyone (interesting) you meet.
9. I always write comments on the cards I collect, or fold over a corner of ones you want to follow up on.
10. ALWAYS follow up on the people you have met whether they were good or bad leads, i use an email marketing system for everyone and then a telephone for the good ones.

If you follow this system you will get better results from your networking and enjoy it, don’t forget you will get knockbacks and it takes time to build relationships so ENJOY IT.