Networker Profile: Janet Bebb

• Stuart Russell
• Monday 25 June 2012

What is your business called?

Social progress Ltd

Briefly describe what your business does?

We create opportunities through online networks. Social Progress specialise in social media coaching, training and consulting with a particular passion for LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Working with us is simple. You tell us what you want to achieve and we will find the best way to help you succeed.

Which networking group(s) do you attend?

LOTS!

I attend a series of local ladies networking events – Ladies 4 Networking which have meetings on a monthly basis in Huddersfield, Brighouse, Halifax and now also in Bradford. These events are semi structured with a table shuffle element, some key note speakers, lunch and some open networking.

I also attend the Mid Yorkshire Network event which takes place in the centre of Huddersfield on a monthly basis

Then there are the monthly Yorkshire Business Conferences which are free to attend & very well supported plus a whole host of other events happening in the area.

How often do you attend networking events?

Probably at least one a week at the moment. Clearly there is a real synergy between online networking and face to face networking . After all that’s what online networking is all about (wherever possible), building those online relationships and taking them that step further and meeting up face to face.

How much of your business is directly or indirectly derived from attending business networking events?

We gain a large proportion of our client base from both online and face to face networking. It’s all about the engagement and getting to know, like and trust someone enough to do business with that company.

What format of networking event do you most enjoy?

I like the ladies 4 networking events. The way they’re set up gives ladies the opportunity to get to know a little bit about what each person has to offer, who they are looking to meet and what value they can add.

Each session starts with approximately 30 minutes of informal networking over coffee/tea. Then we sit down for a light lunch at which we hear from two speakers who give a little help and support to the rest of the group. This could be a brief session on marketing, printing, design or in my case the effective use of an online tool eg. LinkedIn. Each presenter only gets 10 minutes so it’s fairly low level. We then start with a table shuffle. This is tables of 6 people who get one minute each to present to the others on their table. We then move tables and have a minute with 5 new ladies. This helps to understand what each person has to offer and how you might help them. It’s less pressured than some networking events I’ve attended and for newbie networkers it’s a great way of getting into networking without it feeling too stressful.

What do you feel you gain from attending networking events?

I’m a big believer in being yourself. No airs & graces, just being you. I have gained a good deal of work from online networking and face to face networking. The two work in tandem with each other fantastically. I find that lots of people who network in person don’t always feel so confident about networking online & so I help them to overcome these fears and challenges by working with them on a 1-2-1 basis to get them up & running in no time!

I find so much more, not only about what other people do but also I get to know them as a person. The more you get to know someone the stronger the bond, the more likely you are to do business with that person.

What is your top networking tip?

I generally know someone in the room but if I don’t I’ll always try to strike up a conversation with a person as I’m getting coffee or when sitting down at a table. I’m not too targeted in terms of who I NEED to speak to as I know others might be. To me everyone has something to offer and you never know who else that person might know that could be a good contact for you.

www.socialprogress.co.uk

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