Several months ago I went on the cruise from hell. It wasnt advertised as a cruise from hell, but instead as an opportunity to check out a networking club, to have fun, to see what this particular group had to offer . . . but make no mistake, it was the cruise from hell.
A THREE HOUR CRUISE . . .
A client of mine insisted I go on this evening cruise as her guest. Shed been talking about this group, and about how I should come to a meeting and sign up, about how much it would benefit me. She was insistent, and not easily dissuaded. The cruise was put together by the local chapter, so involved quite a few separate clubs.
I acquiesced. I was free that night, and didnt think it could hurt. I was wrong.
My client had another guest also, so the three of us embarked on our adventure with the expectation that this would be a good business networking event, and should also be, as promised, fun. We were assured there would be food available, as well as the no-host bar.
And yes, a cruise around the Sound is always fun. But on a winters night, the scenery is limited to lights in the distance, so we were hoping there would be more going on inside than outside. And there was. Each club was clustered together in its little pocket of togetherness. On the dance floor, off the dance floor, these were people who knew each other well and didnt seem to be very interested in meeting anyone new.
We signed in at a guest register, but the purpose of this was never made clear. After that, no one seemed to care that we were guests, that we were there to find out what this group could offer us, and afterwards, no one ever followed up with the information wed left behind. Perhaps it was an exercise to make us feel welcome If so, it didnt work.
The no-host bar was quite a success. The food . . . not so much. It was brought by the members, and apparently there was a contest, though I never did figure out the purpose or the results. Some of it was abysmal, some of it was good, and there wasnt nearly enough of it to feed a boatload of drinking people. (Or drunken people, for that matter.) Yes, many people seemed to be having a very good time. These appeared to be the people in the group, who were of the idea that this cruise was an excuse to party with their own group of friends. Thats nice for them. Other guests that I noticed were, much as we were, standing around looking for an emergency exit. Even my client, a member of a club, was not particularly enjoying herself. This could be because she was saddled with two unknown guests, or because her club wasnt as much FUN as some of the other clubs.
This event seemed to work just fine as a gathering for club members from the local chapter to get together and party, as a way to solidify bonds already formed, as a way to relax in a non-business environment, but not as a means to introduce prospective new members to the club. I am not particularly motivated to attend any meetings after the cruise from hell.
Suggestions for making an event such as this work on both fronts:
Define what you want to accomplish before planning the event. A social event for your own members will have quite a different structure from an event thats to attract new members. If youre combining the two, dont assume potential new members will be drawn in by your obvious ability to have fun with each other . . . we have our own groups of friends who meet that need just fine. Were looking for business opportunities.
Show prospective new members what they can gain from joining your organization. How does your organization differ from others
Take an interest in prospective members, keeping in mind this does encompass more than saying hello when they show up. If youve asked them to provide contact info, follow up with them after the event.
If alcohol is available, ensure theres enough food for everyone. In fact, even if theres no alcohol at your event, make sure theres enough food available. Give us something to remember that was positive, even if it was just the great appetizers.
Remember that most people are not innately extroverts, able to mix right in with any crowd they walk into.
Defining your mission in advance and planning around what prospective members might want to experience, rather than planning a good time for your members, will improve the success of your networking event, and boost your clubs membership.
Monique Young relies on networking extensively, and considers it the most effective form of advertising for her business. She can be reached at
NO, thats not one of my secret dreams :-) Its an observation that you need to make. Years ago, I read Harvey MacKays fantastic best-seller, Beware The Naked Man Who Offers You His Shirt. I really enjoyed the book and even sent Harvey a note. He sent me an autographed copy of his book Swim With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. Its one of my most prized possessions - but back to the naked man...
When you surf the various websites offering advice and information products teaching you how to earn an online income, it becomes glaringly obvious that many people who created these products havent done what they teach! They are in effect, naked men offering you their shirts.
Anyone just starting out online can understand why this happens. If you put up a website on making money online, and you admit that you havent made any yet, people will realize that you have no useful advice to pass on. To avoid this consequence, beginners often fake it, until they make it.
One of the reasons many online marketers never make it in the first place is because they ARE following the advice of naked men. They are absorbing, believing, and then re-teaching the conventional wisdom so prevalently shared in the internet marketing arena. The consequence is that not only does the creator of the info product fail, but so do all of his mislead followers.
We have two problems within this situation. The first is, How does a beginner establish himself as an expert if he has achieved no major online marketing success The answer is that he creates a product in an area that he IS an expert in or that he has very thoroughly researched.
The beginner can also very easily create a product by interviewing or partnering with someone possessing the knowledge or skills he lacks. I sort of touched upon this in another article I wrote entitled, Dont Pretend To Be An Expert, Become One. That article is available on my website at:
The second problem is in knowing who is genuine and who hasnt really learned the ropes yet. My advice to many of my clients is to fully check out anyone before following their advice. Simply go to any major search engine and enter their domain or their name. Visit many, MANY of the sites that are listed as featuring something related to this so-called expert. This will give you a very good feel for who you are really dealing with.
If sites about them contain testimonials, contact some of the people providing the testimonial... especially if something doesnt quite feel right. Thats right... Im advising you to trust your instincts.
Another way to easily check out someone is by using a website called The Way Back Machine. This website visits sites scattered across the internet and takes a snapshot of them. So if someone tells you that theyve been in business for 5 years and you see that their only website is barely a year old, run away very fast - and dont look back!
The way back machine can be found at:
If you enter my url, in the search box, you will see that it offers snapshots of how sad this website looked beginning in 1998. Prior to that time, all of my websites were self-replicated websites offered by various affiliates programs, and websites built on free hosts such as FreeYellow, Angelfire, Hypermart, Webspawner, and about 30 others :-)
To digress just a little, I purchased my own domain name when someone responded to one of my posts in Links Exchange Digest insisting that I would have a lot more credibility if I got my own domain name AND ditched the Hotmail account. I kept websites on free hosts for several more years, but finally started really listening. People were telling me that using a free hosting company... building and promoting their domain, was just bad business. When I listened and took their advice, thats when things REALLY took off for me.
Ive just pointed out to you a way to avoid the naked man look. If you are a beginner, get you own domain... one with a url that is easy to remember and that suggests what your business is all about. My domain name, was a poor choice in many ways, but over the years it has developed a very strong brand. My second flag-ship domain, , was a better choice since it centered around soul food and the name was easy to remember to anyone familiar with that category of cooking.
Another way for beginners to avoid pretending to be something that you are not, and build online credibility, is simply to market other peoples products. If you want a higher than normal commission either approach them about joint ventures, or obtain reprint rights to in-demand products. Dont waste your time and resources promoting products that there is no demand for. Many reprint rights that are offered for free are priced that way because the owner of the product couldnt sell them :-)
The benefit of obtaining products that are proven sellers through reprint rights is that you often get a tested website that will generate a steady income for you if you just drive traffic to it. Its really easy, but again, you have to make sure that the product is one that is worth the effort. The criteria that I use and suggest you use is, ask yourself if you would purchase the product at the price you plan on offering it for. Also read the template website being offered and notice whether or not it gets you really pumped up. If not, look elsewhere.
I do recommend that you eventually develop your own product or service. However, that may take some time. In the interim you need to establish a professional business thats built on quality and integrity. Avoid coming across as a fake or naked man. Also beware of those who have to fake it until they make it. You know and appreciate that we all had to start somewhere. Most of us could not afford to buy a huge, thriving web business, so we had to start from meager beginning. Just look at my websites in The Way Back Machine for proof of that :-)
Copyright 2004 Willie Crawford
About The Author
Willie Crawford has been teaching others how to build an on-line business since late 1996. Frequently featured in radio, magazine and newspaper articles and interviews, Willie teaches the average guy what the top marketers are doing but seldom talking about. Willie provides detailed how to information in his newsletter, through his personal coaching, and at his annual how to workshop. Learn more at: