Testimonial: Tony Vink GETS IT

Tony Vink wrote this on link: INNER Circle meetings - Be there!

Hi all,

I would like to give some feedback to all members of the INNER CIRCLE who have not yet attended a meeting in the flesh so to speak. I was like some members, laying a little low, I thought, I'd join the site and see what gives. Well, to be honest there is only so much you can do by connecting online. You can make friends online, even arrange a few one on one meetings online and , if you're lucky, some business may be had. In fact, I have connected with Graham Mitchel of ActionCoach and have joined him to coach me in my quest to build a great business. I'm glad to report that that is going very well.I digress. The point is, that successful networking will, sooner or later, require some face to face contact.

So I decided that I would take the next step and joint the meeting at Benvenuto Conference Centre on friday the 30th July. In fact, I was so looking forward to it that I miss-read my clock and arrived an hour to early! When the folks all started arriving it quickly became apparent to me that these people don't just meet and sit down and talk business, but that everyone knows very one and are friends. When the meeting got underway, we were all welcomed by Brian Carter, our host for the evening who allowed us to briefly introduce ourselves. I forgot to mention that there were 25 people in the meeting and the room was quite full! Seems there were others like myself who just 'arrived'.

After introductions, Brian afforded everyone a chance to talk about their business and the services they provide. There was some banter between the members who knew each other well which was nice and gave the meeting a pleasant informal atmosphere.There was a short Presentation by Michael about Email marketing which I felt was a bit of a teaser and we are all waiting to learn more. At the end of the meeting Tervor Nel, who is one of the co-founders of INNER CIRCLE, gave everyone an update on the huge project he is involved with and expressed his excitement about the meeting and the possibilities of connections.

What I learned, other than who everyone is and what they do, is that there are many ways to connect. Judging from the multiple Joint Ventures (JV's) that several members had formed there is a lot of scope to do business. It is also recommended that you attend regularly, to give everyone a chance to get to know you, I think it makes sense that having a more personal relationship with each other will make connecting and referring prospects to each other easier. The most important thing I learned is that bringing ideas to the meeting is most valuable. Ideas which you might have floating around and don't know what to do with if brought to the meeting might well be your next big thing, your next big contract. I also feel it is important not to worry that someone at the meeting already does what you do, the important thing to remember is that we need to have an attitude of abundance, there is plenty for everyone, especially those who band together like the INNER CIRCLE.

I will probably be attending the Fairlands meeting every month and then attend some of the other venues on occasion. Perhaps I can ask for comments about attending different meetings at different locations.

I am excited to have this connection and I encourage those of you who have not yet attended a meeting, to make a plan.

See you at the next meeting