Ann Arbor Connect 250

February 3, 2012 11:30 AM - 15 attended

First Friday Connect @ Lunch

Banfield's West Side Grill (map)

Selected By: Brian Bundesen

3 photos of this Meetup

Uploaded by: Brian Bundesen

Networking is a contact sport, and we mean IRL contacts. Also, the concept behind MeetUp is to actually, well, Meet Up. Our Monthly Lunch Connection MeetUps are a great way to make new contacts and meet interesting new people in a relaxed and casual setting. We encourage you to get away from your office, push away from the keyboard, and make some new professional connections. We ask that you bring plenty of business cards, but you will not be asked to make your 'elevator' speech. You have to eat lunch anyway, right?

You will never know who you'll meet at these lunches, or who you can develop a better professional relationship with, if you have meet them in other environments.

We realize that it can possibly be intimidating to think about joining a group of virtual strangers. Please know that we are a welcoming, non-cliquie group. Our goal is to help YOU grow YOUR business through relationship building networking. At these MeetUps, we encourage you to extend the first hand, tap the first domino, establish new connections, and follow up one-on-one.

Don't just take my word for it. Read some of our group testimonials. Give us a try! You'll be glad you did!

Take a step outside of your comfort zone and join us. I look forward to seeing you there!

Brian Bundesen
What a great roster of professionals planning to come tomorrow! Thankfully, it looks like this unseasonably warm winter weather will continue. Looking forward to seeing you all!

Posted February 2 at 10:07 AM | 1 like
Claire Hughes
Sorry I wasn't able to make it after all. I've been down with a cold.

Posted February 6 at 12:10 PM
Brian Bundesen
Hi Claire: Sorry we missed you as well. Hope you feel better, and we'll look forward to meeting you at another upcoming event.

Posted February 6 at 2:15 PM
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15 attended

5.004 (4 ratings)

Event Host

Brian Bundesen
Networking Group Team Leader, Organizer

This was our best attended FF Connect @ Lunch. The good news is that more folks had the opportunity to meet new connections. The challenge is that in this setting, everyone did not have the opportunity to speak to everyone else. I hope everyone who came will take the time to connect with the others who were there, and begin to build and grow great professional relationships.
Checked-in
Patrick Collins

A great turnout! If this meetup grows any more, Brian might have to find us a bigger space to meet! Glad to see all the new faces, even those over on the East side of the table I did not get a chance to meet personally.
Mary Light, ND MH, LMT

Lots of open friendly people glad to share contacts, info, and hear about one another in an easy going atmosphere.
Kurt Ebel

This was a fantastic meeting. Great group of individuals in attendance. Great diverse group of professions represented also. Well worth the time spent there.
Frederick Dudek
Bruce Tasoojy
Jitendra "Jay" Mehta
Edward Rezewski

+1 guest
Jan McDonough

+1 guest
Angela Fisher
Carol Zampa
Tom Bullard
Gyll Stanford

Your organizer's refund policy for First Friday Connect @ Lunch

Refunds are not offered for this Meetup.

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Ann Arbor, MI

Founded Nov 2, 2007

Read more about us…

We're about:

· · · · · ·

Organizer:

We are a friendly, welcoming and supportive group of local professionals who MeetUp to help each other grow personally and professionally through networking. We're about LEARNING and NETWORKING, and we'd love to meet YOU!

If you're an entrepreneur, small business owner, someone between opportunities, or someone simply interested in meeting new people and building a professional network, this MeetUp group is for YOU!

Joe Girard, who is considered by many to be one of the greatest salesmen of all times, is credited with creating the theory of 250. This says that the average person "knows" 250 people. These 250 are your 'Sphere of Influence.'

The premise of Ann Arbor Connect 250 is to consciously create, develop and cultivate a network of 250 (or more) people. Harvey MacKay boasts of a Networking Sphere of Influence of over 15,000 people! Once you have a network of 250, you establish yourself as a networking resource to those 250 people. When any of them need the services of a professional, they would think of you, since you belong to a Networking Group of professionals. Whenever one of your friends needs services provided by one of the members of Ann Arbor Connect 250, you can create an introduction and create a win-win-win situation.

The Win-Win-Win of networking referrals:

You have a friend who needs "X" service.

Another Ann Arbor Connect Member provides great service "X"

You introduce your friend to your fellow member, and the following happens:

1) Your friend is happy because they get service they need from a great professional = WIN!

2) The member is happy because they get new business = WIN!

3) You are a STAR, because YOU created this win-win situation, and BOTH these people will look for ways to help YOU. = WIN!

This is a simple (not easy) concept. Referrals are given based on TRUST. Trust is earned by the development of professional relationships over TIME. This evolves from coming to MeetUps, meeting folks, engaging, meeting one-on-one, etc.

WHAT THIS NETWORKING GROUP IS NOT: This is not a place where you come to our MeetUps and expect to SELL your product, service, or business opportunity to fellow members. While other members DO need to know what you do, PLEASE approach members in the INFORMATIONAL mode, not the SELLING mode. That is the quickest way to blow a potential relationship, and is incredibly short-sighted.

We are a FUN, ENERGETIC, and WELCOMING group. We work very hard to make everyone feel welcome. We know it can be way out of your comfort zone to come to an event with a bunch of strangers. I encourage you to make our events part of your Networking routine. You will meet some GREAT professional folks, and really be glad you did!