Exec says "5 Minute Networking" software rocks!
The Chamber Executive Network
We’ve all heard about the “five minute” concept, whether it’s dating or business networking. You get a bunch of people in a room and have half of them remain seated at tables and have the other half rotate through the tables, talking to each person for only five minutes, then moving to the next. “We thought it sounded simple, too,” says exec Sally Haas of Pittsburgh Airport Area (Pennsylvania) Chamber. “But when we tried it on our own, we found there were a lot of challenges.” People were too crowded, it was too noisy, people wouldn’t move right away at the bell, the tables weren’t positioned right. There were a lot of complaints.” So last month, Haas tried it again, this time using 5 Minute Networking Event Facilitation Software – and had the opposite results. “Our members loved the format and how professionally it was done and they want to do it again,” she says. “People were standing in the doorway looking in and saying ‘This is cool. How can we get in?’ Having the software and right facility was the difference. It kept people focused and energized and they left with the ‘wow’ factor.”
Here’s how it works: Once the Chamber has leased the software, members can register online at www.5MinuteNetworking.com to take part in the event. Haas signed up 50 members at a $25 per Chamber member and $35 for a non-member. The group met at 5:15 p.m. on a Wednesday at an upscale club for a half hour of drinks and hors d’ oeuvres, then half took their assigned seats at two-person tables arranged in a “U” shape in the room. The software was used to match people to their priority networking interests and to limit an over-abundance of certain occupations. It also sent out automatic email reminders of the event to participants, provided an exit survey to be turned in that evening and even controlled the timing at the tables. Now that the event is over, participants can review information on-line of who attended in case they lost or failed to get a business card. Also when the Chamber repeats the program, the software will automatically pair any repeat participants with new networking partners. “People were really enthusiastic about this system,” says Haas. “They got leads and some told us they even made sales.”
Vender Info: Sonia English and her sister Melissa founded their “5 Minute Networking” company about two years ago and rent (they prefer “license”) their software to about 60 Chambers nationwide at present.
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