More contacts in less time
I recently had an intriguing conversation with Antony Vila, founder of Contact25.
This is a company that is focused on helping people automate and simplify the networking process. Their philosophy:
Why spend time going to long winded networking events when you can meet 15 new contacts in an hour and a half?
I wanted to share the highlights of our conversation, because I think there’s something here for everyone (which is unusual):
Sri: Why did you create this product — what’s the story behind it? And how does it help event organizers?
Antony: We have created an online software solution to help events organisers to run and promote speed networking events.
Originally it was created to help us run streamlined speed networking events ourselves but it was always designed with a view to helping others.
The speed networking concept has been around for a while now, but many organisers who attempt it come across the same problems:
- How do we manage the logistics of the event?
- How do we promote it?
- And once it’s finished, how do we measure its effectiveness?
We have created a solution which lets the events organiser get on with promoting the event while we have automated all the tedious administration elements.
This includes an online CRM to help manage prospects and customers, with batch html emailing to both groups.
We have an e-commerce facility to take payments for all the events upfront so there’s no chasing cheque after the event.
For the event itself, we have a dynamic table planning solution which maximises the number of ‘new’ meetings at every event. This means that on average over 90% of the time our contacts are matched up with people they have not met at the events before.
This is a real selling point for regular networkers who are frustrated with meeting the same contacts time and time again.
Sri: You mentioned that this product could be used within large companies to improve internal communications. Can you say more about this? How might this work?
Antony: One of the major pitfalls of growth is the inevitable reduction in quality communications.
Time an again when employees of large organisations are asked what could be improved they come back with the answer ‘communication’.
Speed networking is a very fair way of levelling out natural imbalances in large organisations.
By having regular speed networking sessions with a rotational system, (over time) everybody meets with everybody else for 5 minutes.
This means that all employees can feel that their needs and concerns are given a fair amount of time with the boss (and perhaps their boss’s boss).
It also gives employees a holistic view of the organisations so they can understand their place within it and how their actions affect the success of the business.
There are many ways in which organisations attempt to improve communications but there aren’t many that could be so easily integrated into the working day.
We’re pushing for organisations to hold speed networking sessions one a week / once a fortnight for just 1 hour to improve the way they communicate.
We believe that this will help every employee to have a finger on the pulse of the company so they can drive it forward in a cohesive direction.
Sri: Since satisfied clients are great referral sources, business owners are obviously interested in encouraging this. I wonder if your product could be used to encourage client referrals? What do you think?
Antony: Definitely!
We’ve got a product called DIY speed networking which is aimed at any group who just want to get started with speed networking.
Companies could use it to invite their contacts together and create synergies and new business opportunities for their clients.
Sri: Is there anything else you want to add?
Antony: If there are any readers who are interested in finding out more about speed networking or running their own events (either in conjunction with their own business or stand alone) please get in touch by visiting www.contact25.com or emailing avila@contact25.com.
