The first Tuesday of every month means it's the WPCC networking breakfast at the Rendezvous, Weymouth.
I'm a newcomer to both Weymouth and business networking. This was my sixth visit to the WPCC event and each one has been, from my point of view, a success.
Some are sceptical of networking events, and I can see why. If the main reason for doing it is to win business, that requires selling, and most of us don't like that. What we like even less is lots of people trying to sell to us.
I won't deny that one of my motives for networking is to find new customers. But I don't do it by selling. At every meeting I look for people I don't know and I ask them what they do. I want to know what business they're in and what motivates them to do it.
It's not that I'm looking for an angle to promote my wares. Having worked in various organisations over the years I am genuinely interested in how business works. For a while I interviewed and profiled a series of entrepreneurs on this blog, because I was keen to hear their stories.
Inevitably, conversations lead to business. I hear it happening around me and I do it myself. It's all conducted informally over bacon, eggs and coffee, overlooking the Weymouth harbour. Relationship building leads to relationship selling - the low pressure kind that we non-salesy people prefer.
Yesterday's WPCC meeting was packed. Capacity is around 75 and I think we were one short of that.
The Chamber of Commerce breakfasts have recently become hugely popular with local businesses. But don't let that discourage you from getting involved in this type of relaxed networking.
If you're not in Weymouth, there are plenty of other business networking opportunities in Dorset. And if you're reluctant to go alone, try to find a contact who's already involved with a networking group. Should that fail, you could always get in contact with me and come as my guest!
