What the "Insiders" know

By Glen Gould, Southeast Bureau Chief Glen's Bio Print Article

The Insiders Sales Roundtable (ISR) in Atlanta meets on the first and third Tuesday each month at Gordon Biersch, 848 Peachtree Street, for lunch and networking from 11:45 to 1:00.

"Insiders" is an appropriate name for an organization that really knows how to network. For example, Erna Schneiderman of Fulfillware was introduced to the group by Bridgit Bacon with Eventstreams. From there, Schneiderman met Klaus Kleber of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce—and became a Chamber member. The list of connections and referrals is endless.

ISR members open each meeting by discussing club business and events ranging from fundraising programs for the Lighthouse Foundation to the annual golf tournament and Christmas party. The program then moves into the member and guest introductions, followed by a member presentation and the sharing of leads.

The longevity of the club and its members, and the exclusive business-to-business format, enable members to focus on referrals and leads closely related to their own business. Networking clubs with both business-to-business and business-to-consumer members often find that two separate internal clubs develop—one with business-based referrals and one with consumer-based referrals—resulting one category or the other becoming disenfranchised. The ISR business-to-business format lets members to easily refer businesses in their sales funnel and book of business to other members, knowing that they, too, are looking for business referrals.

There are no membership dues to join the club, but members pay for their lunches quarterly in advance, encouraging regular attendance. Guests are always welcome, but the club is category-exclusive.

For more information on the Insiders Sales Roundtable, go to www.insiderssalesroundtable.com. For membership information, contact President Steve Miller at steve.miller@ki.com.

Glen can be reached at GlenG@TheNationalNetworker.com or Post a Comment on TNNW Blog.