Make Your Networking Less of a “Gamble” and more of a “Sure Thing”!

• Do you struggle with networking?
• Do you wonder how you can connect quickly with others?
• Do you leave events wondering if it was worth your time?

Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato will discuss key “Do’s” and “Don’t’s” in networking. We all want to get the most out of networking events, Rhonda will share tips on effective and ineffective habits, including:

• Setting Goals for networking that are effective and rewarding.
• Behaviors, Attitudes and Verbiage to avoid while networking.
• Discussion topics that make networking fun and easy.
• “Casino Characters”…What are they? How do you avoid them? How to avoid BEING them at networking events.
• The importance of Follow-Up.

About Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato:

Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato is a recovering litigation attorney. After developing a successful career as a lawyer for over 20 years, Rhonda realized she was not living her life’s passions and changed the trajectory of her career. She began utilizing her time and talents in ways that inspired change in others – physically, emotionally & spiritually.

Join us on Thursday, February 6th for the opportunity to network with other business leaders in and around the Naperville area. We look forward to you joining us for breakfast, group meeting, networking, and an opportunity to grow your business with our guest speaker, Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato.

Date And Time

Thursday, February 6, 2020
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM CST

Location

Naperville City Hall (new location)
Meeting Room B
400 S. Eagle St.
Naperville, IL 60540 (View Map)

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

*No refunds on monthly meetings or transfers to other events.*

The post Networking Breakfast Meeting Feb. 6: Guest Speaker Rhonda Lorenz-Pignato appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

What Top Sales Achievers Consistently Do More Effectively Than Their Peers

• The three things top sales achievers do better than their peers
• Having a focus on growing the sale funnel
• Systematically converting leads into highly qualified prospects
• Understanding the Pyramid of Sales Success
• Implementing a quarterly sales plan that actually gets results
• Utilizing specific time management skills for effective sales results

Join us for a very powerful discussion of learning how top sales performers are able to consistently achieve higher levels of sales results, systematically develop a greater degree of qualified prospects, plan effectively and execute plans efficiently.

About Kevin Piket:

Kevin Piket has over 25 years of experience in sales, sales management and entrepreneurship primarily at emerging-growth IT service and professional service firms ranging from start-ups to already established companies. Kevin’s primary background is in business development, client expansion, sales leadership and sales enablement. Kevin is currently the Manager, Sales Enablement with Access One Inc. He is also an Adjunct Professor teaching sales, marketing and leadership courses to both undergraduate and graduate students at Aurora University. Kevin Co-Founded and Chaired the Chicago IT Roundtable from 2008-2014 and was the President of the Naperville Jaycees from 2012-2013. Kevin also has an MBA in Leadership from Aurora University.

Join us on Thursday, January 9th for the opportunity to network with other business leaders in the Naperville area. We look forward to you joining us for coffee and donuts, networking, and an opportunity to grow your business with our guest speaker, Kevin Piket.

Date And Time

Thursday, January 9, 2019
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM CST

Location

Naperville City Hall (new location)
Meeting Room B
400 S. Eagle St.
Naperville, IL 60540 (View Map)

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

*No refunds on monthly meetings or transfers to other events.*

The post Networking Event Jan. 9: Guest Speaker Kevin Piket appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

This is a great opportunity to network with other local business owners and grab a few beers while talking about your business. Bring your business cards and let’s have some fun. We look forward to seeing you there.

Date And Time

Thu, July 25, 2019
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM CDT

Location

Solemn Oath Brewery
1661 Quincy Ave #179
Naperville, IL 60540
View Map

For directions, visit Google Maps:

You must be 21 years or older to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

The post July 25th Happy Hour Networking @ Solemn Oath Brewery appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

Change the Direction of Your Connection

When you understand personalities, you communicate with far greater influence and move your audience from resistance to action.

Whether you’re trying to motivate your team or influence potential customers to buy from you, understanding behaviors helps you speak the right language and get the results you want.

In this keynote, learn how to:

• Understand the differences between the 4 personality styles
• Identify your own style
• Spot cues to identify the styles of others
• Use communication techniques that improve your influence with your audience

About Marianne Renner:

Marianne Renner is a transformational leadership coach and keynote speaker. She has inspired hundreds of leaders to move from chaos to clarity and become all they were meant to become.

Marianne understands the importance of setting goals and having a clear plan to reach those goals. She has owned two businesses, founded a not-for-profit organization for at-risk youths, and was a bodybuilding champion and highly sought-after fitness instructor, having led two youth dance teams to win Gold Medals in the National Junior Olympics. Visit her website at: www.MarianneRenner.com

We hope that you can join us and other leaders in our area on April 4th. Join us for our monthly meeting, networking, and of course our guest speaker Marianne Renner. Learn some tips to grow your business and make connections with other business leaders. We look forward to meeting you.

Date And Time

Thursday, April 4, 2019
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM CST

Location

Naperville Public Library 95th Street Library
3015 Cedar Glade Road
Room A
Naperville, IL 60564
View Map

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

*No refunds on monthly meetings or transfers to other events.*

The post Networking Breakfast April 4: Guest Speaker Marianne Renner appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

Each quarter our groups come together for an evening of networking, dinner, drinks, and much more. It is a great opportunity to meet leaders in our area and to make new connections.

Tickets include:

• 2 Drink Tickets ($9 and under drinks)
• Appetizers
• 3 1/2 hours of networking
• Door prizes

Date And Time

Thu, April 25, 2019
5:30 PM – 9:00 PM CDT

Location

Empire Burgers & Brew
48 West Chicago Avenue
Naperville, IL 60540
View Map

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

You must be 21 years or older to attend and you need to present an ID when you check in. Tickets at the door will be $25. We look forward to seeing you there!

After two tickets are used we turn into a cash bar. No refunds or transfers of this ticket to any future events.

The post Evening Networking Event at Empire, April 25 appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

Join us after work for drinks (2), pizza, and casual networking with some of the top business owners in our local area.

Tickets are $20 and include:

• 2 Drink tickets
• Pizza
• Networking
• Door Prize to be announced at the event
• Bag Boards
• Free Wi-Fi

Date And Time

Tue, March 19, 2019
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM CDT

Location

Alter Brewing (Barrel Room)
2300 Wisconsin Ave Ste 213
Downers Grove, IL 60515
View Map

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

You must be 21 years or older to attend and you need to present an ID when you check in. Tickets at the door will be $25. We look forward to seeing you there!

After two tickets are used we turn into a cash bar. No refunds or transfers of this ticket to any future events.

The post Join Us at Happy Hour at Alter Brewing, March 19 appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

Before Conversation:

1. What is the goal?

2. Where are you having the conversation?

3. What do you need to do prior to add the most value?

During Conversation:

1. Be present!

2. What are you noticing?

3. Focus on one question at a time.

4. What’s your best role?

5. What’s the next right thing?

After Conversation:

1. How are you following up?

2. When is the next coaching conversation?

By following this short coaching checklist you can accomplish many things within your organization. If you need to have a coaching conversation with a team member and need help we would highly recommend giving Ethan a call.

Ethan Martin
ethan@simplifiedleadership.org
630-755-5424
www.simplifiedleadership.org

The post Coaching For the Win – February 7th Breakfast Meeting appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

Coaching For The Win!

This workshop covers the basics of a Coaching Approach to Leadership. A coaching approach is marked by the ability to help others arrive at the best solution. In today ’s fast-paced and complex world, being the smartest person in the room is far less valuable than being the best coach. Leaders who coach are able to manage companies with greater levels of creativity and create captivating cultures.

Takeaways Include:

• We don’t see the world as it is, we see what we notice. Be a first-class noticer!
• How to create a coaching habit
• Small changes can lead to big results
• How to ask Coaching Questions

Date And Time

Thu, February 7, 2019
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM CST

Location

We look forward to you joining us for breakfast, group meeting, networking, and an opportunity to grow your business.

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

*No refunds on monthly meetings or transfers to other events.

The post Feb. 7 Networking Breakfast: Speaker Ethan Martin on Coaching For The Win appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

Social Media Marketing: Using Analytics to Boost ROI

For many business owners, the thought of investing large amounts of money into marketing is a risky proposition: feeling as if one is throwing money into a black hole and hoping that something good comes out of it. Rather than hoping or praying, doing some solid market research can help design marketing solutions that are guaranteed to work, with a positive ROI.

How can social media help? It can serve as a means of interacting with your customers to gather feedback and offer things of interest. Social media provides a unique way to start conversations with customers and promote your business.

Topics:

• Asking / observing WHY people use your product or service
  • Learn about perceived strengths and weaknesses (SWOT analysis) in comparison to direct competitors
• Creating goals for marketing campaigns
  • Setting realistic targets to hit within a time frame, which can be quantified
• Crafting marketing that addresses the specific needs of your customers
  • Using customer feedback to craft custom ads that match their interests
  • Marketing can target business strengths/opportunities, or negate weaknesses/threats
  • Creating A/B marketing strategies to achieve the best results in future campaigns
  • Using social media platforms of highest relevance to your business and marketing objectives
• Measuring success and ROI
  • Determine whether the marketing campaign had a significant impact on the business
  • Compare A/B tests, inform the design of future marketing efforts
  • Calculate the return on marketing efforts/dollars spent (ROI)

Rather than discussing current trends, this talk focuses on the growing your business through the creation of targeted marketing that is based on data, from the customers themselves. In addition, quantifying the ROI of marketing efforts can inform the design of future marketing campaigns. Join us at this interactive talk to learn how to make the most of your marketing efforts and bring your business new customers.

This month we have our very own Michel Ann Sharritt as our guest speaker. Michel is the owner and Vice President of CueCamp and Situated Research, which are both located in Naperville. Michel has the creative ability to market businesses with new media, done successfully at both CueCamp and Situated Research, using a combination of web design, interactive marketing, and social media. Michel has been working with clients on their marketing strategies for over 20 years now and speaks frequently on this topic.

We look forward to you joining us for breakfast, networking, and an opportunity to grow your business.

To attend, buy a ticket at Eventbrite:

* Tickets at door are $35. Tickets are non-transferable & non-refundable.
* Bring plenty of business cards!

The post Nov. 1 Networking Breakfast: Using Social Media Marketing Analytics to Boost ROI appeared first on Naperville Business Network.

You will be greeted with a flute of Champagne and appetizers. Followed by a four-course dinner, open bar, a night full of networking, socializing, raffles and more. 

This year our event is helping to benefit children that are less fortunate for the holiday season. Half of the proceeds for this event will be given to Toys For Tots. With events like this one and the support of individuals like you, we can all help Toys for Tots fulfill their motto: Every child deserves a little Christmas!

$85 Early Bird Registration (before Nov. 9th)
$125 Regular Ticket (after Nov. 10th)

Includes:

• Open Bar
• Hors D’oeuvres
• Four Course Dinner, Including Dessert
• Raffles
• Networking

Plus, we have two great advertising options for businesses who want to get their name out there:

Option 1: Additional $50

• Your business logo will be featured on our group website at www.naperbiz.net as a sponsor for the event

Option 2: Additional $150

• Your business logo will be featured on our group website at www.naperbiz.net as a sponsor for the event
• Your business will have a blog post written and published about your business on our website
• Your business blog post will be advertised on our group FB page/Instagram/ and LinkedIn pages
• Your business logo will be printed on our welcome banner as guests arrive at the event
• Your business logo will be printed in our evening program that will be passed out to all guests
• You may provide 1 small advertising item to be placed in all guests take home gift bags

* Advertising options are available up until Nov 19th.

We look forward to seeing our group members as well as non-members on December 10th for what promises to be a fun evening.

Buy Tickets:

No refunds or transfers on tickets. All attendees must purchase a ticket before the event. Tickets will NOT be sold at the door. 

* Unwrapped toys will be accepted at the event.

* Dress attire is evening wear.

The post Holiday Networking Event (Dec. 10) at Cooper’s Hawk Benefiting Toys for Tots appeared first on Naperville Business Network.