Network Professionals Inc. recently added two chapters in Northeast Ohio: Cuyahoga Falls and Belden Village. The nationwide sales lead organization follows the philosophy that “all things being equal, people do business with people they know, like and trust.”
Mike Warren, area director, who works as an investment consultant at Everen Securities in Akron, says joining one of the groups is “not a quick-fix for a sales career” but rather a method of enhancing business through structured, qualified referrals or word-of- mouth advertising.
“Getting clients is one thing; keeping them for life is another,” he says.
“It takes time for all of the personalities in the group to gel,” Warren says. “I didn’t receive a lot of referrals the first year, but the second year, 30 percent of my business came from Network Professionals. That beats cold calling.”
Each group takes only one member from each business category (e.g., banking, stockbrokering, etc.). When multiples from a category want to join, another chapter is started. According to Warren, the Akron/Canton area chapters generated 29,706 qualified referrals in 1997.
