Page 24 - OCT2019 Pitmaster Club

BarbecueNews.com - 24 OCTOBER 2019 NETWORKING AND THE NBBQA I am not sure how many books on the various topics of business line my bookshelves, but they are plentiful. Each one gives new and di昀erent ideas on how to be a great success in the world of business. Regardless of the size of business, the tips o昀ered are numerous and on occasion, helpful. A favorite which comes up in almost every book is the topic of “networking.” It’s a favorite among business gurus and authors, for good reason, there’s so many ways to network. How’s your golf game? One of the number one ways to network is by playing 18 holes. But If you’re like me, then your clubs haven’t been out of your bag in 5 or 6 years. You like dinners? Of course you do, you’re a BBQ pitmaster. Many a contract has been signed because of a good meal. I could go on and on about this but the truth of the matter is, they ways to network is limitless. However, there are certain characteristics every networking event has, whether it’s a big party or just an intimate brunch. NETWORKING NEEDS TO BE PERSONAL Successful networking opportunities are those which have a personal 昀avor to them. This is one of the reasons some of those business books encourage you to take up golf. People are letting their hair down as they swing the club and it puts everyone at ease to talk some business. The NBBQA has taken this to the next level with the di昀erent networking events taking place around the world. The most recent was at the American Royal where we had a brunch and celebrated the founder of Blues Hog BBQ, Bill Arnold (a little more about this later). One former NBBQA president said, “This is the best idea we’ve had in a long time.” There is no pressure at these events and with brunch being served, they are just fun. NETWORKING NEEDS TO BE PROFESSIONAL I have been to a lot of di昀erent types of networking events over the years, and the other characteristic is they need to be professional. There are a lot of thoughts about what is professional from the way you dress to the way you conduct yourself, but we all have an idea of what it means to be professional. Back to our golf analogy, being professional is more about the way you conduct yourself and not using the golf cart to re-enact a scene from The Dukes of Hazzard. When the NBBQA holds an event, they vary but are always conducted professionally. When Immediate Past President, Mark Lambert, hosted a steak cooko昀 bene昀ting NBBQA, he brought in the SCA to be the sanctioning body so the winner could earn a Golden Ticket to the World Championship. Folks are still talking about this and it occurred back in June. NETWORKING NEEDS YOU TO BE AVAILABLE The biggest obstacle to networking is being available to network. Over the years the NBBQA only had one big event, the national conference, and that was it. However, this has changed with the new and varied networking opportunities the NBBQA is hosting around the country. Before networking opportunities can be bene昀cial, being available is key. Have you ever been to a presentation and the presenter just looked like his mind was someplace else? Part of being available is being present when you are there. Many miss out on open doors because they have their minds someplace else or just do not show up at all. Organizations miss the boat if they do not make opportunities available for their members. The NBBQA has recognized this and has one being made available each month from Florida to Washington. So now you just need to make yourself available to attend one in your area.