I received this in my mailbox today:

Join the XYZ Marketing Society for one of the newest and most productive networking opportunities available anywhere. January’s meeting will feature the second annual XYZ Marketing Society speed networking event. In case you’re not familiar with the term, it’s somewhat similar to speed dating. The event will offer the opportunity to meet and interact with a large number of new business contacts in a fast-paced and more structured manner than typical networking opportunities. Participants in speed networking events usually leave with a wealth of new business prospects and potential business opportunities. In one session, participants can meet and exchange relevant information with more potential prospects than through weeks or months of traditional networking activities.

Do they really think effort will produce quantifiable results?  They compare it to speed dating; how many people do you know who have gotten married from speed dating gimmicks?  Meeting people is one thing – meeting quality individuals of an equal or higher business stature to develop lasting and trust-centered relationships is a totally different endeavor.

Relationships take investments of time, effort and resources (human, capital, resources), not drive-by-greetings!  Also, have you ever heard of strategic leaders of companies doing this nonsense?  I can see it now – come to the next World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland and let’s “speed network”!!

“Participants usually leave with a wealth of new business prospects and potential business opportunities.”  I equate this to “vibration,” whereas most people really need “forward motion”!  Think about where and how you’re investing in your portfolio of current and prospective relationships and ask yourself, your team and your organization – is it vibration or forward motion towards the transformation of these relationships into quantifiable performance, execution and results?