Best Practices

Officially, we don’t track leads passed, business closed, one on ones, or participation in group events, but we do expect our members to be top notch. You are not only representing your business, but you are representing the group! Here are some guidelines and expectations. If you find that your participation in this group is not leading to as much business as you hoped, it might not be the group… it might be you. Give yourself an honest evaluation and ask how you are doing in the following areas. It may be tough, but it will be worth it!

Thanks for being a part of SABRE. Business owners like YOU are what make it so awesome!

1. Respect for Time

Our meetings start at 11:15am, with open networking from 11:15-11:45. This is the best time of the meeting because it is when you can personally meet other business owners and guests. This half hour is a key component for SABRE to benefit you and your business. It also helps our meetings run smoothly, because it ensures that everyone can be checked in and order food by 11:45. Our number one goal is to help each other grow our businesses, and when people arrive late or do not utilize this first 30 minutes it not only takes away from THEIR business but from the group as well. Please keep in mind though that we need the time from 11am-11:15 to set up the check in table… then we will be ready to roll and check in everyone and efficiently as possible!

While we love the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of our group, the time allotted for Marketing Messages and testimonials is timed. The mic will not be shut off if you go one second over and we won’t throw tomatoes at you, but we ask that members be respectful and mindful of how much time they have been allotted. When someone goes over their allotted time, it takes away time from another business owner. This is especially critical in testimonial time, since we go “round robin” style and try to fit in as many testimonials as possible. We want as many to be able to share the love as possible.

2. Payments of Dues

Each week, SABRE requires a dues payment of $5 per person. The dues payment is not an optional charitable donation; it is a required “membership” cost. We do expect members to pay every week, or in advance (paying $20 for the next 4 weeks, for example).

3. Quality Referrals

Rather than requiring a certain number of referrals, we ask that you focus on giving quality referrals. This requires getting to know your fellow business owners through the open networking time, events, and one on ones. In addition, it means conditioning your lead before you give their information to the other business owner. In real life, that would look something like this:
Hey Susie, I heard you talking about the issues you are having with ____, and I actually know a fantastic person that can take care of that for you. Would it be ok if I give them (the business) your information so they can contact you directly? Yes? Great! You can expect a call from them within 48 hours.

                On the flip side, when YOU receive a lead from one of your fellow SABRE members, it is key to treat it like gold! Your fellow SABRE took the time to send YOU potential business and you need to honor that by taking the time to reach out to that lead within a timely manner (ideally 24-48 hours) and giving them the best customer service possible. When business owners know that you give referrals A+ service, they will be confident in sending you MORE leads. If you drop the ball, they will be less likely to send you business.

4. Meaningful One on One Appointments

A one on one is when you set up a time to meet another SABRE member outside of our normally scheduled meeting. The goal of this appointment is for you to learn more about each other and get a better understanding of how you might be able to help each other’s business. It is NOT a time to do a presentation, bring a team member or “upline,” or otherwise solicit your fellow business owner. It is for relationship building. If you don’t know what your fellow SABRE members need, it’s impossible to send quality referrals and any connections are just a shot in the dark. There are many networking resources out there on how to conduct a beneficial one on one. If you need some tips for where to start, ask some of your other SABREs! Quality one on ones are the key to building your business through networking. Without them, not only will your business stagnate, but so will your other fellow SABRE’s businesses.

5. Participation In Volunteer, Community Outreach, and Group Events

One of the biggest goals of this group is to give back to our local community, and one of the ways that we do that is to have regular volunteer days. If you are not a fan of volunteering, then you need to find another group. As with other aspects of this group, we do not REQUIRE or track participation, but it helps both you and the group when you participate. This is a group of GIVERS – both with our money and with our time. It takes a community to grow a business, and as business owners it is key to help the community. We understand that family and work schedules do not allow everyone to attend every event, so we try to provide as many different options as possible for giving back.

Within our group there are also many non-charitable events on a continual basis – events like Open Houses, Grand Openings, Meet and Greets, Customer Appreciations and Anniversaries. It’s important for members to support each other in these events, and they are also a great way to get to know each other better. Even if you think you might not be interested if what another business owner has going on, step out of your comfort zone and attend their event anyways. You might be surprised at what you learn and the connections you make!

Facebook Group Guidelines:

The Facebook group is SECONDARY to our networking meetings! Networking in person, every Thursday, is where the real magic happens. Join us! Our group is not designed to be an effective tool if you have never attended a meeting in person and/or never plan to. This group is, and always will be, about relationships – and those are best formed in person!

Use the search feature at the top of the page to look for threads on specific topics or training. This is a GREAT tool! For example, if you type in “video,” every video every posted to the page will pop up. If you type in “Twitter” every conversation with “Twitter” in it will be listed. There is a LOT of information on this page, if you know how to filter through it.

Please do not post ads or sales in this group. This can be a fuzzy line, but in general, think “is this post building relationships within the group, or just promoting my product?” You are welcome to share your FB page to get more likes, but we prefer to keep them posted all in one place.  If you type in “business fb page” you will see a post where you can post your link in the comments… and see everyone else’s, too. It’s pretty neat!

Some things that we love to see: events, business tips, referrals, exciting new things happening in your business (promotions, new divisions opening, personal breakthroughs), testimonials, blogs and training videos. It is great to give each other, or yourself, a high five, too! This is about encouraging one another, so if you worked hard to achieve a new goal in your business, we would love to hear about it (keep an eye out for “High Five Fridays” every week!

Not ok: “50% off sale today!” or “special discount for SABRE members only!” or “if you want to buy my product (and you should!) go here to my website!”

We do not take attendance at meetings… so no need to post in the group if you will not be able to attend. Just catch up next week!  We will miss seeing you, of course, but please don’t fill the page with your reason for missing. Instead, share your testimonials or something you leaned this week.

We love photos! We love it when you share pictures on the group, on your business page, or even your personal page. Instagram, Twitter… we love it all. Use the hashtags #sabrenetworking and #sabretucson so we can all see them!