Why we're disrupting networking memberships
Joining a business network traditionally means making a large commitment. And a large annual payment! But how can you be confident it’s the right network for you until you’ve seen what it’s like to be a member? James West explains a radical change to make networking more attractive to newcomers.
We can tell you that ONLE, our online business network, has grown remarkably quickly in the past six months. We can reference that record member growth is happening despite the return of in-person networking, proving that online networking has a bright future. Our claims are supported by the popularity of our new groups in London, Manchester and New York (yes, New York!) plus our recently expanded programme of member events. And we’re confident that if you speak to our members they’ll tell you how much value they get from ONLE.
But…it’s human nature to be skeptical until you experience something for yourself.
James West, co-founder of ONLE
The problem with traditional networking is that as a new member, you have to take a risk. So while the website, proposition and pricing look good, as do the customer testimonials, your experience is limited to a couple of meeting visits. But until you’re a member, you’re still an outsider looking in.
We’ve been thinking about the problem recently and we’ve come up with what we believe is the only intelligent solution:
• You can now visit one ONLE meeting to see how we operate, plus experience our culture and approach to networking.
• Instead of a second visit, you can join ONLE for £10 - the same price as a visit. This means you get one month to experience being a member - and the full range of benefits you get being part of our community.
• And because we don’t enforce any tie-in or minimum contract, there’s no risk. If you decide after your first month that ONLE isn’t for you - you can cancel.
This last point is particularly important. In our view, forcing someone to be a member of something they don’t enjoy doesn’t benefit either party.
We want people to network with us who want to network with us.
Our culture is the reason why ONLE has been successful. We’re proud to have created a network of people who care and support one another. Therefore, if we made an unhappy member stay by enforcing a contract, we’d ruin our relationship with that individual. But we’d also damage a networking culture which is built on members participating because they want to.
Want to experience ONLE networking for yourself? Please book a visit, we look forward to meeting you. And if you’ve already attended and want to experience being a member (risk-free!) use the code FIRST10 when purchasing your membership.