We’ve all been there. It’s early morning, your alarm is blaring, and you have a regular networking meeting to get to. It is easy to ask yourself, “Is meeting every single time really necessary? Wouldn’t now and again be enough?”
It is a fair question, but the answer lies in the data. In 1986, an experiment was conducted with BNI chapters meeting only twice a month. The result? Those groups passed 52% fewer referrals than the weekly groups. The correlation between regularity and revenue is undeniable.
If you want to turn your network into a net worth, you cannot treat it as a “drop-in” activity. Here are five science-backed reasons why regularity is the secret engine of business growth.
1. The Power of Spaced Repetition
You can’t go to the gym once a month and expect to get fit. The same applies to networking. Meeting regularly engages a psychological concept called Spaced Repetition.
Research, including a 2016 study from Dartmouth, shows that we learn and retain information significantly better when we are exposed to it at spaced intervals. By meeting regularly, you aren’t just “showing up”; you are reinforcing your personal brand and your understanding of your partners’ businesses. You are building a habit of success rather than a sporadic event.
2. Defeating “Benign Neglect”
Relationships don’t usually end because of a big blowout fight; they end because of silence. This is called Benign Neglect.
When you don’t see someone, the relationship naturally fades—not out of malice, but out of distance. Regular meetings act as a “preservative” for your professional relationships. They ensure that your connection stays fresh, active, and immune to the natural decay of time.
3. Networking is an Athletic Sport
Professional athletes don’t stop practicing once they win a gold medal. In fact, they train harder. Business networking is a skill that requires the same level of conditioning.
Regular meetings are your practice ground. They are where you fine-tune your elevator pitch, sharpen your listening skills, and learn how to ask for better referrals. As the saying goes, if you want to be a champion in business, you have to put in the training hours.
4. Accelerating the VCP Process®
Trust is not built overnight. In networking, we follow the VCP Process®: Visibility + Credibility = Profitability.
- Visibility: They know who you are.
- Credibility: They know you are good at what you do.
- Profitability: They trust you enough to refer business to you.
Meeting sporadically stalls this process. Meeting weekly is a force multiplier. It moves you rapidly from simply being “visible” to being “credible,” getting you to the “profitable” stage much faster than if you met ad-hoc.
5. Staying Top of Mind (and Hot on Referrals)
The shelf life of a referral is short. If you hear about an opportunity on Monday but don’t meet your network until a few weeks later, that lead has gone cold.
Regular meetings keep you “Top of Mind.” When your partners see you frequently, you are the first person they think of when they meet a potential client for you. It ensures that referrals are passed while they are still “hot,” drastically increasing the chances of that referral turning into closed business.
The “CrossFit” of Networking
Think of your regular networking meeting not as an obligation, but as a workout. It requires intensity, consistency, and community. Success doesn’t come from doing a thousand things six times. It comes from doing six things a thousand times. Commit to the regularity, and the results will follow. Check out regular networking opportunties in Warwickshire we host.
