LeTip Club in Everett all about business networking

The scene could be mistaken for one of a friendly gathering, a family reunion or a team event. Tables are set and more than 20 people are expected for lunch.

But the group that gets together on Wednesdays at Shawn O’Donnell’s Restaurant in Everett is all of the above and then some.

Members from the Everett Afternoon Chapter of the ­business-to-business networking organization LeTip meet here for two hours each week to give one another qualified tips from potential clients.

They eat lunch and learn about each others’ businesses while exchanging referrals and tips.

“The definition of a tip is pretty clear-cut,” said Doug Elburn, regional director for Washington, Idaho and western Canada with LeTip International Inc.

Elburn has been involved with the group since 1995. In 2001, when he took his title, Elburn became a paid LeTip employee.

Meetings are structured to make use of the time members have together. Business owners, selected beforehand, make presentations and answer questions about their business.

“Passing on referrals is a big deal,” said Tosca King of Wiley Financial Mortgage in Mukilteo, and president of the LeTip Mukilteo Morning Chapter.

King has been member for almost a year. With the mortgage industry taking hits recently, she set out to prove how her business differs from others in the same field. LeTip was a good fit for her. Like other members, she must bring four tips a month to the group.

“I want to generate warm leads,” King said.

Investment is put into training skills such as how to generate more business or how to present a 30-second commercial, something that members can do at a chapter meeting.

“It can build confidence outside of the chapter,” Elburn said. “So when you go to a chamber or Master Builders (meeting) you are going to know how to work the room.”

Elburn says that having a powerful network each week is going to be essential in today’s economy.

“If you are getting a client that is already pre-sold, that means you are using all your time getting the client the service they deserve,” Elburn said.

Members go out into the community armed with the expectation that if they refer someone to a LeTip member, the work will be well done. About 80 percent of referrals come from outside the chapter.

The membership fee for the Everett Afternoon LeTip group is $390 a year. Elburn says that when business owners compare that amount to paying for radio advertising and other promotions, LeTip comes out as a good investment. Typically members belong to other organizations and can promote and be a resource to friends and others, Elburn said.

Vicki Machovsky, owner of MD Cleaning Services and mixer chairwoman for LeTip’s Everett Afternoon group, has seen her business grow since launching in 2005.

Machovsky came to LeTip when she worked for a software company. She loved networking and had what she described as a hare-brained idea to start a business.

“I put the cart before the horse,” Machovsky said.

She started an online gift gallery but soon found that, although she got support from her LeTip colleagues, her idea was too broad.

Machovsky decided to launch a house-cleaning business and promote it through LeTip.

“They make a commitment to you to help grow your business,” she said.

The first year she made $16,000. By her second year she brought in more than $42,000.

Half of her business came from LeTip in 2007 and Machov­sky now has six employees.

While word of mouth works for LeTip members, they must also maintain a high business standard.

“We can refer without any question,” Machovsky said.

Members can go from chapter to chapter if their profession, trade or service is not represented. A member who worked for a roofing company did just that. They had been making $20,000 a year and went to making the same amount in one month.

If members misrepresent what LeTip does out in the community, the group takes immediate measures to fix the problem. They also make sure that tips and referrals are carried through and that potential clients are called within 24 hours.

Machovsky keeps her “ears peeled” and is always looking out for other businesses.

“When you come into the group they teach you how to get business for the other people,” she said. “That’s true networking.”

Christina Harper is a Snohomish County freelance writer. She can be reached at harper@heraldnet.com.