"What a brilliant initiative, really well executed and a spot on match for the one to one".

?? Community Matchmaking Initiative: Key Learnings and Reflections! ??

We recently launched our first-ever community matchmaking initiative, and I wanted to share the experience! ??

We successfully connected nearly 600 entrepreneurs, and we've learnt alot after our first round!

?? What Went Well:

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 55: According to NPS standards, anything above 50 is amazing. This score signifies that the majority found value and enjoyed their experience!
• Positive Feedback: We received some glowing comments about the benefits of the connections and the value of the discussions. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts!
• Technology: The technology was brilliant! Working with Orbiit provided a great experience: streamlined and easy to navigate with timely email reminders and an easy-to-use platform. Thank you, Orbiit, for making the process seamless and efficient!

You can sign up to our next round here: https://greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com/community-matchmaking/

Keep reading for our lessons learned ?? ??

?? What We Need to Improve:

• No Shows: Unfortunately, we had some no-shows who didn't get in touch with their match at all. We understand that things come up, but it’s crucial to respect the time of the person you're meeting. If you can’t make it, please inform your match in advance.
• Match Satisfaction: A small number of participants were unsatisfied with their match. Please bear with us; this is a learning journey, and not every one-to-one will be perfect. Remember, you might find value even in unexpected connections. As Simon Squibb Squibb often puts it, giving without expecting anything in return can sometimes lead to the most rewarding relationships.

?? Community Rules: To make the next round even better, we’ve established a few community rules to ensure a positive experience for everyone:

1. No Shows: More than one no-show without contacting your match will mean you are not invited to future rounds.
2. It's Not a Pitch: This is not a place to win business. You may well end up doing business together but think of this first call as like meeting at the bar at Ideas Fest! Focus on getting to know your match and perhaps even challenging and championing each other.
3. Respect Your Match: Value the time and insights of the person you're matched with.
4. Give Without Take: If we all give without expecting anything in return, the whole community benefits.
5. Ask Questions: We’ll provide some icebreaker questions in the calendar notification to help you warm up and get the conversation started but they're not mandatory, this is about human connection so be yourself and be curious.
6. Founders Only: This initiative is exclusively for founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners. If you sign up as anything else, you won’t be matched. Any falsified information will result in a ban.

As we prepare for our next round of matchmaking, I have a couple of questions:

1. What topics or criteria would you like to see included in the matching process?
2. What aspects of a match are most important to you? (e.g., industry experience, skill set, location)

Please note, for ease of analysis and to make the process smoother, the questions need to be multiple choice or yes/no rather than open-ended responses.