How a 60-Minute Netwinar Sparked 523 Referrals That Changed Lives

It might not end up in the Guinness Book of Records (then again, who knows?), but I was thrilled to lead an event that delivered results unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

As the number of participants poured into my Netwinar on Zoom, I became increasingly nervous.

The Zoom waiting room kept ticking up… 37, 45, 56. My excitement suddenly turned to panic. Soon, sixty people were ready to log into my netwinar, and I knew Zoom only allowed 50 Advanced Polls.

This wasn’t your typical Zoom webinar with hundreds of attendees. This was a netwinar (“net winner” = part webinar + part networking) where every participant needed time to speak, connect, and complete their polls for each other.

Needless to say… I was in trouble.

Luckily, a few loyal members agreed to delay their polls, giving me the chance to run the netwinar with polls for everyone else.

I let out a sigh of relief, even though I still had no idea what was about to unfold.

What I did know was that I had a rare chance to bring 50+ people together and try to give them one of the most memorable professional experiences of their lives.

And that’s exactly what happened…

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💥 The Spark That Started It

While a netwinar is designed for success, it was the positive energy and supportive atmosphere that truly made this one stand out.

I won’t go into detail on what a netwinar is, as I covered that in my October 6th newsletter, Why Netwinars Beat Webinars Every Time. Nor will I dive into its origins or structure, which I explained in my June 28th newsletter, 223 Referrals in One Hour. Here’s How.

What I will highlight was a perfect storm of all the right elements coming together. From the moment we kicked off, I could tell this event was going to be different.

Why?

1. Everyone was fully present, alert, engaged, and ready to go.

2. Cameras were on, mics were ready, and people were leaning in as they waited for the event to start. No one was hiding behind screens or multitasking.

3. The mood was … fun! The excitement was palpable even over Zoom.

Once I encouraged everyone to share whatever felt right, the screen instantly came alive. I saw big smiles, positive reactions, and that ‘we’re in this together’ energy.

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🪢 A Twist That Made It Work

Just before diving into the networking portion, I spelled out exactly what I expected from everyone:

“What you put into this is what you will get out of it.

You have to participate to get results.

It’s as simple as that!”

Up until then, I struggled with how much to share with guests after the event. While our members receive all the meeting data and poll results, I’d been burned before by visitors who turned that access into hard sells or persistent harassment. I knew I needed a system that would protect both my members and well-intentioned guests.

As I reviewed the data from past events before the meeting, I spotted a common trend right away. I noticed an intriguing pattern among the lurkers and those who did not fill out the polls. These were usually the attendees who came with the intent to sell or had other selfish motives rather than to contribute to the group. They made no effort to help others before or after the meeting.

It became clear that the final piece of the puzzle was accountability.

I took a deep breath, looked into the camera, and said, “If you’re a first-time guest and your goal is to sell or just lurk, this isn’t the meeting for you.”

Within moments, five people dropped off.

I saw it as addition by subtraction.

Then I added, “For everyone who actively participates (with the polls) and stays for the whole session, I’ll share the meeting’s poll results and insights.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Perfect.

Now we were ready to knock this netwinar out of the park.

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💯 Final Steps That Delivered Big Results

In just about an hour, I witnessed a simple Netwinar transform into a powerhouse of business referrals, career advice, technical help, and real support.

At the start of the Zoom meeting, I chose a ‘speed networking’ format to manage the high turnout. But as the event unfolded, participants went above and beyond to support one another.

As I saw the polls light up for the first participant, I knew it would be a very special hour. Throughout the netwinar, I saw flashes of brilliant transitions and a variety of event structures unfold:

• Advisory Board - Some participants provided professional guidance and strategic perspectives to others.

• Referral Group - I saw countless business opportunities, both voiced aloud and submitted through the polls.

• Support Team - We witnessed hearts flying across the screen, virtual handclaps, and encouraging shoutouts throughout the event.

• Tech Support - A few attendees sought technical guidance, including one who asked, “Support for Windows 10 is ending, so how do I keep my older PCs that can’t upgrade to Windows 11 up to date?” (Spoiler: Someone did share a way to get an extra year of support for free.)

When I looked back on what came out of the netwinar, I was blown away by how much participants contributed and reflected on how many lives were changed:

• A participant received 31 referrals (a new record!).

• One referral led to an $18K contract a week after the meeting.

• A member finally connected with a company she’d pursued for 18 months.

• A guest highlighted an important 2026 accounting update that impacted everyone.

• Another guest asked for help for her graduate daughter, and 17 participants used the polls to offer advice and connections to help her.

The outcomes went well beyond what I imagined was possible.

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✅ The Takeaway

I’ll admit that groups like BNI, LeTip, NIA, and many others have a proven model for generating steady referrals. Their strict weekly meetings and member exclusivity build trust and consistency.

However, that very structure can hold you back. It restricts the number of new people you meet and the connections you can build. These closed networking groups focus on keeping referrals in-house and enforcing member exclusivity, so you just won’t encounter a lot of fresh faces.

With the netwinar model, you can strengthen existing relationships with trusted contacts while always discovering new connections.

After this netwinar, I was blown away by the results.

Participants submitted 523 poll responses to help their fellow professionals.

And the comments said it all:

“I could see how this event could be life-changing.”

“I never experienced anything like it…”

“Wow! That was fun!”

I leaned back, grinning … I might just be onto something.

Stay tuned.

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Have a great week!

- Mike