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More Than A Meeting: Teamwork & System
In the last issue of "SuccessNet" online, Dr. Misner presented our 2003 theme, "More Than A Meeting." Many people gave great thought to this theme and came up with a list of 12 major benefits that members receive from their active participation in this program. Misner highlighted two components, "Plan" and "Referrals." Now I am pleased to touch on "Teamwork" and "System." With each issue of "SuccessNet" throughout the year, various guest authors will be talking about two of these benefits for you to consider during your participation.
Teamwork Every day, every week, every month, we strive to build our businesses. Through word-of-mouth marketing, we are able to refer the individuals on our BNI team and thus increase the business that is flowing in the chapter. "Teamwork" isn't something that just happens; it takes a coordinated effort from each member of the team. In BNI, the team (chapter) meets every week to share and educate. Each member of the team is responsible for teaching and performing the functions that add value to the team. For example, each member is given 60 seconds to educate the other members about the profession he or she represents. This is essential for the team to maximize the productivity potential that lies within each of the members. This is also true regarding the featured presenter(s) at the chapter meeting each week. As a result, the better educated the members, the easier it is to generate quality referrals. The key to this sequence is preparation each week, meaning that it's game time at every chapter meeting. And the 12 months of the year make up the season for a chapter. Sharing is something that team players recognize as a critical component to the success of any team. In BNI, this is known as "givers gain." We learn to play to each other's strengths and lend assistance when weaknesses exist. The Leadership Team (president, vice president and secretary/treasurer) and support to the Leadership Team (visitor hosts, membership committee and educational coordinator) are the chapter foundation. These individuals set the tone for making the good things happen, keeping the meetings fun and lively. They push the chapter to reach membership goals, schedule dance card sessions, establish a marketing plan and endure the moments of concern. The BNI season is a long one and I believe that each of us understands the importance of teamwork in making it a championship season. System Since BNI was formed over 17 years ago, there have been numerous amendments to the BNI system as a result of recommendations by members and directors. One of the first came with the addition of visitor hosts. It was discovered that prospective members were more inclined to join when a member of the chapter warmly greeted and introduced them to other members of the chapter. In essence the visitor host is saying to the prospective member, "We care!" A few years later, the substitute program was added, thus allowing a member to be represented at the chapter meeting. This provides the members ongoing presence at the chapter meeting, with the substitute giving the members' 60-second presentation and sharing referrals at the appropriate time. The creation of handbooks helps to support the system, such as the Membership Committee, Visitor Host and Education Coordinator Handbooks (available on the bni.com website in the Leadership Team Section). The information in each of these documents is designed to assist the members in performing the functions related to each handbook. Another key to the system is training. Leadership teams attend a four-and-a-half hour session that is conducted by a director. A BNI director goes through a 20-hour training program that covers more than 350 pages of a two-volume manual. For members, there is the Member Success Program. It involves a handbook and two-hour workshop conducted by a director. The result is word-of-mouth information and tools designed to assist all involved with BNI in having a strong chapter, region and relationship. From the Meeting Agenda, to the members doing one-on-one dance cards and everything that ties to the BNI system, the outcome is like that of a championship team. HUDDLE TIME
BNI's WebRing Offers a Business Boost to Members
Members across Canada and the United States could soon be doing substantial additional business with each other, thanks to the arrival of the BNI WebRing, an Internet service which creates a borderless web-based business community, opening up a host of major new networking opportunities.
By joining www.BNIWebRing.com, chapters from New Orleans to Nova Scotia will be equipped with many exciting tools—all at the click of a button:
Such has been its impact in Britain that BNI's U.K. national director Gillian Lawson described it as "probably the most significant single development in BNI's continuing evolution." She said: "In one giant leap, the WebRing has taken all the benefits of belonging to a BNI chapter and turned them into truly worldwide business opportunities for every member. This is a fast and sophisticated Internet business service with the rare advantage of being amazingly easy to use." As BNI has grown and matured, it has become increasingly obvious that individual members want and need to do business with colleagues in different chapters, usually because they are seeking access to a product or service not represented in their own group, or because they want to refer valuable business to a BNI member, rather than see it go to waste. Damon Segal commented: "While the WebRing allows anyone to access a vast database of information about the services, products and members of BNI chapters through North America and the UK, only BNI members can enjoy the WebRing's main benefits—such as the ability to send cross-chapter eReferrals and market their own business services to potentially millions of customers worldwide." To learn more about this significant new BNI service and view its many features, go to: www.BNIWebRing.com/usa. When you're convinced about its benefits, you can register your chapter's subscription through the website—and start reaping immediate rewards. HUDDLE TIME
Show Your Appreciation with 10 Dimes a Day
What if I told you that you could boost your kids' grades with one dollar a day? Does it work? Absolutely! And the best part is that you can use the same dollar every day. What's more, the dollar isn't even for the kids. It's for you! Here's how it works.
If you were a carpenter and reinforced a table, it would be stronger after you reinforced it. The same thing happens with behavior. If you reinforce it, it will be stronger. Simple enough. We're all at least familiar with the concept. Reinforce behavior and it occurs more frequently. So if you reinforce things like studying, doing homework and writing papers, grades will go up. Unfortunately, those positive behaviors are not usually reinforced—at least not as frequently nor as fully as they should be. "Well," you might say, "I certainly don't punish the kids for studying." No, probably not. But there's another type of feedback that can be even more punishing than punishment. Here are the three types of feedback you need to consider. 1. Positive feedback is energizing! It validates people's efforts. It makes them feel like they've accomplished something. Everyone has experienced this, and everybody knows it works. That's why we generally hand it out as often as we can remember to do it. 2. Negative feedback is also energizing, but in a different way. When somebody is told, in a negative manner, that he's fallen short of what's expected, he's being punished. Frequently, the person receiving the negative feedback has been trying, but just hasn't improved as much as we hoped. To the recipient of the feedback, this feels like being punished for trying. And people who are consistently punished for trying will eventually stop trying. 3. No feedback is called extinction. This can be even more punishing than negative feedback. It's the least motivating response you can make to any action. And yet it's the most common response to achievement—particularly to achieving improvement. Think of it this way. If you tell a joke and everyone laughs, that's positive feedback; tell a joke and everyone groans, that's negative feedback. Tell a joke and there is no feedback—no laughter, no groans, no change in facial expression—that's no feedback. That's extinction. Which is worse to have happen? For most of us, no feedback—absolute silence—is. The odds are pretty good that—without realizing it—you're extinguishing efforts your children are making to improve their grades. If you're like most parents, you're probably pretty good at reinforcing excellence, but not so good at reinforcing improvement. What can you do to change this? That's where the dollar comes in. Put ten dimes in a pocket the first thing each day. Every time you reinforce someone for his or her effort, move one dime to another pocket. Make sure that at least five of those dimes are moved because of something you said to one of your children. Also make sure that at least three of those five are for reinforcing an improvement in their efforts. Your goal is to get the ten dimes moved by the end of the day. Do that and you'll be noticing opportunities to acknowledge others that you've been missing. Do it for thirty days. At that point, you will have formed a habit and you'll be doing it naturally. Oh, by the way. Here's a "BNI Bonus Question:" How are you doing with other BNI members who are helping you strengthen your network? Are you letting them know how much you appreciate their efforts? Are you acknowledging their role in growing your business and the business of other members? How about your director? No? Well, put those ten dimes in a pocket and get to work! HUDDLE TIME
How Getting Published Pumps Your Business
It all started with an exercise at the Short Hills, NJ, chapter of BNI. I was there substituting for a member of that chapter (I belong to the East Hanover chapter). Anna Banks, our regional director, had just asked all of us to write down a list of terms that describe our target markets. Then she asked us what we had done to get published in periodicals aimed specifically at that target market. What a great idea! Getting Started My target market is small businesses, sole proprietorships and SOHO businesses. A trip to the county library revealed several publications that serve these target markets. I decided to write an article about the fastest growing part of my business, which is search engine optimization. That's the process of recommending and implementing changes to websites with the purpose of driving them to the top of the listings when people search for products and services in search engines. I wrote an article and sent it out to several editors. I also sent an abbreviated version to the editor of the local Mensa newsletter and that turned out to be the first article to make it into print. Despite a self-abasing remark from the editor that she wasn't sure how many people actually read the newsletter, my copy arrived in the mail on a Saturday, and on Monday it had resulted in a new client. Boy, was I pumped! If this newsletter with its narrow focus and small circulation (about 700 or so) could generate a new client that quickly, what would lie in store for me when I published in something statewide or nationally? Establishing Expertise Well, it turns out that things are seldom that dramatic. A couple of months later, my full-length article appeared in the New Jersey Small Business Development Center's website http://209.73.224.210/ebusiness/websiteroi.asp. I promptly placed a link to it on my own website. My next opportunity turned out to be writing an article for our county Chamber of Commerce's newsletter, "Business Technology Today." The article was entitled "Don't Fire Your Website!" (http://www.treloarassociates.com/bustechtoday.htm) and was published in June. Another link went up on my website. These articles may not have directly generated new clients, but they still benefit me by establishing my credentials as an expert. When I introduce myself to a prospective client, I don't only need to explain my expertise, but I need to acquaint them with the process of search engine optimization. What better way than to send them an introductory email with links right to my published articles? That establishes me as an expert without requiring me to claim so explicitly and immodestly. Increasing Circulation Emboldened by my modest success so far, I sent an email to the business editor of the local daily newspaper, listing some selling points for an article about what I do. A reporter interviewed me and some other small business owners who've had success with search engine optimization, and the article appeared on the front page of the Sunday business section (http://www.dailyrecord.com/business/02/08/25/business1-smallbiz.htm). It quoted me extensively as an expert in the field. Again, a new link for my website. I have another article that will soon be published in a Canadian print newsletter for home business owners. This has already been published online in the U.S. by the National Business Association (http://www.nationalbusiness.org/NBAWEB/Newsletter/756.htm). Well, Anna's got me on a roll, I'd say. Even if no one ever reads one of these articles and calls to hire me to market their website, these articles provide valuable content for my website and are a great marketing tool in general. You can bet that I hand out copies when it's my turn to speak at our BNI meeting. The payoff isn't always instant or dramatic, but it's long-term and long-lasting. I recommend you give it a try. Breaking News
On-line Session Offers Members Chance to Chat with Founder
Earlier this year, approximately 30 attendees met on the BNI-Yahoo! chat room for an Ask-the-Founder chat session with Dr. Ivan Misner. Here's a sampling of the questions and answers asked and received during the hour-long session. How do I develop my contact sphere? Reference a recent article written on Entrepreneur.com on contact spheres: Develop your contact sphere because this is a group of business people who work with a similar target market as you and can give you referrals more quickly. Growing contact spheres within a chapter grows the chapter and makes it more productive. Why don't we have more on-line chats or a lecture series on-line? We have been doing this sort of thing since 1998, and we were ahead of the curve. Right now we are using the bulletin board extensively to get input from members and directors on issues that members are interested in. This chat is a repeat experiment to test to see if there is interest in this venue. A suggestion was made that there may be more interest with voice and a slide presentation. We need to make sure it would be effective, and there would be more participation. How can I help my fellow members by bringing more referrals? Work with members who want to contribute. When I was the president of the first chapter, I sent out letters to my clients three to four times a year stating I believed in Word of Mouth and referrals with an attachment listing the professions of the businesses in my chapter saying I knew these folks well and trusted them. I'd write, "If you need the services of these businesses, feel free to give me a call and I'll give you their information." How is "Masters of Success" shaping up? When will it be published and available? Masters of Success is being published by Entrepreneur Press. There are several big names on board such as Erin Brockovich, Brian Tracy, Vince Lombardi, Jr. and Tom Hopkins. The draft must be done by June, and the estimated release date is this time next year. Our chapter has a Visitor's Day once a month, but they don't seem to be very successful. What can we do to boost attendance? Once a month is too often. A Visitor's Day should be a special event. Have them less often and make them more successful. Our chapter wants to do some print advertising. Can we put some of our dues money toward ads? We tested this out thoroughly in 1985 and 1986. We had horrible results. I took the ad to an advertising specialist to look at the ads and make suggestions. He said they were good, but it just wasn't a good medium for a business organization that focuses on word of mouth. The focus should be on tradeshows, public relations and books. The books have generated a lot of media. How do I get my chapter interested in subscribing to "SuccessNet"? The best way to subscribe members to "SuccessNet" online is to get all the members in the chapter to write down their email address. Have them write it twice to make sure it's correct and then have one of the members subscribe them through www.bni.com. For me writing is one of my weak areas. How do you prioritize your time to be able to write so much? Time management. I find the best environment to write—one with few distractions. I usually take a half-hour a day or one day each week and dedicate it to writing. How do we get more upscale businesses in BNI; i.e., companies that make eight or nine figures? We have had several chapters that only allowed businesses of this size and they never lasted more than a year or two. Chapters should be selective but for the right reason—good at what they do and have a great attitude. In "World's Best Known Marketing Secret," there is a story about people getting awesome referrals from unexpected sources. Find quality people. Get a strong contact spheres. BNI's Inside Secrets Published in New Book In Debbie Allen's newest book, "Confessions of Shameless Internet Promoters," BNI founder, Dr. Ivan Misner, and BNI technology advisory, Jeremy Allen, share BNI's inside secrets to our business network success. The six-page story covers seven key strategies BNI has used to support and fuel the worldwide growth of BNI by using online technologies and www.bni.com More information on the book can be found at Confessions of Shameless Internet Promoters. North America
BNI HAPPENINGS — USA Networking Your Way to the Top
The Diamond Bar/Chino Hills chapter, which is held every Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. at the Denny's Restaurant in Chino Hills, CA, was the third chapter formed within the BNI network and periodically entertains Dr. Ivan Misner and other home office members. Our Real Estate representative, Mrs. Bobbie Miller, recently helped Dr. Misner close the purchase of his new home in Claremont, CA, and Ivan attended the meeting to thank Bobbie for her efforts. BNI Chapters Do Good Work
The Avon chapter (Connecticut) started the holidays in fine fashion on December 18. Santa was on hand to help the chapter present almost $500 worth of stuffed animals to Connecticut Children's Medical Center (CCMC). CCMC gives the animals to its patients when they are admitted to the hospital. Long-time Avon member Bunny Kliman, of the Peter M. Bakker Agency, and new member Nancy Landwehr (whom Bunny recruited) of the Spirited Hand Gift Shop spearheaded the effort. Bunny's agency runs a golf tournament each August to raise funds for the hospital. Nancy's gift shop is full of wonderful items, including the animals. They told the chapter about the program in November, and Nancy said that if we wanted to take up a collection, she would get the toys for the hospital. Almost $500 was collected from Avon's 20 members. What a fabulous way to begin the holidays!
On December 14, 2002, members of the Overland Park VII chapter in the Greater Kansas City Region descended upon a "Habitat for Humanity" home being built in Kansas City, Kansas. They brought with them hammers, drills, nail aprons and whatever tools thought to be useful. The members were accompanied in many cases by spouses, friends and those who had come in place of some of our BNI members. It was crisp in the early morning as we began our tasks on this house. Initially we were directed to "undo" some of the previous work, as it did not meet proper standards. The supervisor directed various groups to specific tasks, and the workers went about their business. A great deal was accomplished throughout the day. The first layer of the roof was replaced; the garage trusses were constructed and the plywood sheeting was installed on the garage roof. In addition, "nailers" were installed on the corners of the structure in preparation for the siding. Numerous miscellaneous tasks were completed as well. Our supervisor, Barry, said he was pleased with what we had accomplished during the day, and announced that we were the best group he'd ever had working on a Habitat home. It is our guess that he says that to all the groups, so they will volunteer again! Everyone had a good time while providing a much-needed public service. We hope that we can volunteer as a group again this year to help some other needy family. Conference Calls Speakers from Around the World
Roughly 250 of the participants were directors from 13 countries. In addition, representatives from Spain, who plan to open up there this year, attended. All presentations were recorded. If you would like a full set of the member sessions, please contact BNI at bni@bni.com. Some of the presentations included:
Trans-Continental Networking I am a BNI member of the Potomac Lunch Group (U.S.). Before a recent trip to England, I asked my director to help me locate a chapter to visit. I am pleased to say that I was successful. I went to visit a chapter in Stockport, England. Stockport is in the middle to north of England. They were very welcoming and gave me a three to four minute time slot. I have already heard from one member of the group via e-mail. While there, I had the opportunity to meet with the area director, Alistair Macdonald. He met my friend and me for a pint (or two) at a local pub. He was very charming and helpful. This visit for me was a true testimonial to BNI and the power of networking. It was a pleasure to meet Michelle, and it was great for my Stockport Hatters chapter to discover that BNI really does exist on the other side of the pond! She did a special education spot, which was very much appreciated by chapter members. If members from any of your chapters are ever in my South Pennines region—which runs from Greater Manchester up into West Yorkshire—they will always be warmly received (as indeed I have been in the States). Like Michelle, they might also receive the added benefits of a couple of pints of real ale at a local pub—though I'm not sure this is in any BNI manual. Phoenix Honors Long-Term Members BNI Phoenix-area honored many of its long-term members at their recent Golf & Awards Luncheon. One member in particular, Charles Willoughby of Merrill Lynch, celebrated his 15th anniversary as a BNI member. Charles was one of the founding members of BNI Phoenix's oldest chapter, the Paradise Valley chapter. Charles is currently the chapter president of the newest Phoenix chapter, the Paradise Valley Success Chapter, which took honors for the largest chapter (17 members) in the area at kick-off. The chapter is currently at 22 members. Charles has given many years of referrals and service to BNI members and can't imagine a Thursday morning without his BNI meeting. Connecticut Chapter Celebrates 12 Years
The Avon chapter celebrated its 12th anniversary in February. It is the oldest chapter in Connecticut and was founded by CT executive director Alice Ostrower. The chapter planned to celebrate with a party on March 12. They are tracking down former members and are also inviting BNI members from neighboring chapters. They hope to have 100 attendees. Texas Chapter Impresses Russian Agents
There were many questions regarding the "sales manager minute," "referral slips" and "power teams." The Russian agents were fascinated with BNI's code of ethics and even asked to keep a copy of the code. The Russian agents arranged the trip to Midland through the Citizen's Initiative and the West Texas Rotary Clubs. Each of the agents is either an owner of an independent agency in Russia or a director of a large insurance agency. The program is designed to provide Russian business leaders with training in their field of expertise and provide exposure to employee programs and business marketing programs. They are fascinated with the BNI concept and presented Maria Elena Duron, executive director of BNI-Permian Basin (seen in center of picture) with a handmade decorated spoon from Russia. Midland Business Builders members also visited the group. Canada Canadian Chapters Start New Year off with a Bang
Barbados Warm Wishes in Their First Christmas Mixer BNI Barbados celebrated Christmas 2002 by holding a chapter mixer. BNI Barbados is proud of our achievements during our first year. Our goal was to have launched three chapters in our first year, and we have actually achieved this within a nine-month period. We now hover around 93 members with plans to launch a fourth chapter in April.
Europe
BNI HAPPENINGS — United Kingdom Edinburgh's best says: "Give up my BNI seat? You must be joking!"
That's exactly how it is with Office Personnel, Edinburgh's most successful independent office and sales staff recruitment consultancy, much of whose record growth stems directly from its senior consultants who are active members in all four of the city's BNI chapters. Managing director Kathryn Gardner is happy to acknowledge that the day she was invited to visit the Edinburgh West chapter two years ago was the day her already growing recruitment business really started to take off: "I was impressed with BNI from that first visit and immediately joined the Edinburgh South chapter where I have just completed a stint as secretary/treasurer. One of my senior consultant colleagues, Leanne Newell joined the city's Pentlands chapter of which she has been director for the past six months, while another of our consultants, Kate Lewis, has just completed six months as education coordinator of Edinburgh Central chapter. A fourth member of our team, Joanne Currie, has been the membership coordinator of Edinburgh West chapter over the past six months. "Obviously with our participation in four different chapters, BNI is a big time and energy commitment, but I would never relinquish my seat to a competitor, and I know my fellow consultants feel the same way. BNI has been of huge benefit to our company and, apart from the substantial business it brings us, we all enjoy the expanding network of business contacts that we've made through our chapters." Trans-Continental Networking I am a BNI member of the Potomac lunch group. Before a recent trip to England, I asked my director to help me locate a chapter to visit. I am pleased to say that I was successful. I went to visit a chapter in Stockport, England. Stockport is in the middle to north of England. They were very welcoming and gave me a three to four minute time slot. I have already heard from one member of the group via e-mail. While there, I had the opportunity to meet with the area director, Alistair Macdonald. He met my friend and me for a pint (or two) at a local pub. He was very charming and helpful. This visit for me was a true testimonial to BNI and the power of networking. It was a pleasure to meet Michelle, and it was great for my Stockport Hatters chapter to discover that BNI really does exist on the other side of the pond! She did a special education spot, which was very much appreciated by chapter members. If members from any of your chapters are ever in my South Pennines region—which runs from Greater Manchester up into West Yorkshire—they will always be warmly received (as indeed I have been in the States). Like Michelle, they might also receive the added benefits of a couple of pints of real ale at a local pub—though I'm not sure this is in any BNI manual. BNI HAPPENINGS — The Netherlands Networking the Netherlands We are in the process of starting up BNI in the Netherlands. During a networking event, I ran into a RE/MAX realtor here who had never heard of BNI, nor could he believe that what we do works. I decided to look up some chapters in Houston, Texas, where I used to live, for help. I found two BNI members, Lyn Pate and Jack Maxwell, who were RE/MAX professionals and were willing to give testimonials about BNI. With their testimonials I went back to my contact here in the Netherlands. I am in contact now with the RE/MAX head office in the Netherlands to give them a presentation about BNI. If they could endorse the program and recommend membership to each and every one of their offices, splendid! Australia/Asia
BNI HAPPENINGS — New Zealand BNI Lights up Their Lives
Norman Watson was the celebrant for the occasion. BNI HAPPENINGS — Singapore Groups Get Stealthy and Wealthy
BNI HAPPENINGS — Malaysia Chapter Crosses 40-Member Mark Please join us in congratulating the first 40-member chapter in Malaysia. Here is a short history and the achievements of Bangsar chapter. It was the largest core group chapter, starting off with 17 members in June 2001. It launched in four weeks, with the largest number of visitors—132 guests. The chapter started off with the right mindset. It was the largest and most consistent chapter, with an average of 30 members, throughout the year. Coinciding with announcement of Action 45 in November 2002, the chapter achieved a record high of 226 referrals in the month of October and 195 in November. The purpose of Action 45 is to increase the number of referrals and business through teamwork. The chapter was put through the test of Success through Teamwork. And now it is the first chapter in Malaysia to achieve 40 members. Congratulations! Malaysia Welcomes New Chapter BNI members worldwide can look forward to networking with BNI members in Penang, Malaysia. A new chapter, Achievers, was to start on Feb 25, 2003. YP Lai has been appointed assistant director. We look forward to another exciting year, with BNI going into new states. The new assistant director in Malaysia is Jimmy Lee. Jimmy Lee has been a member of BNI since May 2001. Jimmy will be opening chapters in another suburb in Klang Valley, ie Puchong. PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS
Is BNI for Me? So you've recently been invited to a BNI meeting and wonder where you fit into the mix! First of all, let me say, thank you for checking us out. We've been putting business professionals together for over 15 years in a word-of-mouth marketing environment. To date, we are the largest business-to-business networking organization in the world! 40,000 plus members feel that BNI is certainly for them. We hope you will agree!
BNI was started in 1985 with a single purpose: to develop the referral business of the members. From that point, BNI has grown to the vast networking group it has become. We allow one person per profession to join each chapter, thus guaranteeing exclusivity to the members in their business category. If you are a florist, you will be the only florist in your chapter! One member values his chair at the table each week to be worth over $30,000, because that is the amount of referral business his fellow members generated for his company in one single year. Annual membership in BNI costs less than a business suit—it's the most cost-effective way to market yourself in today's highly competitive marketplace. If you value having 20 to 30 other business people marketing you to others, then BNI is the right place for you! We hope that you like what you see and that you will join a chapter near you and experience firsthand the difference a structured referral system can make in your business. For more information about BNI and our chapters throughout the world, please clink on www.bni.com. FAQ's
Ask BNI This is the place where you can ask any question about BNI. If you have a question for BNI's CEO and Founder, Dr. Ivan Misner, send it to askbni@bni.com. He will post his response here, as space allows. From time to time, a guest Director will post a response. You may view other questions Dr. Misner is posed by going to www.entrepreneur.com/Community/CO_ExpertsInfo/1,4586,300965-----,00.html, where Dr. Misner participates in Entrepreneur.com's Ask the Networking Expert.
Q.: Can you tell me what a "qualified referral" sounds like? I belong to a large BNI chapter and we're having a problem. People in the group are giving nonsense as referrals: names with no follow-up number and no introductions. These are not referrals; they're just cold leads. I want to re-educate the group on what a referral is and would like to be able to give a reputable source for the information. A.: A "qualified referral" is different to different people and in different organizations. However, since you asked me the question in the context of BNI, let me give you the definition of a referral that is in your Chapter's Leadership Team manual (page 33). You will note that the definition of a referral is: "The opportunity to do business with someone who is in the market to buy your product or service. It's not a guaranteed sale, but an open door to discuss your business." The same page in the LT manual also goes over six points to follow in giving a good referral, examples of good referrals and examples of bad referrals. This information would be good for your leadership team and/or education coordinator to go over at a chapter meeting. This definition was developed as a basic standard for most people to follow. However, there is one notable exception: if someone re-defines this standard for himself, that is okay. In other words, if someone says, "I'll accept something less than this definition as a bona-fide referral for myself," that's okay with us. Without that, people should use the basic standard. You may ask, "Why would someone want to take something less"? I'll give you two examples. The first I experienced 18 years ago with one of our first chapters. A member sold phone systems and he said that his best contact was any leasing agent in a new building that was not yet completed. If he got in early, he could get them to refer his phone equipment company. The problem was he couldn't see all the new buildings that were going up in Southern California. So he said, "A good referral for me is any new building you see going up." He continued by stating, "If you can give me the leasing agent's name and phone number, I'll accept that as a bona-fide referral." Now this doesn't meet our basic standard for most people. However, in his case it was okay because he requested a less stringent standard be applied to him based on his needs. Another example I've seen several times relates to some real estate agents. Some of them have said that they will accept as a referral any FSBO (For Sale By Owner) that someone sees. Most real estate agents don't want to deal with those. However, some enjoy contacting these people and converting them to a real estate contract. The bottom line is that you should follow the basic standard unless a person states they will accept something less than that.
New Chapter Works System and Wins
The Gate City chapter in Greensboro, NC, has much to brag about. Having only chartered in September 2001, the Gate City chapter now has 34 members. These guys are working the BNI system. In January 2003 they passed 158 referrals and tracked 149 one-on-ones (notice the correlation between the one-on-ones and referrals!). They are now averaging more than one one-on-one per member per week. The Gate City chapter is also committed to their continuing professional development. They have averaged greater than 25 percent participation in our monthly referral workshops. All of this activity led to their receiving the 2002 Chapter of the Year Award for the Triad, NC, region. Look for big news from this bunch in 2003. BNI Boosts Business I recently received a third generation referral. Eric Schweiderowski from Carpets Etc. referred a client to me in the summer of 2000. I listed and sold her house that summer. In the fall of 2000, the woman's daughter contacted me about listing and selling her home, which I did. The daughter works in the legal department of ALCOA, and she referred me to a co-worker who needed to sell his home, and I listed it. This has been a great BNI year like many in the past. Last year I received over $14,000 in commissions from BNI referrals, and this year I have received over $22,000. I have many reasons for my sales figure tripling from 2001 to 2002. One of the things that attributed to such an increase was my involvement with BNI. To date, about 38 percent of my business this year has come from BNI referrals. While this statistic is good, the next statistic is even better. Of that 38 percent, only about half of that is from my own BNI chapter. Eighteen percent of my BNI business comes through other chapters of BNI. I would like to thank everyone in the Western Pennsylvania BNI chapters who has helped me to grow my business. It is greatly appreciated. What has BNI done for my business, and what benefits have I derived from my involvement here? My business, THREEH.COM is like so many others, a small one (three employees in house, two roving part-time/commission sales). THREEH.COM has a small marketing budget. As I am certain many people will agree, it is almost more expensive to advertise locally than it is to advertise nationwide. BNI, through its membership, has allowed for us to get our name to a previously untapped market for us: our own neighbors. Another respondent on the BNI-Yahoo! Groups site pointed out that their web-related business has managed to survive the storm even as many of their related field competitors came and went. BNI helped their business weather the difficulty, and I'm fairly certain it continues to do so. What have we gained business-wise out of BNI? While we are still catching up all our accounting paperwork at this time, our early numbers for November/December 2002 are indicating nearly 500 percent increase over the same two-month period in 2001. Almost 60 percent of that increase has originated from referrals and contacts through our BNI relationships. Out of the Mouths of Babes I attended the Issaquah Business Builders chapter last Thursday and was talking to Lisa Sacksteder, the secretary/treasurer of the chapter. She was telling me that she had taken her nine-year-old daughter out to sell Girl Scout cookies. Lisa's daughter, Amelia, has attended BNI meetings off and on with her mother since Lisa joined about seven years ago. Amelia is very self-confident and well-spoken for a nine-year-old and wanted to visit the businesses to sell her cookies by herself while her mother waited outside. One of their stops was a chiropractic office, and Amelia went inside for a few moments and then the chiropractor came out and asked Lisa to come in. Evidently, in the process of selling her cookies, the chiropractor complimented Amelia on how well she spoke and asked her how this came to be. Amelia proceeded to tell the doctor that she went to BNI with her mother where there were lots of great people and that you gave a 60-second commercial about your business and the other members helped you find more business and suggested that he might want to visit. This opened the door for the chiropractor to ask Lisa more about BNI, and Lisa was able to invite him to her BNI meeting Visitor's Day. BNI Member Awarded Franchise Owner of 2002 Darlene Tatton, of Toronto, Canada, WEBB chapter, owns a Decorating Den franchise. Decorating Den is an interior decorating business, which has 800 franchise locations worldwide and more than 30 in Ontario, Canada. Darlene was awarded the Franchise Owner of the Year for 2002 in Ontario, by Decorating Den. Darlene started her business four-and-a-half years ago, which is also when she first joined BNI. Since then she has grown her business very successfully through skillful working with people and from her BNI referrals. She loves her work and working with people. "Every day is a new and exciting day for me!" she says. Founder's Award Winners The following chapters recently received the Founder's Awards:
Good Ideas at Work My name is Chris Pennock, and I'm a three-time president of the Fountaingrove chapter in Santa Rosa, CA. Our chapter had a problem that I don't think is unique to us. We had a large amount of sole proprietors and a couple of small businesses owners, i.e., $3,000,000 in gross sales per year. The problem was that the referrals from the sole proprietors were not sizable enough to make the commitment for the small businesses worthwhile. Our solution was to concentrate on recruiting more small businesses. We thought that the referrals from the small businesses could make each one's commitment worthwhile, while their referrals to the sole proprietors would support their commitment and take pressure off of the sole proprietors. The result has been remarkable. Our chapter has averaged $1,000,000 in referrals per six-month period for the last three periods. There have been many other benefits as a result of this change, and I would suggest to any other chapter that this endeavor would be well worth their time and effort. Givers Gain Pat Nagler, an outstanding member from Lake Highlands chapter, Dallas, Texas, recently passed $114,000 worth of referral business. Her average referral is $4,000, and she gave 35 referrals in 39 weeks. She should be proud of her fantastic work. New Chapter Starts Off with a Bang We kicked off our new chapter (Chagrin Valley, Ohio) at our meeting on December 11, 2002. Along with our core 13 members and Bob Willis and Margie Hominy, our director and assistant director respectively, we were joined by about 80 guests and visitors. In the month following our kick-off, we grew to 30 members and have many more interested in joining. We already have to change meeting sites as we have outgrown our original digs. Our new meeting site will be a private, exclusive club called the Pine Lake Trout Club in Bainbridge, Ohio; their marketing director is one of our new members. Our referral numbers have been astonishing—over 100 since our inception. We have terrific enthusiasm, energy and commitment from our members and all feel that this BNI chapter will enhance our lives, will challenge us and will grow our businesses. Thank You, BNI! Wendy Majors, of the Lewisville Business Builders, reports that Bank One took over $1.2 million in applications and approved and closed a little over $600K, generating $14,460 in revenue. In addition, Wendy says she has another $538,000 sitting in the pipeline, thanks to BNI. BNI has helped me stay in the top five in an office of 100 residential real estate agents when the market was down (2002). The average sales price increased in a year of fewer homes sold! Thank you, Addison Lunch 1 BNI chapter! Dear Dr. Misner, I had a great time and learned quite a bit at the international conference. Between the training and the conference, I came away very impressed with the organization you have created. It is unusual, in my experience, for a large company to continue to be flexible enough to change as weaknesses or areas of improvement arise; yet that is exactly what you have done with BNI. I am excited and honored to be part of this organization and am really looking forward to the work I can do in the region. Celebrating Eight Great Years The Walden Chapter in Chattanooga just celebrated their eight—year anniversary. During their eight—years together, they have maintained a net membership of 30 members. Column
How to Follow Up to Move Ahead In this fast-paced world, where people are connecting in multiple ways—face to face, by phone, fax, email, teleconference and Internet—all day long, how do we impress ourselves upon those busy people when we meet? By following up. If you don't follow up when you meet new people, you may as well have stayed at home. We often become very smug at our regular BNI meetings. We know everyone, we get a few referrals every month and we are comfortable. However, if we really want to put a rocket under our referrals, expand our membership and really get our chapter rocking, we need to attend other networks. And most importantly, we need to follow up with the people we meet there. Lets look at a few strategic, yet powerful post-event follow-ups. 1. When you commit to forward information post-event, don't over-commit. Be honest, if you have a full schedule that week, indicate that it may be four to five days before you can forward the information. Most people are quite okay with this, but make sure it is. It's when you say you will do something and don't do it that you can lose credibility. 2. Your post-event system may include having a specific business-card holder for that network, where you place all the cards from the people you meet at this event. Prior to putting them in the folder, you make a note on the back of the card with the date and place you met the person and something you remember about them—ideally something they are interested in outside of work. Prior to going to the next event at that network, you browse through the cards to remind yourself whom you met. You may also enter the contact details from the card of key prospects in your electronic database and make a note to reconnect with them in 30 to 45 days. Remember you are building trust and earning the right to gain business as well as aiming to be remembered positively—without being pushy. 3. One easy way of making contact with people post-event is to send them a copy of an invitation to another event they may be interested in attending. Shoot off an email or fax saying, "Hi Joe, enjoyed our conversation at the Chamber of Commerce. Here is the invitation I mentioned. Hope to connect with you again." Another way may be sending an article that is relevant to the person's business or profession. You may in fact collect a file full of these and forward as required. For your interest, www.corporatetrends.com.au has a large selection of appropriate articles on a variety of business subjects. 4. Send an electronic postcard. Visit www.networkingtowin.com.au and click on the Send a Postcard icon. You will find a variety of designs that are easy to send and download quickly. The key point is that you follow up. The absolute fastest way to be seen, get known and move ahead in any circle is to follow up. Do what you say you are going to do. Exceed people's expectations—every time. If you see attending networking events as a three-part process—preparation before you go, connecting with people at the function and follow-up after the event—you will really start to see reward for your effort. Always remember small but significant help can be powerful and memorable. Happy networking.
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To help us gauge how informative and interesting our newsletter is, we've developed the following survey for your feedback. The first ten readers to respond to the survey will be sent a FREE copy of Masters of Networking, so take a few moments to fill out this survey and email it to me. (If your email does not work, you may need to change your "SMTP host" option under your browser's preferences. If this is confusing to you, just copy and paste the survey in an email.) Please share your opinion of our newsletter: 1=Strongly Disagree 2=Disagree 3=No opinion 4=Agree 5=Strongly Agree Gold Club Members
Once a chapter member sponsors six new members into the chapter, he or she is eligible to receive a special Black Badge, indicating membership in the Gold Club. The following individuals are congratulated for attaining this status. If you are eligible for Gold Club status, contact your BNI Director.
Congratulations to: Pauline Bartel of the Southern Saratoga Chapter in upstate New York. Sherri Mills of the West University Chapter, Houston, TX, West Region. Jennifer Weaver of the Brazos Chapter of Houston, TX, West Region. Mark Taylor of the Greater Conroe Chapter of Houston, TX, West Region. Master Networkers Are Global Citizens
A global citizen could be defined as someone who looks at the bigger picture - the global picture, and adapts that worldview to their own community or organization. Master networkers all share that global vision. - As Anita Roddick says, Think globally, act locally. Global citizens individually are conscious of their own triple bottom line. The triple bottom line - another buzz word or faddish jargon or is it the answer to the corporate world profits today. Many companies reviewing their poor results for the year are considering that possibly striving for profits above all else is in fact back firing on them and driving the profits down. As a citizen, is it just about how much money we can make and spend or does quality of life, consider a lot more than just the $$ So what is the triple bottom line? Companies or individuals consciously focussing on a combination of: PEOPLE, PLANET & PROFITS Rather than making profit or money their sole motivator, enlightened organizations and individuals are looking beyond the dollars and creating preferred working environments. Places where people seek employment, not just for the salary packages, but also rather for their companies commitment to the community as well as the environment. Companies aware that 10-12 hour days are not healthy for the individual or the company. Mistakes are made through tiredness and lack of concentration. Preferred work places where senior managers literally chase their managers out of the building after 6 pm - encouraging them to get home and have a life. For some this new way of thinking is frightening and needs some major adjustment in their life. For others they talk in high praise of the organization that they feel part of. The community that they as individuals share. So lets look at what has triggered this movement. In the '90s we saw dramatic retrenchments, down-sizing, re-engineering, call it what you will the bottom line was, there were less and less people to do the same amount of work. Morale slumped; people felt threatened and questioned on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis, would they be the next to go? Each pay packet may contain the "don't come Monday". Some weren't even given the opportunity of a "farewell event", rather pack up your desk and be gone in half an hour. Absenteeism increased, stress leave abounded and profits slumped, sometimes to record lows. Was it the economy, or was it people looking for more than just a job. Even high salaries weren't enough to keep good workers, they started to look for more balance, more company caring. Networking events abounded with speakers talking about "finding balance", "looking within" and saying no to increased demands from employers. Many resigned only to be invited back as consultants at often a much higher rate of pay and hours to suit the individual rather than the company. Television shows like "Sea Change" shot through the roof with their ratings as people considered how they could make their own sea change and many did. Astute investors are looking for ethical investments. Putting their money and energy behind supporting companies who are clearly showing support of the environment and the community. Organisation seconding their staff to work on a part or full time basis with community groups - a very humbling experience for many. As the sponsorship dollar becomes scarcer, wise sponsors are often investing in small community events rather than the large costly extravaganza with a quickly response, but often-lower return on investment. VISIBILITY IS CRITICAL - BE SEEN, GET KNOWN, AND MOVE AHEAD The basis of the triple bottom line is the basis of networking - treat people the way you would like to be treated. So how can we do this on a practical basis, how can we become master networkers and global citizens, with our own triple bottom line awareness? Here are a few simple ideas you may consider:
Global Networking Specialist Ph 61.2.9369.1025 Fax 61.2.9369.1053 email:inetwork@ozemail.com.au http://www.networkingtowin.com.au |
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