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HUDDLE TIME
Stop Selling, Start Teaching
By Gillian Lawson, BNI Co-National Director for the UK, Ireland, and Germany
If you are not yet receiving the sort of referrals you want from your BNI chapter, chances are you are making one of the most common mistakes that new BNI members (in every country) make. During the 60-second commercials, too many members try to sell their products and services to fellow chapter members.
How often at your chapter meetings have you heard some variation of the following: "… so, for all your (printing/computing/decorating/office supplies/financial/etc.) needs, come to HP Wizard Services."
Here's the problem: Anyone who does not have that specific need at that exact moment thinks, He (she) is not talking to me, this message is for somebody else. Even if every member of your chapter did need your services at that point, the maximum sales you would likely make is one for every member.
How much better would it be to teach each member of your chapter how to present your business to their contacts who may be interested in what you do or sell? Anyone in business will know at least a thousand people. Therefore, if there are 30 members in your chapter, you should be teaching 30 people to promote your business to at least 30,000 people! So instead of selling what you do, in your 60-second presentations try this:
1. Concentrate on why you do what you do better than any of your competitors—make sure your members understand how you add value.
2. Tell your members what sort of business you would like them to find for you—be as specific as possible.
3. Tell them where that business may be found.
4. Teach them how to start conversations that will lead to opportunities for them to refer you to their contacts and colleagues.
The more BNI members know how to promote your products or services to other people, the more likely your fellow members will want to buy from you!
HUDDLE TIME
Yellow Pages You Can Trust
By Rob Warkentin, President of the Golden Horseshoe BNI chapter
I manage a family-owned insurance brokerage.
In May, my father found out he might be seriously ill. In June, he was diagnosed with cancer and needed immediate medical attention. My father handled the administrative side of our business while I handled sales. I was immediately charged with running the insurance brokerage on my own as well as another of my father's companies.
All that at a time when our accountant was on a one-month vacation. I needed help.
To the Rescue
As president of a BNI chapter (Golden Horseshoe), I was aware of the BNI Yellow Pages, but until I needed them, I didn't fully appreciate their value. I contacted the directors of the Golden Horseshoe chapter for their directory assistance. They immediately set me up with an outstanding accountant to fill the void. Next, I needed a bookkeeper. Once again I was set up with another outstanding BNI member; however, she was fully booked up. But the managing director gave up her time with this bookkeeper to make room for me, as my problem seemed more pressing.
In addition, I have been given the names of printers as well as other occupations as I have needed them. All of these individuals abide by the same Code of Ethics as we do in our BNI chapter. Their various membership committees have screened them all as well.
With that in mind, which set of Yellow Pages, would you prefer to use?
One more thing: never forget the directory of your local chapter, your business family. You'll be amazed the lengths they will go to help in a crisis. My chapter has been extremely valuable to me during this time.
Prescreened Assistance
That said, imagine if you will, that each BNI member is like a pre-screened yellow pages ad that covers, literally, thousands of occupations. When you need one of their services, you have free access to them through your Director. No one person is an island—that has never proved more true to me as it has in the last four-and-a-half months. BNI's motto in 2000 was T.E.A.M. 2000, which stands for "Together Everyone Accomplishes More." BNI is far more than just referrals; it is about belonging to a team and being a team player.
The BNI Yellow Pages are a valuable business resource. Use it.
HUDDLE TIME
Expanding the Prolific Circle
By Sheryl Lindsell-Roberts, Business Writer, Marlborough, MA, chapter
When I attended my first BNI meeting as a visitor, one of my objectives was to evaluate who's who in marketing. I knew that if I joined BNI, probably 90 percent of the referrals I would receive and give would be within the marketing sphere. A few months after I jumped aboard, the chapter must have been desperate because they asked me to be its president.
One of my goals as president was to focus on the contact sphere image that had been boiling in my brain. Just what is a contact sphere? It's a business that compliments yours to add value to your clients. For example, as a business writer, I add value when I can recommend a dynamite graphic artist or web designer.
I worked with the membership committee to create visual spheres for all the members in our chapter: real estate, finances, arts & entertainment, technical services, health & wellness, retail, and more. I also set time aside during several meetings for the spheres to get together to redefine themselves and decide what professionals they needed to add even more value.
I purchased a large white board that displays these spheres, and we post the board at the meetings. Below is an example of one of the spheres—mine, of course—that lists current members and the slots we hope to fill. This is a constant reminder to all who enter our hallowed halls.
Although our chapter currently has 40 members, we are still looking to grow because "the road to success is always under construction." We are using the "Needed" professions to populate our up-and-coming Visitor's Day. (Every president leaves a legacy. Nixon left Watergate; Clinton will leave zippergate; and I will leave spheregate.)
HUDDLE TIME
Dance Card Digest
By Craig Campana
There are more than 21 ways to use the BNI Dance Card. In each edition of SuccessNet, we'll feature a different version of the dance card, along with suggestions for using it and success stories from those who have used it.
If you have submissions to the Dance Card Digest, email them to Craig
Campana at referrals@bniwis.com. Please list your name, business name, memory hook, chapter and where it's located, and the type of dance card and how you have used it with success!
This issue I'd like to introduce the MASTERS Dance Card:
M = Market. What Market niche do you maintain?
A = Ask. What have you Asked members for that has produced the best results?
S = Share. What stories can you Share that we can pass on to others?
T = Teach. How do you Teach your clients about your customer service?
E = Energize. How do you Energize your team for action?
R = Referrals. What is your ideal Referrals?
S = Success. What is your Success goal for you and your chapter?
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