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7 ways to Leverage 60 Seconds
People often look at networking as a tired term, but it can be your stepping stone to greater influence, recognition, and ultimately, referrals. When meeting someone new, here are 7 proven steps to improve your networking ability:
1. Introduce yourself clearly and concisely. Though this may seem obvious, it is often overlooked or done poorly. First, say your name and company, then ask for the same from your listener. 2. Be specific about your line of work. Don't say, "I'm in computers," or, "I'm in travel." Instead, be specific. For example, “My firm specializes in local area networks for the real estate industry." Or, "We focus on the lowest possible fares for law firms that fly their lawyers on short notice, and we can get them waivers and favors to reduce their bottom lines." 3. Organize your introduction. Prepare a 15-second opening statement that describes what you do. If your product or service is technical or hard to explain, begin with a 15- to 20-second story that illustrates what you do. Stories help create and maintain listener interest. 4. Inform, don't sell. Don’t come on with a sales pitch. When in doubt, remember a low-key introduction is always better. 5. Be yourself. Not being yourself can make you look silly, artificial, or worse. Learn what makes people receptive and master that. There is no substitute for authenticity. 6. Be an avid listener. When someone else is speaking, it’s tempting to be thinking of your response. But careful listening builds goodwill, trust, and confidence. 7. Follow-up. Always send a personal note to follow-up your conversations. It is unlikely your listener will need your product or service immediately. But don't be surprised when they make the call and say, "I really appreciated your note when we met last." You have only one chance at a first impression. An effective networker can't afford to waste that opportunity.
HUDDLE TIME
The Successful Invitation It's not always what you say but what you don't say. When inviting someone to your chapter, don't tell them too much. The less you say the better. Here are 6 things not to say and one, sure-fire way to attract visitors to your chapter.
6 "Don'ts" Never mention the following, whether on the telephone or face to face:
"John, I am working with a group of local business people who are looking for a plumber [insert the profession of the person] to give their business to. Would you like to come and meet my colleagues?" Your job is only to get people to the meeting. Let the BNI meeting sell them. If they see a structured meeting with supportive members who help each other and get business done, they will be attracted to your chapter. HUDDLE TIME
The Skills behind Word-of-Mouth In developing your word-of-mouth program, the many forms of communication play heavily in establishing relationships. For example:
HUDDLE TIME
Tool to Improve Your Strategy Education Coordinators and members alike are finding the free weekly newsletter, Monday Morning Motivators (MMM), a quick and informative way to educate their chapter and improve their own business strategies. The newsletter contains a tip every week on networking ideas and strategies, various sales and closing techniques, and helpful tips to run a business effectively. Also included is a schedule of teleclasses taught by the authors.
Monday Morning Motivators has been in existence for more than a year and a half and is e-mailed each week to more than 800 people. To subscribe, simply send an e-mail to mmm@coachingcards.net with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line. The weekly newsletter is provided by John Meyer (me), Debby Peters, and Linda Fayerweather. I am the District Director for the Mid-West Region of BNI and also the Executive Director for Ohio. Debby Peters, owner of Sales... and More! is a sales coach and member of the Madison Ave. chapter of BNI in Toledo, Ohio. Linda Fayerweather, owner of Fayerweather Consulting, is a business coach and a member of Maumee Bay chapter of BNI, also in Toledo. Join our free e-zine, Monday Morning Motivators, to help you design your game plan. If the goal is success, you'll use the information to score a win! Worldwide
BNI HAPPENINGS - WORLDWIDE SuccessNet Vision 2001 As announced in the previous issue, we plan to move the BNI newsletter to an online format. The wheels are now in motion to make this happen. We have teamed with a BNI member the Fox Valley, Illinois, chapter to begin the process of converting to the new format.
Initially, printed copies will still go out to chapters. But the newsletter will also be sent via e-mail. We are asking all members to get their e-mail addresses to BNI so that we can develop the BNI Listserv. You should have seen the sign-up sheet circulated in your chapters by this point. If you have not, please sign up by going to the BNI Website, BNI.com or e-mail us at newsletter@bni.com. Our goal by the third issue of 2001 is to have everyone accessing the newsletter through e-mail and the chapters printing one or two copies for members of the chapter who might not have e-mail. The content and layout will remain similar, but you will not have to wait for it to be passed out to you by your chapter president, who receives it from the local director, who has it mailed from BNI Headquarters ... you get the picture! With our new format, you will receive SuccessNet directly, and be able to print it (in color, if you have a color printer) and share it with prospective members and contacts of your own. We plan to add pages for regional features, so if your chapter is planning a mixer, Visitor's Day, trade show, or other event, we can publicize it for you throughout the organization. We will also be accepting more digital photographs of your chapters and members, so send anything you'd like to see in the newsletter to us now! We are excited about the new format and the added capabilities it will give BNI Headquarters to link all chapters together and create a greater sense of unity throughout the world! North America
BNI HAPPENINGS — U.S. Book Tour Schedule
Australia/Asia
BNI HAPPENINGS — ASIA
From Words to Reality! While I was at a bookstore in Singapore, a particular book caught my attention—Dr. Ivan Misner's World's Best Known Marketing Secret.
I browsed a few pages, captivated. After buying the book, I finished reading it in two days. I realized that the term word-of-mouth, which is so commonly used, could be implemented in a systematic way. I began to apply this systematic approach in my business. I saw how this form of marketing could work in Singapore. Determined to transfer this system to Singapore, I made contact with the author of the book who is also the founder and CEO of BNI. Having learned more about BNI, my associate Mervin and I went to California to receive our formal training in word-of-mouth marketing by Dr. Ivan Misner and his team. It is really satisfying to see that BNI is now operating in Singapore, and it will surely change the way we network in Singapore. 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. FAQ's
Ask BNI
This is the place where you can ask any question about BNI. Have you ever wondered why the organization does something or how to make the most of your membership? Well, here's the place to do it. Send your questions to newsletter@bni.com. Read below for answers to questions we've already addressed.
Q: Can anyone join a chapter? A: We only take one person from each field. So if you are a residential real estate person and we already have one, we can refer you to another chapter, or allow you to open another chapter. Q: How do you know new members are reputable? A: The application asks for references and we have a membership committee that checks them. It's word-of-mouth, so before they even come to a meeting they have spoken to someone or been invited by someone in the group. Everyone has to have a sponsor, or one is assigned to them, and the sponsor interviews them. Q: What if a member gets a referral and does poor work? A: We have an ethics committee and it is imperative that anyone who gives a lead and finds out it was not satisfactorily handled must report that to the membership committee, who will investigate. Q: What occupations benefit most from networking? A: It is not the occupation, it is the individual. The occupation can be anything. If you're focused and you have a dream and you're willing to make a sacrifice, you are the person we want in the group. Q: Are members supposed to bring visitors? A: You're encouraged to bring visitors for those occupations that are open, after the visitor has been prescreened, and if they're a viable candidate. It's pretty much a closed meeting except for potential members.
CHAPTER BRAGS
Givers Gain At my first BNI meeting as a visitor, I came loaded with Christmas gift ideas to display and use as visual aids during my introduction. I walked out with more than $1,000 in orders! I became a BNI member in January. During the past months, I have benefited from my BNI group in the following ways:
Submitted by Cyndi Dougan, Mary Kay Cosmetics, ND7, TX
In the two months since joining the Colleyville Lunch chapter, I have received 86 referrals. To date that means more than $115K of business in construction work. I've done so well that I've had two offers to buy out my company and especially my BNI chair! Submitted by John McDowell, McDowell Construction, Colleyville, TX
As a 2-year member and past president of the Tri-County chapter of BNI Oregon, I have both received and given many referrals. About a year ago, one member, Patrick Prothe of Prothe Studios, gave me a referral to where he does occasional work, Xerox Office Printing. The initial referral was to place labels on TicTacs for a trade show. Since then, my total orders for Xerox have been close to $100,000. A big "Thank You" to Patrick and BNI. It works! Submitted by Arnie Kirkham, AD Specialties, Tri-County, OR
BNI continues to amaze me with the amount of resources made available to me and my business. I appreciate your involvement in the success of my company. Thank you! Submitted by Bill Fredericks, All Care Medical, Millbury, MA MEMORY HOOKS
7 Second Marketing
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Writer's Guidelines for SuccessNet We need your input! SuccessNet is truly YOUR newsletter. We ask you to consider the following tips when preparing your submission for SuccessNet:
Idea Exchange
Our chapter decided that we needed to shake things up in our meetings to make them different, so we tried using the Meeting Stimulant "Name that Tune." Everyone put a lot of thought into his or her 60-second presentation for that week, and the result was a fun and informative meeting. We're a lot more energized now and are looking forward to our next Meeting Stimulant. Here are a couple of examples:
"Addecco, The Employment People" by Shalia Stueve (original song) Walk into our office come see our show We're the Placement People of Greater Toledo You need a job We're the place to see We'll recruit for you For an incremental fee Human Resources, We're who you need solve all your problems Have no more cares We're Adecco And are always there The Employment People "Make the Call to Laserline" by Rob Emahiser (to the tune of "Bad Moon on the Rise" by CCR) I hear your printer's not a workin' I see your toner's gettin low High prices keepin' you a-guessin' It's time to call a friend you know Well don't fool 'round tonight 'Cause we're here to make it right Make the call to Laserline Share your great ideas! E-mail SuccessNet at newsletter@bni.com or fax Sheila Pardue at (909) 305-1811. Are You An Active Member?
Are you an active member?
The kind who would be missed? Or are you just content that your name is on the list? Do you attend the meetings and mingle with the crowd, or would you rather stay at home and complain both long and loud? Do you give a little time And help to make things tick, or leave the work to just a few and talk about the clique? There's quite a program schedule which means success if done, and it can be accomplished with the help of everyone. So come to all the meetings and help with hand and heart; Don't be just another member, but take an active part. Think it over, people, Are you right or wrong? Are you an active member, or do you just belong? |
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