This year’s theme for BNI is “ROR”—or Return on Relationships. We chose this theme because at BNI we know that effective networking—and resulting successes—are really all about relationship building.
Have you ever noticed that some people seem to possess a penchant for doing well in life while others struggle? Do you know anyone who has the best of intentions but just cannot seem to get it together? Often times those who succeed are not necessarily those who are the most talented, best educated or even particularly intelligent. What is it then that sets these people apart from the rest?
It seems to me that the answer to this question may be less of a mystery than we might imagine. I believe that the key to success is dependent upon our ability to network—to form relationships with others. The traditional view as to what it is that makes someone successful generally involves traits customarily regarded as “individual,” such as natural talent, intelligence, education and effort. However, in my view, success is not linked to individual attributes at all, but is intricately interwoven with the person’s networks and their ability to form relationships with others.
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HUDDLE TIME
Survival of the Weakest
Success Isn’t an Entitlement
By Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D.
Everyone wants success. They might want it in different forms, but I’ve never met anyone who didn’t want to be successful at something in their lives. I believe everyone is entitled to pursue success; but success itself is not an entitlement.
Success is largely determined by our hard work and our choices. I know many people who work hard but make bad choices. It’s amazing how many of them think they deserve success because they feel they’ve worked hard. On the other hand, I don’t know many, if any, successful people who have made good choices but didn’t work hard.
I knew someone who was constantly lamenting her “bad luck.” She wasn’t happy with her job. Her personal life was in shambles. She was almost thirty, hadn’t completed college, and constantly had money problems. She often blamed situations or other people for the various predicaments she was in. However, the glaringly obvious truth was that although she worked fairly hard, she continually made horrible choices. One day she would complain about money; the next day she’d buy something totally extravagant and unnecessary. The following week she’d complain about not being able to get a good job while showing up to work an hour late for personal reasons.
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Be a Personal Marketing Champion
By Don Morgan, BNI Canada.
The BNI marketing program will work for virtually any businessperson who sets his or her mind to working the program. BNI is a sophisticated and highly effective marketing system that is supported by a business franchise structure. The program entails word-of-mouth referral marketing through a variety of individual networks of people. Each member looks for opportunities to refer their network partners to an appropriate BNI member.
This last part is what requires individual determination, creativity, tenacity and commitment. Members always have to be on the look out for referrals. Finding referrals for members is what fuels the program. The speed of this marketing system is highly dependent on the effort exerted by members to find lots of high quality referrals.
We want you to succeed. As a marketing organization and business, BNI's success is contingent on your success. BNI staff members are doing all that is possible to bring to your chapters the most support, guidance and direction to increase your business. However, the program will only work if you work at it.
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