July/August 2006
Art of Networking
From the FounderYou Need a Pilot to Fly
Why your BNI Chapter needs Leadership Team training.
"Why do I need to go to Leadership Team training?" This is a question I've been asked often over the last two decades. The answer to the question starts in 1980, five years before I started BNI.
I was hired by the president of a transportation company in Los Angeles to help turn the company around. My first day on the job, I found out the president was called to Sacramento at the last minute to testify before a state legislative committee on transportation. The HR director met me and gave me a brief tour of the offices, explained the phone system, told me where the bathroom was, and finally said, "The president won't be back for three days. I have no idea what you're supposed to be doing, but good luck!" | Read this article
Breaking NewsKL06 – BNI Worldwide Conference
BNI held its first Worldwide Conference in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia from June 20 through June 22nd.
More than 350 BNI members from more than ten countries were in attendance for training workshops, international open-networking sessions, and an awards ceremony featuring wonderful Malay entertainment. Attendees report this conference was educational, inspiring and afforded the opportunity to meet other BNI members interested in growing their businesses internationally. | Read this article
Art of NetworkingAsk and the Door Will Be Opened
The key to making referrals work for you.
Conceptually, most people understand the idea of referrals. But getting and giving a referral isn't so simple.
Pretend you are in a room of 30 people, and you ask everyone to take out their keys. You look around and find who has the most keys on their ring. You then take that key ring. You say to the roomful of people: "There are 30 people in this room. Would you agree that there are more keys than people?" | Read this article
To The Next LevelReferral Proves "Extreme" Value of Substitutes
You never know the value of a substitute. When Larry Koller, a nine-and-a-half year member of BNI and founding member of the Sunrise Chapter in River Edge, N.J., invited a long-time friend to step in for one of his rare absences, it proved extremely rewarding for fellow chapter member and interior designer Stacey Pravec of In Your Space (North Haledon, N.J.).
"I had just returned from a major design project in Florida, and was looking online for a worthy project to donate some of my time," Pravec said. "What I heard the next day at our meeting sounded like the perfect opportunity." The following week, Pravec found herself on a field shoot for "Extreme Makeover - Home Edition" on the ABC Television network seen by millions of viewers. | Read this article
BNI in the News
Ivan Misner on Podcast by Duct Tape Marketing
Duct-Tape Marketing is a small-business marketing program that presents a variety of tools especially designed for small business owners. This fascinating interview, conducted by host John Jantsch, is great for BNI members and non-members alike to build your business through word of mouth referrals.
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