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BNI: More Than A Meeting
The year 2003 starts BNI's 18th year of operation. When I started the organization, generating new business for people in a positive, supportive, and structured word-of-mouth marketing program was foremost in my mind. However, over time I learned that there were many more benefits that members experienced in addition to getting more referrals and new business. Early on, I learned that BNI truly is "more than a meeting." It's about a system, teamwork, experience, professionalism, relationships, and much more. BNI offers many benefits to members who actively "work" the program. Hence, our theme for 2003 ("More than a Meeting") addresses that notion.
Many people gave great thought to this theme and came up with a list of at least 12 major benefits that members receive from their active participation in this program. With each issue of SuccessNet Online throughout the year, various guest authors will be talking about two of these issues for you to consider during your participation. The first two topics in the 2003 theme relate to having a plan and generating referrals. Therefore, those are the ones that I will be talking about in this first article in the series of six that cover the 2003 BNI theme. 1. Plan Having taught Strategic Planning at California State University over the last decade, I've learned a great deal about planning and small businesses. Many years ago it used to surprise me that 50 percent of all businesses fail after only three years in operation. However, now that I know how little planning many businesses do, I'm surprised that it's only 50 percent that fail. If you want to be successful in business, it is critical that you plan your work and work your plan. Furthermore, part of your plan should involve your strategy for building your business through word-of-mouth. In my book, The World's Best Known Marketing Secret, I talk at length about the importance of what I call your Word-of-Mouth Business Acquisition Tactics plan or WOMBAT plan. All BNI members should start the new year out by completing their annual WOMBAT plan. This will help you achieve the results you deserve for all the hard work you do as a business owner or sales professional. A copy of the WOMBAT plan can be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file by clicking on this link. 2. Referrals Referrals are the reason I started BNI. It is the reason that we go to our weekly meetings in over 2,600 locations throughout 13 countries around the world. Somewhere, every working day of the year, BNI members are meeting and passing referrals to one another. It is estimated* that BNI passed over 2.5 million referrals last year, generating over $856 million (U.S.) in business for our members around the world (final numbers will be released in February). This is an incredible amount of business-the BNI system makes a substantial difference in the financial health of companies. Our philosophy is "Givers Gain." It is predicated on the age-old idea of "what goes around, comes around." If I help you, you'll help me and we'll all do better as a result of it. The absolute best way to get more referrals is to "give" referrals whenever you have the opportunity to do so. This is a system that works when everyone in a chapter is working for the best interest of the group and trying to support one another through a reciprocal system of referral generation. Here are two suggestions for you to increase the number of referrals that you are getting in your chapter. First, immediately set up a schedule to meet with all the members of your group in the "One-on-One" Dance Card system that we have (see your local BNI director if you are not familiar with this). Two, ask the president of your chapter to conduct the "Is Your Net-Working" exercise that can be found in the BNI Chapter Toolkit. Doing either of these two items will dramatically increase the number of referrals your chapter will generate. Doing both will make a huge difference. As I said above, referrals are the reason I started BNI. I presume that we all joined BNI for more business. But what we've gained as a result of the BNI system is much more than the business we've generated. *Footnote - Official numbers for the referrals generated in 2002 will be released in February 2003. HUDDLE TIME
The Art of the Deal: Negotiating Tips for Running Your Business
The saying goes, "You don't get what you deserve; you get what you negotiate." Easier said than done. Negotiating is complicated; no one style is effective in every situation. Of course, the ideal situation is where both parties are clear and collaborative and work toward a win-win solution.
However, it doesn't always work that way. It is important to stay focused on your objectives and remain flexible because the other side will not necessarily play by your rules or behave in a reasonable way. Here are some tips on successful negotiations: 1. Learn to Walk Away If the negotiation becomes deadlocked or the other party is unreasonable to deal with, you may need to walk away. You can't force the other party to be reasonable, and making too many concessions is not the basis for a healthy business relationship. 2. Involve an Intermediary Sometimes cultural or style differences make it advisable to involve an intermediary. Effective negotiation needs to be peer-to-peer. Involving an intermediary can help bridge the differences and find the common ground or "win-win" outcome. However, be careful in your choice of an intermediary; you want a deal—not a battle. 3. Beware of Adversarial Lawyers Not all lawyers are adversarial, but the sad truth is that lawyers make more money when there's a fight. Lawyers have an economic incentive to turn amicable business relationships into protracted negotiations and even adversarial outcomes. Warning signs include:
Adversarial negotiations are unlikely to produce a deal or a good business relationship. The deal needs to be fair to all parties to work well. The party that feels unfairly treated usually finds a way to get even. To avoid having your deal derailed by such lawyer tactics, I recommend that you keep adversarial lawyers out of the negotiations. 5. Keep it Simple Parties should draft a term sheet that captures the essence of their agreement on one page. They should answer the questions, Who? What? Where? When? How much? Then each party reviews the term sheet with his or her respective advisor and revises the term sheet based on such input. Basically, use your lawyer as a coach and do the negotiating yourself. The parties discuss the agreement and revise the term sheet. Next, instruct the lawyers to write up your agreement—without gobs of boilerplate—and include a provision to mediate any dispute. (One lawyer should draft and the other review.) With this approach, you'll get a deal that is fair and workable and an agreement that you understand. HUDDLE TIME
Power of the Lapel Pin
We have found that the lapel pin is not worn by a majority of members, but we feel it is a valuable tool for both recruiting and recognizing members from other chapters. The lapel pin can be a conversation starter. Many people wear identifying pins for clubs, organizations, and status in their companies. These people take a keen interest in the pins of others. A BNI Member pin can prompt a question about the organization and give you a chance to talk about your chapter and possibly invite an interested businessperson to your meeting. Not long ago when we were in a regional airport, another BNI member noticed our BNI lapel pins and struck up a conversation with us in the security line. It was great to meet a fellow BNI member with whom we could chat and get acquainted while traveling. So, if you don't normally wear your BNI Member lapel pin, dust it off, shine it up, and wear it to your next business gathering, chamber mixer, or as part of your work uniform. You'll be amazed at the attention you'll get and the opportunities for building relationships that will come your way. HUDDLE TIME
Increase Your Membership with a Chapter Contest
Imagine 60 referral partners! If you are up to the challenge, the WIT chapter of Montreal, Canada, has the solution. This chapter added 25 new members through a membership contest designed just for their own chapter. Chapter president, Stephen Hindelang, explained to me how it works. A core group of WIT members became determined to build their membership from 18 to 30 members. This occurred when the small group invited lots of guests to the well-run meetings where they passed lots of referrals. Their meetings sold the guests. Once their chapter had 30 members, they started their recruiting contest, determined that they could grow their chapter even more using just a bit of creativity. To excite the members, they designed a contest around three motivating factors:
The contest can work with any size chapter, but the chapter must be divided into small teams. For example, 18 members = 9 teams of two; 20 members = 10 teams of two; 27 members = 9 teams of three; or 36 members = 12 teams of three. A lot of small teams means that team members can get to know each other and learn to work cooperatively. The president should assign one key outgoing person to be the leader for the team. The president, or contest coordinator, must assign each team their target groups to recruit. One team can "steal" another's target group—this is a lot of fun—and therefore take away the potential higher point allocation from the other team's end result. (See below point system.) The Point System
The Prizes The WIT chapter created their own highly sought after prizes. Members had to maintain good standing (generate good referrals during the contest) to qualify for a reward. Prizes included a BNI membership for winning team members, gift certificates, $1,000 in travel certificates, and other smaller prizes. This contest was fully "owned" by the membership of this chapter. To create this sense of ownership, each team made up their team name, such as Flower Pot, El Nino, The Untouchables, Four Guys in a Boat, and Movers and Groovers. The Results The WIT contest ran for several months. It resulted in more than 25 new members. The chapter currently has about 60 members and is working to develop the fundamentals to enable their chapter to create increasingly strong referrals for the large membership. (Oh, yes. The group does finish on time each week. They assemble at 6:30 AM, and the president runs the meeting like a dictator.) Imagine, spending all this energy on building a large chapter like the WIT and then more energy networking with all these members and their contacts. This group could represent more than 24,000 buyers of products and services. It's no wonder that the chapter's lawyer gets three to five new clients per week. Breaking News
Go Live and Ask the Founder
BNI will be conducting a live Ask The Founder chat session on Wednesday, January 22, 2003, at 7:00 PM Eastern time (6PM Central, 5PM Mountain, and 4PM Pacific) through the BNI-Yahoo Group website. To participate in the live chat, enter the BNI chat room by clicking on the above link or by going here. When you arrive at the club, verify that you are logged in (using your Yahoo ID and password); then click the "chat" link. You may get a window indicating that the chat software is downloading. It is okay to click to accept it because Yahoo updates the software regularly. You should then be in the chat room. First-time users: After entering the chat room, click the Preferences button. Look at Message Options and make sure the box Pop Up New Private Messages is checked. Uncheck the box Auto-Away When Idle. This will prevent you from being bounced in and out of the chat. Click the Save button before exiting this window, and you will not have to set it up for future chats. If you get a message that you are not a member of this club and you have verified that you are logged into Yahoo, email Tony Dalia, Yahoo chat coordinator, (tony@inlandauto.net) for an invitation for membership. If you do not use this invitation right away, it can expire. Tony's goal is to have as many members attend the chat as possible, so if you need further help, or would like a "dry run," feel free to contact him. North America BNI HAPPENINGS — USA Montana rounds up members for motivational mega-meeting
This occasion came about through the efforts of Lily Moore, the Tuesday president, and Paddy Moore, the Thursday president, along with the support of three of their members from the Tuesday, Magic City, and Thursday groups. These latter three members represented Edward Jones Investments, which sponsored the speaker. The first two groups, Tuesday and Wednesday, kicked off in February 1989. Two original members still attend meetings. One, a member of the Tuesday group, Sol Lovas, is an estate planning and business attorney. Paul Gray, the director of the Wednesday group is a life insurance professional. The Thursday group started in May 1995, and the Magic City group began in April 1998. Thursday is the largest group with over 40 members. The others are attempting to attain that size. BNI-NW wins Founder's Award
Eastside Earlybirds celebrate Halloween, BNI-style
"Hi, I'm Willie Nelson. I left my guitar at home because it's got a hole in the top. A close friend of mine has got a financial consultant by the name of George Manska at Smith Barney who he is really happy with. "I wish I had listened to him and chose George for my financial consultant, then maybe I wouldn't have got in all this financial mess with the IRS. Man, I got so many problems, my blue eyes are crying in the rain, my seven Spanish angles are flying too close to the ground, and my good-hearted woman ain't in love with this good-timin' man no more. I owe the IRS so much money, I concocted this here Farm Aid gig and put my feet back on the road again. "Ain't it funny how time slips away. I haven't even got enough money to go on vacation with Pancho and Lefty in Whiskey River, and all the girls I loved before just make fun of me. So the next time you need to consider choosing a financial consultant, George should be always on your mind. Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be dirt poor cowboys like me, just teach them to hire a good financial consultant." California chapters unite for networking extravaganza Recently I hosted a joint-breakfast BNI meeting with the seven chapters in my region: Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Upland Breakfast, Upland Lunch, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, and the Claremont chapter. We had 120 people at the event along with our national director Norman Dominguez. The event was hosted by one of the members from the Claremont chapter, Marchell Mccain, the director of catering at C&C Concessions/Anthonys at the Fair, which is located at the L.A. Fair Grounds. The purpose of this meeting was to get all of the chapters together to support the theory that successful regions must have communication and interaction between chapters. The event was a huge success. This was a very high-energy meeting with lots of door prizes donatated by the members. The meeting ended at 8:30, but one hour later members were still networking. This was our first annual breakfast meeting, and we are planning the next one to be even larger and better. Our goal within this region is to bring all chapters to 40-plus members by December 31, 2003. Europe
BNI HAPPENINGS — United Kingdom BNI founder "sees" UK's success
History was made at West Yorkshire's Members Conference recently when 250 delegates took part in the first-ever live video link-up with BNI's founder Dr. Ivan Misner, who was sitting in his California office nearly 6,000 miles away! The keynote speech delivered by Dr. Misner, followed by a lively question-and-answer session, was one of the event's highlights. It was made possible by the pioneering computer technology skills of Leeds-based Eye-D-Me, whose multi-site webcam software has opened up a new world of live video links over the Internet, offering a low-cost alternative to expensive tele-video conferencing. Niri Patel, BNI's executive director for North & West Yorkshire said, "There were a few teething problems, but the link-up worked extremely well and made a big impression on delegates. The feel-good factor in chapters after the conference was very high, and members obviously enjoyed being able to listen and talk to Ivan Misner—especially since he delivered his presentation on how to be a 'Master of Networking,' which Yorkshire members had missed when he gave the same address in London earlier this year." Niri added: "We've already started to plan next year's conference, which will incorporate training and educational workshops and other breakout sessions, as well as some keynote presentations." Zimbabwe loss is UK's gain—thanks to BNI
Today, just 15 months after landing at Heathrow Airport with all he owned crammed into a few suitcases, John is the UK head of the world's largest personal development franchise business-an achievement made possible only because he joined BNI's Didcot chapter within weeks of coming to the UK. "When I arrived in Oxfordshire from Zimbabwe I knew no one. I'd been a franchisee for SMI (Success Motivation International) in Africa, and my aim was to launch and grow the business in Britain, one of the few countries in the world where SMI had no presence. "The trouble was knowing how and where to start establishing new business contacts. I quickly discovered that the nearest BNI chapter was at Didcot, invited myself along to their very next meeting, and haven't looked back since." In his first year 12 months John says BNI referrals accounted for 42 percent of his business income, worth more than £34,000. But that's just the start. Once he had established his own solid client base—many clients coming through BNI referrals—John and his wife Ellie quickly used BNI's network to find new franchisees for their expanding business. "We now have four other franchise partners, all of whom are BNI members, including three who are chapter directors at Wimbledon, Bracknell, and Abingdon. I cannot speak too highly of BNI, without which our business could not have taken off like it has," he added. Using membership to the max! Paul Hawkins (Canterbury chapter, with a pass average of 120 referrals per week) just used the services of five members to buy out his competition. BNI has povided him with so much work, he has saved enough to expand greatly. Not enough of an example of how BNI works? He also got engaged to another member: Allison Kelly of Boiler Know How. Australia/Asia
BNI HAPPENINGS — New Zealand A Blockbuster night for BNI-NZ
They touched on treating BNI as a business not a club (and the differences between both) and reiterated that networking is a verb not a noun. Items discussed included executing the fundamentals flawlessly, putting yourself into play to maximize what we have within BNI, and having self-belief and understanding on how your BNI team can benefit you. Laura and Darryl demonstrated how to get people in chapters to understand the services of their business by first understanding how to present by using a "Fou Fou stick." (A Fou Fou stick is an instrument of sorts that Darryl says is too difficult to explain in writing, as "seeing is believing." If any readers want to know just what a Fou Fou stick is, he says they will have to invite him to one of their functions—or visit him in New Zealand!) Using a sporting example, they showed that your BNI team is the best one to be on by comparing a basketball team to a rugby team and how each player (member of a chapter and leadership team) plays a significant part in the success of the business. BNI HAPPENINGS — Malaysia Malaysia gets gold Jasmin Mohd Zain of JM Zain Associates became Malaysia's first Gold Club Badge member. Zain is a member of Ampang Chapter, KL, and has been a member since February 2001. 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: There are many types of networking groups out there. How do I know which ones to join? A: There are at least six types of business organizations to consider joining in order to develop your business through networking. Depending on your time constraints, select at least two or three groups for participation. However—and this is critical, no matter what groups you end up participating in—remember that it's not called "net-sit" or "net-eat," it's called "net-work," and if you want to build your business through word-of-mouth, you must "work" the networking groups you belong to. Casual Contact Networks The first of the six types of networking groups are casual contact networks. These are business groups that allow many people from various overlapping professions. There are no restrictions on the number of people represented in any profession. These groups usually meet monthly and often hold mixers where everyone mingles informally. Casual contact networks may hold other meetings where there are presentations by guest speakers on important business topics or discussions on issues concerning legislation, community affairs or local business programs. The best examples of these groups are the thousands of Chambers of Commerce and similar groups active worldwide. These groups offer participants an opportunity to make valuable contacts with many other entrepreneurs in the community. They offer significant breadth to your goal of developing a word-of-mouth-based business because they enable you to meet hundreds of other businesspeople. Strong Contact Networks Strong contact networks are groups that meet weekly for the primary purpose of exchanging referrals. They often restrict membership to only one person per profession or specialty and tend to be more structured in their meeting formats than casual contact networks. Their meetings include open networking; short presentations by everyone; a longer, more detailed presentation by one or two members; and time devoted solely to passing business referrals. Such organizations require a far greater commitment from their membership. They usually have a set agenda, with part of the meeting dedicated to actually passing referrals you've picked up for members during the previous week. A good example of this type of organization is BNI, a group I founded in 1985 that is now one of the largest of its kind. Community Service Clubs Community service clubs give you an opportunity to put something back into the community where you do business while making valuable contacts and receiving good PR to boot. Community service clubs can be fairly good sources of word-of-mouth business. Such groups exist primarily to serve the community; however, they can also provide an excellent opportunity for businesspeople to meet regularly and develop relationships. Although there is almost no overt networking, long-term friendships, which are critical to the success of a solid word-of-mouth-based business, are established. Good examples of these groups include Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs. In many ways, community service clubs were the original networks. The oldest, Rotary, was established in 1905 by Chicago lawyer Paul Harris with the idea that one person from each profession would belong and members would, among other things, help each other in business. Professional Associations Professional associations, or what futurist and author John Naisbitt calls "Knowledge Networks," have existed for many years. Association members tend to be from one specific type of industry, such as banking, architecture, personnel, accounting or health. The primary purpose of a professional association is to exchange information and ideas. Your goal in tapping into such networks is to join groups that contain your potential clients or target markets. A simple procedure for targeting key groups is to ask your best clients or customers which groups they belong to. This will give you an immediate list of at least three, and probably as many as 10 to 12, groups from which to choose. Your best customers retain membership in the associations that offer the greatest value or for which there is some key strategic or competitive advantage. Similarly, the prospects you wish to target may, in many ways, operate like your best customers and have many of the same needs. Here are some examples of professional associations: American Society of Personnel Administrators Certified Life Underwriters Association National Association of Professional Organizers American Bar Association American Medical Association National Speakers Association Social/Business Organizations Each year, more groups spring up that serve as both business and social organizations. Groups such as the Jaycees and various singles/business clubs openly combine social activities with business or networking, giving you an opportunity to combine work with a little pleasure. If you're interested in combining work with social activities, I recommend the Jaycees. They tend to be very focused and professional. Women's Business Organizations Women's business organizations have been instrumental in shaping the nature of contemporary networking organizations. With the proliferation of women business owners in the 1970s and '80s and the difficulties they had in joining the "old-boys' networks" in place, many women formed structured, well-organized groups that met to network and provide professional support. These groups were created not as service clubs but as bona fide networking organizations. Many made no pretenses; the members were there to network, and everything else was secondary. Women's business organizations are very diverse. The one thing they have in common is that they tend to be concerned with education and professional development as well as networking. Some are casual contact networks; some are strong contact networks. Others are industry-specific professional associations,such as Women in Construction. The benefits of membership depend on the type of group you join. For many women, such groups can be an excellent and nonthreatening way to increase their business. surprisingly, many women's organizations allow men in their membership. Assuming the man conducts himself professionally, he can truly benefit from membership and participation because he'll be more widely recognized within. Despite all that we've covered thus far, some people tell me they simply don't have time to go to business meetings regularly. I understand that objection well. If you feel this way, let me suggest that you stop reading this article, pick up your telephone and start making cold calls instead. Or, if you prefer, open your checkbook and start writing checks for more advertising. If you're serious about developing word-of-mouth business, there is no quick fix; you must meet people in a planned and structured way. Which groups should you join? Don't let chance decide where you're going to spend your time and effort. Remember, the key is to diversify your activities. Don't put all your eggs in one basket; one type of business organization won't serve all your needs. Consciously select a well-rounded mix of organizations, with no two of the same type. If you have associates, partners or employees, consider their participation when deciding which groups each of you will target.
Thank You, BNI!
From July 2001 through June 2002—the Mary Kay year—members of our group gave me referrals, made individual purchases, and supported me like a personal fan club. Each Thursday morning I would visit the group knowing I would receive encouragement and motivation in addition to referrals from almost everyone. I have been a part of this group since we began four years ago. At least 25 percent of my new business originates through them. I am now working with referrals of referrals of referrals of referrals—the list goes on and on. I had recently signed up with CoachU, a personal coach graduate training program conducted via teleconference. This allows us to have telephone conversations with 28 coaches throughout the world. About two months into the program, I was in a practice building/marketing course when a coach from Australia began talking about BNI. We all started asking questions, wanting to hear more about BNI. He told us that BNI was responsible for about 40 percent of his current practice. Wow, we were all excited, couldn't wait to get off the call, and get on the Web to find out more about BNI. After class, I got on the Internet and found that BNI is headquartered in San Dimas, Calif., the city right next to mine. Talk about a small world. Within a week's time, I was at a Business Expo in Diamond Bar and meet Judy Sanders, who invited me to my first BNI meeting in Diamond Bar. The rest is history. Currently, about 35 percent of my practice has been due to referrals and contacts from BNI. Most importantly, this business has come through contacts that I took the time to "dance" with. The methodology and process works. I have since become a board member on my professional association—ICF, International Coach Federation, Orange County chapter—and have spread the word about BNI to other coaches. I will continue to promote the value of BNI and networking as I believe it is the core of any marketing plan. That's what my work as a coach is all about-success! When Dr. Ivan Misner and I met over 20 years ago, my daughter Carolin was six. Today she is a massage therapist and in her final year-and-a-half of study as an acupuncturist at You Son University in Santa Monica, Calif. She will be joining one of BNI's chapters in Beverly Hills. Two years ago, at the conference in Brea, Carolin came for the member morning and stayed for the reception. There she met a BNI member who had started the first Mandarin chapter in San Francisco. He has continued to be in touch with Carolin and, in fact, has offered her an opportunity to intern in China as an acupuncturist. Now this is networking at its best! I take personal pride in knowing the fantastic legacy we have been able to offer to the next generation of BNI members. Our family continues to be enriched through our participation in BNI. New Gold Club Members I'd like to congratulate six outstanding members who recently have made it to the "Gold Club:" 1.) Lesley "Jazz" Barnette, Manchester, N.H., chapter; 2.) Paula Hogan, Plaistow, N.H., chapter; 3.) Charlie Humphries, Manchester, N.H., chapter; 4.) Cheryl Johnson, Nashua North, N.H., chapter; 5.) Paul LaFlamme, Nashua North, N.H., chapter; 6.) Joe Monaco, Lakes Region, Vt., chapter. Founder's Award Winners New Founder's Awards have recently been sent out. Congratulations to the following:
Chapter Brags
Cathy provides the "tone," Andrew Hair (Telecom Unlimited) provides the "phone," and Mary Jane Hair (Muzak) provides "on-hold" services. These three BNI Buddies have a great sphere going that has proven to be very successful for all. Many of our customers appreciate that we can help them with three of their important services often all in one appointment, thus saving them time and money. BNI does work. Find your "sphere," team up, and get going. Pat Nagler of the Lake Highlands chapter (Northeast Dallas, Texas) has proved to be an outstanding member. She recently passed $114,000 worth of referral business. Her average referral is $4,000, and she gave 35 referrals in 39 weeks. Fantastic job! She should be proud of her great networking skills. The attorney in the South Metro chapter in Bloomington, Minn., came up with a clever 60-second commercial. Tim Davis used parts of 28 memory hooks and company names of members in the group to create the commercial about his business. The bold parts are the parts that refer to the chapter. While it may make as much sense as it did to the members of the chapter, you can still appreciate what a great a job he did on his commercial. "At Davis & Dammeyer: We build intelligent estate and business plans for intelligent people. We are the legal organizers in the group. We are the legal writers, charging a lot for legal [bold=]words and deeds. Tim Davis fixes stuff-no estate is too small. D & D is your IN complete legal resource. Sometimes we bring the showroom to you. We can even put your name all over legal documents. We don't just close loans; we foreclose them, too. Need a will? I can manage that. Need a trust? It can be arranged. Rest assured your estate plan will be one of a kind. With a revocable trust, you can take your estate plan virtually anywhere. I'd like to do an estate plan where the ACT Lady meets the Phone Guy and they create a trust for their flock of AFLAC ducks, disinherit their son who runs a Crack House, creates a second trust to take care of their daughter's Wild Hair, and gives generously to Nourish the Children. Of course, an On Deck Seminar and a Game Plan should be part of their retirement. When do words speak louder than pictures? When the second wife walks away with the entire estate. When your estate plan is done, you will feel simply the best. Some of our clients even think we walk on water. At D & D, experience and integrity are always working for you to help you get the MOST cash for your crash. We go to great lengths so you can look good on paper-and die right. Oh yes, Thanks to you at BNI, business is picking up." The New Mexico Mid-Day Networkers' current membership is 19 and growing. They are pleased to announce that they have generated 220 referrals in the two months following the placement of the new leadership on October 1. Column
Fall in Love with Change It's a cruel irony that just as you get things as you want them—almost to the point of falling in love—it's time to make changes. Once a successful product or strategy could be relied upon to be useful for at least a year and some for several years. No more. Because of technological developments and globalization, we're often lucky if we get six months out of a great idea or innovation. But remember, nothing I just said is particular to small business. Time, tide, and technology wait for no man, woman, or company. Indeed, the past 10 years have been a very instructive period for small business owners to learn from our big-business cousins about dealing with change. Sometimes the lesson was a positive example. After virtually being bankrupt, Harley-Davidson made a remarkable comeback, not so much with new products, as with a new approach to the marketplace. Sometimes the lesson wasn't positive, but no less instructive. John L. Chambers, CEO of Cisco, the technology company said, "We have to face the difficult challenge of changing when things are going well." Unfortunately, Mr. Chambers apparently learned this lesson too late. This company has fallen from grace as its technology went from being vital to outdated in a relatively short period of time. No business owner can afford the luxury of falling in love with any product, service, application, plan, or strategy. But for small business owners, we can't even afford to fall in like. Write this on a rock…Don't love your stuff. Embrace change, and love the fact that you can create something new.
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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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