June 2007
Art of Networking |
4 Secrets of Chapter Growth
The not-so-mysterious reasons why the Professional Connections Chapter doubled.
Twelve months and 26 members ago, our leadership team made a commitment to double our membership ranks by December 2006. Our plan was specific and measurable, and as a result, we achieved and even surpassed our target goal of 52 members. While some chapter outsiders marveled at our accomplishment, our secrets are simple and few.
Secret Number 1: Make Your Meetings Fun and Purposeful
While our president strictly follows BNI's meeting agenda, we enjoy light-hearted moments and laughter during our 90 minutes together every Wednesday morning. Guests typically comment, "Your meetings are so high energy. What a positive way to start the day!"
Try these suggestions to pep up your meetings. During your Sales Manager's Minute, encourage members to recite—in unison—part of a member's memory hook. For example, our financial planner's memory hook is "Friends Don't Let Friends Retire Broke." Our financial planner cues the audience with "Friends Don't Let Friends … " and, the audience recites in unison, "Retire Broke!"
No one falls asleep or fiddles with their PDA in our meetings when 56 people shout "Retire Broke!"
Our meeting timer rings a bell to remind talkative members or guests to finish up. Our Membership Report along with our Network Reality Check are delivered in two minutes. Our 10-minute Sales Presentations finish on time. We begin promptly at 7:30 am and end at 8:55 am—sharp. Our weekly referrals given average is 65-80, dance cards average is 80-90, and visitors average is 5-8.
We have fun, without losing sight of our meeting purpose: to exchange timely, meaningful referrals between non-competing professionals.
Secret Number 2: Invite Membership Prospects Who are Compatible with Your Existing Membership
Implement "Power Teams" in which member categories form referral alliances. These aren't loose cliques, but seriously committed teams of 5-6 trusting professionals who sincerely care for and actively demonstrate commitment to each other weekly.
For example, we recently recruited a business broker to compliment our Professional Services Power Team. What happens when a business changes hands? The new owner may need a new CPA, payroll processing service, telephone system, website re-design, computer system, software upgrade, and marketing consultant to increase market share and/or re-train the sales force.
The morning after that business broker-guest attended our meeting he hand-delivered his completed application with payment to my office because he instantly saw the exponential referral potential of our Professional Services Power Team members!
Secret Number 3: Communicate Often and Openly with Your Director and Members
Keep your assigned advisors in your communications loop. Follow their advice and don't change the system BNI perfected and duplicated at 4,600 chapters worldwide! PRACTICE THE RULE: Run Your Chapter Like a Business.
If an employee is absent or late three times, take action before others presume they can take the same liberties. So it is with member attendance. They receive a letter with a notice of probationary status plus a warning not to miss the fourth within six months.
Our Mentor Coordinator assembled and trained seven mentors who were each assigned 5-7 new members so no one falls through the cracks. Recently, we appointed a Power Teams Coordinator to implement and manage this essential activity within our growing ranks. Everyone is accountable: from the Leadership Team to each of our mentors to each Power Team Captain and our newest members.
Secret Number 4: Focus on Learning & Growing!
Everyone, from our original charter members to our newest members, is excited about our growth and our potential to become more effective and efficient givers and gainers.
From the new Advanced MSP Training Programs, which empowers our members to move to the next level of referral competence, to our weekly sharing of new ideas and concepts between members, the BNI philosophy is alive and well at Professional Connections!
