May/June 2006
Art of NetworkingBe sure to set your printer to "landscape" mode before printing.
Art of Networking
Developing a Successful Public & Community Relations Strategy for your BNI Region
7 tips to make the press work for you.
Like any other BNI endeavor, establishing sound relationships with your local press takes work and commitment. Your key contacts in the press need to first know you, then like you, and, ultimately, trust you.How is that achieved? Following are 7 simple principles to help you make the most of your local press.
1. Do your homework. What are the key business publications in your community? What do you read? What do your business colleagues read? You definitely want to be in the major newspapers and key business / community magazines.
2. Get your foot in the door. Ask your colleagues in BNI and at your company who they know at these organizations (Ask for a referral!). Better yet, ask an advertising / PR professional from one of your BNI chapters to help you. This provides great exposure for them and a superb learning experience for you.
3. Research the web. All publications have very informative web sites. Make copies of key pages and compile a "press library." Determine who the business editors and business writers are. The web sites will probably have their names, email addresses and phone numbers. Before you make contact, read their publications.
4. Make contact and be coachable. Make your initial contact by email, congratulating them on a particular article you enjoyed. Let them know you would appreciate their advice on how to get the best information about BNI to them. Let them coach you through the process of the format they prefer, their copy deadlines, etc. You will begin developing a professional relationship, because you have asked them to help you make their jobs easier. They are looking for great material and realize you want to make their jobs easier by following their advice.
5. Write a news release that stands out. Here is a cold, hard fact about getting your story in the media: What sounds exciting to you and BNI may not mean a whole lot to your media contacts. You need to work on WHAT your story is, WHY it is important, and place the IMPORTANT information at the beginning of your press release. These are the same concepts used to shape your BNI "60-Second Commercial" and "Memory Hook!"
6. Don't forget to say thanks. After you get your first news release in their publication, thank them. Ask them who their boss is, and copy them on your thank you email. Offer to provide any support they might need (not necessarily related to BNI) in finding contacts for specific stories they might be developing. And stay in touch with your new media contacts on a regular basis, providing them information about visitor and kickoff days, new chapter officers, Misner-Foundation donations, etc.
7. Share BNI stories. Finally, rely heavily on the incredible information that you receive from BNI, including the latest information on www.bni.com. Events, such as Dr. Misner's appearances in various media outlets, are great stories to share with the business community, not just BNI members.
Gary Birdsall, BNI Utah Regional Director, is a marketing professional by trade.
Click here to read a great article that Gary had in Salt Lake's major daily, The Salt Lake Tribune, which led to many contacts from potential BNI members. Gary can be reached at utahbni@bnitn.com.
Across the Globe - North America
Barbados4th Chapter Launched in Barbados
On April 13th we launched the fourth chapter in Barbados, "BNI Hibiscus Chapter," with over 35 people in attendance.The enthusiasm of the Hibiscus Chapter members was very high during our Core Group Meetings. Members were excited about the BNI General and Administrative Policies as they recognized how these policies can help them in their everyday tasks as entrepreneurs. The networking spirit was evident as members were already doing business with each other during the Core Group stage. This resulted in 21 referrals being passed on Launch Day.
This surely bodes well for Hibiscus' future success!
Submitted by Marva Belgrave, Co-National Director, BNI - Barbados
MexicoUpdate from Mexico
BNI has taken its first steps in Mexico. The Pre-Core group meetings have been a success. We have realized we all speak the language of referrals. The group, which meets every Wednesday from 7:30 to 9:00, started with nine members and is comprised of business professionals including a travel agent, lawyer, graphic designer, insurance agent, veterinarian, and an architect.The group dynamic appeals to visitors, and the system sells itself. All members are enthusiastic and can't wait to see BNI Mexico grow--and for its members to give lots of referrals!
Submitted by Karin Beltrán, Executive Director - BNI Mexico
Canada"Coach" Ivan
Dr. Ivan Misner was made honorary Canadian hockey coach on his visit to eastern Canada. "Captain Misner" was presented with the Canadian Expos hockey jersey #85 (for the founding year of BNI - 1985) by Derek Podorieszach.Ivan spoke to more than 600 BNI members, guests, and media representatives in both Ottawa and Montreal during February. Both events were videotaped, and the Montreal event featured simultaneous translation for our French-speaking members.
For much more on Ivan's visit to Canada, go to http://www.bni.com/Default.aspx?DN=1073,661,1,Documents
Submitted by Don Morgan, National Director, BNI Canada
CanadaIvan Misner Electrifies the Eastern Ontario and Outaouais Region
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| Ivan Misner with the West Island Team Chapter |
Nearly 300 members and guests who filled the Centennial Ballroom were mesmerized by the founder's dynamic presence. His presentation, "Networking for Cave Dwellers," motivated and convinced members that today's way to do business is by word-of-mouth referrals and that BNI needs to be part of their marketing strategy.
The next morning, Ivan was whisked to "The A Channel" and the "Ottawa Citizen Business TV" studios where he wowed yet another audience. The next meeting was set for the Courtyard Restaurant in downtown Byward Market, where Ivan talked to members and guests at an informal question and answer session.
Imagine the excitement and surprise of the BNI 212° Chapter members when the directors strolled in with Ivan at their regular Friday morning meeting where he was asked to do the 10-minute presentation! Denis Brisson and Jocelyne D'Aoust who are celebrating their sixth anniversary as directors for Eastern Ontario and Western Québec stated that they and the members of the region will have long-lasting and fond memories of Ivan Misner's visit to their region.
Submitted by Denis Brisson & Jocelyne D'Aous, Executive Directors/directeurs exécutifs
Canada212° Chapter Get a Surprise Visitor
When the 19 members of BNI's 212° chapter walked into Wally's Restaurant for their regular Friday meeting, they had no idea who would walk through the door: Dr. Ivan Misner.No sooner had Chapter President Shane Silva called the meeting to order than in walked Dr. Misner himself, accompanied by the BNI Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec Executive Directors Jocelyne D'Aoust and Denis Brisson. Misner had just completed a TV interview and expressed a desire to attend a BNI chapter meeting. There are four chapters in the Ottawa area that meet on Fridays, but it was obvious to the Directors which one they should visit, based on the spirit and success of the 212º Chapter.
Chapter members were delighted to hear Dr. Misner again during the speaker portion of the meeting, as the scheduled speaker, Caroline Midgley, a Nikken Wellness Consultant, graciously gave up her allocated time. It was a meeting to remember for a long time.
For more information about BNI and the 212º Chapter, visit www.bnieast.com, or call Shane Silva at 837-0011.
Submitted by Bill Horne, Member - BNI 212º Chapter
CanadaGearing Up for Referral Generation
Across Canada, BNI Directors gathered in four regional locations for a day of sharing strategies and techniques to help BNI members optimize referral generation. Staff set goals and prepared to implement new programs (Chapter Health Status) or to tweak existing ones (Chapter Mentors and Power Teams).Submitted by Don Morgan, National Director, BNI - Canada
United StatesDollars and Sense
April Thomason, US Bank branch manager of the Scottsville Road branch in Bowling Green, KY, was recently recognized at the Business Network International (BNI) Annual Awards Banquet for the Western KY & Middle TN region. April received an award for hosting the most visitors at the weekly BNI chapter meetings. April hosted 58 visitors throughout the course of 2005, nearly double the second best effort in the region.April is the current president of the Dollars & Sense Chapter in Bowling Green, KY. The Dollars & Sense Chapter also won several awards at the regional banquet, including "Silver Chapter of the Year." The chapter passed over 2200 referrals, which resulted in $816,372.77 of revenue for the 35 members in the chapter. BNI Kentucky, Southern IN, & Middle TN congratulate April on her recent honors and commend her for her outstanding leadership in the year 2005.
Submitted by Bart Giles, Assistant Director, BNI-KY/Southern IN & Middle TN
United StatesAn American in Singapore
While reading the BNIOfficialGroup e-mail correspondence, I noticed that the Vice President of the Singapore chapter, Edwin Raphael W., invited anyone visiting Singapore to contact him. My wife and I were planning on being in Singapore for vacation the following month, so I decided to contact him and ask if I could attend a meeting.
He not only agreed to allow me to visit, but Edwin graciously made the arrangements and picked me up at the hotel.
I found the mood of the chapter to be dynamic and enthusiastic. I was warmly welcomed by the whole group and also by each of the people I met during the pre-meeting networking. Every single member gave a highly professional 60-second commercial.
After the meeting, Edwin spent one-on-one time not only with me but two other visitors. The personal touch he offered was outstanding. Before Edwin dropped me off at my hotel he offered to help in any way during my stay.
My first trip to Singapore was greatly enhanced by being able to participate in a BNI meeting. I would like to encourage everyone to visit other BNI meetings while traveling for business or pleasure.
Submitted by Ira Bland, The Lunch Bunch Chapter, Burbank/Glendale, California
United States8th Annual Awards Breakfast
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| Tyson Hermes, Andy Furman, Chad Martin and Erik Hermes following the presentation of the "Referral of the Year" Award. |
Over 75 awards were passed recognizing members for outstanding attendance, referrals, and visitors. Dr. Ron Savignano, a Northern KY area Chiropractor, led the region in referrals with 149 given in 2005. The "Most Referring Chapter Award" went to the 5 year old Commonwealth Chapter for passing 1700 referrals in 2005. Finally, the "Referral of the Year Award" went to Chad Martin, member of the Kenton-Boone Chapter, for passing a $1,400,000 referral to fellow members Tyson & Erik Hermes of Hermes Construction. Photo credit and a big thank you goes to BNI member Dave Capano of Capano Photography for capturing the event on film.
Submitted by Brennan Scanlon, BNI Area Director
Across the Globe - Europe
United KingdomBNI Breakfast Worth the 10,000-Mile Trip
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| MAKING NEW FRIENDS: Sjaak Kusters, Nadine Hill and Laurel Parkinson at Melbourne's BNI Big Breakfast |
While Nadine did not go all the way to Melbourne, South Australia just for the breakfast (she was there as part of a family holiday), she decided she could not miss the chance to attend the region's annual Big Breakfast, involving 600 members from all of the city's chapters.
Nadine, whose company provides business support services, said: "As a virtual PA I can support businesses anywhere in the world, and because BNI has been such a big part of my success in the UK, I couldn't holiday in Australia without going to a breakfast meeting. It was purely by co-incidence that I was able to network at such a big event."
She was greeted by Melbourne Executive Director David Byers who introduced her to a virtual transcription company in New Zealand, with whom she is building a business alliance. "Through just one meeting in Australia, I've gained useful contacts with people from all over the globe. That is the power of BNI: making the world a smaller place in which to do business."
United KingdomTigers Roar for the 10,000th Time!
The Leicester Tigers chapter of BNI triumphantly reached their 10,000th referral on Friday, March the 24th. If you can believe it the Tiger chapter consists of only 33 members and has only been in existence for 5 years!The Membership Co-ordinator at the time, Philip Van Roose, owner of Van Haydon Travel, an independent travel agent in Leicester, said that he became aware the milestone was achievable during his term in office sometime before Christmas. He realised that the group only had to average 62 referrals a week to reach the magic number by the end of his term in March.
Since that time, every effort was made to make that goal a reality. The high point of the Tigers' attempts was a spectacularly successful Visitor's Day at the beginning of March, with 30 new businesses visiting the chapter and over 100 referrals passed that week alone.
Chapter Director, Henrik Jespersen, commissioned local sign makers and BNI members, Sign Here, to create a 'referral thermometer' so that the group could see how far they had to go and the new totals were unveiled week by week.
By Philip's last meeting as Member Co-ordinator on the 24th, spirits were running high and it was clear that the 10,000th referral was about to become a reality. That day 108 referrals were passed! As the 10,000th referral was read out, music played, party poppers exploded, and champagne was uncorked, heralding the end of a tremendous 6 months of effort and some serious business won for the members of BNI Tigers.
Submitted by Dafydd Prichard, Leicester Tigers Chapter Director
United KingdomMove Over SuccessNet - We've Got Our Own Newsletter!
With a graphic designer, a copywriter, and a PR consultant in their ranks, members of Ealing's Walpole Chapter in West London had all the necessary resources when they decided to launch their own monthly newsletter.The double-sided A4 publication has a threefold purpose: give added value to the four 10-minute speakers each month, ensure members get the most from BNI (copies are emailed to everyone), and provide an extra publicity tool in promoting the chapter to the local business community.
"The idea is to help members maximize their benefits from BNI by keeping them fully informed, and to help our group continue its remarkable growth," said Chapter Director Shainul Kassam. "But its main aim is to increase referral rates by giving our ten-minute speakers the opportunity to reiterate their key messages in writing, while boosting everyone's motivation by highlighting the chapter's best referrals."
Ruth Rollason designs the newsletter and copywriter Cathy Howells is responsible for drawing together its editorial content, supported by BBC TV producer and PR executive Lindsay Grist. Cathy said: "It is also useful to have something tangible to send out with our invitation letters to visitors. At a glance, the newsletter shows them we're a busy and successful group, encouraging them to come along."
United KingdomSteel City's Charity Event Brings Group Together
Members of Sheffield's Steel City Chapter have just marked five years of successful networking by announcing that they've generated over £1 million of authenticated new business for each other.One of the region's top-performing chapters, and nudging toward the optimum 40-strong membership, its immediate past chapter director, Pete Turner, attributed their success to "a fantastic group of business professionals who are very supportive of each other."
Under Pete's direction, Steel City saw a significant growth in size, resulting from successful visitor days. Its leadership team has also taken an innovative approach to building strong relationships within the group. Recently, 20 members took part in a charity abseiling (rappelling) challenge, suspended from the Millersdale Viaduct in Derbyshire—100 feet above the River Wye!
That event was organised by Steel City's Glyn Brown whose company, Challenge the Peak, provides development training and team building for commercial organisations. He said: "Members raised over £2,000 for charity, but it also helped strengthen the bonds between them since they had to help and rely on each other during the abseil. It was a truly adrenaline-fuelled event."
United KingdomProfessionals Come to the Rescue
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| Wallace and Roisin prepare for their trek |
Wallace, along with his wife Roisin, set the daunting task of raising at least one million pounds for the Rainbows Children's Hospice and Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice, by walking 1,000 kilometres across northern Spain on an ancient pilgrims' route to Cap Finisterre.
Wallace's problem was that he needed help to promote the cause—but had no knowledge, funding or expertise to mount such a major fund-raising venture. So he turned to his chapter colleagues and quickly found that Givers Gain really works.
Wallace and Roisin's impressive website was designed and built by fellow chapter members, Effective Internet and Rebus Creative, while photographer Tracey Welch provided superb pictures. To raise his own profile, Graham Parker of Parker Communications is running a PR campaign. The chapter's CRM specialists, Red Cherry, gave advice on utilizing networks and contracts. And flight, hotel and transport booking is being managed by Eclipse Worldwide Travel.
"I have been blown over by the way BNI members have freely offered their support. It really does prove that BNI is the best networking organization in the world," said Wallace, who with Roisin, will set out next April from Rochester Cathedral in Kent on their six-week journey. Before then, they face a year-long intensive personal training programme and must find major sponsorship. Good Luck Wallace and Roisin!
Across the Globe - Africa/Middle East
IsraelBNI Bounding in Israel
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| MISGAVE celebrating first birthday |
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| Members and Visitors in line |
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| SAVYON Members and guests at the 4th birthday |
Submitted by Sam Schwartz, Executive Director - BNI Northern Virginia,
National Director - BNI-Israel, BNI-Hungary, BNI-Romania
ZimbabweGivers Gain in Zimbabwe
BNI Zimbabwe held two very successful events this year.
In February 2006, BNI Chiyedza Chapter raised a total of Z$35,385,000.00, which they donated to The Center, a charitable organization which looks after AIDS orphans.
On March 31st, 2006, BNI Zimbabwe hosted a Charity Golf Day which raised Z$600million in cash and goods worth Z$200million. The event was the first of it's kind for us. Because it was such a success, the organizing committee has agreed to hold the same event in October 2006. The beneficiaries will be a children's home and an old people's home in Zimbabwe.
Submitted by Daphne J Banga, Coordinator, BNI-Zimbabwe
Across the Globe - Australia/Asia
SingaporeFirst Chinese-Speaking BNI Chapter
On Wednesday, March 8, 2006, history was made with the birth of Xian Feng, the first Chinese-speaking BNI chapter in the world. Close to 50 business professionals were present to witness the power of word-of-mouth marketing in action.The 12 founding members represent various nationalities but all speak a common language - Chinese. More importantly, they all speak the language of referrals, which spurred them to launch this chapter. The chapter has members from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Taiwan.
Xian Feng, which means "First Summit," will soon give birth to other chapters in the coming months. Special mention goes to Executive Director Alfee Goh who gave his full commitment and support during the chapter development process. The 12 founding members pledged to grow and maintain a strong team. The days ahead for Xian Feng look positively profitable!
Submitted by Sim Chow Boon, Founding National Director, BNI Singapore
TaiwanFirst BNI Chapter in Taiwan
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| BNI Referral Slip in Chinese |
National Director Jihong Hall, who ran the meeting, said afterwards, "It was a tremendous effort from local director Simon Wang and our founding members to make this event such a success. Two of our members, Gloria Liu and Fiona Lee, brought no fewer than 30 guests between them. With 10 applications on the day, this should truly become the flagship chapter for the region."
With two new directors, Xie Smart and Xie Marco, recently trained and three new chapters starting this month, the future for BNI in Taiwan is looking very bright.
Submitted by Andrew Hall, BNI Executive Director
ThailandBNI comes to Thailand
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| Avryl, Kollakit, YP Lai in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Kollakit Thalerngnawachart has been appointed Assistant Director to initiate the first chapter of BNI in Thailand.
Kollakit traveled to Malaysia to have the first intensive training with Avryl Au and YP Lai, Co-National Directors of BNI Malaysia.
Kollakit said, "It was amazing to witness how the Givers Gain concept and the BNI system is accepted and exercised by Malaysian business people. I have total confidence it will work just as well in Thailand."
Submitted by Avryl Au, National Director - BNI Malaysia and Thailand, Executive Director - BNI Hong Kong
AustraliaLook Who Turned 50!
They might say that you are over the hill when you turn 50, but when a chapter that is only 11 months old turns 50, that's not the case.In February 2006, BNI River View, located in Taree, reached 50 members. This is the first time a chapter in Australia has achieved this milestone.
Part of this chapter's success is its diversity. Apart from the usual categories, the membership also includes a funeral director, a child-care centre coordinator, a fish & chip restaurant owner, a vet, and a psychic.
So why the growth? It's simple: they bring visitors. There have been 15 visitors in the last five weeks, and converting them is easy when they see the energy in the room.
Submitted by Sue Mazur, Operations Manager - BNI Australia
MalaysiaUnderstanding Teams
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| The Excellent Power Team of Uptown Chapter |
The five also discovered they are in independent industries and share the same contact sphere. On returning from the weekend, they acted upon what they learned. The "Excellent Power Team" of Uptown Chapter worked on their ideas immediately, and over the past four months transacted eight projects with a value of RM1,000,000. Currently they are working on a handful of projects, worth another RM1,000,000.
Here are key points they learned from their team building experience:
- BNI provides the platform and system. The rest you have to do. Nothing is going to happen if you just wait for business to come to you.
- Revisit clients lost to competitors.
- Target corporate clients as a group that you could not as an individual.
- Provide trusted clients with total solutions.
- Ask other BNI members to introduce you to their top 3 clients and see if you can be their service providers.
From the Founder
Friendship & Membership
The paradox every member should know
One of the strengths of BNI is that the members of a chapter become friends. One of the weaknesses of BNI is that the members of a chapter become friends.Friends don't like to hold friends accountable. However, accountability is the key to any successful referral network; therein lies the paradox. BNI is not a friendship organization. It is a business referral organization. Granted, friendships must develop in order to make BNI work. However, those very same friendships can get in the way of maintaining accountability in a group.
Last year I read a newspaper article about BNI that made me really mad at first. The author started off talking about BNI and the fact that it met every week. He then compared it to a local, independent group that met every other week. The writer talked about BNI having a "strict set of rules" and then pointed out that attendance was "not mandatory" in the other group.
He showed how structured BNI was and how flexible the other group was. It seemed like a one-sided view of BNI, until, at the very end, he asked both group leaders how many members they had and how many referrals were being passed on average each month.
It turned out that the BNI group had 25 percent more members (not a big difference), and they were passing 600 percent more referrals. No kidding, 600 percent!
When I read that article, I realized once and for all that BNI is not for everyone. I hoped that the people who read that article and felt that structure and accountability were important would join BNI. And I hoped the people who did not think these factors were important would join the other group.
The importance of accountability and support
I'm not trying to be flippant. Over time, I have learned that BNI is not for everyone. People who understand that structure and accountability are important are the ones I want in BNI. Those who do not are best served in another group.
That said, I believe BNI is not as "inflexible" as some people may think. Remember, people implement systems. The BNI system, when implemented properly, works well and allows local control as well as a certain amount of flexibility.
BNI is made up of sales people, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. Running an organization with tens of thousands of people fitting this profile is a little like herding cats. It's difficult to keep everyone on track. In order to do so effectively, there have to be systems and accountability.
However, these systems and accountability have to be within a context of help and support. I believe that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. We strive hard to teach our BNI directors to train and educate members to fully understand and implement that. Unfortunately, that takes time. And not everyone understands that these policies need to be applied in a way that shows that the group does have expectations and also cares about the members.
This is important. BNI chapters must create an atmosphere of both accountability and support. It is the paradox of friendship and membership.
I recently received an email from someone who said that BNI was too structured and that if we wanted to do well in the future we needed to be more flexible. Well, for all the things that we may be doing wrong, some way, some how, we have built an organization with over 4,300 groups in 29 countries, with over 86,000 members, speaking more than a dozen languages.
I think we're doing a few things right: we serve a population of the world that believes systems and structure will help them build their business. That might be part of the reason why we passed 4.4 million referrals generating over $1.7 billion dollars worth of business for our members in 2005.
Why accept mediocrity when excellence is an option? Accountability in the context of strong professional relationships can create excellence within a BNI chapter. The paradox of a referral network like BNI is that friendships must develop and accountability must reign. It is a balancing act that rests on the fulcrum of our philosophy, Givers Gain. We must both develop friendships AND expect accountability, which is applied in a way that shows we care about people and their success.
Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is also the Founder & Chairman of BNI (www.bni.com), the world's largest referral organization with thousands of Chapters in dozens of countries around the world. His latest book, Masters of Success can be viewed at www.MastersofSuccess.biz. Dr. Misner is also the Founder of the Referral Institute, a referral training company (www.referralinstitute.com). He resides in Southern California with his wife, Elisabeth, and their three children. He can be reached at misner@bni.com.
BNI in the News
Why Technology Is Rewarding Close Personal Relationships
Most professionals today wouldn't dispute the fact that it's better to do business with people who trust them. The best way to build that trust is referral business. What today's mass advertising attempts to do on a large scale can be done on a much smaller scale—with big returns. This according to a networking expert who says he's seen time and technology change—but not people.
Read the rest of this article.
It's a TOOL, Not a Crutch
Last week I was talking with a new client who was complaining about a lack of business. He started his accounting business six months ago and has spent months and a good deal of money designing and building a decent website, brochure, post cards, etc. He is also a member of a BNI (Business Area Network) group. However, he wasn't doing the business he thought he would be doing by now.
Read the rest of this article.
BNI of Wilbraham welcomes new team
The Wilbraham Chapter of BNI (Business Network International) has announced the incoming leadership team, which will take office as of April 1 and continue this chapter's move forward.
Read the rest of this article.
Group brings business people together
In business, word-of-mouth advertising can be worth more than the largest billboard or flashiest commercial. That's why for some local business people, Business Network International is a dream come true.
Read the rest of this article.
To The Next Level
The Choice Is Yours
Why you must choose a leadership style to succeed.
After 23 years of research with over 700 CEOs and their companies, I discovered a simple fact. That is, there is one recurring choice, like no other, that alters the face of a business forever.
Very few people are aware that this choice exists and even fewer make it consciously. Yet, the course of a leader's business is inextricably set to reap the rewards and/or challenges based on making this one choice.
Consider this question firstTwo old friends, both business owners, sit down at a local coffee shop to talk about their businesses. One is a Beekeeper who oversees honey hives placed at the perimeter of a cherry orchard outside of town. The other is a Watchmaker who makes and repairs fine watches and has a shop just north of the town square. Both owners are ready to retire and have put their businesses up for sale.
If you had to buy one of the businesses, given that all things regarding customer base, revenue and profit are equal, which one would you chose?
Would you buy a business of precision and control?
The Watchmaker engineers his company's growth with control and precision. Every piece from one of his precision manufactured watches is delicately machined to within 100ths of an inch. The watchmaker "controls" every detail of the assembly of his precision watches and engineers the running of his business in a similar manner.
Both the handmade watch and the handmade watch business are dependable precision machines able to deliver results based on the predetermined set of conditions reflected in their design. If the watch were to be accidentally dropped on a concrete floor it would likely break into numerous pieces and stop working. That is, until someone or some outside force came along to repair it. What would happen to the watch business if it were to break in some fashion?
By its nature, the watch business will deliver results given that the underlying conditions do not change. Unfortunately, it does not adapt well to conditions foreign to its design. Its nature will resist any portion of the business working independently or in a team. It will rarely think independently to innovate new ways of meeting the ever changing challenges of its environment.
OR
Would you buy a business of constant change and chaos?
The Beekeeper operates in a world of constant change and chaos. He "facilitates" rather than "controls" the health of 125,000 bees living and working out of 55 white 3-foot-high "wooden hives." The Beekeeper can only foster an environment that supports the bees to produce honey. He cannot in any way guarantee an outcome.
Upon closer inspection, the apparent mass chaos swirling in and around the hives reveals the fact that every bee is an independent agent relentlessly pursuing its own mission, within the natural order of the hive. Each bee supports the daily business of making honey and protecting the health of the hive.
The hive is an intelligent, self-organizing, adaptive organism. It is able to innovate solutions to the challenges encountered during the natural course of events in nature. If it were dropped on the ground and broke into numerous pieces, the hive as a group of bees would very likely relocate its home base and start anew on the business of making honey.
What is the number one challenge of most growing enterprises?
If you answered managing people, then you answered correctly. Imagine encountering a company with low morale, low profits, lack of staff engagement, high turnover and rampant gossip. Who would likely be running it, a Watchmaker or a Beekeeper?
If you guessed Watchmaker, research proves in nine out of ten cases you would be right. Why?
Watchmakers see their business as a machine to control.
The overarching purpose of watchmaker management is to avoid chaos at all cost and firmly control the enterprise and everything in it. Rarely is the company's greatest asset, its people, accessed fully to the benefit of the enterprise.
Beekeepers see their business as a living thing to guide
Beekeepers have learned to facilitate their company's performance rather than control it. They understand and work with complexity and intermittent chaos. They are also more likely to allow for a little messiness in an effort to let the intelligence of the team or "hive" find the solutions instead of finding the solution themselves.
The one choice
Considering that most CEOs are a blend of both the Watchmaker and the Beekeeper, the choice to be "one more than the other" still clearly defines the viability and performance of an enterprise.
We all have a choice: engineer our company's growth or facilitate it? So what's it going to be, Watchmaker or Beekeeper?
This article is taken from the ground breaking book "Navigating the Growth Curve" by James Fischer, co-founder of Origin Institute.
His research and work with over 700 small enterprises (1-350+ employees) establishes Fischer as a cutting edge thought leader in the field of small business growth and management. This fast paced book could change your life and the future of your business. It reveals powerful new methods that will help you create, manage and sustain the growth of your small business. If you are really serious about surviving and growing a healthy business go to http://www.origininstitute.com/books.aspx to learn more.
Small World, Isn't It?
Use your six degrees of separation to make purposeful connections.
"It's such a small world, isn't it?" You've heard the phrase dozens of times and probably have even used it yourself. But have you ever considered how understanding this "small world" can help us achieve business and professional goals?Social scientists have found that most people in the world can be connected to one another by six degrees of separation. All of the people who we know—our work colleagues, old high school buddies, and social friends—make up our first degree of separation. In turn, all the people they know become our second degree of separation. And so on, until we reach six degrees and can connect with just about anyone on the planet.
That's good in theory. But how do you put the theory into practice and make these "small world" moments translate into real social capital? How can these relationships get you in the door of your target customers?
It takes being proactive. Here's one simple approach to maximize your small world interactions:
Step 1: Stay in the moment. Always be present when you're meeting people, and pay attention to what might be going on in their world.
Step 2: Always mention the names of people, places, events and occurrences. This gives the other person the opportunity to make a small world connection.
Step 3: Ask connecting questions.
"Do you know Susie Jones over at XYZ company?"
"You seem to be in a great mood. Do you mind if I ask why?"
"Have you ever been to Kauai?"
When you ask the questions, you'll be surprised how quickly you can make the connection. Of course, this approach is only as good your ability to "take the moment and dance with it."
Small World Theory in Action
Here's a true story that clearly illustrates the "small world theory."
I was attending the Home and Patio show one year at the Indiana Fairgrounds when I noticed a young lady sitting at a table signing autographs. The signs around the table identified her as Bryn Chapman, the current Ms. Indiana.
I stopped, said hello, and after 4 minutes (of which I spoke for one minute and listened to her for the other three minutes), I said, "Bryn, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thanks for your time. Good luck in all you do."
Move ahead six weeks. I was facilitating training for a private company. The participants' instructions were to tell us who they were, what they do, and the thing they are most proud of.
One gentleman stood up and said, "My name is Dan Chapman. I'm the marketing director for U-Build It Corporation. I'm most proud of my little girl who is currently Ms. Indiana."
At that very moment, I could have merely thanked Dan and gone on to the next person. As you would imagine, that's not what I did. Instead, I said, "Dan, I think I met your daughter!"
Of course, this got his attention (which is the first step in the connection process). I continued, "I was at the fairgrounds the other day and met a young lady who said she was the current Ms. Indiana. She's a music major at Indiana University, came in 10th in the Ms. America contest, and was signing autographs for many young aspiring Ms. Indianas at the fair. Her name was Bryn Chapman."
He replied, "It's such a small world, isn't it?"
I responded, "Actually, it's not, unless you and I know what to do with the information. And, the fact is that we do."
Unfortunately, many people who have a prime opportunity to take advantage of this "small world" phenomenon don't know what to do with the knowledge. But, by taking simple steps to seize the moment and recall previous information at the point of interaction, we can create the connection that helps make our encounters more memorable.
Making the most from your interactions comes down to having a strategy in place. The next time someone says, "It's such a small world, isn't it?" you'll know how to capitalize on that connectivity to grow your community of business allies.
The above excerpt was taken from the book - "The Power Is in the Connection" which can be purchased at www.RelationshipStrategiesInstitute.com.
Ron Sukenick started in Business Network International back in 1988 and is considered one of the longest running members of BNI in the world.
Ron is the Chief Relationship Officer and founder of the Relationship Strategies Institute, a training and relationship development company that provides innovative, effective and relevant programs and systems for corporations, organizations, and associations. To learn more about the value of Relationship Development, visit their Web site at www.RelationshipStrategiesInstitute.com or e-mail him at RS@RelationshipStrategiesInstitute.com.
My BNI Story
It All Adds Up
A view from the other side of the balance sheet
Obviously, increasing earnings is a prime objective for any BNI member. But during my first year, I began to understand there are other benefits.
I approached my first year in BNI by recognizing that I am not just an individual looking to increase earnings but I am also a business entity. Therefore, I must measure and evaluate business activities in terms of opportunity/cost. This viewpoint forces a "business entity" to review the direct cost of every activity and place both sacrifices and benefits on a scale to be weighed out. The obvious direct costs of being in BNI are the fees and travelling expenses, but I had to sit back for awhile to see how the opportunities weighed in.
I have come to believe the cost is not high. What else would I be doing at 6:45 in the morning? I suppose I could be watching TV, reading the paper, or getting my beauty sleep. But of what value are those now that I am a business entity?
While attending an early morning BNI session you are not a coffee-drinking zombie in front of the TV but an ambassador for your business. And the task at hand is to market your business, evaluate how well your business is doing, and conduct market research. All of which hold immense value.
The opportunity/cost of BNI, in my humble opinion, is high on the opportunity and low on the cost.
Rupert Walker, Chartered Accountant, Member of BNI Fareham Chapter BNI, UK
Saving Runaways BNI Style
This year my wife and I celebrated our 10th Wedding Anniversary in Costa Rica. I was excited to see that a charity walk for "The Children's Society" would be held at the same time we were planning on being there.With my wife's blessing, I spent seven months training three times a week at the gym. I immediately turned to my BNI members and Directors for sponsorship. Then, when Dr. Misner spoke in the UK to the BNI Directors, I took the opportunity to proposition him for help, too. He graciously offered to have the "Ivan Misner Charitable Foundation" make a contribution!
After months of training I finally made it to the Costa Rican rainforests. My body was in shock as I propelled myself up huge hills in sweltering heat amidst hungry biting flies.
But what an incredible experience! I would like to thank all the BNI members, Directors, and the "Ivan Misner Charitable Foundation" for helping to protect the runaway children of the United Kingdom through "The Children's Society."
Lawrence Dagnall, BNI Director - London North West
Would YOU Shave Your Head for Charity?
Jeff Lerman, the incoming Golden Givers Chapter Pesident, was looking for a novel way to help promote an event to benefit Daybreak's Domestic Violence Prevention Education Programs. The event is held annually in memory of the sister of a fellow BNI member who was murdered in a domestic violence incident.Jeff originally agreed to shave his beard if the chapter would make a $100 donation to Daybreak. The challenge was quickly met,so he increased the stakes by promising to shave his HEAD if the donations reached $1,000! They did it!
Nice Job Golden Givers!
BNI Helps Me Evolve Professionally
I joined BNI at the end of the year and it is certainly helping my word-of-mouth networking efforts. However, my BNI membership is helping in more ways than just one. Standing up and presenting to a 100+ people representing JPMorgan was easy; standing up and presenting Lynnelle Bianco to 25 is a different story. BNI is helping me grow my business, but it is also helping me evolve from an employee into a business owner.
I'm happy to say that beginning next month I'll be serving as the Education Coordinator for my BNI chapter, the Roma Referral Group. I'll keep checking into SuccessNet and Entrepreneur.com looking for Dr. Misner's words of wisdom.
Lynnelle Bianco, Roma Referral Group
Read a recent article by Lynelle in MaineToday.com about how your BNI membership is a tool, not a crutch.
From Nervous Newbie to Natural Networker
Jane Kaufman, an acupuncturist with the Dadeland Chapter of BNI Miami-Dade, well remembers her first visit to a BNI chapter. She expected it to be a rather boring meeting of 'stuffy business types,' but she knew she needed to find ways to market her new acupuncture practice. "What I remember most," Jane recalls, "was that when it was my turn to give my 60-second commercial I was literally having heart palpitations. I was not a shy person, but having to stand up in front of all those people and talk about my business terrified me!"
Even after joining the chapter—yes she saw the benefit of BNI immediately—she dreaded doing her commercial.
That was two and a half years ago and time has more than eased her nerves. As of April 2006, Kaufman is the new president of her chapter and estimates she earns about 40% of her business through BNI referrals.
Kaufman also credits the chapter's weekly Education Moments with teaching her how to better market herself and to speak about her business in any situation. In fact, thanks to the confidence BNI helped her gain, Jane now seeks out speaking opportunities. She believes BNI helped take her from an overwhelmed acupuncturist to a natural networking expert!
Submitted by Mavis Lamb, Director PR & Special Events, BNINW, BNI Miami-Dade, BNI Connecticut
The Personal Touch
As I read through Success Net I was touched by the sincerity and warmth evident in the inclusion.
Ivan Misner resides in Southern California with his wife, Elisabeth, and their three children. He can be reached at misner@bni.com.The fact that Dr. Misner can be reached personally gives tremendous credibility to the content and philosophy of BNI. This reality drives home the importance of taking the time to build relationships.
I feel that I can trust that BNI has a solid foundation of business ethics and a founder who promotes excellence.
Christine Woods, Excelerate
BNI Brings Unexpected Business
I used to work for a local security company who installs and monitors residential and commercial security systems in the Kingston area (Ontario, Canada).
One day I received a call from a gentleman who was looking for a security system. He had just purchased an island with a house and guest cabins on it in the 1000 Islands near Kingston.
I discussed with him what products and systems were available to him and then asked how he found out about our company. His answer surprised me.
He told me that he is a Canadian but lives and works in Australia. He has a friend who lives in Ottawa so he called and asked if he knew a trustworthy security company in the Kingston area. His friend told him that as a BNI member he could quickly find one on the BNI website. He found my company and name then passed on the information.
Just two weeks later the system was installed. Thank you, BNI!
Arno van Alst, Sales Manager
I just want to take a moment to thank Dr. Misner from the bottom of my heart for the fantastic workshop he gave in New Orleans. I truly enjoyed his speech and his enthusiasm, both of which I have carried with me.
I continue talking about BNI. My personal goal is to get every Manager or Account Executive in my company to join a BNI chapter in their own region.
BNI has assisted me personally as well as professionally. I continue to see growth in my ability to speak with prospects, clients, and employees. During my review last week, my manager noted?. "Lori has grown in her communication skills which is a direct result from her membership with BNI. Now we can not shut her up!"
Thank you again, Givers Gain!
Lori Davis, Adecco Branch Manager, Tracy Executive Chapter
Thank you, Dr. Misner, for sharing some of your insights with us on March 31st when you were in Atlanta. After your presentation, I made the 'usual' comment that it was "nice to meet you"—traditional small talk. However, what I should have said is that it was "an honor and a pleasure to meet you."
I just wanted to say what I felt at the time but failed to express. Your books are filled with 'jewels' of wisdom that I aim to share with my group over my tenure as Educational Coordinator.
Shea Ellison, President & CEO, Strategic Internet Consulting, LLC
L&S Printing has benefited from BNI in more ways than new business. We have acquired a number of new clients as a result of BNI, but it goes so much further. Through effective networking, we have been able to find services for our own business that have saved us money and time. From toner cartridges all the way to insurance, my business has realized over $10,000 in savings. Also, we have been able to find services for our own clients, making L&S Printing a more valuable asset to our client base. BNI is the best marketing investment our business has made.
Paul La Pree, L&S Printing, Wausau Founders Chapter
Breaking News
Misner's Moments
Networking Ideas to Build Your Business
Visit www.bni.biz to purchase and download the latest networking insights from Dr. Ivan Misner.These MP3 files can be easily downloaded to your computer, like any other file. Simply save the file to your hard drive by following the on-screen instructions. Once downloaded, just double-click on the file to listen to it on your computer.
You can also copy the MP3 files to a CD-ROM—to play in your car stereo—or to an iPod or other portable MP3 player.
Whether for your own personal enrichment or for the educational segment of your next chapter meeting, download Misner's Moments for a quick and convenient way to learn from Master Networker Ivan Misner.
It's Your Time!
Do you know you have been put on this Earth for a greater purpose than you have been living up until now? BNI members will want to check out the new book which will be released on May 10 by Chris and Janet Attwood, "The Passion Test - The Effortless Path to Discovering Your Destiny." Janet and Chris have been BIG supporters of BNI. The organization was recently highlighted by them in an interview with Dr. Misner.Ivan and Elisabeth Misner have reviewed part of the book, and have taken the Passion Test. They highly recommend it. The new book will come out on May 10th, and the authors have arranged for you to receive thousands of dollars in wonderful gifts from some of the world's top transformational speakers and NY Times best selling authors, such as Mark Victor Hansen, Bob Allen, Jack Canfield, Wayne Dyer, T. Harv Eker and many others.
You can check it out at: http://www.passiontestbook.com.
The Passion Test is a simple, powerful process which will help you get aligned with your purpose. The book is fun to read and contains powerful principles which will have you living a passionate, purposeful life in no time.
It's time to discover your destiny, and this book will help you live it to the fullest!
Dr. Misner Featured in New Book
Dr. Ivan Misner, Founder and Chairman of BNI, is featured in a new book released this month, Coaching Into Greatness: 4 Steps to Success in Business and Life, written by Springfield, MA BNI member Kim George. Dr. Misner's interview is one of the book's "Profiles in Greatness," which showcases people who embody a new form of intelligence called AQ, or Abundance IntelligenceTM. Selected for introducing the Giver's Gain philosophy to the business world, an excerpt of Dr. Misner's interview can be read at: http://www.coachingintogreatness.com/interviews.html.BNI is pleased to release the official statistics for the year 2005.
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| Julien Sharp with Dr. Ivan Misner |
Total BNI Countries: 26
Total Chapters: 4,175
Total Referrals: 4.4 million
Total Value of Referrals: $1.7 billion (US Dollars)
Where do we get those numbers?
BNI's Founder & Chairman Dr. Ivan Misner explains more:
"Sometimes members ask me how we come up with the statistics we share about the number of referrals and their value. Below is a brief description of the process. Additional information can be found in my book The World's Best Known Marketing Secret, under the chapter called "Payoffs of Networking, the Research Behind the Results."
"As part of my doctoral dissertation published by the University of Southern California, I conducted a statistical stratified random sample of the members of BNI as part of a comprehensive survey of the membership.
"In this survey, we asked several questions, such as: How many referrals have you received? What percentage of these referrals have closed in a sale? What is the average value of a referral you receive?
"From the results of this very comprehensive analysis, we generated several hundred pages of statistical tables that gave us a very clear picture of the quantity and quality of referrals generated in the organization. Every chapter keeps track of the number of referrals that are generated in their group. By knowing the number of referrals, determining the average value of a referral is reasonably simple utilizing the findings of this scientific study."
This subject was re-visited last year by Julien Sharp, a business consultant and BNI member from Florida. Thanks to her months of hard work and analyzing thousands of survey forms, we now have updated figures for you to share with your members and chapters.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and contributed to this important work. Networking pays off—and we have the proof!
Fast Forward Restart
Nonprofit formed by BNI members to aid Katrina and Rita victims
The BNI community has found many ways to help people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Fast Forward Restart is another such effort, led by a group of BNI members in Atlanta, GA.One morning last September, Gordon Rude of the Phoenix Chapter, Atlanta, GA, wondered how he could help business owners in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. He brought together the talents of some of his BNI colleagues and contacts to help business owners and salespeople in the affected area regroup.
The group, now a nonprofit called Fast Forward Restart, has brought a highly disciplined and comprehensive business planning process to 50 businesses, primarily in the New Orleans region. These participants have completed a detailed business assessment, a two-day workshop, and are now involved in the coaching and seminar phases of the process. Program benefits are available for a one-year period.
Fast Forward Restart is supported by corporate sponsors, individual contributions, foundations, and government economic development funding. The first sponsor to enable operations was the Misner Foundation. Dr. Misner has also stepped up as the Interim Chairman of the FFR Board of Directors.
To further funding, Hazel Walker, Executive Director, Central Indiana, has suggested every BNI member contribute one dollar. Eddie Esposito, BNI member, New Orleans business owner, and Fast Forward Restart Coach, has begun developing 10 referral sources to raise $1,000 each for the effort.
To quote Carolyn Fredericks, a program participant, "This is not just a quick fix. This is not just a hand-out of a few hundreds dollars that will help us get through the next month. This is a long-term solution." Carolyn is the wife of BNI member and Area Director Erik Fredericks, and, along with Erik, owns Bee's Flowers of Metairie, LA.
While Fast Forward Restart is available to the general business community, it is built by BNI members and their belief in Giver's Gain. You can find out more about Fast Forward Restart and how you can help by going to www.fastforwardrestart.org.
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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is going to be the venue for the first international event for BNI members. The BNI Worldwide Conference will be held June 20 through June 22, 2006.
The event will celebrate not only the first 20 years of BNI but also the fulfillment of Dr. Ivan Misner's vision that BNI become a truly international networking organization.
BNI has taken off in Malaysia, which as a country can boast the highest average chapter size in the world. Congratulations to National Director Avryl Au and her team of dedicated Directors.
Dr. Misner will deliver the keynote speech, and has promised to deliver a Master class. The Event will bring together members from Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Malaysia, the USA, China and many more.
For members searching for contacts in other markets, here is an opportunity to meet BNI members in friendly surroundings. There will be trade stands and focused opportunities to network.
Other speakers include the Master of Presentation Skills Andy Bounds, and Gunnar Selheden, the National Director from Scandinavia and Poland. We are hopeful that Martin and Gillian Lawson, National Directors from the UK, who have been very successful rolling out BNI in that country will also speak for us.
Kuala Lumpur is a great city of modern architecture, excellent cuisine, and has tremendous facilities for golf and shopping. The Cameron Highlands are beautiful and cool and the jungles are worth a visit.
Don't miss the opportunity to become an International Networker!
For more information please visit the website at www.bni-worldwide.com.