October 2007
Art of Networking |
Words cannot describe how my family and I have benefited from being involved with BNI. I have met the most wonderful, warm, caring, and professional people through BNI—all of whom I feel privileged to be associated with, and proud to refer business to. I look around my home and office and am surrounded by the products and services of current and previous BNI members.
Our kitchenette and breakfast counter barstools were painted by Larry Johnson from BNI. The family room was designed and accoutered with beautiful functional leather couches by Barbara Schumacher of BNI. I have Heritage Makers albums ready to be prepared and presented as holiday gifts for my immediate and extended family. Next to it is a computer serviced and virus protected by several current and past BNI members.
My 2-year-old and I have received chiropractic care from Wellness One of Bellevue. Several of my clients have received gifts from Magic Envelopes.
These are just a few instances of the products and services of BNI members, each of whom has greatly enhanced my daily life and whom I have referred BNI members to.
None of the above benefits include the personal growth I have experienced while a BNI member. When practiced, the "Givers Gain" philosophy truly works! The leadership of Debi Kirk and her ambassadors are all prepared and professional. The BNI online newsletters, resources, and training have been invaluable to me.
I joined BNI to build my mortgage business through word-of-mouth referrals. I have met my goals from the financial aspect, and have benefited tremendously on a personal level. I will endorse BNI to everyone I know based on my personal experience.
Lanelle Martin, President, BNI Prospecting Professionals, Redmond, WA
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You know what you'd do if a friend told you she was starting a new job as a mortgage broker, don't you? You'd tell her to find a seat in a BNI chapter—maybe even to start a chapter if that prized seat was taken in all the chapters for miles around.
But suppose she lived in a post-Communist country, where mortgages have only been available for the past five years. She might not have the same opportunities for networking that we have in the U.S., right? Maybe. Maybe not. Let me share with you a story from my vacation this summer in Poland.
I'm the owner of an auto repair shop in the Boston suburb of Waltham, Massachusetts. I've been a BNI member for almost six years, having joined during the aftermath of 9/11 to keep my business afloat. BNI has been very good for me—everybody owns a car, so it's easy to pass referrals to me.
Every summer I take part in a retreat to Poland with a group from my church. This year at the retreat I visited with a couple, and Monika told me that she was leaving her position as a high school physics teacher to sell home mortgages and small business loans. I asked how she was going to find customers. Monika offered that she and Jarek had a lot of friends from their church. I asked if I could use their computer. I typed in "BNI Polska" and a web site came right up, listing 13 chapters in the whole country.
I launched into my BNI spiel, explaining to Monika how belonging to a chapter meant having 20 or 30 other sales people out in the community looking for business for you. It also meant surrounding yourself with a cast of friendly, capable people whose professions complement yours, so that you can pass the home buyer to a real estate agent, and then to a contractor and so forth. It seemed that BNI was just getting off the ground in Poland, so Monika could put herself in a great position by helping organize a chapter in Bielsko-Biala. Jarek was as intrigued by the opportunity as Monika—he's the head of the office of a large French bank in the nearest big city, Katowice, where there were already two BNI chapters. He volunteered to go to a meeting to check the program out for Monika.
I can't wait to see if Monika starts up a BNI chapter in Bielsko—she's certainly capable of it! It's nice to share good ideas with your friends, and now I know I can share the good idea of BNI with the friends I'm making in Poland who have small businesses.
Mike Bundy, Longlife Auto Repair, Newell Chapter, Newton, MA
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My daughter recently passed her driver's test and is now a licensed driver. I wanted to effectively explain to her the responsibilities and opportunities that go along with driving but didn't want to come off as preachy.
I was looking over my notes to prepare for an MSP 2.0 training when the idea hit me. Use a large Post-It easel pad to demonstrate the Confidence Curve to my daughter!
My daughter watched as I drew the curve, starting at the lower left corner and continuing upward just like we do in training. I labeled the right side of the curve "FULL DRIVING PRIVILEGES." The lower left corner I labeled "PARENTS HAVE TO DRIVE YOU." (To a teen with a license, this would be "teenager hell" or the equivalent of falling off the referral curve.)
On the top right, we listed the actions and activities that would help her keep full driving privileges and the keys to the "extra" car. These included: coming home on time, no tickets, checking the oil in the car, running errands for mom and dad without complaint, taking her younger sister places, maintaining a B-average minimum in school, and helping out around our farm when asked.
On the bottom right we listed the actions and activities that would cost her the opportunity to drive. These included: not keeping curfew, lots of kids in the car just driving around acting silly, low grades, not taking care of the car, complaining about having to take her sister places or help out on the farm, etc.
We talked about how a person goes up and down the curve, and if she messes up how to move back up again. She took the page and attached it to the back of her door.
It's been nine months since she's been driving and things are going very well. The Confidence Curve on her door reminds her that she is being held accountable and there are consequences for her choices—both good and bad.
Sue Henry, Area Director, BNI Minnesota
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