Are you struggling getting referrals from other members of your networking group? Do you regularly have One-to-Ones, pass referrals to others, but still see little to nothing in return?
The key too effectively get referrals from others in your network is developing the right kinds of relationships. Are you trying to close a sale, or are you trying to train a salesforce?
To receive more referrals from your network, you are looking to train a salesforce. This means focusing on teaching the benefits of your products/service to those in your network, and helping them understand the why behind what you do.
How do you educate a network? Check out these tips to help you share with your networking groups the full story behind your business.
Specific is terrific. The more specific you can be with your network not only about what a great referral for you is, but what products and services you exactly offer, can help you develop relationships beyond just closing a sale.
Share the Lowest Common Denominators of your business as a starting point. Break your business into bite sized pieces that your network can easily absorb and remember. This will help them internalize what you do and help refer you to someone they know.
Share stories of an exchange with a client that went exactly the way you’d want it to. By telling your network about your ideal business exchange, or about experiences with clients that went well, you can condition your connections to look for possible opportunities that fit this mold.
Provide your network with collateral regarding your business. If you have catalogues, flyers, or other pieces that can help your network share your products and services with people in their lives, be sure to provide these materials to them. It will help them refer you if they can feel comfortable with everything they need.
What are your tips for helping people in your network get to know your business and act as a sales person for you? Join the conversation on Facebook!
People who say that networking played a role in their success spent an average of 6 1/2 hours a week networking and had half of their clients from their networking time. However, people who did not invest as much time networking also did not report as much reward. Therefore, spend about 8-10 hours per week networking and do the right things to build the relationships first when networking.
Over the last few weeks, the U.S. has been faced with several natural disasters – including Hurricanes Irma and Harvey – which left great devastation across much of the southern United States. Members and Directors from around the world quickly offered their support to those in need. In total, nearly $45,000 USD was raised for the BNI Cares initiative and thanks to the generosity of many of you, BNI Members in Texas and Florida will receive a Back-to-Business grant to help them get their businesses back up-and-running.
As BNI’s Chairman & CEO, Graham Weihmiller, noted in September’s SuccessNet, when natural disasters strike, local businesses play an essential role in helping a community return to normalcy. Last month, Graham and BNI’s Global Support Team visited Texas to meet with impacted Members and learn how BNI can bolster support globally in such situations. According to Rob Gorecki, BNI’s Global Innovation Manager, “Our trip was an incredibly impactful experience, as the Givers Gain® spirit was on full display. We want to specially thank Mark Taylor and Kathy Mathy, the Executive Directors of the regions we visited, and Alisa Wenning of Pyramid Printing, a Member in the BNI Ballantyne Business Network Chapter in Charlotte, NC, who provided an amazing donation of branded BNI T-shirts for Members to wear during disaster relief efforts.”
BNI has set up a BNI Cares Facebook Group that we invite Members and Directors to join, and use as a platform to collaborate following disasters. Share a story of how you’ve been affected, or perhaps a way in which you can help a fellow BNI Member. Sometimes, just a bit of encouragement can turn despair into rock-solid determination.
This month, the BNI Foundation is excited to share four quick updates with you!
BNI Foundation Welcomes Four New Board Members
The BNI Foundation has added four new members, bringing the total to nine.
Kevin Barber oversees over 1,200 members in South-West Germany’s 39 chapters, the first of which he started himself in 2005. Kevin is also the BNI Foundation’s Global Special Envoy and is responsible for the Foundation’s operations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Shelli Howlett is one of the few female BNI regional directors running multiple large regions. Her geographic area includes Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, Texas where there are 2,700 members in 105 chapters.
David Kauffman acts as managing
director and senior director consultant for the BNI Delaware Valley Region that
encompass 5 states and 125 chapters. David has years of experience serving
boards of charitable organizations and also founded and operates the Adaptive
Aquatic program for the Haverford, PA YMCA.
Jeremy Walsh is the worldwide director of support, training and documentation for BNI Connect. Jeremy and his team set up BNI Connect’s self-help forums, which see 52,000 visits a month from members searching its comprehensive library of hundreds of training materials.
Lead by chairman Jeff Stay, the BNI Foundation’s board of directors is set to do great work this year. Take a look at our entire board here.
BNI Foundation – Charitable Giving Survey
BNI has a long tradition of reaching out to help schools and students. That charitable drive has become stronger and more focused with the help of the BNI Foundation and its Business Voices initiative. The Foundation is asking you to take part in its Charitable Giving Survey so they can fine-tune their program. Take a few minutes to tell them about your philanthropic activities.
Grants for Teachers
Our latest blog post is a great starting point for teachers searching for much needed funds for their classroom. In it we link to just of few of the many grants teachers can apply for to receive money for everything from school supplies to field trips. Then we give a few pointers on the grant writing process. Give it a look here and share it with the teachers in your life.
Givers Gain® Grant Cycle is Now Open
The BNI Foundation awards the Givers Gain® Grants to schools and educational organizations twice a year in May and December. Ten awards of $1000 each are typically awarded. The grants are used to enhance classroom learning with the goal of benefiting as many classrooms, teachers and students as possible.
Read our eligibility requirements and guidelines here.
The BNI Foundation is excited to announce the opening of the Fall 2017 Grant Cycle on September 15th. The Grant Cycle will be open through October 15th. Please review our grant guidelines for the school/educational organization you are nominating to help us ensure only qualified schools/organizations are getting the link to the online application. Click here for the link to the grant application.
Grant recipients will be announced at the Global Convention in Long Beach, CA in November. If your nominated school or educational organization is selected, we will notify you before the general announcement.
Thank you for allowing us to partner with you. Together we are improving tomorrow’s business through education today.
For most business owners and professionals today, this is a rarely uttered phrase. There is always a craving to grow and develop a little more than you already have. But where to start? Sometimes, growing your business can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Check out these small things that can have huge impacts on your business.
Don’t just answer “How are you?” with “Fine.” You’re not just fine, you’re excited, optimistic, and looking to grow your business! When someone in your life asks how you are doing, or what is new, this is a great opportunity to mention casually that you’re growing or looking to find ways to grow. You never know who this person may know, or in what ways they can help you thrive.
Ask for what you want! If you have a specific person in mind you’d like to be connected to, a specific part of your business you’d like to develop further, or a specific amount of business you’d like to do in the next year, ask for it! Be specific with your wants and needs – your network can only help you get where you want to go if they know what that goal looks like.
When a client gives you a positive review, ask them to share it or for referrals. When a client tells you how much they enjoy working with you, or thank you for going above and beyond for them, ask them to share that positive feedback, either via your Facebook, pages like Yelp, or in writing so that you may share it on your website. Also ask them if they know anyone else who may benefit from getting the same great service you gave them.
Thank those who help you grow your business. By publically showing appreciation for the people who helped you get where you are now, you’ll increase the likelihood that others will help you, either by referral, by advertising, or with day to day activities. People love to feel like what they do matters, and they are more likely to help people who have a history of showing gratitude. (Recommended article: Let Gratitude Grow Your Business)
Give referrals to someone in your network. By passing a quality referral to someone else in your network, you help build your own credibility. People want to refer business to others that they trust, and sharing referrals with others is a great way to build mutual respect. It’s what BNI meetings are based around – by giving business to others, you will get business in return.
I love social media. I am active on social media. I have found that social media is fantastic for ‘brand building’ – and I also believe that social media will not replace all marketing efforts for most entrepreneurs and sales people. In fact, for many businesses, it just does not generate a large percentage of their new business.
I know, I know, there are people out there right now that are officially apoplectic. Take a deep breath. Know that I love you and I love social media. It has been a fantastic tool for me to retain my audience and keep them engaged. It has been great as a brand builder. I’ve also seen the marketing data and it is sobering.
Here’s a great example. In 2011, the Freelance Industry Report did a very thorough survey of the industry. One of the many questions they asked was “What has been your most effective method for finding and landing clients…?” Four of the top five answers were all networking related (Word of mouth, Referrals, Personal/Professional network, Local networking). These added up to 69.5% of all business development for the respondents. Social media ranked as #8 with only 2.8%. But wait, that’s not the most amazing thing. When asked, “which… marketing methods are you planning on spending more time and resources on in the next 12 months,” Social media ranked #1 with 46.1%!
But wait, that’s still not the most amazing thing about this story. You see, when the 2012 report came out, the networking related choices for how respondents actually generated their business that year, now moved up to 74.3%! But where was social media you ask? Well with all their commitment to focus more time and resources on social media, the report found that the respondents had moved the needle to 2.8%… oh wait, it was 2.8% in the previous year! So here’s the most amazing part of the story: despite their commitment to put more time and resources on social media to generate their new business the following year, the respondents actually did not move the needle at all. Zero. Zip. Nada.
And now the really crazy thing – in 2012, 42.8% of the respondents said that next year they were going to focus more on – you got it, social media again! There’s a saying for this: What’s the definition of insanity? Doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.
In two separate reports, these business professionals were generating 70% or more of their business from networking related activities. They generated less than 3% from social media. Don’t you think that it would be a good idea to increase their networking efforts as well? I do. That’s one of the reasons I keep writing books on the topic. The data speaks for itself. Networking is a great way to build your business. It is not the only way, but it is still among the very best. Why not spend more time honing that skill? I’m just saying.
Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization. His new book, Avoiding the Networking Disconnectcan be viewed at Amazon.com.
Webster’s dictionary defines culture, as it pertains to business, as: The set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterises an institution or organisation.
There are many elements that go into building a successful organisational culture. Each successful organisation has different factors that contribute to making its culture successful. Typically, among these factors, both tradition and innovation play an important role. Traditions help to make a company distinctively who it is, and are instrumental in demonstrating to both employees and the world where it comes from. Without traditions an organisation pays only lip service to culture, and strong traditions that are applied throughout an organisation are one of the best ways to maintain a healthy organisational culture.
Often tradition is depicted as the enemy of innovation and vice versa. However, Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI has this to say, “These values may at first seem counter-intuitive but as the Apple example proves, it is the secret to success for contemporary businesses. Our traditions lay the foundation to who we are by showing where we came from. However, we must always be leading with innovation to stay current. This means that new advancements in technology and thinking must be absorbed into our process. Don’t lose touch with new changes in business and don’t be afraid to try new things at BNI.”
One way in which tradition and innovation are complementary organisational values may be as a result of innovation being a conscious facet of a company’s traditions. When tradition and innovation are at loggerheads within an established organisation, one way to combat any resistance to innovation, or change, is to backtrack to the origins of the organisation. It may be extremely beneficial to reconnect with the breakthrough innovations that in live in the history of the organisation and to share this tradition of innovation with employees and stakeholders.
If you wish to build innovation as a tradition within your organisational culture it is important to clearly define what innovation means for your company. Having a defined strategy with regard to innovation throughout your organisation puts paid to pursuing innovation for innovation’s sake. It may well also save wasted time and investment, preventing the desire to innovate from being a fruitless pursuit; particularly in the event that the goals for innovation within different departments within an organisation are contrary to one another.
I joined BNI at the end of July last year in 2016. Our Chapter chartered in September as a Hall of Fame Chapter. I had doubts about BNI when I joined, as I didn’t see how BNI would work for a nonprofit or as a business person. In fact, I wasn’t very engaging of a speaker, as I was nervous and didn’t think I was on the same level as many of these business people in the room. However, one thing I learned from Ron Kirby, our Chapter Area Director and now my mentor, was that BNI will give us the tools to succeed, but it was up to us to build relationships.
Well it wasn’t until October 2016 after Hurricane Matthew wrecked havoc on our area that my life turned around. Three days after the hurricane I got involved with Samaritan’s Purse. I stayed behind as I was trained in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT Certified) and wanted to be here for our community. While doing this, I started opening up about what I was doing and started realizing I was networking without even realizing it. I was giving referrals while helping. That’s when I realize how BNI was going to help me.
Since Matthew, I have done over 400 One-to-Ones, passed over 100 referrals and completed over 200 Continuing Education Units. I took the responsibility of Visitor Host role in September, but after the hurricane decided to be more involved, and since then my chapter has embraced me. Now the new Leadership Team has entrusted me to be the Education Coordinator – me, the guy who a year ago felt he had nothing to offer in BNI.
What set me apart from many others is we have 21 chapters, soon to be 22, in this area, and I have been to 17 of them. My One-to-Ones are directed at those who I wanted to learn from, those who could help grow and evolve. I chose Director Consultants, Ambassadors, Leadership, business people and veteran BNI Members.
Why, you may ask? Well easy who better to learn from. Who better to help me understand or give me some pointers. Now people come to me which is a great feeling. I visit other chapters and now several want to tag along with me. I’m trying to explain to everyone that if your seat is open in another chapter then use that opportunity to grow your business. Also to learn how other chapters operate and possibly take that info back toward our own chapter.
Strangely AFA, my nonprofit, is still a work in progress as I’m trying to open our academy, but money has been slow. Members support my fundraisers by donating, sponsoring, participating or volunteering. Many know I work for free until we open so now members are diligently trying to help me make this a reality. Problem is families here don’t have private insurance, as they rely on Medicaid which doesn’t pay much. Our tuition is $36,000 per individual, which most insurance pays 100 percent. My goal is serve my community here in the Hilton Head area and in the Savannah area, as for me Givers Gain is about giving back.
One in 68 are born with Autism and there is no cure, but with therapies we can help give these kids the resources they need. I know this well, as I’m a father of two on the Spectrum. Fortunately for me someone did this for my kids so it’s my turn to give back.
On that note, please give back to your community as that is what Givers Gain is all about. Having a nonprofit in your chapter will bring your chapter closer together like mine and several of the others we have here. Nonprofits have to be engaged in the chapter, as we rely on all of you to help us grow. The difference is you all are very much apart of this.
I would I join BNI again if I had to do it all over. BNI has helped me in so many with the tools to succeed, the confidence and most of all the relationships and friendships I have made.
Thank you for everything BNI has done for me and I hope I can do you proud by making AFA Academy of the LowCountry a reality, so together all of us can help these families and their kids for a better tomorrow. This to me is the true meaning of Givers Gain.
The BNI Foundation’s Business Voices
initiative is gaining serious momentum, and a big part of that is due to the
stories that Business Voices teams share about the great events and programs
they put on. The shared stories are inspirational and help to motivate others
to get involved and make Business Voices a part of their BNI regions and
chapters. Make sure to share your Business Voices stories with all of BNI by
filling out the Business Voices form here. The
online form allows you to describe your team’s event, who participated, how
many kids were impacted and more. You can also add photos from the event.
Sharing your story through the form
is the only way to get it told through the BNI Foundation’s website and social
media channels. Now there is another exciting reason to share your stories. The
very first Business Voices Team Awards will be presented at this years BNI
Global Convention taking place this November in Long Beach, CA. Keep those
stories coming and good luck.
Charitable
Giving Survey
Our recent blog
post about cause marketing, spells out the ways that everyone benefits when
companies and non-profit organizations join forces to put out their message. We
hope that the post spreads some awareness among BNI members and administrators
about the power of these partnerships. To learn more about your philanthropic
efforts we have posted a charitable giving survey. When you fill it out we will
use your responses to develop more ways for the BNI Foundation to partner with
BNI regions and chapters, as well local business, to make a positive impact on
the schools and children in our communities. Take the survey here.
Givers
Gain® Grant Cycle
The next Givers Gain® grant cycle opens on September 15th. Schools and educational organizations that
have an active Business Voices team in their area are eligible to apply for a
$1000 grant. In addition, the school or educational organization must be an
approved public 501c3 (non-profit). Five
grants of $1000 each will be awarded during the BNI Global Convention in November.
Applications are available by email at info@bnifoundation.org or by phone at 704-248-4800,
Ext 91.
Our Back to School donor appeal campaign is kicking off in early
September. While our current drive is a push for funding before school starts,
there are many needs that arise throughout the school year, and our continued support
is critical. We ask that you consider giving to the BNI Foundation to support
this and other similar important
causes. Funding raised during this campaign will directly impact those
in need. Keep an eye out for the
donation letter or feel free to donate here.
We recently shared our latest
blog post, which outlined the benefits of cause marketing. Now we invite you to participate in our
follow-up survey. It is designed to help us understand your current
philanthropic efforts and how we can partner to better serve the children in
our communities.
By Kimberly K. Fu, The Reporter, San Jose, California, USA
A school supply drive for Solano children in need has grown to include Texas students and teachers impacted by the devastating Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey
Business Network International’s four Whangarei chapters got together this month to raise funds in support of Hospice.
The event was held at The Orchard Business and Event Hub on August 19 with a “Recycled Summer” theme suggesting attendees wear items of summer clothing purchased from the North Haven Hospice Shop.
Question: As you are aware, India is known more as a continent than a country with diverse interests and needs. So how different was your strategy to crack this market?
Answer: Yes, I agree that a lot of organisations need to customise their business model when they enter different parts of the world. But one thing which is unique about BNI is that our solutions are universal across the globe. One of the things I love about India is diversity (in tastes and needs). India is a massive economy and there is tremendous innovation in business growth and entrepreneurship. But I have not seen any need to change the model as we have grown here in India. That is because our model is an open source and works wherever it is supported. We first entered India about 11 years ago and have managed to garner 16,000 businesses here. We are just getting started and it is an exciting phase for us.
By Andrew Mann, Business Lancaster, United Kingdom
Business Network International is seeking charities to join its Lancashire groups as part of a £220k charity drive.
Part of the world’s biggest referral organisation, BNI has over 200,000 members in over 70 countries worldwide. It works by organising weekly meetings for groups of businesses, known as chapters, who use their combined network of contacts to find business opportunities and referrals for one another.
The charity drive is the brand-child of BNI Executive Director Mike Holman and will see each chosen charity gifted a seat within a group and its members commit to raising £20k per year for it. With eleven chapters operational in Lancashire, the offer equates to a £220k per year charity commitment by the organisation and its members in the county.
