Submitted by Amruth Kumar, Greatscope Consulting, Kingfishers, BNI Bangalore

The below is a suggestion for an Education Moment during a BNI meeting, but can be used to share the benefits of networking with anyone in your life.

To get the full effect, have handy a large serving spoon and a smaller spoon that you would use to eat soup with.

Hold up the small spoon, and ask your audience what they would use it for. Aside from a few jokesters, your audience will answer “Eating.”

Now hold up the large spoon, and ask what it is for. Your answer should be “Serving.”

Ask your audience why they joined BNI. You’ll receive numerous answers, most being a variation of “To get more business and to make money.”

Tell them the reason they joined BNI was to use the small spoon, and hold it up. All members saw opportunities to get more business, and to feed themselves.

The philosophy of BNI, Givers Gain, teaches us how to use the large spoon (hold it up), so that we have enough for not just our small spoon, but for others.

How often to members have nothing to give in the “I Have” section of the meeting? These members come to the meeting only wanting to use the small spoon. If every member is only at a BNI meeting to eat, who will serve with the big spoon?

As BNI members, we have to think about how we can give to other members. Giving can be in the form of a referral, a visitor, or other opportunities. You could help a member with their Feature Presentation, suggest how someone can give a great Weekly Presentation, or teach a new member how to use BNI Connect – any way you can help or serve the others in your chapter, you should consider.

A chapter that has more members providing for each other and using the serving spoon will have more opportunities for everyone to use the small eating spoon.

Only if we give to others can we hope to receive.

Ask yourself, have you been using the small spoon too often? How can you use the serving spoon more? 

Submitted by Roger Schmidt, Roger’s Relaxing Massage Therapy, Middlebury BNI, BNI Vermont  

Is there a correct number of One-to-Ones you should have per week to find success in networking?  I’m sure we all have our own opinions and perspectives about the answer to this question, and allow me to share with you mine.  My experiences with One-to-Ones have been great.  Fifty percent of One-to-Ones I have had with new people have led to booked appointments with me within one week.  Another 15 percent of first time One-to-Ones have booked an appointment with me within three weeks. This makes sense because a One-to-One allows another person to learn the details of what my services are and how it can help them personally.

Speaking of, would anyone like to have a One-to-One?

BNI® suggests at least one One-to-One per week, and in order to simply maintain your current relationship with someone, BNI suggests a One-to-One with them at least once every 6 months.  For me, belonging to a chapter of 20 members, it would take me 20 weeks to have a One-to-One with every member.  However, if I want to grow my relationships with those in my chapter, not just maintain them, this means that more One-to-One’s are in order.

The types of referral giver you are is directly impacted by how many One-to-Ones you regularly have.

Advocators are approximately 90 percent of a network, and you should have a One-to-One with them at least twice a year. These people will say good things about you when a referral “falls in their lap.”

Promoters are approximately 8 percent of a network, and every 2 to 4 months you should have a One-to-One with them. They who will listen to whomever they are talking with and recognize key words that relate to your business, thereby getting you a referral.

Finally, Creators are approximately 2 percent, at most, of a network, and every 30 to 45 days you should have a One-to-One with them. They will actively engage the people they are talking with to find a referral out of thin air on behalf of your business

What type of referral giver are you?

If you were asked exactly what kind of person would help you grow your business, what would you say? Who exactly is your target client? Do you know?

The more specific you can be with yourself, and your goals, the easier it will be for you to share those goals with your referral partners. More importantly, the easier it will be for your referral partners to keep you and your business top of mind as they are connecting with others.

Have you ever said to someone, “I want to meet anyone who needs my services”? If yes, has your generic request for a new contact ever resulted in a referral?

Likely the answer here is no, because your request was so high-level that your referral partners were unable to immediately think of someone. The more specific you can make your request, even down to possibly naming a specific person, the easier it will be for your referral partners to help make an introduction.

This concept doesn’t just apply to asking for referrals. When you are learning about someone else’s business, consider asking them who specifically they would like to be introduced to. Building goodwill with your connections will bolster your relationships and help strength the connection you already have.

Learn about a few specific pieces of their business – perhaps only one or two products they offer as opposed to everything – and learn the details of those specific elements. In turn, share specifics back to your partners about your business.

The reason you are not getting the referrals you truly want may be because you are not asking for them. If there is a specific person you would like to meet, tell your network! You never know who many know your dream referral.

As Dr. Ivan Misner says, “Specific is Terrific!”