BNI Blog

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~G.K. Chesterton

How often do we say ‘thank you’ for a referral?

Not only is a ‘thank you’ good manners, it raises you in the esteem of others.

‘Thank you’ is also a great form of quality control. For example:

“Thank you’, that referral was spot-on…” let’s the referrer know he or she got it right and how to do it properly next time.

“I want to thank you for your referral and let you know why it didn’t quiet work… but I appreciate the thought.” This let’s the referrer know what works for you, and what doesn’t.

Instead of standing up at the end of the meeting with “I have no referrals,” why not report back on a dance or thank somebody for a referral?

Even if you have done it before and it was a long time ago, use the moment to help educate and remind the rest of your sales team on what a good referral looks like for you.

Colin Kennedy is a public relations consultant, copywriter and speaker. He is also the outsource Marketing Director for BNI New Zealand and assistant director for the South Central region of BNI.

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Category: BNI tips for members, Be Inspired, Better Business, Networking, Referrals, Relationship Marketing, Uncategorised | Add Comment » | Print This Post | Email This Post

Communication is an essential ingredient for everyone in business and it can take many forms – written word, visual, and spoken word.  As we belong to BNI, “the referral organisation”, we will focus on the importance of the spoken work as it applies to our word-of-mouth marketing strategy.

When you speak to another person or group do you use terminology that they can comprehend and understand?  The importance of this is heightened when you are expecting another person to repeat what has been said to a third party who may be a referral prospect.

Do your contacts know what you mean by percentage yield, EPS, “cap” rate, – and that the difference between IT and IP is not a speech impediment?!

All too often we are bombarded with acronyms and abbreviations in our everyday business – possibly made worse by the increasingly popular form of communication – texting.

If you feel that “geek speak” is overwhelming your ability to understand what people are talking about – relax – you are not alone.  There is a whole new business language out there – but outside of those with the technical knowledge of your product/service does this convey clearly what is being offered?

Imagine you are about to purchase a new car.  Now this model is a V6 with 5-speed transmission, 6 airbags, ABS, EBA, EBD, VSA, NCM, VCM etc.  Do you know/understand the alphabetic soup that this car has?  It certainly sounds impressive but what does it all mean?  ‘We presume the car will come with an engine and four wheels and will serve to transport us to wherever we wish to go safely and efficiently.

So next time you are giving a presentation (60 second or 10-minute) or talking to a new contact please talk to them in a language they can relate to.  That way not only will they understand what you have said, they will also be able to repeat it in their own words to a third party.

Alastair Christie is a Regional Director for BNI New Zealand

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Category: 10 Minute Presentations, 60 Second Infomercials, BNI Workshops | Add Comment » | Print This Post | Email This Post

Fiona Powell and I presented a Public Relations and Social Media Workshop in Auckland and Hamilton yesterday to a combined audience of about 140 people… It was during that presentation, when I was talking about ‘key messages, that I realised key messages may be a useful tool for your BNI activity.

A key message is public relations tool defined as: “A short, concise and memorable sentence used to convey an important message during an interview”.

I get to hear, on average, about 70+ sixty second presentations every week, and it always amazes me how we all – myself included – see the need to say something different week in and week out.

Sure, variety is important; and perhaps we feel uncomfortable repeating the same presentation on a regular basis.

However, repetition is important if you want your message to be remembered – so changing every week does nothing for making you memorable.

One way to kill both birds with one stone is to develop three or four key messages. Just one sentence long, each message says something compelling, memorable and important about your business.

For example: “John Green Landscapes are the premier sustainable garden creators in Auckland”.

Develop three or four of these key messages; then use them liberally throughout your sixty second presentation to make sure the important messages and benefits are getting through, without making yourself appear to be repeating yourself Ad nauseam.

Colin Kennedy is a public relations consultant, copywriter and speaker. He is also the outsource Marketing Director for BNI New Zealand and assistant director for the South Central region of BNI.

Photos by Rosemary Meyer. See www.prmeyer.com. Thank you Rosemary. Top: Fiona Powell and Colin Kennedy. Below: The Howick seminar.

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Many business owners have to deal with a lot of stress and anxiety nowadays. It can be tough to have your own business and to be successful in what you do. As a result, here are some suggestions on how you can reduce the stress of having your own business.

The first step is to manage your expenses and pay your bills on time. Develop a budget, do not spend more than what you make, and learn to reduce your expenses when you can.

Learn to manage your responsibilities by assigning certain tasks to others. If you do not have time to do a task, then let your assistant do it. You are only one person and can only do so much on a given day. Do what is most important and delegate the rest.

Talk with your customers and employees on a regular basis. Find out what is on their minds. Ask for any suggestions on how to improve business productivity and morale. Communicating with your workers and clients will help prevent future problems and conflicts.

Most importantly, develop a business plan and follow it. Being organized and goal oriented is very important in managing a business. Following a plan or set of goals will prevent you from a lot of stress and anxiety.

Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your business problems. Hopefully, when the time comes, you will have learned the skills to deal with your situation.

Be smart in how you deal with your business problems. Do not try to tackle everything all at once. When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, break the task into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increase your chances of success.

Managing a business can be stressful, but the key is knowing how to manage your anxieties. There is a right way and wrong way to manage a business. Continue to learn effective techniques in managing your business and improve your bottom line. This will go a long way in getting rid of your stress and other business problems.

By Stanley Popovich
Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

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Category: Leadership | Add Comment » | Print This Post | Email This Post

Instead of waiting for an opening to refer a member in your chapter, why not deliberately set out to create those opportunities on their  behalf?

Let me explain.

I have a client who has a very strong sales programme, but the company’s marketing is a bit thin on the ground.

I was brought on board when the sales team asked for marketing support. At a recent meeting, now knowing the client well and understanding what they were about, I came prepared to deliberately sell them on the services of a member in my chapter. Those services were a fit with the sales culture of the company.

I wasn’t waiting for any opening. I was going to make my own.

At the end of the meeting, I mentioned the service and explained why I thought it would benefit them. I then recommended the member in my chapter.

By the end of the week, he had carried out the work for them.

What was different about this was that I had identified a need my client had – even though they weren’t aware of it – and I went in there with a deliberate pitch.

I did not wait for any cues in our conversation. If I did, I might still be waiting. Or I might discover some time down the line that they had used somebody else. It was a deliberate sell that I made on my fellow member’s behalf.

Sometimes we can waste so many opportunities waiting for the right moment to recommend a referral, instead of making it happen.

Here’s one way to go about doing this yourself:

1. List ten clients. They should be people you have a good relationship with.

2. In another column, list the members in your BNI.

3. Go through the list of your clients and compare them against each member in your chapter, asking yourself if the customer might genuinely benefit from the services of that member.

4. Write down why the client would benefit from those products or services.

5. The next time you go to see your client, be ready to suggest they utilise the particular service or product you have in mind for them.

Ask them: “Have you ever thought of…? The reason why I am suggesting it is…”

Go on, give it a try.

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Category: BNI tips for members, Be Inspired, Better Business, Givers Gain, Networking, Referrals, Sales and Marketing, Uncategorised | Add Comment » | Print This Post | Email This Post