BNI Blog » Geoff Kirkwood

Min Workshop – Referrals 005

Geoff Kirkwood — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 03:37:09 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight different ways to ask for referrals.
—————————————————————————————–
Start by asking the members…

At last count I listed 6 different methods you could use to ask for a referral.

What I want to see is whether you know those 6 and any more. So turn to the person next to you and see if you can come up with at least 6 ways.

To make sure you are on the right track let me give you the first one – it is face-to-face.

So take 60 seconds now and see how many other ways you know of.

Let them have 60 seconds and then ask….

Did anyone get more than 6?

If someone did ask them to stand and repeat all of them.

If any are different to the following list then repeat the list and add in the new ones.

Then ask…

How many of you are using even half of these methods?

If you aren’t then now is the time to start and be able to bring more referrals to your team.

The Referral Master®

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Mini Workshop – Referrals 004

Geoff Kirkwood — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 08:02:57 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight other places to find referrals.
—————————————————————————-
Start by reminding the members…

Last week we talked about asking our best customers for referrals.

How many of you tried it during the week? Let me see a show of hands?

Can anyone else suggest a vast network of people that most of us have and yet few tap into?

Seek responses and repeat any you get.

The network I am thinking of is “family”.

How many of you have family living in the same country as you?

Most of us are blessed with family, most of who work for someone or for themselves.

Ask yourself the following questions….

1.   Have any of them bought a house in the last 12 months?
2.   Did they use your chapter mortgage broker/provider?
3.   How many of them sent flowers, booked travel, bought cars, arranged insurance, purchased a mobile phone or computer?
4.   Did you introduce them to the chapter member who provides these services?

Many of us overlook our family as a source of referrals.

So let me ask a question?

How many of you have heard a family member at a recent family get-together complain about poor quality service or product?

Let me see a show of hands?

Never forget these words…

When someone else complains, you are standing in the middle of a referral!

The Referral Master®

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Min Workshop – Referrals 003

Geoff Kirkwood — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:09:26 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight other places to find referrals.
—————————————————————————————————-
Start by asking the members…

Where are the best places to find referrals?

Seek responses and repeat the best 2 or 3. Now ask the chapter…

How many of you ask your best clients for referrals?

Seek responses and ask 2 or 3 to tell their story – in brief.

Then say….

The best way to do this is as follows…

1.   Tell your existing customers you are always looking for referrals, for yourself and your referral network.

2.   Take your Card Wallet into meetings with some of your best clients. Let them see it and tell them what it is.

3.   As part of your presentation let them know that you belong to BNI – this will only add credibility to your business.

4.   When you ask for referrals, and explain for whom and why, you value add in the eyes of your client – you demonstrate that you are well connected.

One of the challenges with small business is that many of us are single operators. Membership of BNI makes us part of something much bigger and makes us smart, well-connected business people in the eyes of our clients.

Ask the group…

Write down the names of your 10 top clients.

Prompt them to take out a piece of paper and actually write down these names.

Now let me see a show of hands of members who have approached all of these people in the last 12 months and told them about BNI – who have actually asked these people for a referral?

Seek responses. Then finish by saying….

If you haven’t, then what are you waiting for?

The Referral Master®

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Mini Workshop – Referrals 002

Geoff Kirkwood — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 05:05:18 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight the need for focus to get referrals .
—————————————————————————————————

Begin by asking the members the following question…

Who do you want to meet?

Tell me who it is that you want to meet in business?

Give me one name?

Some of them will give you an answer but it is likely most won’t.

So ask them to do the following….

Please write down the names of three people you want to meet?

Go on, pick up a pen and write down the names of three people who you would like to be your next three customers?

Here you need to ask as many people as you have time for to say out loud the names on their list.

Now, say out loud their names, one member at a time?

Stop after each member and ask….

Does anyone here know these people?

Does anyone here know someone who knows these people?

At the end of this ask the following two questions.

1. Will all of you who do have names, start asking for them on a rotational basis each week or every second week.
2. Those of you who do not have any names need to think about how your team will be able to find referrals if you have not told them who to look for.

If you are struggling with this process maybe we need the Reciprocity Ring seminar!

The Referral Master®

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Mini Workshop – Referrals 001

Geoff Kirkwood — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:14:17 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight how important Dance Cards are for referrals .
——————————————————————————————————————-
Ask the chapter the following question and repeat some of the responses.

In the last three months, how many members here have not received either one referral or enough to justify their membership?

Those members please keep their hands up?

Do the rest of you want to lose these members?

Now ask those members to put down their hands and say the following to everyone.

The only way to make sure that everyone benefits from BNI is to follow the system.

Those of you who are satisfied with your referrals and/or those of you who may be having difficulty getting referrals for our members who put their hands up need to do the following…

1.   Book dance cards with those members today
2.   Focus especially on them for the next few weeks
3.   Ask them those five most important words……… HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
4.   Make them a priority

You will be amazed what some focus will do for all of you, even those of you who are receiving plenty of referrals.

The Referral Master®

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Mini Workshop – Phone 001

Geoff Kirkwood — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:31:54 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight the way we need to answer the phone.
——————————————————————————————–
Start by saying…..

One way that you market yourself through Word Of Mouth (WOM) Marketing is the telephone. In particular, the way you answer incoming calls.

Give me some feedback please?

Exactly what do you say when you pick up your phone to answer it?

Wait for answers – repeat for the group. Comment positively on 1 or 2 better ones.

Let’s look at the impression you want to give to the person who has called you.

What words could describe that impression?

Wait for answers – you are looking for words like… positive, friendly, competent, happy. Make sure you repeat these when you summarise the responses.

Now ask….

Does your voice always give that impression?

Here are some tips to make sure it does.

1.   Have a mirror at your desk and look at yourself when speaking on the phone.
2.   Smile at all times – it comes through in your voice.
3.   Take a deep breath and clear your mind BEFORE you pick up the receiver. The way we feel comes through in our voice.
4.   Have a standard way of answering the phone every time – and stick to it – a suggestion is to give a greeting (e.g. good morning) and then say “this is ……. …….” (your name)
5.   Speak clearly and slowly so people can understand exactly who it is that has answered the phone call.
6.   Then listen carefully to what the other person has to say.

What you say in the first 10 seconds of a phone call will make the difference and could set the tone for a long term relationship with the caller.

The Referral Master®

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MIni Workshops – Substitutes 002

Geoff Kirkwood — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 10:28:35 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To show members alternative ways to find a substitute.
———————————————————————————————————–
Start by asking the members…

How many members here have trouble finding a substitute?

Show of hands please?

This morning I want to suggest two alternative places to find substitutes.

1. The local university or business college.

Here you approach any tertiary institution that runs a business course and talk to the teacher/lecturer.

Tell them briefly about BNI and tell them that you are offering the opportunity for students to mix with experienced business people.

Then set up a contact point where students can arrange to be a substitute.

2. The local retirement village.

There will be many retired business people who would relish the opportunity on an occasional basis to mix with a motivated group of positive business people.

I suggest that, as well as the normal ways of getting a substitute, these two will guarantee results.

The Referral Master®

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Mini Workshop – Substitutes 001

Geoff Kirkwood — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:58:04 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To show members how easy it is to find a substitute.
—————————————————————————————————-
Start by asking the members…

How many members here have an organised substitute? Can I see a show of hands please?

Ask 1 or 2 members to tell the group, in 30 seconds, who they have and how they organised them. Once they have finished, ask the members…

Who can you organise as your substitute? Any ideas?

Wait for responses and list them verbally back to the group. Then say…

In BNI we recommend the following people as substitutes:-

1.   business partner
2.   personal partner who can talk about your business
3.   best client
4.   employee
5.   a member of another BNI chapter which meets on a different day

Now here are some other tips for this process….

a.   bring your substitute along to a breakfast “in advance” so they can see what goes on and meet the rest of “your team”
b.   offer to pay for their breakfast
c.   if they are from another chapter return the favour
d.   write out your infomercial for them to read
e.   if they are a client actively suggest to them the possibility of joining after they have been to the first breakfast

Ask the members…

When are the times that you may not be able to attend?

Seek responses and then say…

“Plan not to attend”. Plan in advance for those days where you already know that you won’t be there and start organising your substitute now.

The Referral Master®

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Mini Workshops – Phone 001

Geoff Kirkwood — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:00:40 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To highlight the way we need to answer the phone.
——————————————————————————————
Start by saying…..

One way that you market yourself through Word Of Mouth (WOM) Marketing is the telephone. In particular, the way you answer incoming calls.

Give me some feedback please? Exactly what do you say when you pick up your phone to answer it?

Wait for answers – repeat for the group. Comment positively on 1 or 2 better ones. Then say….

Let’s look at the impression you want to give to the person who has called you. What words could describe that impression?

Wait for answers – you are looking for words like… positive, friendly, competent, happy. Make sure you repeat these when you summarise the responses.

Now ask….

Does your voice always give that impression?

Here are some tips to make sure it does.

1.   Have a mirror at your desk and look at yourself when speaking on the phone.
2.   Smile at all times – it comes through in your voice.
3.   Take a deep breath and clear your mind BEFORE you pick up the receiver. The way we feel comes through in our voice.
4.   Have a standard way of answering the phone every time – and stick to it – a suggestion is to give a greeting (e.g. good morning) and then say “this is ……. …….” (your name)
5.   Speak clearly and slowly so people can understand exactly who it is that has answered the phone call.
6.   Then listen carefully to what the other person has to say.

What you say in the first 10 seconds of a phone call will make the difference and could set the tone for a long term relationship with the caller.

The Referral Master®

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Min Workshop – Business Cards 004

Geoff Kirkwood — Sat, 22 May 2010 05:25:12 +0000

This is a 2-3 minute activity that involves those at the meeting.
You will need to read it through beforehand and be prepared.  What you say out loud to the group is in larger type in bold. 
Purpose: To demonstrate ways to use a business card.
———————————————————————————————————

Start by asking the members…

How many ways can you nominate to use your business card to promote you and your business?

Wait for responses. Recap on 4 or 5 of them.

Pick out the best 2 and get the member up front to explain in a little more detail how they implement their idea.

Then say there are are some great ideas there!

Will ………. and ………… come up the front and explain their idea in 30 seconds please?

Thanks ……….. and ……………….

We appreciate your ideas.

Some other ideas you can mention, if they have not come up already, are:-

1.   include a card with every account payment that you make by mail

2.   get a card holder and leave it full of cards at the desk of any business place that will take them

Can you think of some places?

3.   give two every time someone asks you for one… and then ask them to pass on the extra to a friend who may need your service/product

4. place one under the windscreen wiper of any business vehicle you walk past with a handwritten invitation on the back to contact you if they could use your services.

The Referral Master®

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