Begin by being showing your face more.

Here’s a tip:

Social scientists have shown that the more often we see somebody – even an image of them – the more we grow to like them. It’s one reason why celebrities are so popular and why there is such an outpouring of grief when one of them dies – even if their fans never got to within a thousands kilometres of them in their life!

It’s because we see so much of them, we feel like we know them.

Does this mean you can send a life-size cut-out of yourself to your BNI meetings?

Well, your leadership teams wouldn’t like it and there’s always the real risk is that your fellow members might end up liking the cut-out more than they do you…

Jokes aside, if you want to be relevant to somebody, you need to be present. We all know that ‘absence does not make the heart grow fonder’. It just makes it colder.

If you want to increase your referral business, make sure you’re getting regular face time with your network. And that’s how your face can make you money.

Colin Kennedy is a keynote speaker, writer and content marketing consultant. As BNI New Zealand’s marketing director he is responsible for the organisation’s communications strategy, and also serves as an assistant director for North Central region of BNI.

According to a report in ScienceDaily (Feb. 11, 2011), “a study of the biotech industry has revealed that opportunities which arise, and whether or not they are exploited by biotechnology entrepreneurs, depends to a large extent on how well connected is an individual business person and how well they mobilise their social network.

“Cristina Sousa and colleagues at “INETI,” the National Institute of Engineering, Technology and Innovation, in Lisbon, Portugal, explain in the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business that success is determined, not only by an entrepreneur’s capacity to identify an opportunity, but also by their ability to mobilise resources and skills.

“An entrepreneur’s established network and the ability to create new, useful connections is usually the key,” the report says.

You might think this is nothing new. We all know networking is key to success in business (although its amazing how many people will still rely heavily on cold calling and advertising).

However, the major point here is that…

1. It’s not what you know
2. It’s not who you know

3. It’s what you know, about who you know. Get it?

Being connected to a huge network has its uses. But being connected to a handful of influential people – who you get to know well and who get to know you well – can help you conquer the world!

Today you can just about run your entire business from a mobile phone and this makes the mobile a very useful tool for inviting visitors to your chapter. Tell me something I didn’t know you cry!

Well, just in case you don’t know, I’m going to tell you about some of the ways that I use my mobile.

Very few of us go anywhere without our mobile, yet few people carry a notebook, not everyone carries a pen, and even fewer people carry a camera everywhere they go. The mobile has even overtaken the handbag for ladies as the thing not to leave home without. And, as for the American Express card, well that doesn’t stand a chance!

So, just how do I use my mobile to find visitors?

We should all be building a database of people to invite to our chapters, and potential visitors can crop up anywhere, and at the most inappropriate times. And, that’s where your mobile can be such a brilliant tool: it’s just great at data capture.

Whenever you see a sign-written vehicle you just snap a picture and you have all the contact details you need. Company name, location, phone number, email address, web address – everything required for an invitation. Sometimes even a contact; otherwise just a little research will give you this. Easiest is a quick phone call or else a little time spent on their web site.

When you are thinking about how to find referrals for other members what is the most valuable tool that BNI provides for you to achieve this?

Seek responses and repeat one or two. Then continue by saying….

Those of you who said the “Dance Card” were correct. The single best BNI tool for knowing how to find referrals for individual members is the Dance Card.

So, let me ask how many of you have done a dance card this week? Let us see who has been doing Dance Cards during the last week. Will you stand please if you have done a Dance Card during the last seven days?

Lets first congratulate these members! (lead with some applause)

So now I want you to turn to the person next to you and confirm when you last had a Dance Card with them. Go on, do it right now.

Wait for them to do it.

And now I want you to turn to the person on the other side of you and do the same please?

Wait for them to do it.

How many of you were not able to say when you had the last dance card? Show of hands please?

Let me now ask you, how many of you have had something change about your business during the last 6 months? A phone or fax number, new email address, new street address, new staff member, new product or service, totally new business direction, new partner?

Show of hands please?

So, what chance do you have of being able to accurately know what to look for if you don’t do regular Dance Card appointments?

Please take out your BNI Card File? That’s right, take it out right now?

Now please take out of it one card for every member with who you have not had a Dance Card appointment over the last 6 months.

The challenge for you now is to use those cards as reminders to book Dance Card appointments with every one of those members before next weeks breakfast.

The Referral Master®

I want you all to think about how much total potential business there is in your category?

How much business, even just in this country, is done each year in the category that you represent?

Call out to me some answers please? Is it $100, $1,000, $100,000, $1 million, $100 million, $1 billion?

Just how much is it?

Repeat some of the answers as well as nominate the category they represent. Then say…..

Now tell me what percentage you think that you are getting?

Call out to me some answers please?

If you nominated a figure that was less than 100%, does that leave you room for business growth in your business?

So, what is your philosophy about business?

Is it one of scarcity or one of abundance?

If it is scarcity, then you will have difficulty making the BNI philosophy work for you.

However, if it is one of abundance, then there is enough for everyone and you can easily get your share, whatever you perceive that to be!

How, I hear you ask?

In the words of that famous American speaker, Zig Ziglar ……

“You can have anything you want, simply by helping enough other people get what they want!”

Zig would have made a great ambassador for BNI.

The Referral Master®

How do you say thanks when someone refers you to some one else?

What it is that you do to acknowledge your appreciation?

Push them for answers and repeat some of the responses. Then say…..

Here are some of the ways that I wrote down in preparing for this session.

1. send a special thankyou card
2. send a hand written letter in a hand addressed envelope
3. make a special phone call for that purpose and nothing else
4. send chocolates
5. send an email
6. send some theatre tickets
7. send a “scratchie” lottery ticket
8. send a bottle of wine
9. send some flowers
10. drop in unannounced at their office/premises to say thanks
11. give them 2 referrals
12. send them a $10 note suggesting they spend it solely on themselves
13. make a big fuss at the  R,R & R session next week
14. remember their birthday

I am sure you can think of others. Just make sure your thankyou is genuine, says something special about you, and you always do it.

The Referral Master®

This week we are focussing on getting good referrals.

Let me ask you, what do you need to do for your members to get GOOD QUALITY referrals?

Wait for responses and repeat 2 or 3. Then say….

From a BNI perspective, the following are three mandatory things you need to do:

Explain your business well and in detail

If you want members to refer you to high quality referrals, then they need to understand very clearly what you do. They also need to understand what you don’t do. How can they do this?

Wait for responses and repeat 2 or 3. Then say….

Take time – this does not happen overnight

Be very clear about what it is that you do

Be prepared – both for your 60-second infomercial AND your 10 minute presentation

Do a Dance Card EVERY WEEK

Earn the respect of the other members

You will only get referred to other members’ clients and contacts if they respect you.

How can you ensure that they do?

Wait for responses and repeat 2 or 3. Then say….

Demonstrate your professionalism by ALWAYS being on time for meetings

Stay for the full 90 minutes AND show that you are involved

Offer to assist rather than waiting to be asked

GIVE high quality qualified referrals

Get to be liked by the members

People do business with people they like.

How can you ensure that they like you?

Wait for responses and repeat 2 or 3. Then say….

Be natural and be yourself

Take a genuine interest in other people

Be positive and optimistic

Getting Good Referrals is all about the BNI philosophy – Givers Gain.

You will GET good referrals if you GIVE good referrals.

It takes time and it does happen.

If people know your business, like you and respect you, you will receive referrals!

The Referral Master®

Too often BNI members are asked to look for referrals they are incapable of delivering on, without first being trained and equipped.

For example, here are some referral requests I have heard recently that I know will be difficult to fulfil on:

• Accountant: ‘anybody who is on PAYE’.
• Personal trainer: ‘anybody tired of being fat’.
• Lawyer: ‘anybody who is having issues with a problem staff member’.

Unfortunately, many of these referral requests require that your fellow members pry into inherently personal, emotional and private issues.

Nobody is going to admit openly what their tax issues are, or share their weight frustrations or complain about a problem staff member. Most people keep quite about these things.

People close to us may talk about them, but this makes referral opportunities few and far between.

It is very important that you help us to find you referrals. Use your 60 seconds and your ten minutes and your dances to equip and train your members.

This may include:

1.     Teaching us about what cues to listen out for

2.     Training us in how to ask the right questions for your product or service

3.     Equipping us with a special offer to pass on

4.     Using props to give insights into your products or services we never dreamed of

Your fellow BNI members are your sales team. Don’t sell to them. Equip them to sell on your behalf.

By this I mean assuming people know what you’re talking about, making vague referral requests and speaking for longer than 1 minute (when you go on too long, everybody switches off and misses your referral request). Sixty seconds that go over time also drag down the energy of the meeting.

Remember, you are spending your time and money at BNI to get more business. Every second must count.

The old journalist’s mantra should apply – assume nothing, be clear, be succinct!

A good 60 second communicates the following:

1.     Your name and the name of your company

2.     Where you are located

3.     What your business does or specialises in

4.     A clear benefit (or two) that you offer

5.     A specific referral request

6.     Then finish with your name, your company and your memory hook

I suspect most of the waffle, foot shuffling, vague requests – all a singular waste of your time and money – are a result of failing to prepare.

Each week before your BNI meeting, pull out this formula, fill in the blanks and ‘hey presto’ waffle no more.

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 understand what it is the members are selling to their customers.

———————————————————————————————–

Start the workshop by saying the following to the members and any guests!

I want to start this morning by asking you a question.

Are you selling what your customers and prospects want?

Now you might say… “of course I am!”

So I want you to think about this:

If you are in the recruitment business your potential customer is looking for a great employee, not a great headhunter.

They don’t care that you placed 100 people last year. They only care that the person you place with them will be superior. Talk about the quality of people that you place. Talk about increasing productivity, morale, and profitability and you may have somebody actually interested in talking to you.

Or you can brag about yourself on into the night and wonder why your business is not increasing. Sell what they want – not what you do.

So now I want you to take 45 seconds to write down 2 things that relate to your products or services that fit this criteria.

Let me give you three examples:-

1. 1. Customer wants a beautiful brochure, not a great graphic designer.
2. 2. Customer wants more enquiries from the website, not a great website designer.
3. 3. Customer wants higher price on the house they are selling, not a great real estate agent.

Go – you have 45 seconds. Write down 2 things that fit the criteria of “what the customer wants” rather than “how good you are” in relation to your business.

Give them 45 seconds and then call for 2 or 3 responses and repeat them. Then say…

Next time you do your infomercial you can incorporate these.

The Referral Master®