Michael Gerber (left) is a long term supporter of BNI and personal friend of Founder and Chairman – Dr Ivan Misner.   He is offering BNI members a FREE copy of his book “The failure of the Business Next Door”.

To receive your copy - CLICK HERE!

BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE….

Michael Gerber is visiting New Zealand next month and is running a series of seminars in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. He is offering BNI Members a $100 discount from the cost of the event.   For more information and to register for the event CLICK HERE

(To take advantage of this offer – enter BNI in the pricing code).

“New Year’s Resolutions and Networking” by TR Garland

In less than 10 days, the majority of people around the world are going to be faced with the same thing we’re all faced with once at a certain point every single year.

No, I’m not talking about keeping a smile on your face while spending the holidays with your in-laws (wink-wink).  I’m talking about setting New Year’s Resolutions.

Every year, one of the top resolutions is to “get in shape.”  The truth of the matter is that most of us already know how to get in shape:

1.  Design a nutritional plan and stick to it

2.  Design a workout schedule and stick to it

3.  Track your actions and results daily and recalibrate if needed

The problem is, a large percentage of people don’t reach their goals because:

1.  They don’t write out a formal nutrition plan or workout schedule

2.  They don’t hold themselves accountable

In other words, life gets in their way.

So what can be done about this?  Well, there’s something about human psychology that pushes us to not let someone else down. Because of this, people who invest in a personal trainer to help keep them accountable tend to achieve desired results much more consistently than they ever would by attempting to get in shape on their own.

It’s important to note that this same concept holds true for business networking and referral marketing.By doing this, they then expect results; they expect that the people whom they’ve met and exchanged business cards with will eventually pass a referral to them.  This mindset is called being reactive ( . . . and hoping for the best!).  Being reactive is an employee  mindset or mentality that, in my opinion, gets placed into the same category as punch cards, guaranteed smoke breaks, assembly lines, benefits entitlement, and cubicles.  In other words, this mindset is something that isn’t really that viable anymore in today’s economic environment.

Many people are spending a lot of time networking by just chatting away with others and maybe grabbing others’ business cards.

If you don’t believe me, look around and note which businesses are thriving and hiring.  I’m confident you’ll discover that the businesses which are doing well are those that do not have a reactive mindset and, instead, maintain an entrepreneurial mindset.

An entrepreneurial mindset is one that takes ownership and focuses on being proactive versus reactive. Just like the “getting in shape” example above, being proactive and accountable in your business networking and referral marketing efforts is a sure-fire way to get results – plain and simple.

So, especially if you’ll be out attending holiday parties in the coming weeks with your spouse, significant other, family, or friends, remember to be proactive with your networking efforts.  Go to each event with a purpose (in addition to your goal of having fun).  Don’t simply gather business cards, that’s not what I’m talking about.  Instead, set relevant and realistic networking goals and ask the person you went with to hold you accountable to your goals.

And, of course, there’s a time and a place for everything.  You need to respect the event you’re attending and if the environment doesn’t warrant you achieving certain networking goals . . . grab a celebratory beverage and some festive treats and remember, there’s always next year!

* TR Garland is a Referral Marketing Strategist for the Referral Institute® in Orange County, California where he is a consultant to top performers and entrepreneurs on maximizing their ROI/ROT from business contacts and networking.  Starting in 2011, you can follow TR for his tips, tactics, and techniques on effective networking at his newly launched blog located at www.BeABetterNetworker.com.

When you are trapped at an event where people are milling around, acting formal and sterile and unwilling to open up to genuine relationship building, scrap any negative reaction (”I shoulda stayed home”) and instead anoint yourself as the event’s host, even if only in your own head.

Imagining that it is your role to help other guests break through gives you permission to act a little bit differently – you’re acting in service of the entire event to make sure everyone has a good time.  Assume an aura of relaxed self-assurance while you make sure everyone has a drink and someone to talk to.  Find out what they’re looking to do and who they’re looking to meet and make introductions.  Start conversations.

Even if it is not in your basic DNA to be the life of the party, appointing yourself to the “job” of making sure that the event is a success can be the kick in the pants you need to inject some energy into a failing function. Whether or not you’re able to transform the event, you’ll certainly transform your own experience of it.

How have you transformed a bad networking event?

LINK TO KEITH’s WEBSITE

According to Michael Quinion of http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sti4.htm “This expression dates back to the sixteenth century and has turned up in all sorts of different formulations down the centuries. The original was to have an oar in every man’s boat, meaning to be involved in every man’s business affairs. Variations include he’ll have an oar in everything, he will put in his oar, and don’t put your oar in.”

Having at least one oar on each side of a boat (or business) will keep it moving in the required direction. While allowances have to be made for currents and weather conditions on the water so it is in business, allowances need to be made for business trends and economic conditions.

The two oars for any business should represent:

Ownership                 Opportunity                   
Awareness                 Attitude
Responsibility             Respect

When these attributes are incorporated in any business activity the result is one of success and going the distance.

It would appear in today’s connection age we are connected to many people and involved in their networking affairs. I assert rowing your boat (or business) takes at least two oars. The more people you have with oars the more power there is to create momentum for your boat (or business).

Ask any oarsman/oarsperson and they will tell you it is the start that takes the most effort with rowing. The more oars in the water the greater the energy generated to shift the boat (or business) forwards, or backwards.

Let social networking be where you stick your oar to go the distance in today’s business world.

Follow the “5 Tips set for your brand’s online success” by Linda Coles of Blue Banana at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUYkvb8I2b8 and you are well on the way.

Good luck sticking your oar where it is wanted with Social Networking.

Paul Meyer is a Keynote Speaker and Author who is actively involved with Social Networking for his business. He serves as an Assistant Director with his wife Rosemary for BNI New Zealand in the South/East Auckland area.

Professional associations, or knowledge networks, have been around longer than almost any other kind of group, from the medieval guilds to crafts associations to today’s professional groups and industry associations.  The primary purpose is for the exchange of information and ideas, whether intraindustry or interindustry.

Some of these groups limit membership to their own industry, but quite a few groups that represent industries other than your own will allow you to join as an associate member (as opposed to a full member). This can put you in contact with a concentrated target market, including many top-quality potential contacts.  Many of your best current clients, looking for their own competitive edge, may be members of industry associations.  Ask them which open-membership groups they belong to, and try to join a few of them. This can give you an opportunity to meet prospects of the same quality as your clients.

The other part of your knowledge network should be groups in your own industry. Yes, you’ll be rubbing elbows with competitors, but there are advantages.  You’ll stay abreast of developments in your industry, find out what your competitors are up to, study the competition’s brochures and presentations, and discover opportunities to collaborate with competitors whose specialties are different from yours or who need help on a big project.

Knowledge networks present great networking opportunities. So if you’re looking to build more relationships and increase your word of mouth, start investigating local professional associations today, and find out which ones you might be able to join.

Membership is by invitation only – and yours will arrive tomorrow – so please keep an eye out for it.

In the meantime, we’d like to share with you more about what BNI Online is, its value to you and how you can get started.

What is BNI Online?

BNI Online is an online community, similar to Facebook, but it’s our own place on the net.

BNI Online is a place to share information, start discussions, ask questions and connect with other BNI people.

You also have your own profile page to include your business details, to upload photos and videos, start a blog and create events.

What’s in it for you?

BNI Online offers you a central place to connect with other BNI members from around the country, who have the same ‘givers gain’ philosophy as you do.

This means, for example, if have a burning question, or need advice, you can ask fellow members, the BNI support team, or your regional director, in a supportive, like-minded environment.

There are lots of other valuable benefits in belonging to BNI Online, so let’s get started.

How do I get started?

Your email invitation will arrive tomorrow. If it doesn’t arrive, check your spam folders, and then let us know if you still haven’t received it.

Click on the link in the invitation and follow the login instructions to join the BNI Online community.

Once you’re logged in, fill in your profile information (on the ‘My Page’ tab)

You may also want to read the ‘getting started guide’ (on the About tab).

That’s it, you’re good to go. Feel free to explore the community – and join in where you like.

We look forward to connecting with you in the BNI Online community – you will be in good company.  Two of the first members are Dr Ivan Misner (Chairman of BNI) and Norm Dominquez (CEO).

9am – 11am on Monday 29th March at Sports House, Harbour Sport, Stadium Drive, Albany, 2nd right Nth Harbour Stadium

(Book on line on the BNI New Zealand website).

My desire to understand how some people are born networkers and other’s have to learn has been a purpose for mine over the last 3 years. My hope that I can teach this to Ecademy Members and help them to be more successful is now what drives me.

You know the moment when you meet someone and you feel they can make a difference in your lives? This is Emotional Wealth.

Through my business life, I have met many people who communicate at a higher level. Finding out what this is, has been my passion since I started Ecademy. What is it that makes some business people more attractive to know than others? Why are they more successful, when they do not seem driven or ambitious, they are just great to know? But, how come, almost despite themselves, they are very successful, and they appear to “have it all?”. Their network supports them and they have true Network Value.

Our vision for Ecademy is to ‘Connect business people, to learn, network and develop their emotional and financial wealth.’ I now know that by becoming driven by their emotional wealth, this gives them purpose for themselves and their business, but fundamentally, it will change the world into a less angry, less greedy place to be.

I would like to stress that Emotional Wealth is not about giving all your money away. It does not mean you need to work for free. It does not mean you need to de-focus from your business. It means finding the purpose within yourself that is reflected through the skills you have, providing you with the words and delivery that makes a difference to others.

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As I prepare to go to the annual BNI International Conference in Long Beach, California – the following article on the website – Change.org caught my eye.  See what you think?

First, what I don’t mean. Gatherings of people are going to do nothing but increase in importance. As more and more of our lives go online and particularly as our professional worlds cross more and more boundaries and connect us to people farther and farther away. In that world, the oasis of real human connection that gatherings provide will have an increasingly high emotional, psychological, and consequently professional value.

But the model of conferences – just like the model of everything else, it seems – is stuck in a 20th century. It’s hierarchical, it’s dominated by a class system that divides along lines of prestige, previous attendance, and a host of other factors, and more than anything else, it does stuff not because it’s what people want but just because it’s sort of how it’s always been done.

What people pay for at events is social capital – access to incredible networks, and at the same time events like Pop!Tech reinterpreting performance and using that performance as a platform for ongoing action.

In that situation, why do so many events cling to the older model? I’ve gotten nothing but positive response from my post a couple days ago about the extinction of plenaries, and in fact have never heard any one (with the exception of the occasional conference organizer themselves) really defend the structure. So what gives?

I think in part it’s economics. The assumption is that people participate in conferences largely because of the quality of the speakers they bring in. Being able to put together interesting and provocative panel discussion quadruples the number of speakers an event can have at any one time, and so shouldn’t that bring in more registrations? That’s a tough argument for me to accept though; the economics of conferences tend to stink anyway, so why not experiment with different formats? What’s more, the high price-tagof “all social capital” events like Opportunity Collaboration or “all keynote” performances like Pop!Tech and TED would seem to undermine it.

I think the inevitable thrust is that more and more, what we now call an “unconference” will increasingly just be what we think of as a conference. Sure there will be experiments with different formats that involve various levels of participation, but at the end of the day, I think that models that aren’t rooted in the obliteration of conference hierarchy and the recognition that people go to events to find other people are living on borrowed time.

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