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!

Being part of a BNI chapter is a unique opportunity. Where else do you get the chance to form a close bond – to work as a team in multiple areas – with a group of other independent businesses?

But so often we waste it by taking the easiest route, which is human nature after all. We lapse into a routine of attending meetings, making up our 60 second on the fly and only doing our dances when we have a gap.

For most of us, word of mouth referrals are the number one source of new business. The number and quality of referrals you receive, which directly impact your bottom line, are determined by how much effort you put into your networking.

Don’t leave it to accident. Take control of the process and drive your networking activity.

You can do this by:

• Setting objectives (what do you want to achieve from your BNI investment?);
• Recruiting new members for your own hub within your chapter (that’s how you get more referrals from your chapter);
• Increasing your visibility among the membership i.e. doing properly planned and structured dances more frequently;
• Preparing powerful, memorable 60 second presentations;
• Being specific with your referral requests;
• Helping other members with a combination of referrals, your time, your expertise, mentoring and encouragement (there is more to ‘givers gain’ than referrals).

These are the basics of BNI. They are there because they work (it’s the same reason other networks attempt to copy what BNI does).

Do these things consistently, regularly and with commitment and you will reap the reward.

Colin Kennedy is a keynote speaker, copywriter 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.

Photo by Ambro

1)  Testimonial letters from satisfied clients – Testimonials are one of the most effective ways to showcase the quality of the products or services you provide. You can keep hard copies in a binder, or you can post them to your website. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can ask the clients in your network to “recommend” you.

2)  Photos of yourself, your office facilities, equipment, and/or products – A professional photo, or headshot, is important for promotional opportunities and for your social media profiles. Photos of your office or business operation and products help to legitimise your business and gain credibility.

3)  Logos of your key customers – You can put these on your website to show the type of clients you have successfully served.

4)  A list of your memberships and affiliations – This is very helpful when you meet someone for the first time — it’s a great way to see if you have mutual acquaintances or business associates. It may also lead to an introduction to someone in one of your organisations to whom you have been hoping to be introduced.

5)  Question-and-answer sheets – One of the quickest ways to learn about a person’s business as a networker — and for him to learn about yours — is to make the initial meeting as organised as possible. A sheet with questions that you can each ask each other can ensure you don’t forget to find out the most important information about each other’s businesses, the information that could lead to a referral the quickest!

6)  Photos of awards and certificates you and your staff have earned – These items can rank almost as high on the credibility factor as testimonials.

7)  Articles you have published, or in which you’re mentioned – Writing articles (or being professionally mentioned in them) is a great way to become known as an expert in your field — and people like to know they are working with experts.

8)  A one-page flier – You should have a brief overview of your business ready to pass along at all times — both a hard copy to fax and an electronic copy to email — in case you meet someone while networking who wants to quickly pass along your information to a prospective client she knows.

9)  New-product or service announcements or press releases – As you network, make sure the people who might potentially hire you — or refer others to you — are immediately informed when you offer new products or services, or if you are expanding your operations geographically, or of any other achievements that might help further establish you. The best way to do this is through press releases and announcements. In addition to submitting these to news outlets, you can also hand these out at meetings, or you can post them on your website and on your social media accounts.

10)  Current brochures, circulars, and data sheets, and product catalogues – This may seem like a no-brainer, but quite often I’ve noticed that business owners are too busy running their business and neglect their collateral materials. If you hand out a brochure that doesn’t list your most recent offerings, you could miss a chance of earning the business of someone looking for just these offerings.

11)  Items that reflect your “brand” – These items go a long way in building the consistency and recognition of your brand: Logos, trademarks, service marks, patterns, designs you’ve used, posters, banners, and display materials used at trade shows.

12)  Items that help you explain your business to your network – These can include: your annual report, capability statement and prospectus; your motto, mission statement or service pledge; or even a written history of your company.  You can also use information from newsletters or news-type publications, survey results (from surveys created and compiled by you or by others in your industry), presentation notes or slides (including audio or video), advertisements you’ve run, or audio or video presentations.

13)  Client or customer proposals, bid sheets, or marketing letters you have written to existing clients – Keeping this information top-of-mind will come in very handy if you are at a networking event and have the opportunity to talk to a prospective client in depth.  The prospect may have a specific need that is similar in scope to jobs you have already bid on, and having the ability to quickly refer back to previously-completed proposals may give you an edge with the prospect.

14)  Articles on trends affecting your target market – Keeping up with issues and news items that are important to people helps you to be able to target your conversation and, subsequently, your products and services more directly to your prospects whom you want to turn into clients.

Remember, this is  not a complete list of items needed to market your business. The items in this list are focused on enhancing your networking activities which will lead to greater word of mouth and referrals.

BNI member Tony Allwood’s new book, ‘Beyond the Comfort Zone’, has not only been endorsed by Ivan Misner, but was recently also translated into German by BNI Switzerland.

‘Beyond the Comfort Zone’ is a hands-on tool with worksheets, tips and suggestions to help you be more referrable. Tony’s experience in business has shown him how easy it is to get derailed by the hectic pace of running your own company and believes it’s important to keep things in perspective.

‘I see my fellow BNI members as an extension of my business – they are an important aspect of what I do and as such I need to prioritise them into my day.’

Tony, a 10-year BNI member, has built W3, a successful web design business, on word-of-mouth referrals and very little else in terms of marketing and advertising.

Tony’s book will show you how to spot referrals and opportunities by doing things differently. You’ll find suggestions to help you develop usable ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing skills as well as guidance on planning your one and ten minute presentations, refining your memory hook, learning to dance and use props, and training your chapter to find you strong, qualified referrals.

Tony has been contacted by BNI Korea about further translation opportunities and is particularly excited about the idea of penetrating the Indian market.

Learn how to find more referrals and build strong relationships with your business colleagues by going to www.beyondthecomfortzone.net, where you can buy ‘Beyond the Comfort Zone’ online.

Alternatively, buy an annual subscription for $2.50 – delivered to your Inbox in palatable chunks over 52 weeks.

“Successful networking is about constant activity and Beyond the Comfort Zone offers common sense ideas that will help you build your social capital and become a more active networker. … Tony Allwood offers wise, fresh insights and simple, easy to implement strategies that will empower you to master the art of networking and significantly increase your referrals whether you are brand new to networking or have been practicing it for years.”

Dr Ivan R. Misner, NY Times Bestselling author and Founder of BNI and Referral Institute

How the WhoIsWhere™ partnership works:

1. Inform your director that you would like to hold a visitors day, and set a date
2. Your director will give you a form to complete, including details of the kinds of category visitors you are looking for
3. Once you have completed the form your director will forward this to WhoIsWhere™
4. WhoIsWhere™ will telephone 200 businesses to invite them to your visitors day
5. WhoIsWhere™ will pass on the RSVPs to your local director who will send them to you to follow-up if you wish
6. WhoIsWhere™ will also give your director a list of people who were interested but for various reasons couldn’t make the visitors day
7. After the visitors day, send all your visitors a thank you for attending email, with a promise for the visitor host to be in touch with them shortly (include a link to the BNI video in your email so your visitors can find out a bit more about BNI)
8. Have your visitor host follow-up the visitors

Why this is a good idea

You might be sceptical about using a list or a third party for your telemarketing, but here are three reasons why E-ideas Limited can help your chapter:

1. E-ideas Ltd is a member of the Capital Connection BNI Chapter in Wellington. Their telemarketers have been on BNI breakfasts and have a good understanding of BNI values.
2. Both options give you the opportunity to save time and money.
3. Direct marketing is proven to work.

The BNI 4 Shore Chapter in Auckland had the opportunity to make use of the E-ideas Ltd offer. Their telemarketing campaign resulted in 18 business owners showing an interest, four confirmed their attendance via email and a couple asked to attend at a later date. All the confirmations turned up at the meeting and conversions are looking likely.

Says Colin, “This first project with BNI 4 Shore at the end of April resulted in visitors not normally exposed to BNI — people such as driving school instructors, locksmiths, hairdressers etc.

“All the visitors who came through the whoiswhere™ programme were impressed with BNI and every single one promised to be back next week – these are visitors over and above those invited by chapter members; it is, and will be, a very powerful way to supplement your chapter’s recruitment drive.”

Your chapter can experience similar success – ask your director for more information. If you’re interested in starting a campaign, request a campaign form from your director and email it to Assia Salikhova, Managing Director of E-ideas Limited on assia@whoiswhere.co.nz  

“It’s early days yet, but we’re expecting great things through this direct mail and telemarketing partnership with whoiswhere™,” Colin said.

This video talks about how my friend Mohammad Favakeh, owner of Monte Carlo Chauffeured Transportation (www.mctlimo.com), has put a new and interesting twist on a technique which I’ve been recommending for years that makes it easy for people to refer their networking partners.

Watch the video and you’ll see how easy it is. Really – all you need is a simple card file and it’s a great technique for anybody who wants to build their network!

A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them both proportionately. When you meet someone in a networking environment you should ‘listen’ more than you ‘talk’ (especially if it is the first time you’ve met). Consequently, in books like The 29% Solution and Networking Like a Pro, I’ve written a lot about the kinds of questions you should ask when you meet someone for the first time.

Recently, I was at a networking event and, at the end of the conversation, someone asked me a question that no one has ever asked me before at a networking meeting. She asked, “What is the most amazing thing that has happened to you today?”

I love that question because it is so positive and unique. It made me stop focusing on anything other than the question at hand and required me to be completely present in the moment because I truly had to think about what the greatest thing was that had happened in my day so far. 

At the time, I shared what came to mind with the woman who asked me the question. However, it’s interesting to note that today, many months later, what I remember most is that question . . . not whatever “amazing” thing happened to me that day.

It’s no secret that we all want to do business with people whom we know and trust. So, how do you build rapport and create trust with new contacts at networking events?  By offering value-added advice – solid, helpful information provided out of a genuine concern for another person.

Let’s say you’re a real estate agent talking with someone at a networking event who, although not ready to buy a home today, is heading in that direction.  You could say something like this:

Well, I know you’re not interested in buying a home right now. But, when you’re ready to start looking, I highly recommend checking out the north part of town. A lot of my clients are seeing their homes appreciate in the 10 to 20 percent range, and from what I understand, the city is thinking about building another middle school in that area.

See how it’s possible to offer some value-added advice without being too salesy? A statement like this acknowledges that your prospect is not currently in the market (first sentence) but still demonstrates your expertise, so he will remember you when he’s ready to move.

This model works for consultants, CPAs, accountants, financial planners, coaches – just about anyone in a service-based industry in which knowledge is the main product. If you’re concerned about giving away your intellectual capital for free, look at it this way: few people are going to sign up to do business with you if they’re not sure you can do the job. In the absence of a tangible product, you have nothing but your technical expertise to demonstrate that you have the goods. And when you think about it, that makes sense. Whenever you’re ready to buy an automobile, it doesn’t matter how much research you’ve done on a particular model, you’re probably not going to write your check until you’ve taken the car for a test drive.

The same is true for your prospects. Give them a little test drive to show how it would feel to do business with you. If you’re a marketing consultant, give them a couple of ideas on how they can increase the exposure of their business. Don’t go overboard; maybe offer a technique you read in a magazine or tried with one of your clients. Just give them something they can try on to see if it works.

Not only will this open up a good conversation with new contacts while you’re out networking, if you play your cards right, whom do you think they’ll go to when they’re in need of your kind of service?   When it comes to building rapport and creating trust, nothing does it better than offering value-added advice.

What if you got a phone call . . . would you stop mid-presentation as you were pitching your most important client about your newest product in order to answer the call?? Of course you wouldn’t! That would be a blatantly rude move on your part and it would put your most valued client relationship at risk.

So, why in the world would anybody ever even consider looking at their mobile phone during a networking meeting?? Make no mistake, a good reason for looking at, picking up, or using your mobile phone in any way during any type of networking meeting does not exist!

One of the fastest ways to ruin your credibility and earn yourself a reputation as being rude, unprofessional, and undeserving of referrals is to use your mobile phone during a networking meeting.

If you want results from your networking efforts, which I’m assuming you do if you’re reading this blog, then that is the last thing you would ever feel about or say to anyone in your network. But, if you’re using your mobile phone during meetings with people in your referral network, I promise you – not only is that the exact message you are sending them, you’re also wasting their time and yours.

So, do yourself a favour and check your phone one last time before your networking meeting . . . check that it is completely turned off and don’t turn it back on until you leave the meeting. Remember, networking meetings and mobile phones don’t mix!

It virtually screams to your networking partner(s): I don’t care what you have to say because I have better things to do right now and this meeting is not worth my time.