Many reality television programmes involve contestants fighting against the odds to claim a big prize. Shows like Survivor throw a handful of people into a hostile environment – like a jungle or an isolated island – where they are expected to compete against other contestants to see who the last man or woman standing is. In many ways these types of shows are like the world of business.
Survivor is essentially a game about relationships. Those contestants that form the strongest alliances are most likely to prevail since it is up to those in the game to decide (by voting) who stays and goes. It’s also about understanding your worth as an individual. At one point in the game, after contestants have been whittled down to a small number, players are asked to define why they should win and claim the prize.
The similarities to the world of business and the art of networking are obvious. Much like a 60-second presentation in BNI, the contestants who win in Survivor are those who are able to clearly articulate their worth and demonstrate this through their words and deeds. They are also the people who are able to form relationships with others based on mutual advantage.
Understanding who your audience is and putting your message across simply and succinctly to this audience is crucial in terms of succeeding in BNI and in the world of business generally. On Survivor those players who don’t have a clear strategy to win are the ones who are the first to fail. Similarly in business, organisations that don’t have a plan and who aren’t able to clearly outline what they are offering (and the benefits of this) do not succeed.
Each week when you are presenting to your chapter think about each member. Are there new members that have joined? Do you need to sharpen your message to target these people or other longer-term members that know more about your business? Stay flexible while remaining consistent in your messaging.
Remember, what drives referrals is that your audience knows how to do business with you and they understand why they should be referring people to your operation. In the game of Survivor you need to ‘outwit outlast outplay’ and in business we can all benefit from some of these survival skills as well.
