BNI New Zealand as you know is part of an international organisation which has chapters all over the world. Although there are local nuances and cultural differences, meetings run in the same manner no matter whether they’re taking place; Tokyo or Takapuna, California or Christchurch.
Recently a member of Auckland’s BNI Thrive – successful property investor and also developer of education resources to learn Japanese, Michael Mackinven – visited chapters in Japan while on business – curious to see how they ran meetings there.
He was unsurprised to see that meetings were run like a well-oiled machine with a high degree of professionalism shown by all participants.
The several chapters Michael visited had around 40 members and seemed to be turning over millions of dollars of business per month. Despite the large chapter sizes, the meetings still stuck to the same timeframe we do here.
After observing the meetings, Michael came home and compiled a list of 7 key points we hope can reinforce efficiency to bring success into your chapter – most we hope you may already be doing.
- Be punctual. Everyone arrives at least 10 minutes prior to the meeting and they start on the dot. Punctuality is vital when you have larger groups and ensures meetings are completed on time and no one is waiting around for other members.
- Use an iPad with a stopwatch showing the 60 second countdown. If the timing is visible to the speaking members, they can see if they need to be more concise with their messaging to get everything across. Once again it leads to more efficient meetings.
- Stand in front of your group to do your 60 seconds rather than at chairs. This requires a person to go up front of the chapter or stand in the middle of an oval table setting. The second person who is about to speak should be ready on the sidelines to step up when current speaker is done. This means there is no time lag between speakers which leads to a more professional process. BNI meetings in Japan really have the efficiency of an assembly line!
- Use a projector to show a photo and a couple of lines introducing the member as they do their 60 seconds. Visuals should be simple and connect immediately with the audience – consider using a quote. The leadership team should coordinate and update this.
- Have a testimonial folder with testimonials written voluntarily by members for other members. Include as much detail on the project and the great work done – in Japan each was one A4 page. This is an excellent resource for visitors to see credibility. Testimonials can show the work done by a member and the relationships they have created. These testimonials can be further used by the recipient for their website or in social media.
- Have an A4 sheet showing all the chapter members with a small photo and blurb for guests. This is great for visitors but also helps everyone in the meeting stay on track with the schedule. Members and visitors can make notes on this sheet as 60 seconds take place.
- Give a trophy for whoever provides the most referrals each month. Some sort of celebration for referrals helps create a spirit of healthy competition in a chapter.
One final point that Michael mentioned was that as a visitor in Japan he was made to feel like a rock star! Everybody was incredibly welcoming and polite, introduced themselves with cards before the meeting started. He was asked who he wanted to meet after the end of the meeting and given an introduction to that person.
We really encourage you to bring this welcoming spirit to your own chapter while staying as efficient and professional as our Japanese counterparts.
