Sometimes people new to BNI wonder about how to break the ice with fellow members. Referrals don’t just come out of thin air. Remember it’s not called net sit or net eat, it’s called net “work” – it takes a little bit of effort to make networking work for you. One way to turbocharge your referrals is to use a simple follow-up formula which is employed by effective networkers; it’s called the 24/7/30 system.
When you go to a networking event what do you do with all the contacts that you make? First we recommend that you triage the list or stack of business cards that you get and determine who you want to stay in contact with. Ivan Misner, founder of BNI, co-authored a book: Avoiding the Networking Disconnect. This introduced a simple follow-up formula to use in effective networking efforts; the 24/7/30 system. It’s simple and works like this:
- When you meet someone at a networking event drop them a note within the first 24 hours. It can be a text, personal handwritten note or an email. Use whatever approach you usually do to let them know it was a pleasure meeting them and that you hope to meet again.
- Within seven days connect with them on social media. Make a connection via LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter or Facebook. Find ways to connect and engage with them via the social media platforms you use. Don’t use this as a way to sell to them, do it as a way to establish a meaningful connection with them instead.
- Within 30 days reach out to them and set up a face-to-face meeting. If you live near each other, meet in person. If you’re far away from one another, set up a meeting via Skype or by phone. At this meeting find out more about what they do and look for ways to help them. Don’t make it a sales call, make it a relationship building opportunity. This can be difficult to do but remember networking is more about farming than hunting. It’s about building relationships with people and this follow-up system is a great way to start the process.
If you use the 24/7/30 system to follow up with people you meet, you’ll establish a powerful routine that will help you to make your networking efforts meaningful and successful. One of the most important things we can learn in BNI is that it’s not what you know or who you know, it’s how well you know each other that really counts. It’s getting to know someone and learning to trust them that leads to an ongoing referral relationship.
