There’s saying that is becoming more common in business. It’s not who you know, it’s who knows you. BNI is incredible for building your personal brand and ensuring you are known, but only if you are present at meetings and make it clear what you are looking for.
There are times for all of us when we’re even more busy than usual in our work or personal lives and going to BNI or doing 1 to 1’s seems challenging.
The truth is, the most successful members at BNI NZ are those that make attendance at their BNI meeting non-negotiable. That means it’s the last thing they ever give up.
Even if you are busy today, you may not be next month, so have the mindset to prioritise BNI and stay consistent with it.
There are many ways to ensure BNI remains a non-negotiable commitment. Here are some top tips:
- Make BNI a part of your everyday working week. Consider your business day starting with BNI (not after) and that way you bring the best energy you can to engage in the meeting.
- Take your BNI meeting seriously…. See it as one of the most important and exciting business meetings of your week.
- Aim not to leave meetings early and try to minimise absences. Stay engaged with other members, and keep your 1 to 1s up to maintain business referrals as well as connections with your chapter’s members.We always say at BNI that every member of your chapter essentially makes up your extended salesforce. However, this only comes about if they know what you want and what your business needs each week. BNI is always there building your brand, but only if you keep connected with your chapter.
Make BNI a non-negotiable commitment and ensure it is the last thing you give up when your workload gets full.