I emailed for a visitor…
…but I didn’t get one!
Inviting visitors to your BNI meetings is as important as giving referrals, since all new people at your meeting are new business opportunities. In fact, some of our BNI members have received their biggest referral ever from a chapter’s visitor.
A visitor every week
Inviting a visitor every week is a very worthwhile thing to do, and not just for the benefit of your fellow members, but for you as well, and of course your BNI chapter long-term. Just think if you invited someone every week. That would be 50 people a year and some would attend without question. You would have created a very genuine worthwhile achievement.
There are many ways in which you can invite people and using different ways can be very useful in different circumstances. For example, you can invite in person, by text, using a postcard, by social media and, of course, email, to name just a few ways.
And, this brings us to my visitor email invitation.
Local business group
One of my neighbours was having some building work done and I had seen at least three tradespeople go in and out of their property. I didn’t know the new owners that well, but I did have their email address from our housing management group, so I decided to drop them an email. My reason was to ask them if they were using a flooring company (we needed one in my BNI chapter) and if they were, would they recommend them? My email was simple and easy to send; I told them that I was in a local business group, that we had many business owner members and that we were looking for a good wood flooring business to join us.
A couple of days later I received a reply. They were using a plumber, electrician, plasterer, decorator but, sadly, not a flooring company. They even said sorry for not being able to help me but they did add that they would very much like to be introduced to my carpenter, kitchen designer and gardener. I had just received three easy referrals!
That was a rather outstanding outcome for my fellow BNI Chapter members, but how did it happen? Well, the answer to that is extremely simple.
You see at the end of my email, as normal, I put ‘Kind regards’ and my name. But then I added a ‘PS:’ and I just put, ‘the members of my chapter are an accountant, personal trainer …’ adding all 33 members of my chapter, including me.
This would be very easy to do every week; it’s just one email. At the most a couple of minutes work but, just for a moment, consider how successful that could turn out to be. And, before you say it, yes your first email will take longer to write but, from then on, it really would be just a couple of minutes.
Now I expect you are thinking but I don’t know anyone having work done on their house, and of course, that is very likely to be true; but, there’s far more to this email than that.
Power Team members
An email like this can be just about anything and you can have a few versions of it at the same time. Okay, so let’s go back to visitor inviting. Say your chapter could do with a locksmith, and then all you do is send a locksmith, a simple email, telling them about your members and how you help each other. Add that you are looking for a good local locksmith to refer business to and would they like to come and meet you? Then at the end you put the PS: – with their Power Team members first.
There are two key things here, 1) a great Subject Line, and 2) a very interesting first sentence (and of course those that follow). I’m sure you react to great Subject Line; you stop and look. Otherwise you just delete. And, it’s the same with the first sentence; interested, you read on, but no interest, you close the email and it’s forgotten.
So, who would you like to join your Power Team in your BNI chapter? For example: if you are a photographer, you might like a wedding planner, a wedding dress designer or a bridal boutique. Search out the ones that are local to you and send them an email this week; and every week until you have invited them all.
Brilliant results
The results could be brilliant; visitors, referrals and even just work for yourself. I have received them all; so I promise you it’s worth spending those two minutes every week.
