Jenny O’Neil – President of BNI Waikato Metro
Recently my chapter, BNI Waikato Metro, announced the winner of our annual One to One Competition. The annual competition was introduced because we needed a way to recognise the significant value of One to Ones. These are when a chapter member meets another member outside meeting hours (ideally at their business) to engage with them on a deeper level and get a better idea of what their business (or the business they work for) is all about.
One to Ones are hugely valuable as a complement to the networking we do every week at BNI because it is very difficult to get a full picture of every business in a chapter during the short time we have in meetings. The only way to fill in the gaps and really get to know a member’s business is by visiting them and spending time finding out what they do all day at work. One to Ones are a powerful tool for creating stronger relationships with our fellow BNI members.
For new members One to Ones are essential in terms of building better relationships in the chapter. You can really get to know people and once you meet someone it’s much easier to remember and promote their business. For members who’ve been in the chapter for some time, One to Ones are a great way to refresh your knowledge of a businessperson and re-engage with their business. Even if you’ve done a One to One with someone in your chapter in the past, it’s always good to re-engage with them by meeting again once some time has passed.
The winner of this year’s One to One competition was Kathryn Christensen, a property inspector at Real Shore, who completed an incredible 54 within a year. Our chapter gives out ‘notable networker’ certificates and this year at the ceremony we made special mention of Kathryn’s achievement.
BNI Waikato – Annual 1 on 1 Competition Winner Kathryn Christensen
Kathryn says One to Ones are a huge part of her participation in BNI. She says:
I hate being the centre of attention which is why I still hate public speaking even after 7 years – perhaps that’s why I am better at One to Ones. And who knows what you might learn about someone, which is always interesting for me. The better you can relate, the better your memory will kick in about someone when socialising or liaising with other businesses. It really is about remembering the person, then their business, because once you get to know them it becomes personal. There are some pretty cool people in our chapter that don’t always get to shine but I know they are there because I have spent time with them. Networking is very much about that personal connection in my opinion. You know that person has your back. And which is why I am still in in BNI after 7 years.
As her prize, our chapter is rewarding Kathryn with a 12-month membership. We are investing back into the chapter with Kathryn – it’s a win win for BNI Waikato Metro. She has strengthened our chapter and we are happy to give back to members like her in this way. Congratulations to Kathryn for her inspirational work and I encourage other BNI members to keep up their One to Ones – it’s the best way to build a strong chapter.
Jenny O’Neil President for BNI Waikato
