We wanted to share an inspirational story this week that shows how referrals can be much bigger than just business being given. They can change lives and bring people together. Part of BNI’s philosophy is Givers Gain: By giving business to others, you will get business in return. This is based on the age-old idea of “What goes around, comes around.”
Givers Gain isn’t just about sales, it’s also about growing stronger relationships with businesses and people in the community. These relationships create a powerful network that can lead to all sorts of benefits for you as a BNI member. Givers Gain is perfectly illustrated in a recent story we came to hear of.
John McConnell is a Mortgage Specialist and member of BNI Coast. His life-long friend Murray has a son (Daniel) with a disability. Daniel was leaving school and it was Murray’s dream that he could get into full-time employment. Daniel had his health and safety certificate and fork lift driving licence, which he had got through his school. Daniel had always loved driving vehicles and was very proficient at it.
Murray mentioned to John that somewhere like Xpress Trailers would be a good place for him to work. John was able to share with him that he knew Andy Berns the owner of Xpress Trailers well, being in the same chapter and having done a few one-on-ones over the year. John arranged for Murray to meet up with Andy and the outcome was that Daniel became employed by Andy.
Daniel has been an excellent employee at Xpress Trailers with Andy saying other workers really appreciate having him around and the energy he brings to the business – he’s a real character. It’s a win-win for the business and Daniel.
This story shows that the value of BNI isn’t just for referrals, rather it is about connecting people and building a network. This is the ripple effect – one person knows someone who knows someone else – that we frequently see at BNI.
What happened also shows the importance of one-on-ones. Andy says that if he hadn’t done those one-on-ones with John he wouldn’t have been open to employing Daniel. The personal connection that he made through the one-on-one is what led him to taking on Daniel. Don’t underestimate the value of these and try to increase your one-on-ones to build your network. BNI isn’t just about referrals, it can also be about changing lives.
