How do you get business owners, especially those starting up new, to understand that BNI is a perfect way to market their business?
Tell them:
1. Most new businesses have lean budgets. Certainly less spend to carry out a major advertising campaign. So it makes sense to invest more time than money, into marketing. BNI fits in perfectly with this strategy.
2. Networking is a great way to grow your business in the early stages because you can control the speed at which you accept clients. In this way, BNI is an affordable way to gain referrals and improve your customer base.
3. BNI is a great place to find advice and support from other businesspeople – many of whom have outstanding experience and expertise in their industry.
Small doesn’t equal insignificant
It’s easy to assume that people in SMEs may not have the talents or expertise that those in bigger organisations have. Similarly some people believe that those living in smaller towns don’t have the knowledge that big city businesspeople do. Neither of these assumptions is correct.
Think about the calibre of people, the experience and expertise on offer at your chapter – it’s extraordinary.
Recently for example, a BNI member from Kerikeri won a national marketing award at the NZ Direct Marketing Awards. Debbie Ryder’s company Mad Ideas was up against some really big brands for the award. Debbie was rightly very proud to win the award as it’s not often small companies can compete at this level and produce the quality of work that the big agencies can. It’s another example of how small business in provincial areas can compete with the big boys and win.
Debbie credits much of her business’s success to joining BNI. She says that within one year of joining her chapter, she had doubled her client base.
Use your community
Having your business based in a smaller community can be an asset more than a liability. Small communities can be tight knit and easier to network within.
Think locally when it comes to your marketing efforts. What’s going on in your community? Get to know your ideal customer and think about how and where they spend their time. Then search for opportunities to get in front of your customer with your marketing message.
Of course staying connected through your BNI chapter is your best bet for growing your customer base, improving your sales and achieving success in your business.
