Each week at BNI you have the opportunity to educate your chapter on how to identify prospects, open a conversation, ask relevant questions and inform members of your target market during your 60 seconds.
Your chapter can do this most effectively if they understand WHAT you have to offer and WHY the prospect would be better off using YOU rather than a competitor.
To make your 60 seconds memorable you can use a memory hook to reel in your BNI audience. This comes at the end of your 60 seconds and is meant to stick/tag in the minds of your audience. It’s a simple phrase which often rhymes, is usually fun and or quirky and says what you do. The great thing about memory hooks is that they help you to be remembered.
The more powerful your memory hook, the more it will be in the minds of your chapter. This will translate into greater business opportunities for you. Memory hooks can be formed in lots of different ways. Here are the most common:
- Draw attention to your name (getting them to remember who you are)
- Highlight your company name (connecting who you are with what you do)
- Communicate your profession (reminding them of what you can do for them)
- Tell them quality is important to you (showing them you are serious about your work)
- Educate as you sell (telling them what your business does)
- Rhyme it or sing it (making them hum your ad for hours)
- Play with the words (getting them to laugh as they hand over their business)
These approaches should give you an idea of some of the tools and resources you can use to construct your own memory hooks. Notice that many memory hooks use a combination of these techniques.
Almost anything you do in the line of word play will come out funny—and that’s the way it should be, unless you’d rather appeal to the heart. Song lyrics usually rhyme, so if you parody a song, it should rhyme as well. Any of these techniques can be more effective if your memory hook is short and snappy and appeals to the senses.
Recently one chapter, BNI Howick had a bit of fun with memory hooks. They altered every memory hook in their chapter to mirror one member’s memory hook (he was unaware they were doing it until the chapter meeting). Other chapters have chosen themes and altered their memory hooks to reflect the theme.
“BNI New Zealand – Where your success is our business!” – quoted memory hook from Graham Southwell, National Director, BNI New Zealand
