We live in an instant gratification society. Immediate notifications, light-speed Twitter feeds, instant internet connections and an irrational frustration upon delay. However, there are certain things in life that cannot be rushed – networking is one of these things.
Take time to build your network
One of the important lessons to learn about networking is that good things take time. Networks develop over time as your relationships grow. In BNI it’s important to remain receptive to learning about other people and their businesses without expecting anything back. As you get to know people and your relationships strengthen, they will begin to have faith in you that you will do a good job for them and their clients.
This is especially true of certain professions that attract high dollar referrals. It’s only logical that these referrals will take time to be given. It’s important to build your relationships and credibility, this will only happen over time. Think about what business area you are in and take a long-term view; give yourself 6 months or even 12 months to develop your reputation at BNI. It takes time to establish trust before you resonate positively with people.
Quality over quantity
Remember that it is quality of referrals over quantity for a lot of professions – especially if there is more financial investment required for your services. Remember too that YES referrals are the reason we are at BNI, but there are other advantages to belonging to our organisation. Here are 3:
- Adding value for your clients: Keep a folder with business cards for every business in your chapter and when you see the opportunity give them out to your clients. Pretty much any service your clients need can be taken care of by a BNI member in a large chapter. Your clients will really appreciate having access to businesses with quality offerings they can trust. It’s a point of difference for your business that will strengthen your brand.
- Spreading the word about your business: When a chapter is thriving, members are out working in the community and letting people know about your business. It’s a great way to spread the word about your services and grow your brand in your region.
- Motivation: Weekly morning meetings with BNI are always a great motivator. You start the day with a dynamic, structured networking session with your members – new and old. It motivates you to get out there for another week and find business for yourself and others. By attending weekly meetings throughout the year, you’re able to see people grow and their businesses develop – it’s a beautiful thing.
Stay motivated and develop a long-term view with respect to acquiring referrals through BNI – you’ll notice the difference over time.
