I often have people tell me that they have visited a BNI chapter and like the concept, but didn’t join because the chapter members weren’t their target market – how badly they miss the point.
You do not join a BNI chapter to sell to the members in the chapter. You join a BNI to tap into the networks of those people – you never know who somebody knows, until you get to know them better.
How simple is that? How badly visitors and most BNI members miss the point!
If you attend a function with the intention of picking up customers, you’re actually selling, not networking.
Casual so-called networking functions can be compared to trying to find your future husband or wife in a nightclub.
Real networking is slow and laborious. Like anything worthwhile – marriage, cheeseor wine – they take time and nurture, but are so worth it in the end.
Remember, your objective is to tap into the networks of people you know, and you can only do that when you’ve earned their trust.
Colin Kennedy is the Marketing Director for BNI New Zealand, and director of Iron Road Ltd — a content marketing agency that develops strategies and tactics to help clients increase leads, improve conversion rates and raise their profile.
