NZ is pretty much the best country in the world to be in right now. We have challenges for sure but stopping for a moment to reflect on how lucky we are to have hopefully won the battle against Covid-19 and to now have the opportunity to focus on building the economy and country we want for the future, is a pretty special moment in time.
We also might not realise how lucky we are to be part of BNI right now. Being part of BNI has helped us get through the past few months. The friendship and support we have received, and maybe even some business opportunities, has the uncertainty and stress more bearable. Seeing everyone online every week and thinking about the return to face to face meetings and the joy we bring to each other really highlights the relationships we have and how those relationships have helped us during this difficult time. Going forward, BNI is going to help us to be at the forefront of the economic recovery. It may still not be easy but our willingness to help each other means we will put referral opportunities in front of each other to work with businesses and people who are spending money.
Others may not be so lucky!
Businesses that are not part of BNI have had to go it alone. They will be alone trying to rebuild their business. They aren’t so lucky. They need support and sales but don’t have a network like BNI.
How do I ask them if they want to be lucky?
(This would be good to use as a role play. Just choose a member to role play with who will respond seriously.)
Over the coming months, a natural question to ask another businessperson is “how is business” They might say, “it is tough right now”. If they say that, it is simple to say something like:
Yeah, I am finding it tough too, but I’ve been lucky to be part of a group that’s been really supportive of each other which has kept me positive. Being part of this group has been really helpful for me in finding new business”. They might ask what the group is which gives you the opportunity to invite them to a meeting. You might say something like “we meet on Thursday morning, what are you doing next week? I can invite you to come along, you’ll enjoy it, it’s a lot of fun”
It is important not to over complicate this by worrying about if they are potential members (other than avoiding inviting potential category clashes). The only qualification is that they are like minded and would enjoy the meeting.
Technical note: The best way of inviting a visitor is through the BNI Connect Mobile App. Once you have a confirmed date for their visit the next step is to use the Register function to confirm their visit and alert the leadership team. If they are already keen when you talk to them, you can skip the initial invitation step in the App and go straight to register them.
Summary
Right now a lot of businesspeople will be trying to grow their businesses back to profitable levels. You can help like-minded businesspeople to grow or even save their business by simply inviting them to BNI.
In the spirit of Givers Gain®, right now there is an obligation to pay your good luck forward to those business people who aren’t us lucky as us. How? Invite them to BNI to see if they want to be as lucky as you are. It might be one of the best things you could do for someone else this year.
