I meet once each week at 7:00 am with my Business Networking International group. Mine is the Cabbagetown Chapter but there are chapters all over the city and the world. Our mandate is to promote the businesses in our chapter. We're each other's fan club. The meeting is quite structured, therefore, it's quite a committment, and it's not for everyone. Many interested business professionals who consider joining don't want to get up that early every Wednesday morning. They don't want to actively learn how to refer or receive referrals. They don't want to be accountable. Simply put, they don't want the business. 
Whatever their reasons, those who don't want the business enough to do all of the above are business professionals I don't want to refer business to. If they're not committed enough to their own business, I question how committed they'll be to the clients I send them.
I just received the following message from BNI head office. I like it's tone. These rules apply to all aspects of business, regardless of what we're selling.
1) Consider BNI's principle of VCP (Visibility + Credibility = Profitability). Attendance is a crucial part of the Visibility component of VCP: if you're not at the meeting, you're not visible. If you are not visible, you are not reminding your chapter that you are available.
2) Which brings us to the next component of VCP, Credibility. How can you build credibility within your chapter if you're not around on a regular basis? Your chapter needs to meet with you every week so that they can get to know you and your business. You need to build trust with your fellow chapter members if you want them to refer you. Building trust is a gradual process; you are not going to achieve it by attending meetings every so often. You need to be a faithful regular.
3) If you want your sales team to be there for you when you need them, you need to be there for them. Attending meetings on a regular basis, helping out with running the meetings, making a serious effort to get to know your co-members and getting them referrals will raise your profile and make the other members want to reciprocate. What goes around comes around.
4) Giving a 10-minute presentation or an infomercial to a half-empty room is NOT fun. In fact, it might even feel pointless. Low attendance destroys morale. High attendance will boost your meeting's energy levels and give the meeting a strong positive vibe. It will make the meeting enjoyable and worthwhile for all the members.
5) Similarly, trying to convince guests that they should join when existing members don't care to attend is very difficult. If the meeting is full of dedicated, motivated people, guests will want to join and chapter membership will grow.
6) Consistent, high attendance means more networking and building of relationships, which results in more referrals being passed.
7) If you show up for every meeting, on time, bright-eyed and positive, there is reason to believe you will be the same way with your clients. When your co-members see your professionalism at meetings, they will have confidence when they refer you because they know you will treat their referrals with respect and make them look good for referring you.
This BNI Did You Know brought to you by ...... Member of BNI High Park and Ambassador, Nishi Dias, NIGHT DAY PRODUCTIONS, Videography & Photography, Nishi@NightDay.ca , 416.821.8669, Corporate site www.NightDay.ca, Weddings www.NightDayWeddings.com
Recent Comments