Get a GRIP on Inviting

The best way to encourage inviting to your chapter meeting is to make it as easy, and simple, as possible. And the best way to accomplish ease and simplicity is to know what you’re going to say when you invite.

Here’s a simple, easy script. It’s based on GRIP; which stands for Grow, Referrals, Introduce, and Place. The script goes something like this:

Scene: Networking Event

Enter Christel and event attendee.

Christel: So how’s business going for you?

Attendee: Pretty well.

Christel: Are you looking to grow your business this year?

Attendee: Yes!

Christel: Would more referrals help?

Attendee: Yes!

Christel: May I introduce you to a group of business associates who, over time, would like to give you referrals?

Attendee: Yes!

Christel: Terrific, we meet every Friday morning at Gerta’s Pancake House (place) at 7:00 am. Would this Friday work for you…….?

 

Grow, referrals, introduction and place. It couldn’t be simpler.

Now, what event will you attend to try it? And who will you ask? This script works very well on the phone too. Using it might just get you to The Westin Hilton Head Beach Resort and Spa in South Carolina.

How’s Business?

Every great, profitable company has a system to bring in new clients/customers. Your BNI network can as well. One way to grow our BNI network (and our future referrals) is to increase our referral partners. That means inviting.

Try the following:

1. Ask everyone you talk to, “How’s business?”
2. Ask, “Are referrals important to your business?” When they answer, “Why, yes they are”, then ask “how do you generate referrals for your business?” When they ask how you get referrals, “I’m building a referral network with BNI.”
3. “What’s BNI?” “BNI stands for Business Network International and we are a referral network of diverse businesses that generate ongoing referrals for each other”.
4. Then INVITE. “Would you like to attend our meeting and see how we do it?”

What makes the above approach successful is activity. BNI members are the best referral generators in the world, but to produce referrals we need a network and to build a network, we need to be in contact with a lot of people, just as we need to be in touch with a lot of prospects to create new clients for our businesses.

Asking one person to attend won’t show results, asking five people to attend will. Try it and see how it works. Not only will you attract new referral partners, you may even be celebrating them on a trip to Hilton Head Beach. There’s only 2 weeks left to qualify.

The BNI Hour of Power

By  James Sanderson, BNI Executive Director for London South-Central, United Kingdom

“My chapter leadership teams encourage members to set aside one hour a week in which they focus solely on BNI activity. Think about it: if you stopped everything in your day and decided to focus on BNI for one hour, what would you do? Would you be at a loss to fill the time? Or would you have a number of activities that you could immediately pursue to give you tremendous impetus in developing business for chapter colleagues, whilst also giving your own business a major boost at the same time?

In your “Hour of Power” you could:

Focus on inviting visitors:

• Follow up previously invited visitors to see if they are ready to join;
• Review the list of trade/professional categories that your chapter most wants to fill, and update your own customers and contact lists to see if you can identify suitable visitors;
• Make invitation calls;
• Send invitation cards or emails confirming venue details for visitors;
• Make reminder calls to visitors the day before the meeting.

We have found the Hour of Power can transform any member’s experience within BNI, almost instantaneously increasing the value of the business generated and received by over ten-fold.

Adopt it and see the benefits flow.”

Let those benefits help you flow right down to Hilton Head Beach in South Carolina.

The Ultimate in Inviting

Recently at the When asked, “How do you invite to a BNI meeting?” Here’s BNI Founder Dr. Ivan Misner’s answer:

 “The most important thing to remember is that the person you’re inviting isn’t doing you a favour by showing up, you’re doing him (or her) a favour by inviting him. Here’s what you say – We’re interviewing for a ___________ (insert your category of choice here). I think you’d be a good fit in our chapter. We’re meeting next _________ at 7:00 am. Our members are looking for a ____________ (repeat category) to give their referrals to, would you like to come and let them meet you? We can see if there’s a good fit.”

If the person says no (for whatever reason) Dr. Misner suggests saying, “No problem. But we are looking for a good _________ (same category) to give our referrals to. Do you know a good _____________ (same category) in the area?”

Dr. Misner says that when you ask in that way, you will almost always get 1 of 2 reactions. The first, “Yes I would like to meet them.” Or, the second, “No, I can’t come, but I know someone in my office who might be a good fit, can they come and meet you?” Your answer, of course, is yes.

This inviting technique has worked for the Founder and CEO for 30 years. Perhaps it will work for you to. And it just might help you win a trip for 2 to The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa.

Giving’s Greatest Reward

By Gordie Allen, Excerpt from an article in BNI SuccessNet

Recently, someone at a Leadership Team Training Meeting asked me, "Gordie, how come you know so many people?"
"Because every day, I make it my point to introduce two people to each other," I said.
Absolutely nothing is more energizing than bringing two strangers together for their mutual benefit. At first it was challenging, but once I got the hang of it, it became easier. Before long, it was second nature. Weekly soon became daily.
Bringing two strangers together for their mutual benefit is really about "paying it forward"—or Givers Gain. It's my daily good deed. Accomplishing this simple assignment is exhilarating and energizing.
People never forget who brought them together, especially when some good comes from the introduction. The result: they most often voluntarily reciprocate.
As you "pay it forward," introducing your friends to each other, remember to never ask for anything in return; do it because it's the right thing to do, and do it daily. Paying it forward will then pay off big.

 

Every new member sponsorship is a ballot to win a trip to Hilton Head.

 

 

 

2015 BNI Canada Membership Drive!

BNI Golden Horseshoe Members,
Let's win somebody a trip to Hilton Head Island! A BNI member, of course.

I’m excited to announce BNI Golden Horseshoe’s participation in the 2015 BNI Canada Membership Drive. The drive runs 8 weeks from Monday April 13 to midnight on Friday June 5^th. 

 

Here are the contest rules and qualification requirements:

1. There must be at least twenty-five (25) new members approved and processed to join the BNI Golden Horseshoe Region chapters between Monday April 13th and Friday June 5th, to quaify for ballots to be issued to sponsoring members and for a draw to take place in the region. The prize is a TRIP FOR TWO outlined in the attached flyer, and sponsored by the BNI Golden Horseshoe franchise. For every twenty-five (25) new members, we will do one draw. That is, if twenty-five (25) new members are approved in the 8 weeks of the drive, there will be one (1) draw from the ballots for this region and one (1) winner; if fifty (50) new members are approved, there will be two (2) prize draws and two (2) regional winners; if seventy-five (75) new members are approved, there will be three (3) prize draws and three (3) regional winners; and so on. Each trip prize drawn from ballots in the region will be sponsored by the BNI Golden Horseshoe franchise. How many trips do you think we can give away?
2. Each approved new member will earn their Sponsor one ballot for the draw.
• NOTE: There are 2 ways to Sponsor a new member in the region: i) If you invite a candidate to your own chapter and that individual’s application is approved by your chapter’s Membership Committee, then you are their Sponsor; or ii) If you refer a candidate to our office for placement into another chapter in this region (an existing, re-building or newly developing chapter) and that person applies to join the other chapter, upon approval by that chapter’s Membership Committee, you will be that person’s Sponsor.
• In both cases, the BNI group must be a chartered chapter by June 5, 2015, and if so, you will qualify for a ballot for each new member Sponsored. The new member’s application must name the Sponsor - there is a space for the SPONSORS NAME under the MEMBER SUBSCRIPTION FEES section of the front page of the New Member Application.
• Only one person may Sponsor each individual application. NOTE: New members referred to a chapter by the BNI Golden Horseshoe office, or the BNI website cannot be claimed for Sponsorship by a chapter member – only those members who invite, or refer, a new member to participate with their own or another chapter in this region will qualify as their Sponsor and receive a ballot.
3. The Membership Drive is open between Monday April 13th and midnight Friday June 5th. Each approved application received at the BNI Golden Horseshoe office within that timeframe (and date/time stamped before midnight on June 5, 2015), whether by courier or mail to: BNI Golden Horseshoe Region, 3540 Commerce Crt., Unit 3, Burlington, ON L7N 3L7, will qualify the Sponsor to receive a prize ballot.   
4. There is no limit to the number of ballots one member may receive for Sponsoring new members to join in the region. Invite, invite, invite! The more sponsorships, the more ballots and the greater your chances to win!
5. The trip outlined on the flyer can only be used by the winning member and their guest. Therefore, each winner can only be drawn once.

Good luck!

Be Memorable. (In a Good Way).

Effective introductions are a crucial tool for every business person. 

Most business people get to (must) introduce themselves regularly whether it’s at a networking event, to a prospect or at a business event. So, having a couple of well-prepared, suitable introductions is a very good idea.

The key to a good introduction is to be memorable – but in a good way.

As a franchisee for a referral networking organization, I’ve heard A LOT of introductions (about 2,500 by my last calculation). Here are a few of my recommendations:

First, start with your name – every time. People like to know who they’re talking to.

Second, tell me what business you’re in, especially at a business networking event.This one takes a bit of explanation. If your business name doesn’t describe what you do, then please tell me what business you’re in. If you make me guess (by being too cute or clever), I’ll get frustrated and that’s not the memorable first impression you’re going for. If you’re a lawyer, tell me “I’m a lawyer”. 

Now's the time to tell me something interesting, specific, funny, memorable and short about you and your business.

This is when you add the memorable part. This part takes practice. Decide what you like best about your business then describe it in 8 seconds (or less). Your desire is to get me, or whoever you’re being introduced to, to ask you that magic question, “How do you do that?” That magic question moves you from a simple introduction to an engaged conversation. 

And that's your goal.

Here’s my introduction, “My name is Christel, I build and manage business referral networks. The business people my referral network made $13 million for each other last year.” The response, every time, is “Wow. How do they do that?”

Celebrate International Networking Week

Since the dawn of the business, networking has been crucial to success. If you ran the local general store word of mouth ensured all your neighbours were your customers. Connecting with people was essential then and it’s an essential tool in today’s business climate. 

The purpose of International Networking Week® is to raise the profile of networking.

Begun 9 years ago as an initiative of BNI®, International Networking Week® celebrates the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the world. The focus of International Networking Week® is to bring together representatives of numerous networks - government, businesses and the community - to network with each other and understand the concept of good networking.  

Celebrate International Networking Week® at a BNI meeting near you. Click here to see the list of BNI chapters in Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Milton, Burlington, Hamilton and Niagara. 

Pick a chapter near you and visit. You’ll see networking in action. Or, if you prefer, email me at christel@bnigh.com and I’ll be happy to arrange a visit for you. 

Watch the Official 2015 International Networking Week® Video now to learn how you can benefit from joining in this worldwide celebration of the key role that networking plays in the development and success of businesses across the globe!

Thou Shall Not Sell At A Networking Event...Ever

As we begin a new year here’s a networking commandment that bears remembering: thou shall not sell at a networking event – ever. 

The problem with some networking events is that people network for new business. Here’s a question I’ve asked many times.

“How many people are here today to buy something?"

I can promise you the majority of the time, no one’s, absolutely no one’s, hand goes up. Yet, business people still have the objective of “getting new business” at networking events. It is the most frustrating networking behaviour – for those doing it and those exposed to it.

When we have the “gotta get me some business” attitude at a networking function it means we’re in sales mode. We’ve all seen that sales person. It looks something like this… rapid-fire …“Hi, my name’s Christel, I sell underwater baskets and I can get you the right basket no matter what and I sell to tall people, blue-eyed people, blonde-haired people, young people, old people, brown-haired people. I can sell to everybody. Sign here to buy a basket!” 

I know, you can feel yourself stepping back, can’t you?

So, let’s take another approach. Let’s try networking mode.

When we go to a networking event in networking mode we’re looking to make connections, not sales. And that’s the best networking behaviour.

We attend the event with a plan to: 1) meet a few people (who might become mutually beneficial relationships); 2) make a good impression; and, 3) schedule a next meeting. 

That’s effective networking. Try it at your next (and every) networking event.