Power of One Explained

 

The Power of One report is published each month. The report is compiled from the activity that is reported in the PALMS report for the previous six months. The report along with the Palms report shows the activity of each member. The Power of One report shows by points and color the level of activity of each member with Green being an indicator that the member is doing the level of activities to be successful. 

Statistics indicate that those members who are green typically earn 6x more than members not in the green. These activities include One to Ones, CEUs, visitors, sponsoring new members, etc. and if done effectively and efficiently are proven to help members build their business, get more referrals, and make more money.

Reporting is key, because both the PALMS report and the Power of One report are a direct result of members reporting their activities. Members are expected to report their weekly participation activity via BNIConnect on a weekly basis or use the BNIConnect Mobile app.

Recognition is a Core Value in BNI. Green Buttons are presented to those members who achieve Green on the Power of One Report each month.  Doing the recommended activities will bring members more success and a better return on investment. The Power of One report is for the previous six months of a member’s activities.

The Power of One Report is presented to each member of the chapter each month along with the criteria for the Power of One, i.e. the activities expected and how the scoring works.

The goal for the region is for 50% of Chapter Members to be ‘in the Green’ and no members in Grey. BNI is a marketing system to help members build relationships which leads to the trust of the other members wanting to help each other succeed. BNI presents many opportunities and education to help members understand how BNI works. BNI works if the member works. Often members are actually doing the activities, but aren’t reporting their activity. These activities are a good investment of a member’s time, if done effectively, and will result in more referrals and more business for the member.

What are the activities?

• Attend Weekly Chapter Meeting.  Arrive on time and staying for the full 90 minutes and having a sub when absent.

• 1 Referral a Week

• 1 One to One per Week

• 1 CEU per Week

• 1 Visitor per Month

• Sponsor 1 new member per year

Refer to the article 'Secret Formula for Success' for a more detailed explanation of each of these activities and why they are important to achieve success in BNI.

If you have any questions about any of this information, please ask your VP or your Support Director.

Secret Formula for Success

 

There really is no secret.  You already have the formula.  It's just a matter of learning how to be more effective and efficient.

What I feel is the issue for most new members, is new members come into BNI thinking that BNI is going to be the Be All - End All for all of their networking and referrals. They think they are going to get a ton of referrals right out of the gate. The referrals are just going to fall out of the sky miraculously.  And they seem shocked to learn it's going to take some work on their part to either learn how to network effectively and efficiently and to un-learn past ways of networking that were ineffective.

I attended a webinar a few weeks ago and heard an interesting statistic from the presenter.  He said it's usually about the 3rd year that most BNI member's referrals and revenue really begins to kick in.  This was one of those Ah-Ha moments because most members aren't willing to give it that much time, must less do the work involved to get to that level.  We've always heard that members who renew their first year, usually remain members for 5+ years. But most new members give up and decide to leave about six months in when they have really not put forth the effort to be successful.  Most business coaches will tell you, it takes 3 to 5 years to have a profitable business.  Why would you think BNI is going to be an instant windfall of referrals and business?

So what is the Secret Formula?

Members who are Green report 6 to 8 times more revenue than those members in Red or Grey.

You see, BNI tracks everything and according to the statistics, the Power of One is the standard for success.  But, it's not just about going through the motions of doing the activities, it's learning how to do them the right way and that takes time and practice.  You've heard the phrase 'practice makes perfect.'  When you're trying to learn a new skill, how many times does it take before you get it right?  And once you get it right, you have to keep doing it correctly in order to achieve the results you desire.

So let's go through each one of these and break it down as to how to get more effective and efficient.  

• CEU - Chapter Education Unit.  Learn More to Earn More.  Another interesting statistic.  Those members with higher CEUs typically receive more referrals and have higher TYFCB. BNI is a marketing system that teaches us how to build relationships in order to grow our business.  BNI provides all types of learning opportunities via websites, podcasts, webinars, BNI Business Builders, Advanced Trainings, Monday Mugs, Live Help Friday, books, etc.  It's up to us as members to take advantage of these trainings.  So where do you start?  Start with the basics.  Even if you've been a member for a while, it's always good to go back to the beginning for a refresher. It used to be that every member was asked to complete MSP, Member Success Program, every year when they renewed. Did you complete MSP, Member Success Program?  It always helps to have a refresher of the basics. Did you attend the New Member Next Steps Webinar?  What about the Passport to Success Program?  Did you complete yours?  Do you have a Mentor? Talk with your Chapter's Mentor Coordinator and get assigned to someone who would be willing to mentor you. Ask yourself, where do you need help?  Is it more referrals?  How to improve your weekly presentation?  How to improve your spotlight presentation?  How to invite visitors?  Search for these subjects on BNI Business Builder, BNIPodcast.com, BNIPowerofOne.com. Seek out the people who do these things well and have a 1-2-1 and ask them for their tips.  These members could be in other chapters. Seek them out.

• 1-2-1s = More Referrals. In order to receive referrals, other members have to get to know you, like you, trust you, and want to help you.  How do you achieve that?  1-2-1s. And not just one 1-2-1.  It takes meeting with other members over and over to really get to know them and their business and learning how you can help them find referrals.  Yes, the BNI philosophy is 'Givers Gain.'  We have to give in order to receive. It also takes learning how to do an effective one to one.  You see a 1-2-1 in BNI is not just a 'coffee chat.'  It is not a 'one and done.' To truly have an effective one to one takes some preparation.  It starts with completing and exchanging your GAINS profile with the member you are meeting with prior to your 1-2-1.  You can also use the One to One Planner.  I was just talking with a long time BNI member the other day about this subject and he said, "I have a one to one with someone about twice a month, because it means 2 to 3 referrals each time." This is the 'secret sauce' for receiving and giving referrals.  It is the developing of the relationships with strategic referral partners with whom you can leverage referrals for each other. Your 1-2-1s can also be with other members from other chapters as well as with visitors. And by all means, have a 1-2-1 with your Director Consultant and pick their brain on what it takes to be successful in BNI.

• Referrals - Members are expected to pass 1 referral a week. If members are doing 1-2-1s consistently every week and learning what to listen and look for, it becomes second nature to find referrals. When they take it to another level and get proactive rather than reactive, they learn how to start conversations in order to uncover referrals for their fellow members. The other way to bring referrals to your fellow members is to invite visitors and make introductions.  Listen to your fellow members.  Who are they looking to meet?  Ask your contacts if they know someone in that industry and invite them to network. Use this reason for the invitation, is that you have someone in your referral group who is looking to meet someone in their profession for the purpose of passing referrals.  That introduction could turn into business.  And to receive referrals, a member needs to build relationships and build their creditability.  So, what does a Power of One score of Red or Grey say to your fellow members? How comfortable do you feel passing a referral to a member who has a Red or Grey Power of One score?

• Attendance - 80% of Success is Showing Up BNI is not the like other networking organizations.  You are not just a name of a roster.  Another interesting statistic, is those with low absences get more referrals. To get results from BNI you not only have to show up every week, but you also have to participate.  Because how you show up, is how your fellow members think you show up everywhere.  What does that mean you ask?  Do you show up late?  Or are you on time or better yet early?  Your fellow BNI member does not want to give a referral of his best client to someone who can't even get to a meeting on time.  Are you prepared each week? Part of showing up each week is to train your sales team on how to find you referrals.  Do you have a good weekly presentation prepared that describes that perfect referral for you?  Perhaps it's a story of a client you recently worked with.  Or a testimony from a client you helped. Or an interesting piece of industry information your fellow members could use to help find you a referral.  Participation also includes being engaged in the meeting.  Focusing on the speaker, not multi-tasking, texting, etc.  And since we are on Zoom calls, are you on camera, in good lighting, etc.  Dressed for a business meeting?  Have a good setting or a virtual background?  No distractions?  And back to participation - What other duties have you taken on in your chapter?  Part of building creditability is being visible and volunteering to help in needed areas. This helps to build trust and shows you are a dependable reliable person.

• Inviting Visitors - I covered this topic in last month's newletter, i.e. the value of visitors and how to invite.  Click here to read the article.

You see, you have had the Secret Formula for Success in BNI all along.  

It is just learning how to execute the formula efficiently and effectively 

to be successful.

If you or your chapter needs help and support, reach out to your Support Director Consultant.

Here are some additional resources:

First Year of BNI is the Hardest - Dr. Misner

Learn More Earn More - Tom Fleming

Proactive Referrals - Dr. Misner & Frank de Raffele

80% of Success is Showing Up - Dr. Misner

Power of One - Visitors - Tim Roberts

For previous articles refer to my Notably Green Blog.

And join the Facebook Group - Notably Green

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leader board for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Let me know if you have any questions and how I can be of help.  

 

To Your Success,

 

Annette Mason

Area Director Consultant

Trying Something New

From April 2019

 I am a creature of habit, I'll admit, and I am not a fan of change. As I started out for my run on Saturday, I couldn't go my usual way. We live on a street that circles around and blends into the main street for the neighborhood. I couldn't go my usual way because my neighbor had the road blocked with his truck and trailer. So rather than waiting for him to clear the road, I decided to just go the other way. Gosh, did that feel strange. Although this is the same road, it just seemed so different to go the other way. It took getting back on the regular route before I felt comfortable again. Although I was doing the same thing, my walk/run routine, just starting out in a different direction made it seem so strange.

Have you ever started something new? Or tried doing something a different way? Did it feel uncomfortable to start with? Did you continue with the new way or revert back to the same old way you've always done things?

This makes me think of all those motivational seminars I've been to and the speaker asking you to fold your arms a certain way that was comfortable and then asking you to fold them a different way. The different way was not uncomfortable per se, it just felt different. That's kind of how it is when we want something to change, but we want it to be comfortable. Or we want to change, and we want to get it right the first time, so that the process or the new thing will be easy. Nope, it just doesn't work that way usually. Typically, when 

we try or attempt to do something new, it's going to feel uncomfortable and/or at least different until we get used to it. Until we train it to muscle memory and make it a habit.

So how can we make change more comfortable? How can we establish the habits/routines we need to make? Here are my thoughts.....

-        I think one of the first ways is, we have to commit to the change. Sometimes that means doing some research, reading some articles, watching some videos, talking to people, etc. to see how other people are doing the thing we want to do. Learning what has worked for others and figuring out what we feel will work best for us. However, while research is a good thing to do, some people suffer from analysis paralysis in that they can't start anything new until they've done all the research in the world and have everything down to a science before they start. These are the folks that will give you every excuse there is for why they can't or won't start something new.

- Secondly, I think we have to commit to a start date. Most people start new things at the beginning of a new year - by making their new year's resolutions. Some start on a Monday. The point is, you must decide and start and also commit to give the change time. Most say it takes doing something 40 times or 40 days to commit it to habit.

-        Third - Realize we're not going to be perfect the first couple of times we try our new thing. We are going to stumble and mumble, but that's OK, as we learn to do the thing the correct way. Think in terms of a ball player practicing their craft. They spend hours swinging a bat or throwing a ball in order to get better and better. We will get better the more we do the thing.

-        Fourth - Track our progress. How are we going to get better if we don't have some sort of measurement? Progress is progress regardless of how small. How do we eat an elephant? One small bite at a time.

Fifth - Critique, adjust, and stay on track and if we get off track, even starting over. Ask for help. If it's important enough to us, we'll keep on keeping on in order to make the positive changes and develop the positive habits we want to make in our lives.

Often, we are presented with new ways of doing things, i.e. new concepts, new ideas, new procedures, etc. While we hear that others may have tried the new thing and had success, we resist and give reasons as to why we don't think it will work. The 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality. Yes, I'm guilty and must rationalize as to why it would be beneficial to give the new way a try. Kind of like my scenario of doing my running routine in a different direction. It felt a little strange, but sometimes a change adds new life and vitality to a regular routine. Perhaps doing the same routine a different way will net better results.

Do you remember Mikey? 'Try it, you'll like it.' If we never try it, how do we know if the new way will work better or not?'

What are some things you have tried/changed?  What was your experience?

Here are some additional resources:

Leadership Host

Leadership or Obligation

Dog Sled Leadership

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leaderboard for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Getting More Referrals - Having Effective One to Ones

From March 2019

 The purpose of having One to Ones is get to know your fellow members in order to build relationships which build credibility and lead to profitability, i.e. to give and receive more referrals.  Statistics show that members who are having 3 or more one to ones per month receive twice as many referrals.

So where are you with your fellow members?  

- Visibility - I remember you and I may know your name and what you do.

- Credibility - There are two parts of Credibility

- Early Credibility - I know more about you and I like you

- Deep Credibility - I trust you and I may pass referrals to you. 

- Profitability - I refer you consistently because I trust you and know your business so well.  When I win a client, you win a client.

 

So how do we move the relationships with fellow members from Visibility to Profitability?  By having more effective One to Ones. i.e. Getting to know your fellow chapter members at a deeper level, getting to know more about their business, what good referrals are for them, and who are good referrals partners are for them.  So how do you do that?

Most One to Ones are more 'coffee talks' and are not effective one to ones.  

An effective One to One takes planning.  Here are the steps:

1.  Schedule ahead of time allowing at least an hour especially for the first One to One.

2. Start first with the members who are in your contact sphere because 70% of your referrals will come from your contact sphere.

3.  Complete the GAINS profile sheets.  This step is extremely important.  (GAINS stands for Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, Skills)

a. The GAINS profile sheets include a list of your last 10 clients. The sheet has areas for notes about one. All of this information helps your fellow member understand the type of work you do. Rank your last ten clients on a scale of 1 to 10 (#1 being the best) according to good, better, best. Make notes as to why the top 5 are the type of clients you're looking for. Share this list as it will help your fellow members understand the type of clients you are seeking. Even letting your fellow member know what are NOT good referrals is good information.

b. Also, part of the GAINS profile sheets is Contact Spheres. Contact Spheres are businesses or professionals that provide a source of referrals for one another. They are good Referral Partners/Sources. For example: A good referral source for a chiropractor would be a Personal Injury Attorney. A good referral source for a pressure washer would be a painter. A good referral source for a home inspector would be a Realtor. Don't just think of who you can get business from, but who can refer business to you. Share this list also. (You can also use the Referral Hub for this). Many times an introduction to a Referral source will lead to a referral that just keeps on giving. And guess who gets the credit for TYFCB.

4. Send your completed GAINS profile sheets and your bio to the person you have a One to One scheduled with.  Send these a couple of days ahead of time to give each other time to review and make notes for questions, discussion points, etc. you would like to have.

5. Plan to meet at a location that is not loud and you won't be interrupted.  Meeting at a fellow member's office/work is always good.

6. Time for a One to One - Typically a good One to One can be done in an hour.  This gives each member 30 minutes to explain their business and answer questions.  Please be considerate and don't monopolize the time.

7.  

THE PURPOSE of a One to One is to learn about the other person's business so that You can identify and find referrals and referral sources for them.  

 

IT IS NOT to try and sell them your product or service. Your fellow referral partners will be turned off by this tactic. By asking who do they know who would be interested in your product or service, they may refer themselves. But NEVER try to SELL to your fellow BNI Members. You will receive 0 to no referrals by doing so.

8. Questions to ask: (Remember you are there to find out how to refer business, find referral sources for this person, and to strategize as to who else you need to invite to be part of your referral team, so ask questions that will help you understand who to look for.)

1. From your review of the other member's GAINS profile, you may have questions for clarification.
2. Ask what you should listen for?
3. Ask what questions you should ask a potential prospective client for them?
4. What are good conversation starters?
5. Ask who are their 'bread and butter' clients?
6. Ask what would be their dream referral?
7. Who are good referral sources?
8. Who else would they want as a member of their Power Team?

9. Agree on a plan of action. For example, that could be an introduction to a potential referral partner and/or inviting a potential referral partner to your BNI meeting for an introduction.

10.  Schedule a time to follow-up and your next One to One.  Things change in a person's life and business.  It's good to have One to One's with your fellow members on a regular basis to get to know your referral partners better and to strengthen the relationship, especially your Power Team members as well as find out what's new with their business.

Here are some additional resources:

Effective One to Ones 

Getting to Profitability

Getting More Referrals

Doubling the # of Referrals

Why Have multiple One to Ones

Effective Questions to Ask

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leaderboard for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.  Also, be sure and report your CEUs, 1 hour = 1 CEU.

Showing up is 80% of Success!

From December 2018

The more you show up, the more money you make and There's hard data to back this up.

 

In podcast #490 - Dr. Misner presents statistics which support that the more members show up the more money members make.  The members who have the fewest absences close the most business. Fewer absences = more referrals. Three absences in six months (the maximum) lead to 73% less business.  I would say then the clique 'Out of sight, Out of mind' is true then when it comes to Showing Up at your BNI meeting every week.

Your BNI Meeting is like meeting with your Best Client!

• Put it on your Calendar - If you had a meeting scheduled with your best client, would you bump them if a new prospect called?
• Schedule around your BNI meeting

But Is just showing up enough? 

It's true that showing up at BNI meetings increases the number of referrals you get, but showing up is just the beginning.   

 

There is another podcast #329 called "Did Woody Allen get it Right?"

 

He told the story of a BNI member who said to him, 'You know, I've been showing up to meetings every week and I'm not getting any referrals.' Dr. Misner's response was that showing up to meetings is only one ingredient in the BNI Attendance Success Formula.

The other Success Ingredients are - Show up Early, Be Prepared, and Be Engaged

• Show up early (15 minutes early) to network - Ever heard this -  
  'If you're on time, you're Late.'
• Every BNI meeting has 15 minutes built into the beginning of the agenda for Open Networking.  Why?  To engage with your fellow BNI members.  To meet the visitors.  Remember visitors are a potential source of business and possible future members.
• Be Prepared -  
  Create a weekly presentation that changes every week and focuses on a small element of your business.   Keep it fresh. Tell your chapter members about all aspects of your business one week at a time.  
• Invite Visitors to introduce to your referral organization.  This builds credibility with your fellow BNI members.
• Bring referrals to other members. Remember this is about giver's gain.
• Be Engaged in the meeting - not watching your phone, not texting, etc.  Turn your phone off and put it away unless you're expecting an emergency call from a family member.  Would you have your phone out if you were meeting with your best client.

And if you Really Want to be Successful - Go the Extra Mile - Go All In  

 

It is not enough just to show up at the meeting each week. You have to do the extras outside the weekly meetings.

• Schedule 1-2-1 meetings with a different person every week. Get to know all the members so you can be a good referral source.  Don't just meet with them one time.  Keep meeting with them on a regular basis to get to know them and their business.  Another good podcast is one by Tim Roberts, BNI US National Director - Power of One to Ones.
• Immerse yourself in education. If you want to do anything well, you need to always be in a learning mode. 'The more you learn, the more you earn.'  Most people have to do some sort of training to keep up to date with their business.  The same applies to BNI.  Learn to be the best networker you can be.  It's part of what you paid for with your BNI membership.
  

• Say yes to becoming a part of your chapter's Leadership/Support team. It's a great way to increase your visibility and, if you do your job well, it increases your credibility - which leads to Profitability.

So, here's my take away. Yes, showing up every week for your chapter meeting is important. However, There is a formula for success that has been perfected over the many years that BNI has been around.   Learn it, understand it and create your own success.

Here are some additional resources:

Podcasts - #490 - Show Up - Make Money

#329 - Did Woody Allen Get it Right

Tim Roberts - Power of One to Ones

Tim Roberts - Schedule Yourself for Success

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leaderboard for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.

Is Your Chapter On Fire, On Hold, or In a Hole?

From September 2018

    

On October 1st each chapter will welcome a new Leadership and Support Team.  By then they will have completed their training, set their goals, and mechanisms to achieve their goals for their upcoming term.  Their goals will be the things they want to accomplish for the upcoming year.  The mechanisms will be how they will  accomplish those goals.

I like to ask each new incoming Leadership Team, how do you want to be remembered a year from now?  What do you want to accomplish?  Where is your chapter now and where do you want it to be a year from now?  What do you want your legacy to be?  Set your Chapter's goals accordingly?

 

Support Team Members and Chapter Members need to consider these questions also and determine how they need to contribute to the overall goals of the chapter.

So where is your chapter now?  In Dr. Misner's podcast #480 - 'Is Your Chapter On Fire, On Hold, or In a Hole?,' he describes these stages.  (Below is a summary of the podcast.  I recommend listening or reading it in it's entirety). 

On Fire

These chapters are energized, goal-oriented, and thriving. They're generating a lot of referrals with a high value. They're the biggest groups-or on their way to being it. Members of the leadership team attend all the required trainings, and more. BNI members in these chapters have completed their BNI Connect profiles and pass referrals every week. They conduct effective one-to-ones. And they have fun together.  The majority of the members have a green or yellow for their Power of One Report.

On Hold

These chapters are still generating referrals and revenue, but they're just going through the motions. They do the minimum and get average results. Sometimes these groups have been on fire in the past, but became complacent and started to slide. They've often given up on growth, and don't follow all the suggestions of their regional directors and the BNI policies.

In a Hole

These chapters are struggling with attendance. They're not holding members accountable. They have difficulty retaining members. These chapters focus on problems rather than solutions. They don't follow the agenda and policies of BNI very well, and they often regard their regional director as an outsider rather than a resource.

Where does your group stand right now? If your group is on fire, congratulations. That's how BNI is supposed to be. If your group is on hold, it's not that hard to transition to being on fire. Even if you're in a hole, you can break out of that, as long as the leadership team and the membership are committed to change.

The key to improvement is being very honest with yourself, recognizing where you are, and want to make improvements to be more successful and productive. 

Why settle for mediocrity when excellence is an option?  Excellence is an option in all BNI chapters all around the world. 

It was Jim Collins in Good to Great who said, "What is the enemy of good?" People would say, well, bad. That is not the answer.  The question is "What is the enemy of great?" and most people answer "bad". The answer to what is the enemy of great is good. Not bad. Good is the enemy of great.

You have heard people say it. "That is good enough." "That will work." Oftentimes, and certainly in BNI, good is the enemy of great. On hold is often good, but on fire is great.

One way to determine which stage your chapter is in, is have all of the members complete the 'Rate Your Chapter worksheet which can be downloaded from this link.  This is a great assessment tool.  Ask your members to be very honest with their answers.  Evaluate the ratings and take action accordingly moving forward.  Build your goals to take your chapter from good to GREAT!!

I will close with some quotes for Leadership Teams, Support Team Members, as well as all Chapter Members. 

 

The Leadership team sets the tone for the chapter.  

As quoted by Mark Kay Ash - 'The speed of the Leader is the speed of the Team.'  

Charles Lauer - 'Leaders don't force people to follow, they invite them on a journey.'

Leaders are developers, team builders, imaginers, cultural caretakers, roadblock removers and inspirers.  Their success depends on enabling the success of others.

The Entire Team is important.

T.E.A.M. Definition - 'Together Each Achieves More.'

Henry Ford said 'Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.'

Mother Teresa - 'I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot, but together we can do great things.'

So what contributions are you making to the success of Your team/to the chapter?  There are many tasks that need to be done.  Talk to your Leadership Team as to your skill set and what you can do to contribute.  By becoming more involved, you increase you Visibility which increases your Creditability.

Here are some additional resources:

Understanding Chapter Lifecycles

#475 A Path to Business Leadership

#396 Host Leadership

Tips for being a stronger Leader

I encourage you to access the podcasts via BNI University so that you show up on the Leaderboard for your Chapter and your area.  To make it easier, you can also download the app to your smart device.  It's available from ITunes and Google.

Do You Want to Grow Your Business 20%?

From April 2018

This month's newsletter is about growing your business.  Recently I attended a new forming Chapter meeting.  After the meeting Mike Barbieri was talking with a potential member about the commitment for BNI and he shared a story that a BNI member had told at one of the recent Mix and Mingles.  

   

Here is the story:  

A member in the NE Region was speaking with a guest at one of our Mixers last week.  The guest asked about the investment and how much money he made in BNI as a member.  The member responded with... "In my first year in BNI, I made 4 times my membership dues investment.  It wasn't until my second year where I saw the real difference.  This year I have already made over 20X my investment and the year is only half way through.  It took me a year to learn how to talk about my business effectively, learn how to give and get qualified referrals, and conduct enough 1-2-1's to understand the other members in the room.  See BNI takes time.  There are no quick fixes and fast results here.  It takes time and work to do anything worth while and to build strong lasting relationships.  The VCP model takes time to move from visibility to credibility and it took longer to move from credibility to profitability.  I am now in profitability with my best referral partners."

 

Mike added - There is "WORK" in Networking.  We have many 90 minute members in BNI.  Where some of our members are present for the 90 minutes during our weekly meeting and forget about the team until next week's meeting.  We are all busy.  That is not an alibi nor excuse.  I hear people say, "I do not have time to work on BNI."  What I hear is... "I do not have time to work on my business."  No matter what excuse you are telling yourself, you should not be working on BNI in the first place.  You should be working ON YOUR business.  Do you tell people that you are working on your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system?  No, because that is a business software tool.  Why do you say I am working on BNI?  Isn't BNI a framework, a platform or a tool to help you and your business be accountable and generate more money for you and your team?  Maybe we should change how we think about BNI.  So block some time each week in your busy schedule and work on your business.  Go out and network, meet new people make new friends, develop new relationships, invite new visitors and generate more money.  They say that your net worth and network is the new currency.  It is not always what you know, but who you know and sometimes how well you know them.  Food for thought.

Here are some additional resources:

How Many Networks - #528

Networking Up - #530

Time Spent Networking - #433

The Four Pillars of a Successful BNI Chapter

From March 2018

This month's newsletter is about the 4 Pillars of a successful BNI Chapter.  In Podcast # 520, Dr. Misner and Tim Paulin, National Training Director and Executive Director for BNI Louisiana and Mississippi discuss this topic.

Here are the 4 Pillars:

1. Many visitors or guests at each meeting. Not all of them have to qualify to join: bring people who can do business with members.
2. A well-run professional meeting. Pay special attention to the hidden elements. (See Episode 9 and Episode 16 for more about the hidden elements of a meeting.)
3. Follow-up post meeting. The leadership team needs to follow up with visitors and guests, and members need to follow up about the business they've passed.
4. Accountability for the chapter members. One of the most important parts of accountability is attendance, and it's up to the membership committee to maintain this.

So for #1, what is many visitors/guests.  That depends of the size of the chapter.  For an average chapter of 24 members, it is suggested to have 4 to 7 visitors/guests each week.  4 on the low side and 7 on the high.  For larger chapters, there should be more visitors/guests.  According to Tim who teaches this to his chapters, not all of the visitors have to qualify for membership. Bring guests. Bring people that can do business with the members of the chapter. If you stop focusing on folks that can join the chapter and just bring people who can do business with the members of the chapter, you can get that many visitors/guests each week.

#2 - Once you have many visitors and guests in the room, we have to run a professional meeting, a well-run put together agenda that is provided by BNI with a special attention that is paid to the hidden elements of the BNI chapter meeting.  (For more on the hidden elements of the meeting and their importance, listen/read Podcasts #9and #16).  We talk about everything from entering the meeting 15 minutes prior to the start of the meeting, being there, being prepared to welcome your guests and your visitors through open networking and through each point of the agenda, taking special attention and care to introduce that portion of the agenda, run it professional, and as the meeting concludes, to make sure that we are doing a great, spectacular orientation with our visitors and guests and offering them the opportunity to be considered for membership by filling out an application.  Professionally run, that is the core of a good BNI group- running a great meeting.

So with #3, as that meeting concludes, our job is follow up. Not only is a chapter, leadership team and members to follow up with the visitors and guests to answer any questions that they might have, to invite them back for a second look at our chapter meeting, but also for our members to follow up with each other about the business that was passed at the chapter meeting that week. Make sure that you are following up on the referrals that you received, that you are following up on the referrals that you have given to make sure that the person that you have referred gets the right care and the right treatment from your BNI members. Follow up is key to success in this organization.

Tim goes on to say that, One of the things I ask my members is if you gave a referral to someone who didn't follow up with it, do you give them a second chance? Would you refer them a second time? Most people would not.  So follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

With #4, which is our last pillar of a successful BNI group, we talk about accountability in and around the chapter. Now, the accountability is provided by our membership committee for our chapter. One of the most important things that we are accountable to is attendance. Being there each and every week on time so we can participate in the meeting appropriately. Participating in the meeting appropriately is bringing visitors, bringing guests, bringing referrals, being prepared for your Weekly Presentation, being prepared for your Spotlight Presentation when it is time to do so. All of these things come into play in that accountability to making sure that everyone in the group is participating and making the group successful comes from the membership committee.  The groups that are most successful are the ones that 'get it' that accountability is key. They have accountability with their groups, including things like attendance.

Tim goes on to say, that to help your chapter get better, get involved.  Step up into a support or leadership role.

Ivan concludes, hit all four cylinders on this and you will have a successful chapter. The four pillars, again, are - #1 have many visitors, #2 have a well-run professional meeting, utilize the hidden elements (check out episodes #9 & #16, if you would like to know more about hidden elements), #3 follow up after the meeting, and #4 accountability. Do those four things, do them well and you are going to have a successful chapter.

 

To listen or read this podcast in it's entirety - Click here.

Everyone Needs a Mentor

From January 2018

 

January is National Mentoring Month

 

The definition of a mentor is 'an experienced trusted advisor.'  Everyone should have a mentor regardless of where they are in their career.  Someone they can trust to help give them the honest feedback they need to be successful and help them go to the next level.

For many years BNI has tried to put a Mentor Program in place to help new members and struggling members get the most from their BNI membership.  Some chapters have been more open to the concept and the program and therefore have been more successful.  Those chapters who have embraced the program and followed all the steps and recommendations have shown significant increase in member success, retention, and growth.

The BNI Mentor Passport Program was introduced a few years ago with a step by step process for new members and established members to learn all about the operations of BNI.  Not only does this program provide the steps to learn from the current successful members of the chapter, but it fosters one 2 ones and provides the opportunity to earn CEU credits.

Why is mentoring so important?  We all know how to network, right?  The mentoring program is to help new members and members who want to take their business to the next level.  It is to help members improve their BNI experience and help members make more money.   

So how does the BNI Passport to Success Program work?

• Members are given a BNI Passport which contains a structured set of steps to meet with various 'subject matter experts' within the chapter.  
• The Chapter Mentor Coordinator provides the BNI Passport to Success to the Member with the names already entered as to who they should be scheduling meetings with.
• The Member schedules meetings with the members listed.  The first 15 minutes is spent going over the subject, i.e. President, VP, Gold Club, BNI Connect, etc.  The the other 45 minutes is spent doing a One 2 One.  (In chapters where this has been the most successful, the chapter (subject matter experts) take the initiative and go to the new member and set up their meeting.  They don't wait for the new member to come to them).
• The member has their Passport signed by the 'subject matter expert' they met with.
• The member reports credit for a One 2 One and for CEU credit as a result of the meeting thus helping with increasing their Power of One weekly participation.
• New Members are also assigned a Mentor when they are inducted.  Mentors are typically successful members who are willing to coach and help new members with their questions.  
• The Mentee and Mentor can be entered in BNIConnect which will email each member (mentor and mentee) with weekly suggestions and reminders to help with the education process for the new member.  (Any member may request a mentor and participate in this program.  Just ask your Mentor Coordinator).

The Mentor Passport to Success Program is probably the most overlooked under utilized, but if implemented and supported by the chapter and the members can result in dramatic positive results.

So what does your Chapter need to do to set up a successful Mentor Program:

• First step is to have a Mentor Coordinator.  Someone who genuinely loves to help people.  In the absence of a Mentor Coordinator, the duties of this position should be handled by the Membership Committee.
• Assign 'Subject Matter Experts.'  Some are obvious, i.e. President, VP, S/T, etc.  But then there are other subjects like The Gold Badge Program, BNIConnect, Weekly Presentations, etc.
• 
• Have trained Mentors.  These are different  from the 'Subject Matter Experts.'  (however they could be a SME and a Mentor).  These are typically successful chapter members who want to help the chapter and it's members be successful and are willing to give a little of their time to help new members get off to a good start.
• Have a good supply of BNI Passport to Success booklets.  These can be requested and picked up at your Monthly Leadership Roundtable.
• 
• New Members (and other members upon request) are assigned a Mentor.  They are set up in the system and follow an 8 week program of meetings to review and learn the best practices of BNI.

Teamwork

From October 2017

October 1st started the New Year for BNI Chapters and their members. Chapters were asked to set their goals and put in place their plan and mechanisms to meet their goals. Because without a plan, goals are only a 'Wish List.'    

What are your Chapter's goals?  It is the Leadership Team's responsibility to define the goals for the Chapter.  The goals and mechanisms to achieve the goals are the playbook for the chapter.  What's in your chapter's playbook?

 Often times for teams to be successful it is necessary to go back to the basics.  Remember Ivan Miser's story about 'wind sprints?'   

When a chapter is a team, you work together to grow strategically and make your chapter a well-oiled machine!  Is your chapter a team?  

  Do you and your chapter have a playbook that details HOW to win at BNI?  Have you all agreed upon the same rules and the same plays?  Do you practice together regularly (weekly meetings) and get better at the fundamentals ('wind sprints') of BNI or do you just 'wing it'?

The fundamentals begin with attending MSP,  completing the PassPort program, meeting with your mentor, and continuing to learn. 

The other key element of a Winning Successful Team is Communication.  You know how it is when you're on a team -- your coaches communicate with you constantly, encourage you and help you improve. It's motivating, and it helps you feel like the leadership "has your back"! They'll tell you what you need to know when you need to know it, so you can show up and do your best for the team.  This feedback should be coming from your Leadership Team, Educational Coordinator, your mentor and/or membership committee.

The first step in communication is to get all chapter members on board and engaged.  Understanding the 'Why' behind the way BNI operates and how it will benefit them by doing the activities outlined by BNI, i.e. attending weekly meetings, the power of one - one referral per week, 1 visitor per month, 1 one to one per week, and 1 CEU per week.    

One way to ensure members are engaged is to make sure they are being heard.  Now would be a good time to survey your members to find out what's working well for them within the chapter and what's not working well and ask for suggestions.  This information can then be used to make improvements to bring the team closer together in order to move forward and be even more successful.

Playbook (Goals & Mechanisms) +  

Team Practice (Weekly Meetings) + Communication =  

Winning Chapter Culture!  

Visualize Success

From September 2017

 

October 1st starts the New Year for BNI Chapters and their members. Leadership and Support Team training is scheduled for 9/18 and 9/27. Chapters are asked to set their goals and put in place their plan and mechanisms to meet their goals. Because without a plan, goals are only a 'Wish List.'

 

As I have visited chapters over the past couple of weeks, a thought struck me in regards to setting goals. We are taught to set goals and make a plan, but rarely do you hear anything about planning for success. What do I mean about planning for success?

 

What are your Chapter's goals?   What would the end result of meeting those goals look like? To plan for success, you have to start building the infrastructure in order to accommodate the success when you achieve it.

 

For example, is one of your chapter's goals to grow the chapter membership?

-        Will your current space accommodate the number of new members you want to add?

-        Does the chapter need to raise their dues to pay for a larger venue?

 

Another example, does your chapter want to increase referrals/revenue/TYFCB?

-        What type of members are you looking for?

-        Does your venue attract quality members?

-        What would your Power Teams look like for a 40+ member chapter? Who needs more people on their power team? Perhaps take a survey and ask your members who they could pass business to? That's who you need to be recruiting.

 

I have been involved with a couple of new forming chapters, who from the very beginning said they were going to be a 40+ member chapter. They set up their chapter from the very beginning as if they were already a 40+ member chapter. This is what I mean by planning for success.

 

From the beginning, they set their standards -

-        Selected a venue that would accommodate 40+ members

-        The Venue was selected to attract the right business types

-        30 second infomercials from the beginning

-        2 speakers each week - 8 minutes each

-        Members held accountable regarding attendance, participation, etc.

-        A strong Membership Committee that does their due diligence in screening new members and turning down those that do not meet their high standards.

 

One of these chapters is now on target to hit 50 members because they planned and expected success. They put in place, from the beginning, what they needed to be successful.

 

So, my advice as chapters set their goals for the new year, is to visualize what you want the end result to look like. What would you need or to do differently when you reach your goals?  Start to build the infrastructure and start implementing the plans for when you reach your goals. It's like asking yourself, what would you do if you won the lottery? What would you do differently than you're doing now?  Start doing those things you would do then - Do it NOW!