Rolling Out the Red Carpet

From February 2019

How was your first experience with BNI?

Did you feel welcomed?

In last month's newsletter we talked about the Value of a Visitor.  Inviting Visitors is part of the 'Givers Gain' philosophy of BNI.  It is a way to give to your fellow BNI members.  Your fellow members offer products and services that visitors may be looking for.  So by inviting visitors, you are bringing potential referrals to your fellow members.

So how was your first visit to BNI?  

Did you feel welcomed? 

BNI Chapters have a whole process to help ensure Visitors feel welcome.  

Here are the steps that are recommended to ensure every visitor gets the red carpet treatment:

 

• When a visitor registers to attend, they receive an email from BNI, thanking them for registering.
• Another email is sent to the Chapter Leadership Team and to the Visitor Hosts to alert them that they have Visitors registered to attend the upcoming meeting.

• The best practice is for the Visitor to receive a phone call from the president or designated Visitor Host to find out a little bit about the Visitor so that they may make the right introductions to their prospective referral partners at the meeting.
• The member who invited the Visitor, also follows up with the Visitor the day before to ensure they know the time and location of the meeting.
• Followed by the phone call, an email with the directions and other information the Visitor needs to know, is also suggested to be sent by a Visitor host.
• The Visitor Host prepares the Visitor name badges the night before thus letting the Visitor know when they arrive, that they were expected.
• The morning of the meeting, the member who invited the Visitor needs to arrive early to greet their Visitor.  
• The morning of the meeting, the Visitor Hosts arrive early to set up the Visitor registration table with all necessary material so that all the Visitors feel welcome.

• A Visitor hosts meets and welcomes the Visitors, helps them get signed in, and introduces them to someone in their contact sphere.
• (Great Chapters train their members, that ALL members are Visitor Hosts and they fill in and help out wherever it's needed.  After all, Visitors are potential business for all members.).
•  The Visitor is given a Visitor Information packet, i.e. BNI brochure, agenda, Chapter Member information/roster, etc.
• During the meeting, the member who invited the member, sits with their Visitor and answers questions and helps them through the agenda.  If there are any orphaned Visitors, a Visitor Host sits with them.  A Visitor should never be left alone.
• After the meeting, Visitor Orientation is held and the Visitors are given information about the benefits of BNI membership.  
• The Visitor Hosts helps the Visitors who have questions and assist those ready to complete an application.

• After the meeting, the Visitor Host follows up with the Visitors with a phone call, thanking them for attending and answers any questions they may have.
• The member who invited the Visitor should also follow up with their Visitor.
• Power Team members of the Visitor should follow up with the Visitor.  This could be the start of a referral partner relationship even if the Visitor doesn't join the chapter.
• The Visitor's information is verified in the system and their attendance is marked, so that they will become part of the BNI engagement process and receive periodic emails.

• It is recommended that Chapters keep in touch with past Visitors.  They are great resources for subs.  They may be able to fill open seats should they become available.  Invite them back for a second visit and/or for Focused Visitor Days, i.e. for a featured speaker, stack days, Power Team Days, etc.

Visitors who feel welcomed are more apt to do business with the Chapter members and quite possibly consider membership.  It's important to help them feel welcome from the time they register, at the meeting, after the meeting, and beyond.  They are potential sources of business whether they become members of not.  

Here are some additional resources:

The Value of Visitors - Click Here

Visitor Experience-1

Visitor Experience -DG

Making People Feel Welcome

Welcoming Visitors

Visitor Orientation

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.

Ask Correctly and You Shall Receive

How to Give a Good Infomercial that will  

get you Good Referrals

Do you want more referrals? Well Duh....of course you do.

Well then your job each week is to educate your sales team on how to find good referrals for you....NOT sell to them.     

From August 2013

So here are some key points to remember on how to do just that.

"Being specific is terrific"

• Have a laser focus that educates members about your products and services.
• Develop a curriculum for each week's meeting - and do it weeks or months in advance. Seriously, you need to take a week-by-week approach to what you are going to teach in your infomercial so that your members can remember important information so they can refer you effectively.
• Create that active learning environment predicated on training your referral sources i.e. your sales team.
• Teach others who to refer to you or how to refer you to others. The more specific the presentation you do, the better. The really differentiating qualities that could lead to closed business
• Give examples of past TYFCB and why it was a good referral
• Tell stories of work you have done for your best clients
• Use visual aids (See the example below)

The key to getting referrals is to educate people how to refer you - and make sure they remember what you have taught them.    

For Example:

Dr. Misner says this is The best 60-second commercial he has ever seen done. It was by a florist in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

This florist stood up when it was his turn, and reached under the table, pulling out a single rose. The rose was maybe 8-12" long, kind of small but in good shape. It had cellophane around it and a grocery store sticker on it. He held up the rose and said, "What do you guys think of this rose?"

Everybody looked at it, and they knew it came from a grocery store, but nobody would say anything because it looked really good. He said, "It's okay. You can be honest. This is a pretty good looking rose, isn't it? I bought it at the Winn Dixie grocery store right next door. They do a pretty nice job on their roses."

Then he said, "Let me show you my rose."

He reached under the table again, and he pulled out another rose. I swear, this thing had to be 18" to two feet long. It was gigantic - two or three times the size of the flower from the grocery store. He held them both up by the bottom.

He said, "Here's a grocery store rose. Here's my rose. They're basically only three cents different in price....and mine's cheaper."

That was so powerful. I am pretty sure that almost everybody in that room was thinking, I'm an idiot if I buy roses at the grocery store. Not only am I getting a higher perceived value, but his will cost me less.

To me, this was probably one of the best examples of a 60-second introduction that I have ever heard in my life, because he was truly training a sales force. He was being laser-specific. He spent that presentation strictly talking about a rose. I could see him at his floral shop behind the scenes, training an employee on the difference between grocery store roses and their floral shop roses.

Why was this presentation so good?

• He led with value.
• He trained a sales force.
• He was extremely specific.
• It was memorable.

Educate people about your products and services. You'll receive better results from your fellow members, if you Give them something they can really envision and remember when they find themselves in a position to talk about your business to other people.

In appreciation,

Annette

Are You Really Adding Value?

From July 2013 - The inspiration for this article is from an Action Coach newsletter from a few years ago.  

In our Chapter each week when we are asked to give our 60 second infomercial, our president asks us to give our  'Value Proposition.'  What makes us different from those in our industry, from our competition?

Businesses talk about value, but what is it really, and how do we make it work for us and our business?  Do we really add value to your products and services? 

Far to many business owners use 'value' as part of an ad but don't believe it is an integral part of what they do.   

Here are 6 key points to 'Really Add Value:'

1.  To really add value in your business do more than you say you will, as in provide added value, even when it isn't expected.

2.  To really add value, do the unexpected.  Go the extra mile, make the extra call.  Like the BNI creed of 'givers gain,' more is more effective.

3.  To really add value, make sure the product or service you deliver is better than any competitor.  Sounds easy, but many businesses fail to grasp this one.

  

4.  To really add value, take customer service to a new level in your industry.  Do whatever it takes to deliver quality products / services on time (or sooner) to your customer's satisfaction or even better to their Delight!   

5.  To really add value, always remember to follow up to insure your customer is delighted with your product / service.  To make sure everything is working properly, to see if they have additional questions, need help, etc.    

6.  To really add value, say Thank You!  Let your customer know just how much you really appreciate their business.  A traditional Thank You card sent through the US mail will make you and your business 'Stand out in the crowd!    

And not only will you stand out in the crowd, your customers will keep coming back to you for your products and services and refer you to their friends and business associates. 

In Appreciation,

Annette