In Order to Grow We Must Retain

Years ago when I first became a sales rep I was presented with this statistic - 'By retaining 5% of your customers you can double your income.'  I didn't understand the math behind this, or that acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive and time-consuming than retaining an existing one. Now, many years later, it makes sense: you don't have to spend time and resources going out and finding a new client - you just have to keep the ones you have happy.  And by increasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.  Another important factor to these numbers is, if we create raving fans of the customers we keep, they will not only keep doing business with us but will refer new business to us.

So in thinking about these statistics, doesn't it also apply to BNI members?  If we want to grow, we must retain and keep the members we have.  Chapters spend a lot of time inviting, growing the chapter, getting new members, training new members, etc.  What if we spent an equal amount of time on retaining the members we have and make them raving fans of BNI.

I just completed reading the book, Retention Point, which by the way, is available on BNI University.  I recommend every member concerned with growing their chapter, especially Presidents, Community Builders, Mentor Coordinators, Mentors, Growth Coordinators, etc. to read this book.  It's a short quick read but packed with 'food for thought' in regards to retaining customers/members.

Every chapter typically has a goal to increase its chapter size.  Why?  Because we continuously provide statistics that show that more members equal more referrals.  Typically when a chapter doubles in size, the referrals triple.

Also, we have discussed that creating more balanced Contact Spheres will help with retention because most members receive 75% of their referrals from their Contact Spheres.  

Do you know what your Chapter's current retention percentage is?  It is part of your monthly Traffic Light score.  You can look it up on BNIConnect or you can ask for VP.  Of the chapters that I support, the average retention is 60% while the average retention for the NW region is 65%.  My BHAG for my chapters is 85% retention BTW.

So if your chapter has a goal to increase the number of members in the chapter, why not also add increasing the chapter's retention rate.  When you set the chapter's next six month's goals and mechanisms, I would like to challenge you to also add increasing the chapter's retention rate.

What are some things a chapter can do to retain its members?

One of the things that were mentioned in the book 'Retention Point,' is the author says that you're not successful with a new membership until the member renews.  If that's the case, then the first year is critical to member retention.  Statistics show that if a BNI member renews after the first year, they will stay a BNI member on average for 5 years.  So, wouldn't you agree that a crucial element for member retention is the on-boarding of new members?  

Key Elements of On-boarding - 

• New Member Orientation with the Chapter President
• Assignment of a Mentor
• New Member Webinar
• Ribbon Cutting
• Member Success Program
• Passport Program

Getting a new member up to speed and producing takes a lot of time and work, but by investing the effort in new members, produces a successful member which equals a happy member who will gladly renew and be a raving fan of BNI.

Other Key Factors to Retaining members:

• Mentor - Teach members how to be successful.  Never assume they know what and how to be a good BNI member.  Assign them a mentor that will 'hold their hand' and teach them how and what to do to be successful.  Each new member is different.  Each learns in a different way and at a different pace.  Take this into consideration when assigning them a mentor.

• Recognition - One of the Core Values of BNI.  Celebrating the success of members. This is key in the beginning for a new member.  Recognize them for completing MSP and the Passport Program.  Celebrate the first time they achieve Green on the Power of One report, etc.

• Balance -  Work to balance the Chapter's Contact Spheres which will help members give and receive more referrals therefore increase their revenue and give them the value of their membership.
• Engagement - Have the current members reach out to the new members for One to Ones, especially the Passport Member Mentors.  Also, get new members involved.  One of the best practices of chapters is that everyone is responsible for a job within their chapter.  Many hands make light work, but also it gives members a sense of belonging and being part of the Team.
• Accountability - Most people become part of BNI because they want to be part of a successful system.  Part of what makes BNI successful is accountability.  New members need to understand expectations and how certain recommended activities will help them be successful.  This starts when the President meets with the new member for their New Member Orientation and continues as they meet regularly with their Mentor.

Hopefully, this article helps in understanding why retaining members is equally as important as bringing in new members. In order to grow, Chapters must retain existing members.  If you need help with Growth and Retention or any other area, contact your Support Director.  They would be happy to help.  That's their job, to help and support you and help your chapter grow and be successful.

Other Resources for this article - 

'The Value of Keeping the Right Customers'

'21 Quick Tips for Customer Retention'

Here are some additional resources:

First Year Member Retention - Tim Roberts

Growth is NOT the Goal - Tim Roberts

The Networking Mentor - Dr. Misner

Breaking the set Point - Dr. Misner

Bigger is Better - Dr. Misner

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

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Attributes of High Functioning Teams

This is a long one, but I found it to be interesting in understanding how teams and especially how high performing teams come together and why retention is so important.  Why?  Because it take a while for people to build the relationships and trust to work with others to get to that high performance level.

"None of us is as smart as all of us." quote by Ken Blanchard.  This sums up perfectly effective, high-performing teams.  There are few things more energizing than being part of an incredible team - one that works seamlessly together, challenges each other to think in new and creative ways, and delivers fantastic results.

Research shows high-performing teams are happier, more engaged, and help drive business results.

From a study done with Fortune 500 companies, here are 10 Attributes of high performing Teams.

1. Clear and aligned purpose.  Everyone understands the vision, purpose, and goals, and is focused on achieving them.
2. Clear roles and responsibilities.  We each know how to contribute to those goals, and understand how all of our pieces fit together.  We leverage our individual strengths to achieve our goals.
3. Build trust through relationships.  We know and care for each other. We show empathy and compassion. We act in the best interest of the team/the company/the work. We hold and trust each other to be accountable.
4. Communicate frequently and effectively.  We keep each other informed, share information, provide updates, provide context, and let each other know if something has changed. We've also figured out the best channels of communication for our team, i.e. when to have a meeting, IM or email.
5. Collaborate often.  We truly believe in the power of group genius, leverage each other's strengths, and partner effectively - all with the larger goals and purpose in mind. We give each other feedback with the intention of helping each other show up at our best, and be successful together.  
6. Appreciate & encourage diverse thinking.  We see different perspectives and opinions as an opportunity for new ways of thinking and eliciting new ideas. Different opinions help us expand our thinking, develop a wider array of solutions/ideas, learn and improve our output.
7. Manage conflict constructively.  We don't always agree, but we can talk to each other when that happens. We view conflict as an opportunity to learn.
8. Learn and adapt.  We enjoy exploring new ideas, we're curious, ask questions, and challenge each other's thinking. We're able to try, fail, learn, adapt, and adjust our course as we bring in new information.
9. Celebrate success and show appreciation.  We congratulate and thank each other for the great work people are doing.  We also show appreciation for the individual people on the team.
10. Measure outcomes and success.  We can tie back our work to our purpose and goals in a way that allows us to feel, see, and understand the broader impact we make.

How does your chapter measure up to these attributes?  It takes a while for a team to reach the high performing stage.  Actually there are 5 stages of development of a high performance team.  Read on to see where your chapter may be.

• Forming - The forming stage involves a period of orientation and getting acquainted. Uncertainty is high during this stage, and people are looking for leadership and authority. A member who asserts authority or is knowledgeable may be looked to take control. Team members are asking such questions as "What does the team offer me?" "What is expected of me?" "Will I fit in?" Most interactions are social as members get to know each other.
• Storming Stage - The storming stage is the most difficult and critical stage to pass through. It is a period marked by conflict and competition as individual personalities emerge. Team performance may actually decrease in this stage because energy is put into unproductive activities. Members may disagree on team goals, and subgroups and cliques may form around strong personalities or areas of agreement. To get through this stage, members must work to overcome obstacles, to accept individual differences, and to work through conflicting ideas on team tasks and goals. Teams can get bogged down in this stage. Failure to address conflicts may result in long-term problems. 
• Norming Stage* - If teams get through the storming stage, conflict is resolved and some degree of unity emerges. In the norming stage, a consensus develops around who the leader or leaders are, and individual member's roles. Interpersonal differences begin to be resolved, and a sense of cohesion and unity emerges. Team performance increases during this stage as members learn to cooperate and begin to focus on team goals. However, the harmony is precarious, and if disagreements re-emerge the team can slide back into storming.
• Performing Stage - In the performing stage, consensus and cooperation have been well-established and the team is mature, organized, and well-functioning. There is a clear and stable structure, and members are committed to the team's mission. Problems and conflicts still emerge, but they are dealt with constructively. The team is focused on problem-solving and meeting team goals.
• Adjourning Stage - In the adjourning stage, most of the team's goals have been accomplished. The emphasis is on wrapping up final tasks and documenting the effort and results. As the workload is diminished, individual members may be reassigned to other teams, and the team disbands. There may be regret as the team ends, so a ceremonial acknowledgment of the work and success of the team can be helpful. If the team is a standing committee with ongoing responsibility, members may be replaced by new people, and the team can go back to a forming or storming stage and repeat the development process. (This can be related to BNI's Leadership Transition).

*Team Norms and Cohesiveness - Teams usually develop norms that guide the activities of team members. Team norms set a standard for behavior, attitude, and performance that all team members are expected to follow. Norms are like rules but they are not written down.  Instead, all the team members implicitly understand them. Norms are effective because team members want to support the team and preserve relationships in the team, and when norms are violated, there is peer pressure or sanctions to enforce compliance.

Norms result from the interaction of team members during the development process. Initially, during the forming and storming stages, norms focus on expectations for attendance and commitment. Later, during the norming and performing stages, norms focus on relationships and levels of performance. Performance norms are very important because they define the level of work effort and standards that determine the success of the team. As you might expect, leaders play an important part in establishing productive norms by acting as role models and by rewarding desired behaviors.

Norms are only effective in controlling behaviors when they are accepted by team members. The level of cohesiveness on the team primarily determines whether team members accept and conform to norms. Team cohesiveness is the extent that members are attracted to the team and are motivated to remain in the team. Members of highly cohesive teams value their membership, are committed to team activities, and gain satisfaction from team success. They try to conform to norms because they want to maintain their relationships in the team and they want to meet team expectations. Teams with strong performance norms and high cohesiveness are high performing.

Which stage is your chapter in? What are the norms for your chapter?

It's great to be part of a high performance team, but most teams don't 'arrive' or get there easily.  It takes work, a lot of communication, relationship building, and trust. The more a chapter is a high performing team, the better they will work together and everyone wins, gets more referrals, and gain more business.

Do you want/need help in working through becoming a better functioning team?  Contact your Support Director.  They would be happy to help.  That's their job, to help and support you and your chapter - Your Team.

 

Material from 2 articles - 

10 Attributes of High Performing Teams

5 Stages of Team Development

Here are some additional resources:

Building a Cohensive Team - Dr. Misner

Leadership Team Vision & Goals - BNI U

Team Strengths are all about Weaknesses - BNI University

Tell Me One Thing That's Working - Dr. Misner

We're All in this Together - Dr. Misner

For previous articles refer to my Notably Green Blog.

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

 

To Your Success,

 

Are you being Productive or Are You Stalled?

So how are you doing?  How are you surviving in your personal life and with your business?  I ask because I talk to a lot of people and for the most part, most are positive and making things work for them as best they can.  They are finding ways to work and be productive, perhaps differently than before, but making it still the same.  Others are thriving and are hiring because their business has picked up considerably.

Here's an article I found that I thought was helpful 'Tough Times Never Last, but Tough people do - Staying Positive during the Pandemic.'

I would like to highlight some of the key points for me in this article.

• The article talked about everything coming to a halt, but yet BNI found a way for us to continue to network.  No, it wasn't what we were used to, but the online meetings have provided BNI members a way to continue to meet with our referral teams and referral partners.  Many chapters increased their members, have had no attrition, and increased their revenue and referrals over this time last year.  The overall revenue for the BNI Atlanta franchise is up over last year's numbers at the same time.  BNI Global YTD revenue is over $6 Billion dollars.  Referrals are still being passed.  Business is still being done.  

• Ask for and be willing to accept help.  Often times just talking with someone will help us to sort it all out.  No one has all the answers or definitively knows what is best or not.  Many times we have to figure that out for ourselves and hearing someone else's perspective can help.  It's those relationships we've built (perhaps with other BNI members) that can perhaps be our sounding board now.
• Step back and reflect.  Find some stress relievers.  Take a walk, read a book, watch a movie, etc.  Whatever works for you.  Just do something that will take your mind off the stress.  
• Be grateful.  Good comes from everything.  Yes, even the tough times.  It may be a learning experience.  One person recently told me that they had just had a baby and that the quarantine had been great for them, because both parents were able to be home.
• Avoid negative people.  There will be those who there is no talking to.  No reasoning with.  Let them have their pity party and decline their invitation to participate.  Sometimes you can't help the person who is drowning because they have the weight of negativity strapped to them.
• Take care of you.  Mind, body, and spirit.  Because you can't help anyone else, if you can't take care of yourself.

Crisis times are the best times to re-evaluate the meaning of life. It gives you a hard lesson on what things are really important and what isn't? A reality check. It also brings out the best in you, in every form, but especially as a good human being.

The choice is ours. We can either wallow in self-pity, play the victim card or we can choose to face it, make ourselves stronger and come out more powerful. Let's learn how to stay positive and keep our spirits high during such tough times. All it needs is a different outlook, a different approach. 

For the Leadership Teams, I thank you all for stepping up and being positive through all of this.  On a recent Director call they shared the video of Captain Sullenberger, 'Scully,' landing his plane in the Hudson.  They titled it 'Leadership Under Stress.'  Whilst all of this has been difficult and stressful, you did what you needed to do to lead your team.  And while some of you and your members are very anxious to get back to face to face, please be patient.  As BNI provided us with a way to keep networking, they will provide us with a plan to transition back to face to face that will ensure the safety of our members.

Here are some additional resources:

Hope is More Powerful than Fear - Dr. Misner

The Gratitude Effect - Dr. Misner

We're All in this Together - Dr. Misner

Inviting Visitors is Easier Online - Dr. Misner

We are Certain of Uncertainty and it's OK - Hazel Walker

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

BNI Online and Meeting Etiquette in General

Your BNI online meeting is to be treated the same as your face to face meetings, so consider what you do online should be the same as a face to face meeting.  Remember, you are meeting with your referral partners AKA your sales team.  These are the people you are trying to educate and train on how to find you quality referrals.  These are the same people you are trying to build relationships and creditability with.  These are the people who you want to find you business.  So, give some thought to your actions and whether they are building or hurting your creditability.

Here are a few reminders of policies and expectations –

-        Policy #5 - Attendance is critical to the group. If a member cannot attend, you may send a substitute (not a member of your chapter) to the meeting. This will not count as an absence. A member is allowed three absences over a rolling six month period. More than this and the member’s classification is subject to being opened by the chapter’s Membership Committee.

-        Policy #3 - The weekly meetings lasts for 90 minutes. Members need to arrive on time and stay for the entire meeting.

o   For online meetings, members are expected to be logged on prior to the time their meeting is scheduled to start. 

§  At a normal face to face meeting, typically the first 15 minutes is for open networking, i.e. catching up and chatting with your fellow members.  Build some rapport.  So, if your meeting is scheduled to start at 8:30, then log on a few minutes early to ensure everything is working and network with your fellow members. 

§  Members are expected to be present and focused for the entire meeting, which for a face to face meeting is 1.5 hours.

§   

-        During a BNI meeting, members are expected to be fully present.

o   That email, text, phone call can wait.  You are at your meeting to promote your business and give and receive referrals.

o   The thing about video conferencing is that your video presence tends to be magnified and it will be more obvious to other members that you aren’t paying attention if you constantly appear to be fidgeting, moving around, or gazing elsewhere while someone else is talking. Taking notes on the content discussed during the meeting is fine, but other activities should be kept to a minimum or avoided.

o   Be engaged in the meeting.  Using the chat window to make comments, praise, etc. shows your fellow members you’re paying attention.

-        For online meetings, members are expected to be on video. 

o   Members want to see the other members.

o   Members are expected to be dressed appropriately. 

§  It’s best to match your video call look to how you’d normally look at a face to face meeting or how you dress when you go to your office or meet with a client. 

o   Members want to see the other members engaged and attentive.

o   Members need to see you. 

§  Just like in a Face to Face meeting -  remain focused! 

§  Active Listening is critical. When you speak, do you want people to listen and pay attention to what you have to say?  Then have the same respect for others.

o   Position your camera so that you are well in the frame. 

§  When you speak, look at the camera.

o   Have a pleasing background.  What is behind you?  You want the other members looking at and listening to you, not trying to figure out what’s in the boxes behind you.

§  Many, due to working from home, have had to set up makeshift workspace.  Many have gotten very creative with the video backgrounds, even creating ones with their company logo.

o   Put plenty of light on your face so that we can see you and your awesome smile.

§  Everyone has had several weeks now to get used to being on camera and figuring out the lighting etc.

o   Mute your mic when not speaking.

§  Your microphone amplifies even the slightest noise which can be distracting.

o   Be prepared for your meeting.  Don’t wing it.

§  Again, it’s even more obvious on video than in person

§  The more prepared you are, the more professional you will appear.

People want to do business with and help people they know, like, and trust.  Think about how many people are in your chapter.  Each member knows 250 to 300 people.  Some members who are very well connected know even more.  Your fellow members are the ‘gate keepers’ to their databases.  Building creditability with them will open those doors to those referrals quicker thus you getting to profitability sooner.

Visibility + Credibility = Profitability

In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson – ‘What you do thunders above your head so loudly, I cannot hear the words you speak.’

Other articles and resources –

Do and Don’t of Video Conferencing - https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238902

Video Conferencing Etiquette - https://www.owllabs.com/blog/video-conferencing-etiquette

Building Goodwill and Trust - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ik6Zl5EbY

Code of Conduct - https://youtu.be/0xN4wNwT_yc

Are You a Leader or a Follower?

Being An Effective Follower Can 

Make You A Better Leader

Many years ago during in my career, when I first started interviewing people for sales positions, I was given a list of suggested questions to ask applicants.  One of those questions was, 'Do you consider yourself to be a Leader or a Follower?'  Nine times out of 10, I would first get a puzzled look as they thought of how to answer.  Over the years that question has stuck with me, as it is somewhat of a trick question, and I received a lot of interesting answers.

While contemplating how I was going to explain this concept and searching for graphics to add to this piece, I came across an amazing article that sums up this question.  I invite you to read it - 'From the Balcony.'  It explains it far better than I can.

As we start the process for Leadership Team selections, that question comes to mind.  Why?  Because within a chapter there are many members with different skill sets. To make a chapter successful it takes having the right people with the right skill sets being placed in the position where they can use their skill set to the best advantage.  Moreover, if that person likes what they are doing, they'll do a better job.

I believe for chapters to be successful all members need to do their share, be involved, and contribute beyond just showing up for the meeting each week.  By each member being involved and contributing, many hands make light work and everyone shares in the success of the chapter.

We are all busy, but if we are going to be part of something and want to be part of a successful organization, we have to be more than a name on a membership roster.

I bring this up now because most chapters will be polling their members soon to ask who do they think would be good in which Leadership roles in their Chapter and asking members which roles they feel they would like to be considered for.  If you want to be more involved and see changes made in your Chapter, then step up and ask to be considered.  Where can you put your skillset to good use?

Here are some additional resources:

Leadership Transition - Dr. Misner

Host Leadership - Dr. Misner

Dog Sled Leadership - Dr. Misner

Leadership - Opportunity or Obligation - Hazel Walker

Create Impact on the Leadership Team - Hazel Walker

Overview Leadership Change Over - Hazel Walker

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,

 

Relationships Matter

What You Did and What You Do

Will get You Through

Relationships Matter

Yes, relationships matter now more than ever.  Wow! Things have changed in just a few weeks!  And thanks to BNI for their innovation, we are still able to network, we just have to do it differently.

When thinking about relationships I'm reminded of the story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree  Like the story indicates, it takes time to build strong solid relationships.  The kind of relationships that will withstand and remain during this unprecedented time.  As Dr. Misner indicated in his podcast, we don't need to stop networking, we just need to do it differently.

Even though we can't meet face to face, we still are having our weekly meeting, via bni online.  And we can still and should have one to ones, we just do them virtually.  Checking in and keeping in touch with our referral partners is vital now more than ever.  Here is a good podcast to learn more about having meaningful one to ones.

Here are some other actions you can take at this time to keep your business in the forefront....

• Complete/Update your BNIConnect profile.  Your profile is public on the internet not just to other BNI members.  Often times in helping people with their marketing, I find that their BNIConnect profile will often come up in a Google search before their website.
• Complete your GAINS profile which is part of your online profile and share and/or review member's profile prior to having your one to ones.
• Schedule one to ones with your fellow members even if you've had one with them in the past.  Find out how they are doing personally as well as business. You never know how you can help them or they might could help you.
• Arrange a meeting with your Contact Sphere and work towards turning it into a Power Team.
• Reach out to other business owners and invite them to attend your bni online virtual meeting.  Those that perhaps you have invited before might be more receptive now.
• Have one to ones with other BNI members in other chapters, states, and even in other countries.  
• 'Visit' another BNI meeting even if your seat is filled, you can 'observe' and see how other chapters are doing at this time.  Could be a chapter near-by or a chapter in another state or cross country.  And for those who have a 'unique' seat that's not filled, you have a great opportunity to share your product or service with other BNI members.
• Use this time to use BNIUniversity to hone your skills.  Search for articles and courses that will help you be a better networker.
• And still do your reporting in BNIConnect or the BNI mobile app.

Remember V+C=P - Visibility + Credibility = Profitability.  Everything we do gives us visibility and attributes to our credibility.  When this is over, those who used this time to continue to work on their relationships and studied how to be better at what they do, will be the ones who will have the jump in their given industry.

On one call this past week, someone said if a member can't show up for a Zoom call, then how can I trust they will show up and service a referral given to them even in good times.  Our actions speak volumes.

What else would you add to this list?

I share this photo because it shows how BNI relationships help your business grow the longer you're involved.

Statistics have shown that a member's business will increase by 20% their first year with BNI.

It's said that if a member renews after their first year, they typically stay with BNI 5+ years.

BNI members' business usually increases by 20 to 30% each year they are a member.

As you can see by this photo, this member shows how their business has grown over the course of their membership.

Here are some additional resources for building meaningful relationships in BNI

Relationships are Currency - Dr. Misner

Building Referral Relationships - Dr. Misner

Conducting Meaningful One to Ones - Laura del Rosa

Using the GAINS profile for One to Ones - Hazel Walker - Also, watch her other videos series on the GAINS profile - #63, #64, #65, #66, #67

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

Balance = Retention

Does your chapter keep adding new members and you keep to seeing about as many leave?  Yes, life does happen and sometimes members move, change jobs, have health issues, etc. that necessitates them having to leave BNI.  But what about the ones that decide BNI wasn't right for them.  What do you suppose the reason was for them leaving?  Studies have shown it may be because they didn't have an equal opportunity to receive referrals.  How can that be you ask, if BNI provides all of these resources and the member takes full advantage and does all the activities that are suggested?  It may be that the chapter is not balanced.

So why is balance important to BNI Chapters?  For years BNI has said 'Grow your membership in order to make more money.'  Which is true to a point. in further research and tracking results for many BNI Chapters, what has been determined is that the more balanced the contact spheres are in a chapter the more opportunities members have to receive referrals and thus have the potential to make more money.   Why is that?

A member tends to receive 60 to 70% of their referrals from their contact sphere.  If they only have a few members in their contact sphere, then they are not going to get many referrals.  

Here are some examples of balanced and unbalanced contact spheres and their stats:

In the above example of an unbalanced Chapter, the Home Services Contact Sphere has the most members followed by the Trades and Financial Services Contact Spheres.  However, the Marketing and Health & Wellness Spheres have few members.  In this example, there are 36 members, the TYFCB reported was $420K and there is a retention issue.

In this example of a more balanced Chapter, the Home Services Contact Sphere is still the largest, however the other spheres aren't that far behind.  In this example of a 36 member chapter, the TYFCB was $1.2M and there is no retention problem.  Why? Because the contact spheres are more balanced and gives members more of an equal opportunity to receive referrals.

So, in order for a Chapter to give their members more equal opportunities to receive more referrals, make more money, and stay and renew, Chapters must ensure their Contact Spheres are as balanced as possible.  

Here are the steps to create balance:

• The first step to creating balance is to figure out where you are.  Doing a spreadsheet like the ones above will identify which contact spheres (CS) are lacking in members and need to grow.  
• Second is to devise a plan to even out the contact spheres by working to grow the smaller spheres to the same size as the largest contact sphere in the chapter.  Looking at the examples above, for the unbalanced chapter, the home services team has 13 members. The goal would be to grow the other contact spheres to 13 members each, starting with the smallest ones first.  To grow out the other CS would mean adding 41 new members.  Even the balanced chapter example has opportunity to grow and balance even more. To balance their CS would mean adding 13 more new members starting with the smaller CS of Marketing/Events. This needs to be an ongoing exercise in order to know at all times who the Most Wanted are for your chapter.  Typically this falls to the Membership Committee and the Community Builder which includes the Growth for the chapter.
• Once you determine which CS needs more members, then comes the task of determining which industries are needed.  Which industries can the members in that CS pass referrals to.  How do you find out?  Ask.  Seems simple, yes it does.  Are they currently passing referrals to other members in other chapters?  If so, to what industries?  Are they passing referrals to people outside of BNI?  If so, what industries?  Also ask, who is typically sitting on your referrals?  Meaning who can pass you referrals?  And who are their good referral partners?  
• After asking the above questions, compile your list. There will be industries that are mentioned by more than one member.  Give that industry more weight. Rank your most wanted with the CS with the least amount of members at the top of the list.  For example, in our unbalanced chapter above, the Marketing/Events CS only had one member, so focus would need to be put of this CS and the industries needed to grow that CS, i.e. event planner, photographer, gift service, travel agent, etc.
• On your most wanted list, determine the Top 5.  Have your Membership Committee announce during their report each week, who your Top 5 most wanted seats are.  It plants the seed in the minds of the members as well as the visitors. If a visitor is there who could fill one of your Top 5, that's a nice way to say, 'We want you in our Chapter!'
• Publish your Most Wanted on your Facebook page.  This publishes to a larger audience of those people who 'Like' your page but aren't members of your chapter.  They may know someone they can refer.
• Post your Most Wanted on the Notably Green page.  There may be members in other Chapters who have business colleagues who are looking for a BNI Chapter.
• Each time you add a new member, take their photo of their induction and announce on your Facebook page.  'We are very excited to have Jane Smith joining our Marketing & Events team filling the Event Planner seat. We are still looking for a Photographer, gift service, and a travel agent to pass referrals to.'  People who follow your Facebook page will want to help you find prospects to fill these seats.
• Ask on social media, do you know, i.e. 'I'm looking for a good family photographer, who would you recommend?'  Usually you'll get many referred and many recommended more than once.  Take those that are recommended the most, give them a call and tell them that you belong to a referral group who is looking for a photographer to pass referrals to.  Would they be interested in meeting your referrals partners?  If they say yes, invite them to your meeting.  If they say no, ask who would they recommend.
• Have 'Focused Inviting' Days.  Invite prospects just for a particular Contact Sphere, i.e. Marketing & Events.
• Have 'Stack Days.'  Focus on inviting one of two from a particular industry, i.e. photographers and travel agents.  Usually you'll have several from each industry.  Which is usually a good thing because it creates a sense of competition and often one will submit an application.
• Use your Most Wanted list and have a full blown Visitor Day. By focusing on just the industries needed for the chapter, rather than come one come all, it will lead to a more focused approach and be a more successful event.
• Keep track of where you are as you add new members and as members leave.  Adjust your focus accordingly.  It will take time to get your chapter more balanced, but the more balanced your chapter, the more of an equal opportunity for ALL the members to receive referrals and make more money, thus a happy member.  Happy members renew and stay thus the chapter has higher and better retention and thus more growth.

Growth and Retention go hand and hand.  You can't have one without the other.  New Members are great, however renewing members mean you have a happy member that has seen the value in their membership.  Statistics have shown that the longer a BNI member is a BNI Member the more successful they are.

Here are some additional resources for Creating Balanced Chapters and Contact Spheres

Growth is NOT the Goal - Dr. Misner & Tim Roberts

Growth is NOT the Goal - Tim Roberts presentation from BNI U

Why you want to have a Visitor Day - Jamie Stein

I've Invited Everyone I Know

How to Bring a Visitor into the Room

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