Always be positive and supportive of your fellow chapter members. Be an encourager.

Show up early to the meetings.

Don’t miss a meeting (unless it’s completely unavoidable).

Invite guests – at least one per month.

When others are making their Feature Presentation (formerly called a Keynote Presentation), give them 100% of your attention. Keep your eyes focused on them.

During your Weekly Presentation (formerly called Sales Manager Moment), focus on giving your chapter partners the tools they need to sell your services or products. In fact, give them the very words to say.

Quickly follow up on the referrals you receive and let your referral partner know the results right away.

Use your 1-to-1 meetings to really get to know and understand your referral partner and their business.

Be prepared to give your Weekly Presentation by focusing on one aspect of your business and asking for a specific referral by name.

Use your 10-minute Feature Presentation to build your credibility as an expert in your field.

Last week, we made the point that success in BNI comes when the rest of the chapter members trust you enough to open up their best referrals to you. Remember, until we’ve experienced your work, you have to earn that trust by showing us how professional you are and by treating us like prized clients.

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This week the subject is five (5) ways to “play full out” in BNI, for fun and profit. The first way is simply showing up each week at our meetings. That means be here every week, arrive early, and actively participate.

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WHY?

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Two reasons. First, if you aren’t here you’re not fresh in everyone’s mind; and if you’re not in our minds each week, we won’t think of you when we’re standing smack in the middle of a good referral for you.

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Second reason: if you don’t show up, or you show up late, we assume that’s just your style and that you’ll do the same thing with people we might refer to you. Remember, your actions here are all we have to go on to judge your professionalism with our referrals.

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Okay, so we’ll assume you’re here, what’s next?

Week 2 - Full Participation in BNI

The second way is to participate in the networking time that starts each meeting. So which of these things should you be doing in the first 15 minutes of your meeting? Paying your monthly dues? Getting your coffee and breakfast? Catching up with other members about chapter issues? … or networking? Of course, the answer is “networking”. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS! In fact, networking is the sole purpose of this part of the meeting. A good rule of thumb is that you DON’T SIT DOWN until the President calls the second part of the meeting to order.Sure, your coffee or food may grow cold if left alone, but so will a visitor. Keep in mind that your food won’t bring you any business.

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The third way is to participate 100% in the meeting itself. That means you treat whomever is speaking as if they were the biggest client you could possibly land. Would you walk out on a big client to take a phone call? Would you send text messages while your clients are talking about their needs? If you do it here with us, we have to assume you’d do it with any client we might send to you.

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Another way is attending BNI trainings and embracing a culture of education. First, it means making new contacts. And secondly, all education enhances both your business and your skills as a networker.

Week 2 - Full Participation in BNI

To summarize: show up early each week, network with visitors and other members, participate 100%, and attend trainings. Why DO all these things? Because it’s Givers Gain again; you give … and you gain visibility, credibility, and profitability in return.

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In closing, let me suggest that you know you’re a BNI member if … you go out to dinner with your family, and when you’re shown to your table, you don’t sit down for the first fifteen (15) minutes; instead, you wander around the restaurant shaking hands and greeting people.

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Thank you!

Week 2 - Full Participation in BNI

A Tier 1 referral is an inside referral.

That is, a BNI member is paying for a product or service.

A Tier 2 is an outside referral. That is, someone outside BNI who is paying for the product or service.

Week 3 - Tier 1/2/3 Referrals

We made the point before that success in BNI comes when the rest of the chapter members trust you enough to open up their best referrals to you. Until they’ve seen your work, you have to earn that trust by demonstrating your professionalism at all times.

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How do you know when you’ve earned that trust?

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This week we’ll go over the three tiers of BNI referrals.

First the definitions.

A Tier 3 is when one of your Tier 2 referrals refers you to someone else.

Week 3 - Tier 1/2/3 Referrals

You do this in the same way that you train your fellow BNI chapter members on how to recognize a good referral for you.

Here’s your homework this week: request a referral from at least one customer this week to see if you can gain Tier 2 or Tier 3 referrals from you own clientele.

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The point of this is: Don’t think small.

Giver’s Gain is a bigger game that most of us realize.

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Thank you!

Question: “How do you build enough confidence among chapter members to get Tier 2 referrals? (… And these are the referrals that we really want.)

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Question: “How do you get Tier 3 referrals?”

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Question: “How to you do that?”

Answer: “By demonstrating your professionalism and showing a “Giver’s Gain” attitude in your chapter activities, at weekly meetings and in all dealings with other chapter members.”

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Answer: “You teach your Tier 2 customers how to refer to you.”

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Answer: “Make sure your customers know what a good referral is for you.”

A lead is not a referral.

A lead is someone who might be able to use a chapter member's services, but the contact has not been pre-qualified. (A lead is bits and pieces of information.)

But first, we need to understand what we mean by a referral in BNI.

By contrast, a referral (in BNI terms) is someone who is expecting a call from the person you referred. Isn't that a world apart from the previous situation? In fact, if you REALLY want to make a connection, why not invite both parties to a 3-way introductory meeting; in your office, in a coffee shop, or even over the phone. That way, you can edify your BNI partner at the most crucial moment. (A referral is the opportunity to do business with someone who is in the market for your products or services.)

We're continuing our series of training sessions on BNI Fundamentals. This week, our topic is: how to give great referrals, and lots of them. Remember that the motto, and foundation, of BNI is "Givers Gain.' This translates to, if you give a lot of good referrals, you're going to get a lot of good referrals. That's the law of Reciprocity: help others first.

Week 4 - Giving Great Referrals

May I suggest that you know you're a BNI member if you tell your friends you gave out a lot of pink slips this week, and you're smiling.

'What's getting in the way between you and where you want to be? Prepare to learn more in the next few minutes than you may have in the past year about this person. The answer could refer to financial or legal problems (we offer financial and legal help here), business problems we offer business assistance or promotion problems (ditto), or dozens of other areas ... where you can help. The key is to ask the question, listen openly, and keep your BNI card file handy. You can probably offer a personal referral to someone who can truly help your client move ahead in some way that's really important to them. I challenge you to try this over the next week, with every single client you talk to. You just might find yourself turning in a handful of referral slips next week.

Week 4 - Giving Great Referrals

Before I get into today’s topic, however, I want to follow up on last week’s topic regarding the new Leadership Team nominations. Last week I passed out copies of the Leadership Team Nomination Form. I’ve placed additional copies of this form on the tables. If you did not fill out the form and turn it in to Brad Garland last week, please take a copy of the form, fill it in and give it to Brad at the end of today’s meeting.

The topic today is about giving referrals to other chapter members who are not in your Contact Sphere or your Circle of Influence. This may take a bit of creative thinking, but with the hats I see here today, I think we have a roomful of creative business people.

NOTE: Before starting, ask one person to take note of the creative suggestions which are given at the end of the Education Moment.

This week we’re continuing our series of Education Moments which focus on BNI Fundamentals. And we’re going to have a short interactive session at the end.

I’ve also I’ve passed around copies of the “Referral Magic” article from SuccessNet’s September/October 2004 issue, which is the topic of today’s Education Moment.

Week 5 – Referring Outside of Your

Contact Sphere/Circle of Influence

You see, when you’re being a Giver, you can accomplish what may seem to be impossible.

The BNI story we just passed around is one in which a chapter member had repeatedly asked for an introduction to a specific business executive, but nobody in his chapter had any connection to this executive. Finally, one chapter member simply picked up the phone and made a cold call to that executive’s office on behalf of the other chapter member. And you know what? That executive called the surprised chapter member the following Sunday afternoon, saying “I hear that you want to speak with me”.

So, here’s my question: “Besides just picking up the phone and calling a person out of the blue, what are three other creative ways we could use to generate a good referral to someone in our chapter, where our Circle of Influence doesn’t generally include prospects for that person’s profession?

Thank you. Those are all good ideas. Let’s all keep them in mind as we work to bring referrals to our other chapter members.

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Thank you!

Week 5 – Referring Outside of Your

Contact Sphere/Circle of Influence

Week 6 - Following Up On Referrals - Handout

GIVE

Suggestions:

1. Know who the 1-to-1 is about.

a. If you ask for the 1-to-1, then it’s about the other person

b. If they ask for the 1-to-1, it’s about you

2. Use the GAINS Profile structure to guide your discussion

a. GAINS = Goals, Accomplishments, Interests, Networks, Skills

b. End each 1-to-1 with a clear picture of how to bring good referrals

to the other member

3. Conclude each 1-to-1 with a commitment to do something.

4. Go back and do another 1-to-1 with all chapter members to deepen

your relationship.

Week 7 - Effective 1-to-1s - Handout

Week 8 - Successful Substitutes

We’re continuing our series of training sessions on BNI Fundamentals. This week, our topic is “How to Invite a Substitute”.

Who are some other examples of ideal people to consider for substitutes? Your customer, client, patient, friends, family, people in your referral network, people in your support network, people in your information network and employees. Why these particular people? Because they care about you, or they have a vested interest in your business success, and they can give you a great testimonial!

We inferred this when we talked previously about participation in BNI. Think about this: in marketing, it takes about seven times for someone to actually notice an advertisement.Similarly, in network marketing, it takes about that many times to “be seen”, for people in your BNI chapter to start to understand what you do. Substitutes provide a way for you to participate in BNI, even when you are not physically present.

Week 8 - Successful Substitutes

Week 8 - Successful Substitutes

HERE’S HOW YOU GIVE

• Always have a substitute, if you can’t attend the meeting

(In other words, Always be represented at the meeting)

• The Best substitutes: clients, eligible guests
• Bad substitutes: guests with Frequent Flyer mileage

(those perma-substitutes)

Thank you!

So, here’s a quick review:

HERE’S HOW YOU GAIN

• Visibility (your name is mentioned by the substitute), even though you are not physically present
• Credibility (you show yourself as a “team player” and your substitute sings your praises)

Week 8 - Successful Substitutes

Week 9 - Inviting Visitors and

Following Up with Them - Handout

Visitors ARE referrals which you are giving to the entire Chapter.

Opening up your circle of contacts by inviting them to our Chapter meeting demonstrates your trust in your fellow Chapter members.

Visitors increase our chapter membership, which increases the size of your BNI Sales Team.

Visitors are often the best referral sources.

You gain as other Chapter members increase their trust in you.

Your acquaintances benefit from their new connections to Chapter members.

You gain a reputation as being “well-connected”.

Maximize the positive effect of each visitor:

Determine which Chapter member(s) you want your visitor to meet.

Introduce the visitor to the member(s) BEFORE the meeting, by telephone or email.

Personally introduce them at the beginning of the Chapter meeting.

Thank your visitor for attending the Chapter meeting

Mail a hand-written “Thank You” note to your visitor

(Or, send a personal email “Thank You” message)

Invite them to attend a second Chapter meeting.

First, start with the basics. Your time is 60 seconds, and not a second longer. (You’ll know when you’ve run out of time when hear the timer – ask the time keeper to demonstrate what the timer sounds like.) When you’ve run out of time, sit down. If you keep going, your sales team will feel unfriendly toward you and will stop paying attention. Less is more.And please, let your guests and substitutes know about this 60-second rule. It will help them make a better impression and they’ll thank you for it.

We’re continuing our series of training sessions on BNI Fundamentals. This week, we’re going to focus on your 60-Second Weekly Presentation. The purpose of a 60-Second Presentation is to educate your BNI sales team about who a great referral is for you.

Second, follow a proven formula. Do what successful people before you have done and follow a proven formula. I’ve given you a handout with Dr. Ivan Misner’s own BNI recommended paint-by-number formula on it for your reference.

The structure of a 60-Second presentation has five parts:

• Your Name, Company, Profession, “what we do” – a brief overview of your business.
• The Least Common Denominator (LCD) – the specific part of your business you wish to educate us on this week.
• The Body – talk about this Lowest Common Denominator (LCD). This is the bulk of your presentation.
• The Ask or Call-to-Action – a very specific referral request.
• The Close – your name, company, profession and optional memory hook.

Week 10 - Effective 60-Second Presentations

Let’s walk through it quickly. This is how it might sound …

1. Name, company profession and what we do:

a. “Hi, my name is Tom Galloway, and I represent The Health Store, where we educate people how they might address their health issues using simple food choices instead of relying on drugs.”

2. The Lowest Common Denominator (LCD)

a. “This week I’d like to talk to you about allergy relief …”

3. The Body

“Who do you know who suffers from seasonal allergies? Do you know a business person who always seems to get sick around the same time every year, which really gets in the way of them attending to business, someone who would really love to make it a non-issue …”

4. The Ask/Call-to-Action

a. “I would like a personal introduction to your co-worker who battles seasonal allergies …”

5. The Close

a. “I’m Tom Galloway, with The Health Store. Helping extend expiration dates, one person at a time.”

That’s all there is to it.

So, to review: the purpose of a 60-Second Presentation is to create consistent communication about how your sales team can help you make money. Keep to the time limit. Follow the formula for what to say and how to say it, so people will remember you and you’ll get business. The clearer you are in asking for what you want and painting a mental picture, the easier it is for your sales team to bring you good referrals and invitations for a One-to-One to learn more about your business. Be specific!

Week 10 - Effective 60-Second Presentations

So, here’s a quick overview from the perspective of GIVERS GAIN.

Thank you!

Week 10 - Effective 60-Second Presentations

a) Something BNI Forces you to do periodically?

b) A chance to give your usual 60-Second Presentation, only with time enough to get it right?

c) An opportunity to talk about enough of your products or services that most of us will buy something from you that day?

d) An opportunity to teach us everything there is to know about your business in ten minutes or less, to make sure we all realize that your job isn’t easy?

Week 11 - Education Moment

Effective 10-Minute Presentations - Handout

• It’s an opportunity to educate and train your BNI sales force.
• Prepare and practice your Presentation prior to the meeting.
• Rehearse it so you make the most efficient use of the time you’re allocated.
• Invite YOUR clients, contacts and network.
• Use phone and email to remind chapter members who they need to invite.
• Make sure your BNI Connect Biography page is up-to-date.
• Give a clear explanation of who you wish to be introduced to.
• Start building momentum weeks before you’re scheduled to give your Presentation.

Week 12 - Education Moment

Learning About BNI