Stack Day Member Instructions
Prepare your squadrons to scramble!

Vanessa Foster-Crouch
Here it is the outline of our mission. I have attached a copy of what I said this morning. Just in case that is as clear as mud – were you awake? Or maybe you were away - Here it is again.

1. Make contact with your squadron – you’ve only got 2 weeks to Operation Stack so don’t hang about!
2. Decide between you which trades you are targeting. Agree at least 3 between you and all phone or contact any that advertise locally.
3. We sent letters to lots of names on lists/websites before – make this one more personal – look for ads in newsagent windows, cards in Sainburys, Tescos and Homebase and other stores that let local businesses advertise. If they have put their cards there they are probably looking for new business. Think of anyone you spend money with – follow your money – they should be doing business with us!
4. Ask them if they would be interested in meeting up to 100 local business people all looking to refer work – if you are talking to electrician, locksmith, florist (to name just a few) you know we could all pass business to them – I have already missed several chances for florists.
5. contact all those people who told you they would come to the Visitors’ Day in January (doesn’t that seem ages ago?) and then were put off by the snow –tell them how nice the dawn chorus sounds at this time of year!
6. post all the possibles the BNI invitation cards we left out this morning – you also have some in your training packs.
7. Anyone who has questions should contact me (if I don’t know the answer - I know a man who does!)
8. Also don’t forget my prize to the winning team!

Good hunting all

Happy Easter and see you all next week

Labels: bni, kings hill, networking, stack day, trades, west malling

Work on Relationships for Success

Successful BNI members will tell you that success involves developing relationships with your fellow members.

The most successful BNI members develop relationships with other members and as a consequence get to know their business in depth and are able to pass on a lot of quality referrals.

Some of the strategies to achieve this aren't too difficult.

Here's a few to ponder:

Be on time or early if you can
When you show up for a group or one-on-one meeting barely in time or late, you send a message to those present that you are not organized and they are not as important as what caused you to be late. When you get to a meeting early, you send a strong message that you are in control of what you do with your time, and that you are meeting with someone important.

Always follow up
This one is so simple but so often overlooked because of the busy lives we lead. After you pass a referral to a BNI member, follow up the following week to see how it is going. If you receive a referral from a fellow member, provide them with an occasional update on the status.

Feed back to the giver of the referral how good the referral was. This helps educate them for the future.

One-to-one meetings
These meeting entail meeting other members at their premises or theirs with the sole purpose of finding out more about each others business in order to increase referrals. Productive BNI members realise that one-on-one meetings are one of the best exercises you can do to get the most out of your BNI membership.

To make the most out of this exercise, try the following:

1. Setting a goal for one-to-ones, say one per week

2. Meet with new members as soon as possible

3. Prioritise the businesses you least understand

Trust takes time!
Relationships are based on trust. You give and get referrals from people you know, like and trust. It takes time to develop relationships that yield results.

Enjoy your networking!

Crucial to Know Your Referral Sources

For success in generating referrals, it's crucial to know your sources – the members of your network and the members of your community. As such, there are five things that are critical that members of your network should know about each other.

These five things are not mysterious secrets; they are facts we are exposed to every day, but often pay little attention to because we are not aware of the benefits we can accrue by sharing them. My co-author Dr Ivan Misner, founder and CEO of BNI said in a recent interview: "I call this sharing the GAINS Exchange." The acronym is:

• Goals
• Accomplishments
• Interests
• Networks
• Skills

It is critical that you know the GAINS categories and use them effectively. Dr. Misner says: "You can strengthen your relationships, create strong organizations, and live a more rewarding, productive, and enjoyable life."

At the Referral Institute we train that this is also a two-way street. Not only should you know these things about others, you should share with them the same information about yourself. Referrals are based on great relationships and to have great relationships you must have a system and strategy to implement.

Goals
Goals are the financial, business, educational, and personal objectives you want or need to meet for yourself and for people who are important to you. They could be problems you want to resolve or decisions you need to make, either immediately or down the road.

Whatever they are, you need to define your own goals clearly and specifically and you need to have a clear picture of the other person's goals. Indeed, the best way to develop a relationship is by helping someone achieve something that's important to her. If you do, she'll remember you when you need help achieving your goals. You'll become valuable sources for each other, and your relationships will endure.

Accomplishments
Some of your best insight into others comes from knowing what goals they have achieved, what projects they've completed, what they have accomplished both for themselves and for others. Accomplishments, whether as student, employee, organization member, parent, friend, sports fan, or neighbor, tell you more about a person than any number of intentions or attitudes.

People like to talk about the things they're proud of. Engage your network members in casual conversation; encourage them to talk about their accomplishments. Sharing your accomplishments may lead to fortuitous surprises, such as a mutual interest, or connection that can be beneficial for both of you.

Interests
Your interests can help you connect with others. People are more willing to spend time with those who share their interests or know something about them; if you and your network source share many of the same interests, it will strengthen your relationship.

Passions are your most important interests. A passion is something you love to do, something you could do all day long without encouragement or compliments from others.

Networks
A network starts with any group (formal or informal), organization, institution, company, or individual you associate with for either business or personal reasons. You have many networks, both formal and informal.

As the saying goes, "It's not what you know but whom you know" -- and to that you can add, "whom the people in your network know." As you share your networks with others, you will build relationships faster -- relationships that lead to business opportunities.

Skills
The more you know about the talents, abilities, and assets of the people in your network, the better equipped you are to find competent, affordable service when you or someone you know needs help. Think about what you do and identify the special skills you have; exchanging this information will help business relationships grow as well.

Labels: education