Do You Hear the World Resonating with BNI?
June 30th, 2009by LuAnn Buechler, CMP, PMC Events & Travel
I just love it, when I am attending a professional development event or training seminar and they speak the language of referrals. The world is beginning to resonant with the same messages we deliver in BNI. I attended a training just this last weekend for my travel business. Everything they were teaching us reminded me of BNI. I was so proud to already understand the concepts. Sometimes affirmation of our knowledge is just as empowering as learning knew things. It’s also a good reminder to keep doing what your doing.
To remind you just how much you already know here are a few of the concepts that they taught. See if you are already doing these things:
- When is the best time to ask for a Referral? As soon as you close the sale, ask your client for a referral to the person in their circle of contacts that could also benefit from your product or services.
- Go for the Low Hanging Fruit. Work your relationships. Work your networks. Rather than mass marketing pieces or direct mail trying to find new clients. Work with the ones you already have. Get referrals from the people you know. Who know, like and trust you. Ask them for referrals to the people they know who could benefit from your products or services.
- Who do you know that already sells to businesses? Or who shares the same client? Build relationships with those individuals who share the same client. One of you will see them first and can pass business to the other. Talk with them openly about how you will share those referrals.
Hopefully, you are already doing all of these things. Otherwise, consider it a reminder. Keep it simple. Go back to the BNI play book and stick to the basics. It’s economical and effective. The rest of the world is starting to speak exactly the same language. The language of referrals, it will make sense to your clients & colleagues. Build on that, rather than looking for new ones.
If you continue building on the relationships you have, the referrals will follow. Remember to reciprocate when you receive those referrals! (That’s a subject for another day.)
