BNI Minnesota & N. Wisconsin Blog

By Tara Schmakel

With spring seeming as though it is right around the corner, it got me dreaming of riding my bicycle.  When I was growing up we used to go on family bike rides quite often.  Our favorite route had several large hills.  I knew that if I was going to make it up that hill, I needed to start off fast.  Otherwise, it was hard and I would have to get off my bike and walk the rest of the way up.  However, if I got my speed going I could not only make it up the hill but could use my momentum for the following hills.  They actually became fun and I looked forward to it.  They also became easier. 

Inviting visitors to your chapter meeting is very similar to bike ride with a group of people (your chapter).  If we are starting off and inviting for the first time or it’s been a while, it may seem daunting.  You may feel like you are starting at the bottom of the hill.  You may even feel like not doing it at all.  No one would notice if you just sort of skipped that part, right, and just showed up at the meeting?  Do you remember the kid who got dropped off at the park and didn’t do the work to get there?  Let’s just say they weren’t the first to get picked to play or the first to get the treat.  Your chapter knows if you aren’t inviting and you think you’re getting away with something… enough said ((smile)).

So this time it will be different!  You are going to participate and give it your all!  Great!  BNI provides tools to help you gain your momentum.  You can utilize the script you learned at MSP.  You can meet with a mentor (assigned or unassigned) and ask them how they invite.  Use the letters that the Event Coordinator provides.    Have a 1-2-1 meeting with the member who had the most visitors last month and ask them what they did. 

Where do you find those visitors?  I always start with the people I invited before who showed interest but were unable to attend for some reason.  Next, I look at who is needed that will refer me business.  Who would be a good referral partner for me?  I then look on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and any other online social networks and invite them.  You can always look to coffee shop boards, yard signs and vehicle graphics for candidates as well.

How do we invite?  Invite in the way that will work the best.  Send the provided letter, an email or use Send Out Cards.  Stop in to the business location and invite them personally.  Pick up the phone and call… whatever way will give them the best impression, just do it!  And then follow up before the meeting, and after.  This is a very important step that is often overlooked.

Once you start inviting, it becomes easier, just like that hill.  You gain momentum and it begins to actually be fun to invite.  You see your visitors come and pass referrals to other members.  Some turn in applications.  Some become members.  However you look at it, you accomplish something and the entire chapter benefits!

So spring is here as is that Membership drive.  You may not have participated completely before.  You may have even fallen off and stopped inviting.  Use the tools and gain your momentum now and get up that hill.  The rest will be a breeze, because you know what they say about riding a bike…

By Linda Aasen

When our BNI chapters have special days for visitors often members ask why they are requested to send our 40 letters or invitations.  I wondered that myself every time we had a Visitor Day.  Well, here is the answer: it is called the Rule of ½ of ½ of ½…

If you send out forty letters and follow up with a phone call to each of the 40 recipients you will actually make contact with one half of the people to whom you sent letters (½ of 40 = 20).

One half of the people you talk to will commit to attending your Visitor Day (½ of 20 = 10).

Unfortunately, only half of the people who say they will come will actually show up (½ of 10 = 5).

Now you have 5 people of your original 40 invitations at your meeting.  Approximately one half of those people who attend will submit an application (½ of 5 = 2 or 3).  After the Membership Committee reviews those 2-3 applications only 1-2 will be accepted. 

So, 40 invitations will result in 1 or 2 new members.  Can you imagine the results if you send 10 or 20 letters?  The result it would probably be no new members. 

Some BNI members are at a loss when trying to make a list of 40 people to invite to their Visitor Day.  Here are some suggestions of where you could look:

Review you business cards, roll-a-dex, phone contact list, etc.

Who sells you products for use in your business?

What businesses are complementary to yours?

Who contacts you with offers to advertise your business?

What about your clients with businesses of their own?

Who comes to your house to repair or enhance your home and yard?

Who do you purchase services from outside your home?

Who have you invited to attend Visitor Day in the past who said they would attend, but did not?

Who have you invited previously who could not be there?

Who have you invited preciously who did attend but did not submit an application?

Who sends or stuffs your mailbox with advertisements?

Who is driving around in a car or trunk with advertising on the back or the sides??? 

These people are looking for more business…invite them to BNI!!!

Remember these ideas when you are asked to create 40 invitations for your upcoming Visitor Day!!!

Visitors are the life-blood for every chapter.  Visitors

represent the future for our chapters. Visitors bring excitement, additional business, and the possibility of new memberships to the chapter.  While chapter Leadership Teams are busy planning, running the meetings and leading the chapter throughout the year and the Membership Committee is working to enforce BNI policies, and guidelines, who is responsible to ensure that visitors are welcomed and feel wanted by chapter membership?  The answer is Chapter Visitor Hosts!  Visitor Hosts are the key to the growth of your chapter! 

            Visitor Hosts are so much more than just hosts:

            Visitor Hosts are really Visitor Advocates!

The biggest factor in chapter growth is how you make visitors feel:

                        When they walk in the door

                        During the meeting

                        After the meeting

                        When they go back to their office

Make sure visitors are engaged in the meeting, they feel wanted, accepted and they believe there is a place for them in your chapter.

If Visitor Hosts are so important, how many hosts should there be in each chapter?  I would say 20% of the membership!  You cannot have too many, in fact, every member should act as a Visitor Host.

Before the meeting:

Visitor Hosts please smile, greet and welcome all visitors and help them sign in.  Then collect two business cards: one for the President and the other for entry into www.bni-mn.com.  Write their names phonetically on the card so your President can introduce them properly.  Finally, bring visitors into the meeting room and introduce them to another member, preferably someone in their Contact Sphere.  Never, ever leave visitors alone!

During the meeting:           

Presidents please introduce visitors properly!  Make visitor introductions special and please pronounce their names correctly.  This is where the phonetic spellings of their names will help.  Make sure you lead visitors throughout the meeting.  Tell them what is next and what is expected of them.  We want them to feel comfortable and think that membership in your chapter is a good thing for them personally and for their business.

Members, if you are sitting next to a visitor, please help them feel comfortable and guide them throughout the meeting.  Be friendly and inclusive.

After the meeting:

Visitor orientation is important!  Find out what they thought about the meeting and the members, answer their questions, show them how to complete the application and, most importantly, ask for the sale!  Be enthusiastic!!!!!!!!!

When visitors return to their office:

Visitor hosts please coordinate follow-up with visitors and substitutes. A quick notes and phone calls can make such a huge difference.  Determine how many members will follow up and who will they be; Visitor Hosts, Leadership team, member of Contact Sphere, and/or the person who invited

them?

Take visitor advocacy one step further and appoint one Visitor Host to attend the Membership Committee meeting and report on the number of visitors, the status of those visitors, response received from follow-up conversations, questions asked by visitors and areas of visitor hosting

that need improvement.

Yes, they are so much more than just Visitor Hosts, they are Visitor Advocates!!!

by Linda Aasen

There are several things that often happen in BNI meetings that absolutely make me crazy. I’m sure that the members who do these things are unaware that they are doing something wrong and, I’m even more sure, that they don’t know that they are driving me crazy.

The first situation is a visitor who is standing alone. No members are talking to them. No members are asking about their business. No members are asking what a good referral is for them. No members exhibiting behavior that will convince the visitor that the people in this chapter care about them and would like them to join their chapter. Never, ever leave a visitor alone.

The second behavior exhibited by members is disregarding the 60 second time limit for their

60 Second Commercial. Other members, not just me, get irritated by members who think that what they have to say is more important that everyone else and they can take more than their 60 seconds. I find that members who take extra time are adding extra “stuff” which detracts from the message that they are trying to convey to their sales force. Every members’ commercial is important. No members should take more than their allotted time!

The third thing which drives me crazy is during the “I Have” portion of the meeting. Some members will stand and say, “Good presentation speaker”. Many times it was a good, or even great, presentation. That is why we applauded when the speaker was finished. I have big news for members who say this routinely…we know you do not have a referral! We know you are copping out by saying, “Good job speaker”! If you do not have a referral, give a testimonial. If you do not have a referral, make sure you have a One-to-One, so you can tell us something you learned during your mini-meeting. If you do not have a referral, work hard to find one for your members! Do not say, “Good presentation speaker”!!!

So, if you exhibit any of these behaviors, be on notice your members are of your behavior.

Remember that everything you say and do or not say or not do can move you up or down the Referral Curve. If you are making me crazy and you may be doing the same for the other members of your chapter.