BNI 9 Alive!
"The Shortest Distance to New Clients"
How to Get Referrals
by David Smith
Whether this is your first BNI meeting, or you're a long-time member who wants to get more new business referrals from your BNI chapter, here are some tips that will help:
Grow trust: When you refer one of your clients to another business, you put your credibility at stake. You want to know it's a good referral. For this reason, BNI'ers normally wait to know you and build trust as a member before passing referrals. Visitors don't normally receive referrals on their first day. Members pass referrals to other members because they have come to know, like and trust each other over time through a well-designed system that works. This page begins to describe that system, and how to activate new referrals for your business more rapidly.
Next Referral Exchange: Tuesday 7:45am (Details)
Take full advantage of 5 key "referral generating" opportunities at every BNI meeting:
- Two Informal Networking Times
- Passing Your Business Cards
- Distributing Literature
- Your Business Commercial
- Your "Testimonial" Time
1) Two Informal Networking Opportunities: This is a enjoyable opportunity to meet 35-40 other entrepreneurs who are there to send you new business. Take full advantage and have fun! Prepare to tell each person you meet in one-two clear focused sentences what your business is about. Example: "I'm David Smith, marketing coach with 1st Insight Communications. I help overworked business owners find new clients in their sleep." You want to phrase what you do in such a way that the other person will ask, "How do you do that?" Then, follow up with a brief 30 second explanation of how your clients benefit from your services. Tell a story describing a problem, the solution you provided, and the benefits. Then, ask the other person about their business. Listen well enough to give one sincere compliment. Let each other know the profile of the ideal client they can bring you. Remember to exchange business cards, then move on and meet someone else.
Next Referral Exchange: Tuesday 7:45am (Details)
2) Passing Your Business Cards: You may pass a stack of business cards around the room as the meeting begins. Bring at least 50 cards to every BNI meeting. In addition, we prepare a roster before each meeting giving the contact information of every member and visitor on one convenient page. Contact us before visiting and we'll add your name and contact information to the roster which is distributed to everyone present at the meeting. davidsmith@1stInsightCommunications.com
3) Distributing Literature: We welcome the business literature of visitors. It helps us more quickly understand who you are and what you do. If you have additional literature about your business, please distribute it at everyone's seat before the meeting begins. Don't pass it during the meeting as this distracts attention from those speaking.
4) Your Business Commercial: This is your opportunity to talk about your business before a group of willing, attentive listeners who want to pass you new business referrals. Where can you top that? You will have 45 seconds, but that's a generous amount of time if you're prepared. Here are some tips:
- State your name, business name, elevator or tag line.
- Then, think Problem -> Solution -> Benefits.
- What problem do you solve?
- For whom?
- How do you solve the problem?
- What solutions do you provide your clients?
- What benefits do they experience? How does what you do make their life better?
You could tell a brief story, you could list the top three things that make you stand out, you could describe a three-step process by which you easily help clients to a better result. Have fun! Know that everyone in the room is pulling for you.
Next Referral Exchange: Tuesday 7:45am (Details)
5) Your Testimonial for Another's Business: This is your opportunity to give back by talking about the value of another person's business (givers gain--the BNI motto). Focus on one business in particular and tell about a Problem encountered by a client, the Solution the business provided, and the Benefits the client experiences. Realize that when you powerfully build up the value of another business, it reflects back upon you, and causes others to want to do business with you. If you're new to BNI 9 Alive, and don't yet know anyone, or details about the other businesses, simply give your positive impressions of BNI 9 Alive and what you've experienced thus far.
Above all, have fun with this great group of business associates, mastermind consultants, sales reps for your business...new friends! Still deciding whether or not to apply? While there are still some open business categories at BNI 9 Alive (we only admit one business per category or type of profession), the spots are filling up fast. There may still be an opening in your category, but it will help to bring a completed membership application form to the meeting. Email or give me a call if you have any questions about the application process, or openings (David Smith 503-816-9665 "Still on my Oregon cell phone!" davidsmith@1stInsightCommunications.com).
See you this Tuesday! Address, Time, Details. Visitors are welcome to attend 2 meetings before applying for membership, and may visit on any regular meeting day. However, we hold quarterly special Visitor Day meetings especially focused on orienting entrepreneurs to the value of BNI. Next regular Visitor Day. Here are some pictures from Visitor Day 1-27-2009, perhaps the largest attended BNI visitor day in the State of Connecticut during the previous 12-month period!
Marketing by David Smith, Marketing Coach
Helping Business Find Clients In Their Sleep
1st Insight Communications
(503) 816-9665
davidsmith@1stInsightCommunications.com
