18/5/09
Recently, my Area Director was telling me about a chapter visit she had made, and in particular about the 60 Seconds she had listened to. Or, to be more precise, one she had not heard.
She had turned to the member beside her and whispered, ‘I didn’t hear anything they said!’ And the member replied that in over a year that they hadn’t heard anything either!
I won’t tell you anything else of the story, other than to say that if there is someone in your chapter that you can’t hear, please be a good friend and let them know.
However, it got me thinking. Does any of us really know what our fellow members think of our 60 Seconds? Not just can they hear us, but do we educate them? Is our message clear? Do they know what we are looking for? Are they crystal clear about exactly what we do?
We might think that we are doing a great job, but, especially if referrals are low, do our fellow members agree?
So, I have a couple of ideas that you might like to try. The first is easy. Every time that you have a One2One make it one of your questions. Ask if your 60 Seconds are providing the right kind of information to help find you referrals.
The second idea is more difficult to do and may result in you opening yourself up to some harsh truths, but may well result in some great business in the future. Find someone in the chapter whom you really trust and whom you know will be objective and ask them to give you some real feedback on your 60 Seconds – warts and all.
If they agree, don’t take what they say personally. You asked for their help! Consider their observations and suggestions, and, if you agree, change your 60 Seconds accordingly. And then ask them for their feedback again.
Oh, and why not ask them if they would like some feedback on their 60 Seconds?
Monday 18 May 2009
Monday 11 May 2009
What are you talking about at 6.30am?
11/5/09
Most good BNI members arrive at around 6.30am for their weekly chapter meeting, leaving again at just after 8.30am to continue their day's work.
The open networking part of the meeting from 6.30am until 7.10am, when the formal part of the meeting starts, therefore represents around 35% of the total meeting time.
Now, I have a question for you. Would you spend 35% of your working week talking about sport, or what you did last night? Well that is exactly what some members do at their BNI meeting during the open networking part of the meeting.
Now I’m not suggesting that the whole of the time from the moment you arrive at your meeting until the time that you sit down for the formal part of the meeting should be all work. But, should you be spending all of that time on casual chit-chat? How much work would you get done during your normal working week if you spent 35% just talking about the weather?
So, make the most of the open networking part of your weekly meeting. Have a plan, of course catch up on last night’s football scores with your best mate, that’s all part of building a great relationship, but also use the time to find out how you can help your fellow members and also to let them know how they can help you.
Most good BNI members arrive at around 6.30am for their weekly chapter meeting, leaving again at just after 8.30am to continue their day's work.
The open networking part of the meeting from 6.30am until 7.10am, when the formal part of the meeting starts, therefore represents around 35% of the total meeting time.
Now, I have a question for you. Would you spend 35% of your working week talking about sport, or what you did last night? Well that is exactly what some members do at their BNI meeting during the open networking part of the meeting.
Now I’m not suggesting that the whole of the time from the moment you arrive at your meeting until the time that you sit down for the formal part of the meeting should be all work. But, should you be spending all of that time on casual chit-chat? How much work would you get done during your normal working week if you spent 35% just talking about the weather?
So, make the most of the open networking part of your weekly meeting. Have a plan, of course catch up on last night’s football scores with your best mate, that’s all part of building a great relationship, but also use the time to find out how you can help your fellow members and also to let them know how they can help you.
Thursday 7 May 2009
Know your 10 Minute Speaker!
7/5/09
Something that really impressed me at the recent BNI Directors' Conference in Amsterdam was the way in which David O'Dell introduced the speakers. He had been given a biography on the person that he was to introduce, but instead used his own personal knowledge of the speaker, gained from the relationship he had with them, to make the introduction. Not only did it build his own credibility but it gave a far better and warmer introduction to the person he was introducing. It was genuine and really demonstrated his liking and trust of the person concerned and really started the whole presentation in a very positive way.
This was so much better than the often badly read, married to so and so, children none, pets none, home town, Oh, can't read that but I think it says they were there for eleven years, and so it goes on. What does that say about the person and what you think about them?
So, Secretary/Treasurers how about this for an idea?
If you don't already know the 10 Minute speaker really well, how about having a One2One with them a couple of weeks before they are due to speak? Not only will you be able to give them a much better introduction, but you will be building your own credibility, and increasing the number of referrals you pass between each other. But may I suggest that it might be worth asking the speaker if they mind you doing your own introduction of them just in case there is something in their biography that they really want the group to know.
Overall this is what they call a Win, Win, Win situation!
Something that really impressed me at the recent BNI Directors' Conference in Amsterdam was the way in which David O'Dell introduced the speakers. He had been given a biography on the person that he was to introduce, but instead used his own personal knowledge of the speaker, gained from the relationship he had with them, to make the introduction. Not only did it build his own credibility but it gave a far better and warmer introduction to the person he was introducing. It was genuine and really demonstrated his liking and trust of the person concerned and really started the whole presentation in a very positive way.
This was so much better than the often badly read, married to so and so, children none, pets none, home town, Oh, can't read that but I think it says they were there for eleven years, and so it goes on. What does that say about the person and what you think about them?
So, Secretary/Treasurers how about this for an idea?
If you don't already know the 10 Minute speaker really well, how about having a One2One with them a couple of weeks before they are due to speak? Not only will you be able to give them a much better introduction, but you will be building your own credibility, and increasing the number of referrals you pass between each other. But may I suggest that it might be worth asking the speaker if they mind you doing your own introduction of them just in case there is something in their biography that they really want the group to know.
Overall this is what they call a Win, Win, Win situation!
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