Comments on: Episode 75: “Member Development 101” http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/ The Official BNI Podcast is a weekly audio discussion with Dr. Ivan Misner, the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:31:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Elizabeth Spear http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-609 Elizabeth Spear Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:04:05 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-609 I am inspired by this Podcast. I love social networking. I am going to go through my friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to see who is still in the area and who would benefit from visiting/joining my chapter. It will be a great way to re-connect with people and grow my chapter. I am inspired by this Podcast. I love social networking. I am going to go through my friends on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to see who is still in the area and who would benefit from visiting/joining my chapter. It will be a great way to re-connect with people and grow my chapter.

]]> By: Daniel Ben-david http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-323 Daniel Ben-david Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:55:34 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-323 In our group in Haifa, Israel, we met once for supper in a restaurant for an informal meeting, so the members got to know each other and spoke freely about everything, not only bussiness. This meeting gave us a lot of friendship, and refferals grew. In our group in Haifa, Israel, we met once for supper in a restaurant for an informal meeting, so the members got to know each other and spoke freely about everything, not only bussiness. This meeting gave us a lot of friendship, and refferals grew.

]]> By: Anita York http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-322 Anita York Thu, 16 Oct 2008 18:25:25 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-322 This is timeless information! I am a director specializing in new chapter development. Since hearing this podcast, I have shared how to use our knowledge about asking for referrals to grow our chapters. The response has been great! Even though the methods described here are what we KNOW we should do, it is great to be reminded. Thanks for sharing. This is timeless information! I am a director specializing in new chapter development. Since hearing this podcast, I have shared how to use our knowledge about asking for referrals to grow our chapters. The response has been great! Even though the methods described here are what we KNOW we should do, it is great to be reminded.

Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: Dino http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-318 Dino Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:02:00 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-318 This really just scratches the surface of how to invite or grow a chapter. Chamber events are great places to farm for visitors. We dont ask people to become members, just get them to a meeting and it will sell itself. We often have 10 or more members at local chamber events and its a great place to ask questions and get a sense of how other businesses not in our chapter look for new business. If referrals are a big part of that equation or ther=y would like it to a bigger part, then an invite is extended. We constantly ask our members to tell the group what business is not represented in that chapter that they would like to network with. We then round table that classification till we have a prospect and ask if any other members know that person. If so we have as many members as possible follow up with them and get an invite. very simple yet extremely successfull. We also encourage members to invite not only business associates they currently work with, but businesses of the same classification that they dont work with. That alone will help fill out their spheres. I like the "before I hang up" question to people i speak with every day. I then ask for a referral or recomendation to a specific classification that we are looking to fill. They answer and then ask why do you ask, and I get a twofer chance to talk about our chapter. Are these methods successfull? You betcha, we are at 60 and growing. We have 4-6 visitors every week, and have entire other chapters coming to visit. There truly is no end to how the power of word of mouth can help a chapter. All the cold tips or suggestions are a way to legitimize the chapter but by no means does it take the place of good old fashioned word of mouth. Dino www.rosecitybnict.com This really just scratches the surface of how to invite or grow a chapter.
Chamber events are great places to farm for visitors. We dont ask people to become members, just get them to a meeting and it will sell itself. We often have 10 or more members at local chamber events and its a great place to ask questions and get a sense of how other businesses not in our chapter look for new business. If referrals are a big part of that equation or ther=y would like it to a bigger part, then an invite is extended.
We constantly ask our members to tell the group what business is not represented in that chapter that they would like to network with. We then round table that classification till we have a prospect and ask if any other members know that person. If so we have as many members as possible follow up with them and get an invite. very simple yet extremely successfull.
We also encourage members to invite not only business associates they currently work with, but businesses of the same classification that they dont work with. That alone will help fill out their spheres.
I like the “before I hang up” question to people i speak with every day. I then ask for a referral or recomendation to a specific classification that we are looking to fill. They answer and then ask why do you ask, and I get a twofer chance to talk about our chapter.
Are these methods successfull? You betcha, we are at 60 and growing. We have 4-6 visitors every week, and have entire other chapters coming to visit.
There truly is no end to how the power of word of mouth can help a chapter.
All the cold tips or suggestions are a way to legitimize the chapter but by no means does it take the place of good old fashioned word of mouth.
Dino
http://www.rosecitybnict.com

]]> By: Beth Sobiloff http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-321 Beth Sobiloff Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:55:32 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-321 Many of us have an email service that we use to keep in touch with our clients and potential clients on a regular basis by sending announcements, newsletters, etc. It would be great to have a regular spot in our newsletter where we announce professional openings as well as visitor's days for our BNI chapter. Beth Sobiloff Many of us have an email service that we use to keep in touch with our clients and potential clients on a regular basis by sending announcements, newsletters, etc. It would be great to have a regular spot in our newsletter where we announce professional openings as well as visitor’s days for our BNI chapter.

Beth Sobiloff

]]> By: Niri S Patel http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-320 Niri S Patel Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:16:31 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-320 I have a core group meeting tomorrow and this succintly sums up everything I would want to do to help the founding members learn exactly wehre and how to invite visitors to grow their "sales team" . A fantastic tool- thank you! Niri I have a core group meeting tomorrow and this succintly sums up everything I would want to do to help the founding members learn exactly wehre and how to invite visitors to grow their “sales team” .
A fantastic tool- thank you!
Niri

]]> By: Carole DiMaggio http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-319 Carole DiMaggio Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:04:52 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-319 My chapter is doing a visitor's day and I am the coordinator. I will share this podcast with the group as they start thinking of whom to invite. It makes so much more sense than picking names out of a phone book or other list service. Time to get back to basics and call people we know. Thanks for the podcast/article. My chapter is doing a visitor’s day and I am the coordinator. I will share this podcast with the group as they start thinking of whom to invite. It makes so much more sense than picking names out of a phone book or other list service. Time to get back to basics and call people we know. Thanks for the podcast/article.

]]> By: Shawn McCarthy http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-317 Shawn McCarthy Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:33:54 +0000 http://www.bnipodcast.com/2008/10/08/episode-75-member-development-101/#comment-317 I LOVE this material! Ivan is right on when he says BNI is a referral organization- so let's use referrals to grow our chapters. Putting out an ad or (cold) e-mailing people will not bring you desired results. In addition to the cold contacts listed, we've had chapters (or members) want to do "door hangers" and hand out flyers at street fairs or festivals. These things are relatively easy to do- but not effective overall. Asking someone who is cold calling you is something I've been doing for quite a while. But I really like the example Ivan mentioned about the member who took it one step further and invited him to meet him at (and then after) the BNI meeting-classic.So you'll (perhaps) get some results from "light contacts". But, obviosly, it's all about referrals- this is great info for all BNIers to think about. Shawn McCarthy BNI ED Ventura County Ca. I LOVE this material! Ivan is right on when he says BNI is a referral organization- so let’s use referrals to grow our chapters. Putting out an ad or (cold) e-mailing people will not bring you desired results. In addition to the cold contacts listed, we’ve had chapters (or members) want to do “door hangers” and hand out flyers at street fairs or festivals. These things are relatively easy to do- but not effective overall. Asking someone who is cold calling you is something I’ve been doing for quite a while. But I really like the example Ivan mentioned about the member who took it one step further and invited him to meet him at (and then after) the BNI meeting-classic.So you’ll (perhaps) get some results from “light contacts”. But, obviosly, it’s all about referrals- this is great info for all BNIers to think about. Shawn McCarthy BNI ED Ventura County Ca.

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