The Official BNI Podcast

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Episode 97: “OMG—I’m an Introvert?”

Synopsis

This week Dr. Misner is visiting BNI chapters in Paris and Scandinavia.

To his considerable shock, Dr. Misner’s wife recently pointed out to him that he’s actually an introvert, despite his extremely public life. A little research revealed that he’s what’s known as a “situational introvert”: reserved around strangers, but very outgoing in the right context.

So it’s no surprise that BNI is perfect for situational introverts, because it creates a small group with a structured environment. Because you meet with your BNI chapter week after week, the other members are not strangers, and you can relax around them. That means that whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, you can be great at networking.

Brought to you by Networking Now.
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Episode 96: “Desperation is NOT Referable”

Synopsis

This week Dr. Misner is at the iLearning Global Launch Conference in Las Vegas. (Listen to Episode 87 for more information on iLearning Global.)

People who are new to referral marketing may think there’s a limited supply of referrals, and this can make them desperation. Desperation is NOT referable. It’s true that you have to compete for business, but this is not the way to do it.

You earn referrals through creating relationships and providing outstanding and memorable customer service. But how do you build a structured, predictable referral system?

  1. Establish a close, mutual rewarding relationship with your referral partners.
  2. Determine how many and what kind of referrals you need each week to accomplish your financial sales goals.
  3. One by one, discuss your contacts and connections with your networking counterparts.
  4. Share your needs and your resources from an abundance mentality rather than a scarcity mentality.

Dr. Misner recommends reading Coaching Into Greatness by Kim George to help establish an abundance mentality.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

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Episode 95: “Find an Accountability Partner”

Synopsis

Accountability is critical to networking. It forces us to get out of our cave. Find someone in your BNI chapter to be your accountability partner to keep you on track. Here are seven questions to help you find the right person.

  1. Who do I highly respect?
  2. Who would not be afraid to push me?
  3. Who would I never think of disappointing?
  4. Who really wants to build his or her business through networking?
  5. Who knows me and my tendency to [fill in the blank]?
  6. Who will follow through on this commitment to me?
  7. Who has the time to help me?

It can also help to create a tracking system for this. There’s a Networking Scorecard developed by the Referral Institute and included in the Certified Networker Training.

Read Dr. Misner’s blog post about accountability. Then try this out and come back and let us know how it worked for you—just post to the comments section of the blog!

Brought to you by Networking Now.

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Episode 94: “Marketing in a Tough Economy”

Synopsis

Dr. Misner is joined on this episode by Eric Groves, Senior Vice President, Global Market Development at Constant Contact. Eric has four tips for e-mail marketing:

  1. Build a quality list of people who know and trust you: they’re the ones who open your mail.
  2. Take the time out of your day to create a strategy for your e-mail. What do you want to have happen when people read your message?
  3. Execute on your strategy by writing content that’s not about you, but shares what you know. People will forward messages that make them seem smart.
  4. Ask for feedback and engage your customers in the process. Recognize people who give you insight.

To summarize the secret of great e-zine content, “Be brief, be bright, and be gone.”

To see the service Constant Contact provides, just sign up where it says “Podcast Email Alerts.” You can sign up for a 60-day free trial at www.ConstantContact.com.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

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