July 2011 Archives - The Official BNI Podcast

July 27th, 2011

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Synopsis

BNI is not a Multi-Level Marketing organization, but many people in MLMs are BNI members. Members of reputable MLMs are definitely welcome in BNI, as long as they market only the company’s products or services.

One such member recently asked “Why is it that BNI doesn’t allow people in MLM professions the opportunity to share both our products and the business opportunity?”

This guideline was created by BNI members for good reasons. As all BNI members know, there’s only one available membership spot for any given professional classification. If the MLM representative pitches the business opportunity, other members get upset because this eliminates a possible member slot.

On the other hand, if a BNI member wants to mention these opportunities in a one-to-one meeting, that’s a matter for the member’s own judgment. But all BNI members should bear in mind that networking is about farming, not hunting. Don’t push too hard.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

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Episode 214: Why Leadership Team Training?

July 20th, 2011

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Synopsis

BNI requires that all its officers attend leadership team training, which is generally offered one or two months a year. Members have sometimes suggested that the training not be required for committee members, in order to widen the pool for future candidates.

There are some problems with this idea, however. One is the “leaky bucket” process, mentioned in Episode 19 and Episode 42. If you don’t get your training at the source, the message gets diluted. Knowledge leaks out of the bucket. Teams trained this way are badly prepared.

Would you want the pilot flying your plane not to have completed training? The leadership team members are the pilots of your chapter. Do you want them to be trained, or not?

Brought to you by Networking Now.

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Published In: Leadership Teams
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Discussion: 5 Comments

Episode 212: The 8-Step Referral Process

July 6th, 2011

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Synopsis

Today’s podcast is drawn from Networking Like a Pro, pages 155-164 (first printing).

The referral process is a system with feedback built into it. There are 8 steps.

Your source discovers a referral opportunity for you.
Research the referral. (Very few people do this, but it pays off.)
Check back in with your referral source to complete the research.
Meet with the referral.
Report back to your referral source on the outcome of the meeting.
Your source gets feedback from the referral. (This is priceless.)
Your referral source reports back to you.
You close the deal.

If every BNI group listened to this episode, the quantity and quality of referrals passed in the group will grow exponentially. Try it and report back in the comments.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

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