The Official BNI Podcast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Synopsis

This episode is a rebroadcast of Episode 173.

What do you say when someone asks you what you do? You need to be prepared, and you need to have something quick and interesting. You need a Unique Selling Proposition.

Don’t just say “I’m a consultant.” Say “I work with small businesses to help them attract more clients than anyone could possibly handle.”

The Referral Institute’s USP is “We help people work less, make more, and create referrals for life.”

The natural response to a USP like this is to say “How do you do that?”

Your assignment this week is to come up with a USP for your business and share it here in the comments. Then share it with your BNI chapter.

Once you’ve tested your USP, come back and tell us how it worked and whether you changed it for a better effect.

Read the complete transcript on Episode 173.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Synopsis

Networking vampires are people who aren’t trying to add value, only to make sales. These are the people who use networking events as a form of face-to-face cold calling. They can suck the life out of your networking experience.

So how do you deal with the people who are only out for what they can get from you? Unfortunately, most aren’t open to learning that networking is more like farming than like hunting, so you need to find a way to extricate yourself before the vampire sucks up too much of your time. If you attend events with your spouse, you can pre-arrange a signal so the other person can rescue you.

Read more about networking vampires on Dr. Misner’s business networking blog.

Have you encountered a networking vampire? Leave a comment to tell us what happened and how you handled it.

Brought to you by Networking Now.

View the entire transcript of this episode