August 4th, 2010
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Synopsis
People sometimes come to Dr. Misner and ask about how to deal with competitors. His philosophy is best summed up by Henry Ford: “The competitor to be feared is one who never bothers about you at all, but goes on making his own business better all the time.”
Everyone has competition, but it’s a waste of time to focus on it. Just go on making your own business the best.
Some people think this philosophy contradicts BNI’s policy of having only one member per profession in a BNI group, but it’s not an either-or scenario. BNI is supposed to be a safe environment where people can share openly, and that’s not likely to happen if a direct competitor is sitting next to you and taking notes.
When you encounter a competitor, look for opportunities to collaborate rather than competing. It will make both of you more successful. An example: Priscilla’s BNI group, No Ordinary Chapter, is a member of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.
Read Dr. Misner’s blog post about competition on Entrepreneur.com.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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June 17th, 2009
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Dr. Misner wants to talk about the article he contributed to the recently published e-book The Way Out! Steer Clear of the Recession and Drive Toward Success and Prosperity. (If you download the e-book, please leave a comment here about what you’ve read and what you liked about it.)
Dr. Misner’s article is on page 49; it’s called “Networking Mixers: Break the Ice, Build Your Contacts, and Grow Your Business.” Next time you’re at a mixer, take a look at the way people stand.
If people are standing in closed groups, face to face, they’re not inviting you to join them. You can ignore them until they’re finished with their conversation.
But if people are standing at an angle to each other, with space between them, there’s an opening for someone to come into that group. Those are the people you can go up and talk to.
Also, look for the people who are wearing badges, especially if the badge mentions what business they’re in. That makes it easier to strike up a conversation.
Download the e-book and leave a comment here on the blog.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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May 27th, 2009
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Synopsis
Dr. Misner wants to ask listeners “What’s your BNI story?” His own favorite story is that he met his wife through BNI; that was the best referral he ever got. So today he’s sharing some stories from other BNI members. You can read more of them in BNI SuccessNet.
- Tim Seitz says that BNI took his business from the verge of collapse to new heights of success in seven months.
- Patty Chakales reports that 51% of her new business in Q1 2009 came from BNI referrals.
- Paul Williams prevented layoffs at his company by infusing his office with the BNI mentality and refusing to participate in the recession.
- Carl Frazier credits $6000/month of his income to BNI referrals.
- Carolin Bennett is a second-generation BNI member; her mother was on the original BNI Board of Advisors.
- Javier Unzueta has increased his income 723% as a result of joining BNI.
- David Lewis got a $4.9 million referral.
- Ian Holligan from Barbados says his 3 years in BNI have improved his leadership and public speaking skills.
- Richard Swan wrote a BNI Song. Watch it on YouTube!
What’s your BNI story? How has BNI helped you? Post your comments here and share your story.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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May 20th, 2009
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Synopsis
Until recently, Dr. Misner assumed that if he made an appointment with someone, he was going to be there, but there seems to be an emerging trend requiring people to confirm the appointment closer to the actual day. People have been saying “When I didn’t hear from you, I assumed it was off.”
Dr. Misner wants to state for the record that if you make an appointment with him, it’s firm, unless you hear otherwise. And he believes that should go for any BNI member: if you make an appointment, people should be able to count on you to show up.
BNI members who treat the BNI meeting like an appointment with prospects and business associates are much more likely to be successful. You don’t want to miss an appointment with your best referral partners. The chapters that understand this are the strongest.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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April 15th, 2009
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Synopsis
Congratulations to Dr. Misner and BNI on producing 100 episodes of this podcast!
Imagine being dropped off in the middle of a foreign city with only a handful of cash and being told you have to start a successful business before you can go home. That’s the premise of the BBC series “The Last Millionaire.”
What does this have to do with BNI? A recent winner of this show, Lucy, looked up BNI while in Hong Kong and used a visit to the Hong Kong Attraction Chapter to help her make four times as much money as the other contestant.
The Hong Kong BNI members showed how BNI can really work. BNI isn’t just a great way to get business, it’s an even better way to do business.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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February 25th, 2009
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Synopsis
What you should do is what you like to do. You can’t achieve sustained success if you don’t love what you do. More and more businesses are based on hobbies and personal interests.
Rather than finding out the hard way that you can’t stick it out at a job you hate just for the money, think about what you really love to do before starting a business or choosing a profession. Loving what you do is no guarantee of being successful, but if you’re not happy at what you’re doing, you can never achieve sustainable success over time.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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February 18th, 2009
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Synopsis
Dr. Misner and John Assaraf from OneCoach address three questions:
- What causes entrepreneurs to plateau at a certain income level? Internal mental programming based on our genetic and experiential conditioning. You need to develop a clear vision and impress it into your subconscious in order to break out of your rut. Read The Answer for more details.
- What are three of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make?
- Allowing circumstances to control their goal-setting exercises.
- Not creating a blueprint for success.
- Thinking they can do it themselves.
- Why is it so important not to participate in a recession? Remember that 90% of your competition is thinking in negative ways. Don’t miss this opportunity to position yourself as the leader.
Go back and listen to Episode 86 of this podcast for BNI’s own positioning efforts for 2009. Visit ReadtheAnswer.com for a special offer on John’s book.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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October 22nd, 2008
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Today’s podcast is based on a blog post Dr. Misner wrote this summer. As business professionals, we need to make sure we take time to notwork, not just time to network. Dr. Misner spends three or four weeks every year at his lodge in Big Bear with his family because he believes success is about having time to spend in a place you love with people you love.
But if you’re looking for balance and you own a business, forget about it. Strive for harmony instead of balance. Remember the phrase Be Here Now.
Brought to you by Networking Now.
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