THE IMPACT OF ONE

2018 BNI National Conference
April 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada

by Nellie Nutting

Can one person or event make that big of a difference?  If I miss this one meeting, will anyone even notice?  If I have that one piece of cheesecake will it really throw me off my eating plan?  Who cares if I miss that one workout?  I can jump back in tomorrow!

Do any of these sound familiar? These are conversations I have with myself daily.  I am a seasoned negotiator of all things regimented.  If I have the chance to adjust any schedule, my natural tendency is to do that, in every area of my life. Now that I am self-employed, more than ever in my work life, I flex my schedule (or try to) often.

The Book, The One Thing, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan, talks about the importance of keeping the main event THE MAIN EVENT.  To pay attention to the ONE THING that you and ONLY YOU can do.  That THING that will make a BIG difference or IMPACT in your life and your business.  Do you have an idea of what your ONE THING is?  What about the IMPACT of YOU and what only YOU can do in the lives of those around you and your business.  This was the theme this year at our BNI National Conference held in April in Las Vegas.  I thought I would share the ONE THING that IMPACTED me at conference this year in hopes that it will be powerful information for someone else as well.

THE POWER OF A TESTIMONIAL

by Brandon Souba

As a part of every BNI meeting, we take time for members to share the referrals they have, or give a testimonial for another member.  We also give the visitors a chance to tell the chapter what they thought of the meeting. This is a time where we celebrate all the great things members are doing and show the benefits of BNI. Can we take this section one step further? Of course we can! With a little more effort on your side, your fellow members will see bigger benefits.

Based on the title of this blog I am sure you can guess what the focus will be. Testimonials! At every meeting I go to, I see people giving fantastic testimonials to fellow members. The point of the testimonial is that a good statement about a member can lead to referrals! The classic story on how they were added in to the meeting agenda is in the Givers Gain book you receive as a new member. If you still have yours, I encourage you to go back and read it.  (If not, it is available in an audible form in BNI University.) But in short: a member visited the chiropractor in his chapter and talked about his experience at the meeting. It was so impressive it lead other members to visit the chiroprator, and refer others for services. Have you ever given a testimonial that led to such a call to action? You may have, but since only your chapter members hear it, the results are still limited. I want to show how you can go further with your testimonials and help drive business to other members.

RECOGNITION - A BNI CORE VALUE

by Carrie Langston - Dorhout

‘Employees respond to appreciation expressed through recognition of their good work because it confirms their work is valued by others. When employees and their work are valued, their satisfaction and productivity rises, and they are motivated to maintain or improve their good work.’ (Kim Harrison, cuttingedgepr.com) We can think of our BNI members the same way. When we appreciate each other, our Giver’s Gain becomes simple.

There are several ways to give recognition in a chapter meeting. Notable Networker awards and certificates are the most recognizable way that members are applauded for their efforts of Giver’s Gain, resulting in most referrals, one-to-ones, continuing education units and/or most visitors. Second is the door prize, again taking notice of those members who live out Giver’s Gain in being eligible for the door prize by passing a referral to a fellow member the previous week. Testimonials are also a way to make mention of a member who you have had a good experience with, received a good referral from or had a meaningful one-to-one with.

THREE C'S FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

by Ray Huse

In 2018, I think it’s safe to say that social media is no longer a fad. It isn’t something that’s just for kids. In the last 10 years, it has become an increasingly important and influential tool for communication, and not just small talk between family and friends. We’re turning to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news, recipes, and product and service recommendations.  A friend of mine found, researched and purchased their house based on information shared on Facebook. If people are making these kinds of life changing purchases based on what they see on social media, it’s clear that how your business appears on social platforms is important.

You need to keep your business visible on social media, which we know can help build your credibility, and can lead to profitability down the line. The content you share on these platforms help shape people’s perception of your business.

There are “Three C’s” I encourage everyone to keep in mind as guidelines in respect to content on social media. (I’ll use Facebook pages as examples here, but the concepts apply across different social platforms.)

HOW GEARING UP FOR A LEAVE MADE ME A BETTER BUSINESS PERSON

by Sarah Mullins - Spitsen

As all of my Lincoln, Seward, Beatrice & York BNI members know, I’m just a few weeks away from going on maternity leave. This is the first time in my life I’ve taken off work for anything but a vacation, and let me tell you - I don’t know that I’ve ever had a vacation I didn’t work, at least a little bit, during my time away.

Although I’ve had plenty of time to begin coping with this, the task of stepping away from work, and from BNI for at least a month had me terrified. However, I sit before you (or at least my computer) mere weeks away from time off, and I’m completely confident that not only my BNI chapters, but the company I run will not only survive, but thrive, without me.