Education Moment
Business Tips to assist your growing business!
Offering tips to maximize
your referral marketing efforts,
as well as your business growth
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
Rose-Ellen Fairgrieve
Educational Coordinator
Our BNI Educational Coordinator educates our chapter members weekly on how to maximize their membership, develop their networking skills and grow their businesses.
Hiring advice from "Staffing Up"
by Alay Yajnik
September 8, 2021
Here are my two takeaways from the book "Hiring Advice from Staffing Up" by Alay Yajnik, he emphasizes the two following ideas:
1. The importance of investing attention to the hiring process; Life is too short to pay mediocre employees.
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2. Alay’s advice on developing a hiring pipeline before you need it:
Step a: Build relationships with great people
Step b: Maintain a wish list of people whom you would like to hire
Step c: Hire when the time is right
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The benefits of having a substitute
July 21, 2021
Your BNI membership paid for 52 weeks of marketing and Sales training to your referral partners aka your Sales team.
One day you may not be able to make it to a meeting. Have you developed your personal substitute list? People you are able to promote your business if you are unable to attend a BNI meeting?
The time to think about this question is before you need a sub.
So…what are the benefits of having a substitute?
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First, clients, partners, and business associates make great substitutes because they can say great things about you and it’s not bragging. They lend credibility to what you have been telling the group.
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Your substitute may benefit by meeting members of the chapter that they may do business with.
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Your sub will also pass along important chapter information and referrals you have received.
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PRO-TIP: Keep an ongoing list of people you connect with who would make a good visitor/sub so that you have it when you are in need.
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Having a substitute shows your commitment to the group. Your group gets the message that you value your membership and the members of your group.
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Additionally, if you have a substitute, it is not counted as an absence and you can save those for those rare emergencies when you don’t have the time to find a sub.
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Beyond your personal list of clients and friends, you can also look to BNI members in other chapters. They are often eager for opportunities to guest at other chapters, especially when they are in a position that is not occupied in our chapter.
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Last but not least make sure your sub is prepared. Give them a script or have them prepare a testimonial for your 30-second presentation. Have them bring your referrals for the week.
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PRO-TIP: If it is their first time at a BNI meeting, offer a quick run-through of the meeting so that they are mentally prepped for our process.
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Finally, be sure and send them a thank-you note and offer to return the favor in the future.
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Remember if you’re not there we don’t know if you care, send a sub to show us your love
(copied/adapted from http://www.socialmagnetmarketing.com/resources/bni-partners/bni-educational-moment-1-29-13/88-bni-educational-moments/50-importance-of-a-substitute.html)
Getting pass social ackwardness after Covid - things to say during networking
June 23, 2021
Many of us may be wrestling with social awkwardness after COVid. So here are some things we consider for your next networking work.
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"Conversations put us in a good mood," Sandstrom said. They make us feel valued, respected and understood.
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Find common ground. It's no wonder acquaintances often mention the weather; it's perhaps the one thing that affects everyone. So, if you're outside, you could comment on spring flowers or point out a playing dog.
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Draw attention to something that's in your shared space," Sandstrom suggested.
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Be observant and curious. Study your speaking partner, then pose a question about what you've noticed. For example: I see your earrings are shaped like airplanes. What's the story behind those? "People like it when others show an interest in them," Sandstrom said.
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Look forward. "We can look forward to things that draw some enjoyment," said Sandstrom, mentioning a study that found that people can receive a significant boost in happiness thinking about upcoming vacations. And if you've known the person you're speaking with for a while, "thinking back on old times is good, too."
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Do something different. We can also make what we can of the present. Between chats, read a new book or cook a different recipe. "We can make efforts to introduce novelty," Sandstrom said, and then we'll have things to talk about.
Prepare some Topics. "Try keeping a list of good topics on hand," Brooks said. These can be out of the ordinary and thought-provoking. Here's one she suggested: If you could live 10 independent lives, in how many of them would you have children?
Focus on Asking. As Brooks has written, "the wellspring of all questions is wonder and curiosity and a capacity for delight." Listen to your conversation partner and ask questions that build on what they've said. Avoid ones that elicit a yes-or-no response; instead, try to keep your partner talking.
Keep a sense of Levity. Be humorous and playful. "We often get stuck on a serious topic and don't know how to switch to something lighter," Brooks said. Plus, one of her studies has shown that telling a joke, as long as it's appropriate, can make you look confident and competent.
Emphasize Kindness. Remember to speak respectfully, listen responsively and be open to other views. You can also apply this tip while selecting your topics. "Thinking about people when you're apart is an act of kindness," Brooks said, "and focusing on things they will find interesting is often a more productive exercise than thinking about what you find interesting."
Here is the source:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/talk-ideas-chat-covid-friends/2021/03/24/691d5ba8-8cce-11eb-a730-1b4ed9656258_story.html
Best practices for making great referrals
May 26, 2021
Best practices for making great referrals
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Communicate with the person passing referral to in advance
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Make introduction if possible
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If not making an introduction, provide all information you have about the potential client to the person you’re referring to
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Make sure you provide thorough contact information to the person you are referring, so they can reach out using whichever method they prefer
How great leaders inspire action
TED talk with Simon Sinek
November 6, 2019
Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples includes examples from Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers - View now!
How to craft your 30-second infomercial
October 23, 2019
It is important while creating your 30-second infomercial to share how you help your customers, and most importantly to get your message across in the first 10 seconds.
Check out our video share, this is based on our topic today during our BNI Stars weekly meeting.
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Intro: Keep it simple, name, what you help people do.
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The Promise: By the end of this presentation, what will they know?.
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Signature Story: Key elements of a signature story- you're why, emotional connection, the connection back to your business.
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Client-Based stories about the good you do OR teaching your craft: Where they were when they met you, how you helped, and the end result. The numbers are good!
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A great referral for me: This should tie back to the client stories and the signature story. No laundry list.
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Anything you’re wondering about?: In general, people don’t like to ask questions, but they don’t mind wondering.
BNI Leadership Roles Explained
July 10, 2019
The Leadership Team in a BNI chapter work together to help the chapter meet its goals.
A good Leadership Team makes the President’s job easy by carrying out their roles effectively, adding to their own visibility and credibility.
READ MORE
