Celebrating 37 Years of BNI
January 8, 2022, marks the 37th anniversary for BNI® (Business Network International). Yes, I launched the very first chapter of BNI in California on January 8, 1985. By the way, that chapter is...
The Willing Conversation
Do you recall playing with magnets as a child? Depending on which way you turned the magnets, they were either attracted to or repelled by one another. As an adult, we may find ourselves feeling...
Storytelling In Business
I am a big believer in storytelling in business and using stories to make a point. If you’ve seen one of my presentations or trainings, you’ve seen me tell a story – you’ve experienced a story w...
A Surprising Referral Source
When it comes to effective business networking, we sometimes have to go beyond the obvious and look for new and different connections. Which leads to this question: Can a director of a nonprofi...
Happy New Year
As we reach the end of 2021, I have a special message to share and a reminder that a powerful personal network can help you get through the most difficult times. May the New Year be full of f...
Telling Your Company’s Story
If you want to get referrals from your networking efforts, people must know about your business. There are two kinds of audiences that need to know your company’s story. One is the people you in...
Networking Is All About Referrals
Yes, it is true that networking IS all about referrals. However, it may not be all business referrals. Even business networking may not be all about business referrals. It can be about sharing i...
Referrals Work Both Ways
When you receive a referral from your networking group, it directly benefits your business. When you give a referral to someone in your group, it strengthens your network while benefiting your r...
Networking Groups: Who Is Responsible?
I would like to share a story with you. Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was...
How to Leverage International Connections
In 2018, I wrote an article for Entrepreneur.com about the future of face-to-face being online. I felt it was inevitable that business networking would go online because of technology, such as m...