Give Valuable Information to Get More Business

Give Valuable Information to Get More Businessstring(46) "Give Valuable Information to Get More Business"

We all want to do business with people we know and trust. So, how do you build rapport and create trust with new contacts at business networking events? One way is to offer value-added advice – solid, helpful information provided out of a genuine concern for another person.

For instance, a real estate agent may be talking with someone at a networking event who is not ready to buy a home today, however they are considering it soon. The agent could say something like this:
“Well, I know you’re not interested in buying a home right now. When you’re ready to start looking, I highly recommend checking out the north part of town. Many of my clients have seen their homes appreciate in the 10 to 20 percent range, and from what I understand, the city is thinking about building another high school in that area.”

This example shows that it is possible to offer relevant information that has something of value without being too salesy. A statement like this acknowledges that the person is not currently in the market, and yet it still demonstrates the real estate agent’s expertise, making them memorable when it’s time for the new contact to begin house hunting.

This model can be effective for consultants, accountants, financial planners, coaches, and for most professionals in a service-based industry in which knowledge is the main product. 

Give a Little Test Drive

Some people are concerned about giving away their intellectual capital for free. I say look at it this way: very few people are going choose to work with you if they’re not sure you can do the job and provide what they need.

If your business does not have a tangible product, you only have your technical expertise to demonstrate your capability to help them solve their problem. Think about it – when you’re ready to buy an automobile, it doesn’t matter how much research you’ve done on a particular model, you’re probably not going to sign on the dotted line until you’ve taken the car for a test drive.

The same is true for your prospective customers. Give them a little test drive to show how it would feel to do business with you. If you are a marketing consultant, give them a few ideas on how they can increase the exposure of their business. Don’t go overboard; simply offer a technique you read about or tried with one of your clients. Just give them something they can try to see if it works for them.

This way of offering advice lead to a positive conversation with new contacts while you’re networking, and it also increases the likelihood of them contacting you when they have a future need for your type of service.  

Prospective Referral Sources

Remember that your networking group members are also your prospective referral sources. Consider the ways that you can give them valuable advice related to your specialty or profession. Perhaps you can tell them about an upcoming change in procedures that will affect them, give tips on how to initiate the changes they will need to make, or provide other pertinent information that can help your chapter members achieve success.

One of the goals of a master connector is to help your networking partners feel that you are a link to privileged and helpful information. The advice you give may lead prospective referral sources to seek you out for answers to their own questions, which is a great way to remind them of what you can do for others.  

Here are some tips to help you decide what to share with your network and how to share it with them:

  • Make a list of the topics that you feel comfortable and confident giving advice on.
  • Decide whether you will share information formally, such as in a newsletter or a presentation at your networking group, or informally, such as a personal note.
  • Determine how frequently you will provide updates on the topics.
  • Ask your sources to think of others who might benefit from your advice.
  • Periodically ask your network members if they find your information useful. You can ask them if they have other questions or topics that you can share, too.
  • Be sure that your network members know that they can tell you if they no longer wish to receive your updates.

Offering valuable information to your network will not only help them, it will also keep you on their minds and encourage them to refer you and speak highly of your professional knowledge to people they know.

A Giving Approach

I learned about the power of giving when I was in my first management position working for private industry. I went to each member of my team and asked, “How can I help you?” By offering to help people with this simple question, I built strong relationships with them and learned what it was that they needed most from me.

I later discovered that this approach worked very well in promoting my consulting services in my own business. I would find ways to help people – even if it meant not selling them my services. The attitude of helping with a ‘giving’ approach was a way to build my credibility and it brought people back to me later when they had a need.

When it comes to building rapport and creating trust, offering value-added advice is one of the best ways to do so. Everyone can benefit when you give valuable information to your business networking group and networking partners.

Have you found it beneficial to share some of your expertise with potential customers? I’d like to read about your experience in the Comment section.

Becoming-a-Master-Connector

Becoming a Master Connectorstring(27) "Becoming a Master Connector"

Master Connectors are the individuals within every community that other people go to when they have a problem and need to find a solution. Master Connectors naturally attract people to them, both customers and the people who need someone to help with finding solutions. Becoming a Master Connector makes business easier because people are coming to you rather than you always having to go find them; it is a way to generate more referrals and more revenue for your business.

It’s no secret that some people do better than others in life. Is it because they are lucky? No, I think it’s because of two things. One, the harder you work, the luckier you get. And two, it’s about working smarter, not just harder. Becoming a Master Connector is about working harder and, more importantly, working smarter. Master Connectors exemplify the philosophy of Givers Gain® by helping others with the attitude: If I help you and you help me, we will all do better as a result.

It Starts with Attitude

The good news is that becoming a Master Connector doesn’t require years of experience. It only requires a positive attitude, a “give-first” state of mind, and a willingness to commit to learning how to become a Master Connector. 

Master Connectors do more one-to-one meetings with fellow members of their networking group. They give more referrals, and they’re the first to step forward to mentor someone when help is needed. They bring more visitors to their networking meetings, and they help interested visitors to become members. It is not surprising that they build strong, long-lasting relationships and receive more referrals than most people.

The Connector Effect

In my book, The Connector Effect, co-authored with Graham Weihmiller and Robert Skrob, we talk about the “Connector Effect” as your ability to attract people to you. It grows in proportion to your referral network and your ability to solve problems for your friends, family, and your best customers by referring those people to the members in your business network. The more members that you have within your network, the more problems you’re able to help solve for people you know outside of your networking group. You connect people who have a need to the trusted members of your network who can help them. And because your referral partners also trust you and your expertise in your field, they pass referrals of their friends, family, and clients to you.

My Path to Master Connector

When I started BNI® in 1985, I really wanted to be a connector. That was my focus, I wanted to connect people. So, every two or three months I would mail a two-page paper letter to hundreds of people that were in my database, which, at the time, consisted of my Rolodex. The cover letter said, “One of the things I like to do is to build relationships and connect people. Attached is a single sheet of paper with the names of professions that you might have a need for. If you do, just call me and I’ll put you in touch with somebody who handles that.” The second page of the letter had a list of trusted business professionals that I knew and did business with. It did not have their names, it did not have their phone numbers – it only had their type of business profession.

It took about six months to a year, but people started calling me and asking, “Hey, do you know this person? Do you know that person?” I didn’t give the phone numbers in my letter because I wanted to make the connection personally. And that is how I started my path to becoming a Master Connector and ended up building BNI.

Master Connectors love to help people. They practice lifelong learning and continuously hone their skills by doing six things a thousand times rather than doing a thousand things six times.
They know that business networking is more about farming than it is about hunting, and they know how to reap the harvest related to the connections that they make.

BNI Master Connector

BNI Master Connector YouTube Livestream Eventstring(45) "BNI Master Connector YouTube Livestream Event"

It was very exciting to be a panelist during The BNI “Master Connector” YouTube Livestream Event on Tuesday, May 18th, on the BNI TV YouTube channel. If you missed the event and want to watch it, click here.

Thank you to all attendees who sent me their messages. The comments from this third global event were just as positive as our first event: Growing Forward Together, and just as informative as our second event: Restart the World. Thank you to each of the BNI members, directors, and visitors who joined us during this worldwide event.

About The BNI “Master Connector” YouTube Livestream Event

I want to thank BNI Chairman and CEO, Graham Weihmiller, for hosting an engaging panel discussion about becoming a Master Connector. I also want to personally thank the other two panelists for participating in the discussion: BNI Uganda National Director, Diana Ninsiima Kabuuka and the President of Membership Services Inc., Robert Skrob.

The event was open to businesspeople and entrepreneurs worldwide to help them build their business in 2021. During the panel discussion, I shared my vision for the future as well as my insights for business growth and personal success. We discussed how BNI and its 279,000 members are teaching businesses worldwide to foster global business recovery. Building strong relationships and empowered networks will lead to professional referrals and business growth. We shared ideas on how entrepreneurs can effectively build strong business relationships that can restart and ramp up their businesses.

Become a Master Connector

Master Connector is a BNI global initiative to help businesses and people connect. We hope that the tips we shared will help your business navigate through challenging times. Ultimately, we can build our relationships to create empowered networks and give referrals to others. Different people, different places, different countries, different faces, different cultures; we all speak the language of referrals, as we become Master Connectors.

If you are not a current BNI member, we invite you to visit a local BNI chapter and begin the process of building meaningful relationships with the other professionals at the meeting. If you are looking to grow your business, we can help and support your business in the essence of Givers Gain®. To receive an invitation to a BNI chapter in your area, simply click here.

During the livestream event, my fellow panelists and I featured the benefits of becoming a Master Connector and helped attendees understand that the person who builds trust by giving referrals and bringing visitors to their BNI chapter, is the person that experiences the greatest growth. Everyone learned how they can become a Master Connector by building strong relationships, giving referrals, and putting the “Connector Effect” to work in business and in life.

“The Connector Effect”

Viewers learned about the Amazon best-selling book, “The Connector Effect”, which I co-wrote with Graham Weihmiller and Robert Skrob. In this book we describe how using “The Connector Effect” can make business more lucrative, rewarding, and fun.  This book supports the broader business community with tips on how to become a Master Connector.  Use this link to download your own Kindle version of the book.

Connect at BNI Global Convention 2021 – Master Connection

Learn more about the content available to Connect. Master. Grow. by attending BNI Global Convention October 6-9, 2021. BNI is excited to offer two ways to participate, either in-person in Miami, Florida or virtually.

  • Connect to Master Connectors near and far through easy-to-use technology.
  • Master skills from industry leaders with a flexible schedule to meet your needs.
  • Grow through the Master Connections you are creating with the other attendees.

Tickets for the BNI Global Convention 2021 are now available. Click here to register.

Thanks to the BNI Marketing Team for the planning, marketing, and execution of another amazing livestream event. I also want to personally thank the BNI Chairman and CEO, Graham Weihmiller, for his inspirational vision for the future. BNI brings so many people together and connects them with each other for such a productive purpose.  With BNI you can become a Master Connector too.

 

Master Connector

Join Us To Become a Master Connectorstring(36) "Join Us To Become a Master Connector"

Business leaders from around the globe will learn how to become a Master Connector on May 18th during the BNI Master Connector YouTube Live Event. I, along with a panel of experts, will be sharing ideas on how entrepreneurs can effectively build strong business relationships that can restart and ramp up their businesses.

Master Connector

On April 1, 2021, BNI kicked off a global movement, Master Connector, to unite organizations and business leaders worldwide to help local, national, and global businesses get back on the path to growth by building strong relationships with trust, giving referrals, and putting the “Connector Effect” to work in business and in life. Watch my video about becoming a Master Connector.

BNI’s Master Connector YouTube Live Event

If you are looking to grow your business beyond where it is today, then you will want to mark your calendar for May 18th, 2021 to watch BNI’s Master Connector YouTube Live Event on May 18th at either 8:00 am or 4:00 pm EDT. During each of the one-hour sessions, Graham Weihmiller (BNI Chairman and CEO) will be hosting an engaging panel discussion about becoming a Master Connector, with Diana Ninsiima Kabuuka (BNI Uganda National Director), Robert Skrob (President, Membership Services Inc.), and meClick here to register to attend one of the event sessions.

The BNI’s Master Connector Event will stream to over 70 countries via YouTube Live.  Viewers will enjoy learning about the Amazon Best-Selling book, “The Connector Effect”, which I co-wrote with Graham Weihmiller and Robert Skrob. The event also features the benefits of becoming a Master Connector and helps attendees understand that the person who builds trust by giving referrals and bringing visitors to their BNI chapter, is the person that experiences the greatest growth.

We are expecting tens of thousands of BNI Members, alumni, collaborators, and colleagues to attend these two sessions. Master Connector is a global initiative that will continue well past this event. We hope that the tools and tips that you learn will help your business successfully navigate through challenging times. Ultimately, we can build our business relationships together, create empowered networks, and give referrals to others.

“The Connector Effect”

Consider downloading Amazon’s Kindle version of “The Connector Effect” book where co-authors, Graham Weihmiller, Robert Skrob, and I, talk about how using “The Connector Effect” can make business more lucrative, rewarding, and fun.  This book supports the broader business community with tips on how to become Master Connectors. You’ll learn how to leverage your network and connections to effectively grow your business, and support those around you. Use this link to download the Kindle version of the book.

X

Master Connector Sessions Time Schedule

This one-hour event will stream to over 70 countries during two sessions via YouTube Live. The chart below lists the scheduled local time for your country.

Remember the Registration

Registration is now open to join us during one of the two event sessions. Visit https://cvent.me/lzAqLr?RefId=IvanMisner  to register or click below.

BNI brings so many people together across so many boundaries for such a productive purpose.  Therefore, we invite visitors and build meaningful relationships with our fellow members. We extend our hand to those who are looking to grow their business to visit a local BNI chapter. You can receive an invitation to a BNI chapter in your area with this link: https://www.bni.com/find-a-chapter. We can help and support your business in the essence of Givers Gain®. At BNI, we are Master Connectors and we invite you to become a Master Connecter, too.