What Is One Thing That’s Working?string(35) "What Is One Thing That’s Working?"

October 7, 2021
, Building Relationships, Marketing

Sometimes a networking or business group becomes so obsessed with what isn’t working that they lose sight of what is working. This is especially true when they are having challenges and struggling.

I have found that the best thing to do is ask the members:
“What is one thing that is working for you in the group?”

When I did this activity with BNI® Chapters in years past, I always heard:
“Referrals. I am getting business.”
There were also many other answers that were frequently given:

  • I’m building great relationships.
  • It’s brought out the best in me.
  • I’m a better speaker than I was before BNI.
  • It’s increased my knowledge of other people’s businesses.
  • I’ve learned how to listen more proactively.
  • It gives me a support group.
  • It helps me set marketing goals.

It Goes Beyond Referrals

When a networking group follows a proven system that encourages education and practices accountability and maintains a positive environment, the members of that group benefit in many ways beyond referrals. As you can see in the answers above, they experience personal growth, professional development, and a trusted, supportive group of like-minded people.

Successful networking groups attract quality business professionals, striving to seek a balance between members with many years of experience and those who are newer to their industry. They create a diverse network that includes people with different interests and backgrounds who bring a wide range of ideas and connections that can lead to opportunities for fellow members.

Focus On Solutions

If you focus on problems, you become an expert on problems. If you focus on solutions, you become an expert on solutions. This is true for people AND for groups or organizations. By asking the members to talk about what’s working for them, it reminds them of the tangible, and intangible, benefits of growing their business through referral marketing with their networking group.

This simple question is one of the best ways to help a group that is challenge focused or obsessed about problems to get to the point where they can do a Mindset Reset.

What is one thing that’s working for you in your networking group? I invite you to share in the comments.

Using the Power of Networking to Go Globalstring(42) "Using the Power of Networking to Go Global"

September 27, 2010
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Building Relationships, Business, Global Business, Marketing/Sales, Networking, Word of Mouth 1

We now live in a fully global society, and referral networking has become a prominent marketing strategy in this global society for one reason: It works. The idea of growing your business through word-of-mouth marketing is a concept that crosses cultural, ethnic and political boundaries because we all speak the language of referrals, and we all want to do business based on trust.

Referral networking is a cost-effective way to get in front of new clients worldwide, and it’s a much better way to keep a business prosperous over the long term (because it’s built on mutually beneficial relationships between you and your fellow business owners). Referral networking is powered by the oldest and most enduring principle of human society–Givers Gain–the idea that the good you do will eventually come back to you in one form or another.

Earlier this year I did a live telebridge interview with my colleague Paul Martinelli on the topic “Going Global via the Power of Networking,” and we had more than 500 people call in from all over the world. To me, this truly demonstrates the worldwide interest there is in global business building through networking, and it’s a testament to the fact that networking will only become more vital to business success in modern times.

If you’d like to get in-depth advice on how to use the power of networking to go global with your business, you can Click here to get free access to the recording of the interview I did with Paul Martinelli on the subject.

Results Talk. Everything Else is an Excuse.string(44) "Results Talk. Everything Else is an Excuse."

August 19, 2010
, , , , , , , , , , , , Business, Ivan Misner, Marketing/Sales, Rant!, Success 13

I had a conversation with a franchisee a few weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about it for some time since.  We were talking about a marketing strategy that has proven to be very successful for many franchises within his company for many years.

When I asked the franchisee why he wasn’t participating in the program he said, “I don’t want to do that.  I don’t think it works.”  I said, “Really?  The top three franchisees around the country use it– just what about the technique is it that you don’t think works?”  He said, “I think the technique reduces client retention.”  I pointed out that the retention of the top three franchisees mentioned above was HIGHER than the client retention of his franchise.   He said “Yeah, but I just don’t think it would work in my area.”

I still can’t believe he really said that.  This is an intelligent individual who gave me one of the lamest answers I’ve ever heard for not doing something that works.

The bottom line is that the marketing strategy in question is in fact, hard work.  I believe that he just didn’t want to do all the hard work necessary to implement the strategy and he rationalized his position with half-baked excuses.

When a strategy works in many places and yields big results then all the excuses in the world for not implementing the strategy are just that–excuses!

Have you ever had a conversaton with someone like this?  If so, I’d love to hear about it and find out out how you handled it.