It’s Summer!

13/8/09

The last few meetings that I have attended have each had three or four members absent, and when I have mentioned this to the Leadership Teams they have all pretty much said the same in reply, ‘It’s the holidays. What can we do?’

And, to a degree, I guess that I have to agree with them.

At one of the chapters the Education Co-ordinator covered absence in their education slot. I myself have tried sending a link to my blog on substitutes to members that have not arrived for a meeting. But with some members it just seems that when the holiday season arrives, as they are not (for the next few weeks) looking for any business they just don’t bother thinking about their chapter.

If only these members understood the damage that they were doing to their credibility and their prospects of a good amount of future business.

Let’s consider future business first. Most businesses benefit from a steady flow of work. Not feast followed by famine. And, every businessman must have heard that the time to advertise for more work is when you are busy, not when work has dried up.

So, when you return from your two or three week summer break, what you really need is a full order book, not several weeks of letting your customers (and fellow BNI members) know that you are open again for business. With reliable substitutes and a few well crafted 60 Seconds you can come back to a diary full of appointments.

But, even more important, is what holiday absence does to your credibility.

What does it say about you and your business if you can’t find anyone to sub for you? Can’t be bothered to find any substitutes? Your substitutes don’t turn up? You don’t give your substitutes a good and different 60 Seconds each week?

Nothing good!

Every one of the above will affect your credibility to a greater or lesser extent.

So, if you want more business long-term from your chapter, always find a substitute and never think that it doesn’t matter if you don’t find one. Because it does!