1/12/10
It’s a serious question!
Before you exclaim 'Of course not!', I want you to think for a minute. Just hear me out.
I was at a chapter last week and the Leadership Team said that they wouldn’t be holding their chapter meeting on the Wednesday before Christmas, the 22nd December. And I asked why ever not? Their answer, I guess, astounded me, not so much because of their BNI meeting, but more because they are business people.
One of them said, 'I won’t want to come, people will be winding down for Christmas, substitutes will be hard to find, no one will be interested in doing business...', the reasons just went on and on.
I pointed out that, I, like many people, would be working right up until Christmas Eve, and certainly on the Wednesday, and if BNI was part of my job, there was no reason not to attend my meeting. I still want business right up until Christmas and I certainly want some in early January. Missing the 22nd December meeting would in effect be limiting any business until the middle of January!
So, my question is a serious one. Has your mind-set already closed your chapter for Christmas?
No point looking for referrals, no point bringing visitors, members will be absent. If you have, you have already closed for Christmas.
Really successful people don’t follow the herd, they do something different. So, instead of closing early for Christmas, why not make sure your business, and your BNI chapter, are well and truly open and not only have a better December than the herd but also a great start to 2011?
3 comments:
It makes good sense to me.
And you can thank all your business colleagues directly for the referrals they have brought you in this closing year.
Far from shutting down for Christmas, we are gearing up for a visitors day on Tuesday 7th and the fall out from that on 14th and 21st - all the people who are interested but can't make it on the day, the applications we hope to recieve, the phone calls we have to make.... We are not closed for Christmas!
The Chapter closed. The Hardcore met. We had an agenda and actions required. We will report to the next BNI meet with nominees for:
1. Best dressed.
2. Most active
etc etc
Mike B
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