Not enough business from your chapter?

15/1/11

I suppose it’s a rather silly question really, as I guess we would all like more business from our chapters. But, what I mean is, do you get a lot less business than you had hoped for?

It’s a perennial issue and one that I know troubled Dr. Ivan Misner in the early days of BNI: he talks about the problem on the CD that we get in our new member box.

Now there are many reasons why a member might not get as much business as they had hoped for from their chapter - too many to go into here. So, instead, I would like to talk about one of the most effective ways of increasing the number of referrals you get, and in fact give, from your fellow members.

The answer? One2Ones.

So, if at the moment you are getting less business from your chapter than you would like, ask yourself this question. How many One2Ones have you had in the last three months? Less than six and you will be missing out on a great deal of business. None? Well, to be honest, I really don’t know what to say …

Because every well structured One2One that you have will increase your chances of receiving great referrals.

Why?

Where do I start!? An improved relationship. A better understanding of the member's business. The opportunity to explain exactly what you do. The opportunity to explain exactly what you are looking for. The opportunity to explain exactly what you don’t want. The chance to find out if the member really understands what you do. The list is almost endless!

The most important fact is that every good, and I stress good, One2One you have will increase the amount of business you receive from your chapter. So, if you are not getting the amount of business that you would like from your chapter, don't complain, don’t leave, instead book some One2Ones.

But, don’t go mad! One a week is just about perfect, as you can then spend time thinking about the member and seeing what you can do for them.