Use your mobile: one

25/6/11

Today you can just about run your entire business from a mobile phone and this makes the mobile a very useful tool for inviting visitors to your chapter. Tell me something I didn’t know you cry!

Well, just in case you don’t know, I’m going to tell you about some of the ways that I use my mobile.

Very few of us go anywhere without our mobile, yet few people carry a notebook, not everyone carries a pen, and even fewer people carry a camera everywhere they go. The mobile has even overtaken the handbag for ladies as the thing not to leave home without. And, as for the American Express card, well that doesn’t stand a chance!

So, just how do I use my mobile to find visitors?

We should all be building a database of people to invite to our chapters, and potential visitors can crop up anywhere, and at the most inappropriate times. And, that’s where your mobile can be such a brilliant tool: it’s just great at data capture.

Whenever you see a sign-written vehicle you just snap a picture and you have all the contact details you need. Company name, location, phone number, email address, web address - everything required for an invitation. Sometimes even a contact; otherwise just a little research will give you this. Easiest is a quick phone call or else a little time spent on their web site.

Then all you do is invite the person by the method that works best for you.

What do you think?

Look out for – Use your mobile: two.

Whose contact?

20/6/11

I was asked an interesting question recently about referrals and it got me thinking. As always when I’m asked something my mind goes shooting all over the place; there are always so many possibilities. It got me thinking of moral judgements, the game ‘A question of Scruples’ and a TV show I remember, which I think was called ‘Dilemmas’.

Now I bet you are thinking that this must have been a pretty important question and I guess it was, but only if you really think about it. If you thought about building goodwill and trust; being positive and supportive.

I’ll tell you what I think because the same thing happened to me years ago and it certainly wasn’t handled by the member concerned the way I handle similar situations. Now I wasn’t too bothered but some members might be rather more concerned. Certainly the person who asked me was. I’d be interested to know what you think.

So, this is my story. I was talking with my next door neighbour and during the course of the conversation I discovered that they were going to have a number of jobs done around the house over the coming months. I talked to them about all the great businesses that I knew and could recommend, showed them my BNI wallet and gave them the cards of some of the members. They decided to start with one job so I was able to pass a referral. Just like it is supposed to happen: it was great!

It was what happened next that is the subject of the dilemma: several more referrals, but none of them given by me. Now this was my contact, my next door neighbour, I had recommended other members of the group, but others ‘claimed’ the referrals in the chapter. Now maybe I’m a bit old fashioned, but when this situation happens to me, when the person I am working for asks for another contact, I say “that’s great, I’ll ask xxxxxx (the person who gave me the referral) to introduce you to them.”

Just imagine how the member who gave me the original referral feels. How much goodwill and trust I am building with them.

So, what do you think?