Would you buy your own 60 Seconds?

If you could be another you, exactly, and be at your next chapter meeting and watch and listen to you giving your 60 Seconds, would you be tempted to buy?

It’s a serious question.  How good do you really think your 60 Seconds is?  How enthusiastic are you in the delivery?  What do you look like?

Okay, let’s run through your 60 Seconds.

It’s a bit of a struggle getting to your feet.  You’re not exactly looking happy to be there and you haven’t smiled yet.  Shirt looks like it missed the iron that morning.  Still, here we go.  “Morning” you mutter; obviously you had a late night.  It’s going to be a challenge this one.  Well guess what? You tell us exactly the same as you did last week.  You’re looking for anything really.  You can do most things, just about anywhere.  So if we know anyone, well that would be a great referral for you.  And we don’t catch the last part as you were already back in your seat.  Oh. Well, there’s always next week.

So, what did you think?  Would you buy you?  I’m guessing maybe not.  So, why would anyone else?

Well that’s what a great many 60 Seconds are like.  Don’t believe me?  Well really listen at your next meeting.

I really can’t stress enough how important your 60 seconds is to the level of success you will achieve in your chapter.  In fact, in many ways, to the success of your whole business.

You see your 60 seconds encapsulates everything there is about you and your business.  Your attitude.  Your enthusiasm for what you do.  The way you look and prepare yourself.  Your target market.  Your message.  Your credibility.  What you have to offer.  How you can help people.  It’s all there.  Everything that will bring you more, and better, business.

So, if you are looking for more referrals, more business, there’s no better place to start than by giving a great 60 Seconds every week.

Look at your numbers!

Every successful entrepreneur, in fact person in business, knows that knowing their numbers is a key component to their success.  And, as both a member and as a chapter, in BNI we are fortunate to be supplied with some great data (numbers); to name just two, our PALMS report and the Traffic Lights.

But, we have to be careful that we don’t become too ‘number’ led. What I mean is that thinking the PALMS report and the Traffic Lights are the only things that matter. BNI is a people business and we must always remember that.

Now I’m not suggesting for one moment that a member’s PALMS report and Traffic Light score shouldn’t be good; of course it should.  For one thing I believe that all members should be ‘Green’.  But, that’s not my point.

My point is that we shouldn’t just get caught up in the numbers; we must be careful that the numbers don’t become all-consuming.  The numbers should be the result of our actions.  In my opinion it’s far better to be in the green because you are a good member, than to be in the green because you are ‘encouraged’ to do the right things.  It’s a slight difference but, to my mind, a very important distinction.

In one of his books, Steve Jobs explains that he didn’t set out to be super-rich, he set out to change the world. He just got super-rich doing it.  And that’s what I think a BNI member should be like and encouraged to be like.  We should all want to be great members, because that’s how we benefit most from our membership.  And the result will be great PALMS data and ‘green’ in the Traffic Lights.

So, what do you want to change that will make a difference to your BNI membership?  It might not have the same effect that Steve Jobs did, but you might just find it improves your numbers.