Over nine months!

Early in my BNI Membership I met a member, in another chapter, who was in the same category that I was in. The only difference was that he received ten times as much business than I did. I was more than happy with the amount I received but asked him how he achieved so much; just out of interest.

Like me he received referrals that weren’t really ideal (lots of them); wrong type of job, wrong sort of price, sadly a delivery he couldn’t make and more. So I asked him what he did to improve the situation.

His answer: a 60 Seconds where he advised all of his fellow members exactly the sort of work he didn’t want. The list was long; in fact so long (after all I ran the same type of business) that I didn’t know what was left. So I asked him. He told me and I have to say that I was amazed! What happened I asked? Well for over nine months he didn’t get a single referral. Not one!

My next question was so, what did you do?

His answer was: he attended every week, bought along visitors, went to workshops and gave over, on average, a referral every week. He also had regular 1-2-1s (a Green Member).

But what he worked on the hardest was educating the members, of his chapter, into the actual work he wanted. What it was, how it was made, the sort of business that used it, the person that would oversee the buying of it and how to talk about the work on his behalf. And, most importantly, the benefits of the person talked to, speaking to him about their next project.

It took over nine months but then he received an incredible referral that became a very good job. And, as they say, the rest is history.

So my thought is this. Do you receive exactly the sort of work, and the amount, that you are looking for? If your answer is ‘I would like more’, then I recommend that things could improve if you follow some, even if not all, of what my friend did. It certainly helped me.

A Beachball!

 In 2008, I met Andy Bounds for the first time, at the BNI Directors European Conference in Dublin. He was a main speaker and I loved what he told us. I also got a copy of his new book (at the time), The Jelly Effect.

The Jelly Effect is a brilliant book all about communication skills. Your business could improve a great deal if you get this right and Andy will help you do so.

Here’s an illustration Andy gives; it’s a great way for improving your sales. And, it’s about a beachball.

As I expect you know, a beachball has six coloured segments. They might be red, white, blue, yellow, green and orange. If you and a friend hold the ball between yourselves, the ball might look red, white and blue to you. However, from your friend’s side, they would think it was green, yellow and orange.

The same beachball looks completely different from different perspectives. The great thing to do is add the beachball view to your own business.

You look at your business – the beachball – from a certain point of view. You think of lots of selling points and you focus on these.

A possible prospective customer hears what you say, they’re looking at your company – the same beachball – but, maybe from a different point of view. What they want to hear, and see, is evidence that you can provide the ‘Afters’ that they are looking for.

Are you selling what they want? Will they receive what they want? Because at this moment that’s all that really matters. If they are not sure, then they have a reason to look elsewhere.

Here is a suggested example for you. ‘A building you are proud of, that meets your needs.’ This would lead to better and more results than, ‘I am an architect with three qualified staff.’

So, have a look at your communication. What do you open with? Is it who you are and what you do, or, is it what you give your customers and what they want?

The key, for real success, is to start with the end result first (The Afters). So, what are your customers looking for?

A Service Manager

The following happened at my own chapter some time ago, but I recently told the story as a mini-education slot and it occurred to me that the lesson would make a great blog.

For nine weeks in a row one of our members asked for an introduction to a service manager at a garage. He changed around what he said each week but at the end he always asked for the same thing: a service manager at a garage. I would write this on our ‘Referral to look for’ sheet, racking my brain for a Service Manager, while making sure I didn’t miss the start of the next 60 Seconds. No one ever came to mind.

Between meetings nine and ten the member went to a Referral Skills workshop. At the next meeting once again he did pretty much the same 60 Seconds but at the end he changed it. He asked for the Service Manager at Vauxhall in Chiswick. He was very specific. This time I instantly thought "I don’t know that person" (it was easy) but, my next thought was, I did know the Service Manager at my local Alfa garage. Because that’s the make of car I drove at the time.

After the meeting I spoke to the member and asked if this contact would help him. And of course it would; he said he had been asking for just such a contact for 10 weeks. Obviously I contacted the service manager and was able to pass the referral later that same week.

Now you might be thinking I’m a little, or maybe rather, stupid, and that might be so, but by being specific the member made it easy for me, and it led to a referral.

So my message is to be as specific as you can be. Don't think by trying to cover everyone it will give you a better chance of getting someone. If you can make connections easy for people you will get more referrals.

Hawaii Five-0

The man sitting opposite me was dressed in white Chinos and a very bright bold patterned short sleeved shirt. I wasn’t in Hawaii or on the film set of Hawaii Five-0. I was at a BNI meeting, and before you ask, no there wasn’t anything special happening at the chapter that morning.

However, what I did know was that this particular member wasn’t getting many referrals. I listened to his 60 Seconds and I have to admit that it was very good; even had a great memory hook. So what might his problem be?

Now many of us spend a fair amount of time working on what we are going to say but do we spend as much time, proportionally, on how we will say those words and how we will look while presenting them? Now there have been many studies on this sort of thing (Albert Mehrabian 7% mentioned in our workshops) and I think that image is part of this member’s problem. You see he is an IFA, and, like it or not, we all have an impression of what, we think, an IFA should look like. To most an IFA should be suited and booted.

Now I know this member is great at his job but, because of the way he chooses to dress, he doesn’t get as many opportunities as he should do to prove it. An IFA should be serious - not a fun, relaxed type of guy!

So, how much time to you spend thinking about how you look? Do you even think about how you look?

Think of your BNI chapter as your biggest client. How would you look if you were meeting your best client (it should be the same for all of your clients)? This is how you should look at every chapter meeting.

Okay now you have some great words to say and you look the part. Now – how are you going to say them?

Vote Wakeham

Last Thursday I subbed for Peter Voice of PHP Heating & Plumbing at BNI Guildford. It was my first visit to the chapter and I have to say it was great. Forty people in the room, some very good 60 Seconds and I even sold a couple of my books.

The best part of the meeting? The 60 Second round. There were some brilliant 60 Seconds but one stood out above the others: the member getting a spontaneous round of applause and later winning the Best 60 Second award.

So what made it so good? Well, pretty much everything. It was of the moment, the acting was superb, it was very clever, included humour, and told us exactly what the member did, how they helped people and the sort of business they were looking for.

The opening line was (pretty much) – “Ladies and Gentlemen – I stand before you as the BEL Letting Party – your lettings candidate and current member for Guildford.”

Glenn Wakeham is the owner of Belvoir, Sales and Lettings, and the way he stood, spoke and moved would have been up there with the very best politicians.

Glenn then went on to tell us about his achievements over the past five years.

Job Creation: up 500%.

Wealth and Opportunities.

I liked this line, “The NHS – our health service – our excellent record will continue to ensure doctors and nurses live in affordable houses near Royal Surrey.”

Welfare.

Immigration.

Housing had another wonderful line, “Others may speak of ‘Right to Buy’ but we say ‘Right to Buy to Let.”

Everything was covered and he ended with “Vote Belvoir, for five more years of a better Guildford.”

What made Glenn’s 60 Seconds so good? Well, as I’ve said before, he became the story. A story that others would tell their friends and contacts about; exactly what I’m doing right here.

Glenn Wakeham certainly gets my vote!

Only one message in your 60 Seconds

Most members will know that you should be specific in your 60 Seconds. Not just to the exact person or company that you are looking for but also to what single product or service you are offering.

Your 60 Seconds shouldn’t cover everything you do but instead should focus on just one thing. The trouble is that many members can’t get away from thinking that if they miss out something they do, they may miss a sale. However, what I can tell you is that by trying to cover everything you will miss out on business. And what’s more you can prove it. Yes - you! Not me.

After your next meeting, no cheating here (suddenly start taking lots of notes), write down everything that people ask for and do. I bet you can’t. But on the other hand, whereas you won’t remember more than two or three things out of a whole list of what someone does, you will remember the one thing that a member does.

You can also do the maths. Say you have 30 members in your chapter and you all include five things you do in your 60 Seconds. That’s a staggering 150 things you would have to listen to and remember. Be honest, do you really think that’s a great idea?

But how about this for an even better idea?

It came to me after attending a meeting recently. I had been chatting with someone during open networking and then when it got to their turn to give their 60 Seconds they talked about something completely different. And I mean really different. I was now confused about what they did. Result? I sort of forgot them.

So, my idea. How about making your whole meeting about just one thing? Have your 60 Seconds as the icing on the (your) cake. You chat about your one product/service in open networking and then your 60 Seconds is the punchline. Imagine just how effective that could be. One meeting; one message.

Why not give it a try and see what results you get? And please do let me know.

When you say the right thing!

I'm having some work done on my new home at the moment. This includes making new doorways and bricking up other doorways so that the layout of the house is just the way we want it.

Doing part of the work is a builder, a good friend of mine, and during one of his tea breaks we were deliberating on Arsenal (there's no need to comment!) and life in general, which of course included our respective families.

David Wimblett watching Arsenal at the Emirates

My children are all now grown up but my friend has a son who is making his GCSE choices this year. I asked if his son had any idea as to a career, as at his age I hadn't had any idea, and to my surprise he said, 'Yes. A sports lawyer'.

I have to say I was impressed, not just because he had an idea of what he wanted to do, but more so because he knew exactly what he was going to do. My friend added that the only problem was that he didn't know how to advise him as neither he, nor his son's school, had any experience of how you become a sports lawyer.

And that's when there was a 'click' in my head; I know a sports lawyer. In fact this person had been involved in some Arsenal transfers. I told my friend that I couldn't promise anything, but that I would see if my contact could give him some pointers.

Well, to cut a long story short, my friend's son has now met the sports lawyer on three occasions, been to a seminar that he was speaking at, and had lunch with him. All in all, pretty amazing.

So, why am I telling you this story? Well, if my friend had just said that his son wanted to be a lawyer that probably would have been it. I know lots of lawyers and solicitors but it was the 'sports' that was the trigger.

And it's exactly the same when you are asking for referrals, or giving a 60 Seconds; for the best results you must be specific. Because just by adding one word, as in this case, can make all the difference.

Being general, trying to cover everything you do, simply doesn't work; well, not if you want great results.

So how about this for an idea? A New Year's Resolution that not only can you keep but that will also help 2015 be a great year for you too. Be specific.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

My mobile rings during a meeting!

There’s nothing worse than a mobile going off in a chapter meeting – well, other than someone texting during a meeting that is. And that’s why, at every meeting, the Chapter Director reminds us to turn our mobiles off.

So, why was my mobile switched on and, more importantly, why did it ring? Well you will be pleased to hear that it was all pre-arranged; part of a very clever 60 Seconds by one of the members of the chapter. Yaro Kowalczyk of, IT company, Compcontrol Ltd. This is what happened.

As Yaro stood to do his 60 Seconds my phone rang. I answered with a “Hello”. Yaro was on the other side of the room on his mobile, he also said “Hello”. I couldn’t hear anything coming from my phone, so I tried another, “Hello”. It seemed that Yaro also couldn’t hear anything his end so he to tried another “Hello”. Still no sound my end, so I tried yet another “Hello”. We both hung up.

Yaro went on to explain that what we had just experienced on our mobiles, a bad connection, was just like having a bad computer network. And that a bad network meant that computers and peripherals had difficulty ‘talking’ to one another, leading to all sorts of problems, amongst them lost tempers and lost money.

Yaro explained that his company, Compcontrol, supplied unrivalled network services, and that if anyone in the room knew someone having a problem with their computer network it would be a perfect referral for him.

I have to say that I thought it was a brilliant way of demonstrating what Compcontrol did and because of that will forgive a  mobile being used during a meeting.

Note: Please don’t all start ringing each other at your next meeting!

Thank You

On Friday I subbed for a very good friend of mine, KeithSpillett, at Isis in Ealing; Isis is a chapter of over 40 members.

It was great to go back to Isis as they were one of the chapters that I used to look after, as an Area Director, for London North West. But what made my visit even more special was what Charles Scholefield said during the contribution part of the meeting. He said that they missed my experience and support; I have to admit that it made me feel rather good. He also bought a copy of my new book, ‘The 10 Year Breakfast’, as did many of the other members of the chapter. It was a very good morning!

However, it was one of the testimonials given that really caught my attention. It was from Mathieu Rossano to Olivera Babic of BabicInteriors (interior designer). Olivera had designed the layout and colours for Mathieu’s new clinic and his testimonial not only explained how great Olivera was at her job but also how good the layout and colours made his patients feel. A good testimonial. But then he presented her with a bottle of Champagne. What a great way to say ‘Thank You’, and what a wonderful testimonial.

Being successful has a great deal about being different, about standing out from those around you. And I think that both Mathieu and Olivera have achieved that here.

So, next time you have something to do, what can you do to make it that extra bit special?

Have you any idea?

Well it’s back to work with a bang this week and I guess most members will be attending their first meeting of the New Year.

Now with a new year come resolutions and new targets.  Chapter Leadership Teams may ask their fellow members what their plans for the year are.  They might have set goals for the chapter themselves and just let the members know these plans.  As a member you might have set your own targets.

Targets might include; the number of referrals you will give, the number of visitors you will bring to the meetings (not merely invite), the number of workshops you will attend, the number of 1-2-1s you will have, and the number of testimonials you will give.  One of my targets was to never be absent (always have a substitute).  And, of course, your Leadership Team might have a target for the amount of business passed in the chapter.

There are of course other targets you could set yourself, like taking the Education Slot three or four times a year.  Always being the first member to arrive (or at least not being the last).  Never giving anything less than a great 60 Seconds.

I promise you that if you take the time to think about what you will do for your chapter and fellow members (and you) over the coming year, it will make a big difference to your success.
But how about a starting point?  Have you any idea how many referrals you passed last year?  Or visitors you brought to your chapter?  Or workshops you attended?

If you don’t know, please find out, because it might surprise you.  And, in any case, it will give you a good starting point for this year.

I would love to know some of your targets.  So please let know.

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.