BNI San Diego Networking Events Attract 100’s of Visitors to Local Weekly Meetings
By Debbra_Sweet | February 27, 2010
Business owners and local entrepreneurs who understand the value of quality referral business are creating standing room only events for BNI San Diego chapters.
Last year BNI San Diego saw a change in the caliber of professionals who were looking to become members. Professionals, business owners and proactive, motivated entrepreneurs came out from behind closed doors and showed up at BNI meetings around the San Diego county. These savvy professionals understood the importance and value of being able to participate in weekly meetings whose sole focus is on creating business.
In 2009, BNI members globally reported closed business with one another upwards of $2.6 Billion US Dollars! Our local members were part of stimulating the San Diego economy with over 14 Million in closed business with one another. That’s a pretty good reason to get up, get out and become an active, participating member of BNI San Diego!
Now it’s 2010 and the business BNI San Diego members are doing is increasing weekly. We are seeing more professionals looking to become actively involved in the giving and receiving of this business. On a regional level, the San Diego chapter members are currently interviewing prospective members for their chapters. This is the time of year where membership increases weekly.
If you have a business that is looking to grow through word of mouth referral business, contact the local BNI chapter placement office. http://www.bnisandiego.com/chapters.html
Here’s to your success in growing your business with BNI this year!
Debbra Sweet
Member of BNI San Diego for 14 years
Director of BNI for 5 years
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A Chapter that LEARNS Together EARNS Together!
By Debbra_Sweet | February 18, 2010
The most successful business gurus will tell you- if you want to earn more, you need to learn more. This simple statement has been well documented in many areas of life.
Knowing this, how does that statement apply to you and your networking results in BNI? Statistically, our most successful members and chapters are those who attend as many of the training classes, events and workshops offered in BNI. In fact, they will take them- and then take them again… in some cases again, again and again!
You may say: “Networking is easy! Why do I need to take classes? How much can you possibly learn? Everyone knows how to network!”
I remember saying to Dr. Misner one day “Networking is easy.” He appropriately corrected me by saying: “Debbra, networking is simple. It’s not easy. If networking were easy, everyone would be successful at it!” That is a profound statement packed with a lot of truth.
Think about it. How many times have you been networking only to find it didn’t turn out the way you wanted? How many times did you receive a referral only to discover it wasn’t what you were really looking for? Consider networking events you have attended only to see people on the ‘hunt’ going for the ‘kill’- when what should be happening there is relationship building? To be effective at networking, it DOES take learning. It takes a change in mindset, attitude, understanding and learning new skill sets!
The most successful members and chapters in BNI understand this: BNI is not just a networking organization. We are a TRAINING organization! Where else can you go with a minimal investment dollar wise, a few hours of your time and walk out of a class that prepares you with knowledge and tools for increasing your skills as a professional networker! This information is used both inside and outside of BNI!
REAL LIFE MILLION DOLLAR SUCCESS STORY:
In 2009, in one of what the media calls ‘the worst economies’ we had 4 chapters in the San Diego region close out over 1 Million Dollars each in 12 months. That’s great! In fact, we had one chapter the reported over 2 Million dollars of business.
One of those chapters, (they did 1.2 million between Jan 01 2009- Dec 31 2009) decided to raise the bar. They set a goal to close out 3 million in 2010. Then.. .they did one better. They all came together and jumped into setting an ‘unreasonable goal’ of closing 5 Million in 2010! That’s bold! That’s exciting. That’s scary to some people… but they had a plan. All of this chapter’s members have embraced the trainings that BNI offers. In fact, they are repeat attendees!
In Jan 2010, they offered up a challenge to one another: they wanted to see over 1/2 of their chapter members register and attend the Feb. 1st Regional All Chapter Event. That means, out of a chapter of 40 people, they wanted to see if 20 would attend. 21 showed up!
Why is this valuable and exciting to share? It’s right here. They already knew they could pass each other over 1 Million in business. Now they needed to learn more to achieve their unreasonable goal. The 1/2 day, once a year, all chapter regional event was perfect timing and just the training they needed!
All of those members attended and were fully engaged. They split the members into teams, so that each session and workshop had multiple eyes and ears for learning. Then, they came together to train each other.
The result: In 12 months of 2009, this chapter closed 1.2 Million. In 2010- we are now at the completion of 7 week into the new year…. they just closed 1.4 MILLION in business with one another!!
Do you think they will achieve their chapter goal of 5 Million this year! With this momentum, focus and understanding that to achieve great results, ongoing learning on HOW to network and support one another- YOU BET!
I encourage you to ask yourself:
‘Do I want this type of networking in my chapter?’
If so, then here’s the 24 dollar questions: “What can YOU do to motivate yourself AND your members to attend all the BNI trainings as often as you can?” “How can you come together and go learn as a team?” “Do you really have each others back… and do they have yours?” “What’s it going to take to make this happen?”
It only takes one person to start a change. Does your chapter need a revival? Can you be the flame that sparks the fuel for the desire to LEARN and EARN?
This time invested in your networking education isn’t expensive. NOT GOING IS.
I look forward to hearing about your success stories that come out of your chapter this year!
Debbra Sweet
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BNI San Diego All Chapter Regional Event Feb 1st 2010 a Huge Success!
By Debbra_Sweet | February 18, 2010
As early as 6:30 am Feb 1st, 2010 you could hear the BUZZ of Effective Networking taking place at the Town & Country Hotel and Convention Center in San Diego!
Who attends an event that early in the morning? BNI San Diego Members who are on their way to making 2010 their Best year to date! It takes a dedicated networker to arrive in the wee hours of the morning, and in the wee hours of the morning our members did arrive!
Kicking off the event was an hour and a half of purposeful, effective networking! It is many business owners dream to attend an event where people not only know HOW to network with each other, but more importantly, WANT to network with each other!
For those who attended this second annual all chapter event, that effective networking time has since lead to real business .. a member’s truest reward!
Dr. Ivan Misner opened up the formal sit down portion of the meeting. Live and interactive via Web Cam, San Diego BNI members got to ask the man, the founder, the father of modern day networking any question they wanted! Ask is what they did! In true form, Dr. Misner openly, honestly and with great integrity delivered quality information to all the attendees!
After Dr. Misner opened the floor to the learning portion of this event, our keynote speaker, Jim Bear, director from Minnesota changed the perspective and understanding of ALL the BNI members in the room on WHY you should be asking for your referral partners, and not just your next customer. This keynote session was one of the many highlights and highly beneficial sessions for the members who went.
Since hearing Jim’s session, the buzz around the San Diego chapters now is ” The referral partner I am asking for is….” Soon we will share some of the REAL Dollars closed in our region in the last two weeks since learning this approach for referral results. (Stay tuned…it’s amazing!)
Once Jim closed out his session, the conversation of the day was “All these break out sessions are GREAT! I do not know which one to go to!” The most successful chapters took a ‘divide and conquer’ approach. They sent their members off on a mission to learn, then regroup and teach each other. That is the way successful networkers work!
To wrap up the day, all the members enjoyed some much deserved recognition for some outstanding BNI chapters and members. Million Dollar chapter Plaques were awarded to the:
Del Mar, Bnillionaires, Better Business Alliance and Escondido Chapters.
Each once closed out over 1 million dollars in closed business during 2009! Del Mar topped the charts with over 2 Million! San Diego is on it’s way to being known as a region to watch. We have amazing members doing an incredible amount of business simply because the most successful members and chapters understand the benefit of continually increasing their education on HOW to refer effectively.
It’s a well known fact, the more you learn the more you earn. Also, chapters that learn together EARN together!! 
(The Better Business Alliance chapter had 21 members - out of a 40 member chapter- attend this event!) That is over 1/2 the chapter learning how to support one another! Congratulations to them!
This annual All Chapter Regional event that kicks off International Networking week will be back next year. Bigger, better, and ready to deliver high quality, high value education for you. We look forward to seeing you there next year!
Debbra Sweet
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Diversity and Networking
By Doug_Means | May 12, 2009
by Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D & Douglas C. Means
When it comes to business networking, you never know who people know. One of the important keys to being successful at building a powerful personal network is diversity.
Working within BNI - the world’s largest business networking organization - for a combined total, between the two of us, for nearly 30 years now, people often mention to us that they would prefer to network exclusively with other business professionals who work with clients in a similar socio-economic target market, or in other words, network with business professionals with similar clients. Although it is good to include these people in your personal network, any attempt to network with them exclusively would be a tremendous mistake.
It is human nature to congregate with people that are very much like us. People tend to cluster together based on education, age, race, professional status, etc.. The bottom line is that we tend to hang out with people who have similar experiences or perspectives as ours. Most of our friends and associates are often friends and associates with each other as well. The problem with this is that when we surround ourselves with people who have similar contacts, it may be difficult to make connections with new people or companies with whom we desire to do business.
A diverse personal network enables you to increase the possibility of including connectors, “links” or “linchpins” in your network. Linchpins are people who in some way cross over between two or more clusters or groups of individuals. In effect, they have overlapping interests or contacts that allow them to link groups of people together easily.
When it comes to networking, diversity is key because it allows us to locate these connectors, links or linchpins between clusters of people. Connectors are the gateways to other people. They create shortcuts across groups.
The best way to increase the number of linchpins in your network is to develop a diverse network – not a homogeneous one.
Having now developed over 5,000 BNI networking groups in more than 37 countries around the world, we can categorically state that by our observation the strongest networking groups that exist are generally ones that are diverse in many, many ways. The more diverse the network, the more likely it will include overlapping connectors or linchpins that link people together in ways they would have never imagined.
One of the problems in understanding this concept is a somewhat built-in bias that many people have about networking with individuals that are outside their normal frame of reference. Here’s an example to pass along – BNI Director Patti Salvucci in Boston recently shared this amazing story.
Patti runs dozens of networking groups for BNI in the Boston area. She communicated that one of the groups she visited with met in a private meeting room at Fenway Park. She said that she arrived a little early to the meeting one week and noticed an older gentleman setting up coffee mugs in preparation for the meeting. Well, anyone knowing Patti knows that she is a master networker and so she struck up a conversation with the man while waiting for members to arrive. In talking to him, she was really taken by the amazing tenor of his voice. She mentioned to him that he had an incredible voice and asked what he did before this. The gentleman informed her that he used to be a commentator for CNN! He went on to tell her that in his later years, he wanted to work in a less hectic job as well as live closer to his daughter. He decided to take on the job of managing the owner’s suite at Fenway Park in Boston because it gave him an opportunity to be close to his family while having a less hectic career later in life.
Patti asked him about some of the people that he met during his time in broadcasting. He shared many great stories with her including an interview that he had done with JKF a week before he was assassinated. He also talked about meeting Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela during his career. It was an interesting conversation that she genuinely enjoyed.
Later when the meeting was in full swing, one of the regular members, Don, publicly mentioned that he would really like to do a radio talk show someday and was looking for some contacts that could help him pursue this dream. After the meeting, Patti asked Don… “Do you see that guy over there (pointing to the ex-CNN commentator)? Have you seen him before?” “Yea,” said Don, “he’s the guy who sets up the coffee for our meeting.” Patti said to Don, “did you know that he used to be a broadcaster for CNN? Don said, “Oh my God, I had no idea!!!” Patti suggested that Don introduce himself and learn a little about the man he’s seen every week for the last several months because he may very well be able to make a connection for him in the broadcasting industry.
The irony in this story is that he had seen the man on many occasions but had not struck up a conversation with him because he felt that they had little, if anything, in common. The truth is, when it comes to networking – not having a lot in common with someone may mean that they can be a connector for you to a whole world of people that you might not otherwise be able to meet.
Some of the strongest networking groups are those that are diverse in many ways. They have a good mix of members based not only on race and gender, but also based on profession, age, education, and experience. The more diverse your network the more likely you are to make overlapping linkages between clusters of people. The more linkages you can make between clusters of people the stronger your network can be.
If you wish to build a powerful personal network – branch out. Build a diverse network of professional contacts that include people that don’t look like you, sound like you, speak like you, or have your background, education, or history. The only thing that they should have in common with you and the other people in your network – is that they should be really good at what they do. Create a personal network like that, and you’ll have a network that can help you succeed at anything.
Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization, which has more than 5,000 chapters in 37 countries. Dr. Misner is also the author of several books, including the most recent addition to the bestselling Masters Series—Masters of Sales (www.mastersbooks.com), and the New York Times bestseller TRUTH OR DELUSION? (www.truthordelusion.com); and he is the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute (www.referralinstitute.com), a referral training company with operations around the world.
Doug Means, a Director for BNI in San Diego - and member since 2002 - works directly with the Leadership Teams of 8 BNI chapters in San Diego County, and provides monthly educational training for chapter members in support of their success through networking and word-of-mouth marketing.
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The 10 Commandments for Better Networking Results
By Doug_Means | April 3, 2009
by Ivan R. Misner, Ph.D & Douglas C. Means
Do you suffer from “Butterfly-itis” at the very mention of networking at business functions? If you answered yes, you are not alone! Many of us as human beings - let alone business people and entrepreneurs - get a bit uncomfortable when it comes right down to walking up to someone and starting a conversation. Many others are concerned about getting effective results from the time they spend networking. The process doesn’t have to be traumatic, scary, or a waste of time. When done properly, it can truly make a difference in the amount of business your company generates. With the right approach, you can use it to build a wealth of resources and contacts that will help to make your business very successful.
Use the following 10 Commandments to help you network your way through your next business networking event:
- Have the tools to network with you at all times.
- Set a goal for the number of people you’ll meet.
- Act like a host, not a guest.
- Listen and ask questions.
- Don’t try to close a deal.
- Give referrals whenever possible.
- Exchange business cards.
- Manage your time efficiently.
- Write notes on the backs of business cards you collect.
- Follow up!
These include an informative name badge, business cards, brochures about your business, and a pocket-sized business card file containing cards of other professionals whom you can refer.
Identify a reachable goal based on attendance and the type of group. If you feel inspired, set a goal to meet fifteen to twenty people and make sure you get all their cards. If you don’t feel so hot, shoot for less. In either case, don’t leave until you’ve met your goal.
A host is expected to do things for others, while a guest sits back and relaxes. Volunteer to help greet people. If you see visitors sitting, introduce yourself and ask if they would like to meet others. Act as a conduit.
Remember that a good networker has two ears and one mouth and uses them proportionately. After you’ve learned what another person does, tell them what you do. Be specific, but brief. Don’t assume they know your business.
These events are not meant to be a vehicle to hit on business people to buy your products or services. Networking is about developing relationships with other professionals. Meeting people at events should be the beginning of that process, not the end of it.
The best networkers believe in the “givers gain” philosophy (what goes around, comes around). If I help you, you’ll be compelled to help me and we’ll both benefit as a result of it. In other words, if you don’t genuinely attempt to help the people you meet, then you are not networking effectively. If you can’t give someone a bona fide referral, try to offer some information that might be of interest to them (such as details about an upcoming event).
Ask each person you meet for two cards - one to pass on to someone else and one to keep. This sets the stage for networking to happen.
Spend ten minutes or less with each person you meet and don’t linger with friends or associates. If your goal is to meet a given number of people, be careful not to spend too much time with any one person. When you meet someone interesting with whom you’d like to speak further, set up an appointment for a later date.
Record anything you think may be useful in remembering each person more clearly. This will come in handy when you follow up on each contact.
Yes, #10 (not 0). You can obey the previous nine commandments religiously, but if you don’t follow up effectively, you will have wasted your time. Drop a note or give a call to each person you’ve met. Be sure to fulfill any promises you’ve made.
Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder and Chairman of BNI, the world’s largest business networking organization, which has more than 5,000 chapters in 37 countries. Dr. Misner is also the author of several books, including the most recent addition to the bestselling Masters Series—Masters of Sales (www.mastersbooks.com), and the New York Times bestseller TRUTH OR DELUSION? (www.truthordelusion.com); and he is the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute (www.referralinstitute.com), a referral training company with operations around the world.
Doug Means, a Director for BNI San Diego - and member since 2002 - works directly with the Leadership Teams of 9 BNI chapters in San Diego County to support their members’ success building a quality client base through networking and word-of-mouth marketing.
Topics: Best Practices, Networking, Top List | No Comments »
Welcome to the new BNI San Diego website !
By Kathryn_Lodal | September 12, 2007
We are excited about the new website and how it can benefit our members. We will be providing BNI members with new information and on-line registration for Future Events and Training Sessions. This revised site will serve prospective members by directing them to BNI Chapter Placement for assistance in finding a chapter that has opening for their profession. Please look for the links to BNI Headquarters website and other important networking sources. The website will have changing information over time; so we welcome you and hope you will visit the site often.
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