| April 2007 | THE SYDNEY NETWORKER |
| Dear Lachlan,
Welcome back after the Easter break.
This month, we question the theory that customers are your best referral source; visit a workshop in Haberfield; show where to attend a BNI Chapter; we demonstrate how easy it is to find a referral; we report on a group effort by Bay City Chapter; we discover the Church is using our 10 Minute showcases; and we look at Training Matters and Trivial Pursuit.
Happy Networking,
Tony Benner
Executive Director, BNI Sydney Inner West.
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 | Are Customers your best Referral Source? | |
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| Think again...  If we could get our customers to refer their friends to us, we'd have even more customers. Sound familiar? There are two problems with that line of reasoning, though. Problem #1: It's true. Problem #2: It's a very slow way to get new business.
Sure, your customers or clients can be helpful in sending you new business here and there. The question is: Can you actually grow your business effectively with just a new customer 'here and there'?
Don't you want --and need -- a lot of new customers?
With a well-developed referral network, you can realise more good referrals from one or two professional referral sources than from all your customers combined. To get a lot of new business, you need a more productive source of referrals. With a well-developed referral network, you can realise more good referrals from one or two professional referral sources than from all your customers combined.
The best sources in the long run are likely to be the people you refer business to. When you help another businessperson build his or her business, you're cultivating a long-term relationship with someone who's motivated to return the favour by bringing business to you, who's sharing your target market, and who will work systematically with you for mutual benefit.
The belief that customers or clients are the best source of referrals is just one of the "networking myths" busted by BNI's best-selling book, "Truth or Delusion." |
| BNI Workshops | |
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| Are you using the right bait?  Every five to six weeks, BNI Directors visit their Chapters to present a short workshop on some aspect of word of mouth marketing.
Pictured is Assistant Director, Richard Poi, at BNI Gold City Chapter in Haberfield, drawing parallels between fishing and getting the referral(s) you want at BNI. If the fish aren’t biting like you aren’t getting referrals, change the content of your infomercial like changing to the right bait to catch the fish you want.
Richard ended by saying to members, “Nothing changes, if nothing changes." |
| Where to Visit a BNI Chapter | |
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| Breakfasts for new and existing BNI Chapters will be held as follows:
BNI SILVER CITY-meets at 7am on Tuesdays at Newington Cafe, Cnr Fariola St & Day St North, Silverwater.
BNI OLYMPIC CITY - 7:00am, Wednesdays, at Navigator Brasserie, 1st Floor, Rhodes Shopping Centre, Rhodes.
BNI BAY CITY - meets at 7:00am each Thursday, Oliveto at Majors Bay Cafe, 80 Majors Bay Rd, Concord.
BNI GOLD CITY - meets at 7am every Thursday at Dolcissimo Ristorante, 96-98 Ramsay St, Haberfield.
BNI EMERALD CITY - will meet at 7am every Wednesday at Vivere Vita Cafe, Shop 173 Burwood Rd, Burwood. - Please RSVP.
BNI DIAMOND CITY - will meet at 8am on Fridays at Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL Club, Hurlstone Park. - Please RSVP
New BNI chapters are opening during 2007 - call 9279 0261 to find out how to reserve your category. |
| It's Easy to Find a Referral | |
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|  Pretend for a moment that you are a computer specialist like Andrew Sim from Simtec (pictured left). You are with a client and they are talking about the new house they just moved into. They love the house, but the carpet is old and worn, and the yard needs a lot of work.
What do you say? You say: Do you have a good relationship with a landscaper? And, did you know there's a company that will come out to your house and show you carpet and flooring samples? I do know somebody for both jobs!
Two referrals. Hand them the cards (because you keep all your contact's cards handy in your BNI wallet) and then while you go make copies of something for them, hand them your contact's card file and ask them to see if anyone else might be able to help them.
It's that easy. |
| A Group Effort | |
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| BNI Bay City Chapter's Art Experience  BNI Bay City Chapter member, Martha Knox Haly commissioned fellow member and artist, Sean Torstensson, to produce a customised graphics piece for her home.
Pictured is Sean with the treasured artwork.
At an official unveiling ceremony, Martha and husband John utilised the services of other members on the night. They included Kathy Apostolides from Events by Nightingales who helped organise the evening, including the wait staff and Zeina Obeido (wife of Mortgage Broker Fred Obeido) who brought along the Lebanese sweets; plus a number of members who helped make the unveiling a success. |
| Our Sacred 10 Minute Presentations! | |
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|  In its 22 years, BNI has attracted many imitators. But the latest is different!
We all know how effective our rostered 10 Minute Presentations are in showcasing our businesses to members and visitors.
Judging by the picture captured in the CBD, the Anglican Church has caught on to how effective 10 minute presentations can be.
If any members would like some additional notes to help them to showcase their businesses, please contact your Directors, or perhaps pick up a few tips at St Philip's in the city! |
| Training, training, training... | |
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|  In BNI, we put a lot of emphasis on training members so that they get maximum benefit from their membership.
We asked BNI's Chairman Dr Ivan Misner how much training was done across the world. He replied:
"Leadership Team Training ALONE is: 125,000 person hours!
Here’s the maths: 4,630 Chapters times 3 Leadership Team people = 13,890 times 4.5 hours of Leadership Team training (the average), = 62,505 times twice a year = 125,010 person hours!!!
That doesn’t include any other training such as Director training , Education Coordinator Training, Membership Committee, Visitor Hosts etc."
As you can see, training can take place in a variety of locations. Pictured is a Membership Success Programme session that was held at Gold City member Ryan Hastie's business, Vision Personal Training.
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| Trivial Pursuit | |
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|  Sydney Networker caught up with Noel Stowers from BNI Olympic City Chapter who runs a Believe It or Not Trivia Events company.
Fellow members came to the Next Generation Gym in North Ryde to see Noel in action. The BNI team started out well, but scored badly on sporting events.
Noel presents weekly pub trivia packages as well as corporate quiz packages and fundraising events.
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| What is BNI? | |
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| BNI is a professional business networking organisation that allows only one representative from each business or profession to join any of its chapters.
The sole purpose of the BNI chapter is to generate more business for its members.
BNI is the most successful business referral organisation in the world with over 4600 chapters in 37 countries. |
|  | | Contact Information phone: +612 9279 0261 | | |
Also Breakfast next Tuesday Morning
