The Importance of Being Specific.

In networking meetings, it is very easy to stand up and spend a lot of time talking about all the nuances of your business and to ask for all of the different types of customers you can help. This is not helpful for the people in the room who want to help you to gain business from the group. It becomes confusing and hard to remember everything that was advised. One piece of advice that I give to all new members as well as those considering applying to BNI is: ‘Review your business and understand where your best business comes from’. This is the first step in helping you to be specific at your weekly meetings.

If you are going to help others gain clarity on who you are and the clients you are looking to work with, you first must understand this yourself. You want to be the expert in what you do, to do this you need to pick a category and stick to it. This will strengthen your brand and add clarity to the message you delivered to your peers on a weekly basis.

Once you understand who your ideal clients are, you need to understand how they have historically come to you. This will enable you to see who your ideal referral partners are, helping you to connect to the right people to grow your business.

How does this translate into business? – Let’s look at a recent case study!

At a recent launch meeting for a new BNI group, I got talking to a lady who was considering how she could grow her catering business. When we were discussing with the group, the importance of being specific, she advised that this would not apply to her, as her customers would be ‘anyone’s family and friends’.

At this point I asked if she would mind answering a couple of questions for me. The questions and responses are as below:

Q1 - If I said I could introduce you to a fantastic florist, would that be a good referral for you?

A1 – Yes.

OK

Q2 - If I said I had been working with a fantastic local events company who have a list of trusted caterers, would you like me to introduce you to them?

A2 – Yes.

OK

Q3 – If I said I know a number of local wedding and events photographers/videographers, would you like to get to know them as well?

A3 – Yes.

 I finished by saying, so you are not really looking for anyone then?

At this point a light bulb moment happened. The understanding was clear, there was a direction and clarity that started to become understood. By gaining direction, she could now develop a clear plan of where she wanted to take her business and how it was going to grow.

 Are you getting the results you could be getting from your networking activity? If not, ask yourself how specific you are being. Are you making it easy for people to refer to you? Or are you confusing people with mixed messages?

 If you haven’t already asked yourself who your ideal client is, now is the ideal time to review your business and update your growth plan.

What questions should you ask yourself when considering the next step on your journey?

1.      Why does my ideal client typically come to me?

2.      Who are my ideal clients? (Think BIG, look at the ones who give you BIG WINS)

3.      Where do my ideal clients work?

4.      Who would come into regular contact with my ideal clients?

5.      How do I typically resolve challenges for my ideal client?

If you do the background work before delivering your elevator pitch, you will make it easier for a room full of experts to find you high quality referrals, that are guaranteed to grow your business.

Here is an outline of what should be included every single week:

1.      Who are you.

2.      Who are you looking to speak to? (Give Individuals name, Position/Role, Company, Location – Spell out any unusual spellings)

3.      Why do you want to speak to them?/Why would they want to speak to you? (This bit is crucial, think about the pain points that you help to solve)

4.      Repeat who you are.

5.      Repeat who you are looking for.

It might seem like you are not telling them enough, but trust me everyone will be greatful you took the time to be specific!

Extra Resources:

There are many resources available that can help you to understand this topic. I would highly recommend this article from Charlie Lawson.

#BNI #Giversgain #BNIFamily #ReferralMarketing #Networking #Networkingdisconnect

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About The Author – Carly Twigg:

I am an enthusiastic Referral Marketing Expert, dedicated to supporting local businesses, helping them to grow and succeed through the power of BNI and Givers Gain.

I am currently working to support and facilitate the launch of 3 new core groups: BNI Moorlands - Rushton Spencer, BNI Revolution - Rugeley, BNI Unity - Uttoxeter, We are growing some fantastic groups of motivated business professionals.

I am an avid believer in Givers Gain and work hard to maintain strong relationships with all of our members. I actively encourage 121's to enable me to help and support our members with any BNI or referral marketing queries they may have.

Contact Carly:

E - [email protected]

T - 01782 571950

Connect on LinkedIn - Carly Twigg

Book a meeting with me via Calendly